[HN Gopher] Method for reducing coffee acidity
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       Method for reducing coffee acidity
        
       Author : 1970-01-01
       Score  : 45 points
       Date   : 2023-02-02 15:32 UTC (1 days ago)
        
 (HTM) web link (patents.google.com)
 (TXT) w3m dump (patents.google.com)
        
       | widea wrote:
       | Add sugar...
        
         | snvzz wrote:
         | If you're in an insulin resistance any% speedrun?
         | 
         | Followed by diabetes, and death.
        
       | mrguyorama wrote:
       | Who would have guessed that adding Tums to coffee neutralizes
       | it's acidity? It should not be possible to get this patent. We
       | really need a science "expert" advisory committee to the patent
       | office.
        
       | an_aparallel wrote:
       | isn't this the same as the Scandinavian method of mixing grounds
       | with egg shell and whole egg...into a slurry, boiling, settling
       | than pouring?
       | 
       | I'm not brave enough to try it - my light roast pour overs are
       | delectable without going this route, but apparently one of the
       | best ways to reduce acidity.
        
       | transfire wrote:
       | Cold brew. Sometimes I think it's too bitterless!
        
         | _fs wrote:
         | Sometimes, I take my cold brew and heat it up in the microwave.
         | Hot Cold Brew is great
        
           | BenFeldman1930 wrote:
           | Only to let it cool down again ...
        
         | oldstrangers wrote:
         | Yeah, I thought this was just going to be an article about cold
         | brewing lol.
        
       | Ocean7585 wrote:
       | Milk makes coffee less acidic plus you get an extra [1] anti-
       | inflammatory boost with this combo.
       | 
       | [1]:
       | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/01/230130090347.h...
        
         | clint wrote:
         | unfortunately you also have to drink milk
        
       | csdvrx wrote:
       | For bitterness, add a pinch of salt
       | 
       | https://www.thoughtco.com/does-salt-in-coffee-reduce-bittern...
       | 
       | "The reason given is that adding the salt improves the flavor of
       | the coffee. As it turns out, there is a chemical basis for this
       | practice. The Na + ion diminishes bitterness by interfering with
       | the transduction mechanism of that taste. The effect occurs below
       | the level at which the salty taste would be registered."
        
         | joegahona wrote:
         | My grandma taught me this ages ago. I still use this technique
         | when I'm forced to drink bad coffee.
        
         | snvzz wrote:
         | Coffee's normally bitter. If it isn't, it ain't coffee.
         | 
         | I tried the salt trick once; it works, and makes coffee
         | disgustingly not bitter.
        
         | fabian2k wrote:
         | That's really more of a hack, there are better ways to avoid
         | bitter coffee. If you use a light or medium roast and can
         | adjust grind size and temperature, the coffee doesn't have to
         | be bitter.
        
           | pessimizer wrote:
           | It probably isn't a better way if it is a lot more
           | complicated. A pinch of salt is easy.
        
             | fabian2k wrote:
             | The effect of salt is quite limited, changing the other
             | parameters is much more powerful. But yes, it requires
             | different equipment that not everyone has or requires more
             | manual effort than a simple coffee machine.
        
         | Wistar wrote:
         | I often put a pinch of salt in the brewing basket atop the
         | grounds. Not a lot. It's noticeably less bitter.
        
           | erie wrote:
           | People would give me strange looks upon mentioning salt to
           | lower bitterness of coffee, a chip would do the trick. " Rim
           | a Cocktail Glass with Salt--It's an Easy Way to Elevate Your
           | Drink. This classic technique adds flavor and finesse to your
           | favorite cocktails, especially a margarita"
        
       | kurthr wrote:
       | Should this have a (1995) appended to it?
        
         | AlbertCory wrote:
         | I thought of that, but it means it expires in 2025. I think.
         | There's a website that give you the expiration date of a
         | patent.
        
           | kurthr wrote:
           | It's actually on the page (far right middle) and it expired
           | in 2015, which is 20 years after filing (plus any extensions
           | due to delays).
           | 
           | Actually, applications before 1996 can be a bit trickier
           | since they (and their children) can be extended for quite a
           | while (that's what some IP firms did in the early 2000s) by
           | delaying their issuance. Patents were originally good for 17
           | years after issuance (or 20 years from filing if that was
           | longer), whereas now it is only 20 years from filing.
        
