If you are reading this, You must have either picked up a bag of Rain Check Cold Brew, you’re one of those wild people that like cold coffee over hot coffee, or you’re a thrill-seeker looking for something new and fun to try. No matter why you’ve come here
No matter how you’ve found your way here, I’m so happy that you’re here! Now let’s get down to what you actually came here for: the cold brew guide! Any beans can be made into cold brew, but there are some beans that work best; like the rain check cold brew beans from yours truly! They are roasted for cold brew flavors in mind (think chocolate, nuttier finish with a fruity/light body), but you are more than welcome to try any beans as a cold brew, and see what you can get out of it.
This cold brew guide is going to focus on two main methods of brewing cold brew: using a traditional cold brew maker, and brewing up some cold brew in a French press. For the traditional cold brew makers, I do a simple ratio of 10 oz (283.5 grams) of ground beans on coarse grind, to 40 oz of water. This makes a simple 4:1 coffee concentrate that produces about 24-28oz of cold brew concentrate. The traditional cold brew concentrate sits for around 18-24 hours. I have found the best results at waiting around 20-22 hours and then pulling the cold brew. I transfer my cold brew concentrate to a half gallon pitcher, and then fill up the rest of the pitcher with water. And voila! You have fresh cold brew coffee, ready to be enjoyed black, or with a lil creamer and flavoring to mix it up!
To make cold brew in a French press, it will be a similar process, tweaked a little bit for the size of the French press. I have had the best results with 16 oz of water, and 56-57 grams of coffee ground on the coarse setting. This is an 8:1 ratio of coffee to water, which leaves you room to enjoy the cold brew straight for a strong cup of cold brew, or dilute it with water to your liking to make it last a little bit longer. The 16 ounces of water allows room for the coffee to bloom and release the gas build up that happens in the cold brew process without overflowing. For reference, the coffee grounds should be a little bit larger than sea salt crystals. For the best results, put the coarsely ground beans at the bottom of the French press, and pour in the 16 oz of water as evenly as you can over the coffee, and then put the lid back on the French press without pressing down the plunger! If possible, use cold, filtered or distilled water (most coffee snobs swear by distilled water, but filtered water from the fridge or Brita filter will work fine too :)) Once you have let your coffee sit for 18-24 hours either in the fridge (preferred if you have the space, but not necessary) or on the counter (in terms of best time for the cold brew to sit, I have had the best results at 20-22. But it is truly up to your preference!), push down the plunger, and pour out your fresh cold brew into a container to enjoy! This process should yield close to 16 ounces of cold brew either to drink as a concentrate, or dilute to taste. If you brewed your cold brew on the counter, pour over ice and enjoy right away! If you brewed your cold brew in the fridge, then use ice to your preference. Add any milk, cream, or flavors that you would like, and happy drinking!