Coffee Thread

[Wormius]

I forget who it was, but who was doing the coffee roasting at home? I have some questions, my latest few batches, while they turn out find, the crema is quite bubbly after pulling a shot. I did the roast about a week or so ago, so I presume that the beans have had enough time to de-gas and that it isn't just a lot of CO2 - though once I pour the shot into a latte cup the large bubbles break.

[EldrickOnIce]

Old bump, and maybe could have used its own thread, but am wondering if there are others here who cold brew?
Cold brew has been life changing for me. I drink a lot of coffee, but struggled (since starting to consume healthier in the last year) with replacing cream/sugar in brewed coffee.
Cold brew is fabulous - bold, dark, rich without any hint of bitter, and I do not miss cream/sugar at all. I have only been using Costco beans, both Columbian and Arabica, but make as good/better cold brew than Starbucks or Dunkin. I dont think I've had drive through in the last 2 months.
I bought a couple Amazon 2L cold brew carafes and brew the coffee for 48 hours, then transfer to serving jug - 1 each day. (which also gives you an idea of how much coffee I do drink).

Life changing home brewed coffee.

[D as in David]

Originally Posted by EldrickOnIce

Old bump, and maybe could have used its own thread, but am wondering if there are others here who cold brew?
Cold brew has been life changing for me. I drink a lot of coffee, but struggled (since starting to consume healthier in the last year) with replacing cream/sugar in brewed coffee.
Cold brew is fabulous - bold, dark, rich without any hint of bitter, and I do not miss cream/sugar at all. I have only been using Costco beans, both Columbian and Arabica, but make as good/better cold brew than Starbucks or Dunkin. I dont think I've had drive through in the last 2 months.
I bought a couple Amazon 2L cold brew carafes and brew the coffee for 48 hours, then transfer to serving jug - 1 each day. (which also gives you an idea of how much coffee I do drink).

Life changing home brewed coffee.

I've yet to try cold brew but when I started drinking iced americanos is when I stopped putting cream/sugar in my coffees, hot or cold.

[DoubleF]

Originally Posted by EldrickOnIce

Old bump, and maybe could have used its own thread, but am wondering if there are others here who cold brew?
Cold brew has been life changing for me. I drink a lot of coffee, but struggled (since starting to consume healthier in the last year) with replacing cream/sugar in brewed coffee.
Cold brew is fabulous - bold, dark, rich without any hint of bitter, and I do not miss cream/sugar at all. I have only been using Costco beans, both Columbian and Arabica, but make as good/better cold brew than Starbucks or Dunkin. I dont think I've had drive through in the last 2 months.
I bought a couple Amazon 2L cold brew carafes and brew the coffee for 48 hours, then transfer to serving jug - 1 each day. (which also gives you an idea of how much coffee I do drink).

Life changing home brewed coffee.

I didn't notice this thread had been posted in.

I tinkered with cold brew for a while. One thing that I did was to have small glass flask in the fridge so that I could just grab and go. My friend gave me fancy cold brew in a glass flask so when I started brewing, I was just reusing those 2-3 flasks along side the pitcher in the fridge. And... no. Glass bottles isn't the same feeling as a glass flask. The flask just somehow feels better to hold/use, is the right amount of "serving" before topping up/warming up and it's easier to toss in a bag and not worry about leaking. They aren't too expensive either.

Something like this:
https://www.amazon.ca/Tebery-Bottles...4437632&sr=8-6

I don't recall why I stopped. I think I realized my caffeine intake skyrocketed when I drank cold brew and was contributing to some migraines and stuff or something.

Things I tinkered with:
- Pinch of salt (but you can do this post brew)
- Leaving a little bit spice to impart flavor during the brewing process (ie: Nuts, clove, anise, Ceylon cinnamon etc.)

The cinnamon thing was the more interesting experiment before I stopped. Ceylon cinnamon is very mild vs the stuff most people are familiar with. I also hear royal and Saigon cinnamon has some interesting flavors. Not all were successful, but when I got something good, it was like a strange spiced coffee/cider type of hybrid. A welcomed change of pace.

