Can coffee be left out?

[GB]

I have been very into making cold brewed coffee lately. I find it is the best tasting coffee I have ever had. The acidity level is so low that it is just that much more enjoyable to have a cup or two.

For those that don't feel like reading the link above, the basic idea is that you combine coffee grounds and room temp or cold water and let sit for 12-24 hours and then strain. Depending on what coffee to water ratio you use you will end up with regular coffee or coffee concentrate. I have been making coffee concentrate. I combine a bit of concentrate with hot water for a hot cup or concentrate with cold water for iced coffee.

Right now I have been keeping the concentrate in the fridge. I take my coffee black, but my with uses milk. I like my coffee as hot as I can get it. She does not mind hers a bit cooler, but both of us have found this method leaves our cups a little cooler than we would prefer.

My question is would it be safe to store the coffee concentrate on the counter instead of the fridge. I am guessing this would not be OK or at the very least it would cut how long it will safely last from 2 weeks in the fridge to much less on the counter. Any thoughts?

 

[Selkie]

Experience has shown me that If I don't dispose of the coffee filter with used grounds (and it is covered with a plastic lid), and rinse out the carafe that has remains of coffee, (although not air tight), they will begin to develop visible mold within two days.

I don't know if evidence from sloppy housekeeping is exactly what you had in mind, but given how quickly it can develop mold, I would say you should keep it tightly sealed and refrigerated. If in doubt, experiment with a few ounces in another small container or two. One for flavor and one for viability. Good luck to you though. It sounds as if you are nearing that unattainable goal... the perfect cup of coffee!

 

[jet]

I just combine the cold concentrate with tap water and microwave.

 

[GB]

I have two problems with that jet. The first is that I find a taste difference with microwaving my coffee. My wife does not and that would work for her if it were not for my second problem which is that our coffee cups get nuclear hot when microwaved so by the time the handle cools down enough to handle then the coffee is too cool again.

 

[GB]

Experience has shown me that If I don't dispose of the coffee filter with used grounds (and it is covered with a plastic lid), and rinse out the carafe that has remains of coffee, (although not air tight), they will begin to develop visible mold within two days.

Yeah that is what I was afraid of. I was hoping because it is concentrate it would be less prone to mold, but I knew it was a long shot. good idea on the trial. I think I will do that.

 

[licia]

In my opinion, what dh makes is coffee concentrate. He makes it so strong that I taste a bitterness. I think he does it on purpose so I'll get up early and make coffee (and also breakfast).

 

[Uncle Bob]

In my opinion, what dh makes is coffee concentrate. He makes it so strong that I taste a bitterness. I think he does it on purpose so I'll get up early and make coffee (and also breakfast).

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[apple*tart]

Why not heat the concentrate and the water on the stove, and then put it in your cups?

 

[GB]

Why not heat the concentrate and the water on the stove, and then put it in your cups?

That would require cleaning a pot which is the last thing I want to do in the morning. Right now all I have to do is pour some concentrate in a mug and heat some water in the kettle. When I am done with my coffee all I need to do is put the mug in the dishwasher.

 

[apple*tart]

Very true, and I totally get where you're coming from.

Ok, what if you warmed your concentrate in the microwave - just a little to take the chill off - before mixing it with hot water? You could put it in your mug to microwave it, but your mug might take a lot of the heat. You could alternatively use a glass pinch bowl, which would create an extra dish to wash, but it'd be a tiny one.

 

[Wyogal]

or you can get a one serving drip coffee maker, making it one cup at a time. Just throw the filter away, rinse it, put cup in dishwasher...
like this:http://www.coffeedetective.com/one-cup-coffee-maker.html

 

[GrillingFool]

Take the stuff out of the fridge before you go to bed, put it back when you are done making coffee.
Perhaps store it in a vacuum sealed container?

 

[GB]

Ok, what if you warmed your concentrate in the microwave

I don't like the taste of microwaved coffee.

or you can get a one serving drip coffee maker, making it one cup at a time. Just throw the filter away, rinse it, put cup in dishwasher...
like this:The other one cup coffee maker – a Manual Drip Coffee Filter Cone

That would not do me any good as the purpose of this exercise is to drink cold brewed coffee. I already have a drip pot, but I find the cold brewed coffee to be much tastier.

