BREW AT HOME: COLD COFFEE

If you’re anything like us, your brewing coffee at home has been on a rapid incline these past few weeks. Home brewing can be a comforting ritual that brings a little bit of normalcy and peace during these odd, unknown times. This week, during this daily practice, we caught a glimpse of rising temperatures here in Michigan, getting us excited for not only warmer days ahead but also for cold coffee.

OUR PREFERENCE HAS ALWAYS BEEN TO MAKE FLASH-CHILLED ICED COFFEE RATHER THAN COLD BREW.

At Madcap, our preference has always been to make flash-chilled iced coffee (often referred to as “Japanese Iced Coffee”) rather than cold brew. This process is very similar to your typical filtered coffee, with the primary difference being that you brew coffee concentrate directly over ice.

This method still extracts the coffee using hot water just off the boil, which highlights all of the sweetness, aromatics, and nuance we love most about our coffee. If you already brew coffee at home with an automatic coffee maker or a pour-over, making delicious iced coffee is really quite simple.

ICED COFFEE FOR ONE RECIPE:

Materials
Kalita Wave + filter
Coffee
Ice

The Recipe
1. Heat water to 208 degrees (F)
2. Put filter into Kalita and rinse filter
3. Weigh out 21.5g of coffee
4. Grind medium/medium-fine
5. Put Kalita onto a large carafe filled with ice
6. Add grounds to filter and shake to level
7. Start timer at the beginning of the first pour
8. First pour is 45g of water
9. After a 15-second bloom, pour another 45g of water
10. When the water level starts to drop below the grounds, add another 45g water (typically about every 25 seconds)
11. On the last pour (135-185), make one rotation over the ridges of the filter to knock down any grounds
12. The final pour is a 50g pour for a final weight of 185g
13. The final drop out should be close to 2:00
14. Strain coffee over fresh ice
15. Enjoy a cup of iced coffee

*This iced coffee will begin strong and punchy. If you are a slow sipper, you’ll have the opportunity to experience the coffee evolve as the ice slowly dilutes, delivering a lighter-bodied beverage with more pronounced florals and subtle sweetness. If you prefer your coffee with a bit more texture and body, try using 1-2 more grams of coffee. If you like your coffee on the lighter side, try reducing the amount of coffee you use by 1-2 grams.

Pro Tip
Add 3oz of cold oat milk (or the milk of your choice) for every 12oz for next-level decadence!