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Cold brew coffee

5K views 33 replies 11 participants last post by  meezenplaz 
#1 ·
I've been reading about making cold brew coffee and would love your input.  I myself am not a cold coffee drinker, my husband is and I got him a cold brew coffee maker (just a jar with a filter basically) for father's day.  I'm just getting around to using it today and I thought I'd ask around about it.  I'm reading that I can just leave the coffee to brew at room temperature overnight.  It's pretty warm here in the summer time and we turn off the AC at night except for the bedroom.  Is it ok to cold brew in a warm 85degree room or will the job be done just as well in the refrigerator?  Will the refrigeration affect the cold brew process?

I've also read that cold brewing doesn't necessarily mean cold coffee.  Some people brew their coffee cold over night and then warm it up to drink it.  Supposedly this cuts down on the acidity of the coffee which would be very helpful to me as I suffer with with acid reflux and my doc lectures me to eliminate my treasured single cup of coffee that I drink in the morning.

Also, how long does cold brew coffee last in the fridge? Any safety factors involved?
 
#2 ·
Several places around here are promoting cold coffee. One had an enormous drip system that resembled an hourglass, the top filled with water, the center with the grounds and fresh coffee in the bottom.  

So the essential idea is exactly what you think. Coffee grounds in room temp water, left overnight. As standard coffee making extracts the flavor, etc. from the beans using hot water but very quickly,  the cold brew system is just recognition that much of the flavor elements are water soluble and can be extracted with cold water if you give it enough time. 

So 85 degrees should be fine. The colder temp of the frig would slow down the process a bit so a longer time will be needed but overnight on the counter should be long enough. 

Depending on how much the maker produces, put the remainder in the frig. 

The coffee will last for a day or two or three in the frig but I would think your husband would have drunk it by then and would need a fresh batch. So I don't see any safety concerns. 

The cold process doesn't dissolve as many of the bitter elements so the brew is much smoother. 

I'd be doing it if I had that much patience but I do like the idea of having fresh coffee ready to go on a hot summer morning. I may have to work out the details.
 
#3 ·
Chef writer' s posting is exactly my experience with homemade cold brew coffee... right down to not knowing the maximum holding time because mine gets drunk soon after brewing too. The type of bean has a big impact on the final product so try different beans to find what you like best.
 
#4 · (Edited)
We drink cold coffee all the time in the summer--hot coffee in the heat makes me sweat profusely. I never make it cold "from scratch" --I tried it a few times, but felt it wasn't pulling the flavor from the grounds--even overnight in the fridge. And I wont leave it at room temp for a day either....yucky. IMHO you need heat to make coffee.

So here's how I make it...

I heat a half cup of water to 180F or so--HOT not boiling. (and in the nuker a half a cup only takes 1 to 2 mins) While that's heating I deposit 2 to 3 scoops (double to triple normal strength) of good coffee into a French Press. Pour the hot water over the grounds, allow to steep a minute or two, then fill with water. Press, and decanter into a 2 qt pitcher, finish filling with water, place in fridge.

It's simple and fast. Sounds complex, but then so does screwing in a light bulb when you actually describe it in detail.
 
#5 · (Edited)
#7 ·
Just a follow up, I've started cold brewing my coffee for the past coupe of weeks. I make it the same way I always do, in my french press but instead of hot water I use room temp filtered water. I cover the top with cling film and leave it over night for 12-15hrs. In the morning I stir and press the coffee and pour it in my cup, then place the cup in the microwave to heat it up.

Flavor - omg what a difference! No bitterness, very smooth and strong flavor. The lack of bitterness makes it feel sweet and chocolatey! I think this is the only way now but it does require building the habit of preparing the coffee before dinner time which is a tricky thing to get used to.
 
#11 ·
I meant to add to my previous post that a french press isn't necessary. I simply dump it thru a paper coffee filter. Takes a while to run thru but it's not like I have to stand there and watch it.

I went to the filter after I noticed my french press imparted off flavors for hot and cold coffee no matter how much I cleaned it. For hot coffee I've been using the AeroPress. Really makes a nice cuppa joe.
 
#17 ·
Love cold brew. I have a 4 cup press that I use at home. But at work we have a local brand that we get for our commercial machine that is in a filter bag. I can just drop the bag(s) in a container of water & toss the bag in the morning. No straining required.

I actually pre-sweeten mine in bulk with a simple syrup after "brewing". Then all I have to do is add milk when ready.
 
#19 ·
Is this supposed to be drunk cold, once it has gone through the grounds it is to be the heated?

Does cold brew coffee have a hugely different taste to it?

Not sure it would be for me though as I always have the "ggaaaaahhcchh" response upon taking a mouthful of cold coffee when I have gotten sidetracked and forgotten about the mug at my side.
 
#21 ·
I'm not a fan of cold coffee either. I have to have hot coffee in the morning. I'm quoting my previous post from above concerning flavor.

