My first cold brew coffee attempt

[Liberty_2112]

Just curious what's the difference between making iced coffee this way or making coffee via an auto-drip or FP then adding ice?

Check out the link in Jessy's post above. The debate between "Hot Brewed Iced Coffee" and "Cold Brewed Iced Coffee" is not one that will be solved anytime soon. The brewing method effects the chemical profile of the final product. Different methods yield different flavor profiles. Many folks much more experienced at cupping than I am have dedicated hours to this topic.

As with anything else, it's what you enjoy most in the end that matters. I currently enjoy trying different brewing techniques, and I enjoy the yield from the technique that I used above.

 

[Liberty_2112]

FYI Liberty...I'm blaming you for this AD....

I was at the grocery store and just happened to walk past a whole 4ft section of this stuff and bought this.

I added it to my iced coffee from McDonalds once i got home......

Jason:

You should try this method. After reading back at your posts, it is clear you love iced coffee. This brew yielded 750ml of concentrate. I'm sure you could experiment with mixing ratios: water to concentrate to milk to syrup and find something you enjoy. It would be WAY cheaper than McDonalds and probably taste much better. It is also very easy and very cheap to make. Then once it's made it's just a quick pour and mix in the morning and you're out the door.

 

[Larry C in Texas]

Wow, this is all pretty technical. I'm a simple man and I make iced coffee using a 48 oz french press - six to seven standard coffee measures of Community Coffee ground for a press, and fill it up with cold filtered water from the fridge. Let it sit around 24 hours and viola. It's not concentrated - I use around 2/3 coffee and 1/3 milk - but I guess I could use twice as much coffee and make a concentrate. No syrup (too sweet for me), just some Splenda and some ice. It's my standard May-September drink here in hot, dry Texas.

I never had ANY luck re-using the grounds. It was very weak, even only using half as much water.

YMMV.

 

[Liberty_2112]

I chose not to reuse the grounds as well.

I also agree regarding the syrup, too sweet for me. The milk was too much as well.

I think I will primarily use this either mixed 50/50 with cold water for iced for 50/50 with boiling water for hot.


On a side note, my pulse is dangerously high right now. I am considering running a marathon this afternoon.

 

[Toothpick]

Jason:

You should try this method. After reading back at your posts, it is clear you love iced coffee. This brew yielded 750ml of concentrate. I'm sure you could experiment with mixing ratios: water to concentrate to milk to syrup and find something you enjoy. It would be WAY cheaper than McDonalds and probably taste much better. It is also very easy and very cheap to make. Then once it's made it's just a quick pour and mix in the morning and you're out the door.

Iced coffee is my thing this time of year. when i leave the house its almost certain there will be a trip to McDonalds for iced coffee. I think i'm going to try the french press method though. it seems more simple, which i like because im lazy.

 

[jzuzphreek]

Awesome story Rob! You gonna try the rest after the remaining 24 hrs? Should make for an eventful evening!

If you like flavors without the extreme sweetness, try the sugar free torani syrups. I know world market has several. I actually like to use some of them to make a healthier alternative fruit drink for my 3 year old. A few squirts into a glass of water and VOILA! Juice.

I'll have to get me one of those handled strainers to make the filtering process easier. Did you find any of the dust made it through?

 

[Liberty_2112]

Awesome story Rob! You gonna try the rest after the remaining 24 hrs? Should make for an eventful evening!

If you like flavors without the extreme sweetness, try the sugar free torani syrups. I know world market has several. I actually like to use some of them to make a healthier alternative fruit drink for my 3 year old. A few squirts into a glass of water and VOILA! Juice.

I'll have to get me one of those handled strainers to make the filtering process easier. Did you find any of the dust made it through?

There was definitely some particulate matter in the drink. It didn't appear like fine grounds. It looked my white-ish. Is that from the filter? Or just fine grounds?

 

[jzuzphreek]

There was definitely some particulate matter in the drink. It didn't appear like fine grounds. It looked my white-ish. Is that from the filter? Or just fine grounds?

Hm... no idea. I would think any grounds dust would be dark brown. My filtration wasn't the best when I've done it in the past, so I ended up with plenty of particles. Not a big deal for me. My wife was much more turned off.

 

[Graybeard57]

I have the Toddy system, and it works very well. Cleanup can be a pain. There is a French press cold brew system on Amazon for $45 that caught my eye.

