The biggest secret in high-quality, stomach-friendly coffee isn't the bean—it’s the process.
Many coffee companies claim that their beans contain less acid. While it is true that the origin of coffee can have a slightly different acid disposition, the difference is so minor, at Mavericks I would not even think of mentioning it. From our perspective, having pH 0.1% less acid is hardly a blip on our radar when we are reducing acid by 2.0% pH or an effective 97.3% less acid. Plus, we are talking about people's health and recognize that claim at best gives false hope and at worst will run afoul of people's health.
While other brands might rely on chemical washing or artificial buffering to neutralize acid prior to roast, Mavericks Coffee uses a very patient, time-honored technique: Slow Roasting. It's time and temperature - nothing else. All coffee roasting is simply time and temperature. This isn't just about achieving a darker color; it's a precise chemical strategy to dismantle the compounds that cause discomfort. It is the core reason our pH scores climb as high as 6.39. That is where slow roasting shines.
I. Roasting Rhythms: Why Time is the Primary Ingredient
🔬 Roasting Rhythms: Fast vs. Slow
Traditional, mass-market coffee is often roasted quickly at very high temperatures to maximize output and minimize cost. A fairly new, but prevailing methodology of roasting today, is to mitigate against high heat and complete the roast at much lower finish temperatures and degree of roast. To roast lighter or flash roast will certainly have its positives for some. However, in each instance, time and temperature does not eliminate the acidic compounds; rather, it seals the acidity into the bean, awaiting to be unlocked by the brew.
Our classic Slow Roasting method is the antithesis of this practice. It is a controlled, patient process where time and temperature curves are engineered for chemical transformation, not speed.
The Breakdown: Targeting Nonvolatile Acids
As we will discuss, the primary culprit for gastric distress is Chlorogenic Acid (CGA). CGA is a nonvolatile acid, meaning it doesn't just evaporate under simple heat. It requires sustained, controlled thermal energy to break down.
Roasting Method
Heat Application
CGA Breakdown
Final Product Impact
Fast Roast
High heat, Short duration (10-12 min)
Minimal breakdown; CGA sealed inside.
High-acid content (pH 4.5-5.0); harsh, often bitter taste.
In the coffee industry, "Acidity" is a key scoring attribute for selecting specialty grade coffee. When I consider a specialty coffee, Acidity is one of the ten Specialty Coffee Associations key attributes we look for. If a coffee doesn't have an acidity score of at least 8.0 out of 10, I won’t buy it.
Now, that might seem counterintuitive, but this is how I see it: I can design a slow roast profile to eliminate the "bad stuff", but I can’t put flavor back into a flat, boring bean.
Desirable (Volatile Acids)
Aromatic acids like Citric and Acetic. They provide the "sparkle" and flavor. These largely evaporate or transform during roasting.
Non-Desirable (Nonvolatile Acids)
This is the CGA. It doesn't evaporate; it stays in the bean and causes the burn in your stomach.
The Mavericks Solution: Preserve Flavor, Eliminate Irritation
The challenge for roasting low acid coffee is to protect the desirable attributes (the "brightness" that earns high cupping scores) while simultaneously getting rid of the problematic Nonvolatile Acids (the CGA that causes the pain).
This is where the Slow Roasting excels:
Natural Preservation: Our controlled, precise thermal curve allows the desirable flavor compounds to fully develop and remain. (I actually do not like fruity flavors, so we do not preserve those).
Precision Elimination: In the profile, the extended time and sustained heat are specifically designed to dismantle the Chlorogenic Acid (CGA) molecule, neutralizing the source of gastric irritation.
The result is a cup of coffee that yields a pleasing sweet flavor and clean quality, while achieving industry leading lab-verified pH. of up to 6.39.
