Shop/Subscriptions/
Brewing GuidesCoffee CoursesTastings
/
Our StoryFAQ
/
Contact/Wholesale

Learn / Brew Guides / Filter Brewing

Filter Brewing
Brew Guides·July 20, 2026·Ethica Team

Filter Brewing

Brew Ratio

This term communicates the ratio of coffee to water used during brewing. Communicating this as a ratio helps adapt to different quantities of brewed coffee while maintaining the same strength. We recommend a ratio of 6g of coffee for every 100mL of water. Adjust this to your preferred beverage size. This ratio brews a balanced, strong cup and maximizes value from your beans: 6g divides evenly into a 250g bag with very little waste.

Immersion Brewing

Ingredients: 21g of coffee and 350mL of water

Grind size: between the size of white sugar and sea salt. Adjust to your flavour preference: bitter flavours mean grind coarser; too much acidity or a flat brew means grind finer.

Water temperature: 95C, or approximately 1 minute off the boil.

Process: Follow this with any immersion brewer – French press, steep-and-release, etc.

  1. If applicable, add the filter to your brewer and pour in some hot water to pre-heat it, then discard this water.
  2. Add the ground coffee to the brewer, then pour in the whole amount of hot water at once. Start your timer when the water first touches the coffee.
  3. Stir your brew slurry 10 times, back and forth, to break apart any clumping coffee grounds.
  4. Leave it for 4 minutes.
  5. Filter the brew according to your brewer.
  6. Serve the whole brew — don't leave any in contact with the brew bed, as this can cause over-extraction.

Percolation Brewing

Ingredients: 15g of coffee and 250mL of water. Your grind bed depth is a key parameter for even extraction. Aim for a bed depth of approximately 1-2 inches in your brewer.

Grind size: between the size of white sugar and sea salt. Adjust to your flavour preference: bitter flavours mean grind coarser; too much acidity or a flat brew means grind finer

Water temperature: 95°C, or approximately 1 minute off the boil.

Process: Follow this with any percolation brewer — V60, flat bottom, Chemex etc.Add a filter to your brewer and pour in some hot water to pre-heat, then discard the used water

  1. Add the ground coffee to the filter and distribute the grounds until flat.
  2. Pour 50g of water, aiming to wet all the coffee. Start your timer when the water first touches the coffee.
  3. After 45 seconds, slowly add half the remaining water — 100g in this case.
  4. Once the water drains to a level just above the grind bed, add the remaining water.
  5. Wait for the water to drain completely before disposing of your filter and spent grounds. Keep a record of this time — your drawdown time.

Time: Your goal drawdown time should be between 2.5 and 3 minutes. Smaller brews should drain faster, larger brews slower. With larger machine brewers, you may find you can use longer brew times — 5 to 6 minutes — without perceiving bitterness. The easiest way to adjust your drawdown time is by changing your grind size.

Recommended Course: Alternative Brewing Methods

More from Brew Guides


Espresso
Brew Guides

Espresso

July 20, 2026Read →
Filter vs Espresso Roast
Brew Guides

Filter vs Espresso Roast

July 20, 2026Read →
Coffee Freshness
Brew Guides

Coffee Freshness

July 20, 2026Read →
← Back to the Journal

Coffee fuels our passion. Every step of the way is woven by the same thread of enormous respect for quality, people and their skills.

Quick Links

ShopCoffee SubscriptionsLearnOur StoryWholesale

Help

ShippingContact UsPrivacy PolicyTerms of ServiceRefund Policy

Visit Us

Unit 104 – 213 Sterling Rd

Toronto, ON Canada

Mon – Fri: 8AM – 5PM

Sat & Sun: 8AM – 6PM

416-516-0009

info@ethicaroasters.com

InstagramYoutube

© 2026 Ethica Coffee Roasters.

Roasted in Toronto