Hello,
Yes, I'm a newbie - 1st week after upgrading from Silvia where I was pretty good at making micro foam.
My LaSpaz is just to darn fast! I have the 4 hole tip.... should I go to a 2 hole tip?
Stretching I tend to create too many soap size bubbles - then I dip my wand to the bottom (at 80-100F) and swirl for 2 seconds until I'm at 160F.
Any suggestioins/links that might help?
Thanks
Help with micro foam
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Niko
You are stretching it too long.
The 4 hole tip is fine for steaming small, medium and large quantities of milk. I know what you mean by fast but once you get used to it you'll really enjoy that speed.
You can almost forget any technique you might have learned with other machines, in fact, steaming with Spaz is totally different in that you hardly need to stretch it and waiting for it to hit 80-100F doesn't always do the trick. It depends what type of milk, quantity of milk, pitcher and tip style you're using but it sounds to me like your not skittering the tip into the milk just right, therefore, causing that sea foam you're describing; it sounds like the sea foam is being created in the first 3 seconds as you're trying to catch up with the Spaz's speed. You can try adding a little more milk in the pitcher (if there's room) and start feathering the valve open until you get that "CH CH ch" sound, do this for only about 6 seconds (8 oz of milk in a 20oz pitcher) and for the remaining 9 seconds (or so) plunge that arm all the way in and angle it so it starts rolling, you'll see it dance in the pitcher and roll end over end. The spaz's 4 hole tip doesn't whirlpool the milk like other machines or the old 3 hole tip, it literally rolls it breaking up any large bubbles you might have creating while stretching it earlier.
The 4 hole tip is fine for steaming small, medium and large quantities of milk. I know what you mean by fast but once you get used to it you'll really enjoy that speed.
You can almost forget any technique you might have learned with other machines, in fact, steaming with Spaz is totally different in that you hardly need to stretch it and waiting for it to hit 80-100F doesn't always do the trick. It depends what type of milk, quantity of milk, pitcher and tip style you're using but it sounds to me like your not skittering the tip into the milk just right, therefore, causing that sea foam you're describing; it sounds like the sea foam is being created in the first 3 seconds as you're trying to catch up with the Spaz's speed. You can try adding a little more milk in the pitcher (if there's room) and start feathering the valve open until you get that "CH CH ch" sound, do this for only about 6 seconds (8 oz of milk in a 20oz pitcher) and for the remaining 9 seconds (or so) plunge that arm all the way in and angle it so it starts rolling, you'll see it dance in the pitcher and roll end over end. The spaz's 4 hole tip doesn't whirlpool the milk like other machines or the old 3 hole tip, it literally rolls it breaking up any large bubbles you might have creating while stretching it earlier.
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Weska
I agree with Niko that previous experience will be only the roughest of guides to steaming with a Vivaldi.
In contrast to weaker steamers, the Vivaldi makes everything happen almost at once. As soon as you start the process there is plenty of jet action to churn all the milk regardless of temperature. There should be few or no large bubbles right from the start because the whole mass of milk will be churning immediately if you've found the right depth for the nozzle. That depth is a pretty broad band, but you must be careful not to be too close to the surface. Once submerged sufficiently, how much deeper you go doesn't matter a great deal. Depending on the pitcher, the angle of the nozzle may also not be very significant.
Don't overlook the degree of control you get by limiting how far the valve is opened. On my old Gaggia only all the way open would work--and slowly; on the Vivaldi all the way open would atomize my milk all over the kitchen. In fact, I've never had the valve all the way open. Maybe your Silvia has you used to opening up too much.
In general, I would say to look a for technique that concentrates less on discrete stages and more on a single, continuous blossoming of the milk.
Well, Niko has given you a nuts and bolts approach, and I'm offering a phenomenological one. Between us, I hope it helps you find your way more quickly. But rest assured that you will find your way.
In contrast to weaker steamers, the Vivaldi makes everything happen almost at once. As soon as you start the process there is plenty of jet action to churn all the milk regardless of temperature. There should be few or no large bubbles right from the start because the whole mass of milk will be churning immediately if you've found the right depth for the nozzle. That depth is a pretty broad band, but you must be careful not to be too close to the surface. Once submerged sufficiently, how much deeper you go doesn't matter a great deal. Depending on the pitcher, the angle of the nozzle may also not be very significant.
Don't overlook the degree of control you get by limiting how far the valve is opened. On my old Gaggia only all the way open would work--and slowly; on the Vivaldi all the way open would atomize my milk all over the kitchen. In fact, I've never had the valve all the way open. Maybe your Silvia has you used to opening up too much.
In general, I would say to look a for technique that concentrates less on discrete stages and more on a single, continuous blossoming of the milk.
Well, Niko has given you a nuts and bolts approach, and I'm offering a phenomenological one. Between us, I hope it helps you find your way more quickly. But rest assured that you will find your way.
If you use a thermometer in your milk, watch out. The steaming is so darn fast that if you pull the milk at 160, it will actually probably be 180.
I stretch till I see about 50 deg on the dial, then coast up to 135. Pull it and BINGO perfect microfoam and watch the temp hit 155-157 every time. It is SUPER fast but also extremely easy.
I stretch till I see about 50 deg on the dial, then coast up to 135. Pull it and BINGO perfect microfoam and watch the temp hit 155-157 every time. It is SUPER fast but also extremely easy.
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Mizspresso
Whoa! I have become a spaz with my La Spaz
A month or so ago, I chipped in with some people at work and bought a used Silvia for use there.
What a Pain In The Ass it was to endure all that sloooooow process of steaming. I got reasonably good at it but then I forgot how to make perfect microfoam with my beautiful V2!! Before Silvia I was making perfect microfoam every time, controlling how much stretching I wanted and getting a beautiful, velvety pour each time.
Now, I start out good rolling the milk, good sound, and all is good. I seem to remember I would stretch it near to the top of the 12oz pitcher before the final sinking. But now, it goes along ok and before I am done stretching it erupts into the big, totally disgusting bubbles.
Back to the drawing board. Good thing the Silvia broke down, now I have nothing to pollute my skills. :?
What a Pain In The Ass it was to endure all that sloooooow process of steaming. I got reasonably good at it but then I forgot how to make perfect microfoam with my beautiful V2!! Before Silvia I was making perfect microfoam every time, controlling how much stretching I wanted and getting a beautiful, velvety pour each time.
Now, I start out good rolling the milk, good sound, and all is good. I seem to remember I would stretch it near to the top of the 12oz pitcher before the final sinking. But now, it goes along ok and before I am done stretching it erupts into the big, totally disgusting bubbles.
Back to the drawing board. Good thing the Silvia broke down, now I have nothing to pollute my skills. :?
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JP
Re:
scot wrote:If you use a thermometer in your milk, watch out. The steaming is so darn fast that if you pull the milk at 160, it will actually probably be 180.
I stretch till I see about 50 deg on the dial, then coast up to 135. Pull it and BINGO perfect microfoam and watch the temp hit 155-157 every time. It is SUPER fast but also extremely easy.
Same here, I stretch it to no more than 60 Deg and it rises so fast I cut it off as it hits 130 and the thermometer tops out just over 155 every time.
I'm using the .9 tip which helped me a lot. I may try the 1.2 tip again sometime just to see if I can conquer that beast.
