Have you ever wondered why sometimes the Oat milk that you add in your daily coffee gets separated and floats on its surface?
When this happens, are you doubtful whether you should drink this coffee or put it away?
Few days back, I published an article about when and why coffee creamer curdles in the coffee.
Today, I am writing about when and how Oat milk curdles in your coffee.
The short answer to this question is “Yes” and “No” both.
Because if your Oat milk is fresh and not expired and if your coffee has low acidity, then you usually will not face this oat milk curdling issue.
But if the milk is spoiled or expired and if your coffee has higher acidity, then at higher temperature level, the Oat milk can be curdled in your coffee.
However, the probability of getting oat milk curdled in your coffee is much less as compared to the other non-dairy milk products such as soy milk, nut milk or almond milk.
If you want to know how to prevent the curdling of oat milk in your daily coffee, then I recommend you to read this article till the end.
Table of Contents
- FAQ Regarding Oat Milk Curdling in Coffee
- 3 Main Reasons Behind Oat Milk Curdling in Your Coffee
- Is It Safe to Drink Coffee with Oat Milk Curdling in it?
- 3 Easy Methods to Avoid Oat Milk Curdling in Coffee
- How Does Oat Milk Taste in Coffee When Fresh and When Spoiled?
- Final Thoughts
FAQ Regarding Oat Milk Curdling in Coffee
3 Main Reasons Behind Oat Milk Curdling in Your Coffee
There are basically 3 main reasons which causes oat milk curdling in your daily coffee.
Those 3 reasons are as follows.
Reason No. 1: High Acidity of Your Coffee
This is the number one factor which usually causes milk or cream curdling in your coffee.
If the coffee which you consume on a daily basis, has a higher acetic acid content, then it basically disturbs the pH balance at a higher temperature.
When you brew your coffee at a higher temperature, the high acid content is reacted with the oat milk once you add it in your coffee.
This is the main reason why you need to drink low acid coffee in your daily routine.
If you are looking for a good quality low acid coffee then I highly recommend you to use either Tylor’s No Acid Organic Ground Coffee or Trader’s Joe Low Acid Dark Roast Coffee.
Reason No. 2: Oat Milk is Either Spoiled or Expired
The milk you add in your coffee must be always fresh and not expired at all.
Some people do take this risk of adding expired oat milk in their coffee.
In some cases, people don’t even realize that their oat milk is spoiled and still they add it to their coffee.
In these cases, the texture, flavor and taste of spoiled oat milk is changed over the period.
Adding such type of spoiled milk or expired milk usually causes higher acidic reaction when added to the hot cup of coffee.
This obviously leads to milk curdling in your coffee.
Therefore, you should completely avoid adding oat milk that is either spoiled or expired.
Reason No. 3: Higher Temperature of Your Coffee
The final and the third reason is higher heat of your coffee which can lead to milk curdling.
When you add your oat milk directly in the hot cup of coffee, at that time, the high temperature of the coffee quickly reacts with the lactic acid of the oat milk.
Oat milk do contain certain amount of lactic acid which increases in proportion when the milk is either spoiled or expired.
And as soon as you add such type of oat milk to a hot cup of coffee, the lactic acid quickly reacts with the acetic acid of your coffee.
This often causes oat milk curdling in your coffee.
In this case, the only way to avoid this issue is to allow your hot coffee to become cool.
Once it reaches the room temperature, you can add oat milk in your coffee.
Room temperature oat milk when added to higher temperature coffee often causes milk curdling.
So, it is best to allow your hot coffee to become cool for some time and then mix normal temperature oat milk in your coffee.
Is It Safe to Drink Coffee with Oat Milk Curdling in it?
Yes, it is perfectly safe for your health to drink coffee that is curdled with oat milk as long as the milk is fresh and not expired.
There are two types of milk curdling.
One is called as intentional curdling and the other is called as unintentional curdling.
Milk curdling is not bad or unsafe for your health as long as it is intentional in nature.
Here intentional curdling means the milk you use to add in your coffee is not expired or spoiled by any means.
The coffee you use is made from low acid coffee beans or no acid organic coffee beans.
If it is unintentional curdling then it might cause some health issues for you.
