# Sour smelling Grind



## Gavin (Mar 30, 2014)

Hi,

Ive bought a gaggia classic and a rocky grinder recently. Ive been learning the ropes and getting some decent results with coffee beans bought from my local coffee chain (Coffee #1) However, today i bought some fancy coffee from a specialist in bristol.

I ground them and the espresso is so sour! Ive tried multiple grind settings with the same result.

I have noticed that the ground coffee beans smell as bad as the coffee tastes when I've tamped it in the basket. Does this mean there's a problem with the grinder?

any help would be appreciated. Thanks.


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

What beans are you using?


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## Daren (Jan 16, 2012)

How do the beans smell before you grind them? Have you tried mashing a few up with the back of a spoon and smelling them?


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## Gavin (Mar 30, 2014)

Finca la Primavera


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

Would be a good idea to cup them to get a good idea.


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## Gavin (Mar 30, 2014)

The beans smell like a dream in the bag. Not quite as good when crushed with a spoon although its tough for a novice to tell.

I tried grind settings to the point of a slow extraction to a fast one. Tasted dreadful each time.

What is a 'cupping'?


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## DavecUK (Aug 6, 2013)

Gavin said:


> The beans smell like a dream in the bag. Not quite as good when crushed with a spoon although its tough for a novice to tell.
> 
> I tried grind settings to the point of a slow extraction to a fast one. Tasted dreadful each time.
> 
> What is a 'cupping'?


Cut a few beans in half with a stanley knife, the post a photo


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

Gavin said:


> What is a 'cupping'?


Have a look at this guide to cupping.

http://www.hasbean.co.uk/blogs/articles/6488501-coffee-cupping-a-basic-introduction

Cupping is a sort of 'back to basics'. It allows you to check a coffee's characteristics - flavour/aromas etc. Good way of checking if there is something wrong with the beans too. If the beans came with some tasting notes - great - use these to compare with your experience. If there aren't any tasting notes - get in touch with the place you bought the beans from and ask them for some.

Cupping will resolve if it's the beans or your extraction technique - under-extraction and/or low extraction temperature - both can cause sour tasting shots.


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## aaronb (Nov 16, 2012)

Who did you buy the beans from?

Was it Small st by any chance? Square Mile beans? They can be very difficult to get right, but when you do they are fantastic. You may have to look into temp surfing on the classic.

What grinder are you using, and have you got the unpressurised basket?


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## Milanski (Oct 10, 2013)

I don't know these beans but they may be a light roast and if you've not been exposed to third-wave espresso then this may be the issue.

I know the Yirgacheffe blew my mind the first time I had one after years of Italian roasts!


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## welshrarebit (Apr 17, 2014)

What was the roast date on the beans?


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## Gavin (Mar 30, 2014)

Pictures of beans enclosed. The roast date is 8/4/13. They're from the Full Court Press shop.

The grinder is a rancilio Rocky. Ive got an unpressurised basket.


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## aaronb (Nov 16, 2012)

Full Court Press seem to have a rotation of roasters, and I cant see from a quick glance at their FB page which roaster this is from.

Do the beans look lighter than you usually get? I suspect you generally get slightly darker roasts, and this is very light (sorry to generalise, correct me if I'm wrong).

There are some people who find anything from the likes of Square Mile horrible and sour (they always go for darker roasts).

Lighter roasted beans can often also produce a sour shot if your temp is off a few degrees, or your dose is off a gram +/- but when you hit the sweet spot they taste amazing! This is why I suggested reading up on temperature surfing, and tryign various doses to see what tastes nice (it's amazing how much difference in the cup there can be between 16.0g and 17.0g for instance).

There is also the possibility that the roast was bad, and they somehow missed QC. From reputable roasters this is extremely rare though, and you'd think the shop would have picked up on it if they are using it.

You can always mention it to the shop you bought it from, see if they have any tips?


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## Dylan (Dec 5, 2011)

Light roasts can be very difficult to get right, I always favour darker roasts just to make it easier on myself.

Do make sure all your equipment is heated up, including the portafilter and basket.

I think generally grind a touch finer and brew a touch hotter, its all a guessing game on a classic, but try flicking the steam switch on for 5-10 seconds before hitting the brew switch and see if it imporves the characteristics of the taste in the cup.


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## Scotford (Apr 24, 2014)

Speak to the roaster that you got them from, ask what kind of dose, extraction temp/time and grind you should be looking at. Any roaster worth their salt should at least be willing to help get the most from their beans .


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## Gavin (Mar 30, 2014)

Quick update, I experimented a few times mucking about with the steam switch. It seems the longer I held the steam switch i.e. The hotter the boiler, the better the coffee tasted (still not too good though) I think i'll grind finer a go hotter.

Its all a bit trail and error. Plus i hate wasting all these beans.


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## Gavin (Mar 30, 2014)

aaronb said:


> Full Court Press seem to have a rotation of roasters, and I cant see from a quick glance at their FB page which roaster this is from.
> 
> Do the beans look lighter than you usually get? I suspect you generally get slightly darker roasts, and this is very light (sorry to generalise, correct me if I'm wrong).
> 
> ...


yes the beans are very light, as is the coffee on extraction (relative to the usual). I'll continue experimenting.


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## DavecUK (Aug 6, 2013)

Beans look fine, the worrying thing was you said it smelt sour when you ground them.....but looking at them, nothing appears to be wrong. Cutting them open has shown what looks to be an even roast development through the bean. So "cooked on the inside as well". it's unlikely that there were loads of defective beans in the batch, otherwise the roaster would have noticed when they were "in the green" and they don't look excessively light, but hard to tell from a photo. So not sure what is happening?


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