Let’s face it ⎻ if you are looking to make cold brew at home from scratch, you’re probably addicted to coffee.
But that’s okay! Let us be of assistance. Through this guide, you will be learning about the different types of cold brew methods as well as what it takes to create the ultimate cold brew coffee.
What’s Cold Brew Coffee?
Cold brew coffee is fairly simple to understand. Coffee ground is brewed/saturated with cold or room temperature water over a few hours.
Compared to hot water brewing methods, this technique results in lower acidity and less bitter coffee. The resulting velvety beverage is more suitable for most people’s palates and is easier on the stomach.
It is also a very flexible brewing method, with its high caffeine concentration containing a multitude of flavors that mixes brilliantly with different ingredients. There are endless possibilities of coffee cocktails that you can create with this brewing method.
There are 2 types of cold brew methods, namely immersion and slow-drip, each with different advantages and slightly different coffee results.
Immersion
This is the easier method of the two. It is not labor-intensive and you can brew a large batch without too many adjustments. Immersion cold brew coffee tastes very light and sweet; very suitable for those who also enjoy chocolate drinks.
What you need To Cold Brew Coffee:
- Freshly ground, coarse coffee ground
- Cold water
- Kitchen scale
- French Press
- Filter (any method is fine)
Brewing steps:
- Insert cold water and coffee ground into the french press. Use the kitchen scale to make sure the coffee-water ratio is 1:7.
- After a few minutes, use a spoon to gently mix the mixture and make sure your coffee ground is fully submerged.
- Leave it on your countertop for 12 – 24 hours, away from any direct sunlight or high temperatures (the longer you leave it, the more concentrated it becomes).
- After 12 – 24 hours have elapsed, push down the french press to filter it. Use a second filter method if you want the concentrate to last longer, usually up to 2 weeks in the fridge.
- When ready to drink, pour it into a glass with an equivalent amount of water and some ice.
Slow-Drip
The slow-drip method involves letting water drip onto the coffee ground using a specialized drip machine that can control the drip-rate. It does a better job at retaining the coffee bean characteristics, thus the end product tastes more fresh and bright.
This method also takes less time than the immersion technique as it can be completed within 5 hours. However, this method is more labor-intensive, requires more expensive equipment, and is difficult to do in large batches.
What you need :
- Freshly ground, medium-fine coffee ground
- Ice water
- Kitchen scale
- Cold Brew Drip Tower
- Paper filter
Brewing steps:
- Adjust the ice drip tower drip controls to ensure a drip rate of 1 drop per 1 second
- Add the fresh coffee ground into the filter basket
- Slightly dampen coffee ground with water
- Grab a paper filter and place it on top of the coffee ground
- Place the filter basket into the mouth of the coffee chamber and place it below the drip nozzle
- Attach the upper chamber, filled with ice water, above the dripper nozzle
- Water should start dripping and your coffee concentrate extracted fully within 5 hours
