Specialty coffee should not exhibit bitter or sour flavors if ground and brewed properly. As coffee temperature cools, you will notice even more flavors exhibited in the cup. Remember your grandparents (or parents) drinking coffee – it had to be extremely hot, especially if they drank it black. If the coffee cooled, it tasted awful – even with cream and sugar. Most of the coffee consumed at that time was commodity grade Robusta coffee. Ya, we are talking rubber flavored motor oil.
Specialty coffee is a higher grade of coffee, grown by smaller farming operations, and most always of the Arabica family of coffee plants. Each origin is known for certain flavor characteristics which are driven by the genus of coffee plant, farming inputs, and processing method.
So how does specialty coffee become sour or bitter – ITS ALL IN THE GRIND SIZE AND EXTRACTION EFFECTIVENESS.
If you grind your coffee too fine, it may be over-extracted and become bitter when brewed. If ground to coarsely, coffee will be under-extracted, light, and potentially sour. See our FAQ regarding coffee grinders!