How To Make Cold Brew Coffee

A big thanks to Olivia for this guest post about how to make cold brew coffee! Olivia is an avid traveler, has a quest for adventure, and a coffee junkie. She co-writes at Fourth Estate Coffee and Pretty Home. She lives to travel and explore and can never say no to a well made cup of coffee. You guys know how much I love my morning cup of iced coffee, so I was especially excited when she offered to contribute to CNC. Everyone has a different take on how to make cold brew coffee (here’s how I make my morning iced coffee), so here’s another method for cold brew from Olivia. I hope you enjoy it! 

Cold press coffee, also commonly known as cold brew coffee can be easily misunderstood for iced coffee and other such caffeine-based/blended drinks that are poured over ice. In order to make a cold brew coffee, we don’t simply add ice to the coffee. How to make cold brew coffee? Cold-brew coffee calls for a different method of extraction. To make cold brew coffee, you require filtered water (cold or at room temperature) and coffee (coarsely ground). This extraction process requires a longer soaking time for the preparation of cold brew coffee.

Few companies have created equipment to prepare cold brew coffee. Here, however, we will discuss brewing methods that won’t require you to invest in new equipment, yet deliver great results. We will also go over some useful tips to help you understand the process better so that you can make that perfect cuppa coffee.

Let the brewing begin!

How to make cold brew coffee

If you don’t have ground coffee beans, begin by grinding them. You may want to grind the coffee beans coarsely. For grinding the beans you can check the best coffee grinder. Using coarsely ground coffee beans helps make the process of filtration easier. Coarser grind makes the coffee taste much less bitter. On the other hand, grinding the coffee beans too fine will heat the grounds and can affect the taste of the coffee. (Here’s my favorite coffee grinder.)

Now that you have the ground coffee beans ready, stir them in the water and make sure that the grounds are fully saturated. How much water, you ask? Ideally, a one is to four ratio will deliver the best flavor. For one part/cup of ground coffee, use four parts/cups of water. The water should either be cold or at least at room temperature. Now place this in the fridge for about twelve to twenty-four hours.

After having steeped the coarsely ground coffee beans for over twelve hours (or more), the coffee beans are ready for filtration. In order to filter, besides using fine mesh colander, you can use paper filters, cheesecloth, cloth filters, etc. You can also use old shirts or nylon stockings if you so wish. Another creative method (though time-consuming) is to prepare tea bags and fill them with the coarsely ground coffee beans. You can use these tea bags to infuse coffee in each individual cup. This method is ideal, for those who are new to cold brew coffee and are looking to test if they enjoy the coffee brewed this way.

Feeling impatient? Cannot wait for twelve hours or longer? How to make cold brew coffee? Well, let us tell you, that your patience will be rewarded. Cold-brew coffee as the name suggests does not involve the usage of hot water in the extraction process. Efficient and effective extraction, therefore, depends on the time it takes till the coffee grounds are fully saturated. This helps the flavor of the coffee as well as the soluble solids infuse properly. Hence, premature filtration is likely to result in a weak cup with inadequate flavor.

Caffeine is soluble in water. Therefore, the caffeine from the coffee grounds will naturally be extracted through the lengthy process of cold brew. Owing to the number of grounds and the amount of time it has steeped in the water, it is only natural that the caffeine will be more in cold brew coffee as compared to hot brewing techniques. Which is why, the cold brew should be used as a concentrate, which can be mixed with cream, milk, water or ice to reduce the concentration of caffeine.

Using cold water for brewing instead of hot water slows down the process of extraction. However, this process helps extract the flavor from the coffee and at the same time, leaves the bitter compounds behind. It is due to this reason, that cold brew coffee tastes naturally sweet.

Though using hot water to brew helps speed up the process of extraction, it also cooks the coffee grounds during the process. This causes changes to the chemical structure of the coffee. You will notice that hot brew coffee has higher acidic notes. Through cold brewing, where heat is not involved at any stage of the extraction, the chemical structure of the coffee does not change. This is why cold brew coffee has considerably lower acidic notes.

