HOW TO FIX SOUR ESPRESSO: 4 Easy Tips

Summary

In this informative video, the host addresses the common issue of sour espresso and debunks misconceptions about its causes. They explain the three phases of coffee extraction—sour, sweet, and bitter—and how to achieve a balanced taste. The host offers practical tips for adjusting grind size, extraction time, and yield to fix sour espresso, emphasizing that there's no one-size-fits-all solution. They also remind viewers that preparation techniques and even hair products can impact one's coffee experience, adding a touch of humor to the informative content.

Takeaways

• 😕 Sourness in espresso can be a result of under-extraction, not necessarily the coffee beans themselves.
• 🔍 Three main phases of flavor perception in coffee extraction are sour, sweet, and bitter.
• 👨‍🍳 The quality of espresso depends on the balance between these flavors, often referred to as 'The Fun Zone'.
• 🚫 Over-extraction can lead to a bitter and watery taste, which is different from the bitterness of under-extraction.
• 🌡 The grind size and extraction time are crucial variables that affect the taste of espresso.
• ⏱️ If the extraction time is too short, the coffee may taste sour due to under-extraction.
• 🔄 Coarsening the grind and allowing more time for extraction can help achieve a balanced flavor.
• 🔎 Overly fine grounds can lead to uneven water flow and over-extraction in certain channels.
• 🛠️ Consistent preparation, such as distributing coffee grounds evenly, is essential for even extraction.
• 👍 The video suggests that there's no catch-all fix for sour espresso, but adjusting grind size, extraction time, and yield can help.
• 💇‍♂️ The video creator humorously notes that despite the focus on coffee, viewers might be more impressed by his well-styled hair.

Q & A

Why might an espresso taste sour?

An espresso might taste sour due to under-extraction, where the coffee's sour compounds are more pronounced because the extraction process was stopped too early.

What are the three main phases of flavor perception during coffee extraction?

The three main phases of flavor perception during coffee extraction are sour, sweet, and bitter.

What is the 'good zone' or 'fun zone' in coffee extraction?

The 'good zone' or 'fun zone' in coffee extraction refers to the sweet spot where the coffee has a balanced flavor profile, neither too sour nor too bitter.

Why might people blame their espresso machine or grinder for a sour espresso?

People might blame their espresso machine or grinder for a sour espresso because they believe these tools are not extracting the coffee properly, but the issue could also be related to the coffee's roast, grind size, or extraction time.

What is the difference between under-extraction and over-extraction bitterness?

Under-extraction bitterness is often due to a heavy concentration of fines or particulates, which can make the coffee taste overly bitter and possibly sour. Over-extraction bitterness is characterized by a drying feeling on the tongue and a watery shot, which happens when too much water passes through the coffee grounds.

What is meant by 'modeling' or 'tiger striping' in espresso extraction?

'Modeling' or 'tiger striping' refers to the appearance of black specks or stripes in the espresso, which are fines or small coffee particulates that have made it through the basket, often due to under-extraction.

How can adjusting the grind size help with sour espresso?

Adjusting the grind size can help with sour espresso by either making the grounds finer to slow down the extraction and allow more time for flavors to develop (if the extraction is too fast), or coarser to speed up the extraction and prevent under-extraction (if the shot is too long and sour).

What is the recommended approach if the espresso extraction time is too short?

If the espresso extraction time is too short, the recommended approach is to tighten up the grind size to slow down the extraction and allow more contact time for a more balanced flavor.

What should one do if the espresso extraction takes too long but the yield is still low?

If the espresso extraction takes too long for the yield, one should coarsen the grind size to allow for a more even flow of water through the coffee puck, resulting in a less sour and more balanced extraction.

Why should one not blame the coffee roaster for a sour espresso?

One should not blame the coffee roaster for a sour espresso because the sourness is likely due to the extraction process rather than the coffee itself. The coffee can be acidic, which is a characteristic of the bean, but sourness is an extraction issue.

What is the importance of coffee preparation in achieving a balanced espresso?

Proper coffee preparation is crucial for a balanced espresso as it ensures a consistent and even extraction. This includes homogenizing the coffee grounds and ensuring even tamping to prevent uneven flow of water through the puck.

What is the role of tamp strength in espresso extraction?

While tamp strength is important for ensuring an even pressure on the coffee grounds, over-tamping to the point of fully compressing the grounds will not affect the flow speed or extraction rate. The focus should be on grind size, extraction time, and yield ratio.

