If you’re a serious coffee drinker, you’ve probably been brewing coffee to find it smelled like cat pee, skunk, ammonia, or even poop at some stage. In most cases, if you find these smells when drinking coffee, you’d be led to believe the coffee beans were spoiled.
The entire aroma and flavor of your coffee are affected if the oil in the roasted coffee beans turns rancid. Much of this can be found as oily dark roasts can spoil quickly and smell like cat pee or another off smell. A chemical reaction between coffee beans and oxygen exposure can produce a poop smell since the beans’ oxidation means the beans are spoiled.
In our guide, you can find more about why your coffee smells like a cat-like animal. By the end, you’ll see smells you may encounter and the best ways to combat this, so you can drink coffee smelling and tasting great. (Read Nespresso Stuck In Descaling Mode – What To Do)
Why Does Coffee Smell Like Cat Pee?
The cat pee aroma makes inferior coffee and comes about because of a chemical reaction between your coffee beans and oxygen. When organic material, like coffee grounds or fruits, are stored in an open container for an extended period, with no protection against exposure.
Oxidative reactions to natural substances like phenols take place and are the main reason coffee beans end up with a high-acid taste and unpleasant aroma.
Several actions can be taken to lessen the possibility that your coffee will smell like cat pee:
- Store beans in an air-tight container.
- Make sure your coffee grounds are completely dry before storage.
- Take your coffee out of the container to air before brewing.
Top reasons You Have Coffee Smelling Like Cat Pee
The following are some of the most frequent reasons for the smell of cat urine in your coffee.
1. Check the Expiry Date of Coffee
Check the expiration date of your coffee first if you detect any odors in it, such as cat urine.
Check to see if the coffee bag or the package is damaged or not closed properly.
2. Check Signs of House Cat Urine
The cat that lives in your home can be an intriguing factor. If you live with a cat, check your utensils are clean.
It’s possible that the cat urinated on the kitchen tools you use to make coffee.
In that case, properly clean your utensils before brewing your coffee.
3. Cheap Coffee Brand
Your choice of the coffee brand may be among the reasons, as you can find a cheap coffee brand that can have a cat urine smell in your coffee. Choose a branded coffee rather than a budget one.
Rapid oxidation or poor roasting process leads to cheaper brand beans going rancid, thus causing coffee to smell like ammonia or urine.
4. Excess Moisture
Check your coffee to see whether it is stale, moldy, or off. Your pack’s excessive moisture content can harm the goods and cause your drinks to smell bad.
5. Poor Coffee Mug Cleaning
Use dishwashing machines to properly and frequently clean your coffee maker. Even after a decent washing, cleaning your utensils is difficult when leftover coffee has settled in them.
The next time you make coffee, this could cause a change in smell. In these instances, it is crucial to completely and thoroughly clean the coffee pots, mugs, tumblers, and cups to avoid a lingering odor. (Learn How Long Is Coffee Creamer Good For After Expiration)
How To Get Rid of Cat Pee Smell from Coffee
Alkaloids and nitrogen-containing substances, like a minor amount of ammonia, are present in coffee. Because of pressure or high temperature in the roasting process, the alkaloids present in coffee are degraded.
Try the following methods to eliminate the cat pee smell from your coffee if it develops.
1. Change Coffee Brand
First, check your coffee brand, as a local brand of coffee may smell bad. Poor-quality coffee that expires early can smell like cat pee, so switch to a better coffee brand and eliminate the smell.
2. Don’t Use Expired Coffee
Before buying coffee, check the expiration date since a foul odor can come from expired coffee.
3. Keep coffee in an Airtight Container
To prevent moisture absorption and spoilage, store your coffee in an air-tight container, and ensure your ground coffee is totally dry. When brewing coffee, remove your coffee, and let it air for a few minutes before brewing.
4. Wash Mugs and Coffee Maker Regularly
Coffee lovers need to periodically clean their coffee pots or mugs using the proper cleaning techniques. It is recommended to use the appropriate detergent and cleaning techniques. You can use baking soda and white vinegar to remove stubborn coffee stains. Just remember to rinse properly.
Why Do You Have a Skunk-Like Coffee Smell?
Coffee smells like a skunk aroma from coffee beans damaged by heat, light, and moisture. This shows the coffee wasn’t preserved properly after roasting, during shipping, or improperly roasted.
When coffee beans are cooked, a group of substances known as thiols causes the skunk smell to be released. Discarding the defective coffee beans and purchasing new ones is the only way to eliminate this aroma.
Why Does Coffee Smell Like Ammonia?
Ammonia is a potent gas that can show improper coffee. It results from moisture penetrating the coffee beans and develops an ammonia-like smell. Like above, the solution can be to move your coffee to a suitable air-tight container.
Why Does Coffee Smell Like Poop?
If you have coffee smelling like poop, it could be over-roasted beans. Coffee roasted too long produces a strong aroma and oily liquid with a thicker consistency, which could taste bitter or burned.
The science is that coffee grounds contain potassium, magnesium, and other minerals. Coffee beans get roasted to high temperatures to activate the natural oils to deliver a rich aroma, which you get from each type of roast.
Darker roasts have more natural oils and can cause an unpleasant flavor when burned. To avoid a strong flavor, purchase coffee that has a lighter roast. (Read Does Cream Have Sugar)
How Should My Coffee Smell?
We’ve talked about how coffee’s aroma can occasionally be unpleasant. But, on the other hand, coffee typically has a wonderful aroma. The simplest way to describe it is that you should be able to taste it with both your mouth and your nose. It should be strong but not overpowering.
Coffee is roasted at a high temperature, creating aromatic oils with both good and unfavorable smells. For example, the fruity, corn-chip-like flavors that are frequently referred to as woody, musty, or burned popcorn aroma notes by tasters. Of course, the fragrances produced by various coffee beans may vary, and the taste and smell of the coffee will also be affected by how the beans are roasted.
The flavor notes will also change during the brewing process. In contrast to drip coffees, which may result in brighter coffees because they are not as heavily filtered, French press coffee, for instance, results in a fuller-bodied cup.
Conclusion
One of the best ways to maintain the best flavor for your coffee is to buy quality beans and grind them when ready to use them. Grinding beans too early means they lose flavor and can absorb moisture easier than coffee beans.