Thanks for the update on this! Is there a Vetrano 2B Owners thread somewhere on HB or CG?

Ironically, the issue returned hours after making my last post. .....My hand bumped into the valve/stem leading into the machine casing and I ended up with burn blister. This was after the machine had been sitting idle for about 2 hours. Sure enough, I take a look at the end of the steam wand and the dripping is back. Steam wand is also getting so hot that it can't be held for more than a few seconds while steaming a drink. Oddly, the problem went away again for half a day and then was back in the morning.

The dripping is annoying enough, but this is actually becoming a dangerous situation. I pulled out an IR thermometer and the base of the black plastic knob is registering 125-135deg F and the metal valve/stem is approaching 200deg F (after 60+min of being at idle). For reference, this is feels significantly hotter than putting your finger on the group head.

I emailed CC again so I'll be interested to see what they say. I'm not sure if the joystick knobs use a different mechanism to close the valve, but if so, I'm thinking about going that route. I can't risk myself, or someone else, getting a 2nd degree burn if a finger accidentally touches the metal while using the steam knob.

shanec wrote:The time to steam hasn't been my issue. A bigger problem for me has been creating the right roll/vortex to create the proper microfoam when using a large volume of milk. When I am using 5-6 oz of milk to make an 8 oz latte, I don't have any issues at all.

There are a lot of factors that play into getting the right roll and microfoam (technique, steam tip, pitcher size and shape, volume of milk, etc.). There is a chance that the issues are primarily my technique, but the additional power on my commercial Rancilio Classe 5 at my office makes the learning curve that much easier because you can't avoid creating a massive vortex no matter how hard you try due to the immense steam power.

Below is an 8 oz latte I made on my V2B this morning. Definitely not perfect microfoam (stretched a little too long) and not a very good latte art pour, but you can see that latte art is achievable on regular-sized lattes.

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I want to provide an update so I don't unnecessarily mislead future buyers. It turns out that a switch to Rattleware pitchers and a slightly different technique made all the difference in the world. I can now fairly reliably produce great wet paint microfoam in either a 12 oz or 20 oz pitcher. I prefer the standard V2B 2-hole tip for my 8 oz lattes and I use the Izzo 3-hole tip or the V2B standard 4-hole tip in the rare case that I make a 12 oz latte. Switching probably isn't even necessary. I wanted to blame the machine, but it is perfectly capable.

Here is an example pour with the 2-hole tip in an 8 oz Espresso Parts latte cup. The pour isn't perfect, but the microfoam was pretty great (always room for improvement).

Any word on the cause?

I have noticed the base of the knob gets hot. I noticed a couple of times the wand getting heated up as well but I suppose eventually it heats up even if it's a no-burn?

TheHolyCannoli wrote:Ironically, the issue returned hours after making my last post. .....My hand bumped into the valve/stem leading into the machine casing and I ended up with burn blister. This was after the machine had been sitting idle for about 2 hours. Sure enough, I take a look at the end of the steam wand and the dripping is back. Steam wand is also getting so hot that it can't be held for more than a few seconds while steaming a drink. Oddly, the problem went away again for half a day and then was back in the morning.

The dripping is annoying enough, but this is actually becoming a dangerous situation. I pulled out an IR thermometer and the base of the black plastic knob is registering 125-135deg F and the metal valve/stem is approaching 200deg F (after 60+min of being at idle). For reference, this is feels significantly hotter than putting your finger on the group head.

I emailed CC again so I'll be interested to see what they say. I'm not sure if the joystick knobs use a different mechanism to close the valve, but if so, I'm thinking about going that route. I can't risk myself, or someone else, getting a 2nd degree burn if a finger accidentally touches the metal while using the steam knob.

If your steam valve is leaking steam then the seat is most likely bad. Here is a link of an exploded view of the valve assembly: https://www.chriscoffee.com/v/vspfiles/ ... sembly.jpg Sometimes all you need to do is take the seat out and turn it over and use the other side. If it needs replacing here is a lint to order a replacement: https://www.chriscoffee.com/Arm-and-Exp ... p/f062.htm

If the steam arm is getting hot you need to check the steam tip itself. There should be two O Rings one black one on the outer threads of the tip and a red one on the inside of the tip. If either of them are missing the arm will get hot.

Chris

Thank you, Chris. As mentioned in one of my above posts, I did replace the valve seat which seemed to solve the problem initially. To clarify, the problem was 1) leaking steam wand 2) constantly hot (and I mean HOT) steam knob, steam wand (not just the tip), and valve stem. As of now, those problems seem to come and go from one day to the next. It's very disconcerting to be afraid to grip the steam knob and wand.

I've been working with Tim on this issue. He told me he was going to talk with the manufacturer regarding this problem and get back to me. He did get back to me a couple days ago and said he was sending me yet another valve seat. Considering I already replaced the valve seat, I'm not entirely sure of the rationale behind replacing it a second time...unless we are thinking the replacement valve seat was also defective.