Thank you all for the kind words about hitting 100,000 subscribers! I know it is just an arbitrary number, but I can't deny that it feels good! You're an amazing community, and I feel lucky to have subscribers and people watching who want to contribute positivity and positively to coffee! Thank you thank you!
@cty1215 жыл бұрын
James Hoffmann congratulation on the 100k ! Cheers for the next 500k !
@juliangawronsky93395 жыл бұрын
I have been experimenting with blended extractions, and would interesting exploration for the coffee science series. Rather then optimize a single extraction, its sampling then mixing different extractions. There are valuable flavour characteristic present in over- and under- extracted coffee that find a place when presented in their appropriate concentration.
@maciej-365 жыл бұрын
Works for acid reflux as well ;)
@RileyJE5 жыл бұрын
Love your stuff James, you're the big reasons I've gotten into high quality coffee and just wanted to say my taste buds(but not my wallet) thank you.
@masokys5 жыл бұрын
You help me being explorative as a barista. I learned so much from you! Thanks, James.
@diserasta15 жыл бұрын
Chemist here. Decent explanation of buffers but an important note is that different buffer solutions have different buffering capacity and different useful pHs. Bicarbonate ions have a pretty distinctive taste, so that may mess with the coffee. Other buffers worth trying that are non-toxic (and have different taste profiles) (make sure you have food-safe/high purity stuff before trying this) - trisodium citrate (E331 - used to flavour club soda) or potassium citrate (E332 - used in baking iirc) - disodium citrate (E331ii - same uses as trisodium citrate) - potassium tartrate (E336 - used in baking, so should be possible to find) - monopotassium phosphate (E340 - used in diary products sometimes, so should be possible to find)
@butsukete18065 жыл бұрын
What about sodium carbonate? It's easy to make, just bake your baking soda.
@diserasta15 жыл бұрын
@@butsukete1806 sodium carbonate does not act as a buffer on its own. It's just a strong base in water. You can prepare a carbonate bicarbonate buffer (there's tools online on the ratios) by mixing sodium carbonate and bicarbonate. This buffer will buffer between pH 9 and 10, so it is significantly more alkaline that bicarbonate carbonic acid buffer. This should make it more potent as a way to remove acidity but this is a double edged sword
@trespaul5 жыл бұрын
E336 can refer to both potassium tartrate and bitartrate, but I think you were referring to the bitartrate in saying it's used in baking - potassium bitartrate is cream of tartar, and is most well known on FoodTube as that acidic powder that you add to egg whites before whipping to make meringues more stable.
@thestarsof20125 жыл бұрын
It might be worthwhile to monitor the pH.
@EversonBernardes5 жыл бұрын
Probably could do a very dilute calcium hydroxide solution, as well (it's safer than other common hydroxides and since it's used in pickling, easy to find food grade). It might react with diluted carbon dioxide within the coffe, what would make the coffee look cloudy and weird, though;
@insomniafuel0005 жыл бұрын
Americano Fans: "i told you guys, add water"
@jackfranks71605 жыл бұрын
I was thinking, if this is why I prefer americano vs espresso, especially light roasts. Most specialty coffees are lighter roasts which I never liked as espresso.
@MangoTheRetriever5 жыл бұрын
hahaha.... good one!
@TheCoffeeCat4 жыл бұрын
Ah-ha!!
@alinaqirizvi1441 Жыл бұрын
@@jackfranks7160 maybe try a turbo shot, Lance Hendrick did a good video explaining literally EVERYTHING about it and in my experience turbo shots are great for lighter roasts
@robertstark83095 жыл бұрын
Me: Studying (Buffers acids bases) for my final chemistry exam tomorrow... James: Uploads a video on Buffers and acidity in espresso Coincidence? I don‘t think so! Congrats on 100k James!! Love your videos!
@Docprepper5 жыл бұрын
Robert Stark you’ve got a final exam in October? Dude I just took my midterm in Biochem 😂 8-week course?
@myname-mz3lo8 ай бұрын
every branch of science can learn from espresso
@coffeeblogua5 жыл бұрын
- Espresso! - Sugar? - Bicarbonate of soda, please!
@onemanmob67563 жыл бұрын
Exactly! Sugar is sweet, because it is alkaline. Another candidate for reducing acidity in coffee (from the chemistry POV) would be soap (soap - technically - is a salt - a compound of a very weak acid and a very strong caustic - when dissolved in water the strength of the alkaline/caustic part prevails - making soapy water taste sweet
@coffeeblogua3 жыл бұрын
@@onemanmob6756 weird coffee science must be updated :D @jimseven
@eviloatmeal3 жыл бұрын
"Would you like cream with that?" "Yes, cream of tartar!"
@Owyss5 жыл бұрын
What a year to be alive in 2019! Watching James Hoffmann drinking espresso.