Take the stuff out of the fridge before you go to bed, put it back when you are done making coffee.
Perhaps store it in a vacuum sealed container?

During the week my morning coffee is had at the office. If I have coffee at home it is a spur of the moment sort of thing so I can't plan ahead to have it out overnight. Vacuum storing does not make it so that you don't have to refrigerate things that need refrigeration so that would not really be an option either.

 

[GrillingFool]

We are talking HOT coffee brewed by the cold-brew method, right?
Well, I am totally confused. It has sounded like you wanted this at home, until now.

So what are your options for heating it at work?

Can you fix it at home in the AM, and put it in a thermos?
How about one of those immersion heaters, if you can still find them? Plug it
in and insert into cup of liquid to heat it.....

Also, is your concentrate stored WITH the grounds? Without, I would think it would be OK left out. Its just flavored water. Course, we ARE the Better Safe Than Sorry Place, so....

 

[jet]

How about microwaving the water in the cup and then adding the coffee?

 

[Alix]

GB, can you not use boiling water from the kettle mixed with the concentrate to get it hot enough? If that didn't work I would do a two step approach. Pour your concentrate into a measuring cup and zap it for 10 seconds or so to take the chill off. Then pour in the required amt of boiling water for a cup of coffee.

Definitely don't leave the concentrate out. Mold icky.

Edit: I see apple*tart said the same thing. Bad Alix for not reading the whole thread.

another note, scald your cup with boiling water quickly before you pour in either the concentrate or the water from the kettle. Hot the pot as my Gramma used to say,

 

[GB]

We are talking HOT coffee brewed by the cold-brew method, right?
Well, I am totally confused. It has sounded like you wanted this at home, until now.

So what are your options for heating it at work?

Can you fix it at home in the AM, and put it in a thermos?
How about one of those immersion heaters, if you can still find them? Plug it
in and insert into cup of liquid to heat it.....

Also, is your concentrate stored WITH the grounds? Without, I would think it would be OK left out. Its just flavored water. Course, we ARE the Better Safe Than Sorry Place, so....

Sorry for the confusion GF. I am talking about coffee at home. At the office I drink the office coffee which is pretty good. The cold brewed coffee I am discussing is for home use.

I don't think it is safe to say that it can be left out because it is just flavored water. Chicken stock is just flavored water after all and I am sure we all could agree you could not just let that sit out.

How about microwaving the water in the cup and then adding the coffee?

The issue is not how to get the water hot. I boil the water in a kettle. That works fine. The issue is that when I add the coffee concentrate from the fridge it cools the boiling water down too much.

GB, can you not use boiling water from the kettle mixed with the concentrate to get it hot enough? If that didn't work I would do a two step approach. Pour your concentrate into a measuring cup and zap it for 10 seconds or so to take the chill off. Then pour in the required amt of boiling water for a cup of coffee.

Definitely don't leave the concentrate out. Mold icky.

Edit: I see apple*tart said the same thing. Bad Alix for not reading the whole thread.

another note, scald your cup with boiling water quickly before you pour in either the concentrate or the water from the kettle. Hot the pot as my Gramma used to say,

Even a 10 second zap makes out coffee mugs too hot to handle. It is like the heat goes right to the cup and goes to the liquid second.

While the kettle is boiling I do have very hot tap water warming the mug. That helps, but does not bring it to the point I want it.

Sounds like I will just have to learn to drink my coffee a little cooler. Thanks for the suggestions everyone.

 

[Alix]

Measuring cup GB. Not coffee cups. Measuring cups are designed to go in the microwave.

 

[GB]

I could do that and maybe I will try tomorrow morning. That is one more dish to wash though and I am nervous that the taste of the coffee will change as I am not fond of nuked coffee. I will try it though and hopefully it will be a short enough blast that it does not change the taste.

 

[Alix]

You just need to take the chill off it. Then it will be as hot as the water from your kettle. 10 seconds shouldn't affect the taste. Good luck, let us know how it goes.