# My first Cold Brew Success...



## SmnByt (Feb 23, 2015)

100g/ltr 96hr brew time, moka pot grind, Columbian Suarez

1:2 ratio, 5ml Monin Caramel Syrup

Well impressed with it, put my next brew on this evening, using Cuba Serrano Superior

Any thoughts on my methods?


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## funinacup (Aug 30, 2010)

96hrs seems a lot for that grind size! But if it tastes good then great! Would love to try some.


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## johnealey (May 19, 2014)

96hrs, mighty long brew, what are you brewing that in out of curiosity?

John


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## SmnByt (Feb 23, 2015)

johnealey said:


> 96hrs, mighty long brew, what are you brewing that in out of curiosity?
> 
> John


A 2ltr plastic milk container after sterilising with Milton, stored in the door of the fridge, I give it a giggle maybe twice a day.

Let it settle strain it through a J cloth using a large funnel into another 2ltr milk container, and bob's ya uncle


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## SmnByt (Feb 23, 2015)

funinacup said:


> 96hrs seems a lot for that grind size! But if it tastes good then great! Would love to try some.


initially it was going to be 72hrs but with one thing and another it ended up being 96hrs


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## FullBloomCoffee (Mar 19, 2015)

I'm using a method that involves drip and then immersion and 16 hours is the ideal length of steep time I've found so far.

I spent several months perfecting my method and grind though and have experimented with about 20 different beans, my favourite so far is the Ethiopian Yirgacheffe as the complex flavour lends itself well to the low acidity and smoothness of cold brewing.


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## Pompeyexile (Dec 2, 2013)

This sounds great.

At the Rave day I had my first taste of a cold brew and for the first time since drinking proper coffee I tasted flavours I never experienced whilst trying to pull an espresso shot, fantastic Nectarine.

I'm going to give this a go. Just need a lovely sunny day out on the decking to really enjoy it.


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## rmblack78 (Oct 9, 2014)

Only method I'm really interested in other than espresso now, can't wait to have a go.


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## Bigpikle (Oct 14, 2014)

I sort of made a cold brew by accident rather than design....after leaving my Sowden with a little in it over night. Not refrigerated but had about a 16hr brew at cool room temp. Couldnt resist trying it the next morning and was surprised how it tasted. It was made at about 56g/L as per a usual Sowden recipe but still tasted like it would have made a decent drink if chilled slightly.

Will definitely have a go at the cold brew method on the Sowden site.


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## SmnByt (Feb 23, 2015)

Well the second batch using the Cuba Serrano bean, wasn't such a success, it wasn't as mellow and smooth as the Colombian.

I only brewed it for 72hrs before filtering this time, however it has improved since having a couple of days in the fridge. It was the same recipe as before, 100g/ltr, moka pot grind.

I've put another Colombian brew on this evening which I shall give it 96hrs to see if I can emulate my first triumph.

Fingers crossed,


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## FullBloomCoffee (Mar 19, 2015)

anything over 24 hours seems a tad excessive.

Ive managed to get excellent results from 16 hour brew times after lots of experimentation.

If you look at most commercially available cold brew they seem to vary between 8-12 hours, with the odd exception being upto 16.


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## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

BeanAbout said:


> anything over 24 hours seems a tad excessive.
> 
> Ive managed to get excellent results from 16 hour brew times after lots of experimentation.
> 
> If you look at most commercially available cold brew they seem to vary between 8-12 hours, with the odd exception being upto 16.


It's not excessive if you are after a certain level of extraction if you are steeping for 8-16hours then you will certainly be hitting a lower extraction (which you may like just fine if updosed), than 48hours (how long it took me to get to 20% with a median grind size around 450um), or 72hours (how long it took me to hit 19% with a coarse grind. Steep time isn't a problem, I mean, there's no need to worry about the coffee going cold. ;-)

Cold drip could get the job done quicker than 48hours?


