HOW TO FIX SOUR ESPRESSO: 4 Easy Tips 

The more I learn about espresso, the less I know about espresso...

"it is annoying" sums up the process of dialing in espresso perfectly! I love it now I've learned more about dialing in but it was definitely hard to begin with! I can't think of many food/drink preparations that are so finicky to get right. Tiny changes in particle size or a few extra ml extracted can be the difference between perfection and a bitter or sour coffee. When it's right though, it can be incredible. Great content as always!

Best explanation I’ve ever seen in my 10 years of sour/bitter shots. Very understandable.

I've had that reaction to sour espresso, but I've never had the echo, no matter how loud I yell. That only comes from being a TRUE Espresso Master. Great video as always Lance!

Once I was so desperate from going finer and finer and still getting sour that I just went in the other direction because what the heck else I was supposed to do. And you guessed it, I got sweeter! that was a revelation. And now I finally understand why and hopefully will be able to make a more informed decision in future. Thanks Lance!

Bruh is a genius. IQ 9000. A coffee master in every possible way. Great teaching, amazing video quality.

I've been watching some of your older uploads... and then I watch this one. The step up in presentation is phenomenal dude!

Great video!! I was struggling because I was trying to pull a 30g shot from 20g of medium roasted beans and no matter what grind size I was using it was tasting sour. Upped it to 35 and suddenly the shot was sweet! Subscribed ❤️🤝

Lance this is the best video on explaining the concepts of coffee extraction. You have a super human talent for breaking things down and making them easy to understand. Well done !!

Tried my first straight espresso shot this morning…and it was the worst taste I’ve ever had from a drink. 🤣 So thankful for your video and RU-vid’s algorithm this morning.

If after all of that, you can’t drink that espresso because is still “sour “, make a cappuccino, move on and be happy 😂

i always enjoying watching Lance's RU-vid, easy to understand and a strong sense of humor.

I had a regular problem with sour shots when I was experimenting with an early model Flair lever machine. Shots times were good, prep seemed good. Eventually I figured out that the main issue was temperature management, it was difficult to get the temperature of the group high and keep it there during the shot. I had to soak the whole steel group in near boiling water, reassemble it, and then do the shot as fast as possible before it lost too much temperature (without burning my hands). Tricky!

Lance, that is a great detailed video, thanks for your advice. I bought and tested the equipment and it greatly improved the quality of my espresso. Thank-you, so much!

My coffee was constanly sour although I nailed everything to an extent you'd not believe. In the end, the reason was THE TEMPERATURE! It does way more than you think at least for light roast coffee but I guess that's why you are here! So IF YOUR SPECIALTY COFFEE IS STILL SOUR, RAISE YOUR TEMP TO 96 deg C / 205 f and see what happens. MAGIC. From there lower it slowly to fine tune. De rien.

Bless you, letting my shots run longer to the 1:3-1:4 lungo range really cut down on sourness and let alot more sweet flavors through. I'm sure a grinder with finer adjustments, or a better machine would make true proper espresso, but not everyone has the time and money to make 100% perfect shots.

The best thing I ever did for better tasting shots is puck prep, especially WDT. WDT was a game changer for more satisfying espresso. Whether the shots are long, short, middle or turbo... it always tastes better with WDT. It very much helps with the bitter and sour issues.

Dude you nail it every time! Thank you for your help.

I was getting sour espresso on the absolute finest grind setting on my grinder. Was so confused until I realised even at the finest setting my grinder wasn’t grinding fine enough. So I brought out my manual grinder and after a few practice shots, I was getting perfect, delicious espresso. I’m so chuffed!

This video could not have come at a better time for me, i just got a grinder and was so excited to taste the espresso only to find that it was super sour!!

That's really helpful info. Could you create a cheat sheet that lists all those situations and explains how to spot and then to fix them?

Your videos are exactly what most of us need. I just made a sour coffee with proper timing and ratio..and i find this video 😅 thank you! Your hair is amazing ❤

Made what I would consider an unoptimal extraction yesterday and it tastes great and pulled it near perfect today only to be super sour. Glad I found this video

Great video. The scenario of too fine a grind creating a fast extraction is a real sleeper case. Getting puck prep consistent is a must before diagnosing and assuming other culprit.

love the lights

Love the mic a d the voice. Very clear! Great job Lance

I want my Lelit now! BTW Lance, congratulations on the production and editing of your new videos! They are really awesome!

This is great advice man. Thanks. I’ve been struggling with grind size being too fine. I’ll try more coarse to see if things get better.

Depending on the beans I had also great success using the blooming allongé extraction. I get more fruitiness snd and no sourness which is also easily explained by your extraction tipps and tricks

You’re stepping your game up with the intros! Beautifully done!

How's nobody mentioning that insane intro? Amazing work, Lance!

Hi Lance, very informative, hope I can turn it into practice. P.S. 13min. without grasping for air... very good

Great video. Yeah, espresso isn't rocket science, but it isn't simple either. Many people simplify their approach and assume water is going through the puck evenly. Your explanation is straight forward and genius and I have used it with my friends who complain about "sour espresso". Brilliant Sir.