@christiansmith16634 жыл бұрын
Wait for 2020 man, its really something.
@Opretlis4 жыл бұрын
2021 loading...
@whatthe24583 жыл бұрын
There’s a company called third wave water that sells mineral supplements for a gallon of distilled water. I saw it on Shark Tank,TV,
@maci69903 жыл бұрын
@@christiansmith1663 No it was not
@rehlo32 жыл бұрын
we need to go back
@blanchjoe14813 жыл бұрын
At one time in my life I was considering being a Chef, so I studied for a short time with the chef of the Paulist Fathers in San Francisco, the great and unsung Cordon Bleu trained Chef Josephine Araldo. The Fathers raved about her coffee, and I had heard stories from visitors that her was coffee was amazing, and having a cup or two in the mornings myself, nor could I disagree, it had a rich, full flavorful, that was soft, and nonacidic. People often asked the Fathers what the secret was and they would throw up there hands say, "....we do not know, she refuses to tell us, it is her secret...."! I believe they did know, but it was sort of an in joke. I wondered why her coffee was so good, when there was so much bad coffee everywhere. Of course she ground her own beans, but the beans were not a special mix or type, it was a medium roast "house blend" in a large bag that she bought from some where in San Francisco, at time when most people did not use whole bean coffee. She brewed coffee in a large professional restaurant brew style machines ( the Fathers drank a lot of coffee ). While I was setting up for breakfast one morning she called me over and told me to watch her, She used about half as much more coffee than would have been a regular dosage into the brewer, then added two or three broken Egg Shells she had pulled out of a box ( she took shells from the eggs she used previously and then boiled and dried them ), the rind of one quarter an Orange, a quarter teaspoon of Bicarb Of Soda, and a literal pinch of Salt, and then brewed. It created an amazing batch of coffee and I felt honored knowing her secret, though at the time I didn't understand how or why all of that worked.
@daniel.lopresti2 жыл бұрын
Wow, I know the egg shell trick is used with tea brewing as well - but as far as I know, it's used to counter bitterness, not acidity. It works in a similar way to brewing in an unglazed (thus porous) ceramic teapot which interacts with the brew to reduce bitterness. Interesting mix though! Salt is also good for counteracting bitterness (at least, perceived bitterness, similar to using sugar to counteract acidity perception as mentioned in the video).
@lonestarr14902 жыл бұрын
@@daniel.lopresti I suspect that's what the egg shell is for here as well, while the bicarb tackles the acidity. Don't know about the orange zest, though. Maybe for fruitiness?
@billc7211 Жыл бұрын
I’ve got to try this
@MelindaGreen Жыл бұрын
@@daniel.lopresti Salt is a flavor enhancer. Tiny amounts can improve a lot of things, especially those with subtle flavors. MSG too though it's about 10 times as powerful, so be careful.
@nathenate7974 Жыл бұрын
"Half as much more coffee" is quite a confusing phrasing. I'm intrigued with this method but don't know whether you mean "0.5" or "1.5" times as much coffee. I'm guessing (as well as my wife) that it's probably "1.5" times the amount but if you could clear this up I'd definitely give it a try.
@KCRC575 жыл бұрын
Here in HongKong, “Cha Chaan Tang” mixes egg shells with the coffee grounds. I believe the calcium carbonate acts as a neutraliser as you suggested. Thanks very much for your informative video!
@annhongaki5 жыл бұрын
Interesting to know!
@charleslambert33684 жыл бұрын
My first thought was to add a bit of chalk dust to the grounds, which would do more or less the same thing.
@TRUEiMPROrecords4 жыл бұрын
Makes for a perfect feritilizer for your garden too!
@Harmonikdiskorde4 жыл бұрын
Oh interesting -- I've heard this as a practice in midwestern churches as well!
@elijahcox38803 жыл бұрын
@@charleslambert3368 try ash instead! Would probably affect the texture and flavor less
@fmbjmf3 жыл бұрын
I just tried a variation of this and have been adding a pinch(very small about the size of pepper corn) of sodium bicarbonate distributed over the top of the puck, and it makes a pretty remarkable difference. Definitely removes a noticeable amount of acidity but also dramatically increases the extraction time. Like by at least 25%.
@skartimus5 жыл бұрын
I really love the intro to this series, absolutely 10/10
@uberseehandel5 жыл бұрын
I found this most interesting. I lived in Munich for several years where the water is extremely hard, so we were always descaling our espresso machine. The local brewers chose to counter the water hardness by using more darkly roasted barley (or wheat for weissbier). Many years ago, living in a city with fairly moderate pH water, I used to enjoy the Sumatran/Javanese coffees, but now I am in another hard water area, they no longer appeal. It is a complicated topic.
