Cold brew things

    

Hello all! Hope you guys are doing well. Life at home hadn't been very interesting- I'm still stuck with my studies and there is one thing that I really need to keep me going throughout the day.. coffee. I posted about my new found love for cold brew a few months back in one of the posts but I've eventually decided to cut that little snippet away because that's just not how I make my cold brew anymore these days. Today, I'm going to share with you guys my new and improved method on making cold brew.

Disclaimer: I'm not a barista or some coffee professional so my cold brew may not be as bombastic as the ones you get in stores but as an average coffee drinker, this is okay for me. This is just how I like to make my cold brew. Nonetheless, I hope you'll still enjoy reading this post! 😋

The main reason why I prefer cold brew over hot and freshly brewed coffees is because cold brew has lower acidity (which is great for people who have gastric problems like me even though it's not advisable for us to consume coffee) and it's richer in caffeine due to its longer steeping process. 

Firstly, choose your desired coffee beans. It's totally up to you to choose whether to use mild roast coffee beans or dark roasted ones. I personally like using Starbucks medium to dark roasted beans because of their tastes. It's highly recommended that you use coarse grounded coffee beans for optimum taste. I've tried brewing using finely grounded coffee beans and the results were.. not so great because finer coffee beans result in bitter tasting coffee since their extraction rates would be higher than that of the coarse ones.

Here, I'm using the Veranda blend (mild roast) from Starbucks because I just want to finish it off even though it's not my favourite choice of beans to use when it comes to cold brew.

Container

Next, choose a container you'll like to steep your beans in. I got this blue wide-lid glass jar from daiso for RM5.90 and it works perfectly. I'd suggest that you get a glass container with a wide lid for easier pouring and cleaning. I've read somewhere online saying that it's best to make cold brews using glass containers since glass containers will not trap funky odours, therefore it won't affect the taste of your coffee. You can also choose to buy containers which are specially meant for cold brews from stores or online but I won't cover those here since I'm not using those.

The glass container that I use to make the cold brew everyday.

Putting things together

I usually fill my glass with 3 scoops/tablespoons of coffee grounds for 2 servings. I'm just following the suggested amounts stated on the Starbucks coffee bag.

Next, I will first start off by pouring very minimal amounts of cold water into the container and then I will gently shake the container sideways to ensure that all the beans are soaked. 

After ensuring that all the beans are soaked, I will proceed to add more water into the container until it's 3/4 full.

You'll see a layer of foam on top of the mixture and that's perfectly normal.

Brewing

Then I will put it in the fridge for at least 16 hours.

I've read articles online saying that the coffee has to be brewed for at least 16 hours so that its flavours wouldn't be wonky and stuff like that, which is true. I've tried brewing it for only 12 hours and the results were awful- the coffee turned out to be sour and the flavour is just off. Just as long as you brew it somewhere between 16-24 hours, you're good to go. 

Then what if you have forgotten about your cold brew in the fridge and didn't consume within the stated time above? It's totally fine. I've had my cold brew stored in the fridge up to 4 days before I decided to consume it and it's still good. But I wouldn't recommend going beyond that just incase the coffee spoils.

Here's my product after 36 hours. 😅

(Yes, I've forgotten that I have a cold brew sitting in the fridge hence the hours)

Filter

The last step, which is also a very crucial step in ensuring your cold brew is smooth and beautiful (idk what other words that I can use to describe) is to FILTER your coffee. You don't want to ruin your cold brew experience by drinking the unfiltered murky/sandy/disgusting coffee mixture. My personal favourite thing to use to filter my coffee is paper coffee filters. They are magical because they leave absolutely no grounds/specs or residue in your final product, ensuring a smooth and clean cup of cold brewed coffee. I've tried using cheesecloths and metal net filters but they won't produce crystal clear coffee. I purchased my coffee filters and the coffee filter holder device (plastic) from daiso, each for RM5.90. 

I got the unbleached coffee filter paper. Fold the filter paper according to the illustrations printed on the packet and wet it before placing onto the filter holder.

Like so.

Then I'll just slowly pour my cold brew into the device and let it filter through. It might take some time for it to be fully filtered.

Look at the coffee ground residues!

Here's the final product! A smooth and clean glass of cold brew.

Cold brews are highly concentrated in caffeine so it's recommended to dilute it with some cold water or if you don't like adding water into your coffee, you can opt to put ice cubes instead. Works the same. Alternatively, you can also choose to add the milk of your choice, syrups or even honey to it. 

🍯☕

My coffee does look a little bit diluted but looks can be deceiving 😅 The caffeine in it is really high so I usually don't brew it with too much coffee grounds. Just the way I like it to be. 😌

There you go! This is how I make my cold brew. 

See you guys after my exams 😁