Ask Gail: How To Fix A Sour Espresso Shot

Under extraction! Oh My! Nothing is worse than a sour espresso shot (well maybe a bitter shot?). So what is going on if your espresso shots taste sour? Gail and Miranda talk about what can be adjusted so you can get the prefect espresso shot!
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[@ascosta]

A professional barista once told me that fixing shots by tamping harder or softer is not a good idea because it's hard to replicate the small adjustment in subsequent shots (unless you're using an expensive calibrated tamper). Correcting by dose or by grind are the best options because it's easy to replicate. Choosing dose or grind depends on what you're trying to correct: if the shot is balanced but too weak or too strong, correct by dose; if the shot it not balanced (sour or bitter), correct by grind.

[@dthorne4602]

Bingo!

[@itouchipods]

Thank you, exactly the information i was after.

[@SeattleCoffeeGear]

*Sour Flavors Are For Candy. Not Espresso* Find out how to fix a sour #espresso shot! Watch the #video below and be sure to subscribe to our channel for more! Want To Subscribe? Click here: goo.gl/hRKEhR

[@SeattleCoffeeGear]

Seattle Coffee Gear fans are the best! Thanks for watching all our videos! New Videos Every Day! Subscribe ▸ goo.gl/hRKEhR Over 50+ Ask Gail Episodes! Watch: goo.gl/5nSy0i Visit Us Online: www.seattlecoffeegear.com

[@stefansalzinger9346]

Hi there, supercool video, so professional :-) Some questions: Why will adding more coffee fix that, doesnt the coffee even get more underextraction that way? (This fix needs more coffee.....) Wouldnt just going for longer shots fix that too, meaning longer extraction time? Thanks!

[@rocheuro]

she's a coffe queen

[@kiropraktikaBijeljina]

Hi Gail! Please help me if you know the answer to the question ... My espresso machine has a solenoid valve, and I'm not sure if my machine needs a small silicone ball that folds from below into a group ... When I opened it to clean, I did not find it inside, And with my other machine (Saeco Aroma) it has a ball. The brand of the machine is Emonec (in essence, its appearance and its parts are identical to Lelit) ... I have a problem when I turn on the water to leave the group, exits excessively steam and uncontrollably hard ... the temperature when going out of the handle is 90-92 ... The operating thermostat is 95c, I tried to replace it, but I still have the same problem ... Here are two examples: When there is no ball in the group, after each shutdown of the release of the water through the group, the backflush is not heard back ... and when I put the ball in the group , After every turning off the water, in the background, ejection of water and steam (backflush) is heard ... I'm not sure if I need to insert a ball into a group or do not need my machine? I ask the answer to this question if you know, it would mean a lot to me ... Another thing ... every espresso I make on my machine is great looking and has extraordinary cream, but the taste is very bitter and acidic (the doses of coffee that I tried vary From 16-18 grams for 2 cafes, the extraction time is satisfactory, from 22 to a maximum of 28-29 seconds) ... I do not know what the problem is specifically because I tried many varieties and lots of coffee thrown, and I can not get the proper fine Taste ... I suppose you do not work with these brands of machines like me, but if you know the answer to help me. Thank you very much and greetings!

[@Cappy609]

So correct about the Silvia. If you attempt to overdose the portafilter, it will not go on the machine. My only gripe with this machine.

[@VanceProduces]

WHY YOU OVERDOSIN'???

[@erinnelson4550]

I bought a bottomless portafilter for the Silvia and it holds more than what came with the machine.

[@vpp9334]

thank you for axplening

[@SlayPlenty]

So imagine you dialed in your ratios for a dark roast i used an 18g-38g and extracted in around 30+ seconds and sours are still a factor. Am I just a bich who nitpicks anything lemony, or the temp is low. I have a Solis and cant really measure the degrees that come out...Can pre infusion be a factor?

[@TipNnr77]

Start timing the shot right when i push the button or start timing after the water start to come out?

[@SeattleCoffeeGear]

Right when water hits coffee!

[@1a9Cj5]

What if espresso machine has a preinfusion?

[@SeattleCoffeeGear]

The moment water and coffee are in contact, the timer should start :D

[@billalexander3013]

how do you know when that is when you cant see it?

[@CLGilbert]

Bill Alexander Take your portafilter off and see how long from button push until water starts dripping.

