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First, you need to answer the main question – why make coffee with cold water? The answer was given by the legendary writer Honore de Balzac. Sometimes he had to stay awake for several days in a row and, experimenting with coffee, Balzac came to the conclusion that it is not a hot or cooled drink that invigorates best, but a cold water infusion of coffee grounds.
So if you are in need of vigor, take care of it ahead of time by brewing coffee with a cold method. Rather, not brewing, but soaking.
How to brew coffee with cold water (cold-brew method)
Ingredients:
- 100-250 g of ground coffee;
- 1 L of water.
Method of preparation:
- Pour coffee into a clean container or French press.
- To fill with water.
- Insist 12-24 hours. If the container is in the refrigerator, then leave for at least a day.
- Strain through a strainer, do not wring out the thick so that there is no bitterness. When insisting in a French press, lower the piston to the thick, but do not press on it.
- Moisten a paper filter with water and strain the coffee through it.
Cold bru is often used as a base for other coffee drinks. The concentrate can be stored in the refrigerator for 7-14 days, depending on the preparation method.
Another way of making coffee in a cold way is with the help of special devices – drip teapots for cold brushes. Here, for soaking, a special device is used, consisting of several containers that are installed one above the other. Cold water or ice water is poured into one, freshly ground coffee is poured into the other, the third is left empty for future drink. Water from the upper container drips into the lower one, passes through the coffee, is soaked and, ready-made, flows down to the lower one. The whole process takes up to 24 hours.
What is interesting about coffee brewed with cold water
The characteristic bitter taste of coffee is given by substances that are formed when the chlorogenic acid contained in the beans is heated. But, if coffee is prepared in cold water, then the decomposition products of chlorogenic acid have nowhere to come from. Therefore, coffee certified with cold water (cold-bru) is softer in taste.
Many acids and oils that make up coffee beans do not dissolve in cold water. Cold Bru has 60–70% less acids than regular coffee.
Remember that due to long-term extraction, cold brue contains as much, and sometimes more, caffeine than espresso. Therefore, you cannot abuse this drink.
What coffee to use
But some of the tannins, which have a bitter and astringent taste, are still extracted into water. The finer the grains are, the stronger the bitter taste. In addition, a drink made from coffee ground into dust is difficult to filter, it turns out to be cloudy. Also the bitterness of cold bru can be given by robusta. Therefore, it is recommended to use medium or coarse Arabica for making cold brus. Both inexpensive blends from 100% Arabica and elite single varieties are suitable.
Any degree of roast is allowed, but light or medium roast coffee is more often chosen. Anyone who has never cooked cold brew should first take a medium roast coffee, and then experiment.
Photo: balidirectstore.com
We will remind, earlier we told in what unusual way the New Zealand airline decided to serve coffee, and also that your favorite coffee will tell about your character.