Best products from r/coldbrew

I make large batches of cold brew once a month (almost 5 gallons) to fit into my kegerator and the process is really simple. For what it's worth, my coffee breaks down to about $1 a day for a large Nitro Cold Brew coffee on tap (which sells around me for nearly $4-5 a cup) and I get a lot more coffee, plus very high quality. You could get this price even lower without the kegerator because I included the price for nitro and I also use relatively expensive beans.

Here are the basic tools I would recommend:

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• brewing bucket or jar
  
• coffee grinder
  
• something to filter the coffee
  
• beans of choice (use whatever you like)
  
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  Depending on how much coffee you're looking to make, you can use a different sized vessel. For example, I use a 5 gallon bucket for my keg, whereas if you don't need that much cold brew at once, you can use something like a large mason jar or a smaller sized bucket (say 1 or 2 gallon bucket). I'll definitely recommend you get a bucket with a spout. This makes it very easy to dispense your cold brew.
  
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  As for a coffee grinder, buy what you can afford, there are plenty of options on the market. Obviously you're going to have a better grind if you invest a little more but if you can't, at the end of the day, it's not really going to break you. If you're doing large batches, I'd recommend buying an electric grinder. I use a Bodum Bistro Grinder which is less than $90 and works great. You could use a handheld grinder if you wanted to save more money, obviously it's just more work.
  
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  To filter the coffee, I use a fine mesh food grade bag (they sell these for things like almond milk) and sit that on top of a mesh strainer that sits on top of my bucket. You don't need the mesh strainer part, it just makes it easier for us since we have more coffee. You might want to strain your cold brew before you pour it but to be honest, I don't always and I don't have much problem. You can always double bag your beans to remove some of this too. Most of it settles on the bottom of the bucket underneath the spout anyway, so you just throw away that part.
  
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  Get whatever beans you like. I buy mine in bulk from a local coffee shop. I'd suggest doing a coarse grind and using a 2:1 water to coffee ratio until you figure out your particular preference. That would be to drink it straight out of the gallon. If you want to do more of a coffee concentrate, use more coffee and less water and then add water/milk/cream or whatever when you're preparing your cup.
  
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  I hope that helps. Enjoy!

Big issue is, your definition of bold != my definition.

I’d recommend 4oz grounds per quart (or liter, close enough), room temp for at least 12 hours (24 is ideal), in a French press because it’s easy & cheap. 4oz should be enough to give you bold flavor without the need to dilute, but try it and add more if you need to.

Never used the mason jar method; if you’ve got something good to filter the grounds with (maybe, cheesecloth?), it’ll work just as well I guess.

I don’t recommend any brewing method that uses a pre-installed bag, filter, hop spider, etc because the grains will compact and you won’t get as good of an extraction.

Now, if you’re brewing it for customers, a French press isn’t a great idea; you’ll want to look into industrial methods used by coffee shops, which probably involve large tanks + special filtration systems.

EDIT: if it’s just for a few people, a large French press style cold brew system like this 1.5L one I use at home or bigger if u can help it, would be useful. Here, I’d recommend about a 2:1 water to coffee ratio, 24 hours in the fridge (for sanitation’s sake). Give it extra time to filter and drain the extra coffee, and then dilute until you feel it’s appropriate. You can probably get 6-7 or so liters (around 2 gallons) from that before it gets too diluted. Do like 5 of these and you might be able to sell it all day.

I've tried several different setups over the years, but what I've settled on might be what you're looking for. It's super quick and easy, and there's very minimal cleanup involved.

I use these cold brew filter bags and a 32 oz. mason jar. The grounds I use are Stone Street Coffee Cold Brew Reserve, which are ground coarse. The grind is really important with these filter bags, because the finer the grind, the more you can put in. What I've found is that filling the bag all the way up with whatever grind setting Stone Street uses gets me the ratio I like with a mason jar. I let it sit on the counter for 20-24 hours, then when it's ready I just remove the bag, and then transfer the grounds into a 32 oz growler. I then add some more water to fill up the growler and keep it in the fridge. I like the growler because it doesn't spill as easily as a mason jar.

