Although I thought the milk came out pretty good, as you can see from close examination there are still some bubbles in it. Also, it seemed a little thin. There are plenty of little bubbles in the latte art, and although it seemed thin (drinking it), I still had some white on top at the initial part of the pour. The thing that I really wish to understand better is why the leaves of the rosetta are not crisply defined? I have seen many other latte art shots and the edges of the leaves look more defined and less smudged. Is that more dependent on the milk fat percentage (I used 1%)? Or does it have to do with the milk pitcher spout and angle (I am using an Alessi)?
BrianFoster Senior Member Joined: 1 Apr 2012 Posts: 17 Location: Anoka, MN Expertise: Professional
Espresso: Dalla Corte Evolution,... Grinder: Maestro, Virtuoso Vac Pot: Yama Drip: V60s, Woodneck, Chemex,... Roaster: Primo PRI20
Posted Sat Jun 30, 2012, 7:43am Subject: Re: Please critique this milk and art
Well defined rosetta leaves are something to work toward, but they will take a lot of practice to achieve. Start with a slightly wetter milk with less air incorporated into it. It also looks like you may be pouring with too much force, and the crema is pretty distorted.
It's hard to tell from the angle of the video, but your tap and swirl may not be mixing, just spinning the milk. Tilting the pitcher while swirling will help you mix it a little better. When in doubt, throw a pinch of grounds onto the top of your steamed milk, and swirl the pitcher. If your swirl is correct, the grounds will disappear into the bottom of the pitcher, not stay at the top.
The 1% milk isn't going to do you any favors, either. Look for a higher fat milk that isn't 'ultra pasteurized' or 'UHT', introduce whispers of air til the pitcher is just warm, then get the milk spinning.
Posted Wed Jan 16, 2013, 7:43pm Subject: Re: Please critique this milk and art
This looks similar to something that was happening with me recently. Your milk looks OK if you work it a little bit more (more air, more tapping, swirling) but the crema looks interestingly familiar. Are you using old beans? I roast my own beans but a friend insisted that I try some of his from Florida. They were months old beans and when I brewed the shot it was a very bubble crema. This translated itself in the art as what you have there--very bubbly and messy looking, unlike a smooth, silky crema layer. I'm just interested--what beans are you using and how old (from the roast) are they?
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