Advanced Extraction Techniques - Master Brewing Control

What This Workshop Delivers

When you complete Advanced Extraction Techniques, you'll have the ability to taste a cup of coffee and know precisely what needs adjusting. You'll understand the relationship between grind size, water temperature, contact time, and water chemistry well enough to predict how changes will affect your results before you make them.

This workshop gives you the tools to achieve consistency, which is often more valuable than occasional brilliance. You'll learn to replicate your best results reliably and troubleshoot issues when they arise. The sensory training component develops your palate so you can identify over-extraction and under-extraction characteristics, giving you a diagnostic framework that applies to any brewing method.

Beyond technical knowledge, you'll gain confidence in your ability to experiment productively. Coffee stops being unpredictable and becomes something you can control and refine. You'll find yourself making small adjustments that create noticeable improvements, understanding why they work, and building on that knowledge over time.

The Frustration of Inconsistent Results

You've probably experienced this: you brew an exceptional cup one morning, then try to replicate it the next day only to find the results noticeably different. You're not sure what changed or how to get back to that earlier excellence. The variables feel overwhelming, and adjusting one thing seems to affect everything else in unpredictable ways.

Perhaps you understand extraction theory in principle but struggle to apply it in practice. You know grind size matters, but when you adjust it, you're not entirely certain whether to go finer or coarser. Water temperature feels like guesswork. You read about brew ratios but aren't sure whether your issue is ratio-related or extraction-related.

The challenge isn't that you lack information but that you haven't developed the sensory skills and practical understanding to connect theory with results. Without the ability to taste extraction characteristics, you're making adjustments based on incomplete feedback. You can follow recipes, but you can't adapt them confidently when your beans, water, or equipment differ from what the recipe assumes.

A Systematic Approach to Extraction Control

Advanced Extraction Techniques focuses on developing two critical capabilities: understanding how variables interact and recognizing extraction characteristics by taste. We begin with sensory training that helps you identify specific flavor markers of over-extraction and under-extraction. Once you can taste these characteristics, troubleshooting becomes straightforward.

The workshop explores each extraction variable in depth, showing you not just what it does but when and why you'd adjust it. You'll learn the relationship between grind size and contact time, how water chemistry affects extraction rates, and why temperature matters more for some beans than others. We work with equipment at various price points, so the knowledge applies whether you're using a basic setup or more advanced gear.

Each concept is reinforced through hands-on practice. You'll intentionally create over-extracted and under-extracted brews to train your palate, then practice making precise adjustments to bring them into balance. This experiential approach builds intuition that recipe-following alone never develops. By the end of the workshop, you'll have a framework for systematic improvement that continues serving you long after the sessions conclude.

Your Learning Journey with Us

The workshop begins with palate calibration, where you'll taste coffees representing different extraction levels. This establishes a sensory reference point that informs everything else. As we progress through extraction variables, you'll repeatedly practice tasting and adjusting, building confidence in your diagnostic abilities.

Sessions are structured around practical application rather than lengthy lectures. You'll spend significant time brewing, tasting, adjusting, and tasting again. The instructor guides this process, helping you recognize what to pay attention to and how to interpret what you're experiencing. Other participants provide additional perspectives, and you'll often learn as much from observing their troubleshooting process as from your own.

Between sessions, you'll receive practice exercises designed for your home setup. These aren't mandatory assignments but opportunities to reinforce what you're learning. Many participants find that practicing between sessions accelerates their progress considerably, as the concepts become more intuitive with repetition.

What Each Session Includes

Guided sensory training with comparison tasting
Hands-on brewing practice with multiple methods
Detailed exploration of one extraction variable per session
Troubleshooting practice with real-world scenarios
Framework tools for continued experimentation at home

Your Investment in Brewing Mastery

$165

Complete Workshop

This investment provides focused instruction in extraction control, the single most impactful skill for improving your coffee. The ability to diagnose and adjust brewing by taste transforms how you approach coffee, making every session more productive and enjoyable.

What's Included

Comprehensive workshop on extraction variables
Structured sensory training for palate development
All coffee samples and brewing equipment provided
Diagnostic framework reference materials
Practice exercises adapted to your equipment
Email support for troubleshooting after completion

Think about how much coffee you consume over a year and how often you're dissatisfied with the results. This workshop gives you the skills to improve every cup you brew from this point forward. The knowledge compounds over time as you continue practicing and refining your technique.

How Progress Develops Through Practice

Extraction control is a skill that improves with deliberate practice. The workshop provides the framework and initial training, but your palate continues developing as you apply what you've learned. Most participants notice immediate improvement in their ability to taste extraction characteristics, with continued refinement over the following weeks.

We measure progress through practical application rather than theoretical knowledge. By the end of the workshop, you should be able to taste a cup, identify whether it's over-extracted or under-extracted, and know which variable to adjust. You'll understand not just that grind size affects extraction but how different adjustment sizes produce different outcomes.

Typical Development Path

Workshop Sessions

Learn diagnostic framework and practice with guidance

First Two Weeks

Notice improvement in consistency with intentional practice

First Month

Develop confidence in troubleshooting without reference materials

Ongoing

Continued palate refinement and adjustment precision

What Competence Looks Like

Identifying extraction issues by taste alone
Making precise adjustments with predictable outcomes
Adapting recipes to your specific equipment and water
Achieving consistent results across different coffees
Experimenting productively with new brewing methods

Learning with Confidence and Support

Assess Your Readiness First

This workshop assumes basic brewing experience. If you're still learning fundamental concepts like brew ratios or basic grind adjustment, we'd recommend starting with the Fundamentals Workshop Series. We're happy to discuss your current level and help you determine which workshop will serve you best.

Before enrolling, reach out with questions about whether this workshop matches your current skills and goals. We'll provide honest guidance about readiness and suggest alternative paths if needed.

Equipment Compatibility

We cover extraction principles that apply regardless of your equipment. Whether you brew with a pour-over, French press, espresso machine, or another method, the diagnostic framework remains the same. During registration, you'll share what equipment you use at home, and we'll ensure the instruction addresses your specific setup.

If you're considering equipment upgrades, we can discuss how different tools affect extraction control, helping you make informed decisions about where to invest.

How to Get Started

1

Share Your Background

Use the contact form below to express interest in Advanced Extraction Techniques. Let us know your current brewing experience and any specific challenges you're facing with consistency or technique.

2

Confirm Workshop Fit

We'll provide information about upcoming workshop dates and discuss whether this level of instruction matches your current skills. If you'd benefit from different preparation, we'll let you know what would help most.

3

Enroll When Ready

Once you've decided this workshop suits your needs, we'll send registration details and pre-workshop information about what to expect and how to prepare.

4

Attend and Practice

Come to the workshop prepared to taste critically and adjust thoughtfully. Bring questions about your specific brewing challenges so we can address them during practice sessions.

Ready to Master Extraction Control?

Let us know you're interested in developing advanced brewing skills. We'll discuss your current experience and help you determine if this workshop aligns with your learning goals.

Get in Touch

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