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Date: 25 Aug 2006 21:51:58
From: David Williams
Subject: milk frothing noob
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Over the past year or so my espresso keeps getting better as my
technique gets better. I have been drinking straight espresso for the
most part. I took my Gaggia Carezza and Mazzer Super Jolly to work and
make coffee for myself, my boss and my co worker every morning. My
co-worker wants lattes or something similar so I've had to work on my
frothing technique. I struggled at first even though I had a basic idea
of what I needed to do. Then I realized that I just didn't have enough
steam pressure. I should let the steam light come on my Gaggia. then
go off, then come on again. This seems to help a great deal. I'm
starting to get something you could call micro foam (getting closer to
it anyway). I try and keep the milk swirling at a high velocity the
entire time until ~150degF. I guess the faster the milk moves the
better. Is there any way to convert the Gaggia's steam wand to a
smaller opening for a higher steam velocity? Just a theory on my part.
So this leads me to my real questions.
cappuccino is typically described as 1/3 espresso, 1/3 frothed milk and
1/3 steamed milk.
the latte as 1/3 espresso 2/3 steamed milk.
if I'm making micro foam and there's no discernible difference between
frothed and steamed milk how do you do this? 1/3 espresso 2/3 micro foam?
The other thing is I make a double so roughly 2oz of espresso. Do I add
4oz of my micro foam (or the closest I can come) or do I start with 4oz
of milk and stretch that and add the 4oz of stretched milk? (that may be
6-7oz volume afterwards)
Thanks!
David Williams
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Date: 25 Aug 2006 19:44:04
From: Flasherly
Subject: Re: milk frothing noob
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Lot of particulars for a non-particular type - although I'm a natural
latte/cappuccino fan, having largely given up sugar. The three banes
of the new world - sugar, tobacco, caffeine - according to whose
history book you're reading. Sugar simply doesn't settle well on my
stomach, milk is sweet, and let's nevermind cigarettes with coffee.
Had a hell'va time with mine - ended up in a middle of the night fit of
pre-caffeine depravity, replacing the wand with a much longer length of
copper tubbing (off a freezer ice machine). The included end froathing
attachment, inside, there's a conical nozzle tappered into a jet, where
the main action occurs. You'll need to see "skimming the surface" on
the various sites for actual techniques for drawing up a microfilm of
bubbles. Wand attachments typically are described with a small
diameter hole alongside the tip of the wand. That hole's useage is to
draw in milk, into the centre diameter cavity where the nozzle resides.
The juncture between the output steam tip, inside the cylinder and
adjacent the hole, is where "skimming the surface" occurs.
Free-wanding is another technique - the tip froathing attachment is
removed altogether and a barebase threaded output pipe is skimmed
across the surface for the same result. I tried that, too,
unsuccessfully. I've a somewhat widemouthed froathing attachemnt
design, with a large bell-shaped enclosure surrounding and extending
some distance below the centre steamjet. First I tried drilling small
diameter holes along the lower bellflare, parallel to the nozzle tip,
and then I simply removed a large portion of the lower bell assembly,
so now a remainder of the bell is slightly above the central jet. It's
most definately a forceful jet, and I'm now producing an acceptable
mix. I use a glass mug held from the bottom in my hand to feel
temperature while the microfilm builds. I then shoot the coffee, drawn
directly into the top of a resulting microfilm for a colloidal
suspension effect. Heavier milk on the bottom, and coffee rising over
and between a microfilm topping. Lately, I taken holding it up
afterward to play with as if it were a lava lamp. A microfilm crema
type crust mix, the deal, and a chaser. I used to mix the bottom two
layers. As it is, a popular concion with South Americans, or so I
hear.
David Williams wrote:
> Over the past year or so my espresso keeps getting better as my
> technique gets better. I have been drinking straight espresso for the
> most part. I took my Gaggia Carezza and Mazzer Super Jolly to work and
> make coffee for myself, my boss and my co worker every morning. My
> co-worker wants lattes or something similar so I've had to work on my
> frothing technique. I struggled at first even though I had a basic idea
> of what I needed to do. Then I realized that I just didn't have enough
> steam pressure. I should let the steam light come on my Gaggia. then
> go off, then come on again. This seems to help a great deal. I'm
> starting to get something you could call micro foam (getting closer to
> it anyway). I try and keep the milk swirling at a high velocity the
> entire time until ~150degF. I guess the faster the milk moves the
> better. Is there any way to convert the Gaggia's steam wand to a
> smaller opening for a higher steam velocity? Just a theory on my part.