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## Neil294 (Oct 12, 2012)

All this talk of cold brew and a few days at home meant I went ahead and bought a small 600ml Mizudashi yesterday from Amazon and it arrived today. I spent a bit of time earlier checking up on ratios across the web and ended up roughly following the recipe on the Rave website. I've opened my Vario as wide as it goes and ground 100g. It's still fine compared to the stuff rave sell for cold brew, but nothing like an espresso grind. I then measured out 600ml of filtered water and slowly added this in to the Mizudashi, stirring the grounds as I went. A few hours in and the liquid is already syrupy, so I'm a bit worried that I've put in way too much coffee. Certainly the conversation here seems to suggest I've got about twice the amount. I'm going to leave it for 24 hours or so and give it a whirl tomorrow and will let you know.

I know there's not much to the Mizudashi, but it's a nice little jar that fits in the fridge door without too much effort and looks easy enough to clean as the bottom of the mesh filter twists off. Now to get the recipe right...


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

80-90grms per litre seems to be a good place to be for cold brew. You can always dilute. Recommend filtering some if you have the patience using a fairly thinish paper such as V60 and compare to the unfiltered. Filtering will take the fines out and clear up the brew as well as removing some of the oils.


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## Neil294 (Oct 12, 2012)

Will give it a go. Again the random research was suggesting a a 50:50 cold brew to added water ratio, so was planning on diluting it to find a sweet spot. I have some papers in somewhere, so will be curious to see the difference.


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## fatboyslim (Sep 29, 2011)

Cold brew in a teapot anyone?


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## Neil294 (Oct 12, 2012)

I gave the Mizudashi about 30 hours in the end and it has produced a very nice drink. Of the 600ml of water I put in, it's produced 400ml of cold, syrupy coffee. I've been watering it down as a 50:50 drink, and to be honest it is still on the strong side; I can feel that strange nerve-sensation in my teeth after a cup, reminding me of when I was over-extracting my shots when I got my first machine all those years ago. The next batch will be 50gms for 600ml of water and hopefully that may avoid the odd heart palpitation.

Quick note on the Mizudashi - it was very easy to clean as I was able to knock the "puck" out cleanly. There is a fair amount of sediment at the bottom, so it should be filtered. I'd do this if I could find my filters, but can't, so I'll have to wait a few days for some to arrive.


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## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

Neil294 said:


> I've been watering it down as a 50:50 drink, and to be honest it is still on the strong side; I can feel that strange nerve-sensation in my teeth after a cup, reminding me of when I was over-extracting my shots when I got my first machine all those years ago. The next batch will be 50gms for 600ml of water and hopefully that may avoid the odd heart palpitation.


Remember that however much liquid coffee you end up with 100g dose relates to around 10x single servings of 40ml, or 5 double servings of 80ml for your 400ml out.


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## Neil294 (Oct 12, 2012)

MWJB said:


> Remember that however much liquid coffee you end up with 100g dose relates to around 10x single servings of 40ml, or 5 double servings of 80ml for your 400ml out.


Very true - I need to make some adjustments!

Thanks


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## Orangertange (Jul 4, 2013)

I had my first could brew today maxed out the hausgrind at 55g and added 440 of water, waited for about 14 h,

it was lovely on ice with a bit of condensed milk (raves suggestion)

so nice got another one ready for tomorrow,

but think the sweat I build up grinding it counteracts thebenefit of ice


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## oursus (Jun 5, 2015)

I have been using a preserving jar for 16-36 hrs, filtering first through my swissgold alone , then again with muslin. Have to say the results have tasted like chewing on an espresso puck, which I think can only result from insufficient filtering, right?


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## jlarkin (Apr 26, 2015)

oursus said:


> Have to say the results have tasted like chewing on an espresso puck, which I think can only result from insufficient filtering, right?


As in loads of fines in the brew like a French press or do you mean something else?

How are you grinding it? Oh and what ratio coffee n water?


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

oursus said:


> I have been using a preserving jar for 16-36 hrs, filtering first through my swissgold alone , then again with muslin. Have to say the results have tasted like chewing on an espresso puck, which I think can only result from insufficient filtering, right?


