Why is My Aeropress Coffee Sour? (Solved & Explained!)

If the taste of your coffee is sour or salty, this means that your coffee is over extracting. Over-extraction of coffee means that if you take out more soluble content from the coffee, which gives your coffee an unfavorable taste. 

The taste of the coffee depends on the methods of extractions during the brewing process. So it is in your hand. By adjusting the brewing methods, you can adjust the taste of your coffee. Some ways can eliminate the bitterness of your coffee by changing the extraction methods.

This article will look at ways to make coffee less sour, and go over the proper ways to make a cup of coffee with the Aeropress. 

What are Some Other Reasons My Aeropress Coffee is Sour?

Here are a few more reasons why your Aeropress coffee may be sour:

• Under Roasting: Your coffee beans may be under roasted, causing a sour-tasting coffee. Try to increase how long you roast your beans.
• Stale Bean: Beans that are too old lose their flavor, resulting in sour coffee. To fix this, you will want to throw the old beans away and find new ones.
• Lack of Water: Sometimes not using enough water when you brew can result in sour coffee. Always ensure the water to coffee ratio is six ounces to two spoonfuls.
• Beans that Are Too Fresh: If your beans have been roasted just a couple of days previously, they may result in a sour taste due to being too fresh. Instead, let them age at least a week before using them.
• Dirty or Unwashed Equipment: Although it may not be necessary to wash your Aeropress and other equipment every time you go to make a cup of coffee, sometimes it feels like you can get away with just rinsing the chamber or stirrer. And although this suffices most of the time, you should clean everything at least once a week.

What are the Methods of Extraction that can Make Your Coffee Less Sour? 

Here are some ways to make your coffee less sour:

1. You can add caramel extract or sugar to give your coffee a sweet taste.
2. If you overdo the steeping step, you are able to extract the maximum amount of fibers from your coffee to make it more bitter. 

The sourness of the coffee also depends on the time you are given to brew the coffee beans. If you steep your coffee more, it will not give it enough time to extract sugar. On the other hand, providing more time to steep the coffee will over-extract from the beans and make your coffee bitter. 

So by carefully controlling the time for preparing your coffee, you can improve the quality and taste of coffee. 

What are Some Tips on Better Coffee Extraction?

There are four ways to better extract your coffee:

1. The grind size of your coffee should be finer as it offers more flavors than a coarse grind.
2. A long brew time generally enhances extraction. That means you will get a better coffee the longer you brew.
3. The coffee to water ratio is the amount of water you add to your coffee that decides the flavor of your coffee. Good coffee to water ratio means crisp, fresh coffee every time.
4. The temperature of the water also matters. If the water is scorching, you are burning, or over extracting your coffee, making your coffee more bitter. 

How Much Should the Aeropress be Pressed During Extraction? 

The more pressure produced by pulling the piston will increase extraction and flavor. And this method of brewing the coffee will improve the taste of coffee.

 What Items and Ingredients are Required to Make Aeropress Coffee? 

You will want to ensure you have clean and ready-to-use Aeropress items, such as: 

• The chamber.
• The plunger.
• The stirrer: Having a dedicated stirrer allows you to have one on hand when you need your coffee ready quickly in the morning.
• The coffee scopes.
• The filter paper: Small, white filter papers that catch the ground particles, preventing them from reaching your coffee cup.

Along with these, you will also want to choose your coffee beans and the desired brewing method you would like. You will also want to have a kettle on stand-by for heating up water. And milk, either whole, half milk, or an alternative type of milk to add to your coffee after it is brewed.

Ensure your cup of choice is large enough to fit the coffee with a dash of milk added afterward.

What is the Best Size of Aeropress Coffee Grind to Avoid Sourness? 

If you over-grind the coffee beans, meaning the coffee is very fine, it will make your coffee extra bitter. If you under-grind the coffee beans, meaning the coffee is very coarse and large, it will not extract much from them, so it makes your coffee sour and gives an acidic flavor. 

How Can I Make a Cup of Coffee with the Aeropress? 

For making a good cup of Aeropress coffee, follow the steps below:

1. Boil your water in a kettle.
2. Take a filter paper. If you are more sensitive to bitterness in your coffee, you can also use two pieces of filter paper and clean it with cold water. It will help to remove natural oils present in coffee beans. 
3. Place the filters inside and close the lid of the chamber.
4. Before assembly, be sure to run the lid under warm water to give it extra adhesive power, also warming the Aeropress to better help with the extraction.
5. Add four tablespoons of ground coffee to the chamber.
6. Add water to the chamber, ensuring all of the coffee grounds are wet.
7. Stir it lightly with the stirrer.
8. Screw on the lid and flip the chamber over, placing it on top of your mug.
9. Apply light pressure. When the chamber begins to hiss, that means all of the water is extracted and you’re finished.
10. After enjoying your coffee, be sure to clean all of the parts of your Aeropress to ensure it is ready for the next cup of coffee.