# Brewtus Texturing Woes



## Sami (Apr 18, 2013)

I've nailed the technique with a modded gaggia classic, the 2 hole tip on a fracino commercial machine... even Got an OK job with a panarello on a crappy delonghi (or something), but I just can't get decent microfoam on the Brewtus with either the 1 or 2 hole tip.

When I say decent I mean no discernible bubbles and uniform throughout.

I would just like to clarify - can anyone else out there can do it, and if so have you got any pointers?

Thanks!


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## garydyke1 (Mar 9, 2011)

Yes and yes. Where are you based?


__ https://twitter.com/i/web/status/324247107617828864


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## Sami (Apr 18, 2013)

That looks tidy









I can improve mine a lot with a load of banging and swirling, but gone are the days of the perfect microfoam straight off the wand...

I'm in Bournemouth (land of uninterrupted sunshine).


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## garydyke1 (Mar 9, 2011)

What pressure is yours running at?

I tend to find the bite point where the sucking/tssshhhk sound just about starts and then leave the tip there.....it stretches and the level rises by itself to silence and then rolls & textures

The Verve coffee roasters street smarts technique on Vimeo is pretty good


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## MarkyP (Jan 10, 2013)

I've found that since I moved the pressure to 1.4 bar that texturing is a lot easier - albeit a lot quicker!


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## Spazbarista (Dec 6, 2011)

I've moved to a 4 hole (or is it 3, I can't remember). Single is the easiest but takes ages.

What I tend to do is start off and find the point where the milk spins but it is on the crux of being noisy, and then back off just a little (dip tip in).

If you have no noise nothing will happen, if you have lots of noise it'll stretch too fast and you'll get big bubbles.

If you want to experiment I'd suggest starting with the tip deeper in, and then with each go raising it a bit until you find the milk texture you want. This is because for me the best milk always seems to be the stuff that looks like I'm under steaming it, if you know what I mean.

There are other things you can do, like start off with a little more noise then dip in slightly to mix in what you have just frothed. It really is a matter of trying a few times and the difference between textures takes only the subtlest of tip adjustments


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## garydyke1 (Mar 9, 2011)

Did you give up on the 2-tip ExpoB ?


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## Spazbarista (Dec 6, 2011)

I did.

I didn't give it much of a chance but it wasn't easy to get the milk to spin. The four hole wasn't easy at first but I've mastered it now.

The single hole is the most reliable.....it just takes too long! Upping the pressure makes no difference to the single as it is the tip itself that constricts the flow.


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## MarkyP (Jan 10, 2013)

Can I ask where you got the 4-hole tip?


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## garydyke1 (Mar 9, 2011)

Expobarista said:


> I did.
> 
> I didn't give it much of a chance but it wasn't easy to get the milk to spin. The four hole wasn't easy at first but I've mastered it now.
> 
> The single hole is the most reliable.....it just takes too long! Upping the pressure makes no difference to the single as it is the tip itself that constricts the flow.


If you wanna sell the 2-tip , i might take it off ya.

I found max pressure with the single tip is too brutal for

I then reduced mine back down to 1.3 BAR for a demo and never bothered changing it


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## Spazbarista (Dec 6, 2011)

Yes it can go to you if you want it, Gary. Pm me what you think a reasonable price is including P&P, and your address (again!)


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## Spazbarista (Dec 6, 2011)

MarkyP said:


> Can I ask where you got the 4-hole tip?


Rave.

And I've got a horrible feeling that I never paid him for it. Good excuse to swing by the roastery.


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## Sami (Apr 18, 2013)

After experimenting with the Brewtus at the grind off today and getting acceptable milk first try, I noticed the tip on that machine was slightly different to the one on mine so went home thinking it was that. On returning home however, I noticed my pressure was lower so took it from 1 to 1.3 bar and it's solved the problem!

I think 1 bar just isn't high enough for the 2 hole (or more).

