Help! need to reduce the foam

[kenmtb]

Hi-
First off, I took the plunge and bought a reconditioned vitamix to replace my oster. The difference in power is huge. I think it is a great investment/upgrade.

The only thing is the vitamix is so powerful it creates a foam smoothie! Is there a way to create smoothies without so much air in them?? My stable of ingredients are usually spinach, kale, apples, carrots, pineapple, grapes water, fruitjuice, mangos. I am allergic to banannas.

Thanks!

[streetsurfer]

Have you tried slower speeds, or possibly using a chop grate grid mode until things are reduced in size (less voids/air pockets) and then once everything is of a uniform size, speed it up. That is how the pre-programmed mode for frozen drinks/smoothies on my blender works and I've not noticed an issue with the foam (which I think is the ruination of proteins due to incorporated air and resultant oxidation). Give that a try and see if it helps.

[Revvell]

I've not noticed foam in my smoozies either. Have you put the tamper in? I just put it in and everything swirls around it. Like SS, I begin at a slower speed, get everything going well, keep turning the middle dial and the left dial is only on for maybe 15 seconds or so.

Not knowing what you're doing... well, hard to give options, yanno?

[Revvell]

Just noticed ~ pineapple tends to foam if I'm not mistaken. Try it w/out and see if that makes a difference.

[fastfreedom]

I don't notice foam in my smoothies either. But if it's the pineapple doing it like Revvell commented, then I wouldn't know, because I can't bring myself to put pineapple into my smoothies. I love pineapple and I prefer to savor it and eat it by itself.

I do notice that I can get air bubbles in my smoothies, but for the most part they go away. One tip I recall reading is to switch back to the low speed after you've ran at the high speed and whizzed everything up all nice and smooth. Then play with the speed control knob a bit. Reduce all the way back down to one and you'll notice some big air pockets release. And the tip mentioned that if you run your smoothie at a slow speed you can get all the air bubbles to pop. So maybe that will help. I've been consistently doing it when I make a smoothie and it seems to help. I also like to turn the Vitamix off after running at a low low speed and tap the jug onto the counter top to get all the bubbles to rise to the top. I dunno if any of this will help, but just keep fiddling around and you'll find something that works for ya. ;-)

[Aleesha Sattva]

i put pineapple in my smoothies often and never get any foam.

[kenmtb]

Hi-
Very sorry for the long delay---work has been a terror lately.
Thanks for the replies. The foam I was describing is not like foam in soda. Its just air whipped into the smoothie. Here is way I have been doing. Put in Greens, ice cubes, water and cut up fruit, run low and tamp until mostly blended then switch to high. Everything gets whipped up no matter how much water is added.

After doing some looking around someone mentioned adding a drop of flax seed oil. I used canola oil and it worked like a charm. Also running at low speed like people here mentioned, everything turned to liquid. No foam :) Now even the thick smoothies are like V8 juice!
Thanks for the great ideas
Ken