Since there is no change to the chemical structure of the coffee, it increases the span of time the taste of the coffee stays good. You can easily store the cold brew coffee concentrate in the fridge for up to a fortnight and it will taste the same till the very end. Even though preparing cold brew coffee (concentrate) takes longer time to make and uses a greater amount of coffee grounds, you will find that once the concentrate is ready, it barely takes any time to fix your beverage and also none of the concentrates goes to the waste.

Now that you have learned it is time instead of heat that helps extracts the caffeine and flavor from the coffee grounds, let’s take a look at the benefits of cold brew coffee.

Aids in weight loss

Caffeine helps in weight loss. Compared to regular coffee, cold brew coffee has higher caffeine content. Owing to this higher caffeine content, you can lose weight more effectively with a cold brew coffee. Drinking cold brew coffee after a workout increases the ability of the body to continue the process of burning calories even after exercise. Also, as mentioned earlier, a cold brew coffee is naturally sweet as the extraction process leaves the bitter compounds behind. Minimal bitterness combined with natural sweetness will help you eliminate or reduce the quantity of sugar consumed with each cup of coffee.

Less acidic

For those who need the caffeine kick in the morning but also have a sensitive stomach, cold brew coffee is a healthier option. Since there is no usage of heat all through the extraction process, cold brew coffee offers a smoother flavor and has lower acidic notes. This automatically results in lowered acid reflux and better tolerance to coffee.

I hope you enjoyed this blog post about how to make cold brew coffee. Please let me know if you tried this method!

About the Author

Olivia is an avid traveler, has a quest for adventure and a coffee junkie. She co-writes at Fourth Estate Coffee and Pretty Home. She lives to travel and explore and can never say no to a well made cup of coffee.

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Dear Mark: Vitamin K2 and Microworkouts

For today’s edition of Dear Mark, I’m answering questions about vitamin K2 and microworkouts. The last two posts on both topics garnered a number of good questions. What’s the best dose of vitamin K2? Should statin users taking vitamin K2, since statins inhibit vitamin K2 activity and production? Can vitamin K2 prevent or reverse arterial calcification? Is butter an adequate source of vitamin K2? What about vitamin D—does it synergize with vitamin K2? Regarding microworkouts, what if you can only do a couple pull-ups at once? Should you alternate muscle groups when doing microworkouts? Can microworkouts work with normal gym workouts? How does one do microworkouts in an office?

Let’s find out:

What’s the recommended dose of vitamin K2?

There’s no official RDA for vitamin K2. For vitamin K in general, it’s 0.09 mg. As some of the commenters have alluded, very few medical professionals have vitamin K2 on their radar. I wonder if the RDA is sufficient.

Up to 45 mg per day of MK4 has been shown to be safe and well-tolerated in women, though I don’t think that much is necessary. Some use close to that much when dealing with osteoporosis, arterial calcification, or dental issues, although the reports are all anecdotal.

Many take 1 mg of vitamin K2 as “maintenance.” I’d be comfortable taking that (and sometimes do).

I put 0.08 mg of K2 (MK7) in my Master Formula supplement. Women who are pregnant and those who take anticoagulant medications should talk to their doctor before taking more than the RDA.

So, would taking K2 make statins safer? Do you think you could take enough K2 to prevent clogged arteries or reverse clogged arteries?

I imagine they would, much like taking CoQ10 (another compound whose synthesis statins inhibit) during statin therapy can reduce statin side effects and lower inflammation. Can’t hurt to try.

As for clogged arteries, it can definitely reduce the risk of arterial calcification (by putting calcium where it belongs and not where it doesn’t). Reversal? There aren’t any studies in humans, but vitamin K2 MK4 has been shown to reverse clogged arteries in rats.

Do you have a source on muscle meat (of any type) having Vitamin K?

From this study.

I had read of recommendations of cod liver oil along w K2 which was obtained with grass fed butter. Would grass fed butter be a good source in your opinion

It’s possible, but the sources I’ve read show that majority of butter is very low in vitamin K2. Still, Weston Price swore by concentrated butter oil from grass-fed cows as a source of vitamin K2. You can still buy butter oil if you want to go that route (though you won’t get any solid data on vitamin K2 content).