[EldrickOnIce]

Interesting. Will check out flask. And haven't looked at flavors. I'm not really a flavored guy, but then I was never a cold coffee guy either, before cold brew.
And yes, cold brew is a heavy jolt of caffeine, no question about that.

[indes]

I haven't jumped on the cold brew train yet but did manage to perfect iced coffees. I drink my coffees black (lavazza crema e aroma) but enjoy a nice iced coffee when it's hot outside. Super simple to make and way better than Starbucks or Timmies (I've had sugar less sweet than their iced coffee).

2tbsp vanilla syrup into cup
Brew 7oz coffee into cup over the syrup
2tbsp of milk (prefer 3.25%) mixed in
Pour over ice (14-16oz cup filled with cubes)

Nothing earth shattering here but its delicious.

[indes]

Originally Posted by D as in David

I've yet to try cold brew but when I started drinking iced americanos is when I stopped putting cream/sugar in my coffees, hot or cold.

I'm intrigued - is the iced americano just an americano over ice? Or is there anything else added?

[Paulie Walnuts]

Hmm do some of you drink coffee for comfort or is it for energy?

I like coffee, it doesn't do much for a kick of energy for me so it's most a comfort thing. I really enjoy cold brews in the summer but I have never made my own. I just buy the Starbucks or Stok from Costco and use that. I do use no dairy creamer and almond milk in mine. How does cold brew keep you from using that?

It seems like a lot of work to brew your own? Plus in colder months I am not sure if cold brews would cut it, like it said I enjoy it more for comfort in the morning.

[Fuzz]

I like the comfort and taste of coffee, hot or cold. When I make an iced americano I fill a cup with ice, add a splash of milk, and sprinkle a little sugar on top of the ice. Then I make my espresso directly into that cup. The espresso heat dissolves the sugar as it hits, so you don't end up with granules in the bottom.

[DoubleF]

Originally Posted by Paulie Walnuts

Hmm do some of you drink coffee for comfort or is it for energy?

I like coffee, it doesn't do much for a kick of energy for me so it's most a comfort thing. I really enjoy cold brews in the summer but I have never made my own. I just buy the Starbucks or Stok from Costco and use that. I do use no dairy creamer and almond milk in mine. How does cold brew keep you from using that?

It seems like a lot of work to brew your own? Plus in colder months I am not sure if cold brews would cut it, like it said I enjoy it more for comfort in the morning.

Both? I liked it as a ritual. I liked it as something that cleared the mind clouds a little in the morning and again when I felt like I was powering down again in the afternoon. I liked spending time tasting the unique flavors and being able to discuss and make recommendations for beans and brewing methods.

For cold brew vs traditional hot coffee, you have to tinker around with certain things. You may use different amounts of milk, milk type, ice/no ice and sugar when you prepare it to your liking. Same amount by volume of coffee doesn't necessarily apply.

For the milk thing, I wonder if some people prefer a creamy coffee when hot (ie: Crema) but for cold brew, they prefer a cleaner more refreshing drink. It's not wrong to drink cold brew with milk and sugar though. I'm just guessing as to why milk is reduced and attempting to answer it.

[Paulie Walnuts]

Originally Posted by DoubleF

Both? I liked it as a ritual. I liked it as something that cleared the mind clouds a little in the morning and again when I felt like I was powering down again in the afternoon. I liked spending time tasting the unique flavors and being able to discuss and make recommendations for beans and brewing methods.

For cold brew vs traditional hot coffee, you have to tinker around with certain things. You may use different amounts of milk, milk type, ice/no ice and sugar when you prepare it to your liking. Same amount by volume of coffee doesn't necessarily apply.

For the milk thing, I wonder if some people prefer a creamy coffee when hot (ie: Crema) but for cold brew, they prefer a cleaner more refreshing drink. It's not wrong to drink cold brew with milk and sugar though. I'm just guessing as to why milk is reduced and attempting to answer it.

I am just trying to figure out how to reduce any creamer in the coffee now. Any place I can reduce my sugar I would love to do that. If it means trying cold brew during the winter that's cool. It just gets expensive to buy the already brewed stuff.

I guess how much work does it take to make 4L of cold brew?

