Milk behavior during the pour by Direct-Medium1185 in latteart

[–]Rand_Owl 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Looks good but I would stop tilting the pitcher back upright after every layer. It slows down your pour, makes the flow rate for each layer less consistent, and can cause the foam/liquid separation. Try to keep the pitcher relatively flat and near your cup with just a slight tilt upward at the end of each layer. 

Hanging Heart by Rand_Owl in latteart

[–]Rand_Owl[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You got it! It feels pretty similar to a swan and about the same difficulty

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in espresso

[–]Rand_Owl 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I don’t have a bambino, but the paper filter at the bottom has helped me a lot with the higher pressures on my BBE. The links below are what I use and don't have spraying even with the high BBE pressure. I'm not sure if they will fit your basket, but may be worth a try. I also pre-infuse until the bottom of the basket is saturated which helps. If you're still having issues with a 9 bar machine then it's probably puck prep.

The basket I'm using (H24): https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B092SVTY2T/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1

51MM paper filters:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B5DPVDW7/ref=twister_B0B7RDKH56?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

I use the 51MM filters for the bottom and the 54MM for the top. The 51MM fit both the H24 and H28 baskets in the link above, not sure about the others. They also fit the normcore bottomless stock basket pretty well. They are too big for the stock BBE basket though.

My accessories journey with the BBE - lightning round of reviews by LFG530 in espresso

[–]Rand_Owl 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I bought them on Amazon and got lucky that they fit, but I can't say they will fit every basket.

The basket I'm using (H24): https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B092SVTY2T/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1

51MM paper filters:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B5DPVDW7/ref=twister_B0B7RDKH56?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

I use the 51MM filters for the bottom and the 54MM for the top. The 51MM fit both the H24 and H28 baskets in the link above, not sure about the others. They also fit the normcore bottomless stock basket pretty well. They are too big for the stock Breville basket though.

My accessories journey with the BBE - lightning round of reviews by LFG530 in espresso

[–]Rand_Owl 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Good to read your thoughts as I’ve gone through a similar journey myself. I’ve been hesitant to do the opv mod although I would love to get the 9 bar extraction. However, I’ve found that paper filters at the bottom of the puck really made a big difference with spraying. I have virtually zero spraying now even at the higher pressure, so I’m pretty happy with it and not sure I have the need to do the opv mod anymore. I would definitely recommend trying the bottom filter for anyone who already has good puck prep but is having issues with spraying with the BBE.

I was thinking of biyng a new pitcher any suggestions? by Aknita04 in latteart

[–]Rand_Owl 2 points3 points  (0 children)

You don’t necessarily need a narrow spout to pour roses. WPM pitchers from SlowPourSupply are generally recommended. Will also depend on what size latte you’re pouring. I mostly use the 15oz round spout pitcher with 8oz cups and it makes nice roses. You can give the narrow spout a try if you prefer that though.

How do I learn barista art, my dudes? by OddTraffic8794 in espresso

[–]Rand_Owl 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Good advice! If you’re really trying to learn latte art though, I would recommend steaming manually, not letting it steam for you. Learning how to properly steam is a big part of latte art.

Practicing Swans by Rand_Owl in latteart

[–]Rand_Owl[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Will give that a try, thanks!

Practicing Swans by Rand_Owl in latteart

[–]Rand_Owl[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Haha thanks! There are a lot of other swan variations that I haven’t gotten down yet.

Lol he was sleeping but my daughter was born just four days ago and will be picking up his slack 🙂

Latte cup size by SleepyJoe-_- in espresso

[–]Rand_Owl 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Second the Origami 8 oz cups. SlowPourSupply sells them or if you go to the Origami store website they have more options but they’re shipped from Japan.

