Coffee Sludge.... Good or Bad?

[tankin_tummy]

Whenever I brew coffee with my Bodum French Press it always leaves a little sludge at the bottom of my coffee cup. At first I hated the sludge, but now I quite enjoy it. Infact I always look forward to the last little bit of my coffee cup where I get all the sludgy goodness of it. When I pour from my press I always slosh the coffee around to try and pick up more sludge.

I'm wondering... do most people like the coffee sludge or am I just different?

 

[PinkRose]

Hi tankin_tummy

You're the first person I've even known to admit to really enjoying the sludge. It will be interesting to see if anyone else likes it too.

I've never liked the coffee sludge. I always try to carefully pour the coffee and leave a little in the bottom of the French Press or Moka Pot so I won't pour the sludge into my cup.

Do you drink your coffee straight up, or do you add milk and sweetener?


Rose

 

[tankin_tummy]

I drink it "straight up." I occasionally like to make lattes with coconut milk and honey, but I usually drink it plain. Lol, I try very hard to extract every bit of the coffee sludge that I can. I even shake my press rapidly to squeeze the sludge out.

 

[eldub]

I've been drinking coffee from a Bodum french press most every morning as of late. However, I don't usually drink the sludge. matter of fact, I do my best to keep it out of the cup but a bit usually makes it past the screen anyway.

 

[piratemlia]

With braces I really hate sludge in my cup, hoping to get them off next month though!!!

 

[PinkRose]

Hi "piratemlia"

Welcome to the Coffee Forums!

I had to chuckle when I read your post. I remember my son saying the exact same thing.

Im sure the day when you get your braces off will be a very happy day for you.

Right now, you have to worry about getting coffee sludge stuck in your braces. In about 40 years, you'll probably be worrying about getting the little coffee granuals stuck in your receding gums......it's always something!

I hope you'll enjoy exploring the coffee Forums website.

Rose

 

[MyMugsHalfFull]

I actually had an idea thanks to this thread. You know how you like Coffee ice cream? (well I do sometimes). You you think you could use the sludge and add it to vanilla ice cream and have it taste alright? Actually.. I'll get back to you on that, I'll try it and see what happens. I'm thinking the concentration needs to be just right for it to taste good.

 

[ppkgan]

I love coffee ice cream! Do my best to keep the sludge out of my cup! I do not mind it per say, but would rather not have it in my cup.

 

[MyMugsHalfFull]

Well, coffee sludge ice cream wasn't half bad! I took the sludge out of the coffee, and added it to a pint of Vanilla. I thawed the vanilla until it was liquid, tossed in the sludge, and popped the mix into the blender and blended for 45 seconds. Poured the contents back into the container and froze. 24 hours later, tasted pretty darn good!

Thanks for the idea lol

 

[VerS]

Both my wife and I usually enjoy the final quarter mug of properly prepared french press coffee the most, because a small swirl of the mug suspends the small amount of very fine sludge and produces produces a delicious smooth buttery taste and mouth feel.
I use a preheated, double walled ceramic mug, and I think that is important to keep the last coffee at a temperature that I enjoy the flavor of.

In the past I used an inexpensive flat burr grinder and very briefly a blade grinder. Even the burr grinder did not give me that same delicious taste that the Bodum Bistro conical burr grinder that I now use does. I expect it was to much larger sludge and over extraction of the additional fines.

 

[MyMugsHalfFull]

Both my wife and I usually enjoy the final quarter mug of properly prepared french press coffee the most, because a small swirl of the mug suspends the small amount of very fine sludge and produces produces a delicious smooth buttery taste and mouth feel.
I use a preheated, double walled ceramic mug, and I think that is important to keep the last coffee at a temperature that I enjoy the flavor of.

In the past I used an inexpensive flat burr grinder and very briefly a blade grinder. Even the burr grinder did not give me that same delicious taste that the Bodum Bistro conical burr grinder that I now use does. I expect it was to much larger sludge and over extraction of the additional fines.

So for you coffee sludge is better if it's the same consistency as butter. So you like coffee sludge, but only if it isn't chunky?

Most of the sludge I get isn't really fine, it's sort of a mix with small chunks in it, I don't think I have ever seen completely smooth coffee sludge before... IE 100% smooth with no chunks whatsoever.

Do you always drink the sludge?

 

[VerS]

So for you coffee sludge is better if it's the same consistency as butter. So you like coffee sludge, but only if it isn't chunky?

Most of the sludge I get isn't really fine, it's sort of a mix with small chunks in it, I don't think I have ever seen completely smooth coffee sludge before... IE 100% smooth with no chunks whatsoever.

Do you always drink the sludge?

I enjoy the "buttery taste" of a relatively small amount of sludge when a swirl suspends those very fine solids in the liquid.
I do not like chunky sludge. I never have chunks in my sludge at home. The only time I can remember having a couple chunks in my sludge in the last six months was when travelling and using my Bodum travel press. I accidently overfilled the mug and a couple particles slipped by the double ridged silicone edge of the filter.
The small amount of sludge in coffee made with an Espro press from Vancouver contains only extremely fine particles. This press uses a two stage basket filter with the filter size being 10 to 16 times finer than other presses. It also uses a double ridged silicone gasket edge on the filter assembly to prevent particles slipping by.
The type of grinder will also have an impact on sludge which makes it through a standard Bodum sized filter. The best grinders for French press produce the smallest possible amount of particles that are not the desired coarse size. Unfortunately the cheapest grinders (blade grinders) do the poorest job because each particle is struck a random number of times and the sizes end up from fine coffee dust all the way up to the desired coarse size.
When I'm drinking French press coffee properly prepared on good equipment, the small amount of very fine sludge stays suspended in the liquid after a swirl and I always drink it (if it hasn't gotten to cold) because it is my favourite part of the cup.

 

[MyMugsHalfFull]

Ah ok. I see. Do you ever use the sludge for other things? Like I was testing out different things, like coffee ice cream (turned out pretty darned good). I was actually tempted to try out some other recipes as well. I was thinking maybe cookies next... Or maybe some form of pastry. I haven't seen too many coffee sludge recipes though. Been looking online, they have coffee recipes, but none that really use the sludge, or well, not many that I have found.

 

[VerS]

The only other thing that I have done with coffee sludge was to add it to hot chocolate, and that was good.
Your good results have me interested in other options since I do enjoy coffee flavored ice cream, yogurt and baked goods that I have purchased.

 

[MyMugsHalfFull]

The only other thing that I have done with coffee sludge was to add it to hot chocolate, and that was good.
Your good results have me interested in other options since I do enjoy coffee flavored ice cream, yogurt and baked goods that I have purchased.

Of COURSE! *slaps forehead* How could I have overlooked something as simple as yogurt? I'm going to go make a batch now... lol..

I was attempting a coffee cake, but it turned out really really nasty It was the same color as fudge brownies but did not taste at all like coffee cake I have tried around town. I guess my first clue was it looked like brownies lol....