Understanding Good Acidity in Coffee

In coffee, "Acidity" can often confuse newcomers. Good acidity doesn't mean a sharp, unpleasant sourness; instead, it's vibrant, balanced, refreshing, and reminiscent of fruit juice, wine, or citrus.

Characteristics of Good Acidity

Good acidity in coffee typically exhibits these key qualities:

Characteristics of Bad Acidity

When acidity is overpowering, lacking sweetness, or has off-flavors, it becomes unpleasant:

• Astringent: Drying sensation, like biting into unripe fruit.
• Sharp/Sour: Like vinegar, lemon peel, or spoiled fruit.
• Overfermented: Excessively fermented, producing off-putting vinegar-like or alcoholic notes.

Examples of Good Acidity from Popular Coffee Origins

How to Extract Good Acidity?

1. Grind Size: Avoid overly fine grind, which can over-extract and produce sharp acidity.
2. Water Temperature: Keep within 88–93°C for pour-over methods. Too high makes acidity harsh; too low won’t properly extract it.
3. Uniform Extraction: Maintain even pouring to avoid localized over-extraction and unbalanced acidity.
4. Choosing Beans & Processing:
• Washed Coffee: Clean, bright acidity.
• Natural Coffee: Softer acidity with pronounced fruity sweetness.
• Anaerobic Fermentation: Unique, expressive acidity and sweetness.

Understanding and properly extracting acidity transforms coffee into a vibrant, layered, and enjoyable experience.