Tried a 24-hour cold brew steep in my French press and it was way too strong

I saw a tip online to steep cold brew for a full day instead of the usual 12 hours, so I tried it with my Bodum Chambord. The result was a super bitter, almost undrinkable concentrate, even after I watered it down. I learned that for my setup, 14 hours is the sweet spot. Has anyone else found that longer steep times can backfire with certain methods?

2 comments

2 Comments

davis.gavin27d ago

Nah, that super bitter result just means you used the wrong grind. A full day steep is fine if your coffee is coarse enough. Your french press probably just can't handle it.

hill.christopher27d ago

Okay, "full day steep is fine" is a wild take. My buddy tried that cold brew method last summer, left it for like 18 hours. He used a coarse grind and everything. It was pure battery acid, completely undrinkable. He was so mad he almost threw his press through the window. I gotta side with @davis.gavin on the grind being key, but a full day is just too much. Even coarse coffee gets nasty if you forget about it that long.