Just a follow up, I've started cold brewing my coffee for the past coupe of weeks. I make it the same way I always do, in my french press but instead of hot water I use room temp filtered water. I cover the top with cling film and leave it over night for 12-15hrs. In the morning I stir and press the coffee and pour it in my cup, then place the cup in the microwave to heat it up.

Flavor - omg what a difference! No bitterness, very smooth and strong flavor. The lack of bitterness makes it feel sweet and chocolatey! I think this is the only way now but it does require building the habit of preparing the coffee before dinner time which is a tricky thing to get used to.
 
#20 ·
Most people seem to drink it cold. But it can be drunk hot. Google "hot cold brew coffee" for testimonials.

Cold brew coffee is less acidic and more "rounded"... in a profound way.

Folks either like cold coffee or they don't. Try it once. You have a Starbucks nearby, don't you?
 
#24 ·
Folks either like cold coffee or they don't. Try it once. You have a Starbucks nearby, don't you?
I try to avoid Starbucks - it's awful. I only drink filter/Americano, without milk or sugar.

I'm not a fan of cold coffee either. I have to have hot coffee in the morning. I'm quoting my previous post from above concerning flavor.
TBH, I quite like the bitterness.
 
#23 ·
Last night I prepared my usual pot of French Press coffee with warm water. Left it overnight. This morning I poured a cup, microwaved about sixty seconds. It was delicious. So now when I need to be at work by 6am I can have "fresh brewed" coffee without the before work panic. I'll take it hot most mornings but now that we're having a warm, humid summer, cold in the morning isn't to be sneezed at. While the coffee tastes great, the time saving is equally important.
 
#26 ·
Couldn't read all the comments but since you requested personal feedback I'll give mine. Also I assume someone explained the science stuff related to this already.

I made this several times with medium grounded coffee (just as you would use in a spresso machine) and a French press type of machine (the one that simply a jar with a filter you push down.

I don't remember the exact ration of coffee to water but the process is as you described, room temperature overnight, or leave it on the morning and put it in the fridge that night and filter it the following day. The more time the more concentrated it will be.

Remember that this process concentrates the flavors (also you will use a lot more coffee than when making a cup), so you can later add hit water or milk to have it warm or hot. Or use as shots for other drinks.

I should do it again!
 
#27 ·
About 30 years ago I bought this contraption called "Tody Coffee maker. It is a tall plastic container with a microfiber at the bottom and a rubber cork stopper. Fill the container with 1 pound of ground coffee, then add water to fill. Press down on the grounds until they are wet through. Allow this to sit for 24 hours, then drain. The resulting liquid is concentrated so 2 ounces of this stuff to 6 ounces of hot water makes a great cup of coffee with no acids. The concentrate when added to ice makes great cold brewed coffee.
 
#31 ·
Yesterday I stopped at the local convenience store to get a cold drink. It's a local chain and they sell ice cream and cold brew coffee. So I got a large cold brew and a scoop of vanilla ice cream in it. The clerk put it on the shake machine to blend it.
Made a great coffee milkshake.
Since this thread started, I've been making my morning coffee the night before, cold brew. Sometimes I microwave but this morning I didn't bother. Cold in an insulated mug when I left the house. Left in the parked car all day. When I left work, the cup was quite hot. Tasted great both times.
 
#32 ·
Ok given our current Southern California 112 degree weather, I finally got around to cold brewing a batch of coffee in the French press.
Well room temperature really, coffee grounds in, good quality water in, steep for a minute or two then plunged. Tasted fine, iced it down, wife didn't even know the difference. Boca Java, blended with restaurant grade coffee.
True I might get a better richer flavor if I put it in the fridge overnight first--I'll try that soon.
But this was fine, especially for instantaneous results.
 
#33 ·
Milk?

Edit: I just did some research. Some folks like milk in their iced coffee. I had no idea. I won't be trying it but at least I'm better informed now.
You must definitely not live in NYC lol because you would've seen all the hipsters walking around with their milked venti iced coffees.

@meezenplaz no no it's supposed to sit over night! Did it even taste like coffee? I guess I like my coffee strong. Must not be see through.
 
#34 ·
Yes it did taste like coffee, it was perfect. And I was surprised too, that it would steep at room temp,
in just 2 or 3 minutes. But....as I said my spousal drinker, who I consider a true coffee connaseur,
upon being queried, hows the Iced coffee, replied.. "just fine." Now bear in mind Im using
fairly finely ground, gourmet coffee.
I take milk, creamer, adjuncts, etc in my hot coffee. But cold, I always drink it straight black.
Unless its a prepared Iced Cappuccino, etc. Its just more refreshing black.
Spousal unit is black all the way, hot, cold, day, night, sleet or snow.

O'er her in the Los Angeles area, Starbucks and Coffee Klatch are very popular;
Iced Cappys, Frappys and Latte's, whip cream, nutmeg, the whole schebang.
Down town, if you have a Starbucks cup in your hand and a color-matched Ipad in
the other, you are instantly regarded as Uber-Cool!
 
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