Do you know what is essential and unique in cold brew making? Two things come in front of cold brew’s essential factors. One is cold brew’s grinds extraction duration, and another is grind size or coarseness. Though there are several things, these two are the most common. This is why you need to know how coarse to grind coffee for a cold brew.
Cold brew takes larger size coffee particles. It has recognition as coarse ground, and accurate measurement of its size is one (1) millimeter. Some also suggest a 1.5 mm coarseness of cold brew.
We will cover all aspects of cold brew grind size and thickness. After reading this composition, you won’t find a single question regarding cold brew grinds size.
Why should you know about cold brew coarseness?
If you name a cold brew, grind’s coarseness will come simultaneously with other facts. Cold brew coffee will fail to please you if you make it with more or less coarse grinds.
There are some key points for which you must learn how coarse to grind coffee for cold brew.
- The use of fine grounds in cold brew will add some bitterness to your cold brew taste. Water passes slowly through the fine grounds-based extraction chamber. Contrarily, through thicker grounds, water passes with pretty speed. If water comes in contact with coffee grounds more times, it extracts the oil, aroma, flavor, and other elements on a larger scale.
- As fine grounds have effects on the taste, extra thick ground use also leads to a bad coffee experience. There will be less extraction, and the final result will lack flavor and aroma.
Benefits of grinding coffee beans on your own
When it comes to the phrase ‘cold brew,’ grind size comes automatically, and it’s far better to grind coffee beans yourself. Like other brewing methods, the cold brew also depends on coffee grounds.
How much careful you will be for your own work, others may be the same or may not be. Only a few of the preground coffee beans can be identified as expected.
Coffee beans leave aroma and flavor in the air for which we can feel them. The more time you will spend before making the coffee after making the grounds, the more they will lose their aroma and flavor. The minimal difference between grinding and coffee-making time will be, the higher the taste will be.
“Life’s too short for bad coffee”
– Gord Downie
So, why should you make tasteless coffee when you can make it tasty with a little effort?
Finalization of how coarse to grind coffee for cold brew?
Now, it’s high time to reveal the best methods to grind size-getting ways. Don’t worry, just carefully read the ways and apply them; they are so easy.
Indeed, for the cold brew, you need coarse grinds that are 1 mm in size. Some suggest cold brew with extra coarse grinds of 1.5 mm in size. There is no other perfect reference for cold brew.
The majority of coffee grinder makers make grinders with ten (10) settings. The lesser value containing numbers points to the fine grounds, and the higher value carrying numbers indicates coarse size grounds.
Some grinders come with ten settings, some with 15 or a higher number up to 40. For a standard grinder, you can set 9 or 10 to get coarse grounds. Which grinders cover a higher number of grind size settings? Try to understand them by reading the user manual. The grinding duration depends on the type of grinder.
If you don’t have a user manual or instructions from the manufacturer, please try from the highest number of size levels to lower numbers. Follow one caution here, take a small amount to test the outcome. Try two or three different amounts with different settings; you will most probably get the desired grind size.
Suitable grinder for cold brew
Choose a grinder to grind the coffee beans. At this stage, you may have little confusion – which grinder should you use?
It’s far better to use a burr grinder. Because the burr grinder has the capacity to make the same size grounds invariably and complete the task promptly. Besides, it can produce fresh and excellent coffee powders for cold brew.
Additionally, the burr grinder makes grinds within less time, keeping the grinds from getting more heat. With how less heat you can grind your coffee beans, particles will taste better. Because overheat bars to the full extraction process.
On the other hand, blade grinders produce coffee bean particles of uneven size, heat your coffee beans more often, and may take longer than a burr. This more heat-getting issue affects coffee.
Be careful about your grind size when you are grinding with a hand grinder. Start grinding; after a few steps, take some bean particles in the palm of your hand. Then try to measure the size of coffee particles. This is okay when you feel them like the sands of a beach.
We have covered a practical and full discussion on various grinders in the market. You may go through this for elaborated information.
Some must follow precautions for coarse size grind
- Place the grinder at a solid place or surface.
- Keep the grinder place children-free.
- There may produce some noise varying on grinders. Keep your grinder in a place where noise won’t create problems.
- If you are a new grinder owner and feeling nervous about running your machine, get help from an expert.
Making cold brew perfectly
Keep your perfectly ground coarse coffee particles in the coffee maker. Add some cold water to the machine, then wait for the full extraction process. It will take longer to pass the sloppy coffee surface.
The complete process takes at least 12 to 24 hours. You can stay at a moderate level for 18-19 hours. It’s better to wait for the full duration.
You need to add 4-cups of water with 1-cup of coffee particles. After waiting for the total duration, enjoy your beloved cold brew.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the best grind for cold brew coffee?
Coarse grinds are the best for cold brew. As cold coffee takes longer to be ready, fine or super fine grind makes it bitter. For this reason, coarse size grind is fit for cold brew. The proper size of a grind is 1 mm. Some experts prefer 1.5 mm grinds. From your grinder, set the ground indicator to the exact size.
Does grind size for cold brew matter?
Coffee grind matters for all brewing methods – Cold brew, French Press, Espresso or Turkish brew. All grind sizes, from coarse to fine, suit various brewing methods. You will not get the good taste if you use fine grinds for French Press or cold brewing.
Can I use regular ground coffee for cold brew?
Literally, the answer is negative. Using regular bean particles for cold brew will be far different from the genuine cold brew. There is no alternative to coarse grinds for a cold brew.
How long should cold brew steep?
To make a full-flavored cold coffee, you have to steep cold brew for 16-18 hours. Some also differ on the time and add or subtract 2-6 hours to the total process.
Conclusion
In the above sections, we have completed a deep and compact discussion on how coarse to grind coffee for cold brew. We conducted this rare and deep picture after a profound study. We aim to make you understand and help you make a superb shot of cold brew.
The first step may seem difficult to measure for grinds and making a cold brew. Start your process with considerably less amount. In case you fail, it will be a negligible loss. Try for a few more times.
Making cold brew won’t be difficult again if you realize our words. Enjoy the best shots.