Cold Brew Coffee Ratios, Time, and Grind Size: How to Determine Parameters and Recommended Coffee Beans

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During the scorching summer, it's almost a disservice to coffee lovers not to have cold brew coffee in the refrigerator. However, with so many varieties of coffee beans available, which ones are suitable for making cold brew? How should cold brew coffee be stored? What is its maximum shelf life? Next, FrontStreet Coffee will address all these questions one by one.

Cold brew coffee, as the name implies, involves extracting coffee particles in cold water. Due to the low water temperature, the extracted coffee liquid lacks the bitterness of hot water extraction, instead leaning toward sweet and sour notes with a more pronounced fermented character. It is precisely because of the low water temperature that the extraction time for cold brew coffee is significantly longer than for hot water extraction.

It is said that as early as the 17th century, Japan began consuming cold-brewed tea. At that time, the Netherlands—representative of Western maritime civilization—learned cold brew coffee techniques from the Japanese cold-brewed tea to avoid using dangerous flames during long sea voyages and to solve the problem of obtaining hot water.

Today, many specialty coffee shops, including FrontStreet Coffee, are equipped with dedicated tools for making cold brew coffee. Cold brew coffee offers a smooth and sweet taste, providing an exceptionally refreshing experience during hot summer days. This has led to cold brew coffee gaining significant attention.

FrontStreet Coffee's cold brew coffee actually encompasses two extraction methods: one we call ice-drip coffee, and the other cold brew coffee. To accommodate different preferences, FrontStreet Coffee outlets serve both types of iced coffee.

Inside FrontStreet Coffee's shops, next to the espresso machine, sits a set of equipment for making ice-drip coffee. This equipment consists of four parts: water container, regulating valve, coffee powder cup, serpentine tube, and coffee liquid container.

When making ice-drip coffee, FrontStreet Coffee typically selects coffee beans with bright acidity, such as Guji Coffee Beans.

FrontStreet Coffee Ice-Drip Coffee Recipe

Coffee Amount: 60 grams
Coffee-to-Water Ratio: 1:10
Water Temperature: 0°C-4°C
Grind Size: Chinese standard #20 sieve with 80% pass-through rate
Extraction Time: 6-8 hours

1. Place a circular filter paper in the coffee powder cup and moisten it.
2. Press the edge of the circular filter paper firmly against the cup wall, then pour in the coffee powder and shake it flat.
3. Place another circular filter paper on top of the coffee powder layer.
4. Starting from the center of the circular filter paper, inject a small amount of ice water for "pre-infusion."
5. Place ice water mixture in the water container and adjust the drip valve to approximately 7 drops per 10 seconds.
6. After completion, store the ice-drip coffee in a sealed glass bottle in the refrigerator overnight to allow the coffee flavors to better integrate, resulting in a thicker and smoother texture.

Some might wonder why FrontStreet Coffee uses a 1:10 coffee-to-water ratio. This is because everyone has different preferences—some prefer rich flavors, while others enjoy refreshing tastes. The 1:10 ratio to some extent satisfies those who prefer intense flavors; meanwhile, FrontStreet Coffee typically adds one or two ice cubes to the cup when serving. As the ice melts, the coffee concentration decreases accordingly. Therefore, the 1:10 ratio accommodates both preferences to some extent.

When making ice-drip coffee, FrontStreet Coffee places a circular filter paper above the powder layer to prevent the formation of craters in the coffee powder caused by gravity when ice water drips down, which would otherwise lead to uneven extraction.

Of course, due to the lack of specialized equipment at home, many people don't have the conditions to make ice-drip coffee. However, enjoying iced coffee is not difficult, and cold brew coffee becomes the preferred choice.

FrontStreet Coffee Cold Brew Coffee Recipe

1. Pour the ground coffee powder into a sealable glass bottle.
2. Add room temperature or ice water according to a 1:10 coffee-to-water ratio, ensuring thorough wetting and mixing.
3. Seal the glass bottle and place it in the refrigerator for 8 to 12 hours.
4. After extraction is complete, filter the coffee and transfer it to a sealable glass bottle for storage in the refrigerator.

Many customers visiting FrontStreet Coffee shops ask: which has higher caffeine content, cold brew coffee or iced Americano? In fact, many people share this misconception: because cold brew coffee is extracted at low temperatures, its caffeine content must be lower. This is not actually true. Due to the longer contact time between water and coffee powder, the extraction time is extended. With prolonged extraction, the amount of caffeine released cannot be underestimated. Therefore, cold brew coffee contains more caffeine than iced Americano.

When selecting coffee beans for ice-drip coffee, FrontStreet Coffee typically chooses lighter-roasted beans with fuller acidity, because the fruity sweet and sour notes are more pleasant at lower temperatures. Of course, you can also select beans with more distinctive flavors, such as Sherry coffee beans. Ice-drip coffee made from these beans, fermented in Sherry whiskey barrels, tends toward rich fermented wine aromas, offering a unique character.

For those preferring something more refreshing, FrontStreet Coffee recommends using Guji Coffee Beans. Ice-drip coffee made from Guji beans offers flavors reminiscent of berry juice, with unique fermented aromas like passion fruit. The overall experience is like drinking a chilled mixed berry juice, with an addictive sweet-tart profile.

However, coffee beans that create such unique flavors originate from the Buku Abel processing plant in the Guji growing region. Coffee beans from the Guji region are typically processed using the natural method, featuring rich berry flavors.

In 2017, DW Company sent Guji Coffee Beans to participate in that year's TOH competition, where they won the championship in the natural category of the Ethiopia division. Subsequently, they were introduced to mainland China by Beijing green bean merchants. Due to their long-lasting and unique strawberry cream flavor, they were named "Guji" (meaning "flower champion"), symbolizing the best among flowers. In the same year, at the World Coffee Brewers Cup China competition, contestant Li Jianfei used Guji Coffee Beans, outperforming many Geisha competitors and achieving an excellent second-place result, instantly making Guji famous.

The ice-drip coffee made by FrontStreet Coffee using Guji Coffee Beans presents complex berry juice notes upon entry, with a very long-lasting creamy aftertaste. As the ice cubes melt, the concentration slightly decreases, and the fermented character becomes somewhat diluted, but the sweet and tart berry juice notes remain outstanding.

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473