Cold Brew Coffee

Cold Brew Coffee

A "How To" guide to making Cold Brew Coffee.

Now that summer is officially here, it’s time to make some cold brew! Cold brewed coffee is a favorite of mine for the summer! So smooth and refreshing on hot, sunny days. And most of all, it's so easy to make! 

What is Cold brew coffee?

It is taking coarsely ground coffee and letting it steep at room temperature with water for anywhere from 12-24 hours. This slow infusion will pull all the great flavors that you love out of your coffee beans and leave behind the bitterness that normally brewing with hot water can sometimes produce. Leaving you with a very smooth and almost sweet tasting coffee.

The most common ratio used for this method is 1:4, using 1 cup of grounds to 4 cups of water. I've had others that were a 1:1, 1:6, and even an 1:10 ratio! Depending on how light or how strong you want it, this can be adjusted to fit your taste. Today I'll be using a 1:6 ratio with a 16 hour steep time

What You Need

I am using my Ovalware Cold Brew Maker that I got from Amazon. Also a french press would work for this too, but honestly, anything with a spout for easy pouring is fine. A pitcher or extra large mason jar will do great as well.


Filtered water is key! It will give your coffee a cleaner, sweeter flavor. 

Coarsely ground coffee. As to what type of coffee or roast to use, it all depends on what your preferences are. I’ve come to realize that using a light or medium roast will bring out a bright, smooth and refreshing taste! Darker roasted coffees tend to come out with a darker, almost chocolaty flavor that leans towards syrupy feel.  So depending on your taste preferences, I’d start out with one of your favorite coffee beans and go from there! Today I'll be using our Columbian Supremo.

 

Make sure the beans are ground coarse enough. They should feel like and look similar to cornmeal or coarse sand when rubbed between your fingers. If you grind the beans too fine, you get a gritty, muddy feel that can be over-extracted and give you a bitter taste. 

Cheesecloth, flour sack cloth or any type of large paper filter for straining if you aren't using a brewer that comes with a filter.


How to Make Cold Brew                        

 Step 1.  Grind your beans to a coarse setting. 1c comes to about 3oz if you are measuring with a scale.

Step 2.  Place your grounds in the  mesh filter and insert the filter into the pitcher. 

 

For non-brewer option, place your ground straight into a pitcher or large mason jar.

Step 3. Pour 6 cups of filtered water through the top of the grounds to seep through into the pitcher. This helps to ensure proper saturation of all the ground coffee and will keep the grounds from floating up as the water level goes higher.

Non-brewer option, pour the water over the coffee grounds to ensure saturation and stir with a long spoon to ensure there are no clumps

 Step 4.  Pop on your lid (or Saran Wrap) and set aside on the counter. Set your timer for 12-24 hours, depending on how long you want it to brew. I set mine to 16 hours as I find that to be a pretty good brew time. Not too dark, with a sweet smooth body. 

Step 5. Once your timer goes off, pull up your filter and let the excess water drip down, then remove completely and replace your lid!

Non-brewer option, take your cheese cloth and place in a mesh strainer. Set over a large bowl to catch all the grounds as you pour out your cold brew mixture. Once its strained, gather up the ends of your cheese cloth and squeeze out any excess liquid. Pour cold brew into a sealable jar or pitcher. 

 

Your cold brew should last you 7-10 days stored in the fridge. 

 

Ways to Serve Your Cold Brew

Depending on how strong your brew is, it can be cut with water to dilute it by using 1 part cold brew to 1 part filtered water. Also tastes great with creamer or milk!!

On the Rocks Cold Brew

  • 12 oz Cold Brew
  • Tall Glass filled with ice

Cold Brew Caramel Macchiato 

  • 1 pump caramel syrup
  • 1 pump vanilla Syrup
  • 1 pump hazelnut syrup
  • 1 oz creamer (or to your liking)
  • Tall Glass filled with ice
  • Caramel sauce for drizzle

 

 

Another really cool idea you can do with cold brew is make ice cubes with them! For those who love the strong taste without diluting you cup with ice, freeze some in an ice tray for your perfect cup of bold and smooth cold brew!

It might take you a couple tries to perfect your favorite recipe of cold brew. So don't be discouraged, everyone's taste varies! if you want a stronger, bolder brew, use a darker roast. Or use a medium, roast but let it steep the full 24 hours. If it's too dark, add a bit of water and/or creamer to dilute to your taste. 

Let me know what you think and share how you made your cold brew! We'd love to hear your ideas!!

 

 

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