This stuff is perfect for summer, tastes a little different than hot coffee, and is up to 70% less acidic. It's also absurdly easy to make, though lots of people feel the need to use some sort of special gadget to make it (though a regular french press, if you have it, makes it even easier).
Coarsely ground coffee
Cold water
Bowl/jar/French press
A fine sieve or paper filter if you haven't got a press
There are two ways to make it, depending on when you mean to drink it.
An immediate, single serving:
Put spoonful of coffee in a cup or bowl and add an equal amount of water to it that you would pour into your coffee cup in the morning (so half a mug of coffee becomes half a mug of water in your bowl/cup). Leave it to sit for about ten minutes, strain into your cup with either a fine sieve or a paper filter, and fix it to your liking.
If you have a French press, just use cold water instead of hot.
(http://www.re-nest.com/uimages/re-nest/coldbrewcoffee072108.jpg)
A concentrate (used for several mornings or for more than one person):
Put one cup coffee grounds to four cups water in a bowl or jar and stick it in the fridge overnight. In the morning, strain it into a pitcher and dilute it with cold water before you drink it (unless you like very strong coffee).
(http://www.blogcdn.com/www.slashfood.com/media/2007/08/cold-brew-coffee-results.jpg)
Yes. I did something similar and it is indeed delicious.
Wow. I never got it to work. It came out tasting shit. Needs further experimentation.
Hm, well my method was very easy. I got a 0.75L bottle, put about 7 tbsp ground coffee in it via a (dry!) funnel, and filled it up with water. Put the cap on it, shake, and put in the fridge.
I didn't do any filtering, just careful pouring. Getting a few black bits in your cup isn't gonna kill you after all.
Mixed with milk because I think 7 tbsp on 0.75L was quite a lot :)
I'm giving this a shot tonight, actually. If this works, I should have a 16oz concentrate.
(http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a356/theonlyang/coldbrew.jpg)
Tried this once. Got an anxiety attack.
Oh this is going to be great.
Wow, surprised I missed this thread. Just today I began my ghetto-ass cold brew, which I guess is the equivalent of the concentrate described above.
A friend gave me a bunch of Folgers single-serving coffee packets (they're like teabags, except they're coffee). I put three of these into a quart-sized milk jug, filled with water, and now I get to wait and see what this does to me tomorrow and the next day...
hey yeah I could of course wrap up the coffee in a filter with some elastic bands or something and that would prevent the bits from getting into the liquid?
Done!
It's tasty! Definitely waaaaay less acidic and fantastic for a good smooth iced coffee. I diluted my concentrate with an equal part of water and it's perfect.
I made a bottle of almost concentrate last night and I'm drinking it now. Odd tasting. Like coffee, without the boldness or bitterness. It was off-putting, so I heated it up and sugared it, and now it's perfect.
I like!
It's MUCH better for iced coffee.
Quote from: Sigmatic on July 01, 2010, 02:38:01 PM
I made a bottle of almost concentrate last night and I'm drinking it now. Odd tasting. Like coffee, without the boldness or bitterness. It was off-putting, so I heated it up and sugared it, and now it's perfect.
I like!
That was basically my impression of mine this morning; I gulped down about a one-third cup of the stuff cold, and decided to try sugar and milk next time. Good thing I have plenty. :D
Quote from: Suu on July 01, 2010, 02:59:21 PM
It's MUCH better for iced coffee.
Half of Providence has lost power. The ground has opened up and swallowed 3 fabric stores.
Quote from: Suu on July 01, 2010, 02:59:21 PM
It's MUCH better for iced coffee.
Totally.
I am sometimes horrified how disgusting cold coffee (that was hot first) can become.
I wish I had a microwave.
Quote from: Suu on July 01, 2010, 02:59:21 PM
It's MUCH better for iced coffee.
Yeah, I tried it cold and decided it wasn't to taste. And I don't do milk, so nuke it I did.
Quote from: Richter on July 01, 2010, 05:51:37 PM
Quote from: Suu on July 01, 2010, 02:59:21 PM
It's MUCH better for iced coffee.
Half of Providence has lost power. The ground has opened up and swallowed 3 fabric stores.
....No. 'Twas not me.
Yum! Tried the french-press method, over ice. I was dubious, but it turned out awesome.
EOC TIP: Make ice cubes out of coffee. Put them in iced coffee. Drink iced coffee for hours without it watering down, only getting stronger.
So I gave this another go.
I put 10g of ground coffee in the french press with 260ml cold water.
Stuck it in the fridge for 10 mins then poured the result into the blender with 2tsp cocoa pwder 2tsp sugar, a handful of ice and 50ml of milk.
