Cold brew is a mainstay for us at Tenfold – so much so that we have kegs and draft lines set up with cold brew on tap that we run through on a weekly basis. There’s nothing better than coming in on a hot afternoon, escaping the Houston heat and grabbing a refreshing cold brew to give you that extra push to get you through the rest of your day. Whether you take the cold brew black, with milk and sugar, or even lemonade for a cold brew shandy, it’s a sure fire way to get your caffeine fix for the day.
At Tenfold, we take great care and have dedicated many hours to refining our cold brew blend and brewing process. Early on, we would brew small batches of cold brew that would yield 10 gallons of coffee. Utilizing a 10 minute bloom and a total steep time of 90 minutes. This somewhat unorthodox method of making cold brew allowed us to keep up with demand, while still serving a tasty cup of coffee. As time went on we decided that we wanted to alter the recipe, for a longer steep time and a larger yield.
Nowadays we use a 1:1.5 ratio of our My Shout blend, with 20 pounds of coffee resulting in a final yield of 30 gallons of cold brew. We begin by coarsely grinding the coffee beans as most cold brew recipes call for. Utilizing a 10 minute bloom with 10 liters of water at 208 degrees fahrenheit. Finally adding the rest of the water at room temperature and allowing the coffee to steep for 17 hours. During the removal of the coffee grounds there is a small addition of room temperature water to the final yield to hit the 30 gallon mark.
The result of our My Shout cold brew blend is a smooth and refreshing cup of coffee with subtle milk chocolate and almond tasting notes. Our goal with this blend was to have a cold brew that is ready to drink and low in acidity. It pairs beautifully with any milk of your choice, and any sweetener that we have at our shop. And even with a somewhat chocolatey tasting note in the cold brew, it pairs excellently with lemonade to make a cold brew shandy. A drink consisting of two-thirds of cold brew and one-third of lemonade. A light, crisp, and sweet drink that helps get you through those hot summer days.
Our decision to make cold brew with our My Shout blend is done so with the intention of serving cold brew that is approachable to most consumers. However, cold brew can be made with single origin coffee as well. In recent months we have highlighted single origins from Mexico and Ethiopia on our nitro cold brew draft lines. This allows certain single origin coffees to shine through in other ways than espresso or pour over. The natural Ethiopian, Bekele Belachew, on single origin nitro cold brew has a beautifully fruity bouquet with a somewhat robust chocolatey undernote. The natural Mexican, Mundo Maya Classic Natural, has a predominantly strawberry tasting note that is well rounded in the cold brew brewing process.
Whether you prefer a traditional blend or an exciting single origin, cold brew can be an accessible yet satisfying brewing method to try out. It is easy to make at home, and is relatively versatile when it is paired with milk or sweetener. Drop by Tenfold to grab a bag of My Shout, try something new like a cold brew shandy or nitro cold brew, or if you’re in a hurry you can try our new bottled cold brew that is made with Mundo Maya Classic Natural.