The weather is warming up, the mornings are getting brighter and there’s not much more rewarding than waking up and pouring yourself a glass of sweet, smooth, cold brew coffee.
And what’s greater is immersion cold brew is actually easy to make. All you need is a container, coarsely ground coffee, bottled water and a filter for when you pour. And time.
So what are the characteristics of a good cold brew coffee? They are sweet and juicy, low in acidity, not particularly bitter and have a full and smooth body. Utterly delicious. They also look beautiful when mixed with milk, creating a marble-like visual treat.
Here's a quick and simple guide to get you started.
The Coffee
Open up your fresh coffee and grind it fairly coarse, just a little finer than you would for French Press brewing.
It’s nice to experiment with different beans. I enjoy a nice, mild Central American cold brew with a high degree of sweetness. Sometimes I favour the dark fruit, floral high-note cold brew you can expect from a Kenyan coffee. They are equally delicious but it’s worth experimenting to find what you like most, and also to enjoy the variety.
Container
I use the glass beaker from my French Press and my Clever Cup. Any pouring jug will do though as long as you can seal the top. If the container has no lid, sealing the top with cling film works just fine. This is to stop unwanted and intrusive flavours ruining your fun.
The Clever Cup is perfect as you can make up to half a litre, it has a lid and the filter paper is already in there when it comes to pouring. Just soak the filter before adding the powder to avoid tasting paper.
Water
Use room temperature or cold bottled water, pouring it over the coffee grounds. Hot water will begin a different brew process, producing a very bitter and astringent cup with the time involved. Pour 11 grams of water for each gram of coffee straight onto the coffee powder. Don't be afraid to try a coffee/water ratio of 1:10 too.
After pouring the water, give the coffee a gentle stir to ensure all grounds are soaked.
Seal and Wait
Seal that container and put it in the fridge. Now you play the waiting game. We recommend a brew time of at least 12 hours but my favourite results are around 15-16 hours. You can extend your brew time to 24 hours depending on your preferences.
Time to Pour
You’ve waited long enough and now it’s time for the reward. Either pour the cold brew over filter paper into another container or use a fine mesh like the one on a French Press plunger.
The coffee can be enjoyed in up to 48 hours with an obvious drop in quality at 24 hours. Though mine barely lasts 15 minutes.
Quick Summary
Grind Size – Coarse
Coffee/Water Ratio – 1:11 (40g:440ml)
Water Temperature – Cold to room temperature
Brew Time – 12-24 hours in the fridge
Brew Details – Pour water onto grounds and stir. Seal container during brew time
Serve – Remove ground coffee with filter paper or mesh
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