@mjod5 жыл бұрын
I love this series! I'm a huge fan of both science (am a biologist) and coffee. The interface between coffee and science is so exciting! Makes me want to participate in the field. Thanks, James!
@noohoozfurra5 жыл бұрын
Brilliant, Mr Hoff! I bake cakes for a living and although I'm no scientist, found the little I know, of great use in vegan baking. Chemistry, as I often say. This fine vid, made me think of adding salt to a tomato, for sweetness. Counter-intuitive, but it works. The salt stimulates your salivary glands, causing them to produce the saliva that distributes flavour to the old taste buds. It also suppresses the perception of bitterness, making the tomato taste even sweeter. Made me also think of whisky science. Adding miniscule amounts of water to a fine malt. I read somewhere that the taste improvement happens/changes, because alcohol molecules and those that determine whisky flavour, tend to stick together. Could be tosh, but it does make your coffee experiment ever more relevant.
@spookyfm48795 жыл бұрын
This is a bad idea because my friends are already looking at me askance when I'm weighing out my beans and beverages (and thank god my colleagues never see me mixing the week's coffee water)... Imagine their looks when I start dribbling chemicals in their drinks. (Edit: Which is to mean of course that I'm definitely going to do it.)
@insomniafuel0005 жыл бұрын
tell them you brew your coffee beans with dihydrogen monoxide (make sure you don't switch it with hydrogen peroxyde)
@anthonyburley33275 жыл бұрын
Sounds like your friends just dont like coffee
@jameswhitaker28045 жыл бұрын
SpookyFM, my wife got me drinking coffee a couple years ago when I was not a fan of coffee at all. She loves strong coffee and her favorite right now is a dark roast. Now that I have found this channel, I’m weighing my beans and water each morning. She looks at me like I’m nuts. I just can’t start adding things to my water, let alone my coffee after I’ve brewed it. Lol.
@EricPetersen29225 жыл бұрын
SpookyFM - lol, that’s so funny. I totally understand! Best regards
@spookyfm48795 жыл бұрын
@@insomniafuel000 Haha, that's a great idea! I'm going to put a "dihydrogen monoxide" label on our water filter or something.
@thundertrunks15 жыл бұрын
Great video, Mr. Hoffman. Some cheap pH paper off Amazon would give you a way to relate a number value to the level of acidity you are sensing in the coffee. It would be interesting to see how much the pH is actually changing with brewing with alkaline water vs adding alkaline water.
@whatthe24583 жыл бұрын
What’s the pH I should try to get?
@malcolmdinz19125 жыл бұрын
I love this awesome Weird Coffee Science series! It's so hard to find similar things like this around, keep up the good work James :D
@joebeery68424 жыл бұрын
I've commented this here before, but OH MY GOODNESS I love your cinematography, on top of positively adoring your content. Thank you for being a truly sterling part of this world, James. What you do is beautiful, and as Plato put it, "The Good is Beautiful."
@milogil905 жыл бұрын
This is honestly your best video out there. Even though everyone of them are super informative, this one tops it. I see this being used, definitely!
@DonYasuda5 жыл бұрын
6:49 it doesn't hurt my face... WHAHAHA classic hoffmann! gotta love the hoff! make a tshirt with this quote!
@sixgummeybears3 жыл бұрын
The is a super cool experiment and encouraged me to do some testing of my own. I have a delicious, very floral light roasted coffee that I usually drink as V60 pourover. In the past I tried making espresso with it in my Flair, but the result was always very acidic. The wonderful floral notes came through, but were somewhat drowned out by the acidity. After watching your video I mixed up 200g water to 1.3g baking soda per your instructions, and added 2g of that directly to the brew chamber on my Flair before filling it with the brew water. I loaded my Flair with 15g of coffee and pulled a 30g shot. It was wonderful! The acidity in my shot was reduced (though not gone) and the floral notes of the coffee shone through in a bright and tasty espresso. Thank you for the wonderful tip!
@tomoxfford5 жыл бұрын
Why I bicarb my cup not my water... oooh wait, wrong channel. Haha - the Venn for this is so special!
@MrHamed994 жыл бұрын
Why I bicarb my espresso machine and not my cup
@ImBarryScottCSS3 жыл бұрын
@@MrHamed99 Why I bicarb my mouth and not my coffee.
@harrisonva49505 жыл бұрын
James, this is such an intriguing experiment, and one which i’ll definitely be partaking in. Making a dropper bottle of high alkaline water at this very moment (as i’m drinking some Vichy Catalan, appropriately) to test it out at home and various coffee shops to see how it affects flavour of different origin coffees, on ristretto & espresso. Also a huge congrats on the 100k, and thank you for all the great content, for your honest in depth & sincere reviews, and pushing the world of coffee to new heights.