SCAA Cupping Attributes: Desirable vs. Non-Desirable Acidity
The Molecular Pivot: Acidic Transformation by Degree
At Mavericks, we aren’t just "burning off" acid; we are orchestrating a chemical transformation. Here is the breakdown of what is happening inside our drum, degree by degree:
🔬 1. Breaking the Metallic Bite (320°F – 330°F)
The first target is Chlorogenic Acids (CGA). These are the non-volatile acids responsible for that "metallic" or "bitter" aftertaste found in fast-roasted coffee.
The Process: Once the bean hits 320°F (roughly the 10-to-12-minute mark in our profile), the heat begins breaking CGA down into Quinic and Caffeic acids.
The Danger Zone: If the roast does not progress correctly, Quinic acid can build up, leading to a harsh bitterness. This is why our specific heat curves are so critical—they ensure this breakdown is clean and complete.
🍋 2.Volatile Acids: The Fruit-to-Chocolate Pivot
The acids responsible for "brightness"—Citric, Malic, and Tartaric—are volatile. We don't just "disappear" them; we repurpose them. These acids are the precursors for the complex sugars and aromas we want. By managing the heat during the Strecker Degradation, we transform these acids into sweetness.
The "Fruity" Phase (320°F – 375°F): This is when standard coffees are at their peak intensity (Lemon, Apple, and Grape notes). In our slow roast, we intentionally "cook" these down to reduce acidity and build heavy sweetness.
The "Chocolate" Pivot (380°F+): As the bean temperature exceeds 380°F, the volatile acids undergo a massive decline—you can actually smell it in the roastery. Through the Maillard Reaction, the breakdown of these acids creates Pyrazines and Furanones.
The Result: The "sharp" citrus is replaced by "heavy" cocoa and deep, developed sweetness.
It sounds too good to be true, and frankly, it took us years of "some figuring" to master. But the result is a cup that loses the problematic acidity and takes on a natural, pleasurable balance. It’s a cup you can enjoy without the consequences.
II. The Chemistry of Elimination: Degrading CGA
💥 The Chemical Strategy: Degrading CGA
Our slow-roasting is a chemical intervention designed to target CGA. Over the extended roast period, the following occurs:
Chlorogenic Acid (CGA) Degradation: The extended heat breaks the CGA molecule down into smaller, less reactive compounds. The longer the bean stays in the heat (without burning), the more CGA is naturally degraded.
By weight, acidic compounds make up about 8% to 9% of the dry weight of coffee. Nonvolatile acids constitute the majority of this. The potential danger posed to people struggling with sensitivities to acidic compounds is not just the percentage, but the chemical structure of CGA.
Preventing Quinic Acid Build-up: When coffee is quickly roasted and then often left to sit or be reheated, the remaining CGA breaks down into Quinic Acid. This acid is notorious for adding bitterness and increasing stomach irritation. Our slow roast process preemptively breaks down most of the CGA, drastically reducing the pool of chemicals available to turn into Quinic Acid later.
This next section III might be a lot to digest (sorry for the pun), but this is a comprehensive, technical section that explains in more detail than I have seen online. I think it will shed a lot of light on the “mystery” of low acid coffee.
III. The Flavor Science: Building Complexity with Time
When roasting coffee, the first major milestone in developing flavors is when the moisture in the bean mostly turns to steam, the green tint changes as the chlorophyll is removed and, for an instant, the beans turn white. This is when we mark the beginning of the Maillard Reaction.
Up until this point, the moisture has inhibited the roasting. The Maillard Reaction can now begin and the beans yellow. This is followed immediately by a critical secondary reaction known as Strecker Degradation. This complex, temperature-dependent chemical cascade is essential for creating the deep aromatic complexity of high-quality coffee.
The Strecker Degradation: Turning Amino Acids into Complex Aromatic Compounds
🔬 Deep Dive: The Chemistry of Strecker Degradation
Inputs (from Maillard)
Reaction Process
Outputs (Aromatic Compounds)
Amino Acids & α-Dicarbonyls
Strecker Degradation
Strecker Aldehydes: The true architects of coffee flavor.