For me personally, this brew method tends to be a bit strong, so I'll add water to my glass when I serve it, and sometimes I'll go ahead and add water to the growler. I drink my coold brew black, and while I love the taste, sometimes it can be a bit strong for me, even with cold brew. I'm also a bit sensitive to caffeine and I don't like having too much in one sitting, so watering it down helps.

So, I love coffee. It just has always been a hassle for me. Due to my life style, recent jobs, handling my ADD poorly....I just stopped.

Between waking up at 330 for work, trying to stay up late with family, coffee was something I just put down. I would either leave the coffee grinds in the pot, not have time in the morning, not clean out my french press after cold brewing while rusing out the door. Even on my days off, the dread of cleaning something to make coffee made me dread the though.

Well, I decided a simple set up sounded nice. So, without much research I just decided to order:

A couple bags

https://www.amazon.com/Organic-Cotton-Cold-Brew-Coffee/dp/B019BFGMSS

Two 32oz Mason jars and

Two drinking lids

https://www.amazon.com/County-Line-Kitchen-Leak-Proof-Innovative/dp/B07FB4HHLW



I didn't do any research, and idk if I'm doing a great job. I have tons of questions and hope to do some research on concentrate and how much I should use. That said, it's been simple to clean within a min or less and refill. I woke up late today and had 5 min to get ready for work. I got to leave the house with coffee! For the first time in years, I got a small comfort this morning. Yay!


How's my setup? Been using 1:4 ratio for 16 hours give or take. Mostly I've just added sugar, today's was a bit stronger and I added a cup of skim milk. Amazing.

but one of the two bottles n the fridge currently is 1:2 because I had 3 opened bags of ground coffee I needed to get rid of (I used to work for a coffee company, so I currently have 8 bags if beans that are "out of date" left. My former employees still over me coffee. I hope not to use that too often. I'd like to learn to be a little frugal and perfect a good percentage to cost ratio)


I'm rambling. I'm hoping this sub has some good links or data for me to learn from. I've been so happy with my simple setup so far.

I'm way to excited. Maybe too much caffeine this morning too!

Personally I love this : Cold Brew Coffee Maker - Coffee Gator Brewing Kit with Stainless Steel Measuring Scoop and Collapsible Loading Funnel - BPA-Free Filter and Glass Carafe - Black - 47oz https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KZEO6HI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_cY.3DbT77X7JF

Get a good burr grinder to get a nice course grind.

My favorite coffee is this: Portland Roasting Organic Dark Sumatra Whole Bean Coffee - USDA Certified - Carbon Neutral and Award Winning Roasters, 1 12oz. Bag https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PJ8HT5W/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_tZ.3DbAKTD6ZR.


The only thing is with this you'll get some small fine particles that get thru the filter. I just run it thru my hot coffee maker with the top open through the white filter. It works.

The aesthetics look really awesome. I've seen many dutch coffee devices being used in South Korea. Like this one from Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/Yama-Glass-Maker-Straight-Black/dp/B004EBUZ1A/ref=pd_sim_79_6?ie=UTF8&dpID=41tRrVDoWJL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160%2C160_&psc=1&refRID=D620MKJ5734WVNBTRF3Q

Most of them are big (which may be good for displays in coffee shops), and like you said, the openings allow dust and air to enter. I think that's why these dutch coffee tasted so acidic from being oxidized. Have you guys tested if your coffee is less acidic than regular dutch coffee since there's less oxidation?

1. How often do you have to replace filters? And will they be expensive to purchase? (With SS filter, do you never have to buy a new one?)
   
2. Does the unit have any thermo-resistance? Sometimes ice melts too fast in the chamber, or the coffee at the bottom warms up too fast and becomes oxidized (especially in summer). It would be cool if there's some thermal resistance so ice melts slow and the coffee at the bottom stays cool. How do you maintain that "constant temperature" that you mention on the website?
   
3. Will the brewing rate become slower as the filter gets clogged up?
   
   As a Korean, I think one of the biggest up-sell is that it prevents "dust" from entering. Korea is currently suffering "micro dust" problem and they are obsessed with preventing dust in any possible way. The fact that this prevents dust and purifies water, it could be a huge up-sell there.
   
