Coffee
Simple & Superior Cold Brew
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Tips and tricks for easy cold brew
Cold Brew should be simple enough, but with so many trends and approaches it can be hard to know where to begin when brewing at home. Below are some of the best tips for brewing easy, smooth coffee.
History
Choose Your Blend
While ultimately any blend can be cold brewed, after being finely ground, the roast and flavor profiles can smoothen or sharpen depending on how long you brew your coffee. Experts recommend starting with lighter roasts during your first attempts. We suggest our Tradicional Blend, a bold and flavorful medium roast to get going.
Prep Your Beans
The most popular and accessible way to Cold Brew at home is the Immersion Method- adding ground coffee to a jar or container filled with water and then waiting. In order to make the immersion process as smooth as possible, make sure to properly prepare your beans:
- Grind your coffee as finely as possible, and invest in a coffee grinder if you plan to make cold brew regularly. An uneven consistency in your ground beans will affect the extraction process dramatically. Chunky grounds can make bitter coffee.
- Pre-wet your ground coffee. Adding a small amount of water onto your coffee grounds can help with saturation and the extraction of flavors.
Water
There are two key ingredients in your cold brew; your beans and water. Once you’ve covered the beans, make sure you’re using water that is filtered from impurities that can affect the flavoring and extraction process. Experiment with types of spring and filtered water to identify which flavors you prefer in your coffee.
Steep and Steep Some More
Once your water and beans are settled, place your ground beans in a jar with 1 part coffee, 3 parts water. This ratio can certainly be changed, but it is the best starting point for cold brewing. Then let it steep for anywhere between 12-24 hours. Consider placing your steeping cold brew in the fridge during this time, it can help freshen and brighten the flavors in your brew.
Extra Flavors
Once you’ve managed the basics of cold brewing, think about adding some extras into your brew jar or container. A pinch of cardamom, cinnamon or anise from our Café de Ollá recipe, or other herbs like mint, even orange peels if you’re feeling fun. Try different spices and additions until you settle on your favorite.
Storage
Keeping your cold brew fresh once you’ve separated the grounds and prepared to drink it is a must. Keep it in an airtight container in your refrigerator, and try to drink it within a week for maximum freshness. Enjoy!