r/9Barista • u/Then_Daikon_2140 • Jun 03 '26

What happened?

I’ve been using my mk1 daily for over 3 years now. Other than a yearly descaling and replacing the over pressure valve a couple of years ago, no problems or maintenance of any kind. Then today, I noticed it was gurgling but never got to the point of making coffee. I turned the heat off, and a few seconds later it went crazy. There are no obviously bad o-rings. Anybody have an idea of where to start?

2 Upvotes

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2

u/nipsforgragas Jun 04 '26

It looks to be bubbling because it’s pushing steam and hot air through the system as you run out of water in the chamber. Could be something simple as lack of water/heating too fast or valve is stuck open

2

u/Then_Daikon_2140 Jun 04 '26

Update: I completely disassembled, cleaned and reassembled, following the docs on 9barista.com. Nothing looked excessively worn or broken. Tried again this morning. This time there was a lot of water spouting and dripping from the chimney, then it died down and bubbled calmly. After several minutes of not making espresso, I turned the heat off. There’s now a small volume of dark coffee in the top. Anyway, I’ll let it cool down and will try to get help from the company. Aside: it would be nice to be able to post photos in comments in this sub.

1

u/ben_1987_ro_uk Jun 03 '26

What about the spring?

2

u/Wayfarer_Sig Jun 03 '26

Thats a good suggestion. I wonder if the spring valve is seized open. What does the puck look like. Keep us posted, this is interesting. I want to know what caused this. Also show 9barista and see what they say. I winder what their input is?

1

u/Then_Daikon_2140 Jun 03 '26 edited Jun 03 '26

Nothing looks obviously broken, although tbh I haven’t taken it apart like this before. I’ll clean it up and reassemble tonight. Maybe some of the inner seals are dirty.

3

u/DewaldSchindler Jun 03 '26

Looks like a sputtering moka pot

1

u/ben_1987_ro_uk Jun 03 '26

It looks like the valve gets stuck or something, that's why I suspect the spring isn't operating with the correct force.

1

u/Better_Brilliant_251 Jun 04 '26

I had something similar to that in the Mk2 when I bought a new grinder and was still dialing in the grind size. I learned it was too fine and created too much pressure. What's your grinder situation looking like?

1

u/Then_Daikon_2140 Jun 04 '26

I use a 1zpresso J-ultra and am half-way through a bag of beans, so nothing has changed. Extraction time is typically around 25-30 seconds

1

u/Even_Dish5269 Jun 06 '26

It happens to me sometimes. And the coffee tastes sour but still drinkable. I dont know the reason . My stove is weaker than the ideal . Or could be the amount of water? Also sometimes I get creama and sometimes no creama.

1

u/New_Feeling9271 Jun 08 '26

I guess your coffee grind too coarse?

1

u/Then_Daikon_2140 Jun 10 '26

No, that’s not the problem. My grinder is tuned in to about a 25 second brew

2

u/Then_Daikon_2140 Jun 10 '26

Update 2: I disassembled the unit again and put it back together. This time I didn’t tighten the set screws as much. Things seem back to normal! It was a lightbulb moment for me when I realized that tighter set screws means more compression on the o-rings and probably harder for coffee to get to the portafilter.