An unintentional curdling involves the use of spoiled or expired oat milk and adding it to the hot coffee with high acidity.
So, as long as you use low acid coffee and your oat milk is fresh and not expired, you can drink your coffee even if it gets curdled with milk or cream.
3 Easy Methods to Avoid Oat Milk Curdling in Coffee
You can use 3 simple tricks to prevent oat milk curdling in your daily cup of coffee.
Those methods are mentioned as follows.
1. Use Organic No Acid or Low Acid Coffee Beans
Yes, the number one cause as mentioned above for milk or cream curdling in your coffee is the high acetic acid content of your coffee.
If the coffee beans you use for making your daily coffee contains high acetic acid, then it obviously interferes with the overall pH balance of your hot brewed coffee.
It easily interacts with lactic acid content of your coffee creamer and oat milk which gets added in it later on.
To prevent this milk curdling in your coffee, the number one precaution you should take is to use a low acid coffee beans or no acid organic coffee beans.
My favorite low acid coffee is Trader’s Joe Low Acid Dark Roast Coffee.
If you want to use no acid coffee beans for your coffee, then my recommendation is to use Tylor’s No Acid Organic Ground Coffee.
2. Clean Your Coffee Mug Properly
This is the number 2 factor which many folks don’t pay much attention to while making their daily coffee.
If you do not de-calcify or clean your coffee mug properly, then the earlier coffee oil residue from the coffee mug interior can increase the overall acetic acid content of your hot brewed coffee.
This enhanced acid content then quickly reacts with the lactic acid of your oat milk which in turn causes milk curdling.
This is the reason why your coffee mug or kettle should be cleansed properly before you use it to store your hot cup of coffee.
You can decalcify or clean your coffee mug using dish soap, baking soda or white distilled vinegar.
I highly recommend to read my article about cleaning Yeti Coffee Tumbler so that you will know various efficient cleaning methods for your coffee mug.
3. Use Only Fresh and Non-Refrigerated Oat Milk
Oat milk that is refrigerated for a long time period is usually the culprit for milk curdling in your coffee.
The shelf life of unopened oat milk products is usually 7-10 days.
I usually use and finish my oat milk within a week or so.
Therefore, there is no risk of using expired or spoiled oat milk in my daily coffee.
Once you open the packet, it is recommended to finish the oat milk in 7 days maximum.
After that period, if it is not refrigerated properly, then it starts to deteriorate in terms of its smell, flavor and taste.
Once it reaches its expiration date, it is in your best interest to avoid using the milk for any purpose.
By using fresh and organic oat milk, you can always be assured in your mind that the coffee you are drinking is safe for your health.
The best natural and organic oat milk that I can recommend in this case is either Pacific Foods Organic Oat Milk or Califia Farms Unsweetened Barista Blend Oat Milk.
How Does Oat Milk Taste in Coffee When Fresh and When Spoiled?
As far as fresh, not expired and organic oat milk is concerned, it has a creamy taste.
This taste is very much similar to any full fat dairy based milk product such as cow milk or buffalo milk.
Its smooth texture perfectly complements the taste and flavor of your coffee.
If it is spoiled after its expiration date, then you can check that by using your eyes and nose.
If the oat milk in the packet smells sour and tastes acidic then you can consider that it has gone bad.
Just throw that milk in the kitchen sink after the confirmation of the spoiled milk.
Final Thoughts
In the end, I would like to just inform you that adding fresh and unspoiled oat milk to your daily cup of coffee is highly beneficial for your health.
If you follow the above 3 given tips then you will have very few chances of oat milk curdling in your coffee.
Just make sure that your coffee is obtained from low acid or no acid organic coffee beans and your coffee mug is thoroughly cleansed prior to pouring your hot or cold brew coffee.
Best of luck.
References:
https://www.cookinglight.com/news/how-to-stop-non-dairy-almond-milk-from-curdling-in-coffee
https://stuarte.co/2019/how-long-does-oat-milk-last-before-its-gone-bad-or-expired/
https://www.mashed.com/188960/the-untold-truth-of-oat-milk/
https://www.firstforwomen.com/posts/health/is-curdled-milk-bad-165466