Contrary to popular belief, coffee is not only a bitter drink. Coffee does contain a wide variety of acids that can be more or less emphasized by smokers and baristas.
One thing is for sure, the coffee must taste good. The composition must be balanced and the way we like it. Nevertheless, everyone is different when it comes to acidity. Acidity appears at the beginning of the mouth – hot as soon as the coffee touches our palate. What remains in the mouth after swallowing is bitterness.
Is my coffee sour?
Many appreciate the well-integrated acid structure as the perfection of the taste sensation, others are acid-sensitive and have stomach problems, and still others just don’t like the acidity in their coffee. Additionally, it made it possible to play in a personal form on a given day or even on a given day. The first cup in the morning can be subjectively more acidic than the next. Before making the final note, you should try the type of coffee a few times and do not judge after the first experience. We saw it many times while tasting it.
The acidity in coffee
Every coffee contains acid, some more, some less. Overall, Arabica beans contain more acid than Robusta beans. It is also the first point of reference. Anyone who has been drinking only pure Arabica for some reason should try blends with Robusta ingredients, or try another pure Arabica. There are also differences between Arabica from different crops and parts of the world.
The acids can be broken down by firing the grains. A rule of thumb: the darker the roasting, the less acid the coffee contains. Very light roasts or coffees that have been roasted in a modern hot air process (so-called fast roasting) contain significantly more acids than the dark mixes conventionally produced in a drum roaster.
Darker roast coffee is often nicer than light roast coffee and you quickly get used to the more intense flavor, especially if you really notice it and don’t follow old prejudices.
Regulating the acidity in coffee
The brewing temperature also affects the acid content of the coffee. If it is too low, the brewed coffee will contain more acid. The effect will depend on the type and type of machine. It is worth taking care of descaling the coffee machines. Too much limescale on the heater or heat exchanger makes it difficult to transfer heat to the water.
The acidity in coffee should be pleasant and balanced with bitterness, sugar, aroma … If your coffee is too acidic, tart, vegetable, or even salty, this is called an extraction deficiency. Indeed, the pressure used in the coffee machine favors the extraction of acidic compounds. Therefore, you will have to extract more aromas to balance the drink. This is related to an increase in the surface area and contact time between the water and the coffee.
The solutions are simple:
– refine grinding,
– increase the amount of water flowing through the coffee,
– reduce the amount of coffee.
It’s good to know that if filtered coffee stands for too long, it will turn sour. Therefore, do not brew too much coffee in the filter coffee machine.
Finally, a little tip – use spring water with a low mineral content if you want to emphasize acidity, or water with a higher magnesium content if you want to emphasize the essence.