   In the future, do you guys plan on making larger version for commercial use? Like at coffee shops? Will you guys ever export to Korea?
   
   EDIT: Haha, I just realized this was being made in Korea after reading Amazon product page.
   
   https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=71&v=4czF1u4tixo
   

I initially started with a big pitcher and some cheesecloth to make coffee bouquet garni, if you will. It worked just fine, even though one time I didn't tie it tight enough and ended up with coffee grounds all in my brew :') completely my fault, though. This method is cheap and it serves it's purpose. The only downside was I don't have a great deal of fridge space, so finding a spot tall enough for a giant pitcher was a struggle.

I just recently received a KitchenAid cold brew maker as a gift, which makes the process so much easier and less messy for me personally, lol. It comes in 28 and 38 oz, which is relatively small. It's also short enough to fit on any shelf in my fridge! In addition, it has a tap to pour a drink without having to get it out of the fridge. It's pretty convenient. Because it is so small, I'll probably have to brew twice a week, which is fine.

There are so many more methods than just these two. Try the cheapest route first and see if it works for you. Then later on, if ya feel like it you can splurge on a new machine. Or you can be like me and put it out there that you'd love to receive one for insert upcoming holiday here haha.

KitchenAid KCM4212SX Cold Brew Coffee Maker-Brushed Stainless Steel, 28 Ounce https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XNVZDC7/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_TLdACbKCH6AP1

I use something like that from Amazon. Here’s an awesome tip for you. Rather than putting the grounds in the strainer, I just add it directly into the mason jar and let it sit over night without inserting the cylinder strainer. Then when it’s done cold brewing, I insert the strainer to filter out the big particles and then put this flip top cap on it to pour over into a separate container while using a nut mesh bag to get the finer particles.

Fliptop cap for mason: Drink, Pour, Store! Wide Mouth Mason Jar Flip Cap Lid by County Line Kitchen with Airtight, Leak-Proof Seal and Innovative Flip Cap (WIDE MOUTH, Blue, 1 Pack) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0776YQTLS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_tV.CDbG70SRQF

Nut bag mesh strainer:
2-PACK Best Nut Milk Bag - Restaurant Commercial Grade by GoNuts - Cheesecloth Strainer Filter For the Best Almond Milk, Cold Brew Coffee, Tea, Juicing, Yogurt, Tofu - BPA-Free Nylon 12"x10" Fine Mesh - Durable Washable Reusable - FREE Recipe E-book https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00WFU80KA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_-X.CDbF4N6DW3

I use this mason jar and these bag filters. I fill up the filter bags full with fresh coarse-ground coffee, tie it, plop it in the jar, and let it sit 12-16 hours. It has turned out well with the few beans I've tried, yields a concentrate that I dilute 1:1 with water.

I used to use the steel mesh filter that came with that mason jar, but it lets through fine particulates from the grounds. You can probably get the jar for less, but you could probably use that and just pour through a filter without using the bags.

So... mess around with what you got, if it's too strong, water it down. Doesn't have to be a perfect science as long as it tastes good!

Must thank /u/nom_deguerre for the comments made in this [thread] (https://www.reddit.com/r/coldbrew/comments/5159wk/made_my_first_batch_and_its_sludgy/)

Been experimenting for several weeks using the ball jar and paper filter method and had amazing beginners luck. Really rich pleasant coffee, actually slightly sweet, no acid. So convinced I was on the right track I bought one of these 64oz Cold Brewer from Amazon. First batch NOPE! All the little subtle flavors were gone. None of the little interesting nuances that made it taste like a coffee shop were gone. The stainless steel sleeve that filters the grounds from the brew had to be the culprit as that is the only thing I did different. Made 2 more small batches to confirm and the Stainless Steel Filter batch was tasteless. So now I roughly follow their ratio of two cups coarsely ground beans and fill the large Ball Jar to the top. Tightly closed I shake it it a few times the first day, top it off as the coffee absorbs some of the water and then leave it in a shady corner for 16 to 24 hours. Filter it with paper filters into smaller Ball jars and cut with water, milk, or just ice for ice coffee. Makes enough coffee to last the two of us several days. This is the first recipe I used to make the little batches NYTimes but adjust everything till you find it to be to your liking.

tldnr: filtered water, coarse grind, no metal, paper filters.

