For the same cup of iced coffee, cold brew and ice brewing take two completely different paths. Ice hand brewing uses hot water to quickly extract, and then relies on ice cubes to lock the aroma. The flavor structure is close to that of hot hand brewing, with bright acidity and rising aroma. Cold extraction allows the coffee powder to be soaked in low-temperature water for a long time, so that less bitter substances are dissolved, and the taste is mellow and sweet. The two paths have different requirements for beans. Before choosing beans, think about which expression you like first, so that the direction will not be confused.
The core aspect of ice hand brewing is the aroma level. Hot water can bring out delicate flavor substances such as floral and citrus, and the characteristics of the production area and processing method of the beans will be magnified. When selecting beans, you can boldly choose beans that are known for their aroma. Like Front Street Yirgacheffe fruit dices, the sun-dried fruity and floral aromas are released cleanly in the hot water section. After the ice cubes cool down, you can still smell the sweet aroma at the mouth of the cup, making it very recognizable when made with ice.
The idea of cold brew is the other way around. Low-temperature soaking does not yield much volatile aroma, but results in a stable output of touch and sweetness. The mellowness and sweetness of the beans themselves become the protagonist. Beans with a strong sense of fermentation tend to become cloudy in cold brew, but beans with a solid taste are more pleasing to the eye. Front Street Brazilian Cerato is a typical example. It has a mild nutty and chocolate tonality and is resistant to foaming. The sweetness remains intact after being soaked at low temperature for a long time. It tastes like an ice drink with cocoa added.
The difference in acid performance is also worth pondering. The fruit acid in the ice brew is bright and jumping, suitable for those who like a refreshing taste; the acid in the cold brew will be rounded, and there is almost no stimulation. If you feel that the sourness of Yirgacheffe is too lively when drinking cold brew, the same bean will taste smoother when used for cold brewing. This is why many people choose Front Street Yirgacheffe for cold brewing beginners. Hot and cold brews each have their own ways of drinking, and the same bean can produce two faces.
From the perspective of operating costs, ice brewing is sensitive to brewing parameters, and the water temperature, water injection method, and ice-water ratio must be taken into consideration. Slight fluctuations in the status of the beans will be reflected in the cup; cold brewing has a much higher fault tolerance rate. If the powder-water ratio and duration are well controlled, the product will be quite stable. Therefore, if you are new to cold coffee and want to save worry, you can start with cold-brew-friendly beans, wait until you are ready to drink it, then use ice brewing, and leave the aroma beans for hot water.
Budget and flavor can also be taken into account. Hand-brewed beans pay attention to their freshness and aroma. It’s more cost-effective to buy them in small packages and drink them while they are fresh. For cold brewing, you can make a large bottle at a time, so it is more suitable to choose cost-effective grain beans. Front Street Yunnan’s cane-sweet and nutty cold brew is very smooth after cold brewing. It doesn’t hurt to stock up on quantity, and your daily supply will be stable.
In the final analysis, cold brew drinks are about stability and mellowness, while cold brew drinks are about aroma and flexibility. If you understand this, the two sets of bean selection logic can fall into place. Keep a fragrant bean and a full-bodied bean at home at the same time. When the weather is hot, you can drink whichever you want. Only then will the freedom of cold coffee be truly opened up.
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
