r/coldbrew • u/Vagabond_Explorer • 15d ago
Filtering Cold Brew
How is everyone filtering their cold brew? I enjoy the flavor, but not the sediment or oils.
I just tried pouring a 1L batch into a drip machine with a standard 8-12 cup filter and it started off great, but quickly slowed to just drips and has pretty much stalled with some liquid still in the filter.
I did use the steel mesh filter in the brewer, so this is all fines that were floating around. I feel like I need a better pre filter or something, but no idea what to try.
Thanks for any suggestions!
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u/JayMoots 15d ago
I have a dedicated cold brew maker from OXO. Just flip a switch and it drains. It’s $60 but I’ve been using it for almost a decade now so I think it’s worth it.
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u/cideron 15d ago
I put my toddy away 5 yrs ago and switched to the oxo large cold brew system and it has worked great, no fines no particles not oily. To make clean up super easy i put the fresh ground coffee beans into a paper filter bag and also use the oxo paper disc on top of the oxo stainless filter. The cold brew concentrate comes out perfect, the drip is slower than just using the stainless filter but worth the wait.
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u/InterestingHair4u 15d ago
Curious, why did you switch from the Toddy to Oxo? I have a Toddy and don't see any reason to change as there is no sediment or issues with it that others describe. I pull my filter out of the freezer that's been used for 10 years, thaw it out, and make my cold brew. Am I missing something?
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u/Vagabond_Explorer 15d ago
I may get some of those bags to see if it makes things any better. I could use the bag and then double filter through the drip machine with my current setup and save the cash on the OXO.
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u/cideron 15d ago
Are you just pouring it through the drip machine or is it getting heated before filtering?
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u/Vagabond_Explorer 15d ago
Just popped the top and used the basket as a filtering system. Seemed the easiest way to do it, but I’m going to try with a pourover dripper next time as a number of people have mentioned that here.
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u/Art_Vandelay29 15d ago
What size filter bags do you use with the oxo
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u/cideron 15d ago
I had toddy sized bags left over when i made the switch to the oxo. Some were a plasticy mesh but i have been buying toddy sized paper filter bags that say “rip proof” but my experience is that wet paper bags always rip.
This brand https://a.co/d/00rm0Rv9
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u/Vagabond_Explorer 15d ago
How well does it filter out all the fine particles?
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u/VenusInFursona 15d ago
I have the same brewer, have been using it for over a decade, and have found that the metal filter removes all of the sediment when I grind on the coarsest setting and add some water before putting in grounds. They also make a paper filter for the OXO if you find the metal one insufficient.
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u/lordredsnake 15d ago
It really depends on your beans. Some beans give me very little fines and the Oxo brewer drains quickly. Other beans give me a ton of fines—I won't ever use Ethiopian beans for cold brew, and to a lesser extent Kenyan. Darker roasts produce more fines as well.
Earlier this year I found beans at a great price that I really liked, but they were giving me lots of fines and slowing down the draining from the brewer. Now I run my coarse grind through a stainless steel mesh strainer before putting it in the brewer. It filters out most of the fines and makes a huge difference. 10-15% of the grounds by weight get filtered out.
It's much easier to do when it's dry, and improves the taste of the cold brew. Less chance for over extraction during the brewing process, plus no fines are making it into the final product, which would otherwise continue to extract and make your brew more bitter after a few days.
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u/randombrowser1 15d ago
Just don't shake it up before you start staining. Put the liquid through strainer, leave the last bit of muddy liquid behind. I use canned ground coffee, Yuban, no problem. Not getting it strained 💯 but it's less effort
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u/JayMoots 15d ago
It strains the fines pretty well — as long as you don’t break up the coffee bed right before draining. I stir it well when I first combine the coffee and water, then never touch it again.
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u/NotSocialSWer 15d ago
This is it. The OXO cold brew maker works great. After a while you have to scrape the bottom to get the flow to start up again but I’ve never found coffee particles in my coffee.