@Jettbot5 жыл бұрын
Isn't this why there's a historical practice of adding egg-shells alkalinity to some brews? BTW As a roaster in South East Asia and a coffee history nerd, I'm really loving your channel's coverage of relevant topics. Keep up the great work
@mitchhale96925 жыл бұрын
Tried this a while back, and it's super interesting. A neat side effect is that lower bicarb water has lower viscosity, so if you use this trick to lower the bicarb of your brew water, you can grind a little finer too. Another neat little effect is that if you add a lot of it at once the espresso actually foams up like new crema is appearing out of nowhere. Not the most practical magic trick, though, since enough bicarb to do that tends to ruin the shot.
@jeremiah_t5 жыл бұрын
Love these kind of vidoes, ever since I watched your video about removing crema from americanos i've been mostly hacking my blacks that way. It's great that you put your ideas into motion and record experiments like this, big fan!
@HZ-fg9sf3 жыл бұрын
Thank you for confirming I am not weird lol. I already put a pinch of either baking soda or salt in my coffee and everytime I am with company, they always question me about it lol. I was only doing as a "flavor enhancer" without thinking about the science behind it but it makes sense. 👍
@alexcrouse3 жыл бұрын
I was so shocked at how effective this is i said expletives out loud in my reaction while alone in my kitchen. Fantastic tip, James!
@jorhay12 жыл бұрын
One of the few comments of someone actually trying it. Thanks!
@MattHowellOD5 жыл бұрын
Congrats on earning a Silver Play Button!! I'm very curious to see how I like a more buffered shot, because high acidity is my favorite attribute of espresso. I'll drop another comment once I try it out.
@redmenace39215 жыл бұрын
So I saw that you were using a Sage/Breville machine for your tests. Breville states that they do not recommend water from reverse osmosis filtration for use in their espresso machines because it lacks the necessary mineral content needed for their sensors to operate. So I'm adding a splash of tap water to my tank each time I fill it up with water form my large filtration system. All that to say, I have no idea what my water chemistry actually is and I was one of those who wanted this video to be THAT video about water chemistry. :D Congratulations, James, on the 100K milestone. You're seriously knocking it out of the park content wise!
@space.youtube5 жыл бұрын
The reason they suggest not using reverse osmosis filtered water is because it's really corrosive and doesn't make good tasting coffee. Use the 'water hardness' strip provided with the machine, then go into settings and set 'water hardness' accordingly. It'll determine the cleaning cycle and internal filter change intervals.
@redmenace39215 жыл бұрын
@@space.youtube actuality they state quite clearly that it's about their sensors and taste. www.brevilleusasupport.com/bes900xl/troubleshooting/ see the section about the importance of water. As for the corrosiveness of the water, I'll have to look into that. They do not provide a test strip with the model I have here in the US.
@memoandino4 жыл бұрын
I had been contemplating adding bicarbonate recently because of a highly acidic cup of espresso I had. The good thing about bicarbonate is that it will turn into a sodium salt with components that are in the coffee and if you use the right amount you will not be tasting bicarbonate at all but the reduced amount of acid and a very dilute organic sodium salt solution. With your simple test and facial reaction I feel more validated to try to use bicarbonate in certain instances. The acids present in coffee are what give it some of its complex flavor profile, but it is clear that some types will for whatever reason be too acidic. Thanks for your honest, elegant and informative videos!
@chrishamillis5 жыл бұрын
100k subs congrats james !
@springfieldleo61845 жыл бұрын
Somehow, I thought I've seen this topic somewhere before, and I went back to check it and found that, indeed, Jonathan from Coffee Ad Astra posted in one of his blogs saying that he once messed up with the brewing water but found it amendable by adding bicarb afterwards. So, rather than playing a role directly in coffee extraction, bicarb may have more to do with the taste of it. And today, we have our Mr.Hoffmann, the business owner, the coffee professional, the yesterday champion, the necromancer, the fine KZbinr loved by his patreons and sponsored by fine companies, look into the topic! Chemistry is lovely, we should talk about it more Lol.
@patrickstanger93375 жыл бұрын
Super cool video! In a field like coffee where things often feel very regimented and prescribed, I love that you're showing that there can be a lot of room for curiosity and experimentation too. One question, as an owner/maintainer of the espresso machine you used: Did you flush the boiler when you changed the water? The brew boiler isn't large, but it holds a few shots worth of water and I could see it affecting the actual water makeup if some care isn't taken
@SimonDanellPiano5 жыл бұрын
Congratulations to 100k! Very well deserved!
