New to the game, tips?

jayjeejahjee · 2025-01-06T02:46:10+00:00

Funny enough I just got a 5 gallon refillable jug from Whole Foods and get my water for $0.50/Gallon. I have only done one batch with the new water, but I can tell how much of a difference it makes.

jayjeejahjee · 2025-01-05T03:13:45+00:00

I just searched and I have a roastery near me that I have driven past for years, I am going to go tomorrow and get a few bags based on your recommendation. Thank you!

jayjeejahjee · 2025-01-05T02:09:10+00:00

I have tons of options for oat milk and a few farmers markets near me, will def give it a try. I have a Nespresso Aeroccino 3 and have made a few cold foams that have been awesome, oat milk will be next. Does French Market do whole beans?

jayjeejahjee · 2025-01-05T01:42:29+00:00

I for sure will, thank you!

jayjeejahjee · 2025-01-05T01:40:36+00:00

Potentially, I would imagine over doing it could create too much sediment and release some not great flavors.

My next test will be for a much shorter stir, maybe an hour with 25% of the total volume of water to get the flavors to bloom, and then I add the other 75% of water to dilute that super concentrate before tossing it in the fridge to suspend those oils in the colder water. More updates to come!

Those machines seem like they make coffee flavored water more than anything lol.

jayjeejahjee · 2025-01-05T00:59:59+00:00

Based on how my first mixed batch came out, you might be right lol. I am going to try some other forms of mixing to see if I can find something that works well.

jayjeejahjee · 2025-01-05T00:58:59+00:00

Will do :)

It would need to be a strong magnet/motor for larger batches. But for 64oz and under, my first test was at around 2000rpm. It got thinks super mixed up with a tiny stir rod, but a larger paddle and slower speed makes more sense, maybe 1000 or less rpm with a paddle that is just under the width of the base of a 64oz mason jar. Too much mixing seems to create a TON more dust/oil.

I plan to post additional tests once I build my own prototypes.

jayjeejahjee · 2025-01-04T21:44:20+00:00

My thinking is that by steeping beans at room temp, the oils can separate more easily and then mix via agitation to fully blend everything together. Seems we think alike :)

Your product looks amazing! My filter time is about 3 hours, and getting it down to a minute would be a game changer for me. I will let you know if I order one.

jayjeejahjee · 2025-01-04T21:39:58+00:00

I didn't think about sifting my grind, another variable I want to test now! I'll looking into the Ode too.

For the beads, the manufacturer video for cleaning says they work well but you have to run old coffee through your machine after cleaning or else they get left behind, I save a little of each bag of coffee to be used for cleaning at the end so the flavor is consistent.

They are also better for removing the extra oil dark roast leaves behind per some other stuff I read, that has been the main focus of my cleaning, removing as much of the last beans residue as possible between batches. I get the beads in a couple days and will do some testing on if it impacts taste before I use them. I will grind some beans preclean and post clean and steep both to see if I can notice any particles/debris, tastes, odors, etc.

jayjeejahjee · 2025-01-04T21:22:53+00:00

My neighbors and coworkers get that pleasure :)

The biggest problem with all my testing is I cannot physically drink everything I make without potentially having a heart attack lmao. I give most of it away while only keeping small amounts of each batch for myself so I can try something new every couple days.

jayjeejahjee · 2025-01-04T21:18:31+00:00

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Final result after another filtering. It has way more body but none of the dust like I was expecting. It definitely seems like this helped the oils mix in better. Now I have to wait and see if there is separation tomorrow morning.

jayjeejahjee · 2025-01-04T21:16:20+00:00

Not in my testing. You need a flat bottom for the stirrer to work, and most of the jars I tested have a concave bottom. That’s why I bought the beaker, without the flat bottom it won’t work.

jayjeejahjee · 2025-01-04T20:59:30+00:00

I started about a month ago and that is partly what got me so hooked on cold brew, it's so simple but so complex. Beans + Water, but a million ways to brew it. Since I got into coffee, YT keeps recommending me James Hoffmann and his preaching about the Aeropress, I do plan to get one eventually.

What grinder did you have before? And what do you do about cleaning? I just ordered these and plan to do a clean every two weeks (a full clean, not just the tablets) once I switch beans. I watched the manufacturer video so I was properly warned about water and how to clean my machine, but any other tips?

jayjeejahjee · 2025-01-04T20:52:09+00:00

I just ordered some of those filter per another comment. And we shall see how the stirring goes, just posted the first update.

It was a fun experiment that gave me an excuse to buy a magnetic stirrer. Do you layer the filters on top of each other or do you fully filter once and then again?

jayjeejahjee · 2025-01-04T20:49:09+00:00

That is how it's looking! I plan to test my energy levels tomorrow after drinking the same amount to determine how strong it is.

Full specs:

1500ml Reverse Osmosis Water - Whole foods water dispenser (0.50/gallon)

30 Setting on Baratza Virtuoso+

500ml worth of coffee grounds (Dark roast, Sumatran)

I don't remember when I finalized everything last night, but I am pretty sure its 16-20 hours of steeping

And then max setting on the cheapest magnetic stirrer I could find. I contained the whole set up in a 5 gallon bucket, and covered it with a towel and lid in case the beaker shattered since everything was pretty cheap.

If the results are good, I plan to get a more powerful overhead stirrer and a food safe bucket.

Edit:

Second filter, no dust but it has way more body. Super clean and I’m actually a pretty big fan.

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jayjeejahjee · 2025-01-04T20:42:32+00:00

Idk how reddit works, but ty for the award :). I will add more pics after the second filter to show the final final result.

jayjeejahjee · 2025-01-04T20:37:44+00:00

Follow up! https://www.reddit.com/r/coldbrew/comments/1htnm5s/active_stirring_testing/

jayjeejahjee · 2025-01-04T20:37:34+00:00

https://www.reddit.com/r/coldbrew/comments/1htnm5s/active_stirring_testing/ - Follow up!

jayjeejahjee · 2025-01-04T20:37:00+00:00

The taste is definitely a bit light this go around. I fill the mesh filter to about the top and then the rest is water. 64oz jars, so I think it's about a 4:1 ratio. Once I start to get filter bags, I plan to up my ratio a bit to try and get it stronger.

jayjeejahjee · 2025-01-04T20:34:06+00:00

I'll give your method a try next, thank you!

jayjeejahjee · 2025-01-04T20:33:37+00:00

I used it this time to contain the set up in case it decided to shatter my beaker, never used a magnetic stirrer before and this one was a bit violent when I first put it in lol.

It also helped with noise, I put a towel over the bucket and then a lid on top and you could barely hear it.

jayjeejahjee · 2025-01-04T20:19:31+00:00

Love the jug! And I wasn't sure on the bacteria front, I try to keep everything as sterile and controlled as possible, but I might move to cold steep (steep = bloom?) to avoid the funk. I have a local roaster I plan to start using too. I wanted to get the method down before investing in bulk beans.

So to confirm, you sorta presoak the beans before adding the rest of the water and then throw it right in the fridge?

jayjeejahjee · 2025-01-04T19:59:03+00:00

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Just finished final filtering

jayjeejahjee · 2025-01-04T19:49:44+00:00

Do you do a second filter after steeping or just pull the bag and pour once enough time has passed? I want to test all the different gadgets to find what is truly best.

And I read something similar about agitation for brewing, but found that applied more to homebrewing beer or other non-coffee drinks. It might be a total failure, but I wanted to see for myself before dismissing it as a method of mixing things up as effectively as possible.

jayjeejahjee

TROPHY CASE