The Strecker Degradation brings the Complex Aromatics (Molasses, Vanilla, Nutty, Chocolate). The 1st crack is an audible marker of the pressure build up as steam builds to 20 atmospheres and ruptures the side of the bean. The aromatic notes switch from wet grass and hay to molasses, vanilla, and brown sugar.
New Slow Roasted Flavors are Created. As the Strecker Degradation forms new flavor compounds, they replace Volatile acidic bright notes with sweetness, nutty, chocolate, and malts. When the beans cool, they are ready for near acid-free consumption.
A Note on Professional Standards: The Cupping Connection
While we may be Mavericks, we haven't ignored the sensory standards of the coffee industry. If you look at the SCA (Specialty Coffee Association) Cupping Attributes, you’ll see exactly why our Slow Roast creates a superior cup:
Acidity vs. Brightness: The coffee industry describes acidity as "brightness" when it’s favorable. In standard roasts, that "brightness" is often just a mask for high acid levels. We soften that edge so it doesn't bite back.
Better Aftertaste: Professional cuppers measure the length of positive flavor left after you swallow. By breaking down harsh CGA, we ensure your aftertaste is smooth and clean, not sour.
Natural Sweetness: This links sweetness to the presence of specific carbohydrates. Slow Roasting maximizes these during the Maillard reaction for a naturally sweet finish.
Perfect Balance: A great cup is about balance. By pulling back the overpowering acids, we let the natural body and flavor of the bean shine.
IV. The Process Guarantee: Time and Transparency
⏳ Time and Temperature: The Slow Roast's Precision
Mavericks uses an extended thermal profile of 20+ minutes. This extra time and temperature are critical to apply the sustained, controlled thermal energy necessary to chemically break down the troublesome nonvolatile acids, particularly CGA.
The Slow Roasted Taste: We Slow Roasted because we liked the taste. It was our customers' comments that brought its dramatic effect on acidity reduction to our attention. That's when I dove into the food science journals to learn more about what was happening under the skin of the coffee bean.
Slow Roasting: The "Brew Liberation" Experiment
A common "fix" people use is cold brewing. Theory says cold water extracts less acid over 12–24 hours. Studies show pH shifts from 4.8 to 5.1 doing this.
But what about Mavericks? We sent two samples of the same batch to a lab:
Mavericks Hot Brew: pH 5.80
Mavericks Cold Brew: pH 5.81
The Takeaway: The difference was a negligible 0.01 pH points (less than 0.2% change). This proves the acid was already gone during our 20-minute roast. You are no longer a slave to the cold brew pitcher and have to wait hours to drink your coffee. We handled the acid, so you do not have to.
Brew With Confidence. It's Mavericks Low Acid Coffee.
V. Finding Your Stomach-Safe Roast
Finally, slow roasting gives you total choice. Since all Mavericks coffees are slow roasted, they are all very low in acid.
Organic and water processed. Tastes like regular coffee.
We know what it's like to love coffee but have your body tell you "no"—we spent 20 years perfecting this so you can finally say "yes" again.
In fact, if you can't drink Mavericks, probably no coffee will work for you. So, please, do not wait another day to grab a bag of Mavericks Coffee.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does slow roasting remove the caffeine? No. This is a common myth. Caffeine is a very stable molecule under heat. While we are busy dismantling the Chlorogenic Acid (CGA), the caffeine stays largely intact. You get all the energy and the kick you expect from a premium coffee, just without the gut-punch of the acidity.
Is Mavericks Coffee Organic? Yes. We are CCOF and USDA Certified Organic. Slow roasting is a clean, natural process using only time and temperature. We don’t need chemical buffers or "acid-wash" treatments to fix our beans because we do the work in the roaster.
Can I use a French Press or Espresso machine? Absolutely. In fact, that is the beauty of "Brew Liberation." Usually, a long steep in a French Press or the high pressure of an Espresso machine pulls out the harshest acids in standard coffee. Because Mavericks is already low-acid before it hits your kitchen, you can use any brew method you want. The protection is already in the bean.