Outlines

00:00

😖 Sour Espresso Dilemma

The speaker begins by expressing dissatisfaction with a sour espresso and introduces the video's aim to address this issue. They encourage viewers to subscribe and interact with the content, reminding them to hit the like button and comment. The main topic is the sourness in homemade espresso, which is often mistakenly attributed to the coffee beans or equipment. The video promises to explore basic methods to correct this, focusing on the extraction process and its impact on flavor, distinguishing between under-extracted (sour and possibly bitter) and over-extracted (bitter and drying) espresso.

05:00

🔍 Understanding Espresso Extraction

This paragraph delves into the science of espresso extraction, explaining the three phases of flavor perception: sour, sweet, and bitter. The speaker uses personal experience to illustrate how stopping the shot short can result in a sour taste, while allowing it to continue can lead to a sweeter or more bitter outcome. They clarify the difference between under-extracted bitterness, caused by fine coffee particles, and over-extracted bitterness, which feels drying on the tongue. The goal is to find the 'sweet spot' in extraction for a balanced espresso, and the speaker emphasizes that the perceived bitterness can vary based on the size of the espresso shot and the presence of coffee fines in the final cup.

10:01

🛠️ Adjusting Extraction for Better Espresso

The speaker provides practical advice on how to fix a sour espresso, explaining that there is no one-size-fits-all solution due to the complexity of espresso making. They discuss two common scenarios: a short shot with quick extraction, which suggests the coffee grounds were too coarse, and a long extraction time with a low yield, indicating the grounds were too fine, leading to uneven water flow. The recommended solutions include adjusting the grind size to allow more contact time for the former, and coarsening the grounds and shortening the extraction time for the latter. The speaker also touches on the importance of not blaming the coffee beans for sourness, but rather the extraction process.

📝 Final Tips and Debunking Common Misconceptions

In the final paragraph, the speaker summarizes the main points, emphasizing that there is no inherently sour coffee, only sour extractions. They reiterate the importance of adjusting grind size, extraction time, and yield to achieve a balanced espresso. Additionally, they debunk the myth that tamping harder can affect the flow rate, stating that the key variables to focus on are grind size, time, and ratio. The speaker also humorously suggests linking hair product recommendations, as they have improved their curls, and invites viewers to engage with the video by subscribing, commenting, and considering Patreon support.

Keywords

💡Sour Espresso

Sour espresso refers to coffee that tastes overly acidic or tangy, often described as unpleasantly sharp. In the video, the host addresses common complaints about sour espresso and offers solutions for achieving a more balanced flavor. The term 'sour' is emphasized to describe the puckering sensation that some people experience when drinking under-extracted espresso.

💡Extraction

Extraction is the process of pulling water through ground coffee to dissolve and release its flavors. The video discusses how different extraction times and methods can impact the taste of espresso, emphasizing that proper extraction is key to avoiding sour or bitter coffee. Extraction is central to achieving a balanced espresso shot.

💡Grind Size

Grind size refers to the coarseness or fineness of ground coffee beans. In the video, grind size is a critical factor in determining the extraction rate and flavor of the espresso. Finer grinds result in slower extraction and can reduce sourness, while coarser grinds can speed up extraction and may lead to under-extracted, sour espresso.

💡Over Extraction

Over extraction occurs when water passes through coffee grounds for too long, leading to a bitter and dry flavor. The video explains that over-extracted espresso often tastes overly bitter and can have a drying effect on the tongue. Over extraction is presented as an undesirable outcome, opposite to the under-extraction that causes sourness.

💡Under Extraction

Under extraction happens when coffee grounds are not fully dissolved by the water, resulting in a sour or tangy flavor. The video focuses on how under-extracted espresso is the primary cause of sourness, suggesting that adjusting grind size and extraction time can help mitigate this issue. Under extraction is described as producing coffee that is unpleasantly acidic.

💡Yield

Yield refers to the amount of liquid espresso produced from a given amount of coffee grounds. The video mentions adjusting the yield to find a balance between sour and bitter flavors. By controlling the yield, baristas can influence the concentration and extraction of flavors in the espresso shot.

💡Portafilter

A portafilter is a device used in espresso machines to hold the coffee grounds during the brewing process. The video explains how proper preparation and tamping of the coffee in the portafilter can affect the evenness of extraction, influencing whether the espresso ends up sour or bitter.

💡Channels

Channels are pathways that water can create through coffee grounds during extraction. Uneven distribution of water can cause some parts of the coffee puck to be over-extracted while others are under-extracted, leading to imbalanced flavors. The video highlights the importance of even water flow through the coffee puck to avoid sourness.

