Are you looking forward to your cup of coffee, but then it tastes sour? At CAPTN Coffee we explain what's behind it and how you can avoid the sour taste in the future. Discover the most common causes and our tips for improving your coffee enjoyment.

Find out in our QuickSip why your coffee tastes sour and how you can solve the problem.

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Why does my filter coffee taste too sour?

The filter coffee is too sour because the grind is too coarse.

A grind that's too coarse causes the water to flow through the coffee grounds too quickly, resulting in insufficient extraction. This can cause the coffee to taste sour because not enough aromas and compounds are extracted to create a balanced flavor.

If the extraction time is too short, the coffee may be too acidic.

An extraction time that's too short means the water doesn't stay in contact with the coffee grounds long enough to extract all the desired flavors and compounds. This can result in the coffee being under-extracted and therefore tasting sour. An extraction time that's too short can be caused by things like the wrong grind size, too little ground coffee in the filter, or insufficient wetting of the coffee grounds with water.

Because the water is too cold, the filter coffee can taste too sour.

Water that isn't hot enough can also lead to insufficient extraction. The ideal temperature for coffee extraction is typically between 92 and 96 degrees Celsius. Water that is too cold can cause the coffee to taste sour and may not extract the desired flavors.

If the water is too acidic, it can affect the result

Water with a low pH can affect the taste of the coffee. Water that is too acidic can make the coffee more acidic and impair the flavors. It is recommended to use water with a neutral pH for best results.

Coffee is too acidic because...

  • 1. The coffee is not freshly brewed

    Coffee tastes sour if you let it stand for too long after brewing
    This often happens when you brew too much coffee at once. You
    want to calculate how many grams of coffee you need for two, three,… cups
    Need coffee? Follow these rules for making coffee:
    60g per 1 liter of water! Using this rule of thumb, you can individually
    Calculate how much coffee you want to prepare – for example 12g
    Coffee to 200ml water (for a 0.2 cup). Here you can find

    our preparation tips ›

  • 2. Wrong grinding level

    If the grind is too coarse, coffee can taste sour or watery,
    because the coffee is under-extracted. Under-extraction results in
    mainly the acids and not the bitter substances are dissolved from the coffee
    How to find the right

    Grind size for your coffee ›

  • 3. The brewing temperature of the water is too low (below 85°C)

    Although we do not recommend using boiling water to make coffee,
    use, but the water should not be too cold. The ideal
    Temperature for your coffee water is for most preparation methods
    at 92°C – 96°C. If your water is cooler than 85°C, the coffee will taste
    aqueous to acidic. Depending on the temperature of the water,
    different aromas from the coffee. Therefore, we recommend
    Let freshly boiled water stand for one minute or immediately
    After boiling, transfer to another container, such as the

    Hario Buono kettle › .

  • 4. The water is too acidic

    As you already notice, the water you use to brew your coffee
    a significant impact on the taste of your cup of coffee.
    If you use soft water (well below pH 7.0) your coffee can be sour
    taste. What you can do about it,

    Find out more here ›

  • 5. The coffee was roasted too light for your taste

    The
    Coffee was roasted too light for your taste. Some
    Arabica varieties taste fruitier than others.
    Afterwards, they are lightly roasted according to Scandinavian standards,
    natural fruit acids are not completely broken down. Here you can find out
    more about roasting coffee ›

    If you don't like this, try a milder coffee. Like our Limu Coffee , which has a wonderfully full-bodied taste reminiscent of dark chocolate.

  • 6. The coffee was not roasted gently

    The coffee was roasted too hot. This often happens with roasts in the
    “Hot air process”, in which the coffee is heated at high temperatures for a
    is shock roasted for a short time. This way the coffee bean is almost charred
    outside while the acids inside are not completely broken down.
    When the coffee is brewed, these acids are released to the outside,
    which can lead to a sour taste. We roast all our
    Coffees in a gentle drum roasting process, so that our coffees
    wonderfully mild taste. Learn more about roasting coffee here ›

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