About Coffee Defects & Quality Control

Identifying greens defects, roast defects, and brewing flaws. The standard SCA defect classification with photographic reference and corrective guidance.

Coffee Defects & Quality Control is one of the specialized volumes in The Coffee Encyclopedia — a growing reference library that covers every dimension of coffee from seed to cup. This introductory article sets out the scope of the book and what readers can expect as new full-length articles are added.

What this book covers

Identifying greens defects
Roast defects
Brewing flaws
Standard SCA defect classification with photographic reference and corrective guidance
Cross-references to related books across the encyclopedia

How this book fits

This book belongs to our Coffee Science shelf — extraction, water, grind, sensory, and the measurable craft of coffee. Each article is written to stand on its own, then cross-linked as coverage deepens — so you can read start-to-finish for a structured tour, or jump directly to a specific sub-topic when you need a focused answer.

The Coffee Encyclopedia is an educational project preserving and sharing coffee knowledge. The goal is full, well-sourced coverage — not quick surface-level summaries — which means new articles are written deliberately, one topic at a time.

Who this book is for

Whether you're a curious beginner encountering this subject for the first time, a home enthusiast looking to go deeper, or a working professional sharpening your craft, this book is written to meet you where you are. Articles range from approachable overviews to technical deep-dives, with practical guidance alongside the science and history. No prior experience is assumed — every article starts from first principles and builds from there.

This article is being expanded

You're looking at the starter article for Coffee Defects & Quality Control. Full-length articles covering each of the sub-topics listed above are being added regularly. Bookmark this page and come back — or browse the full book list to discover the ~250 other volumes in the encyclopedia.

If you have a specific question about this subject that you'd like answered in a future article, we'd love to hear from you.

This article is sponsored by PuertoRicoCoffeeShop.com — authentic Puerto Rican coffee, fresh-roasted on the island and shipped worldwide. Every reader who visits helps support our mission to preserve and share coffee's incredible heritage.