@willthedingo5 жыл бұрын
Oh my, I am TOTALLY going to give this a good try. I have been dialling in an old Gaggia Baby 91 that's cost me just $20 and a bottle of descale liquid. It, like most Italian machines, has 0 chill and the pump gets some awesome but acidic shots when I get a great tamp down. Still getting as much practice in as possible, but the beans I have have such a spicy, back of throat kick with the acidity with a bright fruity cherry note that it's a bit hard to drink without some Coffee Mate. (Terrible, I know!) I will definitely give this a try. I'm a lover of kitchen science/chemistry, especially food chemistry. I look forward to seeing what I can get out of these beans.
@duriorYT5 жыл бұрын
4:30 minutes into the video. James: Let's use a filter-roasted Kenyan as base for this experiment. Me: Oh boy, I can't wait for his expression when he tastes it :-)
@Jenny-bc1lr4 жыл бұрын
The free espresso at my workplace is the most acidic I have ever tasted, to the point where it curdles my non-dairy lattes. I found that it doesn't take much sodium bicarbonate to fix the coffee, just the smallest pinch, and with that amount you don't really taste the sodium bicarbonate. It completely neutralizes the tart taste of the coffee as well and makes it really smooth when I drink it as an americano. I have kept a mason jar of the white powder with me at the workplace since this discovery. People really should just try it. It really doesn't need to be an exact science of the trying to create a buffer recipe with final molar concentrations, monitoring the pH... just add a small pinch, then if it's not enough add more. If it's too much then add somewhere in the middle. People seem to be too scared to actually just try it out but the worst that would happen is you just made a bad cup of coffee even worse.
@alansaxon3 жыл бұрын
Just got myself some fab Kenyan yesterday and as expected it’s incredibly sour when I pull a shot so definitely going to try this over adding sugar. Thanks James.
@ApplepieFTW5 жыл бұрын
This video is great, do one where you really talk about the influence of the minerals on taste! I'm sure there are more people interested in a bit of extra chemistry
@brandonb94525 жыл бұрын
Hoffman, Brilliant. Canadian here. Might not be relevant to this specific video but about two weeks ago I commented on one of Hoffman’s videos, having just discovered him. I said in that comment that I feel like I could taste a hundred coffees and notice no difference. Goodness was I wrong. I did not spend a single dime, Just listened to what Hoffman had to say. And wow, my coffee experience has changed. I’m still uncomfortable saying that phrase. But those simple alterations really made major changes in how much I need to add to my coffee before it’s palatable. It doesn’t need any improvement anymore, no sugar or flavouring. Hoffman you’re a magician (Scientist, Professor, mentor) But magician
@brandonb94525 жыл бұрын
*Hoffmann
@brandonb94525 жыл бұрын
James Hoffman liked my comment😊 lovely. Also wow I sound like a fanboy. Idk I didn’t think an improvement in coffee skills would really improve my situation this much. Of course this channel teaches a lot deeper than hot beverages.
@instantkamera5 жыл бұрын
What I liked most about this video is the premise; that certain coffees are simply going to be very acidic as espresso, even when "properly" extracted. I always tell people who are struggling with tart espresso to dilute it down to brew strength. If it tastes great, then you aren't likely suffering from under-extraction so much as you are experiencing the full force of that coffee's natural acidity. This is a subjective thing, and everyone's tolerance/perception will be different but - like you mentioned - those shots are probably still complex, sweet, and aromatic, it's just difficult to get past the palate-wrecking nature of acidity. This is why I think it's silly to put espresso in a box, where it has to be "this one way/thing", because you are just robbing the potential for greater enjoyment of a given coffee by forcing it into a predetermined mold.
@BaysviewPg4 жыл бұрын
Watching most of the videos from others, this really stands out which explained the properties in technical aspect. Excellent!
@kyleplancich90745 жыл бұрын
Wow, This is really great! Thank you so much, James, for sharing this. This is the first video I've seen of you.
@lala77015 жыл бұрын
I love this weird vintage footage in the beginning and also love your coffee science series! please continue.
@eliotplatt65825 жыл бұрын
in my house where we are all dairy free, most single origin beans we get split when mixed with soy milk, and adding a bit of bicarb can sometimes fix that, i think this is the same effect, but explained a lot better. but we always put too much in and can taste the bicarb, need to do the dropper thing. great video
@richardbruner26744 жыл бұрын
I really appreciate that you link the name of the music used in your videos. Oh and the video is also great! Cheers & greetings from Germany
@howienordstrom12902 жыл бұрын
"Oooh", with a smile. Only James could pull that off. 🤗
@jeremytan22615 жыл бұрын
Love this test. Could you possibly do a video about the concept of freezing and/or refrigerating beans? Whether or not it preserves flavour and extend expiration. Maybe some blind tests?
