My pour over setup kept giving me sour coffee and I couldn't figure out why

I thought my grind was fine and my water was hot enough, but every cup tasted sharp. I spent maybe two months messing with it, brewing a bad cup almost every morning. The fix was so simple, my water kettle was actually 15 degrees too cool. I checked it with a real thermometer and felt so silly. Anyone else have a basic piece of gear fail them in a sneaky way?

3 comments

3 Comments

jessicahill19d ago

That's a classic one. Honestly, a lot of people miss that water temp is just one part of it. The sour taste could also come from the beans themselves, like if they're a really light roast. Grind size is tricky too, sometimes what looks fine is still too coarse and under-extracts. A cheap kitchen thermometer is a lifesaver for checking both your kettle and your actual brew water.

eric_morgan5918d ago

Ever have one of those mornings where your coffee just tastes off, and you can't figure out why? I was totally blaming my kettle for sour cups, but your point about the beans being too light makes so much sense now. I guess I need to look at my whole setup, not just the water.

kellyj2319d ago

Good point about the beans, @jessicahill, but water temp being off is usually the main culprit for sourness, not the roast.