Cold brew has been the old iced coffee standby for years and years, but some hardcore coffee fans prefer an alternative cold coffee brew method. The reason being that cold brew is in fact quite different from the nuanced coffee that we coffee nerds drink on a daily basis. Cold brew has a way of taking a wide variety of coffees and making them all taste fairly similar, flattening their potential.
So, for those who still want to try their hands at cold brewing, but wish to retain a little more of each coffee’s character, here’ a slight riff on yesterday’s cold brew recipe.
This method begins with a short hot water bloom followed by 12 hours of cold water steeping. The hot water bloom allows the coffee to off-gas before the rest of the extraction occurs. It also does a more effective job of retaining a coffee’s acidity. This method produces serving strength coffee — pour it over ice and enjoy!
What you’ll need:
Coffee
Burr Grinder
Cold Filtered Water
Hot Filtered Water
Ice Cubes (made with filtered water)
Digital Scale
Timer
A Steeping Vessel (I use the Hario Mizudashi)
120g Coffee
150g Hot water
850g Ice Water
-Grind your coffee at the setting you use for Chemex (medium-coarse) and add it to the filter basket.
-Put your vessel on a scale and tare.
-Add your coffee and tare.
-Start a timer for one minute and add the hot water while stirring to ensure even saturation.
-After one minute, add the ice water to the pitcher — start a timer for 12 hours and place in the fridge.
-After 12 hours, remove the grounds and enjoy over ice.
Ideal coffees for this recipe: