Homemade Cold Brew Coffee

I have been enjoying a treat this summer... something to cool me down during the endless, sweltering days here in sunny south Florida- coffee!  This is not your typical cuppa joe,  I have been making cold brew coffee, which is more tasty and less acidic than normal hot brew coffee.  In fact, it is up to 70% less acidic than regular coffee!  And, cold brew is never bitter to the taste- I find that cold brew needs much less sugar, for those of you who like sweetener.

As for the process, making cold brew is not hard at all!  You will need a coffee grinder (freshly-ground coffee is best), and a kitchen scale to weigh out the ground coffee.  Other that, you will need a vessel (canning jar or other glass container with a lid) in which  to soak your coffee.

I found an organic whole-bean coffee at my local Costco, and my magic bullet ground it up nicely! The original recipe called for "course-ground" coffee, but mine was more finely ground.  It worked out nicely.  I used a quart-sized canning jar for my soaking vessel, so I filled it with 3 cups filtered water.  My recipe calls for 2 cups water per 1 oz ground coffee beans, so I used 1.5 oz ground coffee*: 

After capping the jar, give it a good shake to make sure the coffee beans are soaked and covered with water.  I give mine a shake every time I walk past, just to keep the mixture circulating.

When 24 hours is up, filter your coffee through a cheesecloth or old tee-shirt.  The final product will be pretty potent, so feel free to dilute to your personal taste.  If you need any sweetener, add it before storing the remaining liquid in the fridge.  Cold brew can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 weeks with no adverse effects on taste, so feel free to make a large quantity at one go-around!   

My cold brew treat with a splash of raw milk- YUM!

*If you own a French press coffee maker, you can use this for your soaking vessel and just press the cold coffee after the 24-hour soak.  

*Cold brew can be made in concentrate form.  Just add 1 cup water per 1 oz ground coffee beans and dilute the finished coffee with water in the ratio of 1:1 before serving :)  This way, you can add boiling water for a hot cup of coffee and still enjoy the benefits of cold brew!