Brewing Basics
Bypass
Water that passes through or around the coffee bed without fully extracting soluble compounds, diluting the final brew. Bypass can be intentional, as in some drip brewer designs, or a flaw caused by poor bed geometry.
Em Profundidade
Intentional bypass is used in brewers like the Kalita Wave, where sidewall channels let a small fraction of water skip the grounds, resulting in a cleaner but slightly lower-TDS cup. Unintentional bypass occurs when the coffee bed cracks, channeling water along the filter walls. Understanding bypass helps brewers troubleshoot inconsistent strength without adjusting grind size or dose.