plscaffeinatemama Junior Member Joined: 21 Sep 2009 Posts: 4 Location: Minneapolis Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Breville Die-Cast 800ESXL Grinder: Ascaso iMini Drip: French Press
Posted Tue Sep 22, 2009, 4:08am Subject: a milk question
Hello all,
It has been my experience that homogenized milk produces better foam when steamed. When I have tried to steam non-homogenized milk in the past, I have just gotten a lot of hot milk. From what research I've done into this, it seems to be because the fat globules in non-homogenized milk are larger and not artificially broken down and homogenized throughout the milk, which makes it difficult, if not impossible, to raise any kind of foam.
We (= my family) have just started getting milk from a different dairy which, instead of our former dairy's holstein herd, has a small herd of jerseys and Dutch belteds. And... it makes the most beautiful microfoam, ever. It's not homogenized or pasteurized, just extremely fresh and whole (the last milk was fresh, whole and raw, too, though).
I am baffled and am wondering if anyone else can shed some light on this for me. As I said, the milk is fresh - it requires very little shaking, instead of the 1" of cream that floats on the top of some non-homogenized milk because it's sat around too long - and Jersey milk especially has a higher fat content. It has also been suggested by others who get this milk that it has a higher natural bacteria count because it keeps for 2 weeks without spoiling. (I have no idea whether that plays into this at all, but I thought I'd throw it out there.)
No PSAs on the evils of drinking raw milk, please - if that's how you feel, that's great, but I really want to stick to the foaming issue here... :)
Sorry, I don't have any scientific answers for you but I can give you my personal experiences. One thing to keep in mind is milk from different dairies are going to give you differnt milks and they'll all behave (and taste) a little differently when steaming. I've typically had better results with homogenized milks as well. Organic milk I've found to vary slightly with the seasons even within the same dairy. Fattier milk also tends to make better microfoam. My guess is the fattier milk is helping you and what ever the living conditions of the cows makes for good steamed milk. :)
Welcome Jen! Sorry but I don't really understand what you are trying to ask? Generally from what I've seen, the more fat in the milk, the easier it is to polish to get a smooth micro foam. Like Joel_B mentioned, milk from different farms will behave and taste differently, just shop around until you find one that suites your taste.
Hey, thanks for the replies. What I'm trying to figure out is what it could be about THIS non-homogenized milk that makes it so easy to get a good microfoam, where I have in the past completely failed (not for lack of trying) with other non-homogenized milks. What it sounds like is coming out is that it might be its higher fat content that is helping to achieve the good microfoam - but oddly enough, it's the fat that takes the blame in non-homogenized milks for making them so hard to steam. So that leaves me a bit confused. :)
This milk is divine, the cows are pastured and grass-fed. It's a real complement to the coffee.
What I'm trying to figure out is what it could be about THIS non-homogenized milk that makes it so easy to get a good microfoam, where I have in the past completely failed (not for lack of trying) with other non-homogenized milks.
Like I said, I've had better luck with homogenized, but I've never not been able to create a decent micro foam; some just are easier and some certainly taste better.
plscaffeinatemama Said:
What it sounds like is coming out is that it might be its higher fat content that is helping to achieve the good microfoam - but oddly enough, it's the fat that takes the blame in non-homogenized milks for making them so hard to steam. So that leaves me a bit confused. :)
Lower fat milk will allow you to create the foam portion of micro foam easier. Micro foam is a decadent mixture of the milk and "micro" sized bubbles together. The problem with the lower fat milk is the foam and the milk seperate quite easily (foam seperates and will lay on top) where a fattier milk will keep the milk and foam mixture longer. When steaming milk, the first stage is stretching/aerating the milk; this creates the foam and gives volume to the milk. The second stage is where the milk and foam are incorporated together creating the true microfoam.
Bottom line though, after some searching sounds like you found yourself the right milk for you.
It has been my experience that homogenized milk produces better foam when steamed. When I have tried to steam non-homogenized milk in the past, I have just gotten a lot of hot milk. From what research I've done into this, it seems to be because the fat globules in non-homogenized milk are larger and not artificially broken down and homogenized throughout the milk, which makes it difficult, if not impossible, to raise any kind of foam.
CMCM Senior Member Joined: 27 Jul 2005 Posts: 215 Location: California Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Rancilio Silvia Grinder: Baratza Vario (retired the...
Posted Sat Oct 24, 2009, 9:41am Subject: Re: a milk question
I'm addicted to using half and half for my cappuccinos....and I've definitely found differences in various brands in terms of how they perform in the frothing process. My current favorite brand produces pretty consistent thick and perfect microfoam, and the container says it's "ultra-pasturized-homogenized." Other ones I've tried that are similarly designated do not always foam as well, but I really don't know why.
canon Senior Member Joined: 9 May 2006 Posts: 55 Location: North Carolina Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: La Marzocco GS/3P Grinder: Mahlkonig K30 Vario Drip: Technivorm
Posted Sat Oct 24, 2009, 9:55am Subject: Re: a milk question
Interesting.....I have been curious about steaming half and half but have never tried it. We go through so much milk making caps that it would cost a fortune to use half and half.
Are you saying that it handles exactly the same way as milk when steamed? The flavor has to be much fuller.
Doolittlej Senior Member Joined: 25 Feb 2008 Posts: 6 Location: Algona, Iowa Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Vivaldi II Grinder: Mazzer Mini
Posted Sat Oct 24, 2009, 11:38am Subject: Re: a milk question
Homogenization alters the size of the fat molecules. This will affect how the foam incorporates into the milk. Your first milk probably had a lower fat content. The fat content will be affected by many factors including type of cow and the diet they consume. While I have used 1/2 and 1/2 to make machiattos, I have never done a full pitcher. Is it hard to get a thick microfoam with the 1/2 and 1/2?
Posted Sat Oct 24, 2009, 1:27pm Subject: Re: a milk question
As previously discussed in other threads, milk foam is composed of air bubbles covered with linear, elongated whey proteins. When the proteins are in the globular form, they don't coat air bubbles well. The globular whey protein molecule is denatured to elongated form when heat is applied, when the covalent bonds are broken. The milk fat molecules, when they coat the tongue and trigger the receptors, give the taste sensation of "body". The ability to produce foam has nothing to do with the fat content, but the protein. It is actually the easiest to foam non-fat milk.
Raw milk has significantly higher bacteria count, namely, Listeria, E coli, and Salmonella. All these bacteria contain enzymes which cleave the whey proteins, to alter the proteins from globular to linear form, therefore easier frothing. In simpler terms, it is the spoilage that causes raw milk to froth more easily.
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