# Effects Of Water Chemistry On Microfoam.



## Outlaw333 (Dec 13, 2011)

I don't know if this phenomena is well documented or not but I noticed yesterday when I changed the tank water in Silvia from my usual filtered tap water to bottled Tarka Springs(which I use for brewed alot but never for espresso), suddenly the milk steamed completely differently, the required stretch was much shorter and the result was noticeably of better quality, velvet had become satin, sweet had become sweeter and the layer of foam on my flat white was thicker but while the milk in the pitcher remained nice and fluid.

My tap water is such that usually some sort of sacrifice has to be made, either I have to stretch a bit violently, a bit too long(both resulting in heavy milk that is hard to pour and finishes in the cup a bit mallowy) or the usual, just put up with a thinner layer of foam. Of course it makes total sense that water chemistry will affect steaming capability but it's just something that took me by surprise as to how stark the difference and just how much I have been missing out on in this department! I wouldn't swap my tap water though as parameters are very good for espresso and brewed coffee.

Anyone else have experience in this field?


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## lookseehear (Jul 16, 2010)

Sounds unusual to me - isn't steam (providing it's 'dry') effectively distilled water anyway as the minerals etc are left in the boiler?


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## Outlaw333 (Dec 13, 2011)

Yeah at boiling point but when you heat water to 140c under pressure and then release that pressure, allowing rapid evaporation, other dissolvables may evaporate and become gas aswell and with chlorine in water which is an unstable suspended gas anyway, the tap water steam is likely to contain more adulterants than bottled spring water, my theory is that those adulterants are what would be likely to affect the milk.


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## Glenn (Jun 14, 2008)

Can you provide the TDS readings for both waters?


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## Outlaw333 (Dec 13, 2011)

With heat as a catalyst aswell who knows what chemical reactions take place in your boiler and with any reaction there is a bi-product, often in the form of a gas.


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## Outlaw333 (Dec 13, 2011)

Glenn said:


> Can you provide the TDS readings for both waters?


Tarka Springs = 148

As for my tap water, South West Water are sending me my analysis as we speak. I have test kits for pH, KH, GH, NH3, NH4, NO2, NO3 etc etc but I don't have a TDS meter!


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