Originally posted by coffe4me2
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Expobar Minore IV - Micro Foam issues
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Hi All, I just purchased a Minore IV last week after my Sunbeam was dying a slow death. At $2600 for a dual boiler it seemed like great value.
I must say that I was very frustrated at this same issue of not being able to get good microfoam, after being able to do it easily on the sunbeam albeit much slower . I have been reading all the threads and i have even ordered a new tip trying to fix the issue.
BUT I HAVE FIGURED OUT THE PROBLEM!!!!
the standard tip i received with the unit is a 3 hole. The holes are angled to create a swirl and it swirls CLOCKWISE. i was trying to stem with the nozzle starting at 12 o'clock and pointing at 9 o'clock as this felt natural with the articulation of the wand, so i was effectively trying to get an anti clockwise swirl and therefore was fighting against the angle of the tip.
So now i have the tip pointing towards 3 o'clock on the pitcher and i get an excellent swirl and perfect microfoam (spinning clockwise). So i probably wont be using the new tip at all!
This feels sort of left handed to me, but i am sure in a few days it will feel natural.
so before anyone starts buying new wands and tips, i suggest you try this, it was night and day for me.
I hope this helps
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Hi,
I second the use the of Farmhouse gold but use the blue top not the gold top, my mileage is the gold is too creamy. I have tried Jersey and found the cream clumps sometimes. Up until recently I was using a Minore III with standard steam tip and had no issue getting great foam but found you had to be diligent in recycling your bubbles through the steam tip right up until 40c in order to get a nice foam then bury the tip to get a good roll to finish.
Btw you say you recently got your Minore so just a long shot, did you get it new or S/H? The reason I ask is I had an issue for a month or so getting good foam (as you are experiencing - big bubbles and collapsing foam) and thought maybe it was just the milk (change of seasons, grass etc) but then one day the machine started 'popping off' large blasts of steam from the pressure relief valve. Upon taking the machine in for a full service and repair, it was confirmed as the pressurestat having failed. Perhaps your pressurestat could be on the way out, I suspect that was why my foaming ability declined up until the pressurestat finally failed. But then I am no repairs expert but I am sure there are plenty on here that can confirm/deny.
Cheers,
Nick
Ahh....just noticed revived thread, so perhaps this might still help someone!
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Talk coffee is Chris, Rick is some other guy that does awesome work with espresso machines.
I use whatever milk the wife brings home. Aldi or devondale or pura it all works for me in my giotto. Its a tools and technique thing not a milk thing.
Practice with the tools you have and if then you still can't get it right look at the more expensive options.
Once you've worked it out its not hard, can be challenging getting to that stage though.
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Make sure the farmhouse gold doesn't have the cream on top
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Ok so does anybody know where I can get the Sungold Jersey Milk somewhere in the Inner East of Melbourne?
Also, I just purchased a new 4 hole steam tip for my Minore IV so i will experiment with this to see if it makes much difference. I like the shape of this tip better, it's round like many other machines i have used as opposed to the standard tip on the Minore IV which is pointy...
Also, - Rick aka >Talk_Coffee
I sent you an email regarding the mods to the steam boiler and Valves on my Minore IV machine. I haven't heard back and just want to check you received my email.
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Interesting! If i were to have the Valves replaced with something bigger how would i go about it? Who in Melbourne can do this, how long would it take and do you know what the cost would be?
Experimenting this morning, i just can't find the sweet spot to get a good deep roll when texturing the milk. I'll keep trying to find it, i guess thats what i really need to do... Find the sweet spot/ correct technique for this particular machine.
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The narrow valves and plumb runs to the valves of the Minore are the biggest limitation of the machine in my opinion. It's like big lungs and a decent mouth trying to breathe through a straw diameter windpipe and this makes the milk side of things a tad more challenging. It's effectively choked.
A little pimping would improve this dramatically but would influence the bang for buck equation significantly in that valves and custom copper don't come cheaply...
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I'm inner east area. I'll get the Sungold Jersey Milk and see how it goes.
I just steamed some milk at work on an Isomac Tea and it was much better than at home on my Minore IV... Milk is the same. But the Steam tip is very different on the Isomac, only 2 holes but the tip is round whereas my Expobar Minore IV is pointy. Maybe i need to adjust my technique to suit the Minore???
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After many trials with milk, I have to say my second option should I not be able to get the Sungold Jersey milk is the Farmhouse gold. Saying that the Gold can sometimes play up on me. I use to think its what i was doing but im pretty sure my way of foaming milk hasn't changed in a while. I dont work at Five Senses.
Dont know where you are in Melbourne but send me an message and i can suggest if i know where you are.
Cheers,
Chris
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I'm using Pauls Farmhouse Gold but i am willing to test something different to see if it makes the difference.
Funnily enough, Sungold Jersey Milk was the same milk used at the Five Senses Barista Course.... You don't work there do you?
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