I was recently given the opportunity to experiment with the BeanPlus cold drip brewing system. Over the weekend I experimented with grind and the speed of the drip to find the perfect combination. Each batch was delicious but I found that having a medium grind worked best for what I was looking for. I also found that adjusting the drip to about one drip per second allowed for a four and a half hour brewing/extraction time which yielded a great cup.
In my opinion, the advantages of a cold drip versus a more traditional iced coffee brewing method is that the coffee develops richer flavors with less acidity, and has more caffeine! This is because the water is in contact with the coffee for much longer than most other brewing methods.
The most compelling part about this brewing method is how easy it is to set up, brew, and clean. The set-up process takes about 5 minutes, between grinding the coffee, insert the filters, and filling the water. The extraction process itself tends to be between 4-5 hours depending on the frequency of the drops. Because the coffee is not submerged in the water you do not need to worry about being present at the end of the allotted brewing time. Finally, the cleaning part may seem daunting at first but each part is easily taken apart and put back together after washing.
There are many different cold drip brewing methods and I would love to experiment with them all! Until then, I think the BeanPlus was a great introduction to this new method.