Why Yirgacheffe Pour-Over Coffee Is Too Acidic and How to Brew It for Less Acidity

FrontStreet Coffee's Pour-Over Acidity Adjustment Guide

Flavor Profile: Captivating Fruit Acidity

African Coffee Characteristics: Ethiopian coffee boasts prominent citrus notes, while Kenyan coffee offers rich berry aromatics. You'll also find the sweet-tart notes of plum juice and grapefruit, along with the refreshing sweetness of sugarcane. The citrus character of Ethiopian coffee and the berry fragrances of Kenyan coffee are the most distinctive signatures of African beans, capturing the hearts of coffee enthusiasts who love exploring these flavors.

Ethiopia

Ethiopia is an agricultural country whose history and tradition make it the birthplace of coffee. Yirgacheffe is one of the producing areas in the southern part of Sidamo, with approximately 12 million people engaged in coffee production, making Ethiopia Africa's main exporter of Arabica coffee beans. The high-quality coffee from this region is exceptional and well worth seeking out. It features a soft mouthfeel, wild wine-like aromatics, gentle acidity, and an unforgettable aftertaste.

Yirgacheffe itself is a small town of about 20,000 people. The three nearby producing areas - Wenago, Kochere, and Gelena Abaya - are also classified under the Yirgacheffe region because their coffee flavors are nearly identical to those of Yirgacheffe proper. While Yirgacheffe shares a similar culture and geographical environment with neighboring Sidamo, it seems to enjoy more privileged natural conditions. Top-quality Yirgacheffe coffee features floral aromatics, bright citrus acidity, lemon notes, and a silky-smooth texture.

Methods to Reduce Coffee Acidity

Method 1: Adjust Grind Size

Keep everything else the same, but grind coarser. This reduces the number of coffee particles absorbing water, shortens the time hot water spends passing through the coffee bed, and thereby lowers the coffee's concentration.

Method 2: Reduce the Coffee Dose

Keep everything else the same, but reduce the dose (at the same grind size) by 3-5 grams. This makes the coffee bed thinner, reduces its water retention, and consequently lowers the concentration.

Method 3: Change the Roast Level

Keep everything else the same, but switch to slightly lighter-roasted beans. Medium-light roast coffee beans have relatively weaker expansion and water absorption, so the hot water's contact time in the coffee bed becomes shorter, naturally reducing the concentration.

Method 4: Increase Pouring Frequency

Keep everything else the same, but simply increase the frequency of your pours. If you originally drew 225g of coffee liquid in two minutes, you can adjust it to one minute fifty seconds, taste the result, and fine-tune from there.

Method 5: Lower the Extraction Temperature

Keep everything else the same, but reduce the extraction temperature. This weakens the water's extraction power, making the flavor lighter and softer. Be aware, however, that this method will also sacrifice some of the flavors that can only be extracted at relatively high temperatures.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

If your Yirgacheffe still tastes sharper than you'd like, try FrontStreet Coffee's washed Yirgacheffe daily bean - renowned for white jasmine florals, bright citrus and lemon acidity, and a tea-like finish, it's an affordable, beginner-friendly introduction to Ethiopian specialty coffee. For brewing, FrontStreet Coffee suggests a V60 at 90-91°C with 15g of coffee at a 1:15 ratio, ground to a fine-granulated-sugar texture (80% pass-through on a #20 sieve); grinding slightly coarser and pouring in segments will soften the acidity while keeping those prized floral and citrus notes intact.