Cowboy Coffee Love

[madmaxine]

So at the 'vous I made cowboy coffee.  I guess I was a little more generous than usual and people remarked how good it was.  And, given the crowd, they wanted to know how to.  It ain't rocket science. And there's more than one way to get those pesky grounds to sink.  Later some said they had the jitters all day from one cup.  Amongst other complaints about... er... toilet effects. Hey man.  Caveat emptor baby.

[wsdstan]

Well how do you get the grounds to settle?  Curious minds want to know.   

[madmaxine]

Let the pot just come to a boil.  It'll look like the grounds are enveloped by the foam and start to sink.  Quickly take it off the heat.  Pour about a quarter cup of cold water on top.  There will be grounds in the first cup.  I kinda like chewing them.  After that it's pretty clear.

Or a little salt in your cup wil sink them.  I'm not big on that one.

Egg seems to come up often in this discussion.  Never tried it.  Cold water works fine for me and Kelly.

[wolfy]

Tony & I use pretty much the same method of settling the grounds in campfire coffee, but I do it just a little differently, just as you'd expect.    I try to stir my grounds down, right before the pot comes to a full boil.  I use one of those blue/white speckled enamel coffee pots....around 8 cups of coffee, as I recall.  If I forget to stir it down before the full-boil point, a 'cap' forms on the top that the bubbles will not penetrate....that cap gets pushed up and past the strainer holes and sometimes up & over the top of the pot....even with the lid in place.  That's a real mess, especially if your source of heat is your old Coleman 2-burner and one that can be avoided just by keeping a close eye on it....a full rolling boil is not necessary and, if truth be told, makes a better cup of brew when you stir it down and avoid a full boil.  After stirring it down, I pour a partial cup of cold water down the spout to clean it out and the rest of it goes into the opened pot.  At that point, I take it off the heat and set it at the edge of the campfire to steep for a few minutes.  Right before I pour the first cup, I grab the pot by the bail and swing it like a pendulum 2-3 times to build up some inertia and then swing it over my head in a full circle 3-4 times.....check first for low hanging, overhead branches!   That last step really puts the grounds where they need to be.....at the bottom of the pot.     

Works for me. 

[wsdstan]

Sounds like an amusement park ride to me.  What could possibly go wrong?   

[wolfy]

It can be....especially if you forget to check for overhead obstructions like branches or tarp guy-lines.  I learned that lesson when visiting a neighbor's campfire while 'teaching' the method at a rendezvous a long time ago.  My mind may not have been at its best at the time....it was a Sunday morning at rendezvous and could have been a factor.

[crashdive123]

Have made cowboy coffee (and steaks) many times.  In the winter I am always in my backyard next to the fire pit working on something.  Usually there is coffee on.  Lately I've been using a couple of French presses that were gifted to me.  I have to say that I like them a lot more than I though I would.

[madmaxine]

Tony & I use pretty much the same method of settling the grounds in campfire coffee, but I do it just a little differently, just as you'd expect.    I try to stir my grounds down, right before the pot comes to a full boil.  I use one of those blue/white speckled enamel coffee pots....around 8 cups of coffee, as I recall.  If I forget to stir it down before the full-boil point, a 'cap' forms on the top that the bubbles will not penetrate....that cap gets pushed up and past the strainer holes and sometimes up & over the top of the pot....even with the lid in place.  That's a real mess, especially if your source of heat is your old Coleman 2-burner and one that can be avoided just by keeping a close eye on it....a full rolling boil is not necessary and, if truth be told, makes a better cup of brew when you stir it down and avoid a full boil.  After stirring it down, I pour a partial cup of cold water down the spout to clean it out and the rest of it goes into the opened pot.  At that point, I take it off the heat and set it at the edge of the campfire to steep for a few minutes.  Right before I pour the first cup, I grab the pot by the bail and swing it like a pendulum 2-3 times to build up some inertia and then swing it over my head in a full circle 3-4 times.....check first for low hanging, overhead branches!   That last step really puts the grounds where they need to be.....at the bottom of the pot.     

Works for me. 

I wanna see that wolfman.

[wolfy]

OK, next time we get together....just remember to stay back what you would consider to be a safe distance.   It should be golden!

[madmaxine]

I just wanna see you pirouette like a ballerina.  I'll invite my nieces who are trained classical dancers to judge your form.  I'll tell them to be kind to the old fart.

[wolfy]

Visualize a 'Ferris-wheel spin,' rather than a ,merry-go-round spin'....you still have to be careful to avoid going into the deadly 'tilt-a-whirl spin' until you perfect the technique.  Most importantly, there are no pirouettes required....a move you NEVER want to see me perform!

[wsdstan]

Well go buy a tutu and let us be the judge of that.  I have visions of losing balance, falling, a bail
handle breaking, severe burns, embarrassed looks, and raucous laughter.

[madmaxine]

Wolfman, if you wear the tutu and let your hair down to dance, you might be able to supplement your income with youtube subscribers. 

[randyt]

best way to deal with grounds is to put your coffee in a dirty sock and that will act like a tea bag. The dirrty sock gives it a little wang....

[crashdive123]

best way to deal with grounds is to put your coffee in a dirty sock and that will act like a tea bag. The dirrty sock gives it a little wang....

Well............at least your dirty skivvies will.