How to Making Cold Brewed Coffee

A hot coffee is more popular, but there is also cold-brewing. Making cold-brewed coffee is however more time consuming.

A hot cup of coffee is very common. Hot coffee warms up the stomach in the morning and rejuvenates a person, making him ready to start the day. People got so used to coffee being hot that they thought it could not be otherwise. However, many others wonder of the taste and feel of cold brewed coffee.

But truth to tell, cold coffee is as good as hot coffee. It can also give the same desired caffeine kick in your system.

Many believe that cold brewing is never possible. This is because brewing coffee requires the right amount of heat, such as in an espresso. Applying heat to coffee is fast brewing. It means the coffee flavors are extracted quickly. However, it is not really necessary. You can always advance your brewing so you can also brew it cold.

Cold brewing takes more time because it can only dissolve through certain elements of coffee grounds. About 90% of its flavor elements as well as its usual caffeine content would go through with this. Then, about 15% of its acids and oils will follow. Hence, this can change your coffee's taste but it will only concentrate on the most volatile flavor elements, making superbly flavored coffee.

Although it will be twice the strength, it will still possess lesser acidity and bite. So, for those who are into the "bite & acid" of coffee, cold brewing is not recommended.

In preparing cold brew, coffee beans must be hot-brewed first. Here's a basic procedure of making cold brew.

Ingredients (Good for 2 to 3 glasses):
Tall glass or mason jar w/ lid for brewing
Container (bottle, pitcher, small carafe or tall jar w/ lid) for the last brew that will be placed inside the fridge.
Second glass for the "steeped" coffee mixture
Kitchen Strainer (stainless steel) or cheesecloth

Procedure:
1. Measure about ¼ up to 1/3 cup of good coffee into your brewing glass.
2. Add 1 ½ cup of water (room-temperature, filtered or bottled water).
3. Stir the mixture. Make sure it is evenly stirred and free from lumps.
4. In order to keep your mixture clean, put a lid on top of your container. You can also use the canister type of container.
5. Allow it to sit for 3 to 12 hours.
6. After this, place the mixture onto the strainer, then, into the 2nd container.
7. Clean-up your 1st glass and have all the grounds inside rinsed out.
8. Pour the coffee from the 2nd glass back into the 1st glass, using the cheesecloth or finer mesh. This will remove all the fine grinds.
9. Pour your final mixture onto the storage container.
10. Place this inside the fridge.
Although you can not be strictly precise in measurements, you will be able to make the perfect tasting coffee if you keep the water to coffee ratio at 4:1.

The mixture can be approximately 2 to 3 times the strength. You can dilute it with equal amounts of water. Then serve with some ice. If your mixture is too strong, just add some water to dilute. Serve with sugar and cream.

How Much Coffee Caffeine In Your Cup?

Coffee is a complex mixture of chemical components of the coffee bean. Some of these components are partially destroyed by the roasting process; however, many of these components are not. Caffeine is one of the components that is not affected by the roasting process. With the addition of hot water, the caffeine is extracted from the coffee bean.
  
Caffeine was discovered in coffee in 1820. Caffeine is an alkaloid that acts as a mild stimulant. It increases the blood pressure, stimulates the central nervous system and the action of the heart and lungs, and promotes urine formation. It also acts as a diuretic and delays fatigue. Caffeine does have some positive side effects. It has been found to help treat migraines since it helps constrict the dilated blood vessels, therefore reducing the pain. It also has been documented to increase the potency of aspirin and to slightly relieve the affects of asthma attacks. It has been suggested that caffeine has been linked to possible cancers and birth defects. However, this has not been confirmed and there are no bans or warnings that have been issued by the US Food and Drug Administration (US FDA).

The amount of caffeine found in the coffee beans varies. On average, a regular cup of coffee contains approximately 90 to 150 mg of caffeine. Coffee brewed in a drip coffee maker has about 115 to 175 mg of caffeine while other coffee makers may brew coffee with about 80 to 135 mg. Typically, espresso has about as much caffeine as a regular cup of coffee. On average, a standard espresso cup would have about 100 mg of caffeine. However, the serving size for espresso is much smaller. The actual content of caffeine per milliliter in an espresso is much higher than in a regular brew. Also, caffeine is assimilated quicker when ingested in a concentrated dosage such as an espresso cup.

The amount of caffeine found in coffee blends will also vary. The following are examples of the caffeine content for different coffee blends:
-Brazilian Bourbons: contains 1.20% caffeine
-Columbia Excelso: contains 1.34% caffeine
-Columbia Supremo: contains 1.34% caffeine
-French Roast: contains 1.22% caffeine
-Costa Rican Tarrazu: contains 1.35% caffeine
-Vienna Roast: contains 1.27% caffeine
-Decafs: contains 0.02% caffeine

 
People hypersensitive to the caffeine found in coffee may decide to drink decaffeinated coffee. This way, they can still enjoy the great coffee taste, yet avoid the caffeine. Coffee can be "decaffeinated" by treating the green beans with solvents called chlorinated hydrocarbons. Once the solvents are removed, the beans are then roasted by ordinary procedures. Most people become accustomed to decaffeinated coffee and do not have to worry about the effects of caffeine.