CoffeeForums Coffee Facts

Acid content in any food is measured by the pH level and level 7.0 is a neutral indication. As the reading goes less than 7.0 it is indicative of the increasing level of acid content. Higher the acid content in a substance the more acidity it causes in the body. Acidity is usually synonymous with an upset stomach or indigestion and gas. Apart from acidity, an acidic content gives a particular astringent flavor to the food substance and is liked by many people. Particularly in coffee many people have a liking for the crisp dry flavor of a strong breakfast coffee which will measure somewhere close to 4.7 on the pH reading. Any coffee which shows a reading of 5 pH or above can be considered a low acid coffee.

Many people suffer from acidity and therefore do not like to have the usual strong breakfast blend of coffee, especially to start the day. Many of the master blenders of the coffee industry trying to cater to these people's demand tend to over roast the beans in an attempt to bring down the acidic levels. But this drastically reduces the flavor as well and the coffee is left with hardly any taste. The other option which is tried is to use green coffee beans grown at lower altitudes, but this also did not improve the taste much. So how does one get low acid coffee?

Luckily there is a solution which has been tested by many people and has got good results in making low acid coffee. The secret lies in the brewing process. Most of the acidity problems are known to occur when the coffee is brewed with heat. The answer lies in cold brewing the coffee and that will yield a brew which is at least 65% less acidic.

The method to cold brew coffee is very simple and needs a lot of time but the least effort on your part. You just need to place your favorite coffee grounds in a steel bowl add a little water and gently stir the mixture until all grounds are moist. Add more water to the bowl and do not stir, and leave it for at least for 12 hours, keeping the bowl covered. After that just sieve the concentrate and its ready for use to make hot of cold coffee. This low acid coffee can be warmed up later if you prefer a hot cup, or can be added to hot milk.