Coffee brewer suddenly making bitter coffee

[coffeemoney]

I have a huge problem with my coffee brewer (moccamaster), it basically brews really bitter coffee now. It has been working fine for months, but gradually it became worse, and now it's impossible to drink. On the surface there seems to be a layer of some sort of substance, looks like oil or something. I regularly clean it and I use a prescribed coffee cleaning product. I have cleaned every part of it now, rinsed it a lot with water, and used that cleaning product countless times, but it only gets worse and worse. I borrowed another coffee brewer, but after a few weeks it started doing the same. I thought it might be the water, but I have been using bought water for a while now and it doesn't make a difference. Do you know what the problem might be?

Thanks for any help.

 

[eldub]

Have you run any cleaner through it? Maybe try running vinegar through the system and then water to flush.

Have you switched coffees?

What about the grind?

 

[coffeemoney]

Thanks for the tips, I'll try vinegar tomorrow. I use a cleaner product called "clean drop", and have been for a long time. I haven't switched coffee, been using the same for a long time.

What is "grind"?

 

[eldub]

"Grind" would be how fine or course the coffee is ground before brewing. But that doesn't sound like its the issue if you are using the same coffee for a long time.

Could the coffee you buy have changed even though the brand is the same?

 

[eldub]

It seems odd to me that you are having the same problem with multiple brewing units.

I'm really wondering if the coffee company might have changed their recipe?

lw

 

[martimoney]

I too would suggest running vinegar through the machine, followed by a water flushing. Eldub, do coffee companies change their recipe often? I haven't heard of this but it sounds reasonable. I mean, even McDonalds changes it's menu from time to time : )

 

[eldub]

I have no idea how often coffee companies change their recipes. I was just trying to come up with any and all possibilities on what could be causing the problem.

I do know that coffee bean flavor profiles can change from harvest to harvest as well as by degree of roast and quality of product. it wouldn't surprise me if a company would start using lower quality beans to cut costs.

 

[coffeemoney]

I just ran through some vinegar, but it didn't have any effect on the coffee the same oily layer on the surface remains, and the coffee itself tastes bad.

I did run through water too, and rinsed everything well. I also bought new filters, and a new type of coffee.

I suspect that the coffee brewer itself must be broken, so I'll try the same cleaning process on my other one. Sadly I can't find my receipt.

 

[PinkRose]

You have quite a mystery on your hands.

Did you take a flashlight and look into the bottom of the section where you put the water in? Is that area clean? It's possible that a layer of gunk is lingering on the bottom, and it's mixing with your bottled water when you pour it in.

The older method of using vinegar is to mix half vinegar and half water (the maximun volume your machine holds) and pour it into the machine. Then start the brewer and let it run a little bit and then shut it off and let it soak. Do you have a pause feature on your machine? If so, then it may be worth a try. The vinegar and water gets heated and it has a chance to work on the insides of the coffee maker. After about 15 minutes, continue with the brew. Then run fresh water through it. (twice)

You said you borrowed a coffee maker, and the coffee tasted fine for a few weeks, and then it didn't. Are you still using the same bag of coffee or did you buy a fresh batch? How do you store your coffee? I'm wondering if it may be picking up odors and flavors that you're not aware of.

Rose

 

[PinkRose]

I'm also wondering.....

By any chance have you recently started taking any kind of new medications? Sometimes that can alter your taste buds and things like coffee don't taste like they used to.

Just a thought.....

Rose

 

[woodscomp]

You've got hard water, try using store bought water. It should clear right up. Basically the what your seeing (the sheen) is a ph imbalance between the acidity of the bean and the water. Which is also why your coffee is bitter.

 

[coffeemoney]

Like I wrote I had been using bought water for some time, but thanks.

 

[MadSciz]

I got a couple things that may help.

When I get a service call about bitter coffee, I do 4 things. (1) Replace the carafe with a clean one. (2) Replace the brew basket. (3) Replace the water filter and/or whatever is used to pour water into the machine. (4) Clean any part of the machine that may have residue on it.

But, what I am thinking may be your problem, since you have said that you have cleaned everything. Would be the brew basket if its plastic or the quality of water. Now if your brewbasket is plastic it is possible that the coffee oils have penetrated the pores in the plastic and have began to ferment giving you a more bitter taste.

I know you have said that you buy your water, but do you buy from a "fill your own bottle" machine or a sealed bottle off the shelf. Either way, I have an experiment for you. Take a clean glass and put in 1 cup of your water. Place in the microwave and heat for a few min. Being very careful, as contents will be hot, place glass on the counter, cover with a napkin or something so dust does not get into glass. And leave overnite. If you have floaties or other unwanted nasties, i suggest changing where you get your water from.

On a side note, this is just a free way to get a rough estimate of your water quality with out paying for a water quality test kit.

I hope this helps ya out some.
-Sciz

 

[graydog]

Try filling the pot fully, pour 1/2 of it into machine, leave the other half in pot. Use the same amount of coffee you normally use plus 1 tablespoon.

I prefer distilled water, but we have a distilled water piped into a third faucet at the sink and to the ice maker, so we use it for everything.

 

[john311]

coffee has a bitter taste

If I had to guess I would say the coffee is ground to fine and to much extraction. Could also be your spray head. It might be is clogged just a bit with lime and making the brew cycle longer witch would cause more extraction or the bitter taste. Could also be increase weight but not likely.