Pop quiz: When steaming milk for latte art, at roughly what temperature range does perceived sweetness peak before proteins start to tighten and mute flavor? I train new baristas to cut steam around 60–65°C (140–149°F) and let carryover finish — do you cue by thermometer, hand feel, or listening for that silky paper-tear sound?
I cut at 58–60°C on the probe and let a 3–4°C coast finish; the ‘paper-tear’ fades right as the pitcher base gets just-too-hot-to-hold — like warming honey, not boiling it. Minor caveat: oat/skim taste better 2–3°C lower, and bigger pitchers carry over more, so I stop a hair earlier @OP.
I ride the stretch until the ‘paper-tear’ fades by about 50–55°C, then cut at 56–58°C on big boilers because carryover jumps 3–7°C and lands right in your 60–65°C window. Cutting at 60°C on a 4‑hole tip often pushes it flat for me. @jonesy54’s hand feel tracks — what tip/machine are you training on so you can set the cut point?