[DoubleF]

Originally Posted by Paulie Walnuts

I am just trying to figure out how to reduce any creamer in the coffee now. Any place I can reduce my sugar I would love to do that. If it means trying cold brew during the winter that's cool. It just gets expensive to buy the already brewed stuff.

I guess how much work does it take to make 4L of cold brew?

It depends on the kind of person you are. It can be as easy or as complicated as you want (5 minutes or 45 minutes). I'd say it probably takes me a little less time to prep 4L of cold brew than prep 4L of hot coffee. Cold brew just takes 12+ hours to complete brewing and hot coffee less than 12 minutes to brew 4L.

For 4L
Total time: 12 hours - 48 hours (in fridge)
Total actual prep time: 5 minutes - 45 minutes.
Total cost: <$100 (water, ground coffee, 2x 2L cold brewers or 4 1L mason jars with cheese cloth/coffee filter, old french press... whatever) You can also use random things in the house you have already, but I probably wouldn't brew with something that had volume of less than 1L. Use a clean stock pot if you want. But what you use might change the complexity of the bottling and filtering after you're done brewing.

You're mixing coffee grinds and water in a container, tossing in fridge and returning 12-48 hours later depending on what you want. After around 24 hours, you're starting to have a concentrate you can dilute down with water to hit your desired brew if it is too strong. People typically leave their cold brew for around 10-16 hours.

So basically, if you want to be specific to the minute detail for each brew (grinds, weight, ice/no ice, water type etc.) so that you can replicate the perfect brew every time once you find it, then it might take you longer than if you just eyeball it and throw it all together. If you want to be specific in the way you brew and strain, again it's just time. Completely minor variations like metal filter vs cloth or paper filtered can noticeably affect taste. You can buy a 2L cold brew carafe for less than $30 and then you don't have to strain at the end. Or you can use a mason jar and strain at the end after the brewing is complete. Some people want a concentrate they can dilute. Others always strain at the desired flavor (fix the flavor) and leave it chilled for when they want to drink it at a later time.

I'd probably opt to have a few containers together combining towards that 4L. That way you can play with things like grind coarseness, duration, additives etc. at first and if one batch is weird, you have other batches you can drink from while you wait for a new batch to brew. Once you get going, it's really damn easy with the biggest brewing error basically forgetting you had a batch going and returning to something super strong with strange undesired flavors in the later stage of the brew. I think for me that's why I started tinkering around with variations. Some variations was as simple as a few seconds changing the settings on the coffee grinder before dumping water over top of it. Others as simple as swapping the beans. Another is trying different types of milks (animal, nut etc.) and cream content (cream, 2%, skim etc.). I have a friend who puts cream in hot coffee, but it has to be skim milk in cold brew (or vice versa?).

If you tinker, some painters tape and marking date/time of brew, beans and ratio will go a long way in helping you replicate what you'd been doing before.

[Paulie Walnuts]

I found this.

https://www.amazon.ca/VA1KENE-Cold-B...c&gad_source=1

[Jimmy Stang]

Originally Posted by indes

I'm intrigued - is the iced americano just an americano over ice? Or is there anything else added?

Exactly. Iced americanos and espressos are just the hot versions poured over ice. Delicious and simple, and guilt free!

I do a daily drip coffee for convenience. I grind the beans and add a little cream and sugar. I'm just not a fan of drip coffee black.

Espresso, on the other hand, is delicious on its own. And if I want a cold drink in the summer, an iced americano is my go-to. No need to add anything to it. Mmmm.

Except a Saturday morning at a cafe while my kid is in music lessons. Then it is a cappuccino. But only in a ceramic mug. A cappuccino in a paper cup is just wrong.

[DoubleF]

Originally Posted by Paulie Walnuts

I found this.

https://www.amazon.ca/VA1KENE-Cold-B...c&gad_source=1

Yep that works. I have one similar to it.

If you buy something like that, add coffee grinds and water, toss in fridge and return after about 10-16 hours. Pretty easy.

Coffee grinds to water ratio is between 4-8:1. 4:1 for something strong (about 250g per litre), 8:1 for something light (125g per litre).

https://counterculturecoffee.com/blo...20brew%20ratio.

