For more knowledge about specialty coffee, please follow the WeChat public account: FrontStreet Coffee
Recently, more and more friends are making ice-brewed coffee at home, such as cold brew coffee and ice-drip coffee. Front Street’s pre-made iced drip coffee is also in short supply. Many friends have also asked, how long can ice-brewed coffee be kept in the refrigerator?
What’s the secret of cold-brewed coffee extracted at low temperature?
Cold brew coffee and ice-drip coffee are both low-temperature extractions. The temperature of the contact between water and coffee powder will be controlled between 0-7°C. The only difference is that cold-brew coffee is brewed at low temperature, while ice-drip coffee is filtered at low temperature. If you put the type of coffee brewed in regular hot water, cold brew corresponds to immersion extraction such as French press and smart cup, while ice drip corresponds to drip extraction represented by Pour over(V60) coffee. The former has a more balanced taste, while the latter tends to have more distinct layers.
Speaking of low-temperature extraction, the reason why cold brew and ice-drip coffee are so popular is that they have the advantage of taking advantage of the low efficiency of low-temperature extraction to reduce the release of bitter macromolecules, so the ice-drip coffee we drink will be refreshing and rich in sweet and sour flavor.
What equipment do I need to buy to make cold brew or ice dripping?
Normally, if we want to make the same style of iced coffee as in the coffee shop, Front Street will recommend that we buy special cold brew pots and ice dripping pot equipment, which can effectively control the extraction. However, because the principle of cold brew coffee is simple and low-temperature extraction is used, it does not rely much on equipment. We can just find a clean and sealable container at home, so that we can save money and buy more bags of coffee beans.
For ice dripping, not only do you need a container for ice water, but you also have higher requirements for a uniform water dripping valve, so it is difficult for us to find a "replacement product". We still recommend that you buy an ice dripping pot directly.
In fact, in addition to ice dripping equipment, choosing the right coffee beans is also crucial. If you like sour and sweet cold brew, we recommend the three specialty coffee beans of Front Street Dingding, Front Street Strawberry Candy, and Front Street Oiran. They are not only full of fruity aroma, but also present a delicate sweet and sour taste after low-temperature extraction. If you prefer a balanced taste, we recommend Front Street and Diamond Mountain. , Front Street Kafa Forest, Front Street Geisha Village Chaka, all have good sour, sweet, bitter and sweet flavors; but if you are a person who only loves mellow dark roast coffee, then you should start with single-origin coffees such as Front Street Queen’s Manor, Front Street Bird of Paradise, Front Street Golden Mandheling, and Front Street Whelan.
Can I drink iced drip coffee directly after it is made?
Judging from previous experience, ice-drip coffee will taste better if it is placed in the refrigerator for 10 to 12 hours.
Iced coffee is usually made at room temperature (26-28°C) and takes about 6-8 hours to make, which is shorter than the time required for cold brew coffee. The temperature of the freshly made ice-drip coffee is about 15°C, and it has an obvious stratification effect (the color is darker at the bottom and lighter at the top). This is because more coffee substances are extracted at the beginning, while less coffee substances are extracted by the subsequent water drops. In addition, the temperature of the coffee liquid is low and it is not easy to flow, so it is prone to stratification with inconsistent concentrations.
At this time, the flavor of ice-drip coffee will not be very rich, and only the mid-to-front flavor of the coffee beans itself will be retained. Front Street usually pours the finished ice-drip coffee into a glass bottle with a sealing rubber ring and puts it in the refrigerator to rest for 12 hours before drinking. The process of pouring coffee into a glass bottle can mix coffee liquid with inconsistent concentrations, and choosing a container with good sealing performance can ensure that it is not contaminated by the outside world. The surface of the refrigerator may seem clean, but in fact there are many microorganisms that are difficult to detect with the naked eye.
Place it in the refrigerator for 12 hours of low-temperature fermentation, which will give the ice-drip coffee an aromatic fermentation aroma, and the original flavor will become richer. Fermentation is very common in life, and uncontrolled fermentation can lead to food spoilage. In a low-temperature environment, this process can be effectively slowed down, and Front Street has also proven that ice-drip coffee made from most coffee beans has the most delicious flavor after being chilled for 12 hours.
How long can I keep ice brewed coffee/cold brew coffee?
Many friends are very concerned about this issue. The flavor of coffee brewed with hot water is generally greatly weakened after being left for an hour, or even disappears. However, coffee made at low temperature and stored at low temperature can be stored for a longer period of time. Iced coffee has the best flavor after being chilled for 12 hours. Cold brew coffee has the best flavor after filtering the grounds and then chilling for 4 hours. The longer it is left, the stronger the fermentation smell of the coffee will become, eventually covering up the aroma of the coffee itself.
Front Street also mentioned above that low-temperature controlled fermentation only slows down the fermentation speed, and over time, ice-drip coffee will eventually become rancid. Generally, it is relatively safe to store ice-drip coffee in the refrigerator for 5 days. Ice-drip coffee stored for more than 5 days is prone to rancidity and other spoiled flavors. Since cold brew coffee is made and stored at low temperatures, it can generally be stored in the refrigerator for 7 days.
Whether it is ice drip or cold brew coffee, Front Street recommends drinking it within 5 days. Although ice-drip coffee may not necessarily deteriorate or taste bad after 5 days, for the sake of flavor experience and health and safety, the tasting period of ice-drip coffee produced by Front Street is set at 4 to 5 days.
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
