Light roasts are typically more acidic and Kenyan coffees are some of the most acidic you can buy, so your current recipe is going to be acidic. Instead, I recommend trying coffees from other regions, and if that doesn't work to your satisfaction, roast it darker too. I know that some companies like a long, slow dark roast to achieve a less acidic coffee. You could always try that, but starting with beans that are known for acidity is still going to yield acidic beans.

I'm a huge fan of Kenyan coffee because they are so acidic. Try a different bean. Ethiopian coffees have a similar taste profile. Still acidic, but I find them less acidic than Kenyan.

What kind of flavors are you going for? Maybe we can help you find some beans that you might like.

Kenya AA tend to be pretty acidic-tasting.

They are acidic

What's your first crack temp? If it's not too low id recommend going about 1-1:30 past first crack

Another option is to blend it with another bean low acidic

I think a lot of people misunderstand what "acidity" in coffee actually is. It is not pH. A can of soda has a way lower pH than any cup of coffee, yet is easier on the stomach than coffee.

The stuff that make coffee feel "acidic" (from a gastrointestinal perspective) is the fact that many coffees have chemicals which promote excessive stomach acid production. There are some recent studies which suggest that N-methylpyridinium actually suppresses stomach acid production, which is a chemical that is formed during the roasting process. This suggests a link between higher roast levels being easier on your stomach.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methylpyridinium

there's some good threads on this topic here and here. Personally I have noticed that cold brew tends to be easier on my stomach.

Mostly it's a marketing scam. Coffee does have natural pH variation, but the variation is so tiny and the acidity is such a minor part of most folks' gastrointestinal issues that they're mostly just sales tactics.

Don't know if it's related but ever since i stopped buying low quality beans my morning stomach issues after breakfast disappeared. I guess higher quality coffee makes a big difference. Ironically, acidic ethiopian beans dont cause me problems now but van houte/folgers/maxwell house did.

The only way to really get coffee without much acidity is by changing your brewing method, cold brew tends to have a very low acidity, supposedly coffee made in an aeropress has a relatively low acidity too. I believe that darker roasts tend to have a lower acidity too.

Tem 4 abordagens para atingir seu objetivo

Primeiro: Café acido é sinônimo de subestração. Entao tudo o que tem a ver com extrair menos do teu café, vai te ajudar a deixar a bebida mais acida. Baixar a quantidade de agua na receita, engrossar a moagem, usar agua mais fria e usar metodos que percolam mais rapido vao tender a "subextrair" e realçar mais a acidez do café.

segundo: Cafés com torras mais claras tendem a subextrair mais facilmente. Significa que com a mesma quantidade de agua, voce tende a extrair menos e a bebida fica mais acida. Opte por cafés com torras mais claras

Terceiro: A variedade do café importa. Vao ter cafés cujo sua caracteristica, independente da torra, é puxar para uma acidez mais elevada. Procure no rótulo, qual o perfil de acidez e compre cafés com alta acidez

Quarto: Dizem que o moedor importa. Ja vi gente falando que o kingrinder k4 realça mais notas licorosas e doces, enquanto que um timemore C2 realça mais a acidez. Entao recomendo procurar reviews dos moedores e optar por aqueles que os usuarios alegam realçar mais a acidez.

Complementando o que o colega disse acima, pense da seguinte forma:

Durante toda a extração, a acidez é a 1a coisa a ser extraida, dulçor em 2o e 3o o amargor.

Voce pode usar a tecnica 40:60 pra ajustar a extração afim de puxar mais pra acidez, dulcor e/ou corpo.

You may be misinterpreting bitterness as acidity. What kind of coffee are you using? Might want to go back to a courser grind for 2 mins and see how it compares

In my experience acidity relates more to beans/roast than brew method or recipe. The shout above re: monsoon malibar is a good one.

If what you’re looking for is basically zero acidity, look into ‘Monsoon Malabar’ beans. They have an interesting history (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monsooned_Malabar?wprov=sfti1) They’re very polarizing, some people love them some hate them, you sound like you’d fall into the former camp.

I was having some issues understanding variables and extraction in general and /u/BrewingHabits YouTube channel was a big help.

James Hoffman’s Aeropress series is great too and has a part explaining how changing certain variables affect extraction.

BaristaHustle coffee compass? It’s pretty genius. coffee compass

I also get heartburn bad.. don't drink OJ or pretty much any juices. However I go through 5 or 6 cups of coffee a day. Roast your own, the beans you buy whole just about anywhere are going to be over roasted and stale. Find a local roaster and get some quality beans fresh roasted, see if that helps. It works for me.