💡Tamping

Tamping is the process of pressing down the coffee grounds in the portafilter to create a uniform surface. The video notes that while tamping is important for even extraction, overly hard tamping does not significantly affect the flow rate. Proper tamping helps ensure consistent extraction and flavor.

💡Contact Time

Contact time refers to the duration that water spends passing through the coffee grounds. The video discusses how adjusting contact time, along with grind size, can help achieve the desired balance in espresso flavor. Longer contact times can lead to more thorough extraction and help reduce sourness.

Highlights

The video discusses common issues with sour espresso and aims to provide solutions.

Sour espresso is often blamed on light roast coffees, espresso machines, or grinders, but the issue can be multifaceted.

Coffee extraction has three main phases: sour, sweet, and bitter.

Under-extraction can lead to a bitter and sour taste due to the presence of fines or particulates.

Over-extraction results in a watery and drying taste on the tongue.

The distinction between under and over-extraction bitterness is important for understanding espresso flavor.

Adjusting grind size and extraction time can help achieve a balanced espresso flavor.

A short extraction time with a small yield indicates the grounds were too coarse.

If extraction takes too long for the yield, coarsening the grind can improve evenness of water flow.

A very long extraction with little yield suggests uneven water flow through the puck.

The presenter debunks the myth that tamping harder affects the flow speed.

Grind size, extraction time, and ratio are the key variables to adjust for better espresso.

Temperature adjustments on the machine should be minimal and gradual.

Preparation techniques such as shaking the grounds can lead to more even extraction.

The video emphasizes that there's no such thing as a sour coffee, only sour extractions.

The presenter humorously suggests linking hair product recommendations in the video description.

The video concludes with a reminder to experiment with extraction to find the perfect taste.

Transcripts

what the heck this espresso is so sour

sour now have you ever reacted thusly to

an espresso you pulled at home well if

you have this video is for you

[Music]

thank you

foreign

[Music]