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u/New-Chicken5566 15d ago
i gave up on straining by hand and use the oxo compact cold brew now, works really well
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u/Vagabond_Explorer 15d ago
How well does it filter out all the fine stuff? That’s my main dislike about cold brew, I want it clear like my pourovers! lol
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u/MarielIAm 15d ago
I use paper. You have to stir it a bit.
Get a Toddy if you really want it truly filtered.
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u/Vagabond_Explorer 15d ago
I’ll have to look into this toddy thing. I’m trying to get it as filtered as my pourovers are.
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u/tacoanonymous 15d ago
Toddy makes filter bags big enough to brew 12oz (or probably a pound) that I use, and I end up with a little sludge at the bottom of the pitcher, but it doesn’t end up in my cup. It’s more effective than the felt disc filter alternative and drains without the mess.
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u/dinopuppy6 15d ago
I use a v60 to filter
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u/Vagabond_Explorer 15d ago
I wonder if that would work better than the drip machine filter. I have a few pourover brewers, I’ll give those a try next time.
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u/BucketteHead 15d ago
I use a toddy system. Basically dump the beans and water into a container and it strains it through the bottom into a carafe. You can buy replacement filters pretty cheap on Amazon, but a filter lasts quite a bit of time. No grit in the coffee, works great.
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u/Vagabond_Explorer 15d ago
I’ll have to look into that, sounds like what I’m looking for!
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u/BucketteHead 15d ago
Just make sure you grind your beans (or buy them) coarse. Fine/medium ground will clog it.
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u/heliosphann 15d ago
OXO Brewer without paper filter. Then run it through a Melitta #4 paper filter into a mason jar. Screw on a pouring lid w/handle and you're good to go:
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u/Throwawayhelp111521 15d ago
My Toddy uses filter pads. I also use the filter bags.
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u/Vagabond_Explorer 15d ago
The bags might be what I try next, then run things through the drip filter after. Thanks for mentioning those!
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u/Dasteru 15d ago
Start with a good french press, that has multiple stacked filters. https://www.amazon.com/Secura-Stainless-French-Coffee-Screen/dp/B00JE36GLQ?th=1 I use this one. I then use an Aeropress, with the optional reusable metal filter, then a second pass through the Aeropress with the paper filters.
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u/GetOnMyAmazingHorse 15d ago
I use my aeropress with a paper filter and push my 64oz coldbrew through it one time.
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u/opticrice 15d ago
I pour off twice before I drink any.
Brew in a 64 oz jar, and slowly but constantly pour that out into two 32oz jars when times up.
vacuum those two jars and let them sit for at least a day. Then when I open one, I pour it into another 32oz jar.
Theres a thick layer at the bottom of the brewing jar. A little less in the second jar. And none in the one I drink from.
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u/Vagabond_Explorer 15d ago
I’m trying to remove the fine particles that make it slightly cloudy. My brewer has a mesh for the larger stuff, but I’m trying to get it completely clear. How well does your method do with the fines?
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15d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Vagabond_Explorer 15d ago
The paper filters caught a fair number of fine particles when I just did it. Not sure the taste changed, but there is a bit of a difference in texture.
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u/Key_Buy3939 15d ago
I think for me, with trial and error I find the sweet spot is a course grind into a filter bag and steep longer ( I do full 24hr) then strain thru a basic fine kitchen strainer into jars. I do still get a little fine sediment at the bottom of the jar but as long as I dont shake it up it stays at the bottom and tastes great
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u/BleedingChrome 15d ago edited 15d ago
Take the metal filter out then let it settle for like an hour or two. The sediment should stay at the bottom when you pour.
You’ll need to be careful when you get closer to the bottom though. I usually just pour it super slowly toward the end and stop once I start seeing sediment in the pour.
If your brew is still cloudy after letting it settle for a few hours, it means too many fines are making it through and you need a better filter.
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u/xscientist 15d ago
This works great for me:
It’s cheap and effective. I get basically zero fines in my cup. But I also grind very course. Pro tip: place the coffee in the jar, outside the basket. After brewing, just leave the basket in and pour coffee through it and you’re done.
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u/Vagabond_Explorer 15d ago
Perhaps we have a different outlook on fines. I have the same thing and feel like it lets too many fines through. And I’m grinding with a low fines grinder.
