Sweet response

Question

Chris from Santa Paula, California, wrote --

We get many questions about acid in coffee.

We know that acidity can be a desired character (Kenya), but what about the PH of coffee? Many find it acidic believing it upsets their stomach.

Can you give us the" word" on acids in coffee? When asked about acid free coffee, we refer customers to the ‘Todd’ method, the cold extract that makes very flat coffee.

Answer

Chris,

You are right in the statement that acidity is a desired trait in many coffees.
Most brewed coffees have an acidity of approximately 5.0pH (7.0pH is neutral).

Acidity can be reduced by brewing at lower temperatures.

The correct grind (acidity generally decreases with coarser grinds) for the brewing equipment used is important as well.

I personally have found that brewing with a lower coffee to water ratio tends to be a weak and acidic brew. By adding more coffee to the ratio, a higher strength brew with lower extraction percentage make for a better brew. For more information, check out Coffee Research.org.

Happy Brewing
Dr. Brew