www.baratza.com: skilled in the art of grinding

Gaggia steaming - Milk level keeps raising after stretching phase. - Page 2

Postby shadowfax on Tue Jan 13, 2009 12:26 pm

Kurt.B wrote:On my Gaggia machine I have an issue where after I am done stretching the milk the milk level continues to very slowly raise. The tip is definitely placed down far enough into the pitcher that it is done stretching and the tell tale sound is absent as well. My guess is that the steam is still wet even though I purge it before steaming and it is slowly introducing water into the milk. This is frustrating because even if I leave plenty of room in the small pitcher after stretching eventually it keeps rising to the top and I get anywhere from a small amount of spillage to a large amount. Also, if it is water my milk is becoming slightly diluted.


Chris, the above emphasized comment was why I opted to suggest that it was 'wet' steam rather than a froth aid. My recollection of frothing aids is that they're pretty noisy, and the OP specifically mentioned that sound being absent. Not that I mean to excuse myself for the high school chemistry rabbit trail...
Nicholas Lundgaard
User avatar
shadowfax
Team HB
 
Posts: 3078
Joined: May 04, 2005
Location: Houston, TX

Postby malachi on Tue Jan 13, 2009 1:18 pm

Without knowing what the "tell tale sound" is - there is little to now way to diagnose.
It's all guesswork.
The sounds in question, in fact, could be the screaming and sputtering noise that comes from holding a steam wand with a froth aider right at the surface of the milk.

So the first question then stays the same - "Does the machine have a froth aider?"

If yes - we have an answer.
If no - we can go on to more complicated explanations.
"Taste is the only morality." -- John Ruskin
malachi
 
Posts: 2614
Joined: May 05, 2005
Location: sfca

Postby Kurt.B on Tue Jan 13, 2009 10:47 pm

Thanks for the responses.

I have a Silvia steam wand on my Gaggia.
Kurt.B
 
Posts: 8
Joined: Oct 23, 2008
Location: Peoria, IL

Previous

Return to Espresso Machines