I let mine brew at room temp for 24 hrs, pull out the stopper and wait 30 mins for almost all of the elixir to drip into the carafe. I use no more than 1/3 elixir to 2/3 water mix, and enjoy excellent coffee. No bitterness whatsoever. It's potent, so you really do need to dilute it. It's less strong at 12 hrs, so I go the full 24. You might try a 50 - 50 blend for iced coffee, provided you really do use ice.

I doubt re-using the grounds will be very satisfying. Let us know how it turns out.

 

[Toothpick]

room temp....i seemed to have missed that info.

guess i should take the FP out of the fridge. oops

 

[Liberty_2112]

room temp....i seemed to have missed that info.

guess i should take the FP out of the fridge. oops

I did mine in the fridge.

 

[Toothpick]

I did mine in the fridge.

hmmm well guess it's just a personal choice then.

 

[StillShaving]

I never had ANY luck re-using the grounds. It was very weak, even only using half as much water.

YMMV.

What I have done is grind very coarsely and place in the fridge overnight, so that the first batch was ready to press after about 12 hours. Then refill and place FP back into fridge for another 24 hour cycle. It seemed to work pretty well strength and taste wise. However I gave up this brewing method, as I found the flavor profile too flat for my tastes. It produced a deep, smooth flavor but I wanted more brightness. Another negative is that it used more coffee than more conventional brewing methods. However I could see how some people might prefer this taste over other methods.

 

[Toothpick]

well my first attempt was 16 hrs. left in a FP in the fridge. this morning I pushed the plunger down as far as i could then used an auto drip coffee filter to filter the coffee from the FP in to a glass. I was surprised by how light the coffee looked considering how long it brewed. I'm used to the darker the coffee the stronger it is, but this seemed more like a tea color. one little sip and it smacked me in the face saying "i'm no TEA!"

I put some ice in a glass, litter under half of coffee and the rest milk, added some hazelnut coffee flavoring and boom! not bad at all. McDonalds iced coffee tastes a lot stronger in the coffee flavor. but this tastes a lot better in the refreshing aspect.

I wonder how Baileys would taste in it...

 

[jzuzphreek]

Remember that STRENGTH is related to the ratio of water to coffee. TIME of brew is what determines flavor profile (bitter/sour/even). Adding milk and flavors will mask the flavor profile, so you can "fix" issues with extraction time/grind size/etc... But the AMOUNT of those flavors or STRENGTH can be decreased by adding water.

 

[Liberty_2112]

Just finished my second batch. Same ratio: 1cup grounds to 4.5 cups water.

I used Peet's House Blend. (my roaster hasn't arrived yet.)

This time I stuck with a 12hour brew. Filtered the same as before. This time I payed more attention and noticed that quite a bit of fines dusted my batch.

This doesn't bother me, but will it effect taste over time? Should I have filtered a second time? Is this an indication that I should use a coarser ground?

 

[StillShaving]

My understanding is that cold brewing is best done with a very coarse grind. At the level used for a french press or even coarser. After all it is a slow brew method.

If you are filtering with a paper filter, once should be enough. I always did my cold brewing in a french press without any extra filtering beyond the screen in the press and with a very coarse grind. Regardless, I don't think a few fines will be a problem, in fact they may enhance things, but that gets down to individual preferences.

 

[Redzone]

The Cold Toddy is an affordable product that makes this a very easy process IMO. The book has basic ratios you can begin with and have a play to see what your like best. Recycling coffee grounds would be like reusing discarded razor blades (blasphemy) I preferred quite a serious brew which allowed me to store in fridge and when someone called in and wanted to sample some, simply put 50mls in a preheated cup and add hot water. Obviously many people brew this way for an iced coffee base, whatever works for you. The filter system on the cold toddy is very effective. Enjoy !

 

[jzuzphreek]

I wonder how Baileys would taste in it...

Umm... Doesn't Baileys make ANYTHING taste better?

 

[Moneysuckle]

I have the Toddy system, and it works very well. Cleanup can be a pain.

I let mine brew at room temp for 24 hrs, pull out the stopper and wait 30 mins for almost all of the elixir to drip into the carafe. I use no more than 1/3 elixir to 2/3 water mix, and enjoy excellent coffee. No bitterness whatsoever. It's potent, so you really do need to dilute it. It's less strong at 12 hrs, so I go the full 24. You might try a 50 - 50 blend for iced coffee, provided you really do use ice.

I doubt re-using the grounds will be very satisfying.

Great post. Exactly my experience.