Why is cold brewed coffee softer than hot coffee? Barista names the health benefits

brand manager of the coffee roasting company The Welder Catherine, barista

In summer, the number of orders for iced coffee drinks increases several times over. What are they like and how do you make them yourself?

There are two main ways to get cold brew coffee – infuse it in cold water for a few hours or brew it in hot water using any method and then chill it. The first option is called cold brew.

These methods differ not only in brewing speed, but also in flavor. Coffee has a complex chemical composition, containing acids, caffeine, oils, carbohydrates, proteins, fiber and water, so its flavor unfolds differently at different temperatures.

Slow cold brew coffee

Cold brew originated in the 17th century in Japan. At that time, Japanese sailors prepared cold coffee drinks on ships for safety reasons – to avoid fires when preparing a hot drink. The distinctive feature of coffee brewed in cold water is its less pronounced acidity.

Simple chemistry: acids and oils in coffee beans dissolve less well in cold water, so Cold Brew has about 70% less acidity than regular coffee. This is actually why it is milder. Depending on the recipe, you can achieve different concentration and saturation of flavor, but, as a rule, due to the long brewing time, the drink turns out to be denser.

The final flavor is certainly influenced by the type of coffee, the degree of roasting and the parameters of the recipe (ratio of water to coffee, grind, brewing time). For example, Ethiopian beans with medium or light roasting reveal floral and fruity notes in Kold Brew, while darker roasting results in a drink with a “burnt” and bitter flavor.

So, what is kold bru:

• Long brewing time (8 to 24 hours depending on the recipe);
• coarse grind;
• light to medium roast coffee;
• cold water.

There are different devices for brewing kold brulee – some of them work by the drip method, where water is very slowly drawn through and drips through the coffee (hence the name drip), meaning it is filtered immediately.

There is the immersion method, or infusion method, where the drink is simply poured with water, infused for a few hours, and then passed through a filter. For the second method, an ordinary jar or any other container will do.

Nuances of the method

1. To the many hours of insistence can be added another important condition – low temperature during preparation. According to sanitary norms, food and beverages cannot be left at a temperature above 5°C for more than two hours, this rule is true for both coffee shops and home brewing. Therefore, kold bru should be infused in the refrigerator in any case.

2. Cold brew itself is a low-acid beverage, so it has a relatively short shelf life. It can be kept in the refrigerator for 3 to 14 days, depending on the method of preparation and concentration.

Of course, the utensils and equipment used to prepare it must be properly sterilized. If the drink is then transferred into a bottle, it must be labeled.

3 One of the factors that can significantly spoil the taste of Cold Brew, making it rough and “dusty” is insufficient filtration. To avoid this, ideally you should run it through a special paper filter through any device for manual brewing – a funnel Hario, Kalita, aeropress.

Quick cold brew coffee

The second, more traditional way to get cold brew coffee is to brew it in the usual way with hot water and cool it down. This can be done with ice or simply in the refrigerator.

The nuances of the method are.

1. Hot temperatures more strongly reveal the palette of flavors, the coffee has a better sense of aroma and sweetness, and when it cools down it becomes more acidic.

2 A cooled cup of coffee is a litmus test for all roasting defects, brewing errors, and unsuitable water. If the beverage was prepared without following the recipe or if poor quality beans were used, it will become even more obvious when it cools down.

3. cooled black coffee is recommended to store at room temperature for no more than a day, and in the refrigerator – no more than three.

Cold coffee cocktails

Often chilled coffee and cold brew are used as a base for making various cocktails: additional ingredients can be added, such as milk, juice, ice cream, sweeteners.

Ais-latte – espresso with milk, syrup and ice, as well as frappuccino – a cold version of cappuccino, where the airy texture and foam are created not by the steamer of a coffee machine, but by whipping coffee together with milk, ice and syrup in a blender.

For those who prefer drinks without milk, you can try “bumble” – an iced espresso, orange juice and syrup (usually caramel), or espresso tonic – a refreshing, invigorating, moderately tart drink with a balance of acidity and bitterness due to the addition of citrus and tonic.

Ready-to-drink coffee in cans

The most affordable format of coffee, which in principle does not need to be prepared – just open the can. It is convenient to take it with you on the road, on a walk, at work. The main feature and advantage of the drink in a can is that it is already brewed according to a certain verified recipe. But it is important to pay attention to the composition, so that there were no flavor enhancers, flavorings and dyes.

The shelf life of such a drink is one and a half years. Now on the market there are many options: classic black coffee without sweeteners, coffee lemonade, milk drinks – latte, raffa. If desired, coffee from a can can be poured into a cup and heated in the microwave.