At its core, brewing coffee is a solid-liquid extraction. Water acts as a solvent, pulling flavors, oils, and acids from the roasted bean.
A on how to apply these physics to your home brew.
📍 Modern research, such as studies published in journals like Matter , suggests that "less is more." Using slightly fewer beans and a coarser grind can actually lead to more consistent extraction by reducing the likelihood of clogged pores and uneven flow.
The rate of chemical reactions (extraction of oils, acids, sugars) is temperature-dependent. This is described by the Arrhenius equation:
When you pour 50g of water onto 15g of fresh coffee, CO₂ escapes rapidly, forming a gas barrier around individual particles. This gas layer of the bed by a factor of 10, temporarily insulating the coffee from the hot water.