Blended the fuck out of it.
Adjust according to taste. No doubt some of you spags will double, or triple the sugar/milk. ;)
I drank some then decided to take a photo:
(http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c108/synaptyx/Picture3.jpg)
Was 10 min. enough for s decent infusion? How was the coffee flavor / caffeine content?
Since I've got the pressmug, this is very interest to me.
The coffee could have stood a bit longer, but I was surprised by it's strength after 10 minutes. I used and italian ground that wasn't the best I've tasted, but made this way it was quite good - gives me an excuse to use it up rather than chucking it.
I reckon the caffiene content was quite low compared to hot brew, but I bimbled through the afternoon quite nicely on it; quite a relaxing buzz imo.
I've been making batches in one of these:
http://www.bottlelinkpkg.com/product/30_0315111651_0.jpg.s.jpg (the one on the left)
A whole pot of coffee's worth of grounds in that much water overnight is PERFECT.
FUCK I'm buzzed. And it's great since it's silent, and I leave before everyone else wakes up. Ninja coffee!
I plan to get some ph strips and see if it's true about the lowered acid content.
Considering monetizing this. I'm in the wrong business anyway.
Quote from: Sigmatic on July 02, 2010, 07:17:02 PM
I've been making batches in one of these:
http://www.bottlelinkpkg.com/product/30_0315111651_0.jpg.s.jpg (the one on the left)
A whole pot of coffee's worth of grounds in that much water overnight is PERFECT.
FUCK I'm buzzed. And it's great since it's silent, and I leave before everyone else wakes up. Ninja coffee!
I plan to get some ph strips and see if it's true about the lowered acid content.
Considering monetizing this. I'm in the wrong business anyway.
I'd guess it's significantly lower acidity, especially if you're used to drip coffee. French presses give significant less acidity and this is essentially the same concept, right? This company called Clover came out with an $11,000 machine that only makes one cup of coffee at a time, which Starbucks bought out a few years ago. It was widely hailed as a smooth, less acidic, rich cup and really all it does is make french press quality coffee with the quickness of a drip maker.
As far as coffee trends though, maybe it's time for a new one like this. Recently people have shown they're willing to grind their own beans, in some cases even roasting them at home, and shell out some dough for a really good drip maker. French presses are more common, though I'd guess the majority of people still don't use them. Maybe this is the next step?
Quote from: Sigmatic on July 02, 2010, 07:17:02 PM
I've been making batches in one of these:
http://www.bottlelinkpkg.com/product/30_0315111651_0.jpg.s.jpg (the one on the left)
Any particular reason to use these, instead of empty soda bottles? Or just because they look pretty?
I'm asking because they're basically Grolsch bottles, and I have those. But a soda bottle is bigger.
Because we have many of them around, and yes, because I find them charming.
Put mine in the fridge, and when it was good and cold I stirred a spoonful of sugar into a half-cup and filled the other half with milk. Pretty nice, IMO, and a good kick to it.
When I get back from this weekend, though, it will have been soaking for 5 days... :lulz: Maybe I'll polish off the jug that day and report the results.
Quote from: Sigmatic on July 02, 2010, 09:13:52 PM
Because we have many of them around, and yes, because I find them charming.
I got some of those for decanting our oil (we buy in bulk), they work well. I just wish the rubber gasket thing could go into the diswasher, b/c they're kind of ass to clean once oil's been in 'em.
And they break down after a few weeks. Especially, it seems, around relatively low levels of acids.
Well I've officially tried both methods. I don't think I let the first method, that is making a pot with cold water, sit long enough. It was tasty, but lacked a certain punch.
The second method I brewed it when I got home at 11:30, a double pot for me and my girlfriend. She took half when she left my place 5 or 6 hours later and left me the other half. She said she thought it was pretty good; I loved it. It's smooth and delicious once reconstituted.
My only issue with this method over brewing hot coffee and chilling it is that sugar just doesn't melt the same and dissipate in cold brew. Otherwise, I like this a bit better.
Use agave syrup instead. Dissolves really easily. Or, stir regular sugar really thoroughly.
I must try this... MUST.
It works. I tried it. :D
I've been using very low concentrations in the last few batches, and it produces a smooth, red almost-like-tea beverage that still has some kick to it.
I tried the ice-cube idea with half a pot I had left over. It's awesome! The ice-cubes take on a neat layered effect as the heavier particles settle during the freezing process.
I'm drinking mine without milk or sweetener - maybe I'm not brewing it for long enough (10-15 minutes), or maybe it's the ice, but it doesn't seem to need it.
I need to make another batch before I go to bed. I should do this now.