Beyond Particle Size Distribution is a hands-on workshop that explores how particle size influences coffee extraction and flavor. Following a theoretical introduction, participants will grind coffee and use laboratory-style sieves to separate the grounds into narrow particle size fractions, isolating fines, boulders, and mid-range particle fractions that are normally blended together.
Each fraction will be brewed using identical parameters to observe how it behaves in under-extracted, properly extracted, and over-extracted conditions. Attendees will compare these brews to a non-sieved control sample to evaluate how mixed particle distributions contribute to overall cup complexity and character.
Participants will then experiment with blending different particle sizes to create custom distributions and test whether tailored profiles can produce more desirable cup attributes. We will also explore brewing individual particle size fractions separately, then mixing the brewed coffee to compare the effects with mixing grounds before brewing. Finally, we will examine how brewing techniques—such as dose, contact time, etc.—can be adjusted for specific particle fractions to more efficiently use coffee, potentially achieving similar cup quality with less coffee, promoting environmentally conscious brewing.
By the end, participants will gain a deeper, practical understanding of how particle size shapes extraction, cup character, and brewing strategy.
Learning Objectives:
Understand how individual particle size fractions influence coffee extraction and overall cup characteristics.
Apply sieving techniques as practical tools to explore particle size effects and inform brewing experiments.
Investigate the impact of blending particle sizes before and after brewing to optimize cup attributes.
Adjust dose, agitation, and contact time to achieve desired cup quality while using coffee more efficiently.
Date: Thursday, June 25, 2026
Time: 8:00 - 10:30
Location: Room 1123
REGISTRATION FEES: €150.00
Booking: To book your place in this Workshop, head to the World of Coffee Brussels Registration & Booking Portal and add a session to your order. Already registered? Simply log in using the credentials created at purchase to access your booking and add other paid events to your badge.
Instructor
Connor Firth
Consultant, CRF Specialty Coffee Consulting
Connor Firth is a specialty coffee consultant from Chicagoland. Since completing his PhD in chemistry and chemical engineering in 2024, he has leveraged his technical background to educate coffee industry experts about the fundamental scientific principles underlying the field. His focus on transport phenomena and fluid dynamics — the physics behind nearly all coffee-related processes — makes him unique in an industry where hard science often takes a backseat. He aims to inspire creativity and promote scientific thinking, enabling industry professionals to navigate abstract marketing claims and, more importantly, deliver unique products and services of the highest quality.