>
> So this leads me to my real questions.
>
> cappuccino is typically described as 1/3 espresso, 1/3 frothed milk and
> 1/3 steamed milk.
>
> the latte as 1/3 espresso 2/3 steamed milk.
>
> if I'm making micro foam and there's no discernible difference between
> frothed and steamed milk how do you do this? 1/3 espresso 2/3 micro foam?
>
> The other thing is I make a double so roughly 2oz of espresso. Do I add
> 4oz of my micro foam (or the closest I can come) or do I start with 4oz
> of milk and stretch that and add the 4oz of stretched milk? (that may be
> 6-7oz volume afterwards)
>
>
> Thanks!
> David Williams
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Date: 26 Aug 2006 20:34:53
From: Smiley
Subject: Re: milk frothing noob
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David Williams <REMOVEdaveCAPS@bluenotblue.com > wrote in
news:6o6dnah9BvGkNHLZnZ2dnUVZ_tadnZ2d@comcast.com:
> Over the past year or so my espresso keeps getting better as my
> technique gets better. I have been drinking straight espresso for the
> most part. I took my Gaggia Carezza and Mazzer Super Jolly to work
> and make coffee for myself, my boss and my co worker every morning.
> My co-worker wants lattes or something similar so I've had to work on
> my frothing technique. I struggled at first even though I had a basic
> idea of what I needed to do. Then I realized that I just didn't have
> enough steam pressure. I should let the steam light come on my
> Gaggia. then go off, then come on again. This seems to help a great
> deal. I'm starting to get something you could call micro foam
> (getting closer to it anyway). I try and keep the milk swirling at a
> high velocity the entire time until ~150degF. I guess the faster the
> milk moves the better. Is there any way to convert the Gaggia's steam
> wand to a smaller opening for a higher steam velocity? Just a theory
> on my part.
>
> So this leads me to my real questions.
>
> cappuccino is typically described as 1/3 espresso, 1/3 frothed milk
> and 1/3 steamed milk.
>
> the latte as 1/3 espresso 2/3 steamed milk.
>
> if I'm making micro foam and there's no discernible difference between
> frothed and steamed milk how do you do this? 1/3 espresso 2/3 micro
> foam?
>
> The other thing is I make a double so roughly 2oz of espresso. Do I
> add 4oz of my micro foam (or the closest I can come) or do I start
> with 4oz of milk and stretch that and add the 4oz of stretched milk?
> (that may be 6-7oz volume afterwards)
>
>
> Thanks!
> David Williams
>
I've spent a lot of time trying to steam on a Gaggia Evolution (same guts
as the Carezza), and I get the best results by using the inside piece of
the pannarello. It's the part that has an orange o-ring and about 3 ribs
before ending in a small point with a small steam hole.
Previously I tried just using the bare steam wand but the exit port is
too large, you end up using up all the steam in the boiler too fast.
Using the whole pannarello unit produced pretty poor microfoam.
However, using just the inside piece of the pannarello has produced some
quite good results (although with the ribs and all it's pretty hard to
clean).
Give it a try and see if it works for you
Best regards
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Date: 05 Sep 2006 11:35:15
From: Fraser Rolfe
Subject: Re: milk frothing noob
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On 27/8/2006 8:34 AM, in article
Xns982BA8B07FC22smileyyahoocom@208.49.80.188, "Smiley"
<smiley1437@yahoo.com > wrote:
> David Williams <REMOVEdaveCAPS@bluenotblue.com> wrote in
> news:6o6dnah9BvGkNHLZnZ2dnUVZ_tadnZ2d@comcast.com:
>
>> Over the past year or so my espresso keeps getting better as my
>> technique gets better. I have been drinking straight espresso for the
>> most part. I took my Gaggia Carezza and Mazzer Super Jolly to work
>> and make coffee for myself, my boss and my co worker every morning.
>> My co-worker wants lattes or something similar so I've had to work on
>> my frothing technique. I struggled at first even though I had a basic
>> idea of what I needed to do. Then I realized that I just didn't have
>> enough steam pressure. I should let the steam light come on my
>> Gaggia. then go off, then come on again. This seems to help a great
>> deal. I'm starting to get something you could call micro foam
>> (getting closer to it anyway). I try and keep the milk swirling at a
>> high velocity the entire time until ~150degF. I guess the faster the
>> milk moves the better. Is there any way to convert the Gaggia's steam
>> wand to a smaller opening for a higher steam velocity? Just a theory
>> on my part.
>>
>> So this leads me to my real questions.
