Mold in my Coffee
Let me tell you a funny story.
For days I've been complaining about a new bag of coffee beans I received and how they taste so vile despite coming from a reputable roaster.
I stopped making them with my Aeropress™ and used them for Cold Brewing which resulted in a better cup of coffee.
Only after a long weekend did I notice while trying to brew a different batch of beans that there was an accumulation of mold on the plunger of my Aeropress™.
I was flabbergasted. I cleaned it thoroughly and continued with my brewing. The new coffee beans tasted better, but there was a hint of bitterness which tasted the same as the "bad batch".
Only then did it click.
It was the mold.
That's why my cold brews tasted good, because the beans never touched the mold in the Aeropress™.
It was too late to confirm this as I had thrown out the beans, thinking they were terrible. Thank goodness there were only a few servings left.
Now I'm thoroughly cleaning my coffee paraphernalia every time. I'd rather taste a bit of lemon from the dishsoap than actual mold.
As of this writing, my Aeropress™ is drying on the table before I put in the enclosed storage. I hope I've destroyed every mold spore found there.
This was a good learning experience for me. If the coffee tastes bad, don't forget to check all the other factors of your brewing process. Most likely, it's not the beans' fault.
-jgzn