Why is my coffee bitter, sour or burnt?

Hi Anna,
I’m going to start with the obvious fixes to try and you can just tick them off as you go (apologies if you have already done these)
- Get great quality fresh artisan coffee (1-2 weeks from roast date, and not from the supermarket). Make sure they are MEDIUM roast (not dark and not light).
- Make sure they are 100% Arabica (not with any percent of Robusta). Most local roasters are using Arabica but they might blend it with Robusta and this will give you a bitter taste.
- Get some scales that go down to 1g ($20 on eBay)
- Weigh in 18-20g of coffee grinds and then measure the final liquid. It should be double what you put in (so 36-40g)
- Measure the time to reach that output. It should produce double what you put in within 27-33 seconds .
If its taking longer than 33 seconds then you’re likely burning the coffee and that will taste bitter. If you’re getting less than double the coffee liquid out (ie: 29g instead of 40g) in that 33 second window, you’re likely burning your coffee.
PLease go to our Youtube channel to get more education as we release tonnes of videos on this exact thing :)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhgoLVTlC8g

Hi,
We use a Beville Oracle BES980 and our coffees are tasting burnt. Didnt use too. We have cleaned the machine from head to toe and played with the Grinder. As suggested we put up the Grinder but it still slightly has that brunt taste.

Are you guys able to assist me?

Thank you :)

this is really helpful information for everyone want to know about it. thanks for sharing this with us.

I recently bought a De’longhi ’la specialista prestigio and using Starbucks dark roast espresso beans. I cannot get the bitter and burnt taste out. May I please have some suggestions?

Hello. I got my breville barista pro last month. My espresso shot is sour. I think, I already wasted a lot of beans. Can’t seem to get the right grind size. 30g out less than 25sec. If I make it finer, it’s thin and dark, change it’s color more than half way of the shot.

Pre infusion: 7-8 secs
Bean: Medium to Dark Roast
Shot Temp: on default Middle
Dose: 18.5g
Top Burr grinder setting: 3

[…] noticing that your brew times last for ten seconds, and a bubbly, pale yellow liquid comes out? Well, what you have there is an espresso that is brewed too […]

Wow this is really too good about the coffee bitter sour burnt thanks sharing this article

I have literally tried the whole lot to resolve this inclusive of: adjusting the grind (coarser within the PM), much less tamping strain, force-cooling the system the use of ice and replacing all the water inside the reservoir…., I am out of ideas now…:(. Something is causing this and I don’t understand what…very irritating. Best Electric Smoker

Thanks sharing this article about the coffee bitter sour burnt this is help us information

Thank you for providing such useful information and a well-written article about the coffee bitter, sour or burnt.

This is really good information about the coffee bitter sour burnt thanks sharing this article

I have literally tried the whole lot to resolve this inclusive of: adjusting the grind (coarser within the PM), much less tamping strain, force-cooling the system the use of ice and replacing all the water inside the reservoir…., I am out of ideas now…:(. Something is causing this and I don’t understand what…very irritating.

Thank you for shring this post .
You share such valueable psot
you made my day

Great idea about the amazing coffee and thanks sharing this article and infroamtnio us

This is a great and quick, right to the point guide. Now I clearly know what I was doing wrong when brewing my coffee. Thanks for being so straightforward. Huge like, keep up the good work!

Thanks wonderful information and such a very use full article such a good coffee bitter sour burnt I am reading this article really enjoy it

I have literally tried the whole lot to resolve this inclusive of: adjusting the grind (coarser within the PM), much less tamping strain, force-cooling the system the use of ice and replacing all the water inside the reservoir…., I am out of ideas now…:(. Something is causing this and I don’t understand what…very irritating. Best Electric Smoker

thanks Turan! That’s a very interesting dilemma indeed.

I feel like there’s something else going on if you are getting burnt coffee in the afternoon.

What are you doing at the end of each session to clean the machine? Do you empty the basket of coffee after the session, do you backflush your filter? Do you keep the beans in the hopper all the time? Is there direct sunlight on the machine at all?

I think there might be something that happens in between as the day gets hotter that’s the cause of this. We just have to find the source.