I like your setup! I started with a Toddy, but when we were traveling I bought two nut milk bags that I've been using since. I steep the water and coffee in a regular pitcher, then pour through the bag when I'm done. It's replaced my Toddy now. Super cheap, portable, and makes great coffee.

Stone street cold brew. Pricey, but probably the best cold brew I’ve made. https://www.amazon.com/Stone-Street-Coffee-Colombian-Coarsely/dp/B01HFK955I

If your on a budget, Trader Joe’s has really cheap coffees that are good. I forget which ones good, I think it had a big Tucan bird on it.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01DKUJYD0/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I use this one, works great although in retrospect I should have bought a normal glass not plastic pitcher, just easier to clean. I just use the coarsest grind possible, zero problems...of course, I am simply making paleo coffee with mine (whey, butter, coconut oil, cocoa, 1 raw egg) and guzzle it down in one gulp, rather than sipping it like a gourmand. :D

The Original Cold Brew on Tap... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074G53B78?ref=yo_pop_ma_swf

I bought this, and it's worked pretty well so far. I want to get my grounds more coarse, but it's tough to find a grinder that'll match the coarseness of my hand grinder. It's not that bad to do it manually, but it is tedious.

It has to be like Stok? Stok isn't very good in my opinion and 6 hours to brew is too short. Even the 10 hours Stok's claims to brew is too short. Just buy a mason jar, pour grounds in and fill with water. Let it sit in the fridge for at least 18 hours. Buy an extra fine reusable filter and use that to filter out the grounds.

Here's what I use:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01JN2K046/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I use these grounds and love it:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01HFK955I/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1

This is one of the more popular commercial setups.

https://toddycafe.com/toddy-cold-brew-system

I prefer a coffee sock and a gallon glass jar. 12 oz. of coffee on the counter for 12 hours and you are good to go.

https://www.amazon.com/CoffeeSock-ColdBrew-Filter-Certified-Reusable/dp/B015WTS0RS/ref=sxin_3_ac_d_pm?ac_md=2-0-VW5kZXIgJDE1-ac_d_pm&keywords=coffee+sock&pd_rd_i=B015WTS0RS&pd_rd_r=45644cf3-98f2-4160-8b80-661607b5eb18&pd_rd_w=0lsUO&pd_rd_wg=upwNC&pf_rd_p=24d053a8-30a1-4822-a2ff-4d1ab2b984fc&pf_rd_r=35C6GYY1NGEMM77M5AQ6&psc=1&qid=1574886893&s=home-garden

https://www.amazon.com/Empty-Gallon-Airtight-Leakproof-Plastic/dp/B075JR6H11/ref=sr_1_8?keywords=one+gallon+glass+jar&qid=1574886910&sr=8-8

Fits my Mason perfectly and two lasted two years!

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00QG1Y18E/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

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So on my second set; all I use, and use it a lot!

I have the Bodum Bistro Burr Grinder, the black one is currently (like at this moment and can change at anytime because Amazon) just $62
https://smile.amazon.com/Bodum-Grinder-Electronic-Continuously-Adjustable/dp/B0043095WW/

I like this one because it doesn't require a lot of cleaning. It is, I don't think, good enough for an espresso machine, but for cold brew and French Press brewing it is really good.

I think the brand makes a big difference.

Stone Street Coffee Cold Brew Reserve Colombian Single Origin Coarsely Ground Coffee - 1 lb. Bag - Dark Roast https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01HFK955I/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_R1wCDb3A5VKB8

Is my favorite so far.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01HFK955I/ref=mp_s_a_1_3_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1518188021&sr=8-3&keywords=stone+street+cold+brew&dpPl=1&dpID=51QIo6Jwo%2BL&ref=plSrch

Buy a 5-6 dollar mason jar from Target and order these bags off of Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Mess-Cold-Brew-Coffee-Filters/dp/B072MGP456/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1549695062&sr=8-6&keywords=cold+brew+filter

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This is what I started with and have had no reason to do anything differently