ristrettolungo Senior Member Joined: 15 Jul 2008 Posts: 151 Location: MI Expertise: Just starting
Posted Thu Sep 4, 2008, 11:37am Subject: What causes sourness in the brew?
On the verge of tasting bitter. It's almost like you are drinking hot vinegar. Is this what you called acidity/citrus and meant to be a palette of certain beans?
Posted Thu Sep 4, 2008, 11:50am Subject: Re: What causes sourness in the brew?
ristrettolungo Said:
On the verge of tasting bitter. It's almost like you are drinking hot vinegar. Is this what you called acidity/citrus and meant to be a palette of certain beans?
Hi JJ, in your subject line your asking sourness, then in your first sentence., bitter.. A "sour" brew can be the result of brewing too cool. A bitter brew can be the result of brewing to hot. In a simplistic explanation, darker roasts like to be brewed cooler, lighter roasts hotter.
Acidic tasting coffee can come from a very light roast that's stopped after 1st crack, but before 2nd crack & comes from Clorogenic acid., & there are several acids. There are many starchy carbohydrate conversions to amino acids, proteins, Maillard browning reactions/caramelizing the developing bean sugars., etc.
Yep. thanks!, I went back & corrected it. I was busy & multi-tasking here, & it's not very often I make a mistake. If I do I always (99% of the time) catch it in a proof read after I've posted it, & then will correct/re-edit.
Posted Thu Sep 4, 2008, 2:52pm Subject: Re: What causes sourness in the brew?
Yep., anything else?, just kidding! Thanks.
Still doin' several things at once here, TV going, Joey my Java Hill Mynah bird screaming, phoning Tigerdirect.ca & eating dinner., haha! Always an excuse eh?
Ok, & if I see Silvia spelled ONE MORE TIME with a "Y" like this Sylvia, I'll bloody well scream!! LOL! {;-D
As Craig mentioned above, too low a temp would be first suspect, but a roast can be too acid/sour as well. (can be caused by a light roast finished too fast)
At a 'well regarded cafe', it should not be a faulty roast. You should ask if they would would please draw another sweeter shot. See what you get.
It could be dirty/filthy equipment, ie; grinder., rancid coffee oils that quickly go off at grouphead temps just cooking there unless cleaned off, dirty portafilters, brew baskets.., or anywhere along the brewing pathway back to & including the 3 way valve.
P.S. If I get a shot that tastes sour at a highly regarded coffee joint by CG, should I ask for a refund?
Entirely up to you as taste is so highly subjective. What you taste, the person behind the counter may not. If he/she is "any" type of barista., they should care passionately about the caliber & quality of what he/she's serving.
Ask the person to taste test what they just served, or get 2 pulled., one for you & the barista to see if he experiences what you do.
BrownWater Senior Member Joined: 1 Mar 2006 Posts: 212 Location: Ithaca, NY Expertise: Professional
Espresso: Salvatore, Expobar Grinder: Super Jolly Roaster: fluid air
Posted Mon Sep 8, 2008, 9:57am Subject: Re: What causes sourness in the brew?
I think (sorry if someone already said this) if you've got poor quality beans from a region that typically produced higher acidity beans to begin with then you can have very high acidity that comes across rather sour. I had this issue with a poor quality Costa Rica recently, both through a drip machine and as a shot.
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