Basics to brewing a great cup

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How do you make cold brew coffee at home (immersion method)

Sales of cold brew coffee have grown almost 600% in the past five years. It is one of the most refreshing beverages and very easy to make at home with some basic equipment, and of course good coffee.

WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN COLD BREW AND ICED COFFEE?

The terms “cold brew” and “iced coffee” are often used to describe the same beverage, which is wrong! Iced Coffee is coffee that is brewed hot (usually as filtered drip coffee), then cooled and poured over ice when served.  Cold Brew is prepared by steeping the coffee grounds in cold water. Because it is extracted at lower temperatures, it takes significantly longer to extract the flavor compounds from the coffee (between 18 and 24 hours). 

HOW TO MAKE IT AT HOME?

Companies like Toddy sell cold brew equipment which helps to make the process more straightforward, as well as making it easier for the user to clean. If you don’t have access to equipment, a French press will also work very well.

Cold brew recipe

Brew some as a concentrate

Start with coarsely ground (like coarse sea salt) fresh coffee and quality filtered water that is at room temperature at a ratio of 1/2 pound of coffee for every gallon of water.   (This can be adjusted according to your taste, but it is a solid starting point).

Place the coffee in a cheesecloth bag and add it and the water to your container (we like to use a glass 1-gallon jar with a tight-fitting lid). Put the lid on it and give it a nice shake, just to make sure the grounds are completely saturated, and place it on the counter or in the fridge. (Typically, anywhere between 18 and 24 hours). After the Steeping (brewing) time is up, remove the coffee grounds (bag) from the jar to avoid over-extraction.

You can store your cold brew in the refrigerator for up to 14 days. 

                                                                    Brew some as a concentrate

Start with coarsely ground (like coarse sea salt) fresh coffee and quality filtered water that is at room temperature at a ratio of 1:8. (so for every 8 ounces of water, you will need 1 ounce of coffee) This can be adjusted according to your taste, but it is a solid starting point.

Place the coffee in a cheesecloth bag and add it and the water to your container (we like to use a ½ to 1-gallon glass jar with a tight-fitting lid). Put the lid on it and give it a nice shake, just to make sure the grounds are completely saturated, and place it on the counter or in the fridge. (Typically, anywhere between 18 and 24 hours). After the Steeping (brewing) time is up, remove the coffee grounds (bag) from the jar to avoid over-extraction.

You can store your cold brew concentrate in the refrigerator for up to 14 days. This is a strong concentrate, so when adding water or milk, use 1/3 of the coffee and 2/3 of your favorite dairy/non-dairy and adjust this to fit your taste as well. Again, you can adjust these ratios to your taste preferences.

 What is Japanese-Style Iced Coffee?

Japanese-style iced coffee is simply coffee that is brewed hot directly onto ice, which chills it rapidly. Exactly how you do this is up to you. You can brew the coffee into any number of devices, whether you use a V60, Melitta pour-over cone, a Chemex, or a French Press. All methods can produce a very satisfying cup.

What Makes Japanese-Style Iced Coffee So Good?

It comes down to some basic science: Hot water has more energy than the cold water used to make cold brew, which means the molecules in a kettle of hot water are moving around more quickly and by moving more quickly, they're able to extract more soluble compounds from the ground coffee more quickly. This produces a cup of coffee that we have found to be better balanced compared to traditional cold brew coffee and more delicious. We have found that by rapidly chilling the freshly brewed coffee, it's bright, clean, and the “just-made” flavor is preserved, and it's a difference you really can taste. The traditional cold brew approach requires planning at least many hours if not a full day in advance, Japanese-style iced coffee can be made in just minutes with barely any extra effort.

Directions (using a pour-over cone)

Set a carafe large enough to hold 16 fluid ounces (475ml) of brewed coffee on a digital scale and tare the scale to zero. Add 8 ounces (225g) of ice. Set a dripper cone on top. Line with a paper filter and .96 ounces (27.21 grams) of freshly ground coffee. Tare scale to zero once more.

Pour just enough boiling water (20 seconds off the boil) into the grounds to wet them, then let stand for 30 seconds (this is called blooming the coffee and will improve the flavor of the final brew). Resume pouring water all over the grounds until the scale reads 8 ounces (225g). Allow water to fully drain through the filter, then discard used coffee grounds. Serve iced coffee right away. You can easily double this recipe is making more than one cup.

Notes

You can also use a drip coffee brewer to make cold brew coffee: Simply fill the carafe with the correct amount of ice, then set up your brewer with the correct amount of coffee and fill the water tank with the correct amount of water, then brew the coffee; if your coffee maker has a warming plate, be sure to turn it off.

Make-Ahead and Storage: Japanese-style iced coffee is best enjoyed freshly brewed.

How to Make Cold Brew in a French Press

PREPARE YOUR EQUIPMENT AND INGREDIENTS

Coarse coffee grounds

Cold water

USE THE CORRECT COLD BREW FRENCH PRESS RATIO

Use a 5 to 1 recipe. This means 5 grams or ounces of water for every gram or ounce of coffee.

(Example- 5 oz of coarse grounds and 25 oz of cold water)

TIP: Try the bloom trick. It consists of replacing a third of your cold water with some hot water, pouring it onto the grounds in the French press, and letting them degas for half a minute before proceeding with the next step. This allows them to release all the trapped CO2 and gases that could spoil extraction.

LET YOUR COLD BREW FRENCH PRESS COFFEE STEEP OVERNIGHT - Pour the cold water, stir it, cover it, but don’t press the plunger! One of the benefits of cold brew French press coffee is that your equipment will fit in the fridge much more easily than with bulkier solutions. Be sure to let it sit in there overnight for 14-16 hours.

When time is up, take it out of the fridge, press the plunger, and enjoy it. If it tastes too strong, you can always add milk or water (aiming for a 1:1 ratio) or even ice cubes. Save in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Will keep for up to 14 days.