If you already have a chemex, then just use it to make japanese style iced coffee. I have a chemex and it works perfectly. I don't think the taste suffers at all.

cannonfodder wrote:Always let it cool to room temperature first.

This.

Recently I've been trying a some small batches of quicker cold process coffee by taking 10 grams of ground coffee and soaking it in 150 ml of cold water in an 8 oz canning jar for just three hours. I filter it through an Aeropress with either paper or Disk filters when done and add an ice cube.

This process seems to retain some of the acidity and fruity acids, but still results in a muted cup with more bass and caramel notes, so I prefer the hot brew method over this one, but it was fun to try it.

Not really surprised about the muted flavors, your steep time is incredibly short.

I like to think of temperature and time as variables on an x and y axis(Obviously there are more, but for the sake of simplification, these are the most relevant to this extraction). If one is decreased, the other must be increased proportionately to compensate. This allows a broader range of constituents to be extracted. Cold, short extractions are very selective, thus not fully dissolving the range desired for an oily mouthfeel until a long steep time is reached. If kept in the fridge for the entire brewing process--24 hours is ideal. I have done shorter steeps at room temperature (~18 hrs), but the results are less consistent, even when chilled properly before drinking.

Also the paper filters won't help.

Edit: I cloth filtered a 24 hour steeped cold immersion of some Dogwood coffee on Sunday evening. (Rwanda Sacof Rulindo Cup of Excellence #8 to be precise). It represented the coffee wonderfully, as compared to V60 and syphon. I had a few friends over on Monday and it all went pretty quickly, and I didn't plan ahead for the next day (high of 90F today).

As I wanted cold coffee without waiting until tomorrow, I made a batch of hot brewed over ice (George Howell style). We waited for the ice to melt and served it over ice. Coincidentally, the same four people tried the resulting beverage as those that had helped me consume the liter of cold brew.

Everyone agreed, that while it was a tasty refreshing beverage--was ultimately trumped by the cold brew.

The initial flavor was similar (stone fruit, pecan) but the finish was quite bitter. The cold version on the contrary, was described as having a silky, creamy finish (One panel tester said it tasted exactly like a coffee milk shake, when served black).

Side by side blind tests tomorrow, and we'll see if it came down to bias or actual taste.

like to think of temperature and time as variables on an x and y axis(Obviously there are more, but for the sake of simplification, these are the most relevant to this extraction). If one is decreased, the other must be increased proportionately to compensate. This allows a broader range of constituents to be extracted. Cold, short extractions are very selective, thus not fully dissolving the range desired for an oily mouthfeel until a long steep time is reached. If kept in the fridge for the entire brewing process--24 hours is ideal. I have done shorter steeps at room temperature (~18 hrs), but the results are less consistent, even when chilled properly before drinking.

If you don't mind expanding on this, what ratios are you using for beans and water?

Edit: I cloth filtered a 24 hour steeped cold immersion of some Dogwood coffee on Sunday evening.

So, after steeped for 24 hours, you then filter the resulting concentrate?

I generally use around 75 grams of coffee per 1000 grams (1L) of water. This may need to go up or down depending on the coffees you use, but this is a good ballpark figure that works well with a broad range of coffee IME. YMMV

So, after steeped for 24 hours, you then filter the resulting concentrate?

Basically. I stir it once before the steep, and once more 30 minutes before filtering.

At a reccomendation from a barismo employee, I have switched from cloth filters to synthetic filter bags. It is much faster for large batches, and the filters are less likely to harbor microbes, therefore are easier to keep clean.

Those following this thread on the cold brew method may also be interested in another method presented in How to Make Japanese Iced Coffee.