Microfoaming and the 'pfft' sound I am missing - Page 2

[Psyd]

im new to HX machines myself, but from my handful of practices with froth, it seems that on my giotto P i *just* place the tip in the milk to get the proper starting sound. i can still see the top 2/3 of the tip when the frothing starts. (the stock tip has 2 holes pointing straight down) so, i think ive got my first half down, i just cant whirlpool for the life of me! HTH!

It's sort of like the hammer throw crossed with a golf swing. To close to the edge of the pitcher is like choking up to much on the club, and to close to the center is like holding the hammer and swinging the rope around. Somewhere in between there, holding the pitcher so that the jet of steam enters at an angle, downward and spinward, and you should start to see the spin. If there isn't enough force on the steam (Silvia jsut gets enough to do ten or twelve ounces, the 'clogged' Astoria will spin milk up over the edge of the pitcher if I get enthusiastic) to get the actual whirlwind, there isn't too much technique that'll help. Different pitcher shape, and size vs the amount of milk will play a part. Plus, the quality of the milk is important. It should be fresh, and whole milk is easier for me, but I can do anything from skim to half & half.

[cannonfodder]

It may be brutally obvious, but the smaller the amount of milk, the smaller the pitcher should be.

[cannonfodder]

From my limited experience, "screaming" indicates that you are too deep

LOL
Oh the comments that could be made about that statement...
But I refrain.

[HunkaBurninLove]

Back to the original topic, I've got an Anita that I'm learning how to microfoam with. I'm not a patient person, but you really have to be patient as you learn. And like everyone said, you just have to practice...practice.....practice.

I'm definitely not an expert and only got the "tch tch" sound a few times, when the nozzle was just underneath the surface during the whirlpool. But the more I practice....the more I learn where to place the nozzle to get the optimal stretching or turbulence/whirlpool.

Now I just have to learn how to get the correct texture to pour latte art (I tend to overstretch so the foam is fairly stiff). So I guess it's learning exactly how much to stretch.

[mattwells]

UPDATE: I now have foam!! Still working on good microfoam, but I have foam!!

The trick was to get the tip way far out. Out of the 3 holes, only one was in contact with the milk. Then I plugged the other two with Psyd's toothpick tip. Now I can consistently get foam. I will get nice microfoam except for the center of the pitcher, where there is a little chunk-o-foam that is not incorporated with the milk. I am still working on it, but I have had a breakthrough.

Pics of my meager latte art attempts coming.

[HB]

I will get nice microfoam except for the center of the pitcher, where there is a little chunk-o-foam that is not incorporated with the milk.

Thanks for the update.

I assume you refer to the dreaded "cotton ball"? Injecting too much air too early will provoke cottony microfoam. You can recover somewhat with aggressive swirling against the sides; I like to finish with a brisk side-to-side motion to confirm the center surface rolls like latex paint. Several competitors in the USBC would swirl with the pitcher flat against the tabletop. I tried it and the technique does ensure an ample smoothing action along the sides of the pitcher.

[cannonfodder]

Glad to hear you are getting the hang of it. After a bit of practice, open up one of the holes and practice some more. Think of it as a three step microfoaming plan. Try a couple of different pitcher shapes as well. The bell and flat sided are the most common. Most of the latte artists use the straight sided long tip pitchers (like the one in the video).

The type of milk makes a difference as well. The higher the fat contents the finer and denser the microfoam tends to be. Skim makes mounds of foam but tends to make medium bubbles while whole milk creates a lower volume but denser, velvety microfoam. I use 2%.

The skim is too watery for my taste and the whole milk is a bit too heavy. It tends to squash the more subtle flavors in a cappa, but it makes wonderful macchiato.