Hi HBs!

I hate having to ask this because of so many posts devoted to frothing on a pavoni with the single hole, but I have some specific questions nobody seems to have asked or answered. I've read a ton of posts and watched many youtube videos and still cannot get anything more than hot milk. I have both a 20oz and 8.5oz pitcher and have tried skim and 2% milk. I prefer the 25cl Motta because I like cappuccinos/macchiatos and don't want to waste milk.

So my questions:

1) How many full turns of the nozzle should I be doing to get the right pressure? I've read that it varies per pavoni, but then how do I know for my specific one?

2) Where should I aim the steam hole? I've tried more tangential to the wall and also perpendicular to the wall.

3) Should I tilt the pitcher at all? Or keep it straight up?

4) Should I hear the quiet, occasional tearing spot right away? It sounds like a jet engine until it's at a scalding temperature and then it gets quiet.

5) Should the surface of the milk be spinning like a flat whirlpool or make a chaotic 3D wave?

Sorry for beating a dead horse, I'm hoping I hit some new areas. My only "more successful" attempt was once making a layer of dry foam on top of the hot milk even after hitting the pitcher down and swirling, but there seems to be so many variables, like what I listed above, that I'm not sure which one was responsible for the different outcome.

Thanks for any help,

Jake

I was skeptical at first but the soap trick is fantastic. I wish training videos showed baristas trying to find the W spot and then hitting it since that would mimic a beginner. They all seem to know exactly where it is, including the one guy that does it with soap. They make it seem so easy as the water turns white with microfoam instantaneously. But for anyone reading this for further help, the water won't go white until you hit the W spot, and additionally, despite a lot of advice on youtube saying to be patient and refrain from moving the wand around a lot, I disagree. Try different angles and positions, because as soon as you hit that spot, it's like flicking a switch from jet engine to humming/sipping. I just poured my first rosetta, and despite what they say, latte art adds to the flavor with the sweetness of satisfaction.

-the size of the hole, or holes in your tip has a direct relation to how much milk you can froth well. I've found aftermarket tips with one or two small holes work best for the 4-5oz I like to froth.
-4 to 5oz of milk in my 12 oz pitcher is the sweet spot for my Andrija, 3oz I can't do at all, and 6oz I can't do very well. YMWV depending on your equipment.
-you definitely want a swirling action and it's a good idea to try different spots to get it.
-It's also worth tilting versus flat pitcher, but not so much swirling that it creates breaking waves. A standing wave is good. Adjust amount of milk to make that happen, and try to get the air entering the milk very gently. You can't do that without a good smooth swirl action which requires some amount of wand angle.
-you have to introduce a very precise amount of air into the milk. Too little and the milk pours through the crema, too much and you get a big egg yoke covering the crema completely.
-skim milk only needs 3 or 4 seconds of air, then condition the rest of the time.
-whole milk needs air for maybe half or more of the total froth time as does the Barista series soy I use most.
-play around with the tip location to find a very fast swirl. Usually close to the side in the beginning when you are adding air. Often you can just sink the tip a tiny amount to stop adding air and let it condition in the same location till it's done.
-don't overheat the milk or the foam can break up
-when done, bang out any leftover bubble and swirl the pitcher with the base flat on your counter top. If you see a sort of mound of milk in the middle of the pitcher, you added too much air. You may be able to save it by swirl vigorously to get things more homogenous.
-it's a black art. I've been at it 14 years now, and still miss a lot.

What is that "W" spot you speak of? I've only heard of a "G" spot until now. I didn't know other letters had spots too.

"W" for Whirlpool? I thought that it's a specific location on the pitcher. Like if you imagine a W with a circle around it. So the circle is the milk in the pitcher, and the W are the 4 lines crossing it. Then you plunge the tip somewhere on that "W". Only that I had no idea where on those lines the "W" people want the tip to be.

Maybe the OP can clarify what he meant?

Speaking of a G Spot. That is actually more helpful with the position of the tip (of the STEAMING wand, you people. I know what you're thinking about!) If you imagine the circle of milk as the G, then the tip in most cases should be at the point where the 2 straight lines meet. Right in the corner where it bends to the left.

I am announcing the LaDan G Spot® milk steaming tip position(™).

I had no problem pulling shots from a La Pavoni however the frothing aspect was very difficult.
Everything you read leads you to believe it's technique but I found it was a combination of things.
I found that not all single hole tips are created equally. You need to match the size of the hole with the amount of steam pressure the machine is able to generate. Too big and you will get macro bubbles and the milk will heat up too quick for texturing, too small and you will not have enough force to move the milk for texturing.

I used a little JB weld to reduce the size of the single hole tip until it was just right and then I had plenty of rich micro foam, and I'm able to surf the top of the milk to inject air without it being too violent. It also helps to turn up the pressure and use a good milk pitcher where you can get that W point. I tried various pitchers and found the Rattleware Latte art picture in 12 ounce to be perfect for the La Pavoni because it has a little bit of a bell at the bottom and still has a wide mouth at the top so you can see what you are doing.