I think I graduated Latte art 101- I can make decent microfoam and pour a passible rosetta when steaming just enough milk for one 6oz double latte.

Things start to fall apart when making two drinks though, if I steam milk for both in the same pitcher. The first pour goes OK, maybe a little light on foam. Moving on to the second pour, too much of the foam stays at the back of the pitcher and plops into the drink at the end of the pour.

I have access to several pro machines, and the results are consistent, so I know my technique is at fault.

The obvious fix is to steam two small pitchers for two small drinks, but does anybody have advice on correcting my technique for better pours from a single pitcher? I am thinking maybe I need to plunge the steam wand after stretching the milk to mix the foam & milk better?

Thanks in advance for any tips!

It does sound like you might need to mix your milk a bit more to avoid the cotton ball effect.

Also, I know many pro baristas steam in a larger pitcher, then transfer some of the milk to a smaller pitcher for pouring. Once they pour all the milk for the first drink from the smaller pitcher, they pour the rest of the milk from the big pitcher to the smaller one and use the small one to pour the next drink. I think this helps keep the foam in each drink more consistent.

Swirling the milk in the pitcher also helps to keep the foam from separating from the milk.

Ciao Scott,

Ironically I always seem to get better microfoam when steaming for 2 drinks, using my larger pitcher. With my machine I've found that the less stretching, the better. With the 3-hole tip, I just get the milk rolling, with the wand in the center, pointing straight down. The more you get the milk churning, the more uniform it is; interestingly, I find the second cup often gets the better pour, art-wise.

Buona Fortuna,
Wayne

Seems like all roads point towards, stretch less and mix more!

My afternoon coffee came out great today. Another trick I am learning is shaking/lowering the pitcher when transitioning from filling the cup to creating the art.

Great video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDK1XEF1iyE by Brooklynshot. Gonna keep watching this & practicing until I get it figured out.

Theory would state that the more steam pressure you have from the tip of your wand the less stretching you would need to do. This would be changed by the size of your pitcher, the volume of milk, and in a reduced manner the shape of the pitcher as well. But overall I find this to be a valid observation.

Also if you blow fewer soap bubbles to start with the less capping you will have.

All of this said, with sinking the tip deep and getting a good swirl I still see separation after a couple of minutes. My theory is that the heat must affect a chemical change more quickly in some milk solids and in turn as they separate they could be the source of capping even in perfectly steamed milk.

This is just a toss in the dark though so I would love to hear what you all think of it.

If you pull both shots then steam and pour, it should not be a problem. If you steam then pull your shots, the microfoam will settle out some but a few vigorous swirls and thumps of the pitcher should bring most of it back. It sounds like you may be stretching to long or simply not getting enough swirling action in the pitcher to fully incorporate the microfoam. You could also try the trick the pros use in competition. Steam all the milk in one pitcher, then pour half of it into another pitcher to dive up the microfoam. Then pour two drinks from one, and two drinks from the other.

What works for me is stretching until the milk is at about 105 degrees (you should have your hand on the pitcher at all times to feel the temp), then raise the pitcher slightly (about 1/2"-1") to sink the steam tip slightly for the rolling or spinning.
I then immediately split the steamed milk across 2 smaller pitchers (before it starts to settle) & pour each drink.

You can milk share if you have a 20oz pitcher and a 12oz pitcher. For two caps, preheat the smaller pitcher, steam enough for both drinks in the larger pitcher, pour from the larger pitcher 3/4's of the smaller pitcher, and then back from the small into the large so they each have the same amount of liquid.