Back to cold brew coffee. I had piqued Patrick's interest in the technique when I was wondering aloud before the party. So we figured out what it was:
"Cold brew ... refers to the process of steeping coffee grounds in room temperature or cold water for an extended period. Cold brew coffee is not to be confused with iced coffee, which generally refers to coffee that is brewed hot and then chilled by pouring over or adding ice, though iced coffee can refer to cold brew coffee served on ice. The cold water extract process requires grinding: coarse-ground beans are soaked in water for a prolonged period of time, usually 12 hours or more. The water is normally kept at room temperature, but chilled water can also be used. The grounds must be filtered out of the water after they have been steeped using a paper coffee filter, a fine metal sieve, a French press or felt in the case of the Toddy system. The result is a coffee concentrate that is often diluted with water or milk, and can be served hot, over ice, or blended with ice and other ingredients such as chocolate." [Wikipedia]We followed the procedure highlighted on this website: 1 part coffee grounds to 4 parts water. Into a one quart mason jar we place 1 cup of coffee grounds and fill the rest with water. We then place the jar into the refrigerator and let it "brew" overnight. Finally strain out the coffee grounds through a coffee filter and sieve into a pitcher and put it back into the quart jar to store.
Step 1 - Place 1 cup of ground coffee into a quart jar
Step 2 - Fill with water
Step 3 - Refrigerate overnight or up to 24 hours
Step 4 - Strain out coffee grounds and store in refrigerator (not pictured)
Patrick is a bit more of a coffee snob than I am and didn't enjoy the cold brew coffee concentrate. He did like adding it to his homemade mochas though. I, on the other hand, am not a coffee snob and have really enjoyed making faux lattes with cold brew coffee. To present the cold brew coffee as a traditional cup of coffee you would mix it with water in a one to one ratio. When I make the the faux latte it's at least a one to four ratio of cold brew concentrate to milk.
In a small pot (I use a butter warmer) add 1 cup of milk and 1/4 cup of cold brew coffee concentrate and bring to a simmer. Serve immediately.
What do you think?? Have you tried cold brew coffee? This faux latte is my new go-to coffee drink in the mornings... when I'm not drinking tea of course!