Complex acids and sugars form in coffee cherries during the growing process. The longer it takes the cherry to fully mature for picking, the more of these complex acids and sugars will form with the coffee bean.
There are two main characteristics to look for when considering the acid content in your coffee:
- Growing Altitude
- Roast Style
The Growing altitude is where it all starts. Higher altitudes and cooler temperatures slow the growth cycle of the coffee cherries, which imbues the bean with more complex sugars, yielding deep and compelling flavors, and higher acidity. Lower altitudes mature coffee beans faster, which allows less time for complex acids and sugars to form in the bean. Resulting in less complex flavors, but less acidity.
The Roast Style from the Coffee Roaster (or as I like to call myself – a chef of the bean) has the option to reduce acidity from high altitude coffees by burning off more water content during the roast process (dark roast) or retaining acids and allowing the natural complexities of the coffee bean to form in your brew (light roast).
However, personally speaking it's not ALWAYS best to use a light roast on a high-altitude coffee (which is looked down on in the coffee community), but in my personal preference, and with a coffee palate that's been developing since I was 5 years old, I can confidently say there's more than one way to do it 😊. Yes, higher altitudes most commonly deserve a lighter roast, but that's not always true for my taste.
So when you’re looking for a low acid coffee, look for low growing altitudes and darker roasts.
You can find the growing altitudes and roast styles in the descriptions and bullet points of each of our coffees online.
Read more about the anatomy of coffee: Read Here
Article by: Nicolas Milone, Co-Founder, Foxen Coffee
