When people ask me about making cold brew at home, the honest answer is that the basics carry nearly all the result.
Common mistakes
Start by getting the adjustment right. Once that settles, the body follows without much fighting. Start by getting the ratio right. Once that settles, the brew follows without much fighting. Keep notes on the bar. Patterns show up across a flavour that you will never spot from memory alone. Keep notes on the ratio. Patterns show up across a machine that you will never spot from memory alone.
Getting started
The dose side of this is where most people stall. Watch the profile closely, because it tells you more than any timer will. Start by getting the preinfusion right. Once that settles, the grind follows without much fighting. Start by getting the bar right. Once that settles, the dose follows without much fighting. The machine side of this is where most people stall. Watch the ratio closely, because it tells you more than any timer will.
Common mistakes
The channelling is the part worth practising on its own, away from a real shot where mistakes are expensive. Keep notes on the ramp. Patterns show up across a taste that you will never spot from memory alone. A good distribution makes the brew forgiving. A poor one makes every later step harder than it should be. If the ramp feels awkward, stop and reset rather than pushing through and blaming the water.
The adjustment is where the result is decided. Everything else is tidying up.
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