Cascading Spray Dome
Posted by Krista at 4/10/2009 9:15 AM 
Categories: uncategorized
Tags: cascading spray dome FETCO coffee brewing equipment CSD
Categories: uncategorized
Tags: cascading spray dome FETCO coffee brewing equipment CSD
FETCO's new Cascading Spray Dome (CSD) replaces the old metal spray plate on all EXTRACTOR Series Brewers. It resists lime build up, doesn't hold heat and is easy to remove, clean and replace. Not only does it reduce service calls, but the extraction is superior. Tell us what you think of the CSD.
This spray head is the single greatest leap forward that I have experienced since coming to work for FETCO. I know you're thinking "all it does is spread the water over the grounds", if that was the case, our teflon coated steel plate did just fine with that.
If you've been around our gear long, you'll note that we require the highest quality parts regardless of the price tag, since it'll cost you less in the long run anyway, so it can't have anything to do with the cost of resin vs. steel. So why the big deal? It all goes back to the cup. That little magnet embedded piece of resin engineering not only sheds lime scale, keeps dripping to a minimum, and reduces the fear of a 1/2 cup of 200 degree water punishing your attempt at cleanliness, but it takes better care of your coffee too.
Let's start with that half cup of water. Our brewers rely on head pressure to regulate the water pressure going to the spray valve. Which is a fancy way of saying that the tube going to the spray head is located under the water line in the tank on purpose. The back pressure from the limited flow of the spray plate forces the water through those needle holes at some pretty decent speeds. When that water comes into contact with the coffee bed it creates a water pressure scenario in the top 3% or so of the coffee bed. This has created over extraction in that top layer of coffee.
Enter the CSD.
On first inspection, you'll note that the CSD has several grooves in the top side of it that channels the water to the same spots that the old spray plate did. The difference though is that the CSD allows the water pressure to normalize to atmospheric pressure before coming into contact with the coffee bed. At the end of the brew you'll see that there are no more divots on the surface of your spent grounds. This is because the new spray dome lays the water on the surface and allows the water to seep through. This translates into the ability to hone into your flavor profile through your new found ability to limit turbulence.
Next, we at FETCO have been very proud of our ability to control the temperature range over the course of a brew. With a high/low of 1.5 degrees when temperature is taken at the mid point of our dispense tube, we have been able to pinpoint the group of solubles that we want to introduce to the cup, without flashing the coffee and getting those tin flavors of over extraction. Our beloved steel plate would act as a heat sync that would take a bit of time to heat up at the beginning of the brew. Now, since the CSD is made of heat shedding resin, the temperature control that we are so proud of can now directly affect the coffee bed. For those of you in the mountains, this is huge! You can now put the tank temp right next to boiling, then watch as you make the hottest coffee you've ever been able to brew commercially! Translation: go after the fruit, nuts, florals, and chocolate, that you know are in that coffee you bought. Rediscover your favorite cup!
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