Friday, July 22, 2011

DIY Cold Brew Coffee

The idea for cold brew coffee is nothing new and there is plenty of online information on the subject, but I felt compelled to share because it is so easy to make at home and the cost savings will make it well worth your time.
When I was in high school my parents made the conversion from drip coffee makers to cold brew coffee. It is said to have a lower acid level and a more "lively" flavor.  The system they owned was similar to this.  Over time, they could no longer find the filters and/or plugs, so they gave up and went back to drip. Mind you though, this was before the advent of shopping online.  I felt compelled to purchase "the system" for making cold press coffee, but space availability for yet another gadget along with the $50 price tag made me think again.  I chose the "mason jar/strainer with a coffee filter" method.

I started with a coarse-medium grind on my beans. I used my manual grinder, but feel free to use your electric version....just be careful not to grind too fine.



 I measured out 2 1/2 oz coffee beans....this equated to a "heaping" cup.


Added the coffee to a quart size mason jar using a canning funnel...notice it's vintage along with my measuring cup and mason jar!


Filled the jar with cold tap water and placed the jarred contents in the refrigerator. I used tap water, because it was easy and it's good.  We have great water in our little mountain town.


24hrs later it was ready to be strained. For this task I used a large glass measuring bowl, a like sized strainer lined with a coffee filter.

I don't know if it was that necessary, but I strained it a second time.

The end result was a little over 2 cups of coffee goodness...full of caffeine, or go juice as I'd like to say.

I then proceeded to immediately make an iced coffee. I used equal amounts of coffee, skim milk and a small amount of agave syrup...mmmmm...refreshing on a hot summer morning...still in my jammies.

The coffee extract can also be diluted with hot water for a hot cup of joe. If you own a french press, you can make this coffee using your press, just adjust the amount of ground coffee and water based on the size of your press.  Enjoy...it's potent, so be careful. :o)







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