Healthy energy drinks really are a thing! Take for example, coffee. In the morning you wake up feeling tired and exhausted but after a cup of coffee or two, you get a blast of energy and are ready to take on the day. With that said, there is nothing worse than brewing coffee in the morning only to get a bitter tasting drink to start your day. This article points out the reason why you coffee is bitter and how to fix it.
The variety of coffee you are using
The Arabica and Robusta coffee beans are two of the most popular, most produced and most consumed coffee varieties around the world. Arabica tops the list producing over 60% of the world’s coffee globally. This is because of its rich quality and flavor.Robusta which is the second most consumed variety contains double the amount of caffeine in arabica beans.
The Robusta beans give out a harsh taste and flavor. It also contains two times the number or chlorogenic acid and half the sugar in arabica beans. This one reason why the beans taste bitter when roasted. The Robusta coffee variety is well known for is ashy/rubbery harsh taste. This variety is commonly found in espresso blends and instant coffee. There is no way to change the bitter flavor in Robusta beans, which is why it is easier to stick to Arabica to avoid it completely.
The Roast
Coffee roasts are commonly identified by three colors: dark medium and light roasts. While there is no common color spectrum due to difference coffee beans have, it is a unified way to categorize coffee roasts.
Light roasts produce the most unique flavors. They are roasted lightly to a light, tan color. Light roast coffee gives off afresh, and vibrant aroma.Light roasting the coffee beans does not lessen the caffein content in coffee as many people would think.
Medium roast coffee on the other hand has a rich, tan brown color. In this roasting level, the beans give off some of the roast’s aromas and flavors. So, you can taste the flavor of the roasted coffee as well as the acidity and flavor of the original coffee.
Dark roast coffee ranges from a dark brown color to a black color. Dark roasts may lack unique flavor like lightly roasted coffee, but they have a rich taste to them. You are probably using dark roast coffee beans to make your coffee, which explains the bitter taste.
The only way to avoid the bitter taste in this case is to change from a dark to a light roast coffee.
| Roast | Color | Taste and flavor |
| Light Roast coffee | Light, Tan color | Fresh, Acidic, fruity or floral |
| Medium Roast coffee | Rich brown color | Rich, Diverse and smooth |
| Medium Dark Roast Coffee | A dark shiny brown color | Rich and well rounded |
| Dark roast coffee | Shiny black color | Dark, bitter, earthy or woody |
The coffee is too fine
The grind size of your coffee has a huge impact in how the flavor compounds dissolve and how your coffee will taste. Its simple, if your coffee grind is too course, it is prone to under-extraction and this can lead to a low -flavored sour cup of coffee. on the other hand, if the coffee is too finely ground then you risk over-extraction which will lead to a bitter cup of coffee.
Keep in mind that different brewing methods need different grinds to work. To solve this issue, you’ll have to change the brew time according to the size of the coffee grinds you have. So, for the finely ground coffee, you will need to brew for less time to avoid over extraction. When purchasing new coffee make sure you get coarse grind to avoid the bitter taste if it works with your brewing method.
Brewing the coffee for too long
When brewing coffee, there are three stages of extraction that occur. In the first process, the acids are extracted from the coffee beans. During the second stage, sweet compounds are extracted from the coffee beans. And lastly, the bitter compounds are extracted during the third stage. Essentially, you want to stop brewing the coffee after the sweet compounds are extracted so you don’t get bitter compound into the coffee resulting in a bitter taste. Brewing for too long is what causes the extraction that leads to that bitter taste.
To prevent the bitterness that comes with brewing for too long, you need to time your coffee depending on the methods of brewing you are using.
