Cold Brewing Your Coffee

Welcome to warmer weather! We know you’re all looking for refreshing new ways to enjoy your Gerhart Flavorful Coffee this Spring. 

Here’s our original guide for your Springtime Brewing Pleasure.

First, FIRST, RATIOS:

When brewing coffee traditionally, with hot water, it’s best to use between 1.75-2.25 of coffee (BY WEIGHT, not volume) for every 32 oz of water. Adjust the amount of coffee, and the grind, for your brewing method and equipment.

When you cold-brew your coffee, the cool water is going to get less flavor out of each particle, so you’ll want to use a bit more coffee. You should experiment with different coffees at different volumes, but a starting point is 3.50oz of coffee, ground 'medium-coarse' for every 32oz of water.

NEXT, METHOD:

We’ve found that the best brew comes out of a 3-step process: Steeping, Pressing and Filtering. You can skip ‘Pressing’ if you don’t have a French Press-type Brewer; but when straining, be sure to pour slowly, leaving as much of the ground coffee at the bottom of your steeping vessel.

1) Steep your coffee in cool Filtered Spring Water in a glass or stainless steel container for 18-24 hours in the refrigerator. Some recipes suggest setting the coffee on your counter over night (8-10 hours) but our recommended ‘Fridge Steeping’ will produce a more consistent, sweeter brew.

2) Press the coarser particles out of your brew with a French Press.

3) Strain using an unbleached paper filter. Ideally use a rinsed, heavy filter, like those used with a Chemex Brewer; but you can start with the smaller filters that you use with your Mr Coffee Brewer.

IMPORTANT: Some recipes will suggest broadly that you can use cheese cloth or any strainer; but in order to get the best taste from your Cold Coffee, it is important to remove all of the smallest particulates and oils from the brew using a paper filter. This will also allow you to store your coffee in the refrigerator for up to a week without the risk of on-going extraction!

4) Enjoy!

Try your Cold Brew on the rocks, or add a little bit of Sweetened Condensed Milk for a more decadent treat!

As you get a bit more comfortable with your new found cold-brew method, try adding dried berries or vanilla bean to the grounds as your brew steeps!

Let us know what you come up with- don’t forget to share your pictures!

PS - Restaurant Owners & Bar Managers: we'd love to help you improve your Cold Coffee Program this Spring & Summer. Let us know if we can help!