Everyone has been going crazy for cold brewed coffee in the past couple of years. And we don't blame them! It's a great tasting alternative to iced coffee on a hot summer day.
Now you might be saying, wait...what's the difference between an iced coffee and a cold brew coffee? We're here to tell you and show you how to make cold brew at home.
The difference
Iced Coffee is simply coffee that has been brewed hot or even double brewed and then cooled and served over ice. Click here to read our blog on how to make iced coffee at home.
Cold Brew Coffee is brewed at room temperature usually between 10-12 hours so it takes time and patience. It also produces a less acidic coffee with an overall different flavor profile than if you brewed the same coffee hot.
DIY at Home
Besides the time involved for brewing, making cold brew coffee at home is still relatively simple with plenty of readily available brewers out there. We'll look at a few easy to use ones that you may even already have at home.
If you have a French press laying around then you're ready to make cold brew! Another option of things you may have already is a clean sterile container and some cheesecloth.
For both of these options, simply add your favorite Expedition Roasters Coffee (both regular roasts and flavored coffees can be used) to the French press or container. Add the proper amount of filtered water (you should always use filtered water, never tap when making any coffee) and cover with the French press top (do not press the plunger down) or a lid/cover. Go about enjoying your life for the next 10+ hours. We have found our coffees brew best at 10-12 hours.
Once that time has passed you're ready for the final step. On a French press simply push the plunger down and pour the coffee into a pitcher or jar and clean the press like normal. If you've used a simple container, remove the lid and cover the top with some cheesecloth. You can now strain the brewed coffee into a pitcher or jar and simply discard the cloth and grinds or rinse and reuse the cloth.
What you have now is actually a concentrate which can be enjoyed as is but is usually diluted in a 30%-50% ratio with filtered water. So if you're filling jars only fill 1/2 to 3/4 full and then add filtered water. Add your sugar/milk or any other additive and enjoy!
This will make you a few glasses a day so you can either set it up every morning or evening so it's ready for the next day. If you need larger amounts for a party or event there are larger brewers made just for this purpose, or you can even use a 5 gallon bucket with the cheesecloth method. Just like hot coffee brewing methods, different cold brew methods will yield different tastes to the final coffee product.
If you are going to invest in a cold brewing system we suggest either the Filtron or Toddy system. They produce the best flavor and aroma in a cold brew coffee. Both can easily be found on Amazon. Now go experiment and have fun with your coffee adventure!
If you found this article helpful then you should check out our article about Coffee Creamers and Additives.