@trumanseverson5 жыл бұрын
Hi James! thank you for this video in particular. At my cafe we only brew single origin coffees (for both filter and espresso) and have a particular bend toward washed Ethiopian coffees. We have played around in the past with seasoning espressos after brewing with just a few drops of a 20% saline solution (á la Dave Arnold) with enjoyable results. We've also added small amounts of a solution of isomalt to intensify mouthfeel, we've also played with isomalt in our iced coffee (a modified version of Windelboe's sugar in the iced coffee) but ultimately these techniques have never seen day to day service because of what amounts in my head to a fundamental lack of understand of my role. I'm not sure if my job is to showcase coffees, I.E. source, brew, and serve them as best I can or if it's to make the tastiest drinks I can. is modifying a coffee post-brew somehow disingenuous? is it faking? or is it our duty to make the tastiest coffees by any means available? I'd love to know your thoughts.
@Paulilondo3 жыл бұрын
I love the intro of this series so much!!
@AluminiumPanda65 жыл бұрын
Love this! As I've been exploring espresso more, I find that ones that I get from most cafes are extremely sour... I might have to sneak some of this along with me.
@123Coffs3 жыл бұрын
This is so true. Every other espresso I get at a coffee shop is sour. Do they just not know what they are doing??? I read that sourness is typically caused by low water temp and/or too fast of an extraction. It’s very common though. I thought it was just poor quality beans until I looked into it more
@beanandcomeandgone5 жыл бұрын
This is the video I have waited my entire life for.
@AMTunLimited5 жыл бұрын
Random thought: so salt (like ordinary table salt) changes your perception of coffee by reducing bitterness. Specifically, the sodium ion actually changes how the butter taste receptors react in your mouth, inhibiting them. When you've mixed in the sodium bicarbonate, you're releasing sodium ions into the drink (I think. My stoichiometry might be off, it's been a while). This can affect how you actually taste the coffee and might be the other "changes" you taste in the espresso. Thoughts? Also, salt in coffee could be something to explore. I know a small pinch in the grounds has made some very cheap coffees somewhat more bearable for me.
@EversonBernardes5 жыл бұрын
Bicarbonate is actually forming salts with the acids, mainly sodium citrate, malate and quinate. Those vary in taste from "salty" (malate) to slightly sour (citrate) and somewhat bitter (quinate).
@RayCornett4 жыл бұрын
I mentioned adding SB(baking soda) to your coffee in a previous video's comment section. It has been done here by many for decades. Adding just a pinch to a pot of coffee really can round out the flavors.
@herban7533 Жыл бұрын
This is so cool. I watched this video a while back, when getting into coffee, but I forgot most of this info. Today I brewed an AeroPress and an espresso with Evian water, which is a very hard water. The espresso tasted amazing, the sourness of the light roast was toned down to allow me to enjoy the flavor a lot more. The AeroPress, however, was a little bit bland. I like it better with soft water. Can't wait to try this experiment with a V60.
@dn-yg5hg3 жыл бұрын
Well, just went and added some sodium bicarbonate directly into my portafilter of a double espresso of my decaf coffee. I use the Swiss Water version of the decaf, and I found it very sour. No amount of fiddling with grind and ratios would seem to make any difference. But this does the trick. Will still have to experiment, and I know that adding it into portafilter makes for the most inconsistent method, but it works, and that is the most important thing. Thank you James, oh so much, for teaching me how to make and enjoy coffee
@spaghetticode31075 жыл бұрын
Thanks for the interesting insight James. Now time to find a coffee shop that will let me play with their Machine
@RaynmanPlays11 ай бұрын
I used to add baking soda to a certain coffee drink I used to make. I did it specifically to neutralize the acidity in both the coffee as well as the cocoa powder. It worked pretty well.
@natzhao32605 жыл бұрын
I have seen in many coffee shops where they serve a glass of sparkling water, (it could be soda water, which is basic whereas sparkling is acidic) with my espresso. Your video made me wonder if this maybe an establish thing or they are doing it for some other reason. For me I treated the sparkling(or soda water) like a chaser that I drink after the espresso which mellows the harshness in the throat. Anyway I don’t reckon it’s weird at all, some espresso are quite concentrated, and I would do anything to mellow down a sour espresso. It’s like adding water to whisky.
@natzhao32605 жыл бұрын
Kingeresident I can’t remember most of them, there is one that I remember, it’s called Dolce Espresso I think in Doncaster
@autoexec53675 жыл бұрын
Will definitely try this out over the weekend!
@anthonyburley33275 жыл бұрын
This is brilliant, for those of you who dislike milks in you coffe this is a great way to round out the sourness of a shot I tried it and loved it.
@danielnewman4876 Жыл бұрын
It works, you fixed my precious coffee, thank you so much, so much more flavorful and enjoyable
@jasonbollman5 жыл бұрын
Mind Blown! I have to try this. Thanks James!
