If the shot pours too slowly due to the grind being too fine, the espresso will taste bitter. You need to make your coffee grinds coarser so that the water is not so restricted. Espresso should pour between 25 – 35 seconds, with the best results usually found between 27 – 33 seconds.
If your shots are on the bitter side, make a minor adjustment to a coarser setting. Try a shot like this, and aim for a shot time of 20-30 seconds. If the shot takes much longer than 30 seconds, it'll probably be bitter, and you'll want to make it a bit coarser.
Diagnosis: When your espresso comes out tasting bitter, it usually means that the extraction or pour time is too long. Commonly, you'll see a pale yellow/white stream of coffee that wobbles and spirals towards the end of the shot. Remedy: Adjust your brew time. A good pour will be somewhere between 25 – 35 secs.
Typically, a sour taste is indicative of an under-extracted shot. Lengthen your extraction by lowering the dose to get more liquid to the coffee, but keep your extraction times up. A bitter taste is usually indicative of the opposite - an over-extracted shot.
Bitter coffee comes down to two things: (1) bad beans and (2) bad brewing. If you buy low-grade, robusta species, or super dark roast beans—I'm sorry—but there's nothing to be done there. Low-quality coffee just tastes bitter, which is why we suggest buying specialty-grade beans (the highest quality grade).
Sweet ingredients like sugar, honey, fruit juices and maple syrup will balance bitterness. Any dish can also be balanced with a touch of a sour ingredient like lemon or vinegar. Finally, a fatty ingredient like oil, cream. coconut cream or butter will also tame bitterness.
Bitterness, for example, is one of the key signs that a brew could be overextracted—yet coffee is inherently bitter and a little bitterness is indeed desirable. It's when a brew is excessively bitter that it's likely overextracted.
Tamping pressure shouldn't be too hard as it can lead to over-extracting and an extremely bitter taste of espresso. Polish the puck with a twisting motion. Avoid twisting as you push down though. Otherwise, you can ruin the packed coffee.
He determined that for most people, under-extracted coffee tastes sour, while over-extracted coffee tastes bitter; underdeveloped or weak coffee tastes somewhat papery, while overdeveloped or strong coffee tastes somewhat ashy.
Remember to always weigh your dose to maintain your brew ratio, as it is the key to making the perfect cup of espresso. The recommended brewing time for a shot of espresso is 20-25 seconds. Allowing it to brew for longer will result in a bitter taste, often caused by tannic acid leaching into the brew.
Clearly pouring hot espresso into ice will dilute the drink, the same way a bartender may refuse to serve a martini shaken, because the ice breaks off in the shaker, melts, and dilutes the flavor of an otherwise high end vodka, or in this case espresso.
The best grind size for espresso is fine. A fine 1/32 size coffee grind will help avoid a sour taste or bitter flavor, over-extraction, or under-extraction. The wrong size can make it hard for the hot water to force through the coffee bed or lead to channeling. This all affects the taste and strength of espresso.
Increase the wet dose if your shot is too concentrated or if it tastes under extracted. By letting the shot pull longer to increase the yield, you allow the grounds and water to be in contact for longer, which leads to more extraction. Adding 2-4 grams of yield is enough to make a very noticeable difference taste-wise.
For increased sweetness, try pulling a slower shot. Remember, as well, that the ideal time will also depend on your other variables. “You can reach a properly extracted espresso in a number of ways, from 15 seconds to 45 seconds, but this will be dependent on a number of other factors,” Peter says.
It is important that you always reach the recommended extraction time of 25-30 seconds for a well-extracted espresso shot. Always taste every extraction and take notes if this is your first time and you are experimenting with your coffee.
Over-extracted coffee can taste bitter, dry or empty, lacking body. Under-extracted coffee can be fixed by using more water or hotter water, brewing longer, using finer coffee grounds or more coffee grounds. Over-extracted coffee can be fixed by starting over.
Grinds too fine can settle and pack together in the basket of the espresso machine, clogging an otherwise even mesh and stymieing water's journey through. As a result, some cups end up bitter, while others end up sour; a few taste strong, a few taste weak.
Bitterness and resentment relate to anger. When we let anger at others or frustration at our situation fester and build up in our hearts, we can begin to develop bitterness and resentment. Often bitterness takes root when we are hurt by others or we think a situation we are put in is unjust or unfair.
Fats and sweetness can help smooth the bitter corners of a dish, just like they make coffee taste less bitter. So add a spoonful of sugar, cream or butter to tame that bitterness.
It typically involves a ton of resentment and feeling like life isn't fair. And bitterness can taint everything. Fortunately, it usually fades with time and perspective. But if it's too strong or lingers for too long, bitterness can keep you from moving forward and healing.
Some espresso can be described as having some acidity, but a sour taste is usually undesirable. Espresso should only have sour notes if the coffee it was brewed from has an acidic flavor profile. The flavor notes in some coffees include sour fruits such as green apples, lemons, cranberries, or grapefruit.
Salt in coffee can enhance a brew's sweetness, making it less bitter and more mellow — even when sugar hasn't been added. And salt can enhance the pleasant aroma of freshly brewed black coffee.