Brew with cold water
Hot water is a more efficient way of brewing, but cold water will produce great results if left long enough. Brewing with cold water has a pronounced effect on the flavour of the coffee, reducing the perceived acidity and producing a distinct chocolatey profile. While chilled espresso will start to go bad in a matter of minutes, cold brew can still be tasty well over a week after brewing.
Cold brew Vs cold drip coffee
Cold drip refers to cold water dripping through the grounds over a number of hours into a glass vessel at the bottom. While this way looks a lot more impressive, it actually often under-extracts and the results are more watery.
Cold brew is typically where the coffee grounds are fully immersed in cold water. While it doesn’t look as cool, it does product better results for a cheaper price.
Tools for the perfect iced coffee
You will need a grinder that can produce a coarser grind size than a standard espresso grinder. If a grinder is out of the question, you can use ground coffee, if possible ask to have it ground on the coarse side of a filter grind.
There are dozens of cold brewers available, although if you are more of a DIY person, you can get great results brewing with a French press, plunger or filtering the grounds twice. The results will be just as good, but the process is easier with a dedicated device.
Water straight from the tap will not give you the greatest results! Use filtered water if you can.
Choosing a coffee to make a cold brew with
An espresso blend can work well if you are planning to add milk to the final cold brew. Although, something roasted lighter, like a filter roast or a light espresso roast is the best options for serving straight as a cold brew.
Cold Brew Ratio
When making Cold brew coffee, the brew ratio is a way to compare the weight of the amount of ground coffee, to the amount of water used for brewing the coffee. A ratio of 1:15 is 1 part ground coffee to 15 parts water. If you use 50g of coffee, then multiply that number by 15 to get 750g water.
The classic way to make a cold brew is by making a concentrate that can be diluted with water or milk later on. The classic way is usually with a ratio of 1 part coffee and 5 parts water. Brewing a concentrate can be versatile across different ingredients such as with milk, cocktails, frappes and cooking.
Alternatively, to make a ready-to-drink straight out of the brewer, use a ratio of 1 part coffee and 15 parts water. The results have similarities to filter coffee in taste, texture and highlights the nuances found in more delicate coffees. This is ideal if you are planning to serve it black, or with small almound of milk.
Information within this blog was provided by our coffee partners at Seven Miles Coffee Roasters.