Thanks Gary for your help; don't think I'd have bothered trying that machine if it wasn't for your encouragement!

I may try upping it a bit further...


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## garydyke1 (Mar 9, 2011)

My 2-hole tip arrived today, returned home and its a steaming monster compared to single hole. Very easy to over stretch with 2 holes, different technique required too


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## Sami (Apr 18, 2013)

garydyke1 said:


> My 2-hole tip arrived today, returned home and its a steaming monster compared to single hole. Very easy to over stretch with 2 holes, different technique required too


I think once you've got the hang of it without over-stretching the results are better though. And just imagine the time-savings over a year! If you save one minute a day, that's 365.25 minutes a year (factoring in leap years), which equates to just over 6 hours milk texturing that you no longer have to do! Combine that with the time you'll save not having to clean your new teflon portafilter spout (kinda wish I'd bought one after you mentioned your mouse tails!) and that's a significant number of hours freed up for Brewtus-polishing...

Happy days.


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## Spazbarista (Dec 6, 2011)

So, Gary, now you see what I mean about the single tip being a choke point. The Brewtus has loads of steam, it's the tip that slows it.


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## Monkey_Devil (Jul 11, 2011)

Expobarista, have you got the cool touch wand or standard? I quite fancy trying the 4 hole tip if Rave can still get them. That said, I've got a 2006 machine so it might not fit. ..


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## Spazbarista (Dec 6, 2011)

Yes it's a cool touch. Oh, I had a look yesterday and its a 3 hole.


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## garydyke1 (Mar 9, 2011)

Expobarista said:


> So, Gary, now you see what I mean about the single tip being a choke point. The Brewtus has loads of steam, it's the tip that slows it.


1 tip is slow but does produce the goods. 2 hole will take a differing approach but will be loads quicker once nailed a repeatable process


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## garydyke1 (Mar 9, 2011)

Sami said:


> I think once you've got the hang of it without over-stretching the results are better though. And just imagine the time-savings over a year! If you save one minute a day, that's 365.25 minutes a year (factoring in leap years), which equates to just over 6 hours milk texturing that you no longer have to do! Combine that with the time you'll save not having to clean your new teflon portafilter spout (kinda wish I'd bought one after you mentioned your mouse tails!) and that's a significant number of hours freed up for Brewtus-polishing...
> 
> Happy days.


I have some competition open spouts in silver if youre interested , £6.50 delivered. They are also mouse-tail producing a huge difference over the stock Expobars


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## Spukey (Nov 4, 2012)

Sami said:


> I think once you've got the hang of it without over-stretching the results are better though. And just imagine the time-savings over a year! If you save one minute a day, that's 365.25 minutes a year (factoring in leap years), which equates to just over 6 hours milk texturing that you no longer have to do! Combine that with the time you'll save not having to clean your new teflon portafilter spout (kinda wish I'd bought one after you mentioned your mouse tails!) and that's a significant number of hours freed up for Brewtus-polishing...
> 
> Happy days.


You are either insanely intelligent to work that out quickly or you have far too much time on your hands! Glad you have mastered the milk it can be frustrating, mine is!


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## Spazbarista (Dec 6, 2011)

Oh I agree.

I still think I get the most consistently good results with the single, but I've become used to the speed of the triple hole


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## Sami (Apr 18, 2013)

Probably the latter, unfortunately!


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## Sami (Apr 18, 2013)

garydyke1 said:


> I have some competition open spouts in silver if youre interested , £6.50 delivered. They are also mouse-tail producing a huge difference over the stock Expobars


I'd be interested in one of those cheers.


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## garydyke1 (Mar 9, 2011)

Drop us a PM and we'l sort it


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## Sami (Apr 18, 2013)

After switching back to the single out of curiosity, I have to say that for me the results are better on that - no question.

I'm officially retracting my previous statement about better results on the double. Perhaps it's just down to technique, I don't know.

I'm quite happy to wait a little longer for better resuts...


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