Back in 2011, cold brew was quite a new idea for coffee lovers and many people didn’t know about possibility of making a drink by this method.
Today, it has become more popular but still many people do not know about it or how to prepare and serve it.
Several study shows that more people drink cold brewed coffee occasionally and fortunately, if you want to drink this type of coffee, it is not quite hard to find it in the market and there are ready-to-drink products that are offered by several brands in iconic bottles.
Therefore, you can purchase a bottle of cold brewed coffee and try to taste it. Nowadays, more coffee shops offer cold brew to their customers and many people may have some questions about the peculiarities of this type of coffee.
Perhaps, you have the same questions about the taste and the way you can prepare a cold brew drink.
Here, we want to give you more detailed information about the way we can prepare cold-brewed coffee and its differences with hot-brewed coffee types. If you want to buy a memorable gift for coffee lovers, read this article: +10 Great Gift Suggestions For Coffee Lovers
Contents
What is cold brew?
Many people may think that the only way to prepare a tasty fresh drink by coffee is to use hot water for brewing. Of course, we have different types of coffee that are served hot and fresh and they are very flavorful and tasty as well.
But, due to the using of cold water for preparing the drink, cold brew is different. Also, it takes much longer to have a cold brewed coffee and this means that you will have a quite different beverage at the end.
It worth mentioning that in term of taste, cold brew is heavier and more smooth than hot brewed coffee types. It is acidity is also lower. What is the acidity of coffee? Reading this article is recommended.
What is the history of cold brewed coffee?
For centuries, cold brew was around in some areas. Also, some people may have experienced it during past decades.
But, in the last ten years, this method has become a staple and more people recognize it. they also may drink it occasionally.
In fact, in a study that was conducted by the national coffee association in the united states, 80 percent of respondents in 2019, who were under 40, knew about cold brew coffee. 20 percent of them occasionally had it as a beverage.
Back in 2011, the situation was quite different and many people did not know anything about this type of coffee. At that time, it was even hard to describe the differences between cold brew and iced coffee. Do you want to know how iced caramel coffee is made? Follow this recipe: Iced Caramel Coffee Recipe
Also in the past several years, some people thought that cold brew, kept in brown bottles, were beer and did not have any idea that this thing is something else and has another name.
Reading this article is recommended: Cold Coffee Vs Frappe Coffee
How to make cold brew?
First of all, remember that in cold brewing process, the amount of coffee, water, or their ratio is not as important as it is in hot brewing methods.
Therefore, for example you do not need to scale them or to care about brewing time.
You just need to have some coffee and water as well as a bit of patience. In fact, the patience is the defining factor for having a cold brewed coffee and without it you may have nothing to drink.
Steps to make cold brew
Here, we’ll briefly mention the main steps:
- Provide some coffee and grind it coarsely.
- Add some cold water to the coffee grounds.
- Let the mixture to sit for hours.
- Strain and if you wish make it diluter
Can I add milk or ice to cold brew?
Yes, of course. You can add milk, ice, or anything else that you may prefer.
therefore, to have your final product, you can try several additives in different concentrates to eventually have your best recipe. In this article, we introduced the best herbal milk suitable for coffee. Click and read: Best Plant Based Milks for Coffee and Latte Art
Which type of coffee is better for cold brewing?
Simply, you can have any type of coffee bean like Arabica or Robusta to brew your cold drink. There is no strict rule to use one of them.
So, feel comfortable and buy the coffee beans that you may desire more.
It worth mentioning that some baristas may prefer light roasted beans. They think lighter roasted coffee grounds may shine better in this method. Especially, if you prefer to serve coffee without milk, to have a better tasting drink, light roasting is recommended.
What is the taste and main properties of cold brew?
It may have the following characteristics:
- Chocolaty flavor
- Heavy body
- Low acidity
but, if you serve it with milk or other additives, the taste can be different.
Importance of water in cold brewing
The effect of good water on the taste of drink is huge. Therefore, try to use best cold water. Perhaps, in some area the tap water is good. but, in other areas, having a filtered water will give a much better result.
Cold brewing and French press
It is a good idea to use a French press as a vessel for making a mouthfeel cold brewed drink. Because by having a French press, you can filter the grounds by using the plunger. It also will give a grittier texture.
Cold brew vs hot brew methods
Comparing the cold and hot processes by considering several aspects is possible.
Many types of hot coffees are brewed by using around 15 to 18 g of hot water and one gram of coffee grounds.
But, in cold brewing, you may use 5 g of water and 1 gram of coffee grounds.
Therefore, the concentration of coffee compounds after (waiting for hours) may be higher in cold brew and for this reason you will have more caffeine.
As you know, the aim of brewing process is to extract coffee compounds that provide a unique flavor.
Caffeine is the most well-known compound in coffee grounds.
There is no difference between coffee drinks and both methods will give you this compounds at the end but in a different way by different concentrates.
How long can we keep cold brew?
If you keep cold brew in a fridge, it usually last for a week. It worth mentioning that cleaning brewing equipment is an important factor to remove old coffee oils and hence to allows the new brewed coffee to last longer. But under any condition, if you feel a change in the taste of coffee, it is better not to use it.
Final thought
As long as you can wait for brewing a coffee, it’s a good idea to try a cold brewed coffee in your home. By having patience for more than 7 hours, it is easy to make a great cup of drink by using cold water.
Therefore, even many people usually have a desire to drink hot coffee types, everybody can have a fun and make a different type of coffee.
If you want to try it at home, remember that there is no special way to cold brew coffee and therefore you can feel free to find your own way of brewing.
