Iced Drip Coffee Making Process and Technique Guide - Secrets to Delicious Homemade Iced Drip Coffee

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The Origins and Advantages of Cold Drip Coffee

The invention of cold drip coffee was initially intended to extend the shelf life of coffee. Using ice water to extract coffee doesn't produce coffee oils like hot water brewing, so with proper refrigeration, it can be stored for up to a month without any issues. Moreover, after 3 days of maturation, the coffee becomes even richer and more mellow. However, cold water extraction requires a long time. The commonly known method for making cold drip coffee naturally uses ice water for extraction. Many coffee shops also use the method of melting ice cubes for extraction, which can take over 24 hours, resulting in higher caffeine concentration.

Room Temperature Cold Extraction Method

In addition to using ice water, you can actually use room temperature water to replace ice water when making cold coffee at home. This can shorten the time. Extracting with room temperature water at a rate of seven drops per ten seconds, then immediately refrigerating, produces a body and flavor that surpasses ice water extraction. At the same time, it can still be refrigerated for long-term storage without the mellow flavor deteriorating.

Recommended Coffee Beans and Brewing Parameters

FrontStreet Coffee recommends coffee beans: FrontStreet Coffee Yirgacheffe Natural, FrontStreet Coffee Sidamo Natural, FrontStreet Coffee Panama Washed, FrontStreet Coffee Costa Rica Honey Process, etc.

Roast Level: Light to medium roast

Extraction Equipment: Cold drip tower

Dose: 40g

Water Temperature: 22°C

Drip Rate: Seven drops per ten seconds

Coffee-to-Water Ratio: 1:10. First slowly moisten the coffee grounds with 60g of water until a few drops of coffee fall into the lower chamber, then add 420g of water to the upper chamber to begin dripping (approximately 8/10 full on the marking line).

Extraction Time: Approximately 100 minutes

If using ice water, drip at a rate of one drop every two seconds.

Steps for Making and Storing Cold Drip Coffee

Sterilization: Before starting cold drip, scald the cold drip tower with boiling water, or wipe the plastic upper chamber with 75% medicinal alcohol to prevent the coffee from spoiling due to bacteria during refrigeration. The extraction should also use boiled and cooled water. If adding ice cubes, they should also be made from boiled and cooled water. Ice cubes older than 3 days should be avoided.

Grind Size: Use medium-fine grind. Most electric grinders work well at settings 3-3.5.

Room Temperature Extraction: You can use room temperature water to increase extraction efficiency and achieve better flavor while shortening extraction time, then refrigerate.

Use Matured Coffee: Use coffee that has matured after roasting. Coffee that still contains carbon dioxide immediately after roasting will cause the coffee grounds to expand to the drip opening, affecting water flow.

Pre-wetting: First moisten the coffee grounds layer before starting the drip extraction to increase extraction efficiency.

Even Extraction: Place a circular filter paper on top of the coffee grounds to allow water droplets to distribute more evenly across the entire coffee grounds, ensuring all grounds are extracted evenly rather than just concentrating on the center.

Stable Refrigeration: After extraction, transfer the coffee to a glass jar and place it in the lower section of the refrigerator or the freezer compartment.

Serving and Storage Tips

Rich and mellow cold drip coffee can be enjoyed immediately after taking it out of the refrigerator, which is quite convenient. If you find it too strong, you can add ice cubes or ice water to dilute it without reducing the mellow flavor. If you make a latte with 1/3 undiluted cold drip coffee and 2/3 ice milk, adding a little syrup makes it even more delicious.

To maintain the coffee's flavor, it's recommended not to place the cold drip tower in the refrigerator for extraction. During the several-hour dripping process, food odors from the refrigerator can seep into the coffee liquid. Since cold coffee needs to be stored in the refrigerator for a week or longer, it needs to be completely sealed. Using glass jars with regular metal lids still can't prevent refrigerator odors. Therefore, you can use glass bottles with rubber seals specifically for oil and vinegar to store the coffee, or clean and sterilize empty glass jars from Golden Taiwan Beer with hot water for long-term cold coffee storage. This way, your cold drip coffee won't have any refrigerator odors, and it's both environmentally friendly and recyclable.

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473