Anyone else try the cold brew process? Fill a container with grounds and water at room temp and let it sit over night or longer. Then strain it and add hot water to the super strong coffee? I gave it a try with some Kenya coffee from sweet marias. Not bad and it works great for making coffee at work
Cold Brew Coffee
- Thread starter deruitem
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I have been making cold brew for years. It's a method I learned while living in New Orleans and never looked back. I use the Toddy system, I have had it for years so it really costs me nothing. The joy of the Toddy system is that the filter is already in it so you simply pull the plug and place it over the glass carafe and the concentrate is all set to go in the fridge. I tend to add a few drops of pure vanilla extract in the NOLA tradition at the end and away I go. The great thing about cold brew coffee is the lack of acidity and the full flavor of having coffee with all of it's natural oils and mineral content.
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Any tips on brew time or ratios ?
OK I'm in. I'm trying this tomorrow.
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My first batch turned our great. The next batch not so much, I wonder if brew time is more important or is water to coffee grounds ratio?
I have had pretty good success cold brewing in the refrigerator. Using very coarsely ground coffee in a french press, letting it sit overnight for the first brew, then adding more water and letting the same grinds brew a second or even third time for 24 hours. It was easy to get into a daily rhythm with it. I don't recall the exact coffee to water ratio I used, but it was probably around 4 times that of a drip brew.
My preference is for cold coffee and thus I brew mine also at room temp or in the fridge. Some coffee are better at this flavor wise than others. Also with the cold brew method talk about waking up. Wow. Intense flavor.
i just put a melita dripper on my non functioning french press and put my faucet to drip once or twice / second. lets see how it works out.
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I have been doing this for a couple of weeks now for a cup of good joe at work. Still working on the ratio and time anyone have a setup that works for them?
This is the toddy system that I use http://www.toddycafe.com/index.php
It makes it really easy. Put a pound in the top hopper, fill with water and let it sit 12-24 hours. Drain into caraffe. I use about a 3:1 water to coffee ratio.
It makes it really easy. Put a pound in the top hopper, fill with water and let it sit 12-24 hours. Drain into caraffe. I use about a 3:1 water to coffee ratio.
So cold brewing uses a bit more coffee beans than the auto-drip makers do, it looks like? Or does it even out in the end when you add water to the cold brewed coffee?
Sounds interesting. I need to look into this...
I use the Toddy system as well. My experience is that I end up using a bit more coffee, but probably because it tastes so smooth that I mix more of the elixir into the coffee mug before adding water. Tastes great.
I can't say that I ever brewed enough of my own coffee prior to being introduced to the toddy system to have made a comparison. Once I saw how much smoother the coffee was there was no going back to brewing. Besides the fact that I prefer my coffee cold anyway.
With the carafe in the fridge you can quickly make just the amount that you want. For my daily travel mug I have it down to where I pour three fingers of the concentrate into a glass, and then into the travel mug and then if I have actual creamer on hand fill the travel mug with water and top off with creamer. If I get stuck using the 2% milk I skip the water and fill with the 2% milk (which in my opinion is mostly water anyway).
With the carafe in the fridge you can quickly make just the amount that you want. For my daily travel mug I have it down to where I pour three fingers of the concentrate into a glass, and then into the travel mug and then if I have actual creamer on hand fill the travel mug with water and top off with creamer. If I get stuck using the 2% milk I skip the water and fill with the 2% milk (which in my opinion is mostly water anyway).
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Agree 100%. Some coffees are better than others cold brewed. Flavor is really enhanced with this method. My theory is that it is not scorched out of it. Acidity is nil, and sweeter flavors really shine with this. I've never had a coffee's flavor seem worse when compared to traditional methods. I think you'll like the taste, no matter which coffee you select. Remember to get the coarse grind. Enjoy!
I grind my own right before brewing, so course grind is easy. OK gents, you've convinced me to put the toddy on my wish list for the new year. Since I'm not buying shave items, I'll drop the coin on that baby sometime soon after the first of Jan.
My wife recently grabbed some hazelnut from Aldi and it was really good!
I have before, but just for use in homebrewing (I love me some coffee stout). Cold brewing for this helps to get the coffee flavor into the beer while limiting the bitterness.
Same process except you brew it in a sanitized jar (so no bacteria gets into and ruins the beer).
Same process except you brew it in a sanitized jar (so no bacteria gets into and ruins the beer).
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