# Milk Literally "Fizzing" ...



## SlowRoast (Sep 24, 2010)

Argh! What a horrible day for microfoam at work. We've had this problem before, but they changed our suppliers and today was the worst.

We all had the same problem on the machine at work, but I'm wondering if anyone else has had milk do this;

Cappuccino is the worst, froth as per usual up until 100 and plunge. Silky smooth looking milk, swirling nicely, hit 120 and bam! No more microfoam, the milk literally fizzes up as if I'd mixed vinegar and baking soda, and turns into something looking like washing up liquid, with the hugest bubbles possible.









Gets worse when you stop. If I had the time the best solution was to let it sit, then slam the jug on the bar (Not tap, slam!) and that'd get the worst off. It doesn't even swirl out.

Flat whites were just impossible to get a pattern or microfoam...

Anyone else had this? We ran out of milk and had to buy some from Iceland, everything was running great again then!


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## Outlaw333 (Dec 13, 2011)

I had the same problem once before, I didn't put it down to the milk at the time but that could well have been the issue. Try steaming more than you need and immediately pouring the excess into a spare pitcher or down the sink. to be honest though, your customers are very lucky, I went to our local(ish) costa about 6 months ago to meet somebody and I doubt anyone in there had even heard of microfoam let alone new how to produce it!


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## garydyke1 (Mar 9, 2011)

Change milk supplier! I wouldnt want to be served that as a paying customer


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## lucky13 (Dec 30, 2011)

there seems to be something unholly in that milk... have your tried an exorcism?


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## SlowRoast (Sep 24, 2010)

I did try the overfill and then pour some into the slops, but still no luck. It was terrible milk! Haha thanks, a few of us know of microfoam there, but everyone thinks it's just for the flat white...

Not allowed to change milk supplier, I have no control over it! Today the milk was good apparently, how odd.


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## mike 100 (Jul 15, 2010)

Same thing at home with some Cravendale at the moment, seems worse from the 1 litre cartons for some reason.


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## chequ3r (Feb 5, 2012)

Aha yer I'm not a fan of the new milk we're getting either - it's near on impossible to stack neatly in the fridge!

I've experienced the same kind of issue with this milk too; it stretches nicely up to a point then goes completely crazy. I've found that steaming it by hand (without the thermometer) helps a bit. Otherwise, the only option seems to be what you said - going for some serious banging and swirling.

Had a message on caterwide earlier though saying that we should keep the plastic milk jugs because they might be using the old supplier again soon


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## SlowRoast (Sep 24, 2010)

I don't think we've risked stacking them yet, wouldn't surprise me if they leaked! A bit like the milk bags, when you fill the fridge up at night, come in the morning to a flood. Ah the joys.

"

Yeah, it all goes fine, then when it gets to a certain temperature it just fizzes up and goes off on one. I wouldn't be allowed to steam without a thermometer, once again, those "brand standards". It's a bit like when I tamped quite firmly for my own drink, because someone put the Mazzer on French press setting, or near enough ... and once again, "IS THAT A FIRM HANDSHAKE?!!1!!1!11" I only want a proper extracted espresso!


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## MikeHag (Mar 13, 2011)

Are the thermometers calibrated each day?


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## SlowRoast (Sep 24, 2010)

Yep, every morning. Sometimes people forget but they get done pretty much every day.


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## chequ3r (Feb 5, 2012)

SlowRoast said:


> I don't think we've risked stacking them yet, wouldn't surprise me if they leaked! A bit like the milk bags, when you fill the fridge up at night, come in the morning to a flood. Ah the joys.
> 
> "
> 
> Yeah, it all goes fine, then when it gets to a certain temperature it just fizzes up and goes off on one. I wouldn't be allowed to steam without a thermometer, once again, those "brand standards". It's a bit like when I tamped quite firmly for my own drink, because someone put the Mazzer on French press setting, or near enough ... and once again, "IS THAT A FIRM HANDSHAKE?!!1!!1!11" I only want a proper extracted espresso!


I'm afraid some of them are a bit leaky - I got midway through Saturday rush to find about 1.5 pints had leaked everywhere in the fridge and on one had bothered to let me know. I was not a happy chappy.

Who keeps telling you you can't do these things? If they're not a BM / ASM / SM, just tell them to go away







Or just do a grind dose to show them how horribly loose the grind is


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## SlowRoast (Sep 24, 2010)

Ah, so they're just as bad! Nothing worse than trying to soak up milk on a saturday rush. Not to mention they fill up the bins next to the bar incredibly fast, we usually steam the bottles and crush them.

'Tis the manager.







I mean, it's good they care about the brand standards. But not to the point I can't make my drink how I like it.

Yet saying that, it's quite normal to see loose grinds, blonding, leaky group handles, and A LOT of channelling and resteamed milk etc. on our bar. Blurgh.


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## chequ3r (Feb 5, 2012)

Ah so you wouldn't get away with being a bit cheeky to them then







Yer we try to compact the bottles as much as we can but still quite easily fill the 'milk bin' 3 or 4 times each day.

And yep the COSM is a good idea, but people seem to like to stick to certain parts of it but not others







Ah well, us baristas who know what we're talking about will just have to continue our silent fight.


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## SlowRoast (Sep 24, 2010)

Nope not at all







It's our first saturday with these bottles tomorrow, will be fun!

Exactly!







I can't wait to show everyone at work how to make espresso at home. I think I'd get told I'm "burning" the coffee by taking a minute to distribute, level and tamp properly aha.

Meanwhile I just his checkout on CoffeeHit. New cups and saucers here we come!







And a much needed new group brush/shot glasses with ristretto measurements!


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## golden1 (Jan 21, 2012)

Sounds like you've just discovered a bottle / bag of "winter feed milk".

The cows that produced that milk have been fed on slightly sour winter feed, and not given enough sun.

hence the milk is slightly more acidic, AND there's not enough fat (and possibly a little more protein) in it.

As such there's not enough to trap air, and what protein there is in there is splitting.. which is why it's falling flat.

If you get another one, Try putting more air into it (strech it more) AND heat it less. Like 60 or so. I know that's cold for milk, but it's pretty much the only way you'll get foam that stays.

That or it's just been left out to get hot. (and is therefore probably off. Complain at K+N a lot)


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