Why does my coffee taste sour? Instead of bitter and sweet, you may have sipped coffee and found it sour. Is sour coffee bad? Actually, it depends. Either the acidity is natural, or there is a brewing error.
However, if you find yourself drinking coffee that is both sour and bitter at the same time, the processing could be better. Before knowing how to solve this problem, you should know some of the reasons why coffee tastes sour and how to distinguish acidity from sourness!
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Don’t Mistake Acidity for Sourness
The acidic level in coffee is not something that needs to be avoided. In the right amount, sour coffee can make coffee taste fresher. When this amount is exceeded, the coffee will taste more sour than you want it to.
Even so, is sour coffee still worth consuming? The answer is yes. However, you need to know what causes it so that you can find the most appropriate solution.
How Do You Tell If Coffee Is Bitter or Sour?
Is your coffee bitter or sour? Take it easy; here are 5 distinguishing factors so that you can tell the difference between bitter and sour coffee flavors.
1. Notice the Aroma
Generally, bitter-tasting coffee has an aroma that tends to be heavy and has a slight smoky nuance. On the contrary, sour coffee has a lighter aroma, even with a slight fruity aftertaste.
2. Taste on the Tongue
When consuming coffee, try to remember: does the back of your tongue feel dry? This indicates that the coffee you drink has a bitter taste. On the contrary, acidic coffee will be more felt in the front tongue, and the sensation is quite fresh.
3. Balance of Flavor
Ideally, the right coffee flavor has a balanced level of acidity and bitterness. If you taste only one of the two, then it’s probably under or over-extracted!
4. Source of Coffee Beans
Finally, the type of coffee beans you use also affects the flavor. Usually, Arabica coffee beans tend to be sour and fruity.
Robusta coffee, on the other hand, is more bitter and has a slightly earthy feel to it. Also, understand the origin of the beans so that you can estimate the flavor profile.
Also read: Green Coffee Vs Black Coffee, Different and Which One is Better?
Why Does My Coffee Taste Sour? Here’s Some of The Reason
What does it mean when coffee tastes sour? Actually, there are several reasons behind this. Let’s take a look at some of the things that make coffee sour.
1. Under Extraction
The main reason why your coffee tastes sour is the under-extraction process. In coffee that is roasted in a hurry, the acidic compounds are extracted before anything else.
This makes the coffee taste less balanced and more acidic. Why does under-extraction happen? It can be caused by the size of the coffee grounds, soaking time, and water temperature settings. For example, coffee grounds that are too coarse can give coffee brewing water a more acidic dominant flavor.
2. Under Roasting
Aside from under-extraction, under-roasting can also cause coffee to taste sour. With its green color and unstable aroma, the result of the coffee will taste unbalanced and even predominantly sour. This way, you have to pay attention to the roasting stage of the coffee beans for optimal results!
3. Stale Coffee Beans
Ever accidentally store coffee beans until they go stale? Stale and aged coffee generally produces coffee that tastes sharp and sweet-similar to lime. Coffee that has been stored for a long time will usually be contaminated with any chemical reactions.
4. Water Temperature
Why does my coffee taste sour? The last reason why coffee tastes sour is that coffee is brewed at the wrong water temperature.
When extracting coffee with water that is too cold, all the flavors of the coffee will not come out optimally. Instead, the resulting coffee tastes sour and weak.
On the other hand, if you use water that is too hot, the coffee beans become more flammable, and the taste tends to be bitter.
5. Ultra-Fresh Coffee Beans
Unbeknownst to you, using coffee beans that are too fresh, or in this context, freshly roasted, also produces coffee with a predominantly sour taste. This is because they emit a lot of CO2 gas that actually disturbs the balance of the flavor when brewed.
6. Grind Size
The final culprit of what makes coffee sour is grind size. Using coffee powder that is too large causes the coffee extraction process to be less than optimal. The taste is either too sour or too bitter.
Also read: How to Brew White Coffee? 6 Methods that You Can Try
Ways To Fix Sour Coffee
If you get the taste of sour coffee, don’t worry! Apply the following ways to get rid of acidic coffee taste!
1. Use a Finer Grind
First of all, it’s best to use a finer coffee grinder size. The smooth surface of the coffee makes the extraction process happen evenly and perfectly. Remember to adapt it to your favorite coffee brewing method as well!
2. Add Some Extra Time to Brew
It’s best to brew your coffee for a little longer. This way, the water can extract not only the acidic flavor, but a variety of other more complex flavors. This will help produce a more balanced cup of coffee. However, try not to brew it for too long, either.
3. Balance Between Coffee and Water
The key to a good cup of coffee is the ratio between coffee and water. Generally, you can use a ratio of 1-2 tablespoons of ground coffee for every 180 ml of boiled water. For thicker or thinner results, adjust again to your taste.
4. Pay Attention to The Water Temperature
Finally, make sure to use the ideal water temperature, which is around 90-96 degrees Celsius. Measure it with a thermometer to make sure it’s the right temperature.
Also read: How to Roast Decaf Coffee Beans: Everything You Need to Know
What’s The Best Acid Neutralizer for Coffee?
There are other alternatives in the form of acid neutralizers that you can use to reduce the sourness of coffee. Here are some of the ingredients that can be utilized:
- Use Low-Acid Coffee Beans: Choose beans that are naturally low in acidity. For example, Brazilian or Sumatran coffees have a smoother and milder flavor profile.
- Add Milk or Cream: Then, you can pour some milk or cream into the coffee. Thanks to their alkalizing properties, these two ingredients can neutralize excess acidity.
- Use Baking Soda: Add some baking soda or sodium bicarbonate to the coffee. It doesn’t contain any flavor, so it’s effective at reducing the acidity of coffee without changing the taste too much!
- Cold Brew Method: You can brew coffee using the cold brew technique. With this process, you can extract more of the flavor content in the coffee. This makes for a coffee that tastes smooth and less acidic.
- Add Eggshells: This may seem a little strange, but you can crush some eggshells and mix them into your coffee. Just like milk or cream, it contains alkali, which is effective in neutralizing the acidity of coffee.
Also read: A Tasting Adventure: Exploring the 4 Coffee Bean Varieties
Enjoy Sourless Coffee: The Solution for Every Perfect Cup of Coffee
That’s a little explanation of why does my coffee taste sour. By knowing what the causes and the right solutions are, you can enjoy every cup of homemade coffee with a more complex and delicious flavor.
Also, consider paying attention to all the factors that affect the acidity of this coffee, from using fresh beans and the right size grinder to the water temperature and brewing time.
Looking for high-quality coffee beans to get the best-tasting coffee? Easy, visit the website of FnB Coffee, one of the best Indonesian coffee exporters around!
Here, we provide several types of Indonesian coffee with different flavor and aroma profiles, both Arabica and Robusta. With carefully selected beans, you can enjoy a perfect cup of coffee every time. Get your hands on some of the best-sellers premium coffee beans and taste the difference!
