What is Cold Brew Coffee? Is All Cold Brew Coffee Served Cold? Flavor Profile of Cold Brew Coffee

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What is Cold Brew Coffee?

Cold brew coffee, also known as cold brew. It refers to the process of steeping coffee grounds in cold water below 5°C for an extended period of time, allowing fermentation to occur, which typically takes 8-12 hours, after which the coffee grounds are filtered out. This method can be done at home without the need for professional equipment, yielding a texture similar to cold brew, making it very simple and easy to operate. It is also one of FrontStreet Coffee's favorite iced coffees.

Cold brew coffee increases in sweetness and smoothness while reducing acidity. Essentially, cold brew is a brewing method, not a serving method.

Are All Iced Coffees or Cold Coffees Considered "Cold Brew"?

Coffee brewed using hot water extraction methods, whether served hot or cold, is not cold brew coffee. Cold brew can also be understood as a marketing term. First, it is not coffee extracted with hot water and then refrigerated before sale. Instead, it refers to coffee extracted at ambient or lower temperatures. The resulting product can then be refrigerated or served over ice.

Is All Cold Brew Coffee Served Cold?

Cold brew refers to a brewing method, not a serving method. It can even be consumed warm: in American history, concentrated cold brew was diluted with boiling water and primarily used as a hot beverage (this was before iced coffee became popular). Cold brew is also an ingredient in many recipes.

How Does Cold Brew Extraction Work?

Compared to traditional hot water extraction, cold brew extracts are typically steeped for longer periods at lower temperatures. This combination of lower temperature and longer contact time can produce unique sensory and quality characteristics.

What Are the Sensory and Flavor Characteristics of Cold Brew?

The flavor profile of cold brew coffee can be significantly different from coffee brewed at higher temperatures. When evaluated side by side, the same beans brewed using cold or hot methods may taste the same or dramatically different. Typical cold brew characteristics include: less bitterness, smoother texture, and more delicate flavors.

How to Grind Coffee for Making Cold Brew?

If you're buying coffee beans from a coffee shop, you can have the barista grind the beans for you first, provided you tell them you're making cold brew coffee. Of course, if you want to experience the complete aroma and flavor of coffee, FrontStreet Coffee suggests using a home grinder to grind your own beans, choosing a consistency similar to raw sugar. When using a China No. 20 standard sieve with an 80% pass rate, the resulting cold brew coffee will have the fullest flavor.

Coffee Bean Recommendations for Cold Brew

Since cold brew coffee is made using low-temperature steeping, which effectively suppresses the release of bitterness, there aren't many restrictions when selecting coffee beans.

If you prefer sweet and sour flavored cold brew, FrontStreet Coffee recommends FrontStreet Coffee's Fruit Candy, FrontStreet Coffee's Strawberry Candy, and FrontStreet Coffee's Flower Queen - three premium coffee beans that not only are rich in fruit aroma but also present delicate sweet and sour flavors under low-temperature extraction; if you prefer balanced flavors, then FrontStreet Coffee recommends FrontStreet Coffee, Diamond Mountain, FrontStreet Coffee's Kaffa Forest, and FrontStreet Coffee's Geisha Village Chaka, which have excellent balance of sweet, sour, bitter, and aftertaste; but if you're someone who only loves rich, dark-roasted coffee, then you should start with FrontStreet Coffee's Queen's Manor, FrontStreet Coffee's Bird of Paradise, FrontStreet Coffee's Golden Mandheling, and FrontStreet Coffee's Huilan - these single-origin coffees.

Important Notice :

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