A Guide to Cold Brew Coffee
Cold brew coffee has become popular in recent years, especially during the hot summer months. Unlike traditional hot brewed coffee, which can be harsh and bitter, cold brew coffee is known for its smooth, mellow taste. Cold brew coffee is just like the cool cousin of yours that you hate, because it is too cool to be true. In this post, I will be discussing what cold brew coffee is and explore a few methods of making it at home.
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Cold Brew
Cold brew coffee is a method of coffee making that involves soaking or steeping coarsely ground coffee beans in cold or room temperature water for anywhere from 12 to 24 hours. During which the coffee slowly infuses into the water to create a rich and flavorful concentrate.
The type of coffee beans you choose for the cold brew can vary depending on your personal taste preferences. Though, it's generally best to use a coffee with a medium roast level and a coarsely ground consistency.
The coffee brews slowly and in a cold environment, because of that, it doesn't undergo the same chemical reactions as hot brewed coffee in which created bitterness and acidic. Thus, it has a smoother, less acidic taste and is often preferred by those with sensitive stomachs or who simply prefer a less harsh coffee flavor.
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Methods; Three ways to be cool
The Immersion Method: The immersion method is one of the most common ways to make cold brew coffee. To make it, you'll need coarsely ground coffee, water, and a large container to soak the coffee in.
To do so, combine 1 part of coarsely ground coffee with 4 parts of cold water in a large container. Stir the mixture to ensure that all the coffee grounds are fully submerged in the water. Cover the container with a lid or plastic wrap and let it steep in the refrigerator for 12-24 hours. Once the coffee has steeped, strain it through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth into a separate container. This will give you a concentrated brewed coffee which is rich and dense and goes well with ice and equal parts of milk.
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The Slow Drip Method: The slow drip method involves using a special cold brew coffee maker to slowly drip cold water onto the coffee grounds over the course of several hours. Comparing to the immersion method, this method is a bit more complex but can produce a smoother and more nuanced flavor.
The slow drip was adopted from the Kyoto method, named after the city of Kyoto in Japan, where it was first developed and popularized. To make Kyoto-style cold brew, you'll need a specialized coffee maker that's designed for this method called Kyoto drip tower. The tower typically consists of a top chamber that holds the coffee grounds, a middle chamber that holds ice, and a bottom chamber that holds cold water.
To brew coffee using the drip method you need to have a special cold brew coffee maker. Fill the top chamber of your slow drip coffee maker with cold water. Fill the middle chamber with coarsely ground coffee, keep the ratio 1g coffee to 15g water. Adjust the drip rate to your desired speed and let the coffee drip for 8-12 hours (Usually one drop per second or even slower). Once the coffee has dripped through, pour it into a separate container and serve over ice.
The French Press Method: Similar to the immersion method, you'll need steep coarsely ground coffee in water. The only difference is you will use a French press instead of a container. And since there aren't any paper filter in the process, the end results will a little bit more intense and oily, and not as clear as the other two method. Use this method if you have a French Press at home and drink your cold brewed coffee with milk
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