I am probably a lone voice in this, I steam the milk and then pull the shot. A fresh shot is much more important to me than the condition of the milk.

Fred,

Try the 2-hole steam tip for the Brewtus. I have a Brewtus I and had trouble getting a decent microfoam. When I got the 2-hole, things changed dramatically for the better. I tried the original tip again after using the 2-hole about 6 months later, and am completely spoiled; can't go back! Sebastian Little at Great Infusions in Santa Cruz, CA gave me some steaming tips and the microfoam is rocking! Best $10 spent. Try it!

Andre Gong-Sue

Fullsack wrote:I am probably a lone voice in this . . .

No; you and me, both.

Milk can wait for espresso.
Espresso cannot wait for milk.

What I never understood is that if the shot is hotter than the milk
(which I think its supposed to be) isnt the milk lowering the temp
of the shot as bad as letting the shot sit to the same temp?

James Hoffman won the title of World Barista Champion and he was the only one who let his espresso sit the longest. He pulled the shots, steamed the milk, brought the whole lot of it to the judges and proceeded to pour the cappuccino's table side, with latte art.

I was talking with Tim OConnor at Pacific Espresso and he was mentioning how, when they evaluate beans, they look for beans that will cool down well. Meaning, they let the shot cool and taste again to see how it behaves. If the taste changes from good to bad, then the beans are not so good.

So good beans should have lasting crema and the taste should hold up as it sits and cools.

I often stick a double shot of my Ecco Reserve in a shot glass, in the fridge and let it cool. Then I put it in milk with some vanilla syrup and take it with me to work for later in the afternoon. The taste is amazing cooled and in milk. Rich, chocolatey, delicious.

I don't work in a shop. And I don't follow rules. I experiment.

Having said that... I pour directly into already frothed milk. I don't like the idea of fiddling with latte art, so it works for me.

This way it actually hits the milk and the temp is stable immediately. And it seems to make for a more forgiving shot. But I could be full of it. There is no scientific anything to back up my procedure.

Gregg K wrote:Having said that... I pour directly into already frothed milk. I don't like the idea of fiddling with latte art, so it works for me.

Hmm-m, that wouldn't incorporate the milk and coffee. Isn't it kind of boring, flavor-wise? Taken to the extreme, it becomes a drink like those served at Jet Fuel.

I did it as a form of protection. It may be boring, but it has helped to lower my sink shot ratio. Jet fuel is pretty much kerosene, which is what prompted me to try pouring in this fashion in the first place.

After three years, one would think I would have a better handle on making espresso. I'm still learning. Maybe I'll even get to a point where I can make latte art. Right now the only latte art I've done has turned out like a negative photograph, what with the foam already in the cup.

I think slow learners make good inventors. Sometimes.

Gregg K wrote:I don't work in a shop. And I don't follow rules. I experiment.

Having said that... I pour directly into already frothed milk. I don't like the idea of fiddling with latte art, so it works for me.

This way it actually hits the milk and the temp is stable immediately. And it seems to make for a more forgiving shot. But I could be full of it. There is no scientific anything to back up my procedure.

Even if you don't get latte art out of it, at least the crema from the coffee mixes into the frothed milk to some degree. I would think that would taste better than just throwing the shot into already frothed milk, but I guess your taste buds will have to guide you on that. If the shot really does taste bad, then perhaps having it sit fully exposed in the foam will accentuate that fact. But I would think any good tasting shot would sit well in the foam.

If the foam / espresso is a little harsh, you can recover from this by sprinkling a little sugar on top of the foam and let it sit up there. It's like a sugar cookie.