Acids in Coffee
Learn about organic acids in coffee, perceived acidity, roast effects and why acidity is not synonymous with sourness.
Acidity as a sensory property
In coffee tasting, acidity can describe a pleasant sensation of liveliness or brightness. Chemically, coffee contains several organic acids, but the sensory perception is not reducible to a single acid.
Important acids
Citric, malic, acetic, lactic and other acids may be present in coffee. Their concentrations vary with species, origin, processing and roast.
Roasting changes acids
Roasting changes the concentration and balance of many acids. Generally, prolonged roasting changes or reduces some acids while generating other compounds through thermal reactions.
Acidity versus sourness
Acidity is a sensory descriptor; sourness is a taste sensation that can become unpleasant when extraction or composition is unbalanced. High perceived acidity does not automatically mean defective coffee.
Continue exploring
Green coffee
Follow coffee from plant and cherry through processing, drying, milling and storage.
Green coffee →Coffee chemistry
Explore the compounds and reactions that shape roasted coffee.
Coffee chemistry →Coffee extraction
Connect grind, water, temperature, time, concentration and extraction.
Coffee extraction →Coffee Knowledge presents technical subjects as an educational reference. Terminology, grading systems and production practices can vary by country, producer, equipment and commercial context.