glcoffee Senior Member Joined: 15 Feb 2012 Posts: 67 Location: Los Angeles, CA & Taiwan Expertise: Just starting
Espresso: Izzo Alex II Grinder: Vario Drip: Hario V60
Posted Wed Mar 14, 2012, 4:48pm Subject: New to frothing
Was wondering if someone can critique my approach to milk frothing.
I am using a 20oz frothing pitcher with cold organic whole milk. When frothing, I have the pitched filled halfway, valve half open and am doing everything by sound and touch. I normally stretch until warm-hot and stop when it gets too hot to touch. Any advice on how I can improve?
Photo attached (was going for a leaf, but didn't work out).
(Click for larger image)
“Some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again.” C.S. Lewis, The World's Last Night ------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------ I am Taiwanese.
Joel_B Senior Member Joined: 9 Oct 2007 Posts: 1,823 Location: Pacific NW Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Astra Mega II Grinder: Mazzer SJ, Virtuoso Vac Pot: Yama 5 cup Drip: nope, french press Roaster: Behmor, WP, BBQ drum
Posted Wed Mar 14, 2012, 6:34pm Subject: Re: New to frothing
glcoffee Said:
I am using a 20oz frothing pitcher with cold organic whole milk. When frothing, I have the pitched filled halfway, valve half open and am doing everything by sound and touch. I normally stretch until warm-hot and stop when it gets too hot to touch. Any advice on how I can improve?
Pic looks like you overstretched the milk. The stretching phase shod be until the pitcher is no longer cold to maybe a hint warm. Then sink the wand and continue to heat until pitcher is too hot to touch plus another couple sec. The milk should spin in the pitcher as you're steaming; is this happening? After steaming tap the pitcher on counter to release any large bubbles then swirl the milk til it looks like wet paint.
glcoffee Senior Member Joined: 15 Feb 2012 Posts: 67 Location: Los Angeles, CA & Taiwan Expertise: Just starting
Espresso: Izzo Alex II Grinder: Vario Drip: Hario V60
Posted Thu Mar 15, 2012, 9:43am Subject: Re: New to frothing
Joel_B Said:
Pic looks like you overstretched the milk. The stretching phase shod be until the pitcher is no longer cold to maybe a hint warm. Then sink the wand and continue to heat until pitcher is too hot to touch plus another couple sec. The milk should spin in the pitcher as you're steaming; is this happening? After steaming tap the pitcher on counter to release any large bubbles then swirl the milk til it looks like wet paint.
Thanks for the tip, I do stretch until the pitcher is past warm and just under too hot to touch. Then, I sink the wand for the swirling effect and it does go way past too hot to touch (I can't hold the bitcher body).
I will try with a digital thermo tonight then report back. I should stretch to 100F then sink the wand to 140 or so?
“Some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again.” C.S. Lewis, The World's Last Night ------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------ I am Taiwanese.
I wouldn't stretch up to 100degF personally. I think 80-90 is better but ymmv.
Careful when using a thermometer. First make sure its calibrated; put it in boiling water and check its 212degF (outside of extreme elevation). Second is all thermometers will have some lag. And the faster your machine steams, the more the lag will matter. For me with my astra I actually had to sink the wand no higher than 70degF. I suspect your machine has decent steaming power so try sinking at 70 and pay attention to the feel of your pitcher as you do this.
140-150 is reasonable temp. 160 is too hi IMO. Again, take into consideration the lag and pay attention to how the pitcher feels.
glcoffee Senior Member Joined: 15 Feb 2012 Posts: 67 Location: Los Angeles, CA & Taiwan Expertise: Just starting
Espresso: Izzo Alex II Grinder: Vario Drip: Hario V60
Posted Thu Mar 15, 2012, 11:06pm Subject: Re: New to frothing
Joel_B Said:
Yeah, that's too far. Stretch it til the pitcher is not cold. Once its warm to hot then you went too far
I wouldn't stretch up to 100degF personally. I think 80-90 is better but ymmv.
Careful when using a thermometer. First make sure its calibrated; put it in boiling water and check its 212degF (outside of extreme elevation). Second is all thermometers will have some lag. And the faster your machine steams, the more the lag will matter. For me with my astra I actually had to sink the wand no higher than 70degF. I suspect your machine has decent steaming power so try sinking at 70 and pay attention to the feel of your pitcher as you do this.
140-150 is reasonable temp. 160 is too hi IMO. Again, take into consideration the lag and pay attention to how the pitcher feels.
I tried frothing again tonight and it seemed a lot better, big-medium sized bubbles were nearly absent. However, when I did my initial pour, a lot of foam came off and rested on top of the coffee. Am I pouring too quickly or not swirling the pitcher enough?
“Some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again.” C.S. Lewis, The World's Last Night ------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------ I am Taiwanese.
Size of bubbles has to do with how you introduce air into the milk. It should sound like paper ripping ch ch ch ch. if it sound more like sh sh sh sh then you're introducing too much air in. Its a knack to get the tip at the sweet spot; start with wand in the milk, and lower pitcher til you hear the paper ripping sound, but it's a fine line so if you lower the pitcher to low the sh sh sh sh sound will be apparent. Not sure if that makes sense?
glcoffee Said:
However, when I did my initial pour, a lot of foam came off and rested on top of the coffee. Am I pouring too quickly or not swirling the pitcher enough?
Generally speaking, that's an issue of overstretching the milk. Some people like to go by looking at volume of milk, but personally I think that's where overstretching occurs cuz the volume can look deceiving. I'd keep going by feel of the pitcher. If the milk and foam are seperated then you likely overstretched.
And make sure the milk is spinning when you're steaming; that's what helps incorporate the milk and foam.
I think any milk can be steamed properly, but some are just harder. Lower fat milks, will foam easier but will seperate easier too. Fattier milks won't foam up as easy but are more forgiving. Since you're using whole milk you should be fine, but don't be afraid to try a different brand of milk; it really can make a difference!
But as most things, practice makes perfect. A gallon of milk isn't overly expensive; when I first started out I bought a gallon of milk and just went to town lol. If the milk and foam is still seperated, then try sinking the wand sooner.
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