I experimented with a finer grind setting on my mokapot and found that the coffee became over-extracted.
While the body felt heavier and fuller, the bitterness overwhelmed the coffee’s flavor notes. It was intensely bitter. What surprised me was how short the aftertaste became. The fresh aroma was muted, and the back of my tongue felt dry and slightly puckered. This is often associated with astringency, a common sign of over-extraction.
At the moment, I’m using grind setting 8, but it seems I may need to return to grind setting 11 for a more balanced cup.