Common home brewing mistakes
The most frequent mistakes made in home coffee brewing, why they matter, and how to fix them for better results.
- Coffee Basics Nerds
- 2 min read
Article 7 of 12 in Home Brewing Setup & Skills/
1. Using Old or Stale Coffee
- Coffee loses flavor quickly after roasting.
- Mistake: Brewing beans older than 6 weeks post-roast.
- Fix: Buy fresh, whole beans in smaller amounts.
2. Inconsistent Grind Size
- Uneven grinds cause over- and under-extraction in the same cup.
- Mistake: Using blade grinders or dull burrs.
- Fix: Invest in a burr grinder and clean it regularly.
3. Wrong Brew Ratio
- Too much or too little coffee affects strength and balance.
- Mistake: Scooping instead of weighing.
- Fix: Use a scale; start with 1:16–1:17 ratio for filter brews.
4. Incorrect Water Temperature
- Too hot = bitterness, too cold = sourness.
- Mistake: Boiling water poured immediately.
- Fix: Use 90–96 °C (195–205 °F) water, or a variable-temp kettle.
5. Ignoring Water Quality
- Tap water can be too hard, soft, or chlorinated.
- Mistake: Using unfiltered water.
- Fix: Use filtered or remineralized water within SCA standards.
6. Poor Agitation or Pouring Technique
- Uneven wetting leads to channeling and poor extraction.
- Mistake: Dumping water all at once or pouring unevenly.
- Fix: Bloom properly, use controlled pours, stir when needed.
7. Skipping Bloom in Fresh Coffee
- Fresh beans release CO₂ that repels water.
- Mistake: Not allowing bloom.
- Fix: Pour ~2–3× dose in water, wait 30–45 sec before continuing.
8. Dirty Equipment
- Oils and residues cause rancid flavors.
- Mistake: Infrequent cleaning of brewers, grinders, kettles.
- Fix: Regular deep cleaning and daily rinses.
9. Overcomplicating Too Early
- Beginners may change multiple variables at once.
- Mistake: Tweaking grind, dose, and water simultaneously.
- Fix: Adjust one variable at a time to isolate effects.
Summary
The most common home brewing mistakes include using stale beans, poor grind consistency, wrong ratios, bad water, and skipping cleaning. Fixing these basics delivers the biggest improvement in cup quality—before chasing advanced techniques.