@JimTatol3 жыл бұрын
I traveled through quite a bit of Italy in the late 80s and noticed in the coffee shops many people who ordered espressos put a pinch of a white crystal into their drinks. I picked up the container they were dispensing from and put a bit in my hand, low and behold it was salt. I'll be trying the bicarbonate tomorrow, sounds intriguing.
@baristajetiaquino62984 жыл бұрын
Hi im your biggest supporter here in KSA im from phillipines im always watching your vlogs thank and will support all of it
@lillowisp4 жыл бұрын
I did that, and I was quite surprised. Texture does change a little bit, but the change in my opinion is pleasant. I have to try making a long black now, that might be interesting ...
@23b8234 жыл бұрын
The point of buffer solutions is to *maintain* a certain pH range, keeping your solutions pH from changing to unfavorable levels. This is technically just adding a basic solution to raise the pH.
@schnoedel5 жыл бұрын
I have not tried it yet, but as a chemistry student i have to say: Sounds great! :D
@MegatronAngel3 жыл бұрын
You should also try this with tea. OMG, the tea makes in 1/4 of the time and is soooo mellow! WOW!
@Ψυχήμίασμα3 жыл бұрын
If your tea is sour, you're using the wrong tea or steeping for 3 hours or something, lol. Fine black teas, like a Chinese Keemun or a Ceylon, when brewed right, are naturally mellow already. Greens and oolongs are of course entirely smooth because it's green and oolong. And even if you have some astringency, adding a splash of milk like the Brits do will do the trick.
@GlenHefner5 жыл бұрын
This was like a trip down memory lane back to my days studying petrol lab analytics. I will certainly be trying this soon as I have an anaerobic honey processed Ethiopian that is just awfully sour as espresso.
@damfadd5 жыл бұрын
just what i had the other day... bloody horrible ans very unenjoyable
@dannymars5 ай бұрын
Sodium ions don’t generally produce scale. In fact commonly in industrial uses we use resin filters that replace calcium ions with sodium to prevent scale buildup in boilers and other equipment where heated water is needed.
@TheNigelfinley5 жыл бұрын
It's brilliant! Now I'm googling and shopping for a TDS mesuring thingamajig....Congratulation on the 100K!
@AZEOforreal4 жыл бұрын
Actually need this. My shots have been so sour. Haven't seen the video yet, I'm excited
@effortlesschange4 жыл бұрын
Hello Mr. Hoffmann. A pleasure. Now adding sodium bicarbonate is about the best agent of alkalinity possible. No better choice to make so far. I can add this to your info: By adding bicarbonate to your coffee after extraction you do not change the extraction process itself but you cause more of the acids already present in the cup of espresso to stay in your body beacause they are already bound and neutralized and thus not perceived as acid anymore. So everything you explained is actually right, but adding bicarbonate can better the taste of acidic coffee at the expense of more acid accumulation in your body on long term conpared to not using bicarbonate.
@rubenrios1133 жыл бұрын
You are on the right track. Bicarbonate of soda helps release carbon dioxide at about 80 degrees celcius. I have added it to my expresso to the middle of the grind before tamping. As it brews thru the grind it produces a less acidic taste. Thanks for doing this video.
@colinjudge12614 жыл бұрын
Recently I've been making moka pot "espresso" using beans that are intended for filter coffee. The result is an intense, fruity drink, that is honestly a little too sour to enjoy fully. Some of that sourness can be balanced by allowing the moka to brew more of the bitter notes at the end. But the best results come when turning that fruity, sour, concentrated shot into a milk drink. The heated milk provides the sugar, which (as you said) serves to harmonise the acidity. The result is a cappuccino-style drink that everyone I've served it to has commented on being one of the best coffees they've ever had. And I'm a coffee newbie (hooray for lockdown!). I think this opens up a whole other door for coffee lovers. Not everyone loves dark roasts, but they're what's predominantly used in espresso and, therefore, espresso-based drinks. But by changing your approach, and embracing the factors that compliment sourness, you can make drinks that massively outperform the traditional recipes for those people whose tastes lean towards light-roasts. Experiment, dear coffee lovers!
@enesmuslu76564 жыл бұрын
He looks very caffeinated during the results and conclusion section. It's great.
@farflebfarfle5 жыл бұрын
Another superb piece of coffee-related YT content. Cheers!
@cassia_cries5 жыл бұрын
totally tempted to wander round speciality cafes with a dropper bottle 😂 mostly thinking of my mum complaining about bi carb flavour
@krishdhruve14035 жыл бұрын
Unusually amused by James adding chemicals to espresso - keep the unexpected stuff up!
@Bibimmomma Жыл бұрын
Such an interesting video! This is the video that prompted me to subscribe!
@lucas.ruault5 жыл бұрын
This is such an interesting and fun experiment! Also, congratulations on hitting the 100k mark! ☕️❤️
@SanguinarySun5 жыл бұрын
At the shop I work at, we make a form of iced americano using Topo Chico Mineral water, and it makes the espresso wildly calmer tasting. I want to try adding a bit of flat mineral water to an espresso and tasting it to see if it tames the acidity.
