Bitter coffee. why?

[CoffeeLovers]

Time is very important in roasting. If you roast for too long, normally the coffee tastes bitter. High pressure and temperature in brewing espresso will also lead to the highest level of bitter taste. Also, beans had slim chances to be blamed for bitterness. Anyway, just control the roasting time and maintain the right temperature and pressure in brewing.

 

[lovethatcoffee]

Ok, so what factors will make coffee taste bitter if you are brewing in a traditional drip machine? I have a grind and brew cuisinart that I use occasionally. It is not nearly as good as when I do a pour over. I know brew temp makes a big difference. None of my roasts go beyond 13-14 min for 1/2 lb batch or 15 min for 3/4 lb. I don't let anything get beyond FC+ but, yet I feel that I am battling a tangy flavor in more than a few roasts which made me think that my roast times were not stretched out enough.

 

[redlandroaster]

I am starting to try to change my roast profile by opening the door 1-3 times between 1c and 2c.

What will the reduction in bean temp between cracks accomplish? Just a question, as I don't think a 13:30 roast time is a bad number. I have never used the Behmor. You have to cool the beans in the machine, which I have never done with any roaster. Do you drink Espresso? Bitterness can come from incorrect extraction time.

 

[Lightgeoduck]

I have used the behmor for a few years now.. I haven't had issues with the taste, unless I forgot to time it right. I do it manually all of the way through.. I usually use 253g and set my roaster for 1lb/p1. And usually push cool around 17:30 for my Rwanda and a little less for my Kenya... No matter what the time is, I cool it at first signs of 2c.. Open the door and vacuum the flying chaff with my dyson ... Anything past that, I guess that would be considered bitter taste for me... If it isn't your brewing, then ( think someone suggested it, you need to clean out your behmor... They recommend running it through a "dry" roast ( no beans ) after a few roasts... When I do that, I open the door once in cool cycle and wipe the glass and any sides ( I safely can do ) with a wet paper towel.

another note, a missed roasted bean hidden in the drum or roaster that makes it to the next roast will ruin that batch for sure.

lgd

 

[lovethatcoffee]

You roast your indonesian beans on P1 also? I just tried 12oz of Sumatra on P3 and it took almost 20 min to get into 2c. It seems to have lost some of its bold flavors compared to an 8oz batch on same setting. I will try 12 oz on P1 and see what happens. It is time to clean my machine so we will see if it makes a difference, thanks for the advice. It is particularly helpful to talk with fellow Behmor users!

 

[Redswing]

from what i could understand from using my behmor was the p1 setting was full power, all the time. i know you can get incredibly nuanced in your roast profiles, but for me, i just wanted to hit 1c in, say, 9:30. then wait 3 more min and remove the still spinning drum (before 2c) with an oven mit, run it outside to cool as fast as possible. i would just play with bean quantity until i could hit that 9:30 benchmark. never really messed with the other programs. could have been missing out, but i was happy with the results.
i find the longer you roast (for me, past 15 min or so)the more baked (which i taste as flat and uninteresting) your cup is, the faster you get there (for me, before 8 min or so) the more bitter (which i taste as sour) your cup will be. but there are others who find that statement horribly inaccurate...

 

[santabagels]

Bitterness is a good thing to have in coffee as long as it is kept in balance with other tastes. When it overpowers everything, it is sensed on the back of the tongue (circumvallate papillae).

Source : brucesbrew.com/bitter-coffee.html#axzz2nF1whcXv

 

[ModestCoffee]

Have you noticed this happening with different beans? I use a behmor at home and haven't noticed this outside of the standard flavor variations.

 

[cafeaulait]

I agree with Peter, it could definitely be an equipment issue. I have used Hottop roasters and love them. If you get the 8828 series they have temperature display, roast timer, fan speed, and a number of other programmable features. I would recommend checking them out.

 

[lovethatcoffee]

Sorry I haven't relied earlier! After good advice I started experimenting with my water. I have a water softener at my house and so I started buying spring water and filtered drinking water and found that the filtered drinking water changed my results significantly! The water from my tap (softened water) was giving the coffee a different taste and seems to make it a shade bitter/acidic. Has anyone found this to be true?

 

[BlueMoods]

Definitely, I have good well water at home so not an issue there but, my DIL has softened water. My coffee brewed in my press at her home, with her water is more harsh than the same coffee brewed the same way at my house. I learned to take a bottle of my water when I stay there to watch her kids. It may be the salts used to soften the water but, it does make a difference. You might want to try a water filer, like PUR or Britta on your tap water to see if that helps, might save a few dollars a month.