Another strange and funny thing also arises with cold brew, so just try things out. Certain beans I enjoy when doing pour over, aeropress etc. I do not enjoy as cold brew. Certain beans I do not like when hot brewing, actually tastes quite good as cold brew.

Keep in mind that after you brew, milk and a pinch of salt can cut through certain flavors good or bad. Sugar and ice can amplify or dilute certain flavors. I'd recommend going into cold brew with an open mind. Don't immediately try and apply what you normally do with a hot brew, because they're actually very different.

[D as in David]

Originally Posted by indes

I'm intrigued - is the iced americano just an americano over ice? Or is there anything else added?

Yes, pretty basic. Maybe there's a fancier way but this is all I do.

[D as in David]

Originally Posted by DoubleF

Both? I liked it as a ritual.

This is it for me. I enjoy the experience of drinking coffee. I've realized recently that making espresso is also a ritual I enjoy. Weighing the beans, grinding them, filling the portafilter with the ground beans, leveling them with a WDT tool, tamping followed by the brewing. Probably takes around 4-5 minutes but I get a lot of satisfaction out of it.

[EldrickOnIce]

Originally Posted by Paulie Walnuts

I found this.

https://www.amazon.ca/VA1KENE-Cold-B...c&gad_source=1

I have 2 that are similar, not same.
I probably spend 10-15 minutes making a batch. I pour the finished brew into a different carafe and fill cups/glasses from it. This virtually eliminates sediment getting into my glass.
I had a grinder for expresso, etc. Set it to course grind. Run it twice to fill the cold brewer. I shake up the pair of brewers I have twice a day, and of course let the one I'm pouring settle overnight (sediment). I'm just using Kirkland Arabica and Columbian medium roast. Have tried dark roast and blends. I enjoy the process of making a 'batch'. It's not a chore but is a bit messy.

Definitely interested in looking into some of what DF is talking about.
I either drink black, or with a bit of whole milk poured on top. I have a frother, but I don't bother.
I have no idea if it will pass the test in winter. We will see. I know people heat cold brew as well. I gave not tried this as I love the iced - but only started a few months ago


Edit: this is the one I bought. But it was $26 here lol. Pretty sure I would not have tried it if it was $65. I think anything similar will work same

https://a.co/d/aMnW3zu

[DoubleF]

Originally Posted by EldrickOnIce

I have 2 that are similar, not same.
I probably spend 10-15 minutes making a batch. I pour the finished brew into a different carafe and fill cups/glasses from it. This virtually eliminates sediment getting into my glass.
I had a grinder for expresso, etc. Set it to course grind. Run it twice to fill the cold brewer. I shake up the pair of brewers I have twice a day, and of course let the one I'm pouring settle overnight (sediment). I'm just using Kirkland Arabica and Columbian medium roast. Have tried dark roast and blends. I enjoy the process of making a 'batch'. It's not a chore but is a bit messy.

Definitely interested in looking into some of what DF is talking about.
I either drink black, or with a bit of whole milk poured on top. I have a frother, but I don't bother.
I have no idea if it will pass the test in winter. We will see. I know people heat cold brew as well. I gave not tried this as I love the iced - but only started a few months ago


Edit: this is the one I bought. But it was $26 here lol. Pretty sure I would not have tried it if it was $65. I think anything similar will work same

https://a.co/d/aMnW3zu

When I was doing this, I realized that what I truly wanted in the morning ritual was just a beverage. In the winter, it's specifically a hot beverage. That's why I was experimenting with spices in my cold brew. I didn't really like what I got when warming up cold brew. I aim for caffeination to wake up on my second drink.

In the end, I ended up preferring going back to hot coffee when it was cold. Figuring out spices was too difficult. The closest I got to something I wouldn't have minded was something almost like mixing horchata with cold brew, but that mixture didn't replace my want for a heated beverage when it was cold. Going the Irish coffee idea route with Bailey's or a shot didn't really do it for me either because it seemed weird drinking on the job/the true want was for a hot drink.

Laziness/lack of fridge space got in the way of me starting cold brew back up again when the temperature warmed back up. I think a mini-fridge in my office space and some flasks ready to go would go a long way in making my cold brew habits a bit more semi permanent though.