I wouldn’t rely on straight butter for your vitamin K2.

Isn’t it important to take K2 when supplementing with oral D3? I’ve been seeing liquid D3 preparations with K2/MK7 added.

Yes. Vitamin D3 helps us absorb dietary calcium, and vitamin K2 helps us utilize the calcium in the right way.

What if you can only do 2-3 pull-ups to begin with? ?

That’s the perfect place to start.

Do a single pullup every time you pass the pullup bar (or branch, ledge, gym rings, etc). That’s it. One clean pullup. Don’t struggle. Don’t strain. It should feel easy. Do that single pullup every time you pass the bar. Then, when you feel ready, try doing two each time. And then three.

Suddenly, your max pullups will have doubled.

Should you alternate microworkouts by muscle group each day as with traditional strength training or can you do microworkouts covering all muscle groups each day?

You could, but I find that microworkouts give enough rest that you can work the same muscle on consecutive days. It really depends on the intensity though. If your idea of a microworkout is a 20 rep set of breathing squats with your own bodyweight on the bar, and you do that a few times a day, I would not advise doing it every day.

I don’t claim that microworkouts in this manner will optimize your muscle hypertrophy. I do claim that they’ll keep your days active, keep you healthy, keep you mobile, and get you strong.

I love the idea that any exercise is better than none at all. But I wonder if this style of workout would interfere with recovery from other more regular/scheduled workouts (weightlifting, etc…)?

On the contrary, I find that microworkouts prepare me for the more concerted, formal efforts in the gym.

My buddy Angelo Delacruz is an example of a guy who’s “always on” because he’s always doing little movements throughout the day: dancing to the music playing at the gym, busting out a quick little stretch routine, doing some clapping pushups, breakdancing. He’ll just launch into a set of heavy snatches or clean and jerks without warming up because his joints are all lubed up from the frequent microworkouts.

Well I stand at my computer most of the day 6a-2p with several sets of stairs during that time–I duck into an empty meeting room to run off 15-20 pushups a few times a day, and at lunch a few days a week ( i usually IF til 3-4p ) I do some heavy weights at the local gym for about 20 minutes or so–then comes the yard work on occasion and would you count shopping with the wife at a Big Box store as a micro workout? So How an I doing? I know Mark, Just keep moving!

You’re doing great. I see nothing to add.

As for shopping, sure, why not? Shopping can work.

I’ve been known to curl the groceries as I walk out to the car. Overhead press the cases of mineral water. Plant my feet and do cable crosses with a heavy shopping cart. Sure used to embarrass my kids.

It gets more difficult when on-site for a client. Most offices here aren’t air conditioned, so when it’s warm you’re really going to sweat which makes you less presentable. I try to make it up by picking a hotel in walking distance (~45-60min ish). If there isn’t a private space to knock out a couple of body weight exercises there isn’t a lot you can do without becoming the resident office weirdo. Maybe someone has an idea?

I wrote a post years ago about training in the office without becoming the resident weirdo. See if any of these suggestions work for you. Things are probably different when you’re in someone else’s office.

Walking meetings come to mind. Stair stuff—sprints, jumps, or simply just walking all the flights in one fell swoop. Doing as many squats as possible in the elevator before someone else enters and looks at you funny. Pushups in the bathroom stall.

Okay, maybe not that last one.

The AC thing would make it difficult, though. I can see that.

This is it for today, folks. Take care, be well, and ask any other questions you have down below!

The post Dear Mark: Vitamin K2 and Microworkouts appeared first on Mark's Daily Apple.

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Hi from Duck, North Carolina! We’re here on the Outer Banks for a week with Thomas’s side of the family: his parents, John and Eileen; his brother, Clay, and his wife Melissa and their son Nash. Our house is pretty awesome with a super cool ocean-view pool. We’ve been alternating beach/pool/pool/beach since we arrived. The ocean has been great, and the sun shining. We’re soaking up the last few rays of summer before school starts next week! 

 

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