Cheers,
Ryd

Hello Ryadan,

I have been trying to solve my espresso mystery for months now but no success so far. I have a La Pavoni Professional, Rancilio grinder and use great coffee (always watching the roast date) I get from a local shop.

My first espressos (I make one for my wife in the morning also) in the morning around 8am are excellent, no complaints at all. Then I turn the machine off and let it cool down. Around 1 or 2pm, I start my second “session”. I do everything the same way, but my coffee always tastes burnt in the PM when it’s the machine’s second run of the day. Everything also “feels” the same way in terms of color, extraction time, flow, etc…

I have literally tried everything to resolve this including: adjusting the grind (coarser in the PM), less tamping pressure, force-cooling the machine using ice and replacing all the water in the reservoir…., I am out of ideas now…:(. Something is causing this and I don’t know what…very frustrating.

The next morning of course, the coffee tastes perfect again, and I know it’s not just my pallet, my wife tastes the same burnt taste in the PM.

I was hoping you might have a few more suggestions…

Thanks in advance!

Turan

Hi Richard,
Ideally you don’t want the coffee puck to be soggy but it’s more about the taste than anything. If you’re puck is soggy you could be packing the coffee too hard and the grinds are too fine which causes the coffee to pool in the top. This will cause your coffee to be bitter and burnt. Try adjusting the grinds coarser and see if you can get a better result. Also, turn off your preinfusion as this will cause a soggy puck.

The water temp is 121C? That’s way too high but I doubt it could be the water temp, make sure you’re not looking at the steam temperature.

Water temperature should be 94-96C

Hope this helps.

Hi there I have a rocket Cellini plus pid mazzer mini just getting used to settings near fine grind extracting at 25 secs the puck looks soggy used to firm grinds on Delonghi elette is this a worry soggy portafilter double shot Also temp is 121 on the pid display is this t hot , I’ll try Bella baristas coffee tommoz milk buster or gas station see how it goes ,, also once tamped the pressure on clock goes to 8 bar right dial seems not to go any further sure it should go to 9 bar ?? ( also do you recommend mazzer mini grind setting number luigi A nearer to fine many thanks Richard

Great post! I’m not tasting burnt but noticing when I tap on my knockbox there is residue stuck at the bottom of the filter. With that puck residue looking a little dark/burnt. Is that a mix of me tamping too hard and putting too much espresso? Or is it more my grind and temperature? I’m so far in the range of a 25-30 second pull (maybe I’m overly extracting to meet the time and liquid oz ratio of coffee).

Thanks Ryadan for writing this wonderful post for us. Keep up the great writing.

What a great reading for me to know more about coffee. I really enjoy this informative article reading. Thank you for sharing this wonderful post.

A good coffee the best thing to start your day.
Thanks for sharing this article.

Great Info Thanks For Sharing..!!

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Hey Ryadan,

Thanks for this excellent post.

I use Sage(Breville) the Oracle, in order to fix a sour espresso shot, I adjusted my grind to be finer, but that caused another problem, now I can’t get enough extraction.

Here is my setup:
- Double espresso filter.
- 6-7 seconds pre-infuse
- ~30 seconds of total extraction

If I use finer grind to prevent sour taste I only get 10-15ml coffee which has a very bitter taste.

How can I prevent sour taste and get more extraction? I have tried two separate beans with different grind levels, both of them were medium roasted.

All the best!
James

Hi Rudra!
Thanks for writing in. I definitely suggest you invest in a grinder. It’s the best way to eliminate the bitter, sour burnt flavours that can occur. Plus your coffee stays fresher longer and you’ll be able to make a much better cup of coffee. The best low-cost grinder is the Breville Smart Grinder Pro but I know that will be more expensive than the machine cost you, however, it’s probably the most important accessory to any coffee brewer. If you can afford it, I would absolutely suggest you buy one. If you can’t afford there are cheaper blade grinders out there and they’ll be better than preground at least.

If you’re going to keep buying preground coffee then you should look for a local roaster where you can guarantee the coffee is about 7 days old when you purchase it. Afresh roast will have a lovely amounts of oils remaining in it even after you grind it. Whereas Lavazza is usually around 6 months old by the time it hits the shelves. This alone will change the flavour (as long as you choose a great local roaster.)