number four we hop into today's video

I'm going to ask that you would hit the

Subscribe if you enjoy my content

obviously if you don't no worries there

hit the like button because I know a lot

of you will not because you don't really

think about it which I'm just reminding

you right now I have a lot of people say

oh I always forget thanks for reminding

me so I'm just you know just playing the

remind game if you don't like it you

know hit the dislike it's you know it's

up to you leave a comment whatever it is

um check out the caption below because

I've got resources there but anyway

let's go and hop into the video

now I don't know about you but I for one

do not like sour espressos that make me

pucker up like I'm eating a warhead when

I'm 12 years old at a high school

basketball game that's not what I want

all right instead I want to fully

balance my sweet delicious velvety

smooth

yummy shot of espresso all right now but

one of the biggest culprits that I've

noticed and one of the biggest things I

see on forums and in my comment sections

and everywhere else is Lance how do I

make my coffee not sour oftentimes I see

people blaming lightly roasted coffees

for being sour I see people blaming

their espresso machine or their grinder

and the truth of the matter is it can be

a little bit of each but today we're

going to talk about some of the most

basic ways to turn your sour espresso

into not sour espresso so buckle up

because we're gonna take a little drive

so what is it that is causing sour

espresso well I'm gonna break it down

for you very simply just like so when

coffee is extracting there are three

main phases of flavor perception that

occur now this is this is very much

roughly drawn out but it's been helpful

for me in my 10 years of professional

coffee and however long I've been just

drinking coffee regularly and that is

coffee extracts sour sweet

bitter meaning that early on in the

extraction those compounds that taste

sour are going to be heightened if you

stop your shot short if you keep pushing

it then you can have a sweeter shot this

is kind of the the good Zone The Fun

Zone and if you keep pushing your shot

you get into this bitterness this

dryness now it's very important to

understand that there's a distinction

between the bitterness that can occur

from under extraction and the bitterness

that can occur from over extraction now

when we're bitter and under extracted

this can mean that there's a heavy

concentration of fines or particulates

now what I mean by that is whenever you

grind up your coffee you're grinding it

so fine and powdery that what's

happening is you're breaking down some

of the cell cell walls their cell wall

fragments throughout your bed of coffee

and they're a small particulates that

can wiggle their way through your basket

so after you Tamp the coffee you're

really pushing down on that bed of

coffee so that when the water column

starts to push through bits of that

coffee can get through into your final

cup and you see this oftentimes as

what's called modeling or tiger strip

driving that's like the black specks or

stripes in your espresso those are so

all fragments or fines or bits of coffee

and that can be really bitter now the

smaller your shot of espresso is say

maybe on the more restretto side the

more prominent the percentages of those

cell wall fragments or bitters or fines

whatever you want to call it so you can

have a really bitter shot that's

horribly under extracted it'd be better

maybe some Sour in it but the bitters

can overwhelm the sourness sometimes so

just know if you have a shot that's 20

grams of coffee in your portafilter you

pull out 30 grams and you're like wow

this is super bitter it must be over

extracted because Lance said sour sweet

better just know likely what's going on

in that situation is you have a high

concentration of those those fines those

particulates that are getting through

and just completely covering your tongue

now on the the over extracted bitter

side what you have there is more so a

drying feeling on the tongue you have a

more watery shot because there's an

inverse relationship between coffee and

water as the extraction continues early

on you see those big viscous drops of

dark brown sludge coming out of the

portafilter you look at it like oh it's

like chocolate rain just dropping down

Chocolate Rain Tay Zenday one of the

first ever YouTubers

um so what you have there is these big

old bits of Chocolate Rain kind of

coming down looks so beautiful full and

then you know the stream kind of Narrows

into one and then it starts turning

colors into a lighter brown and then to

like a yellow blonde yellow look right

well at the beginning it's because

there's a higher concentration of

solubles and insolubles that are making

it their way through the basket and then

as it keeps going it's a higher

concentration of water going through so

you literally have a relationship like

this okay where at first you have a lot

of coffee a little bit of water making

it through and then they inverse over

time okay

so as you keep going you have an

overextracted quote-unquote shot what's

really going on is you have uh you're

kind of washing a lot of those channels

washing them through and you're getting

a lot of particulates but it's drying

out your tongue all right so it's having

a similar effect like tannins do in wine

all right so if you have a physically

drying aspect of your of your espresso

or if it's like bitter and watery you're

likely gone you've likely gone too far

you need to reel it back and if it's

sour or if it's pungent or if it has a

ton of that modeling and that overwhelms

your espresso you're probably on the

underside So today we're going to fix

that sour Underside so there are a few

different ways normally people kind of

give a catch-all like this is going to

fix it there's no such thing as a

catch-all on espresso because it is

annoying so normally what you have is

just a short shot you have 20 seconds

and you have two ounces that came out

but it came out really quickly what that

means is your ground is that your

grounds were too coarse and so in 20

seconds even though you had the proper

yield it may not have had enough time to

fully extract those rounds and so you're

getting more on that Underside it may

not be that thick but it will be a

little bit sour and so in that situation

you might want to find it up allow more

contact time with the same yield so

you've changed two variables of

extraction you've gone a little finer

and you've allowed more time with the

same yield and that's going to help you

improve your extraction on the flip side

you could have 20 grams of coffee in 30

grams out and it could take 50 seconds

and you're going how the heck is this

under extracted there's no way it's 50

seconds long it's got to be over

extracted well I've got news for you if

that is happening if you have 20 grams

in your basket and you have 30 grams

coming out so a one to one and a half

ratio and it takes you 50 seconds the

likelihood is water is not evenly going

through your Puck otherwise it'd come

