What you have always wanted to ask about Cold Brew!
A different kind of cold coffee slowly finds its place in the preferences of the cafes: the reason for the cold extraction coffee - the increasingly popular Cold Brew!
Although Cold Brew is still not very popular in our country, it has slowly begun to conquer its own fanatical audience. While it is currently connected to hip cafes and large coffee chains, Cold Brew is extremely easy to prepare at home, as long as we have properly ground coffee, a thin filter, water and a refrigerator.
You can find detailed instructions for making Cold Brew, but also a small history, in an older article of Coffees.gr - you will be surprised at how easy it is to make it! In this article, we tried to get some popular questions about Cold Brew - whatever you would like to ask about the cold extraction coffee is - hopefully - below!
What you have always wanted to ask about Cold Brew!
What kind of coffee is suitable for Cold Brew?
Initially, it is important to tell that any coffee, regardless of the composition of the blend and the roasting profile, can be used for cold extraction, if it is properly ground and if we follow the proper procedure. However, it is a fact that some coffees give better, savory results in cold extraction.
Generally speaking, Cold Brew is characterized by the absence of bitterness, reduced acidity, intense aftertaste (sometimes reminiscent of a spirit drink) and its fragrant pallet. For this reason, it is best to use aromatic, 100% Arabica blends to make Cold Brew, which will give extra flavor to our glass. An aromatic blend such as Lavazza Pienaroma or Vergnano Antica Botega or even a classic flavor like Illy's coffee will deliver great results in cold extraction.
Robusta blends, while delivering good results in other cold preparations such as Freddo Espresso, because of its strong body and rich cream, do not offer anything special to Cold Brew, without implying that they can not be used. Still, many coffee enthusiasts prefer single-origin coffees to make Cold Brew as they give a more "clear" flavor and particularly rich aromas. Illy Monoarabica Ethiopia or Cosmai Cajul from Guatemala are very good choices for anyone wanting to experiment with a single-breasted Cold Brew.
How should coffee be grinded in order to be suitable for Cold Brew?
Proper grinding plays an extremely important role in the proper preparation of Cold Brew. The coffee should be grinded medium-to-coarse, comparable to the grinding we use for French Press coffee machines. Its texture should be reminiscent of thick sea salt. If our coffee is grinded coarser, it will be under extracted and will not unfold all its flavors, and if it is grinded more finely, the final result will be bitter and our beverage will be cloudy and full of particles.
What's the right coffer to water ratio for cold brew?
The coffee to water ratio is the most important factor that will determine the taste of our beverage, as well as how intense it is. The basic ratio is 1: 6, so having this effect as a golden incision, we can experiment by using more or less coffee for stronger or lighter coffee. Many recipes report ratios such as 1: 2 or 1: 3, which produce the so-called Cold Brew Concentrate, which is extremely strong, has too much caffeine and must be diluted with water before it is consumed. It is better to prepare our coffee directly, as strong or light as we prefer and avoid concentrate.
What's the idea water temperature for Cold Brew?
In terms of water temperature, there are various views, which generally depend on the personal experience of each barista, as others argue that water (and extraction) should be at room temperature, while others support the use of frozen water. A safe method is to fill the utensil that we use with water at room temperature and then place the utensil in the refrigerator for 12-24 hours.
In which utensil can we brew our Cold Brew?
Cold Brew can be extracted in any glass bottle that closes well or even in a sealed teapot, as long as we have the proper filter to filter it before it is stored. The filter we use can be cloth, paper or a thin metal filter. A good solution is the use of Glass Pour Over Coffee Maker, which is made of odorless glass and is accompanied by a special metal filter. In this case, place the coffee maker in the refrigerator, covering its mouth with a membrane so that it is not affected by the smells of the refrigerator, and filter our ready coffee into a bottle with the metal filter.
How can Cold Brew be stored?
Cold Brew can be stored in the refrigerator for about 15-20 days. If we want to prolong our lifetime slightly, we do not store all the quantity we prepared in a bottle, but we share it in smaller sterilized bottles. It is important to know that we never store the unfiltered Cold Brew! The presence of ground coffee in the beverage means that our coffee continues to be extracted, so it will end up bitter after a few days. The coffee should be clear and clean, free of particles.
How is Cold Brew served?
Cold Brew coffee is usually served in a low glass, with a little of ice and optionally with a thin orange slice that fits well with its special flavor. Usually it does not need sugar due to its natural sweetness, while many are used to enjoying it with milk. We can use Cold Brew as a base for various summer drinks such as Cold Brew Tonic, Mazagran (lemon coffee) and various cocktails: there are Cold Brew's alcoholic cocktails and special choices in an alcohol-free cocktail .
If you love cold coffee, if you like filter coffee, if you are looking for a different flavor or if you have tried Cold Brew in a cafe and you liked it, now you know that this summer will be cool and full of coffee - cold extraction coffee, made from your hands!