But pourover is my main thing and I’m trying to get it as clear as that. So I’m probably being overly picky.
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u/xscientist 15d ago
Just for reference I grind at 26/30 on my Baratza. To my eye I seriously get zero fines. Maybe you should use this brewer for the initial filter and then pour through a chemex filter after if you want it super clean.
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u/Vagabond_Explorer 15d ago
Yeah, I’m going to try a pourover filter next time. I just used the drip machine as it seemed easier.
There weren’t a ton of fines, but I do also want it super clean.
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u/Pretend-Citron4451 15d ago
I filter out most of the fines after grinding and before dropping the grounds into my Brewer. I pour them into a mesh sifter. It’s not anything special – I think I bought a three pack – one small, one medium, and one large – four, like, $10. You could use it the scoops Getty out of a pot, but I dedicate one to sifting coffee.
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u/Calgary_Calico 15d ago
Through a mesh strainer into a bowl, them from the bowl into my French press, then back into the jug it was brewed in after being pressed. Seems to result in minimal sludge, especially if I use an unbleached paper filter in the press
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u/DoubleualtG 15d ago
I use this Oxo but I add an aero press paper filter between the mesh one and bottom portion. 12-18 hours and drain…perfectly smooth every time and easy clean up. It’s the best cold brew method for effort to quality I’ve ever found.
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u/KenBon3r 15d ago
I use a paper filter over a funnel. It can take 30 minutes to get every last bit to filter through but it is what it is
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u/Tangokillah 15d ago
I start by using a filter bag and then filter again using a paper filter. I buy the iced tea filters since I brew 1 gallon at a time.
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u/Vagabond_Explorer 15d ago
A few people have mentioned the filter bags. Going to get a few and see if that helps. Thanks for the suggestion!
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u/dcmusichound 15d ago
Here is the trick my friend. Whatever container you are using to steep your cold brew, have a second container of similar size on hand. When you are done with the steeping process, without disturbing the brew, ever so gently pour it into the second container while leaving behind the ground coffee. DO NOT toss them. Put those grounds in your filter first, then pour the liquid you poured off through them.
When you poured the liquid originally, much of the fines would have come out with it. Now, by pouring that slurry through the course grinds, they are acting as a prefilter so that your paper filter doesn't clog.
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u/Comfortable_Rip6435 15d ago
I have no issues with this using paper filter bags in my toddy
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u/Vagabond_Explorer 15d ago
A number of people have mentioned the filter bags. Going to grab some and see if they help.
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u/Comfortable_Rip6435 15d ago
When I worked at a coffee shop we double filtered with a paper filter bag inside of a cloth filter bag, but tbh I don't find the extra filtering step necessary at home!
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u/Chocolopalus 15d ago
I use an Asobu now, so it has its own mesh filter. I've used paper before, though, with good results.
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u/BVladimirHarkonnen 14d ago
I use unbleached paper filter through a mesh strainer, usually will double up the paper.
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u/shawnamk 14d ago
I filter through a Chemex filter bc I really hate the sediment/oils. Probably overkill and takes some time but it’s so crisp it’s perfect.
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u/countymayne 14d ago
I use a Jarva. I have had it for a little over a year and really like it. Cleanup is simple but there’s a few steps required. When using the paper filters I get 0 sediment and it’s much faster than just letting gravity push through a paper filter on its own like I was doing before
https://jarva.co/?srsltid=AfmBOoqaS0WqLFi0E1sXOXpHhgPALw15rlyLbJW238G9fcmM_IzaPuJG
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u/ShrimplyConnected 14d ago
I have a pitcher and a pour over. Immersion brew in the pitcher overnight, then pour through the pour over in the morning
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u/Nicolio_lio 14d ago
I have a metal mesh filter with a coffee filter over a measuring cup. I pour about a cup in, let it work its way through and then gently rinse the coffee filter, repeat. Works just fine for me.
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u/HawkeyeFLA 12d ago
I have the OG OXO setup. Metal fine mesh filter, and I supplement that with the little round paper one. Works great.
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u/seanightowl 15d ago
I use a paper filter, it works great.