       | fabian2k wrote:
       | Putting basic chemicals into an acidic solution to make it less
       | acidic is trivially obvious. The interesting question here is
       | what this does to the taste of coffee, which can be heavily
       | influenced by the water. I would have suspected that this would
       | affect taste significantly, and probably not in a good way.
       | 
       | They have a taste test in the end and claim that some of the
       | versions taste better than their plain water. Not sure how much
       | I'd believe this, especially as they don't specify their "plain
       | coffee" and what the properties of the water were. In general
       | softer water tends to be better for coffee taste than hard water.
        
         | uberduper wrote:
         | There can be a substantial difference in the flavor of coffee
         | based on the composition of the water used to brew it.
         | 
         | Softer water doesn't necessarily mean better or worse tasting
         | coffee. Just different tasting coffee. Hardness of the water
         | impacts extraction yield from the coffee. Alkalinity will have
         | a huge impact on the acidity, or "sour" notes in the coffee and
         | you can adjust this to taste.
        
         | wcunning wrote:
         | That basically has already been well researched:
         | 
         | https://awasteof.coffee/how-to/mixing-water/
         | 
         | https://coffeeadastra.com/category/water-for-coffee/
         | 
         | https://www.scottrao.com/blog/lotus-water-drops
         | 
         | And is a functional requirement of a bunch Specialty Coffee
         | Association stuff.
        
         | gabrielhidasy wrote:
         | I've experimented a bit with adding some bicarbonate to very
         | acidic espressos. It mutes the flavor a little bit but
         | completely kills the harshness that made it unpleasant. It is
         | not a fix for under-extraction though, it fixes beans that are
         | just not good for espresso.
         | 
         | A tiny bit of salt works wonders for very bitter espressos from
         | overly roasted beans.
         | 
         | But on the end buying beans I like is easier and makes even
         | better coffee than those hacks.
        
       | uberduper wrote:
       | Try making your own brew water.
       | https://espressoaf.com/guides/water.html
        
         | roflyear wrote:
         | Best answer. Adding bicarb solves this.
        
       | amelius wrote:
       | Can anybody explain why I feel like crap after drinking about 5
       | cups of decaffeinated coffee (black, without milk/sugar) during a
       | workday?
       | 
       | (Brand doesn't seem to matter, I tried many, and I have no
       | problems drinking just water, or tea)
        
         | ShakataGaNai wrote:
         | It's acidic. So hard on the stomach, especially if you're not
         | consuming anything else. Try an antacid with it and see if that
         | helps make you feel not as bad. If so, then discontinue coffee.
        
           | cma wrote:
           | Why is weak acid like that so hard on the stomach?
           | Stomach/gastric acid is way lower pH and is a strong acid.
           | 
           | Orange juice is more acidic and less associated with stomach
           | problems (but not unassociated).
        
             | jfengel wrote:
             | It seems to be less about the pH, per se, but about the
             | effect that those particular chemicals have on the stomach.
             | Some of them cause the stomach to produce more acidity. It
             | may not even be the acidic chemicals themselves, but other
             | coffee molecules that are extracted in roughly the same
             | temperature/pressure regime.
             | 
             | The mechanisms are hard to trace, since there are so many
             | chemicals involved and the actual production of stomach
             | acid so complicated. But you know what the doctor will say
             | when you tell them that it hurts when you go like that.
        
             | Consultant32452 wrote:
             | Assuming a 16oz cup of coffee, most people are not drinking
             | ~2.5 liters (5 cups) of orange juice daily for extended
             | periods.
        
               | rapnie wrote:
               | Five cups equals 2.5 liter? Then I assume you are
               | American, where these huge quantities are more normal.
               | And usually not that strong coffee either (on the
               | contrary). The Spanish sometimes use 'CAFE' as an
               | acronym: Caliente (hot), Amargo (bitter), Fuerte (strong)
               | and Escaso (small amount).
        
               | Consultant32452 wrote:
               | For reference, a Starbucks "grande" is 16oz. Starbucks
               | has 6 sizes and the grande is the larger of the two
               | middle sizes. A quick search of the first page of results
               | on Amazon for "coffee mug" shows most of them are
               | 16-20oz.
               | 
               | Five, 16oz cups is 80oz, and there's 33oz in a liter.
               | 
               | I'm not trying to disagree with you, just describing how
               | I got my number, which is different than your reasonable
               | implication.
        