Yes, if the puck is dry and powdery and you’re tasting a burnt flavour then the coffee is too old and too fine. You could try adding less coffee in the puck but I doubt you’d be able to fix much with the coffee.

All the best!

Hi,
I’m a homemade barista, with a budget espresso machine(Morphy Richards Fresco to be precise). At first I was using a Colombian dark roast ground coffee, I thought that the burnt taste of my coffee is due to the dark roast. So I ordered a medium roasted coffee(Lavazza Club Ground Coffee). The coffee is too fine. I can only find some minute difference in the taste.
I observed the puck, it’s dry and powdery, and the coffee still tastes burnt and there’s no distinct layer of crema, also the water isn’t running fast enough and evenly throughout the puck. I saw cracks in the middle of the puck.
I’m inaccessible to change the grind size.

Hoping for your reply,
Thank you for your time.

[…] 469 “Why is my coffee bitter, sour or burnt? – Coffee Beans Delivered” […]

[…] the gap (because water always chooses the path of least resistance) and causes a weak shot with no flavour. A channelled shot is easy to miss when you don’t know what you’re looking for and even […]

Hi Dalal, yes it’s difficult to work with the grinder because it only has 12 settings so there’s not much room for precision. But also, the extractions will always be a challenge because they don’t have the same pumps that more manual machines have.

Have you tried going right down to the finest setting and working your way back from that. If the extraction doesn’t change you may need to take it back in. At the finest it should basically not come through at all, or drip for most of the time. Then change it up a step and run two shots through (this is to get rid of any grind retention) keep going until you find the right extraction. Let me know how it goes!!

Hello, i have a philips 2200 fully automatic coffee machine. Its one week old and i’m trying to get the perfect espresso from it. My espresso shot from forst drip is around 10-12 seconds. I tried changing the grinder setting several time but i’m still getting the same extraction time and the coffee does not taste good. Currently my grinder is set on 7, i am using medium roast coffee beans. I am not sure how to extend the extraction time as changing the grinder setting is not helping?

Thank you

[…] terms of how it tastes, the Robusta beans are bold, full-bodied earthy flavour with low acidity but the main characteristic is that it’s very high in bitterness. This is […]

Thanks Russell!

And thanks for adding in some tips. That’s what I love about coffee, there’s something for everyone.

Take care!

Hey Pedro!

Yeh, it seems strange that the grinder was working well before and isn’t now but I think you should first try some different coffee. Being 1-2 months old it’s definitely losing its oils and this will cause the shot to come through more quickly. If the coffee hasn’t been stored correctly (airtight and in a dark cool cupboard – not a fridge!) it will deteriorate even more quickly.

Things to check, have you been adjusting the time the grinder goes for when you make it finer. The finer you grind the slower it will grind so to get the right amount you’ll need to grind for longer.

I think because you can get a decent shot with the double-wall basket (which is meant for preground coffee) this indicates that the coffee is losing all its oils. So grab some week old roast and see if that makes a difference.

I highly doubt the grinder has worn out in one year unless you are grinding light roasted beans through it all the time.

Let me know how you go.
Ryd

Hi Ryadan

With the finest grade of grinding (grade 1) the water is flushing through way too fast (around 10 to 13 sec in a double shot) and I can’t go smaller than 1. Previously I used grade 4 to 8 on the grinder with the same coffee grains and worked perfectly. Yes, I know how to tamper, yes, I pressed it well, and yes, the basket was full.

The machine is pretty new (less than a year old) so, I don’t think the burrs of the grinder are worn out
The coffee is a bit older (1-2 months) could it be that ? .
Thanks

Hi Ryadan

Question: With the finest grade of grinding (grade 1) the water is flushing through way too fast (around 10 to 13 sec in a double shot) and I can’t go smaller than 1.

Previously I used grade 4 to 8 on the grinder with the same coffee grains and worked perfectly.
Yes, the coffee is a bit older (1-2 months) but it is still weird that grade 1 is not enough. isn’t it?

