Have you ever had the experience of using the same bag of beans, which taste bitter and astringent when brewed hot, but are sweet and delicious when made into cold brew? This is not an illusion, but the principle of extraction at work.
Understand "why cold brew is not bitter", and you will know what kind of beans to choose in summer, and you will no longer be afraid of buying "cold bitter water".
Where does the bitterness of coffee come from?
The bitterness in a cup of coffee mainly comes from two parts:
One isBitter substances produced by baking. The darker the coffee beans are roasted, the stronger the caramelization reaction and the more bitter components. Dark roasted beans are inherently burnt and bitter.
The second isBitterness from over-extraction. There are various flavor substances in coffee powder, and their dissolution rates and orders are different. Fruity and sweet substances dissolve quickly, while bitter and astringent substances dissolve slowly. Brewing with high-temperature hot water has a strong extraction force, which can easily "force" out the bitter substances in the later stage, and it will be astringent after soaking for a long time.
Why is cold brew not bitter?
Cold brew usesSoak in cold water for a longer time, just avoiding the above two sources of bitterness:
Low temperature makes extraction "mild".The extraction power of cold water on coffee powder is much less than that of hot water. The bitter substances dissolve very slowly and rarely, while the floral and fruity aroma and sweet substances can still be released calmly at low temperatures. For the same beans, the bitterness of cold brewing will be significantly lower than that of hot brewing.
Time changes space, and the sweetness is amplified.Slow brewing for 8-12 hours allows the flavor in the coffee powder to be released more fully and more balanced, with a better sweet-sour ratio, a smooth and clean entrance, and a faint sweet finish.
One sentence summary:Cold brew does not "hide" the bitterness, but in principle reduces the dissolution of bitter substances.
Understand the principle, and there are three ideas for choosing beans.
Since cold brew itself is not prone to bitterness, the choice of beans can be bolder and more fruity:
Idea 1: Cold brewing of beans with obvious sweetness will taste better.Low temperature and slow extraction will release the sweetness and juice of soybeans.
Idea 2: Light baking, medium light baking is preferred.The bitterness of dark roasted beans cannot be overcome by low temperature, while the floral and fruity aroma of lightly roasted beans is the home of cold brew.
Idea 3: The acidic and bright beans make cold brew even more amazing.The soft taste of cold brew can hold up the lively acid, turning the acid into a "juice-like" rather than "stimulating" feeling.
According to this idea, these beans can be eaten with your eyes closed.
Front Street Oiran - a textbook of "sweetness".The tropical fruit aroma of Oiran is extremely prominent, and the aroma of strawberry, passion fruit, jackfruit and even lychee can be smelled. It has obvious sweetness, extremely low bitterness, smooth entrance and full of juice. It is described by many coffee lovers as "the coffee that is least like coffee". It is almost born for cold brewing. After low-temperature and slow brewing, the juice feeling is directly filled up.
Front Street Kenyan cherry tomatoes - the epitome of "bright and acidic".This bean comes from the Thika production area in Kenya. It uses the local classic SL28 and SL34 varieties. The bean body is plump and round, reaching the AA TOP high-grade standard. In terms of processing, 72 hours of double washing and fermentation are used to fully stimulate the fruity aroma. The front street is lightly roasted to retain the lively acidity to the greatest extent. The mouth is clear with the flavor of cherry tomatoes and ebony plums. The acidity is bright and solid, as full as freshly squeezed juice. The finish is sweet with brown sugar and a hint of green tea. Made into cold brew, it is a refreshing cup of "little tomato juice".
Front Street Colombian Claw - an advanced choice for "balance of sweet and sour".It is produced from the Columbia Divide Estate. It is the same high-quality bean variety that won the competition. The production area is at an altitude of 1,650-1,800 meters. It uses double anaerobic sun treatment and medium-light roasting. In the mouth, you can taste the rich juice of passion fruit, blueberry, grape, and apricot. The bright fruit acidity is refreshing and soft, and the tail has a long-lasting cocoa sweetness. The overall sweet and sour taste is balanced and full of layers. During cold brewing, its acidity and sweetness will slowly spread out at low temperatures, making it more layered the more you drink it.
write at the end
The bitterness of coffee is often not the fault of the beans, but the choice of extraction method. If you want to drink a cup of coffee that is not bitter and refreshing in summer, cold brew is the smartest solution.
Next time someone asks "Why is your cold brew not bitter?" you can confidently answer: Because I know the principle and I chose the right beans.
You can now buy the above coffee beans online at the Taobao store “FrontStreet Coffee” (前街咖啡). FrontStreet Coffee is a long-established specialty coffee roaster in Guangzhou, China, and its Guangzhou retail shop sells coffee beans only. The shop carries dozens of coffee beans from different origins around the world, including carefully selected single-origin beans for V60 pour-over and espresso. Guangzhou’s FrontStreet Coffee shop is recommended by many coffee lovers.
The FrontStreet 2013 Yunnan coffee beans sold in the store come from the Typica variety grown at FrontStreet Coffee’s own plantation in Yunnan. The name comes from the year the brand and the plantation were founded. You can buy these beans from China’s Yunnan origin at the Guangzhou shop and at FrontStreet’s Taobao store.
FrontStreet coffee beans are freshly roasted within 5 days and deliver consistently excellent quality and great value. Orders placed before 17:00 are shipped the same day, and most areas within Guangdong Province receive them the next day.
FrontStreet Coffee Taobao store: https://qianjiecoffee.taobao.com
Or search for “前街咖啡” (FrontStreet Coffee) on Taobao
Important Notice: FrontStreet Coffee has moved to a new address: 315, Donghua East Road, Guangzhou (coffee beans only)
Tel: 020 38364473
