Do you love a nice, cold drink of caffeine during the hot months? If so, making cold brew at home is so simple and can save you money. Follow along to learn how we make cold brew every week here in our home.
With the weather getting warmer I have been really enjoying our homemade cold brew. We actually make it all year long to enjoy on busy work days, but it tastes especially good in the Spring and Summer months. It’s so nice having it ready to go in the fridge for a quick coffee fix during the day.
I’ve asked my husband to do another guest post for me about coffee. He is the coffee guru in our home and is passionate about local, high quality coffee. Make sure to go check out the other guest post he wrote on my blog about what brewing method we use and how to choose one for use in your home. I’m certain you’ll learn something new about coffee. Take it away, Daniel!
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Cold Brew Coffee FAQ
Cold brew coffee is simply what it sounds like, coffee that is brewed cold or at room temperature. It offers a different way of enjoying your daily java. This brewing method offers nuanced flavors that come out in cold brew, more than you would get with a hot cup of coffee. One way to look at it is that brewing a hot cup of coffee is an “aggressive” way of pulling out the flavor from the beans. Whereas cold brewing coffee is a slower and more gentle way of pulling out those flavors. That extra time really makes a difference!
Recommended grind size for making Cold Brew
Grind size is extremely important in any aspect of brewing coffee. If the grind is too fine coffee can taste bitter. If the grind is too coarse it will be watered down. For cold brew I grind to a “coarse” size, that is the perfect fit for cold brewing coffee. The coarse size will have bigger “chunks” than almost any other brewing method. Grind size will be comparable to ground peppercorns.
What coffee is best for making Cold Brew?
Like anything coffee related, this is a matter of personal taste. We generally prefer lighter roasted coffees from a single region/farm (single origin) and try to stay away from blends. The great thing about cold brewing coffee is that no matter what your preferences are with roast, blend, or country of origin, cold brewing will bring out the nuances of flavor that brewing hot coffee won’t always do. I recommend going with a local roaster. This way, you know that more care has been put into the product and the beans are most likely going to be more fresh in terms of date they were roasted, as well as the beans being small batch roasted.
Why we recommend using a Chemex for making Cold Brew
After your coffee finishes cold brewing we use the Chemex and it’s filter to hold back any oils leftover from the roasting process. The Chemex filters hold back the most oils from the roasting process than any other coffee filter. By doing so you get more of the natural flavor and taste more of where the beans came from. Therefore, in our opinion, this is by far the best way to strain cold brew coffee.
Supplies you’ll need to make Cold Brew Coffee at home
- Large pitcher or 1/2 gallon jar with a lid
- Wooden spoon
- Whole bean coffee, local preferred
- Filtered water
- Chemex, 8 cup
- Chemex filter, natural preferred
- Coffee grinder
How to make Cold Brew with a Chemex
Begin by measuring out the amount of coffee/water you will use. I use a 1:11 ratio (one gram of coffee for every eleven grams of water). Water is placed in a big glass pitcher or 1/2 gallon mason jar, awaiting the coffee grounds.
Then grind the beans to the appropriate coarse size.
Simply pour the ground up beans into the pitcher and use a wooden spoon to stir it all together. Place the lid on and let sit at room temperature for two days.
48 hours later
After allowing the coffee to brew for two days, strain as follows.
Place a Chemex filter in an 8 cup Chemex. Simply pour the cold brew mixture, a little at a time, into the filter. Once that portion has filtered through, continue the process until all the cold brew has filtered through the Chemex.
Place in the fridge for at least 15 minutes before drinking for best results. Use within 2 weeks.
*Note: Many sites give varying times on how long to let the grounds sit in the water. Some say only overnight, others say for a day or two. I prefer the two day process simply because more flavors are being drawn out over that time.
Ways to drink Cold Brew coffee
- Enjoy it black with a few ice cubes.
- Add 1/2 cup of fresh, raw cream and a drizzle of maple syrup. Mix well to combine, then add ice cubes to keep it cold.
- Try adding a splash of milk and a drop of Lavender Essential Oil to make a Lavender latte
Leave a comment below with your favorite way to drink Cold Brew!
More posts from My abiding home:
- The Best Orange Cranberry Scones with Essential Oils
- Homemade Sourdough Tortillas with Einkorn
- How To Make A Beeswax Wrap DIY
How To Make Cold Brew Coffee At Home
Equipment
- Coffee Scale
- Chemex
- Chemex filter
- Wooden Spoon
- Large jar or pitcher glass preferred, amber glass even better
- Coffee grinder
Materials
- Whole bean Coffee local preferred
- Filtered water
Instructions
How to make Cold Brew with a Chemex
- Begin by measuring out the amount of coffee/water you will use. I use a 1:11 ratio (one gram of coffee for every eleven grams of water). Water is placed in a big glass pitcher or 1/2 gallon mason jar, awaiting the coffee grounds.
- Then grind the beans to the appropriate coarse size.
- Simply pour the ground up beans into the pitcher and use a wooden spoon to stir it all together. Place the lid on and let sit at room temperature for two days.
48 hours later
- After allowing the coffee to brew for two days, strain as follows.
- Place a Chemex filter in an 8 cup Chemex. Simply pour the cold brew mixture, a little at a time, into the filter. Once that portion has filtered through, continue the process until all the cold brew has filtered through the Chemex.
- Place in the fridge for at least 15 minutes before drinking for best results. Use within 2 weeks.
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