out a lot faster what's really going on

there is water is only going through

certain channels because you have your

grounds so fine it's difficult to get

through so whereas someone might say

well you need to go finer because it's

sour and we need to extract more so we

need to open up the surface area of the

grounds that would not be the answer

here you would want to coarsen your

grounds up shorten your time and what

that's going to allow is a more even

flow of water through so that you're not

just hitting channels what's happening

in that 20 and 30 out in 50 seconds is

you're under extracting the majority of

the puck and just over extracting little

bits and areas so overall your cup is

sour because the majority of your cup is

under extracted coffee

so what you would do coursing it up

allow shorter time the water will flow

through more evenly and you'll get a

more even extraction equaling better

tasting coffee so the two big fixes here

are if you have a short time ready

you're short that means you pull out

your amount and it's like 20 seconds 18

seconds 16 seconds and for you that is

sour all you do is tighten up the

tighten up the the grind size a bit and

allow it a little bit more contact time

as well as a little bit extra surface

area that's going to extract more

hopefully put you in that sweet zone so

we're taking it from under

to sweet now also if you have a really

long shot but it's not giving you much

weight 20 and 30 out in 50 seconds

coarsen it a bit I know it sounds

counterintuitive but we're going to

coarsen it we're going to allow more

even flow through it because that's

something we often don't think about we

think in terms of okay

I have this coffee it's ground to a

certain grind size I need to extract

more therefore I will make it finer

because the open surface area but that's

not taken into account the flow of water

water needs to flow as evenly as

possible through the pucks that takes

into account preparation that takes into

account the fineness of the grounds

because at some some at a certain extent

water just cannot get through how

tightly packed those grounds are so we

need to take those two things into

account so if you're sitting there

drinking coffee and those are two of the

problems you're experiencing take that

advice otherwise some of the easiest

fixes are just run your shot longer

let's say I have 20 grams in and I'm

doing 40 grams out and it's in 30

seconds right and you're tasting it's

like wow this is sour now that's not a

weird time frame for a 40 gram shot

perhaps with that specific coffee it

just needs a more bigger yield perhaps

with fat coffee it needs a little bit

more contact time so don't change

anything pull another shot and let it go

longer maybe five grams more maybe eight

grams more maybe 10 grams more all right

there's no such thing as a sour coffee

only sour extractions that's important

to know put that on a shirt tattoo it on

your arm whatever you got to do don't

blame a roaster for a sour coffee that's

not really the case you can have an

acidic coffee but if it's sour that's

from the extraction the coffee can be

really acidic and that might be up your

alley but it's not necessarily sour sour

kind of gives off this idea of a

puckering sensation or something like oh

it's like biting into a lemon or

something which by the way my kid

absolutely loves and it grosses me out

he walks around with it and when I say

my camera my one-year-old will sit

around with a lemon slice in his mouth

and I'm like anyway

um so what I'm saying is if it's sour

and you're at a place don't it's

probably not the coffee that's not

necessarily the bean that kind of has a

different connotation so sour would be

more so extraction and acidic could be

the bean anyway if you have something

that's tasting sour you must push the

extraction so keep these tips in your

head just to for a final summary one

coarse in the grind if it is taking way

too long for a little bit of yield all

right so if it's 20 and 30 out in 50

seconds coarsen your grind all right

that's going to help you lessen the the

sourness because it's going to give you

more even extraction the next would be

to find your grind if you have a two too

fast of an extraction or you're getting

too much yield in too quick of a Time

fine it up slow down the extraction and

allow it that same yield and then the

last thing is just to take into account

that at whatever place you're at you

could push your extraction more so the

third the third tip is kind of a more

broad tip which is if you are pulling 20

and 40 out in 30 seconds and it's sour

push a little bit more all right and

then I guess we'll add a fourth one just

work on your prep generally if you are

just grinding straight into your

portafilter tamping and going you're

going to have really uneven extraction

throughout your Puck you need to work on

maybe taking like shaking your grounds

or doing something to homogenize them a

little bit better maybe wdt which I have

videos on I'll link one right there

because why not but work on your

preparation make sure that it is

consistent now I am for the final thing

of this video I'm going to debunk

something that you're not gonna affect

the the speed of your flow with a harder

Tamp if you're tamping to where those

grounds are fully compressed you can't

Tamp any harder you can mutate and make

it more compact but we're not going to

get into that that's a little bit too

much so instead don't worry about your

Tamp the variables you need to worry

about or grind size time ratio those are

the three biggies you can obviously mess

with your temperature on your machine

but only really change at minimum one

degree you're not going to really tell a

difference less than that anyway I hope

that these tips one through four with

that little bonus for one I hope that

these tips help you brew sweeter coffee

sweeter espressos and because you can

also apply these to filter coffee for

the most part so if uh you know if

you're liking it you know just through

another reminder hit the Subscribe

button check out my patreon but anyway I

the one last thing I was gonna say you

know just one thing is I know you're

sitting there I know I know you're

sitting there and you're looking at me

and you're going oh my goodness his

curls are on fleek today and if you're

thinking that well thank you for

noticing because I did switch I actually

bought product

um and it's uh it's it's a curly girl

product and I know it's it's

it's looking pretty good

um so the question is and comment below

if if I should should I link my products

below the way James Hoffman links his

hair products because I mean

I know you're all looking at it like wow

that's like ziti pasta that stuff is

looking good so if that's the case let

me know below otherwise

you know

it is what it is so I'm gonna sign off

I'm going to take a little sip of the

throat

it's still sour I didn't switch the

coffee during that time yikers

um anyway I hope that you brew something

tasty I'm about to brew something else

that's actually tasty and cheers