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Cold Brew | |||||||||||||||||
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This is simply a device that allows coffee grinds to soak in room temperature water overnight. The device also has a method for draining the resulting liquid through a filter. |
A cold brew device, available from several sources on the links page, coffee, and water. Optionally, you will want either an ibrik or a french press because you will probably not want to drink the result!
Regular or coarse grind is what the manufacturer recommends.
Well, I just tried this after having done lots of reading and research. First let me inform you that I am not a coffee nut, or anything. I will even meet friends at Dunkin Donuts and drink their coffee! I like an excellent cup, but will not be difficult about it.
That being said, I dont understand cold brewed coffee.
I started with a pound of Starbucks French Roast coffee. I ground it somewhere between drip and french press. Then I cold brewed it for 13 hours. When we (I dont do these things alone) tried it diluted 3:1 (water to concentrate, the recommended ratio), there was really no taste at all! At 2:1, it tasted like really insipid coffee-water. At 1:1 we knew it was coffee, but still, no taste, no zing, no zip.
Step 1:Place the plug into the bottom of the cold brewer. |
Step 2:Wet the filter with water until it is pliable. Place it into the filter recess in the bottom of the brewer. |
Step 3:Place one pound of regular or coarse ground coffee into the brewer. |
Step 4:Slowly pour 4 cups of cool water onto the grinds. Wait 5 minutes and slowly pour 5 additional cups of cool water on the grinds. Do not stir. |
Step 5:Wait 12 hours or more. They say you can wait up to 24. |
Step 6:While holding the brewer over a decanter, pull out the plug and place the brewer onto the decanter. |
Step 7:Wait for the concentrate to filter through. This can take up to 20 minutes. |
Step 8:Toss out the grinds. Either refrigerate or toss out the concentrate. |
Step 9:Apologize profusely to your guests, grab a french pot, and follow these directions. |
They say that cold brewed coffee is lower in acid and lower in caffeine, thus good for those with sensitive stomachs. This is probably true, but unfortunately, it is also low in taste. The brewers cost about $30 so it does not take a large investment to try. |
If you have better luck than I did, or know what I did wrong (besides give it a try!) let me know ... I will try again if there is reason to. |