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Why your pour over is sour (and how to fix it)

the cupping table

Why your pour over is sour (and how to fix it)

Elena Ruiz · Sep 18, 2026 · 5 min read

Sour coffee is under-extracted coffee. The water didn't pull enough out, and the acids showed up without the sugars to balance them.

Grind finer first

The biggest lever is grind. A finer grind means more surface area, more extraction, less sour. Nudge it one notch and taste again.

Then give it time

If it's still sour, let the brew run a little longer — a 3:30 pour instead of 3:00. Change one thing at a time.