How fine is your grind? Suggest using a grind suitable for between V60 and Chemex which is coarse sand consistency. Ratio of 80-90grms per litre is a good starting point. Brew for 24hrs - or longer depending on how coarse the grind is. If you want a clear end product - filter through a thinnish filter paper like V60. Depending on the volume of cold brew you are making, you might need more than one filter as the fines will eventually block the pores in the filter paper and it will stop filtering. If you find the cold brew too strong - dilute to taste. Darker roasts don't, IMO, make great cold brew - lighter, fruitier ones are better.


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## nufc1 (May 11, 2015)

Does anyone use the aeropress to filter their cold brew. I'm thinking it's probably quite a simple way to do it (i'm sure someone has tried it). Unless there are reservations about removing oils etc with paper filters? Might give it a try.


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

Aeropress doesn't make a perfect seal so fines will get through. Also, surface area of an Aeropress paper filter is relatively small so it will soon clog. V60 is a much better option.

Removing some of the oils and fines through filtering is purely a matter of taste and provides a cleaner taste. Try filtered and non-filtered and see which you prefer.


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## oursus (Jun 5, 2015)

Using a lighter roast and a Filter grind,Swiss gold filter is A reusable pour over filter, I then used a piece of Muslin

, will buy some fine filters& give that a go....


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

When you say 'using a filter grind' - try grinding coarser - will make filtering easier. If you are using a brewer in which the grinds are kept separate, remove this before filtering and leave to stand so most of the fines settle to the bottom. Will make filtering easier. If you use paper filter, wouldn't bother running the brew through anything else first.


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## shunningmyaeropress (Jul 19, 2015)

I'm interested in doing cold brew, but with more of a daily turnaround. So 23.5 hours would be my maximum brew time. How can I get this down? Maybe a finer grind?


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

24hrs would be plenty of time for a cold brew. Don't grind too fine especially if you want to run it through something like V60 to remove the cloudiness. Consistency of coarse salt should be fine. Use ratio of 80-90grms per litre. If you find the result too strong, dilute to taste.


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## Rompie (Apr 18, 2015)

I've done some pretty good/successful 12-14 hour coldbrews. I think it's down to finding a good bean that suits the method and getting a decent grind.


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## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

SmnByt said:


> 100g/ltr 96hr brew time, moka pot grind, Columbian Suarez


 @robashton !


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## robashton (May 9, 2015)

My poor heart


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## Mr O (Jan 14, 2015)

I'm keen to try a cold brew. Am I right in saying that cold water is used from the start (no hot water)? I'm up to speed on the rest and want to attempt a few this week...


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

You can use hot water to shorten brew time but it will produce a different result to using just cold water.


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## Mr O (Jan 14, 2015)

I'm not in a rush so I'll use cold from the start to try and get off on the right foot. I'm thinking of doing the actual brew in a 1 litre container with a lid and then filtering through a Clever Dripper. I've only got that or an Aeropress with me..


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## johnealey (May 19, 2014)

Clever dripper will work (with a filter in  ), just try not to disturb any fines at the bottom of whatever container you brewing in as you tipping it in to the clever, think decanting wine and you can't go too wrong, if you dump the whole lot in will take ages as it chokes the filter medium. Be prepared to stop and change filters dependant on how fine you grind it.

Have fun, it really is a different experience and if you like it, Hario Mizudashi's are not too expensive ( in terms of our other bits of kit & really easy to use ) Think I paid £20 for a 1400ml one with a 350g bag of cold brew ground coffee from Rave which was possibly an Ethiopian (?) and Foundrys Rocko Mountain is sublime for cold brew as well.

Hope of help

John


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## Mr O (Jan 14, 2015)

Many thanks, I'll try it out over the next week or two and then if I'm liking it I'll get an order in with Rave.


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## johnealey (May 19, 2014)

The 1400ml Mizudashi seems excessive till you realise you put 1100ml water in and get about 950ml out. Lasts over a week so runs out fairly rapidly even if you do dilute to taste.