Thanks for the tips. Just pull a sour one: 18g in - 38g out - 60sec. Gonna try coarser grind tomorrow while keeping other variables the same. Really learn something from your explanation! Great job!

A lot of this was basics, but there were a few nuggets that's were super helpful. I'd love the bitter side of this discussion too

thank youuuu for this. I’ve been watching a lot of videos trying to find the answer because mine have been really sour but take too much time to reach the right volume. will go a bit coarser!! tysm

Just saved an under extracted shot of James Hoffman's "Il Grifone" by transferring the puck to my Hario Switch. The under extracted shot in the cup and 180 ml 85 celcius water in the dripper - let it steam for 1 min and release to the cup and mix. Made a very decent cup of coffee and then we dialed in the grind size for a very nice espresso. Zero waste of precious beans.

Curl game intense Lance! 🎉

Great vid Lance! Appreciated the sour v acidic distinction, something I definitely conflate at times. Keep the awesome content coming!

Excellent reminder of some basic principles and timely since I’ve had a lot of sour happening recently. Also kudos for the use of “en flique”, sadly no product or tips will bring back my locks.

I gotchu on them hair products homie. Lmk if you need some curly tips. Love the videos. Keep the tips coming.

Well, that's something we can work with... Many thanks! Mate of mine sold his stuff out off pure frustration 😂

the curls are immaculate Lance. my hair is too short at the moment but do link them in the description box!

Clearer sound quality. Nice.🙂👍🏻

Sometimes sour gets mistaken for acidic. So don't always just pour the shot down the sink. Make a latte with it. And if the sour tasting shot makes a tasty latte.. chances are the shot was acidic and not sour. I recently discovered this when I switched from a high to medium roast coffee bean. I thought my beans were still too fresh and full of CO2. As I thought it was sour tasting. I poured the first couple shots down the sink. Then thought I'll just use the 3rd sour shot in a latte instead of wasting it. The latte tasted just as good as the latte I bought from the coffee shop where I bought the beans from

Thank you Lance. I dont think anyone could have said it better. Yeah go on, link them.

I wish I could give this video a hug!

Thanks!

Lance, when do you start your timer? When you flick the switch or from the first drop ?

Ha!!!! That reaction at the beginning. Too damn funny! 🙌🏻

Great video lance. I went courser and way better. I have an older breville duo temp using a double shot double lined high pressure basket. I think that’s why it was so sour before because I had the grind way to fine

Thanks Hance. That was a lot of help 👌 btw, what effect does pre-infusion have on the taste?

Excellent video Lance! Really nice explanation. Cheers from 🇮🇹

I bought a De'Longhi La Specialista Arte a few weeks ago and despite having rusty but decent skills as a barista in the early 90s (not Starbucks), I've had a hell of a time trying to dial in a decent espresso. I'm close, but thank you for these awesome videos and hopefully these tips help.

Thanks Lance, great video as always. This lines up to my experience of puckering sour shots that are extracted too long and have small yield.

bro litreally , you cleared all my doubts. SUBSCRIBED

Great practical information! I imagine this would be useful for most people entering the confusing world of coffee. I also enjoyed your “bad” jokes.

Surprised you didn't mention temperature much. Although some machines you don't have much control over that, but you do have control over grind size and brew times and ratios

Thanks Lance! Awesome video

Wow. Awesome Soundquality! The rest is also great, as always😉

I am struggling with sour or underdeveloped espresso shots, and it confused me a great deal when my espresso still had bitterness in it, though obviously under extracted, and I also experienced that sourness tends to increase when grinding finer, which was confusing as well. Thanks for addressing these seemingly odd phenomena.

This was such a helpful video, you have no idea. Thank you!

Love your personality! Thanks for the vid!

New Lance Hedrick vid ? Today is a good day :D

Good advice, thank you.

His humor is my favorite 🤣

"There's no such thing as a catch-all in espresso because it is annoying." Now THAT is what I need on a t-shirt.

Well explained. Do you have any suggestions for Intelligentsia Black Cat Espresso? That one is really difficult to brew espresso with - always comes out sour.

Very new to espresso here and getting very frustrated with this issue. First English is not my first language so I'm not 100% sure if I should describe my shot as acidic or sour but they are horrible no matter what I try. Would love to be able to get a "sweet" shot some time. I'm on my third bag of coffee already and I haven't enjoyed a single shot yet LOL. I'll try to start logging every thing I do to see if that helps.

7:31 thoughts arrive like butterflies 🦋

Lance, this is such a perfect video. ❤

Love the Tai Zonde reference!!

So start watching it from 10:30 -on to jump immediately to the summary! :)

Loving these new intros!

Thanks for the video, really helpful. Although i recently found out that my dedica is common for not getting very hot water temp, how imperative is that. Increasing my yeild did reduce the sourness. I think your curls are awesome and the mo

Thanks, very helpful. The curls look good!

I don't know what sour means. I only taste really bitter coffee, so does that mean sour? Or, is that acidic? Either way, when I use a medium roast EXPENSIVE coffee, it tastes bitter to me. Help me Lance! FYI, I have a good grinder - Baratza ESP, but lousy machine. I don't want to upgrade the machine until I understand more of this process, but should I?