The only way that I can achieve the 20-25 sec. is by using the single-shot double wall basket

Yes, I know how to tamper, yes, I pressed it well, and yes, the basket was full.

The machine is pretty new (less than a year old) and has the grinder incorporated

So, could it be the burrs of the grinder are worn out or should I try with a different (new) coffee?

Thanks

Hi WIll!

I’m sorry to hear you’ve been struggling to get a good shot out your machine. You certainly shouldn’t be having to compete with a pod machine!

Ok so lets break things down systematically:

Your machine is only 3 months old so unless it’s a lemon we can assume it’s working as it’s supposed to.

The coffee you are buying could be the issue. Make sure you buy Medium roasted high-quality beans. I’m not sure where you live but if it’s Australia, you can buy great coffee from most local roasters. If you’re elsewhere you’ll have to do your research on the coffee but if it’s cheap it usually isn’t great quality. I’d look for a place that does specialty coffee with medium roast profiles.

Check the roast date on the coffee as you want it to be about 7 days old before you start using it. This means the coffee has properly degassed and doesn’t contain a whole lot of carbon dioxide.

The preinfusion needs to go. You should be able to override it by holding the manual button down. so use that method to get rid of it. Shot should start coming through at around the 6-7 second mark.

Now, you haven’t talked about what grinder you have, which basket you are using, the single or the double (hopefully you aren’t using the double-wall baskets as they are for pre-ground coffee.) what dosage you are using and how long is the coffee extracting for?

If you can answer these, we can get closer to the issue.
But you definitely should be able to get a better result from the BES870 than a pod machine!

Ryd,

Now that’s what I call a thorough article on bitter coffee, especially when using an espresso machine. I personally prefer coffee made via steeping methods, like cold brew, AeroPress, and French Press. Even so, you’re advice largely still holds true for these methods as well.

On thing I might add; if you steep your grounds too long it will produce a bitter cup of coffee. If you want smooth coffee, a medium grind works well. Additionally, if smooth is your preference, then start with a smooth bean. I’d suggest searching the internet for “Smoothest Coffee”. There are several good choices there.

Again, thanks for the good article. Not being an espresso guy, I learned a few new things. Thanks.

Omg i hope you can help me!
I got a Breville BES870 2 or 3 montgs ago. I have watched and read literally 100s of how to videos inc many Bes870 specific ones.
I have made over 100 shots easily and not one has been decent.
Let me be clear. Im not a coffee snob – 95% of the time i order an espresso from a cafe im happy.
So to my problem.
I cant seem to differentiate between sour or bitter, so ive been up and down the grind setting knob. The big problem is 2 fold.
1) coffee pours out during pre infusion ALWAYS. No matter how fine i frind or how hard i tamp. In the end i get to the point ive tamped too hard and or gone too fine because the coffee is truly disgusting, so i start working my way back – but the pre infusion leak never changes.
The closest ive gotten to passable tasting coffee is when it clearly brews too quick so it has minimal crema.
Ive tried all sorts of different beans literally spending close to $200 so far. I told my wife her Nespresso was too expensive but right now im a moron because $800 for machine means ive spent $1000 for not one good coffee. Shes spent $300 and had 100s!!
What am i missing???

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[…] Sour coffee is caused by an excess amount of carbon dioxide in your beans. Good news though – it’s relatively easy to combat. […]

hey,that is good but along with good taste coffee should be healthy right ?

Great info
Thanks

Hi Matt,

Yep well before you throw it out, I would check two things. The bitterness can be caused by either the beans themselves or the way they pour. If the extraction is just dripping through for more than a few seconds at the beginning of the pour, you’re grinding the coffee too fine. If your extraction is pouring evenly and is a nice golden thick creamy texture, AND it still tastes bitter, your beans have been roasted too dark. Check the look of the beans and see if they are oily and dark dark colour. This is where the bitter flavour can come from and it is possible your palate has developed and now you’re able to recognise the bitterness.

I honestly don’t think it’s the pump though, although it would be something that can definitely go, but you’ll know it when it does, because the water won’t flow through even if you haven’t got coffee in the portafilter. So ttest that first and see if the water is flowing with nothing in.

So try those things and let me know.