Cold Brew is a coffee that is infused in cold water for 8 to 24 hours. Coarse grind, light or medium roast coffee, and cold water are used to prepare a cold brew.
Cold Brew tastes different from other coffee drinks:
Lower acidity. Many acids and oils that makeup coffee beans are less soluble in cold water. Cold Brew has 60 to 70 percent fewer acids than regular coffee, so it tastes smoother.
Pronounced varietal. A long-brewing time helps to reveal berry, honey, fruit, citrus, and other descriptors that determine the country of origin of the grain.
Higher density. Cold brew is infused from 8 to 24 hours, depending on the recipe. During this time, most of the soluble components are extracted into the water, which makes the drink denser.
An invigorating drink. The longer the extraction lasts, the more caffeine and essential oils in the drink.
The History of cold-brew…
It is believed that cold coffee was prepared back in the 17th century by Dutch planters, who were exhausted from the heat. Some waited for the drink brewed in the usual way to cool down (this is how the predecessor of ice coffee arose), while others poured cold water over the grounds.
The first method became popular in Europe, the second did not receive such distribution. It is known that Honore de Balzac, who sometimes had to stay awake for several days in a row, experimenting with coffee, came to the conclusion that it is not a hot or cooling drink that invigorates best, but a cold water infusion of coffee grounds.
In the first half of the 20th century, with the invention of instant coffee, which could be diluted with water of any temperature, the infusion of ground beans was temporarily forgotten. But in 1964, the American Todd Simpson, having visited South America, took a closer look at the local methods of making cold coffee.
Due to a stomach illness, Mrs. Simpson could not drink regular coffee (it contains acids that irritate the mucous membranes), and the water infusion of coffee grounds did not cause unpleasant sensations. It turned out to be soft and pleasant to the taste, almost no sourness and bitterness were felt in it.
Back home, Todd Simpson built a special coffee maker for making cold coffee. Friends and acquaintances of the inventor liked the novelty so much that he soon began industrial production of such coffee makers. The model was named Toddy.
The new way of making coffee found adherents, so Toddy coffee makers are still being produced. But the real boom of cold brew began in the 21st century when alternative methods of brewing coffee came into vogue.
How to make Cold Brew at home…
This, in fact, is nothing more than a “home method”, it is simply accessible and practical. In professional language, this is cold immersion extraction. The most common immersion of coffee in water with the result surpassing any coffee drink in a can, which we usually see in many supermarkets .
This method is not as simple as it might seem: you need a jar with a volume of 1 to 3 liters, a coffee grinder (even a household one will do), freshly roasted coffee for cold brew, and, of course, drinking bottled water. You can, of course, use filtered water, but purchased water will give you a more stable result (tested on personal experience). Calculate how much cold coffee you want at the exit. After all, every 100 ml. concentrate gives you 200 ml. finished cold brew.
Do not brew too much, calculate how many portions the concentrate will be prepared (from 1 liter we get 4-5 glasses). First, you need to grind the coffee. You will need a coarse grind, so do not overdo it with your household grinder. If you have professional equipment at hand, then use it for its intended purpose.
To get started, take 10 hours to infuse your concentrate (remember to set a timer or alarm). After the allotted time, it is necessary to strain and properly filter the “tea leaves”. To do this, you can use gauze, but you will need to filter (i.e. pour from vessel to vessel) several times. Do not stir the contents of the jar before filtering, this will only complicate the process. Immersion methods are already quite turbid and have small sediment. This type of extraction adds richness to the body of the drink, which contributes to a more pleasant tactile perception in the future. I believe that such a cold brew not only quenches your thirst but also allows you to properly enjoy the taste of cold coffee. After infusion, the concentrate is stored in the refrigerator for no more than one day (i.e. 24 hours from the moment of straining), and this is very important! Try to consume it cold and in moderation.
Direct cooling…
Let’s fix one point: we get a delicious cold drink called Cold Brew only after we dilute the concentrate with the necessary amount of water. Does this bother you? Why make an extract and dilute it when you can simply prepare an alternative to your taste and refrigerate. Yes, you can do that, but I will say one thing: if it gave such an excellent result, then coffee enthusiasts would not have to invent and use something more technological.
Let’s go back to the second cooking method.
Chilled coffee during the brewing process is also considered cold brew. You just need to add ice to the technology for preparing an alternative method. Example: spill a funnel (or something similar in the type of extraction) into a server half-filled with ice cubes; use ice water during the bypass, when diluting the Aeropress concentrate;
Unfortunately, direct cooling cannot be done with all alternative brewing methods. Most often, amateurs buy special servers and flasks with built-in ice compartments (the most popular of which are presented by the manufacturer Hario). They are made so that the frozen water in the cubes does not get into the black coffee you have made, but only cools it.
If something did not work out for you the first time, do not despair! Work on your chosen recipe, correct mistakes, and you will definitely succeed.
Are you not satisfied with the taste? It is not expressive enough and seems dull – add a little (5-10 grams) lime juice to increase the acidity. If you want to add sweetness to your coffee drink, you can safely add a small portion of juice to your taste (in a ratio of 1:10). Although this will no longer be considered the original cold brew, I am sure that this cold drink will turn out to be great. Do you like to drink iced coffee with milk? We suggest you try mixing the finished concentrate with cold 10% cream and enjoy the silky taste of the iced latte. Never use syrups or sugars, they negatively affect the overall perception of coffee. This way you will not be able to get rid of the bitterness; on the contrary, you will only emphasize it. Sweetness is and always will be, even in cold coffee!
You can also mix the finished concentrate with dark or golden rum (in a 1: 5 ratio), but that’s a completely different story.
