# Frothing milk



## Guest (Sep 30, 2014)

The scenario.......

1/3 of partially skimmed milk 2% (Cold) inside a 600ml pitcher filed 1/3 (in ehich 200ml is in the pitcher) and is stretched till 100 fahrenheit and heated to 150-160f with the steam wand slightly off centre to create a vortex using steam pressure (in which is 1.2bar on pressurestat)......

While stretching, the milk is allowed to expand 2x the volume (up too the 400nl mark) and i would slowly gradually sink the wand down to keep it 1/2 inch into the milk surface.....

While heating, the milk is left to get from 100f to 150-160f and the wand is positioned slightly off centre and is 2x deeper than before.....

The milk thermo is at 145f and stop..... it will catch up and soon show 154f in which is in range (160-150f).....

Avoiding to scald the milk (not gonna make a Cafe Con Leche ok) and wouldnt like the cappucino tasting like milk (AKA milk too cold)......

Anyways is my technique wrong for milking the steam wand....

BTW, on lattes i fill the jug eith 400ml milk instead of 200ml so that i would get it stretched till it expands not more than 2x volume......

Heheheh


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## emradguy (May 24, 2014)

I think if you're doubling the milk volume you're over-streching, and it's very unlikely that the product in your pitcher would pass scrutiny to be called "micro foam". Im my opinion, frothing into the 150-160 range, especially with a thermometer, is too hot. The only time you might want it that hot is if you don't intend to drink the cappa right away. If you do, then there's no reason not to stop at 130 or so. For one, the thermometer readout will lag behind the actual temperature of the milk, unless you dropped a fair kbit of cash on the thermometer (i.e., only the very bet thermometers have a short enough lag to consider them "instant read"). For the same reason, stretching until the thermometer reads 100F is also too hot.

I don't worry much about exactly how much milk goes into my pitchers and, in truth, I don't even remember what the nominal volumes of each of my pitchers is. what I do know, is 1) which pitcher to choose for the desired drink, and 2) how far up to fill the pitcher to get the right kind of activity while frothing. Most people will say that for a spouted pitcher, you fill it to about 1cm below the bottom of the spout. What pitchers are you using anyways?


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## DannyMontez (May 19, 2014)

The best way i found to improve my milk frothing was watching youtube vids. there are loads and it really helps you see what you're doing wrong.


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## 7493 (May 29, 2014)

Good advice! I've watched loads and my foam is much improved. Now trying for latte art. So far only managed one rather rough rosetta and all the subsequent attempts have been fails. Just have to keep practicing but the same advice applies, watch loads of Ubend tuts.


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## davidclark (Jun 13, 2017)

You can also froth milk without a milk frother.


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