3 Key Steps to Better Cold Brew at Home
Get the grind right. Cold brew requires a specific grind. A larger grind — something closer to the coarseness of raw sugar — this keeps the brew from getting bitter overnight. If you've got a small home grinder, it's best to grind the beans in batches or have us at NoCo Grit Coffee provide you with the perfect grind and blend (Hook).
Use a higher ratio of coffee to water. This recipe uses a ratio of 8 ounces of ground coffee to 8 cups of water — which is 1 ounce of coffee per cup — making it easier to scale this recipe up or down. When we make our own cold brew, we use a large mason jar. Combine the ground coffee and water in the jar. Pour the ground coffee in to a 3-quart jar or pitcher. Add the water.
Stir to incorporate. Gently stir the coffee with the water until well-blended. The coffee will float to the top as it sits, but don’t stress about that — just make sure all of the coffee gets wet.
Steep the coffee overnight in the fridge. Cover and refrigerate the cold brew for at least 18 hours or up to 24 hours.
Strain slowly. Next, you'll need to strain the cold brew gently through cheesecloth and a strainer. Avoid pressing or squeezing the coffee grounds, as that extracts bitter flavors. Work in batches to strain as gently as possible. You might be asking yourself, Can't I just strain the coffee with a coffee filter? You could, but it slows the straining process and occasionally the paper filters tear, creating more of a mess than anyone should have to deal with before coffee. Link to cheesecloth : Amazon Cheesecloth
Serving Big-Batch Cold Brew
Pour about 1/2 cup of the cold brew over 1 cup of ice in a tall glass and top with 1/2 cup of cold filtered water. You can drink the cold brew straight-up too, but it makes a much stronger brew!
This cold brew concentrate keeps in the fridge for up to two weeks, so you can pour a cup anytime you want that sweet, smooth flavor.
Enjoy and let us know what you think!
Post your photos enjoying hook cold brew on facebook @NocoGritCoffee
Chris & Jen Flint