DonRocks Posted June 19, 2017 Share Posted June 19, 2017 1 hour ago, funkyfood said: I agree. Much better than compass, which I find to have a bitter taste. Vigilante's is the only one I prefer. Only thing with LC is rarely, but sometimes you'll get a sour cup of the cold brew. Am I alone in thinking that "cold brew," i.e., bottled iced-coffee, is as much of a scam as bottled water? Is there something about cold brew that I'm missing? Because to me, it tastes like coffee that I leave overnight in my refrigerator, tightly sealed so it doesn't get off-the-charts disgusting - and they sell it for about $3 for 12 ounces. Until convinced otherwise, I think coffee companies have done nothing more than elbow their way into the grab-n-go beverage field, carving out a niche in an already-full market. I mean, good for them, but this has about as much appeal to me as spending $3 on 12 ounces of Perrier, or for 6 ounces of lousy, industrial, coconut water. Oh, I have no doubt that there's some sort of "process" where making the coffee takes longer, because cold water doesn't leech the beans as quickly as hot water does, but ... so what? I see absolutely nothing of virtue in this - convince me that I'm wrong, and I might buy into it, but in the entire history of bottled beverages, why hasn't this happened until recently? And why has every single Tom, Dick, and Harry jumped aboard the speeding locomotive? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Posted June 19, 2017 Share Posted June 19, 2017 I can't say I have much interest in seeking out cold brew coffee, but the cold brew they send home with you after a meal at Pineapple and Pearls is pretty special. It holds up well enough that I drink it two straight days with no noticeable (to me) degradation, since my husband doesn't really like coffee and I get his bottle too. (I realize that is a different beast than cold brew sold by a massive commercial operation.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
funkyfood Posted June 19, 2017 Share Posted June 19, 2017 Don, you're missing something. Cold brew doesn't have to be bottled and in fact I've never found a bottled version I like. Cold brew refers to how it is made: instead of just chilling hot coffee, it's cold the entire brewing process, which requires more beans and 12-24 hours instead of a few minutes, and is therefore more expensive. Cold brew tastes much different from regular iced coffee maker. None of the burnt bitter taste, much more natural sweet chocolately notes 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ALB Posted June 19, 2017 Share Posted June 19, 2017 I make my own cold brew with this coffee maker. It does take a little planning but one pitcher lasts me the week. It is a lot smoother than regular brew iced coffee and easy for me since I only drink coffee cold anyway. I have never loved the bottled stuff. I make mine with Zeke's Balinese beans usually. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tfbrennan Posted June 19, 2017 Share Posted June 19, 2017 I've been doing the Toddy cold brew thing for about 5 years. Pound of coarsely ground beans soak overnight in 9 cups of water resulting in about 6 cups of concentrate that lasts a week for the two of us. I put 3 ounces of the concentrate in a 16 ounce mug, add cream and boiling water to fill, so morning routine is faster then brewing coffee. Makes coffee much less acidic -- my wife could not tolerate coffee but drinks this every day with no problem. Flavor is good but I buy different beans almost every time I make it looking for the "one." I've even tried beans allegedly roasted specifically for cold brewing but couldn't detect any difference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferris Bueller Posted June 19, 2017 Share Posted June 19, 2017 So I drink a lot of espresso - love a good cup vs an average cup. The cold-brew process (lengthy) helps remove a lot of the acidity and as funkyfood noted creates a sweeter brew, I believe the caffeine concentration increases as much as twofold. There is a big push in the cold brew process, with Nitro-brew which infuses cold brew with Nitrogen - the result is almost a Guiness-like coffee. If you are so inclined to try, it is worth it. Oct 13, 2016 - "Nitro Cold-Brew Coffee Is Suddenly Everywhere" by Jessica Sidman on washingtonian.com Trader Joe's offers a cold brew concentrate that is pretty good in a pinch. When our espresso machine went in for repairs I supplemented with the TJ's Cold Brew - it was decent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Dente Posted June 19, 2017 Share Posted June 19, 2017 On 6/19/2017 at 3:55 PM, tfbrennan said: I've been doing the Toddy cold brew thing for about 5 years. Pound of coarsely ground beans soak overnight in 9 cups of water resulting in about 6 cups of concentrate that lasts a week for the two of us. I put 3 ounces of the concentrate in a 16 ounce mug, add cream and boiling water to fill, so morning routine is faster then brewing coffee. Makes coffee much less acidic -- my wife could not tolerate coffee but drinks this every day with no problem. Flavor is good but I buy different beans almost every time I make it looking for the "one." I've even tried beans allegedly roasted specifically for cold brewing but couldn't detect any difference. I just ordered my Toddy yesterday. Anxious to give it a try! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ALB Posted June 19, 2017 Share Posted June 19, 2017 On 6/19/2017 at 4:46 PM, Ferris Bueller said: I believe the caffeine concentration increases as much as twofold. That would explain the amazing concentration I have when I drink it. seriously. