How to Make Cold Brew Coffee: Methods, Bean Recommendations, and Storage Duration

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If you've ever had cold brew coffee, you've surely been captivated by its uniquely smooth texture and "pure" characteristics. Why is cold brew coffee so popular? How is it different from regular iced coffee? In this article, FrontStreet Coffee will discuss with everyone what cold brew coffee is.

The Difference Between Cold Brew Coffee and Iced Coffee

Many people distinguish between cold brew coffee and iced coffee because our understanding of iced coffee is the traditional concept of using hot water for extraction, then adding ice or chilling it to transform the hot coffee into iced coffee.

The biggest difference with cold brew coffee is that it uses cold water throughout the entire process for low-temperature extraction to obtain the coffee liquid. Due to the low-temperature method of cold brewing, coffee can effectively avoid the release of some bitter substances, making the coffee flavor distinctive, unique, and mild.

Flavor Characteristics of Cold Brew Coffee

Low-temperature extraction and long extraction time are the two major characteristics of cold brew coffee, as well as the main differences between cold brew coffee and high-temperature extracted coffee. High-temperature extracted coffee is made by extracting coffee beans with hot water at temperatures between 82-95°C, generally not exceeding 3 minutes.

Cold brew coffee itself can fully demonstrate the subtle flavor characteristics of coffee. Due to its mild acidity, sweet taste, bright mouthfeel, and gentle flavor, FrontStreet Coffee believes that cold brew coffee can better present the flavor characteristics of the origin region of a specialty coffee bean.

What Coffee Beans Are Suitable for Cold Brew?

Since low-temperature extraction doesn't easily release rich substances, making cold brew coffee is more suitable for using medium-light to medium roasted fresh coffee beans with sweet and sour flavors. FrontStreet Coffee believes that only freshly roasted coffee beans will have richer flavors and aromas, therefore all coffee beans ordered by friends are shipped within 5 days after roasting.

Friends who love rich fruit acidity can try "FrontStreet Coffee's Flower Champion Coffee Beans" ~ This is a natural coffee from the Buku processing plant in the Hambela region of Guji, Ethiopia. High-altitude cultivation gives this bean excellent flavor layers. After being made into cold brew coffee, it will display berry-like sweetness and sourness, honey-like sweetness, and black tea-like aftertaste.

Those who like floral and fruity flavors but don't want it too acidic can try "FrontStreet Coffee's Flower Butterfly Coffee Beans" ~ This is a single-origin washed coffee bean from the Boquete region of Panama, a mix of Geisha and Catuai/Catimor varieties. The Geisha variety brings floral and fruity notes to this coffee bean, while the Catuai and Catimor varieties bring gentle fruit acidity and body to this coffee. After being made into cold brew coffee, it will display white flower-like fragrance, citrus-like gentle acidity, caramel-like sweetness, and green tea-like aftertaste.

Those who prefer non-acidic coffee with special flavors can try "FrontStreet Coffee's Sherry Coffee Beans" ~ This is a masterpiece of wine-flavored coffee, from whiskey barrel fermented processed coffee beans from Moka Manor in Honduras. The characteristic of this coffee bean lies in its low acidity, rich body, and wine aroma. After being made into cold brew coffee, it will display whiskey-like wine aroma, vanilla cream-like smoothness, and hazelnut caramel-like sweetness.

How to Make a Single Serving of Cold Brew Coffee?

First, prepare a 200ml clean, oil-free glass bottle with a lid that can be sealed.

Then weigh 20 grams of beans for making cold brew coffee and grind them to medium granularity/sugar-sized (75% pass rate through China's No. 20 standard sieve).

Then place them in the glass bottle and add room temperature/ice water at a 1:10 ratio. Stir thoroughly to ensure coffee particles are in contact with water, then seal and refrigerate for 8-12 hours of extraction. No need to shake midway, just let it steep.

After steeping is complete, use filtering tools/coffee filter paper to filter out the coffee grounds, and you can start tasting!

Storage Time of Cold Brew Coffee

Some friends have heard that cold brew coffee can be stored for 2-3 weeks, but FrontStreet Coffee doesn't recommend storing it for that long ~ Cold brew coffee, after extraction is complete and coffee grounds are filtered out, when sealed and stored, it's recommended to be consumed within 72 hours.

Some homemade cold brew coffee may be stored in home refrigerators mixed with different meats and vegetables. Even if sealed, it's difficult to avoid bacterial invasion. So after making cold brew coffee, remember to drink it as soon as possible!

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473