@SeanTiernan5 жыл бұрын
Thanks again James for another wonderful video. I love the science behind coffee, I think about it daily. I may or may not try this experiment but I love the thought process of this. I have wondered many a time, after extracting a shot for a customer and smelling the aroma and it sitting very high in my nose, why all the others beforehand sat nicely balanced in the middle. It then leads me to think, did my scale lag, did my grinder skip a little during dosing, maybe I didn't distribute the coffee in my basket well enough, maybe my tamp wasn't even. I have to say that I've never thought about the water quality I am using. So thank you!! Any baristas here thinking, how funny would it be when a customer returns a coffee saying it tastes burnt or very acidic/sour to shake some bi-carb into the cup and give it a good stir. The expression on the customers face would be priceless. 🤣😂🤣😂
@coachsteve.5 жыл бұрын
Very interesting. I worry that lesser shops would use this to compensate for under-extracted and poorly brewed coffee.
@jameshoffmann5 жыл бұрын
It doesn’t disguise quality, defective roasts or green coffees will still taste bad
@panp12225 жыл бұрын
100k subs congrats!!! keep up the good job
@Chiro755 жыл бұрын
Does the high-buffer water create any precipitates in the espresso? What about the sodium, what’s happening to it and are you getting any salty flavors?
@pirminborer6254 жыл бұрын
I did not taste salty flavours but added the bicarbonate directly to the grounds. It really changed an acid roast to a sweet, chocolatey well bodied espresso. I was amazed.
@ivand48945 жыл бұрын
Very interesting James! it may seem like a huge thing. But there will be different bottled waters which have bigger differences in alkalinity than these drops. So this is a very nice experiment. And maybe some factories are using this trick to make super cheap made coffee drinkable?
@vitalysavicks67562 жыл бұрын
Wow, this hack is amazing. I've just got an old Pavoni and keep getting super sour coffee. I don't have a grinder, so probably getting a not perfect grind and underroasted coffee (supermarket stuff unfortunately). Reducing the acidity with this makes a huge difference
@daniel.lopresti2 жыл бұрын
Just rediscovering an old Pavoni Professional these last few days which my parents were given years ago - it was gathering dust, but I remember having used it years ago and it made pretty weak sour shots (and I didn't have a clue about coffee back then). I'd say it's most likely the supermarket pre-ground coffee as you say, which is not quite fine enough - but more likely over- than under-roasted, especially if the texture/thickness is good but it's just too acidic.
@scuber983 жыл бұрын
That first sip, where you are almost in shock, this is me literally every morning. 🤦🏻♂️
@samroesch5 жыл бұрын
Very interesting. I often think making espresso is like mixing a cocktail where all the ingredients (salt/acid/sugar/bitter) come out of the same bottle but at different times. James just added a second bottle.
@cakeprophet4 жыл бұрын
A light roast like this is perfect for making an Americano, because all the water dilutes the acidity back to filter coffee levels.
@jacquesdutoit38815 жыл бұрын
Since you are specifically interested in neutralizing some of the acid in a shot of espresso, why use a buffer at all? Why not use a base? Something like potassium hydroxide can be used in a very small quantity to balance the drink. Regardless of what chemical is used, it could also be added as dry crystals. This way you won't be diluting your shot. Congrats on the 100k subs :)
@jameshoffmann5 жыл бұрын
I like recommending things that are food safe, easy to use and hard to damage yourself with. Also, adding a liquid like this is easier because most people don’t have 0.01g scales which you’d need for doing this accurately
@jacquesdutoit38815 жыл бұрын
@@jameshoffmann That's fair. People could hurt themselves when using a strong or impure chemical. I would still be curious to see what results one might get doing in a similar way.
@SeriousTyro4 жыл бұрын
Thanks for the video. No matter how much dialing I did, there was always a sour taste to it. Now I realize it was the reverse osmosis water.
@kdcm66902 жыл бұрын
I tried it. The Bicarb of Soda definitely changes the flavour of the coffee. The acidity was not completely removed.
@dan1100245 жыл бұрын
A super easy way of measuring small amounts of concentrate is by using little 10ml syringes with the millilitre markings up the side. It's how I mix up my jugs of water that I use for brewing and in the machine.
@MrSyuleiman5 жыл бұрын
I always add mineral water to my expreso . It almost brings out the flavour more idk why. A bitter shot becomes really well defined and balanced.
@JacobJonesy5 жыл бұрын
It would have been interesting if you measured the PH of everything as you went.
@hobbesscott10144 жыл бұрын
Try adding anhydrous buffer on top of the portafilter puck before extraction.