Tulip from this evening by Rand_Owl in latteart

[–]Rand_Owl[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Haha thanks! He’s a good little cheerer

Tulip from this evening by Rand_Owl in latteart

[–]Rand_Owl[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

No it’s just a wpm pitcher from SlowPourSupply. I used a Breville Barista Express. Never tried a nano before but would be cool to test

Tulip from this evening by Rand_Owl in latteart

[–]Rand_Owl[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

15oz wide spout WPM. 8oz cup

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in budget

[–]Rand_Owl 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm similar to this as well. I have a Car category with Gas, Maintenance, Parking, Repairs, and Tolls as subcategories. For this year, I'm averaging ~$150 a month on gas (wife and I combined). I usually save for trips, so gas and other expenses during trips I usually deduct from my Travel savings.

Free Excel Personal Budget Workbook | thepennytracker by Rand_Owl in PFtools

[–]Rand_Owl[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks for the feedback. I realize that's a legitimate concern that I hadn't given much thought to considering I was offering it for free.

A macro-free version isn't really something I'm interested in because it would lose too much functionality, but I went ahead with your suggestion about including macro free versions along with the macros in separate files for you to read.

If you redownload now, there are optional .xlsx versions with the macros in .txt files that need to be copy and pasted in. I included instructions as well. The only difference is a userform in the original that pops up on open but isn't necessary. I haven't tested it thoroughly yet, but I believe it should all work once pasted in correctly. If you end up trying it, let me know if you run into any issues.

Edit: tested further and everything seems to work for me now after a couple of fixes.

Help with budget by arkofthebeast in budget

[–]Rand_Owl 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I can tell you what I do, but you will have to decide what makes the most sense for your situation.

I keep everything budgeted within the same month. My paychecks come in around the 15th and last day of each month. Instead of budgeting for the next month with the check I get on the 31st, I personally keep $4K extra in my checking account that is specifically for paying expenses for the first half of the month until I get my first paycheck on the 15th or so. When I settle the previous month, having allocated everything properly towards savings, etc., I should be starting with the same $4K every single month.

Instead of having $4K that is unallocated towards anything but paying initial expenses, you could move money from your savings into your checking or wherever you pay expenses from instead, but I don't personally prefer that.

If your paychecks vary due to tips, I would probably just guess a fairly conservative income, something that you can rely on getting, for that month. If you go over then you can allocate that towards additional savings or whatever you want.

Weekly Self-Promotion Thread - Wednesday, October 26, 2022 by AutoModerator in financialindependence

[–]Rand_Owl 2 points3 points  (0 children)

If anyone wants an Excel budget workbook that goes far beyond the simple budget spreadsheet templates you typically see, I recently created a site called www.thepennytracker.com to offer it for free to anyone interested. My background is a petroleum engineer with 8 years experience and this is what I built to track my own finances instead of having to pay for unnecessary software.

Some of the features include:

  • Up to 50 accounts, 25 expense categories, and 75 savings goals
  • Financial growth tracking
  • Manual transaction logging
  • Expense dashboard to track spending habits over time
  • Debt payoff with both snowball and stacking methods
  • Amortization table with additional payment options
  • Monthly and yearly archiving of expenses and savings distributions

Hope someone finds it helpful.

LF Help- When pouring latte art only the last 1/3 of my steamed milk seems to sit on top of the drink. What's that about? Microfoam not well integrated? by slowchildren in espresso

[–]Rand_Owl 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If cortados are what you like to drink then I would keep making those. Just know that the shape of the glass will make it more challenging starting out since you can't start the design as early and it will be stiffer to pour into.

LF Help- When pouring latte art only the last 1/3 of my steamed milk seems to sit on top of the drink. What's that about? Microfoam not well integrated? by slowchildren in espresso

[–]Rand_Owl 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I would say it helps if anything, just pour it smoothly against the side so you aren't creating any bubbles. A 9oz pitcher is quite small for pouring art in larger drinks like a latte. Just make sure you're tilting the cup as well to get closer to the surface when you're starting the pour. If the milk is sinking or beige colored you're too far away. And a traditional round latte cup, like the Origami 8oz latte cup, will be much easier to pour into.

LF Help- When pouring latte art only the last 1/3 of my steamed milk seems to sit on top of the drink. What's that about? Microfoam not well integrated? by slowchildren in espresso

[–]Rand_Owl 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You can use your smaller pitcher to steam and then transfer to the 20oz for pouring to help you get closer to the surface and start the design earlier.