What is cold brew coffee? Is the same as iced coffee?
Cold brew is getting more and more popular in the coffee lovers world. In this article we will give you the ABC you must have to master this brewing system.
Here you have the quick and short answers to the questions this article will answer:
Are cold brew and iced coffee the same? No.
Which coffee can I use for cold brew? Almost anyone.
How is cold brew made? With long time extraction.
Does cold brew have more caffeine? Yes.
How much does cold brew last? Up to a week.
If you want to have a deeper understanding of these questions, keep reading the article.
Cold brew coffee ABC
Are cold brew and iced coffee the same?
Which coffee can I use for cold brew?
How is cold brew made?
Reasons to drink cold brew
Does cold brew have more caffeine?
How long does cold brew last?
Sum up
Cold brew coffee ABC
Are cold brew and iced coffee the same?
The first thing we must know about cold brew coffee is that it is not the same as iced coffee.
Iced coffee is just a normal brewed coffee but with some ice so it is cold. You can make an iced coffee from every hot brew method, such as espresso, french press, moka, etc.
Cold brew coffee starts from an extraction where the water is room temperature or even cold. While in hot brews the time of extraction varies within the 30 seconds but to the 10 minutes, in cold brew water can be in contact with the coffee beans for several hours. Because of this process we will have variations in texture, flavor, aroma and caffeine.
Which coffee can I use for cold brew?
The short answer is anyone, you can use almost any coffee for cold brew.
You certainly can use any bean variation, any roast but you have to put an eye on the grinding. In Coffee Devotion you can find an entire article talking about the grind size and which one you will need for the most popular brewing systems.
For cold brew you will need an extra coarse grind of your beans if you don't want to have any risk of over extracting your coffee. Remember that in cold brew the coffee beans sit with water for several hours, so a finer grind will be unnecessary.
How is cold brew made?
For brewing your own cold brew coffee the most popular ratio is about 1:8 or 1:9, that would be 450 ml of water for every 50 g of extra coarse ground coffee. But you can change these proportions according to the final beverage you want. For example if you will drink the coffee without any thinners (like milk) you may want to change the ratio up to 1:12.
In a jar put the ground coffee beans and cover them with room temperature water and stir so you get an even soak. Place the jar in the refrigerator and let the extraction happen for anytime between 8 and 24 hours. After that time, filter it and storage it in the fridge.
The less you brew, your coffee will have more acidity and a softer flavor. If you let the extraction all the way through, the final taste will be stronger and with less acidity.
Reasons to drink cold brew
The main advantages of cold brew coffee are in its flavor and in the brewing process.
Cold brew gives you a mild and low acidity cup of coffee, much more than any hot brew method. This characteristic is important for those people who have stomach problems when drinking high acidic beverages.
Cold brew has also a very forgiving brewing process. In some of them, like Moka, if you miss the grind size for a few millimeters your coffee is ruined, in cold brew you have a bigger error range.
The same happens with extraction time. In cold brew you can go anytime between 8 and 24 hours, while in other brewing meethos a couple of seconds difference can be fatal.
Last but not least, with cold brew you can easily make several cups (or liters) of coffee. Just pick a big enough jar and use the same ratio from the recipe. Cold brew is excellent for a big group of coffee drinkers.
Does cold brew have more caffeine?
Yes. Cold brew is a high caffeine beverage and that's the reason why many people choose this brewing method for their first cup of coffee in the morning.
We have a whole article where we explain the reasons that determine the amount of caffeine in a cup of coffee. If you want to deeply understand this topic you should read it.
Time of extraction is one of the factors that determine the amount of caffeine in the coffee. Remember that in cold brew we have periods of 8 to 24 hours of extraction, so we certainly will have a lot of caffeine in our drink.
How long does cold brew last?
At least 5 days and up to a week. Remember to always keep it in the fridge and in an airtight container.
If you already mixed your cold brew coffee with another drink, such as milk, it would not last that long.
The recommendation is always to store the plain coffee and prepare your drinks when you want to drink them. Have a bottle with black cold brew coffee in the fridge and then you can add milk, cream or any other complement you want.
Sum up
So, we have learned that iced coffee and cold brew are not the same. Now you know how to prepare a cold brew, its difference with hot brew in flavor and caffeine, and how and for how long you can store it in the fridge.
Cold brew coffee is an excellent way to always have a cup of coffee available in your fridge, which you can drink cold or heat it up for a hot beverage.