[@abatti95]

Please, do more videos about manual brewing! :(

[@SeattleCoffeeGear]

Bruno Abatti Anything in particular you are interested in? :)

[@jamesgreenwood8728]

Right so. I've got my grind pretty course but extracting in 30 ISH for a 17g double and its still pretty sour. Might that have something to do with pressure?

[@paviaaPS3]

What about your temp?

[@jamesgreenwood8728]

@@paviaaPS3 it's an old gaggia no way to know for sure but it's about 95°C reckon

[@jamesclayton3388]

Is it a pressurized porta filter?

[@3rd-Wave_Rebel]

Need help with my Breville barista pro that I got super recent. Up till this point I have not got a decent shot! The beans are Lavazza E Aroma, medium roast with an 8 intensity scale. I set grind size 6 towards fine and grind amount for 14 seconds. Still the brew time has always finished in 15 seconds. Extraction starts to drip in 7 second btw. It’s taste sour! At this point I don’t know what to do. Should I set coarser?

[@TheMrVengeance]

No, sour is under-extracted, and 15 seconds is way too fast. So you should grind _finer,_ not coarser. Also try to grind by weight. I aim for about 17-18 grams for a double shot. Brewing should take 20-30 seconds.

[@3rd-Wave_Rebel]

@@TheMrVengeance strangely I tried fine setting dial down to 1-3. It still ends abruptly in 15 seconds no matter what the grinding setup I chose. I then start playing around with the pre-included-filters. I used double wall double shots filter. To my surprise, it improves a little from stopping at 18 seconds this time! Still not good enough, so I programmed the pre-infusion setting extend the brewing time to 22 seconds, the shots now end around 25-27 seconds depending on my tamping and etc.. It doesn't taste too sour or too bitter, it has a bright taste but to my palette, I can't taste any particular notes like chocolate or dried fruits from the espresso Lastly, I have not try any fresh beans but only the beans that have an expiry date... Maybe I will try the fresh beans for my next batch with the single wall and then see how it will go...

[@daisy180709]

Yeah best to hold the shot button down for 6 to 7 seconds to preinfuse then let the button go , to start extraction . Im sure the italian beans go through a different process where they stay fresher for longer. Try looking for a local roasting house nearby

[@allayth3247]

Did you manage to sort out your problem? My Barista Express extraction is never longer than 10 to 15 seconds and tastes sour even at the finest "1" setting! Temperature espresso comes out is is 77C, 170F. Not sure if there's a temperature fault.

[@3rd-Wave_Rebel]

@@allayth3247 that’s a temperature fault! I return mine a long time ago.

[@muttonmomo]

I have a question: I'm tamping hard (just to be safe) my finely ground espresso coffee that's about a month old now, and the shots come out much faster (like within 10 seconds) off the pressurised portafilter on the Poemia. And the shots are a bit sourer nowdays. I give plenty of time for machine to heat up before dialing brew n everything. Does old ground coffee produce sour shots as well? Or is something else going wrong? Thanks.

[@aydenkay8952]

6 years old but you would fix the fast pull by grinding finer. Keep in mind that you might need to add another gram or 2 of coffee to compensate.

[@muttonmomo]

@@aydenkay8952 Thanks. Yes over the years I realized that ground size that was indeed my initial issue. 😂😜

[@TheCoffeeField]

Why 2 oz in 20 to 30 seconds. I thought we should go by brew ratios. Currently I'm at 1:1.8

[@SeattleCoffeeGear]

Brew ratios are ideal, but for beginners- time and volume measurements are easiest to grasp.

[@daisy180709]

My nose has had more hits than the Beatles over the years , leading me to have a deviated septum and constant blocked nose. I cant even tell the difference between sour and bitter !

[@matgougeon3087]

Good thing sourness and bitterness are detected by the tongue then.

[@PipenFalzy]

I don't know the difference between sour and bitter.

[@TheGroundedCoffee]

Sour is when someone ruins a party, bitter is when someone is negative about the party. Other than that, a lemon is sour and a grapefruit is bitter.

[@3rd-Wave_Rebel]

Then there’s something wrong with ye tastebuds or ye not from this planet. Arrrr! Lol Seriously I tried multiple shots with fine grind setting down to 7and it’s still under extracted within 15 seconds and it tasted super sour! I can’t get up to 25 to 30 seconds brew time!

[@krunktina69]

How do I get rid of sour puss? Lol jk 💖💖💖 thank ya Chica !

[@willmcgregor7184]

Didn’t Mike Tyson have a solution for that? 👊 😜