Decaf. As others have said it’s not really the acidity. Caffeine is a smooth muscle relaxer and greatly worsens reflux by relaxing the gastroesophageal sphincter.

There are some good decafs available but you have to search a bit.

Acidity isn’t likely the problem but you can try brewing with custom water with extra bicarbonate which neutralizes the acid.

If you’re really stuck on the caffeine try other anti reflux measures like elevating the head of your bed, acid suppressants like a PPI or H2 blocker.

I don’t believe it’s actually acidity that’s bothering your heartburn. Coffee has a pH between a potato and a strawberry. I think it’s caffeine and other compounds that are bothering your stomach.

I recently saw Third Wave Water now makes a "Low Acid Profile" of their mineral packets. Basically a more alkaline version. TWW founder said he made it for his dad who was struggling with GI issues & almost had to give up coffee. https://thirdwavewater.com/pages/low-acid-landing

I don’t want to sound like a nay sayer but if your reflux is that bad maybe you shouldn’t be drinking coffee. The caffeine is probably going to set you off regardless of acidity. I guess you could do decaf.

Haha. Actually a coffee loving physician with reflux. Took up roasting to have more decaf options available.

Not the case for me. I have tried various decaf alternatives with the same reaction. It is most definitely the acidity in my case. 

Get Pink Bourbons or Ethiopias and you’re generally good. Pink Bourbons may be easier to work with if you don’t like the finicky nature of Ethiopian beans.

Bodhi Leaf’s Colombia Patroness is worth a try. It’s always available, too. Acidic up front, and a great everyday driver. They frequently have 25% off, so sign up for emails https://www.bodhileafcoffee.com/collections/roasted-coffee/products/roasted-colombia-patroness?variant=28481553104976

Colombia, especially from Narino, cauca, huila region.

Ethiopia, Rwanda, Burundi or Kenyan are great in general.

Obviously, full washed and light roast.

Anything from S&W: https://www.swroasting.coffee

Second the Kenyans, would also add the two Ethiopians, as well as surprisingly the Brazil Daterra Summer Solstice, but while I found the two Rwandan coffees surprisingly bright for Rwanda (whose coffees I usually find to be sweet, fruity, but not very bright), I found them fairly low in acidity overall.

How are you brewing? What water do you brew with?

You may want to consider grinding coarser to highlight acidity. Also, if your brew water has too much alkalinity, you can make even the brightest, most acid-forward coffee taste flat.

Are you using a paper filter? Sediment=Bitterness

Cold brew is sweeter than hot. Try a different roast (medium?) or better beans.

Measure your TDS. You are likely brewing to a concentrate level and needs a bit if dilution

It shouldn’t be.

Make sure you’re using something earthy and not citrusy. Coarsely ground too. I use French roast typically.

It shouldn’t be bitter. If it is, it’s usually steeping too long or the grind’s not coarse enough. Try cutting the brew time down to 10 hours and make sure your grind is more like breadcrumbs, not sand.

Also, some beans just lean bitter, especially darker roasts. Try a medium roast if you haven’t already.

Cold brew’s supposed to be smooth. If it’s harsh, something’s off.

Water with less buffer, that is, do check how much bicarbonates you have in your brewing water.

Otherwise, coarser and shorter should help.

Are you using tap water? High alkalinity (aka buffer) will turn any coffee completely flat. You can check your municipal water report to see what the numbers on alkalinity are.

What's your grind size? I found I was brewing really weak targeting 4 minutes. 6 is probably more realistic.

Also water - if you have a lot of carbonate in your water, it can literally buffer out the acids. You can try distilled or bottled to control for that.

Could be water, could be grind but youve tried to change that, could be water temperature possibly?

Better water, grind coarser and do bloom and then four separate pours. Also, ask the coffee place how they do their pourover, maybe you can watch them.

Describe the specific characteristics of the coffee that make you think it is "acidic".

Do you mean sour? What are your brew times? Have you tried higher yields?

I have a feeling you’re using the grinder on the machine; that thing needs to be calibrated to go finer. Check the manual for how to do so

Hey im a barista of a few years. Ive read through the comments and it sounds like you arent tamping your grounds into your portafilter hard enough. You want a good 20-30 pounds of pressure using your tamping die. Try to use a scale and practice how much pressure you use. Ive also found that the actual weight of your tamping die also makes a difference in tamping. If your die weighs more you dont need to use as much pressure because gravity does a lot of the work. If you are a smaller person (im 5'3" for example) a heavier die can be really helpful to get your grounds packed enough.

Acidic/sour coffee typically means grind finer, increase temperature and/or increase yield.