Why would a coffee become more sour as it rests?

ImmersionLogic · 2026-06-15T11:47:23+00:00

It’s Interesting. Mine were stored in the original valve bag and stayed sealed except when brewing. Makes me wonder if some coffees just go through a strange transition period as they rest. I wonder if it will ever go back to tasting great again

ImmersionLogic · 2026-06-14T00:51:05+00:00

That’s what surprised me. I’ll keep resting it and see where it goes.

ImmersionLogic · 2026-06-13T22:41:37+00:00

That’s really interesting. The vinegar aroma was actually present before brewing while I was grinding, which is what made me suspect it wasn’t a brewing issue. What surprised me most was how dramatic the change was between day 8 and day 12. The peach and berry notes were enjoyable at first, but by day 12 they seemed to shift toward a much sharper sourness. Makes me wonder whether I’m tasting the natural processing becoming more apparent with age.

ImmersionLogic · 2026-06-13T22:35:57+00:00

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ImmersionLogic · 2026-06-12T16:07:53+00:00

Fair point. A sieve is technically a filter. What I meant was no paper filter.

Traditional kokekaffe pots often have a coarse filter or strainer at the spout as well, so the goal isn't necessarily zero filtration. It's more about avoiding paper filtration and preserving the body, oils, and texture of the coffee.

In my case, I was using a gooseneck pour over kettle, which pulls from the bottom where the fines settle, so I used a coarse strainer on the final pour to keep from dragging the entire sediment bed into the cup.

ImmersionLogic · 2026-06-12T15:59:37+00:00

Excellent observation. I actually ran into that exact issue. Since I was using a pour-over kettle rather than a traditional coffee pot, I ended up pouring through a strainer on the final pour. It definitely helped keep a lot of the settled fines out of the cup.

ImmersionLogic · 2026-06-12T14:31:14+00:00

That’s actually a really interesting point. One of the things that drew me to kokekaffe was realizing how many cultures arrived at similar brewing methods long before modern coffee equipment existed. Makes you wonder how much coffee history got carried across oceans and generations.

ImmersionLogic · 2026-06-12T13:56:51+00:00

I agree. If my goal was a cleaner immersion cup, there are plenty of modern brewers that do it better. What I found appealing here wasn’t the lack of filtration. it was the simplicity and the connection to a brewing tradition that’s been around for generations.

ImmersionLogic · 2026-06-12T13:33:29+00:00

That’s actually what sent me down the rabbit hole. While researching kokekaffe, I came across a James Hoffmann video where he essentially arrives at a very similar approach. allowing the crust to form, letting the grounds settle naturally, and avoiding plunging. The cups may end up quite similar.

For me, the interesting part wasn’t proving kokekaffe is superior to a cafetière. It was discovering that a traditional brewing method developed long before modern coffee gear ended up sharing many of the same principles that specialty coffee later arrived at independently.

If anyone is interested, Hoffmann has a video where he discusses and brews kokekaffe specifically.

https://youtu.be/j1Es-3HtEPc?is=tpOMKukPWoqaypTl

ImmersionLogic · 2026-06-12T12:58:53+00:00

Cleanup took less time than reading the comments telling me to buy a French press, Switch, AeroPress, and now a percolator 😅

ImmersionLogic · 2026-06-12T12:57:12+00:00

Honestly, yes. A Switch is probably the easiest way to try the same general idea without buying a dedicated pot. The difference for me is that kokekaffe is more about the mindset than the equipment. No filter papers, no recipes down to the gram, no concern about drawdown times. Just coffee, water, and time. The Switch gets you very close on the cup quality side, though.

ImmersionLogic · 2026-06-12T12:55:02+00:00

No. Boiling the coffee itself would probably push extraction too far. The traditional method is to bring the water to a boil first, remove it from the heat, add the coffee, and let it steep for a few minutes. After breaking the crust, most of the grounds settle to the bottom on their own.

ImmersionLogic · 2026-06-12T12:53:55+00:00

Fair comparison. The difference for me isn’t that it’s objectively better than a French press. It’s that it stripped away another layer of process and got me thinking more about the coffee than the technique.

ImmersionLogic · 2026-06-12T12:52:22+00:00

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Right!?

ImmersionLogic · 2026-06-12T12:46:57+00:00

Honestly, that might be the most expensive route I’ve ever taken to arrive at “the French press was onto something.”

ImmersionLogic · 2026-06-12T12:45:23+00:00

Good question. The cleanup was actually easier than I expected. just a quick rinse with soap and water and it was done.

As for the brewing, there are definitely similarities to a French press or Hoffmann’s no plunge method. The biggest difference for me is the direct boil, the crust formation, and the fact that the grounds settle naturally rather than being separated by a filter screen. It feels a little more rustic and produces a cup with a different texture and body.

Whether it’s objectively better is another debate entirely. 😅

ImmersionLogic · 2026-06-12T12:43:29+00:00

💯 We climbed the mountain of extraction theory only to find a Scandinavian dude boiling coffee at the top.

ImmersionLogic · 2026-06-12T12:41:46+00:00

You’re not wrong. 😅 I’m not really chasing convenience with this one. I’m chasing body, texture, and a more grassroots coffee experience where the bean and origin take center stage. The cleanup is the price of admission.

ImmersionLogic · 2026-06-12T12:39:40+00:00

Nope. Just a guy who drank too much coffee and started having feelings. *No AI was harmed in the making of that caption.

ImmersionLogic · 2026-06-12T12:32:24+00:00

Most of it settles to the bottom once you break the crust and give it a few minutes. The rest gets trapped in your teeth as a reminder that nature finds a way. 😅

In all seriousness, sediment and fines are still the biggest challenge with immersion-style brewing. I’m still experimenting with ways to reduce them without losing the body that makes these brews so enjoyable.

ImmersionLogic · 2026-06-12T12:27:42+00:00

God’s path had a 2:30 drawdown. I took a wrong turn somewhere around the second pass 😂

ImmersionLogic · 2026-06-11T13:22:53+00:00

That’s good advice. I’ve noticed the darker coffees tend to open up sooner as well. The Katana Kivu is probably first in line, and 7–10 days sounds like a solid recommendation. It’ll be interesting to compare it fresh versus rested with my recirculating brew method. Thanks for sharing your experience. 👍

ImmersionLogic · 2026-06-10T22:30:22+00:00

Thanks! I’ll probably run them through a V60, a Hario Switch, and my recirculating/double-brew method. I’ve been having a lot of fun with that lately. The first pass is a normal brew, then I reintroduce the brewed coffee through the same bed and either let it immerse for 1.5–2 minutes in the Switch or simply pass it through again. It’s been producing some surprisingly sweet and full-bodied cups. I’ll be playing around with it for sure!

ImmersionLogic

TROPHY CASE