Some people might enjoy coffee that’s a bit more sour or bitter, but if you’re getting these results unintentionally, there are a few possible reasons why.
Here I’ll share different reasons why coffee tastes sour or bitter, and what to do about it.
By Mila.
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Reasons Why Coffee Tastes Sour or Bitter
You just made a cup of coffee; you’re feeling proud of yourself, you’re ready to get a delicious energy boost… until you taste it.
Sour or bitter coffee: why does it happen?
And how to fix it?
Let’s start with what results in sour coffee.
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Why Does My Coffee Taste Sour?
When coffee is over-roasted or improperly brewed, it can taste sour.
The flavor of overly acidic coffee is sour and harsh.
Here’s a rundown of why your coffee might be tasting sour:
Under-extracted Coffee Beans Will Cause Sour Coffee
During brewing, the coffee beans will release sugars and flavors that will balance out the natural sourness of the beans.
This means that when you are in a hurry, your coffee is more likely to taste sour.
If you brew it the correct amount of time based on quantity, the sweeter it will taste.
Under Roasted Beans Can Cause Sour Coffee
Something called “The Maillard Reaction” is what makes green coffee beans turn brown during the roasting process.
It is the same chemical reaction that causes white soft bread to become dark and crunchy when toasted.
In coffee it brings out the flavors and caramelizes the sugars in the coffee beans.
If the Maillard chemical reaction doesn’t have enough time to occur, the coffee beans won’t really taste like coffee beans.
Stale Coffee Beans Will Cause Sour Coffee
You can’t procrastinate coffee!
Your coffee beans will begin to taste less balanced just 3 to 4 weeks after being roasted.
According to coffee enthusiast Troy De Ville at Carmel Bay Coffee, when the beans come in contact with oxygen, they start losing their flavor and aroma.
How To Fix Sour Coffee
Although avoiding the mistakes listed above is easier, fixing sour coffee is way easier than you might think! Here are a few ways to do that:
Brew The Coffee Beans for Longer
Short brew times that do not fully extract the sweet flavors from the bean are frequently the cause of sour coffee.
The tasty flavor compounds can all be extracted into your beverage by lengthening the brew time.
Mind the Grind Size
More flavor components, including bitter ones, are extracted by finer grinds than by coarser grinds.
The smaller the grounds, the less time it will take to extract a balanced flavor.
Pay Attention to The Amount of Water You’re Using
The ratio of coffee to water can have an impact on the sour/bitter balance in some infusion methods.
Increasing the amount of water will naturally increase the brew time, which can result in a cup of coffee that tastes sweeter.
Use Filtered Water
According to water purity experts from Aqua Cure, the water you use is also important in the brewing of coffee.
The flavor of the coffee might be affected if the water you’re using has a pH of less than 7.
Ideally, try using pH neutral, filtered water.
Use Hotter Water
Although this can vary, the National Coffee Association states that 195°F to 205°F is the ideal water temperature for extraction.
This temperature range applies to all brewing techniques, whether you prefer the French press, the pour-over method, or other methods.
Choose Beans Your Taste Buds Approve Of
Everyone has different tastes.
I simply can’t stand coffee without sugar.
Similarly, some people have more sensitive (or demanding) taste buds that can pick up on more subtle flavors and not enjoy them at all.
For this reason, try different beans and see how you feel.
That’s it!
Sour Coffee from French Press
It’s possible you either will get or already got sour coffee from a French press.
It often happens because:
- The coffee needs more time to brew
- Your grind is too fine or too coarse
- You might want to try a different type of coffee.
You can fix sour coffee from a French Press using the same methods and avoiding the same mistakes listed above.
Why Does my Coffee Taste Bitter?
Bitter coffee can happen for a few of the same reasons that result in sour coffee.
But it often happens for pretty much the opposite reasons:
Over Extraction Can Cause Bitter Coffee
When coffee grounds are in contact with the water for an excessive amount of time, they extract an excessive number of organic compounds, which overpower the cup with harsh, bitter flavors.
Over Roasted Coffee Beans Can Result in Bitter Coffee
When the coffee roasting process takes longer than it should, the result are really dark, over roasted beans that will taste bitter.
☕️ Not-So-Fun fact: coffee labelled as “strong” sometimes means over roasted.
Over roasting is a method that is often used to cover up low quality coffee.
How to Fix Bitter Coffee
You can use the same principles of fixing sour coffee to fix bitter coffee.
But some things are different.
Make Coarser Grinds
If your coffee tastes bitter, there’s a great chance that the grind size may be too fine.
Coffee experts from ESPRO recommend making coarser grinds to fix and avoid bitter coffee.
Finer coffee particles extract flavors and organic compounds more quickly and smaller coffee particles are saturated by the water much faster than larger ones.
Use Less Time to Brew
There is a sweet spot you want to hit when making coffee.
More time to extract can mean more chances of producing bitter flavors.
For users of the French Press, this entails brewing the coffee earlier (it might be the easiest way to solve bitter coffee).
If you like the pour over method, pour your water more quickly and “heavier” to reduce the time it takes for the drain to finish.
Add (Just a Bit of) Salt
Some people, including Alton Brown, the creator and host of the Food Network television, recommend adding salt to fix bitter coffee.
But this is a very tricky, last resort method to use.
If you add more than the right amount, you can end up with a salty cup of coffee.
Your friends might start asking you if you need glasses, since you added salt instead of sugar to the coffee.
But if you do it properly, it might work!
This interesting video from Fix.com shows more ways to fix bitter coffee:
Photos by sonerkose, Juan Pablo Serrano Arenas and Hatice Nogman
