Coffee and Caffeine FAQ

I can't confirm or deny your claims about acidity and affeine. I have not seen any research that indicates this is the case but I can't say I have seen anything to the contrary.

Do remember when talking about coffee acidity does not refer to the ph of the coffee but to a taste profile. Think of wine not chemistry for this. Of course the ph also affects the flavor profile.

Fast vs slow roasting both have their proponents. I'm not really sure what method Starbucks uses. They are big enough I would guess they would want to roast as fast as they can while still retaining their flavor profile. In my experience a faster air roast will leave more high flavor notes than a slower drum/convection roast at the same roast level but I can roast lighter with a slower drum roast and still get a good flavor profile with plenty of high notes ithout having the burnt notes I get in a faster roast. Having said all that too slow a roast is baking not roasting.

One thing you might try if you want to reduce acidity (flavor and ph) is using a paper filters. That will also remove some flavor. I believe Kenneth Davids mentions this in one of his books.