Learning how to make the cold brew is a must if you are a budding home barista.
Cold brewing is the process of extracting the flavor and other phytochemicals from the coffee beans using cold water over a long period of time. The long extraction creates a lower acidity coffee that allows you to enjoy a sweeter taste compared to an ordinarily brewed hot coffee. It is also perfect for coffee lovers who prefer lower caffeine.
Despite its long extraction process, concocting a cold brew coffee is an immensely simple task.
Anyone with a good bag of coffee beans, a cheesecloth and a suitable storage vessel can make his/her cold brew easily at home overnight. If you are looking forward to create your own cold brew, here are some tips and tricks that can guide you to make a good cup of coffee.
Coffee to Water Ratio
Cold brew is often made concentrated to produce that strong, intense and flavorful taste. This is why the ratio of coffee to water is the first thing you should be taking note of. To yield a strong concentrate in cold brew, a higher percentage of coffee to water is required compared to a regular hot brewed coffee.
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A general rule of thumb: 3/4 cup of coffee beans to 4 cups of water. You may try to scale the quantities up or down to find that sweet spot for your cold brew as you see fit.
It is also recommended to make cold brew coffee in large concentrated quantities since it takes anywhere between 18-24 hours for a complete brew. If stored correctly, it should keep well between 1 to 2 weeks
Grain Size of Ground Coffee
We recommend using coarsely ground medium-dark roasted coffee beans. Coarse grind is often used in long extraction such as cold brew to reduce over extraction. Using fine grind for cold brew may develop harsh, overly bitter taste.
As always, remember to use fresh coffee beans and grind your coffee beans only when you are about to brew so to prevent any loss of flavors. You can get the best coffee beans in Singapore delivered to your doorsteps within two working days. #JustSaying
Types of Cold Brew
There are two main ways to cold brew, namely immersion and slow drip.
The immersion method involves having ground coffee beans submerged in cold water for 12 to 24 hours before being filtered out while the slow drip method involves having cold water dripped slowly onto the ground coffee, collecting the brew in a carafe.
Almost all home baristas prefer the immersion method due to its superior ability to produce a more concentrated brew with deeper developed flavors. Most importantly, it doesn’t require any special equipment. Though the slow drip method produce a more diluted brew compared to the immersion method, cafes usually use slow drips as it is a faster method.
5 Simple Steps
You will need:
- 350 grams of coffee beans
- 10-12 cups of filtered water
- A coffee sock or a muslin filter cloth
- One glass jar for soaking beans
- One glass jar for storing the completed cold brew
Step 1:
Grind your coffee beans as coarsely as possible using the maximum setting of your grinder. We are aiming for a texture alike to raw sugar or breadcrumbs.
Step 2:
Place your ground coffee into the glass jar that is large enough to accommodate both coffee and water. Pour cold filtered water slowly over the ground coffee, ensuring that all the coffee is soaked with water. Always use filtered water for the best result.
Step 3:
Leave your coffee to soak for at least 18 hours and up to 24 hours. You can let them soak in the fridge or on the counter top; we have not observed a difference between these two conditions, although it is logical to assume coffee soaked in the fridge will be a slightly slower process.
Step 4:
Filter the coffee mixture into another jar using a coffee sock or a muslin filter cloth. You may filter the coffee a couple of times to ensure there is no residual grounds or settlement. Whatever you do, do not squeeze or force the coffee through the filter. Gentle extraction is the key to a silky smooth and sweet tasting cold brew.
Step 5:
Store your cold brew coffee in the fridge. Cold brewed coffee does not degrade as quickly as hot brewed coffee, it can be easily stored in the fridge for up to two weeks.
Additional Tip
If you have the habit of adding milk to your coffee, perhaps you can try tasting the cold brew before adding anything. You might be pleasantly surprised by its mellow sweet taste.
Making cold brew coffee is super easy to do at home and offers a more flavorsome and potentially healthier coffee for you to enjoy. We hope you have benefited from this article. What are your preferred type of roast for cold brew? Do share with us in the comment sections below.