Other coffee that have tried in the above was the rave finca el bosque which came out boozy and fruity when diluted 1:1 with water. One of my brothers at a recent birthday bash where I handed him a glass without telling him what it was, was adament had given him something with whisky in!

Have found that cold brew is a bit marmite in that some like it/ some don't, this being an almost instant reaction.

John


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## Lefteye (Dec 30, 2014)

So I'm thinking of trying this seen aeropress method on the internet but it seems a faff. Could I just use a Kilner jar of cold water with the desired amount of coffee and at the end of the brew time just pour the resultant brew through a v60??


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

Yes, you can. Don't grind too fine or you'll clog the V60 filter. Depending on how much you brew, you might need to use more than one filter.


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## Mr O (Jan 14, 2015)

johnealey said:


> The 1400ml Mizudashi seems excessive till you realise you put 1100ml water in and get about 950ml out. Lasts over a week so runs out fairly rapidly even if you do dilute to taste.
> 
> Other coffee that have tried in the above was the rave finca el bosque which came out boozy and fruity when diluted 1:1 with water. One of my brothers at a recent birthday bash where I handed him a glass without telling him what it was, was adament had given him something with whisky in!
> 
> ...


I was just looking at the Mizudashi on the Rave site. Decent price (if I like it) I suppose I'll know by the end of the week. Or perhaps not as it might rely on finding a suitable bean.

What is your g/litre start point when trying a new bean?


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

80-90grms per litre. Recommend lighter roasts. Natural processed will produce a boozy flavour note.


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## Mr O (Jan 14, 2015)

The most suitable (not saying it will be suitable) bean I've got with me is Hasbean - NICARAGUA FINCA LIMONCILLO PULPED NATURAL LONGBERRY


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## jlarkin (Apr 26, 2015)

Mr O said:


> The most suitable (not saying it will be suitable) bean I've got with me is Hasbean - NICARAGUA FINCA LIMONCILLO PULPED NATURAL LONGBERRY


Give it a go. I think that'd be a good cold brew candidate!


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## Bigpikle (Oct 14, 2014)

I've just got a large Mizudashi and am interested in the brew time people are using for these? Instructions say 8hrs but I did my Sowden for 48hrs? Is it just personal taste and longer is probably better? The Sowden taste improved after 24hrs for sure.

The other question is about grind size - should I go a little finer if aiming for a shorter brew time? I used my typical AP grind from the Virtuoso last time but could go a little finer for the Mizudashi if it helps? I am thinking of taking it on holiday next week and will probably only have a hand grinder so 80g of coffee will be a right PITA if its too fine!


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## coffeechap (Apr 5, 2012)

I have done a really coarse grind over 24 hrs and got great results


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## johnealey (May 19, 2014)

For me,

using the rave cold brew pre ground which was boulder like 48hrs was good ( tried 24h, lacked a bit of body, 36 was still a little thin, 48 bang on)

Using the Rave Finca el Bosque ground to TSK direction of course sand and 36h was the minimum, 24 a bit thin, 48 added nothing

Using Foundry Rocko Mountain ground to TSK direction of course sand only got to try 2 brews one of 36 and one monster 72 (forgot it was there), 36 very nice, 72 slight tang but still nice ( similar to an overstewed tea bag but not as pronounced)

Hope of help and will be experimenting again with Rocko Mountain this week when the kilo roasted today lands.

John


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## froggystyle (Oct 30, 2013)

How long does cold brew last for in a sealed container after filtering?


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## johnealey (May 19, 2014)

Hi Froggy

At least a week if kept in the fridge ( if you havn't drunk it all by then!).

Normally decant mine into kilner style jars ( the ones from the swedish store fit on one of the shelves in the fridge nicely) from the Mizudashi then start another brew of, keeps a constand supply on the go and then dilute as required.

Hope of help

John


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

froggystyle said:


> How long does cold brew last for in a sealed container after filtering?


Definitely a week if kept in the fridge.


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