Steam questions
-
- Posts: 903
- Joined: 6 years ago
I have a Quick Mill Carola and the Carola Steamer -- essentially a double boiler in two boxes. I am finding the steam a bit wet with some water visible in the steam, and am thinking that if the steam boiler level was set a touch lower it might help with drier steam. Does anyone know if/where the adjustment for steam boiler level is located and what it looks like? I am using a water mixture which is on the low end of what's recommended for TDS, but within range to avoid scaling, and perhaps this is "fooling" the boiler level a little bit. Also would a non "no burn" wand give drier steam?
-
- Supporter ♡
- Posts: 3683
- Joined: 9 years ago
I don't know anything about that steamer, but I'd be surprised if it weren't simply a probe rod that descends from the top of the boiler and is adjustable with a gland/nut. This is what every other boiler machine has for steam. One loosens the nut, which frees the rod to be moved up or down through the gland to the desired point. I doubt that the type of water you are using would have any bearing, as these boiler-level devices work on conduction and are quite sensitive. Some will even work on RO water as low as 5 ppm TDS, as that's what my Magister used for part of the time I owned it. Take the cover off the steamer and look for a rod coming out of the boiler that has only one wire. The other end of the wire will go to some a sensing circuit. In DB machines, this is often a GICAR, or another brain box, but perhaps it's a simpler device in your steamer.
-
- Posts: 903
- Joined: 6 years ago
So if I were to lower the rod a touch that would lower the boiler water level and might help with the spitting -- worth a try! Thank you.
-
- Posts: 903
- Joined: 6 years ago
So I opened the steamer up and called the tech at Chris Coffee to discuss. He suggested cleaning both rods that sense water level in the tank and perhaps to go without an insulated wand -- either to pull the teflon out or replace with a non insulated - apparently the La Spaziale wand will fit. I haven't done either yet but I remembered that the steamer came with a 2 hole and a 3 hole tip. I am trying the 3 hole tip and strangely it seems drier. Does this make any sense or am I imagining things? Also if I want to pull the teflon out I just remove the tip and yank it out -- is that correct? Is it possible to reinstall if I change my mind? Thanks in advance for any advice and thoughts!
-
- Posts: 1433
- Joined: 6 years ago
Get a thermometer and then weigh your milk, steam to a certain temp and weigh the output. Repeat twice with each tip. The difference tells you how much water is added from steaming.
When you first get the steam boiler up to temp, purge for about 30 seconds to get less air and better steam in the boiler. Then purge for a few seconds just before each steam attempt.
I have found that by taking the teflon tube out of my HX steam wand, that my steam produces less water and heats the milk quicker with more force. I do not mind the 'hot' wand, but it requires a wet sponge to clean immediately after use. I just removed the tip and yanked it out.. some say it can be replaced, but I assumed it is a one-way trip. I'm not sure how easy it is to align the valve end of the narrow tube but I think I've read that some here on HB have re-installed.. You should ask Clive.
The weight of water you determine will tell you how "dry" the steam is.
On my HX I get about 18-21g of water for about 210g of milk. I'm not sure where the dry/wet line is for steam, but 10% or less water is a reasonably good result.
When you first get the steam boiler up to temp, purge for about 30 seconds to get less air and better steam in the boiler. Then purge for a few seconds just before each steam attempt.
I have found that by taking the teflon tube out of my HX steam wand, that my steam produces less water and heats the milk quicker with more force. I do not mind the 'hot' wand, but it requires a wet sponge to clean immediately after use. I just removed the tip and yanked it out.. some say it can be replaced, but I assumed it is a one-way trip. I'm not sure how easy it is to align the valve end of the narrow tube but I think I've read that some here on HB have re-installed.. You should ask Clive.
The weight of water you determine will tell you how "dry" the steam is.
On my HX I get about 18-21g of water for about 210g of milk. I'm not sure where the dry/wet line is for steam, but 10% or less water is a reasonably good result.
-
- Posts: 903
- Joined: 6 years ago
With the 3 hole tip I just steamed 150 grams cold milk -- and it weighed 166 after steaming so 16 gr water added -- a little over 10% "water weight gain". Trying to decide if I yank out the teflon or just get an old school non insulated wand...
-
- Posts: 1433
- Joined: 6 years ago
Others can add.. but I'd say that is pretty good.. I watched a video by Shin who uses Decent stuff and he was looking at the high flow steam options and was getting up to 60g water in 200g of milk.. Now he was just doing tests.. but that is one heck of a lot of water.. John at Decent was saying that some baristas favour quickness over dryness.. Quickness of high steam flow, which means more water added per second. There is an optimum flow vs time for steaming which can only be found by changing tips (1,2,3 hole), steam flow rate (removing tube, increasing steam temp) and the temp you steam to..
Would be interesting to see what the LMLM people say is added for their machines as the LM mini is noted for dry steam.. maybe the slayer too..
Would be interesting to see what the LMLM people say is added for their machines as the LM mini is noted for dry steam.. maybe the slayer too..
-
- Posts: 903
- Joined: 6 years ago
I bit the bullet and ordered a La Spaziale wand - non insulated - that's supposed to fit my Quickmill. The comparison with the stock insulated wand should be interesting!
-
- Supporter ♡
- Posts: 1390
- Joined: 3 years ago
I've seen quite a few posts discussing how to get "drier steam." Basically the answer is to raise the temperature of the steam with which you froth the milk. It's a matter of thermodynamics, but this site explains it simply and straightforwardly:jgood wrote:I have a Quick Mill Carola and the Carola Steamer -- essentially a double boiler in two boxes. I am finding the steam a bit wet with some water visible in the steam, and am thinking that if the steam boiler level was set a touch lower it might help with drier steam. Does anyone know if/where the adjustment for steam boiler level is located and what it looks like? I am using a water mixture which is on the low end of what's recommended for TDS, but within range to avoid scaling, and perhaps this is "fooling" the boiler level a little bit. Also would a non "no burn" wand give drier steam?
http://www.wermac.org/steam/steam_part3 ... 0of%200.95.
I just got a Profitec 700 that allows me to get boiler temp just past 270F. The steam is drier and and produces better microfoam that the other machines I've used whose steam boilers operate at lower temperatures and pressures.
-
- Posts: 1433
- Joined: 6 years ago
Next time you steam 200g or so of milk, and if you have time, weigh the milk before and after to see how much water gets added.. Would be a good data-point to see the characteristic of '2 bar' steam on the Profitec & ECM stuff.