<p>When the water has too short of a time to extract the flavor from the bean.</p>

<p>Try grinding the beans a bit smaller.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-10-18T19:42:00.680Z
I was going to wait till morning to try a finer grind on my coffee but curiosity got the better of me and I tried it now with the caveat that my taste buds might not be the same this afternoon. The coffee I used is one that is not the quality I normally buy and had, what I considered, a sour taste to it. I made it a finer grind for my press pot than I normally would. It had a richer flavor, as one would expect, but the sourness also seemed to go away. This is good news if it can save me several dollars a pound for coffee but I need to try this again in the morning.
Rob
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-10-15T19:27:21.853Z
2015-10-17T19:07:00.887Z
2015-10-17T19:07:00.887Z
Patrick
<p>The sour taste may be related to the aeropress method. </p>

<p>From <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Coffee/comments/37u3dx/do_all_coffees_taste_sour_when_brewed_in_an/" rel="nofollow">this reddit</a> and this thread in <a href="http://coffeegeek.com/forums/coffee/machines/564916" rel="nofollow">CoffeGeek</a> it sounds like it may be related to under-extraction from either using water that is too cold, the grind is to coarse, brewing too fast, or using too much coffee. </p>

<p>Try adjusting your brewing process to improve the extraction. </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-10-19T02:04:11.247Z
You know what, I think I might have used too much coffee. I'll test it tomorrow morning and let you know my findings.
Dan Beaulieu
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-10-19T02:02:54.497Z
2015-10-19T02:02:54.497Z
PabTorre
<p>I've heard a few good things about Intelligentsia coffee so I decided to order some. Once it arrived I tried it in my AeroPress and it turned out very, very sour. (several times)</p>

<p><strong>Steps taken using AeroPress:</strong></p>

<ul>
<li>rinsed filter</li>
<li>used water that was 1 minute off boiling</li>
<li>brewed for 1:30 total</li>
<li>plunged just until I heard air through the filter</li>
</ul>

<p>Coffee was so sour I couldn't finish it. Considering that I tried several times and that I've been using the AeroPress with great success for the past few months this has me very curious.</p>

<p><strong>My Question</strong></p>

<p>What makes a coffee turn out sour?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-10-15T23:12:45.760Z
If you grab a grain of that coffee (or a small amount of grinded coffee) and eat it directly, do you feel the same sour taste? 
(trying to remove the preparation method from the equation...)
PabTorre
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-10-15T23:13:48.403Z
interesting point, I'll try when I get home and let you know
Dan Beaulieu
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-10-18T18:29:01.060Z
fwiw, my son moved to Chicago and we've both tried Intelligentsia and feel the same as you. In my press pot, I brew for four minutes. I recently purchased a different coffee with a sour taste but I'll try a finer grind as suggested in one of the answers and get back to this.
Rob
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-10-18T18:31:49.053Z
@Rob thanks for your feedback, I experienced a similar taste with a Conscious Cup coffee once as well so its not entirely isolated to Intelligentsia. Also, I was able to get a let sour flavor from the Intelligentsia by reducing the press time and water temp, but it wasn't a great flavor.
Dan Beaulieu
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-10-18T18:32:22.923Z
@PabTorre I did try chewing a bean the other day, it didn't taste sour or bitter to me.
Dan Beaulieu
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-10-19T02:03:25.973Z
@DanBeaulieu thnx for the info, I posted an answer on what I found based on your feedback.
PabTorre
<brewing-process><aeropress><acid>
What makes a coffee turn out sour?
Dan Beaulieu
# What makes a coffee turn out sour?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-10-14)

I've heard a few good things about Intelligentsia coffee so I decided to order some. Once it arrived I tried it in my AeroPress and it turned out very, very sour. (several times)

**Steps taken using AeroPress:**

* rinsed filter
* used water that was 1 minute off boiling
* brewed for 1:30 total
* plunged just until I heard air through the filter

Coffee was so sour I couldn't finish it. Considering that I tried several times and that I've been using the AeroPress with great success for the past few months this has me very curious.

**My Question**

What makes a coffee turn out sour?

**Tags:** brewing-process, aeropress, acid

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: If you grab a grain of that coffee (or a small amount of grinded coffee) and eat it directly, do you feel the same sour taste?  (trying to remove the preparation method from the equation...)  
> **username_0**: interesting point, I'll try when I get home and let you know  
> **username_2**: fwiw, my son moved to Chicago and we've both tried Intelligentsia and feel the same as you. In my press pot, I brew for four minutes. I recently purchased a different coffee with a sour taste but I'll try a finer grind as suggested in one of the answers and get back to this.  
> **username_0**: @username_2 thanks for your feedback, I experienced a similar taste with a Conscious Cup coffee once as well so its not entirely isolated to Intelligentsia. Also, I was able to get a let sour flavor from the Intelligentsia by reducing the press time and water temp, but it wasn't a great flavor.  
> **username_0**: @username_1 I did try chewing a bean the other day, it didn't taste sour or bitter to me.  
> **username_1**: @DanBeaulieu thnx for the info, I posted an answer on what I found based on your feedback.  

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2015-10-15. Score: 5 | Accepted answer

When the water has too short of a time to extract the flavor from the bean.

Try grinding the beans a bit smaller.

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: I was going to wait till morning to try a finer grind on my coffee but curiosity got the better of me and I tried it now with the caveat that my taste buds might not be the same this afternoon. The coffee I used is one that is not the quality I normally buy and had, what I considered, a sour taste to it. I made it a finer grind for my press pot than I normally would. It had a richer flavor, as one would expect, but the sourness also seemed to go away. This is good news if it can save me several dollars a pound for coffee but I need to try this again in the morning.  

---

### Answer by username_1 on 2015-10-19. Score: 3

The sour taste may be related to the aeropress method.

From [this reddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/Coffee/comments/37u3dx/do_all_coffees_taste_sour_when_brewed_in_an/) and this thread in [CoffeGeek](http://coffeegeek.com/forums/coffee/machines/564916) it sounds like it may be related to under-extraction from either using water that is too cold, the grind is to coarse, brewing too fast, or using too much coffee.

Try adjusting your brewing process to improve the extraction.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: You know what, I think I might have used too much coffee. I'll test it tomorrow morning and let you know my findings.  

---