         | letsdothisagain wrote:
         | If its your throat it could be GERD. I went from 3-4 cups a day
         | to green tea...
        
         | thearrow wrote:
         | Coffee (even decaf) on an empty stomach can cause irritation
         | for some people. It does for me.
         | 
         | You may also have a mild food sensitivity/allergy to coffee
         | specifically. (Yes, testing for food sensitivity is somewhat
         | problematic, and often indicates the presence of intestinal
         | permeability.)
        
         | jayavanth wrote:
         | How do you feel? Decaf still has some caffeine it's possible
         | you are slowly getting dehydrated. Water and electrolytes might
         | help
        
         | RobertRoberts wrote:
         | I would recommend you research how decaf is made. There are
         | multiple methods, and some are really nasty sounding.
         | 
         | The argument I got from a chemist once was something like "Yes,
         | but they take all the toxic chemicals out of the beans after
         | processing". Yikes.
        
         | chrisweekly wrote:
         | 5 cups of _decaf_ coffee? People who drink lots of coffee are
         | nearly always after the caffeine; you must really love the
         | taste, huh.
        
           | adamredwoods wrote:
           | There is a small amount of caffeine in decaf.
           | 
           | https://www.ncausa.org/Decaffeinated-Coffee
        
           | etrautmann wrote:
           | or the ritual and experience. not the OP but I drink one cup
           | of regular + decaf after and enjoy both the process and
           | taste.
        
         | tempsy wrote:
         | why are you drinking 5 cups of decaffeinated coffee a day
        
         | triyambakam wrote:
         | There are other alkaloids in coffee that may be affecting you.
        
         | epicureanideal wrote:
         | Can you please describe what you mean by "feeling like crap"?
         | Trying to understand if I have the same issue.
        
           | amelius wrote:
           | Basically very agitated, anxious. It's the same as with
           | regular coffee, though perhaps slightly less.
        
       | nygardkillsquad wrote:
       | [dead]
        
       | jamal-kumar wrote:
       | That's really interesting because I have been putting milk in my
       | coffee only recently, realizing I'm only doing this because it
       | feels easier on my guts and thinking what could be done with
       | stuff that isn't milk.
       | 
       | Then I'm looking at these ingredients and they actually look what
       | they fortify milk with... Calcium carbonate, check, KOH, check
       | [2] - Magnesium Hydroxide, I don't think they add that. I think
       | Potassium Chloride might be an additive in feed for dairy cows
       | but it's not an additive.
       | 
       | [2] https://www.vynova-group.com/blog/potassium-derivatives-
       | dair...
        
       | wry_discontent wrote:
       | I've brewed coffee with alkaline water, which in my very
       | unscientific observations made it significantly less acidic.
        
         | WirelessGigabit wrote:
         | The alkaline water that I find is that fancy water. I'll stick
         | to tap water + Brita filter and some salt.
        
           | schroeding wrote:
           | You can add e.g. natron / baking soda / sodium bicarbonate to
           | tap water and you have DIY alkaline water.
           | 
           | Also helps to soften hard water, as calcium carbonate falls
           | out of solution - which is then filtered in the coffee filter
           | when brewing with a pour-over. No tinkering with the Britta
           | filter required! :D
        
       | v64 wrote:
       | Using an AeroPress is an easy way to create low acidity coffee at
       | home. I used to drink drip and french press and had to stop due
       | to stomach discomfort from the acidity, but thus far have not
       | experienced those effects with the AeroPress. Compared to the
       | other methods, the grounds are exposed to hot water for less
       | time, resulting in an overall less acidic brew.
        
         | teekert wrote:
         | Is it really stomach discomfort though? At a pH above 5 you're
         | still way above what a healthy stomach should be. Perhaps it
         | was your esophagus that hurt?
        
           | v64 wrote:
           | For sure, I was using stomach discomfort as a broad euphemism
           | to mean the overall unpleasantness I experienced from
           | drinking coffee compared to days when I abstained.
           | Anecdotally, I have a friend who quit coffee for similar
           | reasons who also took up drinking AeroPress brew
           | successfully.
        
         | TurboHaskal wrote:
         | The paper filter helps a lot too.
        
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