Since you mentioned it, you can experiment with aerating your cold brew. It can help with teas and coffees in the same way as wine. However, the average person typically only notices it as "slightly less bitter" or "a little more smooth and less grainy". This is just something slightly fun to try, not something I've noticed is necessary, especially since the cold brew is already aerated a little when you pour into other containers. In fact, over aerating a coffee or tea can sometimes end up as making the drink taste like you diluted it slightly with water (ie: aerating it until the top of the liquid is slightly foamy/bubbly).

I also found that a sprinkle of a dark tea leaf in certain brews helped to bridge the flavor gaps of certain brews. Orange Pekoe, Earl Grey or English breakfast are the safest (essentially stuff used to make milk tea). Unless seriously curious, I'd only experiment with adding tea to brews that were very sour with a lack of bitterness that you'd potentially consider throwing out otherwise. Certain teas can throw off the balance completely with only a surprisingly little amount (ie: <20:1 ratio), especially with Puer, Rooibos and Darjeeling. Knowing what I know now, I'd recommend adding that splash of cooled tea post brew vs adding the tea to the brewing process. Green, red and white teas were too different than cold brew and far too difficult to figure out. I wouldn't recommend then.

TBH, I've always found the ritual I liked the most was having 75% a staple cold brew and a 25% experiment brew. Sometimes the experiment brew was good enough to become the staple brew. Anyone who loves the same taste day in day out I'd imagine is more likely doing it for the caffeine and not for the ritual or true enjoyment of the drink/curiosity of the differences in flavor.

[D as in David]

Originally Posted by DoubleF

When I was doing this, I realized that what I truly wanted in the morning ritual was just a beverage. In the winter, it's specifically a hot beverage. That's why I was experimenting with spices in my cold brew. I didn't really like what I got when warming up cold brew. I aim for caffeination to wake up on my second drink.

In the end, I ended up preferring going back to hot coffee when it was cold. Figuring out spices was too difficult. The closest I got to something I wouldn't have minded was something almost like mixing horchata with cold brew, but that mixture didn't replace my want for a heated beverage when it was cold. Going the Irish coffee idea route with Bailey's or a shot didn't really do it for me either because it seemed weird drinking on the job/the true want was for a hot drink.

Laziness/lack of fridge space got in the way of me starting cold brew back up again when the temperature warmed back up. I think a mini-fridge in my office space and some flasks ready to go would go a long way in making my cold brew habits a bit more semi permanent though.

Since you mentioned it, you can experiment with aerating your cold brew. It can help with teas and coffees in the same way as wine. However, the average person typically only notices it as "slightly less bitter" or "a little more smooth and less grainy". This is just something slightly fun to try, not something I've noticed is necessary, especially since the cold brew is already aerated a little when you pour into other containers. In fact, over aerating a coffee or tea can sometimes end up as making the drink taste like you diluted it slightly with water (ie: aerating it until the top of the liquid is slightly foamy/bubbly).

I also found that a sprinkle of a dark tea leaf in certain brews helped to bridge the flavor gaps of certain brews. Orange Pekoe, Earl Grey or English breakfast are the safest (essentially stuff used to make milk tea). Unless seriously curious, I'd only experiment with adding tea to brews that were very sour with a lack of bitterness that you'd potentially consider throwing out otherwise. Certain teas can throw off the balance completely with only a surprisingly little amount (ie: <20:1 ratio), especially with Puer, Rooibos and Darjeeling. Knowing what I know now, I'd recommend adding that splash of cooled tea post brew vs adding the tea to the brewing process. Green, red and white teas were too different than cold brew and far too difficult to figure out. I wouldn't recommend then.

TBH, I've always found the ritual I liked the most was having 75% a staple cold brew and a 25% experiment brew. Sometimes the experiment brew was good enough to become the staple brew. Anyone who loves the same taste day in day out I'd imagine is more likely doing it for the caffeine and not for the ritual or true enjoyment of the drink/curiosity of the differences in flavor.

Thanks for sharing! I drink my morning coffee black partly because I don't want to break my fast until lunchtime so I'm curious about options for flavour enhancing. Cinnamon or cocoa isn't cutting it.