>>
>> cappuccino is typically described as 1/3 espresso, 1/3 frothed milk
>> and 1/3 steamed milk.
>>
>> the latte as 1/3 espresso 2/3 steamed milk.
>>
>> if I'm making micro foam and there's no discernible difference between
>> frothed and steamed milk how do you do this? 1/3 espresso 2/3 micro
>> foam?
>>
>> The other thing is I make a double so roughly 2oz of espresso. Do I
>> add 4oz of my micro foam (or the closest I can come) or do I start
>> with 4oz of milk and stretch that and add the 4oz of stretched milk?
>> (that may be 6-7oz volume afterwards)
>>
>>
>> Thanks!
>> David Williams
>>
>
>
> I've spent a lot of time trying to steam on a Gaggia Evolution (same guts
> as the Carezza), and I get the best results by using the inside piece of
> the pannarello. It's the part that has an orange o-ring and about 3 ribs
> before ending in a small point with a small steam hole.
>
> Previously I tried just using the bare steam wand but the exit port is
> too large, you end up using up all the steam in the boiler too fast.
>
> Using the whole pannarello unit produced pretty poor microfoam.
>
> However, using just the inside piece of the pannarello has produced some
> quite good results (although with the ribs and all it's pretty hard to
> clean).
>
> Give it a try and see if it works for you
>
> Best regards
>
I am using an ancient Ariete machine. It came with a large bore frothing
wand attachment which was great for making great piles of cappa froth, but
not so great for textured milk. The answer for me was to remove the
attachment, leaving just the frothing wand, and then crush the tip of the
wand with a big pair of pliers (check your warranty first :)
I hit the steam button and let the boiler heat until (I reckon) the
thermostat is about to click off. Bleed off the excess water and get
straight into steaming. If the heater turns off during frothing - disaster.
I try to get a 'rolling' motion going on, spinning the milk vertically
(rather than around and around) in the jug. The crushed-down tip of the
frothing wand gives a fan-shaped blast of steam, which helps make velvety
milk. Just the way I like it.
Cheers
Fraser
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Date: 04 Sep 2006 21:29:34
From: AyTee
Subject: Re: milk frothing noob
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David Williams wrote:
[...]
> So this leads me to my real questions.
>
> cappuccino is typically described as 1/3 espresso, 1/3 frothed milk and
> 1/3 steamed milk.
>
> the latte as 1/3 espresso 2/3 steamed milk.
>
> if I'm making micro foam and there's no discernible difference between
> frothed and steamed milk how do you do this? 1/3 espresso 2/3 micro foam?
>
Correct, generally speaking. Although there is no hard rule. Start
here, and adjust to your taste.
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Date: 04 Sep 2006 18:09:42
From: Flasherly
Subject: Re: milk frothing noob
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Fraser Rolfe wrote:
> I hit the steam button and let the boiler heat until (I reckon) the
> thermostat is about to click off. Bleed off the excess water and get
> straight into steaming. If the heater turns off during frothing - disaster.
> I try to get a 'rolling' motion going on, spinning the milk vertically
> (rather than around and around) in the jug. The crushed-down tip of the
> frothing wand gives a fan-shaped blast of steam, which helps make velvety
> milk. Just the way I like it.
I drink a gallon of milk in two to three days, a quart at times a
single sitting. Aerated to a velvety consistancy, it must, or be
regarded too flat for coffee. Recently, I watched frothing techniques
from several new and unmodified espresso machines ranging from
$500-$3000US. Techniques provided by manufacturers weren't oriented to
drawing microfoam, but appear designed to perform well enough for the
enduser perspective, simply by submerging the business end of the wand
and letting the machines follow their course. Froth to scoop out with
a spoon, with presumably sufficiently aerated milk beneath. Really,
very little technique involved other than monitoring a thermometer.
I haven't a foggiest notion of my original espresso machine's design.
I'm basically left, having cut off everything plastic around a
remaining single source, with the vestige plastic conical taper and an
effective fine-tip adjustable blast -- blasts milk right out of the
glass if the boiler is first set wide open (last stage and submerged
deeper) -- and results now much better than expected. Never run into
that heater related issues, though have seen them mentioned. Without
sufficient pressure, one's left working too long at the surface and the
underlying body doesn't assume a velvety consistency. Never a
disaster, though, unless the milk were wrought rancid and boiled.
Simply pick it up again after temperature's back up. Shots are direct
into the same hot glass of milk -- a 3-layer effect with coffee between
a top microfoam -- stirred with a fork, either to mix two lower levels,
or, as well then not.
Bottoms up. -F
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