Coffee is the third most consumed drink on earth after water and tea. In the USA coffee ranks behind water and ahead of tea. Although there are folks who only drink coffee for its stimulant effects coffee flavor is important to most coffee drinkers. Thus it is a problem when your coffee does not taste right. Specifically, when you coffee has a sour taste that is a problem. When your Java is sour what is the problem?

How Incorrect Coffee Brewing Gives You Sour Coffee Flavor

As we noted in our recent “too hot coffee” article there is an ideal temperature range for brewing coffee which is between one hundred ninety-five and two hundred five degrees Fahrenheit. In this temperature range the hot water extracts flavors and oils from coffee grounds without extracting compounds that are bitter. If your coffee is brewed below this temperature that is when you will get a sour taste because you are extracting acidic elements and not elements that are sweet or otherwise able to balance the acidic elements. If your hot water passes through the grounds too rapidly you have the same “under extraction” problem and sour coffee.

Grind Your Coffee Well to Avoid Sour Coffee

Another reason for “under extraction” and sour coffee is when your coffee grounds are ground too coarsely. This gives you less surface area exposed to hot water and is especially important with pour over coffee when you have only one shot at extraction as opposed to using a French press or making coffee slowly with a percolator. If you brew with water that is too cold and have a coarse grind you will double your problem and are more likely to have a sour taste to your coffee.

Light Roast or Old Coffee Beans and Sour Coffee

If you like a light roast you are enjoying fruity flavors which are naturally acidic. Under extraction of a coarse ground light roast coffee at too low temperatures is likely to lead to a sour taste for even the best and freshest Arabica coffee. Another problem is when your beans have lost their freshness. These beans have lost their sweetness which typically balances out the sourness potential of a light roast. If your light roast coffee is turning out sour make sure your beans are ground fine, that your brewing temperature is well within the correct range and that you keep your coffee grounds in the hot water for at least a couple of minutes longer than you have been. Typical brewing times for a French press are four to five minutes, pour over coffee three to four minutes, and for a drip coffee maker four to six minutes. Add two minutes to your method if you light roast is turning out sour.

Make Sure You Are Brewing Fresh Coffee

All too often the problem when your coffee tastes sour has nothing to do with using a light roast, brewing for too short a time or brewing at too low a temperature. The problem is that your coffee is no longer fresh. When you purchase and store coffee always put your coffee in cool and dry place. Green coffee beans retain their freshness for up to three years when stored properly. Roasted whole coffee beans will stay fresh for up to six months with proper storage. When you buy ground coffee it begins to lose its freshness as soon as it is exposed to the air. Thus when you buy ground coffee, leave it on the shelf for weeks or months and do not take care with choosing a cool and dry place you should not be surprised if you cup of coffee is rather sour.