If you don't already: Try inspecting/sorting your beans and blowing out chaff before brewing.
I thought I had my brewing routine down to pretty much perfect, before I saw a Lance Hendrick video where he recommends sorting out faulty beans and getting rid of most of the chaff.
It may seem tedious to do for each cup, but for me it's worth it. The cleanness and quality of my brews improved drastically, making me enjoy black coffee way more.
If you're patient enough, give it a try, it pays off!
It becomes more obvious when you first grind the beans very coarsely. I have an old grinder standing around that I have set to very coarse permanently, so I don't have to spend too much time adjusting & readjusting.
When you blow on the grounds, the chaff starts flying out, for most roasts I had it's a decent amount, probably enough to affect the taste of the brew.
That’s really interesting, thanks for sharing. I find that some beans have more chaff than others, so I might selectively employ this. What methods do you prefer for your brews? I’m typically brewing pour over with v60 or Orea v3.
I'll pick out defects if I spot them, but I don't obsess over it. Re: chaff, after some experimentation, I don't feel like it makes a significant difference in my cups for the most part.