Finally fixed my sour espresso due to my grind being too fine! Thanks!

lmaoo these videos are hilarious and insightful, keep it up bruddahh!

Good advice and explanations as always. I have a Breville built-in grinder with my Pro. Puck prep and a WDT tool made a huge difference. Next on the list… grinder upgrade. I’m actually glad I went with a built in grinder. It will make me appreciate a better grinder even more.

Temperature would have an impact too.. depending on roast. If puck prep is good, check temp.

At first I thought you pulled a good espresso and just pretended it was sour for the intro but the end of the video convinced me otherwise. I like it! 😄

Thanks Lance. Good explanations.

well i'm impressed simply for the fact that you are a coffee professional and coffee drinker (and professional coffee drinker lulz) and yet you are wearing a white shirt and it seems to be spotless.

drop the hair care routine!!!! luv u lance 💖

i'm using a cheap espresso machine and If i grind finer, i would get a proper yield and brew time BUT my pressure goes all the way up to 15 bar. Is that okay? or high pressure also causes sourness?

I can feel the Glow Lance

I bet the espresso he sipped at the beginning wasn’t even that sour 😂

One problem I have is: when I grind finer, I either clog my filter or I get a really fast extraction (50g+ in 25~30 seconds), using a Delonghi Dedica, JX Pro, WDT, bottomless PF. After MONTHS of trying new things I gave up and accepted it's something with either my grinder or machine. My hacky solution is to get water that is very rich in sodium bicarbonate (300~600mg/L), which mutes the sourness quite a bit and also makes the coffee extra creamy haha

Here in the UK 🇬🇧 we have the ultimate fix to sour or bitter coffee and it is so simple... Tea!

How about a video on using paper filters above and below the grinds. Does a paper filter below the grinds trap finds? What is the effect on taste? I find it necessary to grind rather fine when using a filter on the bottom of the grinds. Finally, I have a needle valve on top of my e61 brew head and a pressure gauge any hints on getting the best shot out of that setup?

I have no interest in coffee, but I subscribed to your channel because you have the best intro on RU-vid.

My home roasted makes sour espresso, my experimental store bought Lavazza has no sourness with the same machine and process. I believe how you roast makes a big difference

Do the words "under-extracted" and "over-extracted" when applied to coffee flavours correlate with extraction yield values as measured by a refractometer and converted from TDS to EY? For example, would a shot that tastes under-extracted be expected to have an EY of much less than, say, 18%?

Enjoying your new setup! Nice onw

Lance thanks I learnt a few things about the making of coffee? I am going to experiment

Hey there, I appreciate you going into more detail about this as I'm one to struggle with this myself, and having a GCP certainly doesn't help I'd say, but adding in some examples and references from your previous videos is quite nice. However I had a couple questions if you, or anyone else, wouldn't mind that I believe mix into this whole thing. The first bit is roast level. I know there isn't really a thing but as a simple benchmark and my own testing, again from someone who is suffering from sourness, dark roast would taste dark and bitter to the point of not tasting sour as much. Light roast would be easier to tell from less of that strong coffee taste, but I generally found it more on the bitter side than sour side once finding a decent grind size. And medium seems to always taste sour for me, no matter how much I've changed it the shot seems to always be sour- which I found very weird. The second thing is in the realm of puck prep, but more so the evenness of the bed. Either before or after a shot I'll notice the puck is uneven- slanted if you will. In my mind this must make a difference and something must be going wrong. The puck after extraction can seem slanted but only moist- not watery thankfully. If you have any insight or thoughts on this and/or more I'd love to hear it. Again this is open to anyone as I really wanna fix where I'm going wrong, as I for one am to blame myself rather than my equipment first. P.S. Love the hair

Appreciate the theory and knowledge. One suggestion: it might help people more if you demonstrate what you’re talking about as you talk about it.

Thanks for the informative video!! I see you got your hands on the Happy Tamper and used it in the video. I finally received mine and have used it only once; still adjusting to it. So far I am happy but interested to hear your thoughts. Thank again.

So I just stepped up to a real espresso machine, got a bunch of coffee from my fav local roaster and nothing I did gave me anything other than a sour/salty cup. Going finer and finer didnt do anything to help, going coarser never helped. Finally sat back and saw what was actually going on with pressure, temp, and time. Realized my prep wasnt as thorough as I was expecting it to be, finally troubleshot that, got the grind size right by looking at pressure after I got puck prep right, now I'm more or less experimenting with yield. 1:2 seems good but seems like more work to be done. Finally getting things locked in. Only cost a full bag of coffee and about a week to get it done. I'm in the right zone now, I think I still need to play with some of the grind size. I have it right now just fine enough that it slows extraction down to a) hit full pressure. any coarser and it wont ever reach the full pressure or if it does it drops off quickly and b) is almost right at a 28 second contact time. much finer and it drags out past 30 seconds My shots are 1000x better than they were before this machine, but I still have some dialing in to do.