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferris Bueller Posted June 19, 2017 Share Posted June 19, 2017 Should you ever want a true jolt, try this...Deathwish - the difference is hyper. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ALB Posted June 20, 2017 Share Posted June 20, 2017 yikes, I don't know if I am ready for that one! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonRocks Posted June 20, 2017 Author Share Posted June 20, 2017 13 hours ago, funkyfood said: Don, you're missing something. Cold brew doesn't have to be bottled and in fact I've never found a bottled version I like. Cold brew refers to how it is made: instead of just chilling hot coffee, it's cold the entire brewing process, which requires more beans and 12-24 hours instead of a few minutes, and is therefore more expensive. Cold brew tastes much different from regular iced coffee maker. None of the burnt bitter taste, much more natural sweet chocolately notes Got it - when I've had it at real coffee shops, it's different; I guess I should have put this in Shopping & Cooking since I was originally talking about the store-bought versions; but this is turning into a good conversation on its own. God I'm tired - tired enough where I chose to spend $200 on a hotel instead of driving an hour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
funkyfood Posted June 20, 2017 Share Posted June 20, 2017 What you get from coffee shops should be either from a keg or from a pitcher, not from a bottle, ideally. @ALB i had a brewer just like that but just broke the glass, so i got a toddy. the first batch is brewing as we speak. dear god does it use a lot of coffee. @tfbrennan i noticed that you said you use 9 cups of water, instead of the recommended 7, why is that? also, do you brew it in the fridge or room temp? i'm surprised it doesnt come with a lid to put on while brewing too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonRocks Posted June 20, 2017 Author Share Posted June 20, 2017 10 minutes ago, funkyfood said: What you get from coffee shops should be either from a keg or from a pitcher, not from a bottle, ideally. I suspect this is a lot like cold-macerating grapes before making wine - it really does make a difference, and is a much more gentle (and controlled, and expensive) way of extracting the must before fermentation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ALB Posted June 20, 2017 Share Posted June 20, 2017 @funkyfood, it does use a lot of coffee!! but still cheaper to use good beans in that, than picking up coffee on the way in to work. but yeah, a lot of coffee... For those who are considering it, I use 14 T for 4-5 days of coffee I think. It makes a concentrate and then you add ice/water/milk as you see fit. It is a lot, but I drink one cup a day. If you drink many cups a day, then this may fail the cost/benefit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simul Parikh Posted June 20, 2017 Share Posted June 20, 2017 Why do you need a coarse grind for cold brew? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferris Bueller Posted June 20, 2017 Share Posted June 20, 2017 Using a coarser grind will make the filtration process easier and your coffee taste far less bitter. Grinding too fine can heat up the grounds, which can negatively affect your cup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tfbrennan Posted June 28, 2017 Share Posted June 28, 2017 On 6/19/2017 at 10:33 PM, funkyfood said: What you get from coffee shops should be either from a keg or from a pitcher, not from a bottle, ideally. @ALB i had a brewer just like that but just broke the glass, so i got a toddy. the first batch is brewing as we speak. dear god does it use a lot of coffee. @tfbrennan i noticed that you said you use 9 cups of water, instead of the recommended 7, why is that? also, do you brew it in the fridge or room temp? i'm surprised it doesnt come with a lid to put on while brewing too. My original directions are for a pound of coffee and 9 cups of water. I see the Toddy instructions on their site now call for 12 ounces of coffee and 7 cups of water. Maybe because 12 ounce bags of coffee predominate? Here is a 2013 site from someplace else that has my directions: Mar 9, 2013 - "Brewing Methods: Toddy Cold Brew Coffee Maker" by Cafe Moto on cafemoto.com My container sits out on the counter overnight, uncovered. Concentrate empties through the bottom via a filter, so I assume anything that may land on the grounds would have to fight its way through the grounds and filter to get into the concentrate. The water/coffee grounds mixture is so thick that there is no equivalent of standing water. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tfbrennan Posted June 28, 2017 Share Posted June 28, 2017 On 6/20/2017 at 11:11 AM, Simul Parikh said: Why do you need a course grind for cold brew? NYT's Oliver Strand this month shared a fussier recipe for cold brew from Miami's All Day Coffee Shop -- which calls for a medium grind. "Cold Brew Coffee, Pro Style" by Oliver Strand on cooking.nytimes.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Dente Posted August 7, 2017 Share Posted August 7, 2017 I finally tried out my Toddy this weekend with some Stumptown Hairbender. I was amazed at how little acidity there was. Any suggestions for other beans to try? What level of roasting works best with this method? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now