What Grind and Ratio Should Cold Brew Coffee Powder Use?

Cold brew coffee is made by soaking coarsely ground coffee in cold water for at least 12 hours, then filtering it. The low extraction temperature is what separates it from regular iced coffee, which is brewed hot and then chilled. A coarse grind and a long steep give a smooth, low-acid cup, and the process needs no special skill beyond a bottle, beans, and time.

For coffee powder preparation, a medium-coarse to coarse grind keeps the bed easy to filter and limits bitterness. A ratio near 1:8 to 1:15 by weight works for concentrate or ready-to-drink strength, with 12 to 24 hours of steeping; a longer soak of 24 to 48 hours adds body. Stored sealed in the refrigerator, the brew keeps for about a week, and it can be served over ice or diluted to taste.

In the heat of midsummer, a glass of iced coffee always brings instant refreshment. Cold brew coffee, with its simple preparation and smooth taste, has become a favorite among many office workers. It requires no complicated techniques—just a bottle, a bag of beans, and a night of waiting, and the next day you can enjoy a rich, full-bodied iced coffee. So, what exactly is the difference between cold brew coffee and regular iced coffee? How fine should the grind be? What powder-to-water ratio is appropriate? And how should extraction temperature and time be controlled? In this article, Front Street Coffee will systematically explain the brewing parameters, flavor characteristics, and storage methods of cold brew coffee, helping you easily make a delicious cup of cold brew.

In the scorching summer, drinking a cup of iced coffee instantly refreshes the whole body. Today Front Street Coffee would like to talk with you about cold brew coffee. Cold brew coffee is deeply favored by office workers—why is that? Front Street Coffee believes that the key to its popularity lies in its extremely low barrier to entry; compared with pour-over coffee, it is simply far too easy.

Next, Front Street Coffee will explain cold brew coffee in detail.

Since it is called cold brew coffee, from the literal meaning, cold brew coffee (Cold Brew Coffee) is coffee extracted at a relatively low temperature. Many people confuse it with iced coffee, whereas iced coffee generally refers to coffee first extracted at high temperature and then cooled with ice when served. Therefore, the most fundamental difference between cold brew coffee and regular iced coffee lies in the extraction temperature. So what exactly is cold brew coffee? The English name for cold brew coffee is Cold Brew Coffee, and the method is to grind coffee beans into powder, soak them in cold water, usually for no less than 12 hours, and then filter and extract with the help of professional equipment. If you want a richer mouthfeel, you can also extend the soaking time to 24 to 48 hours.

Front Street Coffee believes that although cold brew coffee takes a long time, the making process requires almost no skill—a bottle, a bag of beans, one night, and after waking up you can drink a full-bodied, rich iced coffee. This is also the reason many people love cold brew coffee. The principle of cold brew coffee is not complicated; as long as you get the powder-to-water ratio right and soak for more than 12 hours, you can get a refreshing cup of coffee. Grind and brew at home the night before, put it in the refrigerator to chill overnight, and the next morning you can drink cold coffee—that feeling is indeed very pleasant, isn't it?

The extraction method of cold brew coffee is different from that of pour-over coffee. Far fewer bitter components are extracted at low temperature, and the preparation method is simple. Front Street Coffee believes anyone can make delicious cold brew coffee, provided of course that the powder-to-water ratio is accurate.

Front Street Coffee's method for making cold brew coffee

As Front Street Coffee mentioned earlier, the method for making cold brew coffee is very simple, especially compared with pour-over, which is even more straightforward. As long as the parameters are correct, you can easily make delicious iced coffee. So, when making cold brew coffee, how should parameters such as grind size and powder-to-water ratio be determined?

Front Street Coffee usually recommends a powder-to-water ratio of 1:12 for cold brew coffee, that is, based on 50 grams of coffee powder, which gives a cold brew concentration that is just right and can be drunk directly without dilution. Some friends also like to add milk, soda water, or use it to make fancy coffee; in that case, the coffee concentration needs to be increased. Front Street Coffee recommends a ratio of 1:10 for cold brew coffee used to make specialty coffee.

Grind size for cold brew coffee

Coffee grind size is closely related to the brewing method. Because cold brew coffee is extracted by soaking in ice water, the extraction efficiency is very low. In other words, there is no need to worry at all about over-extraction. When Front Street Coffee makes cold brew coffee, the grind size chosen is slightly finer than for pour-over, with a reference standard of 85% passing through a No. 20 standard sieve, and the fewer fines the better. However, Front Street Coffee would like to remind everyone: although low-temperature extraction can reduce the production of bitter substances, it is not 100 percent. If the grind is too fine, after the sour and sweet substances in the coffee powder are quickly extracted, the full-bodied substances will be released along with them. An appropriate amount of full-bodied substances can enhance the body of the coffee, but once the soaking time is too long, a woody taste will appear, reducing the overall cleanliness of the coffee.

Powder-to-water ratio

Some friends may ask: exactly how much water should be used for soaking? Front Street Coffee's standard is a ratio of powder, water, and ice of 1:8:4, meaning the actual powder-to-water ratio is 1:12. The ice is added to ensure the water temperature is low enough and keep the extraction efficiency at a stable level.

Temperature

Front Street Coffee has told everyone before: the water temperature for pour-over coffee is related to the roast level, while the temperature for cold brew coffee does not need strict control—just put it in the refrigerator for low-temperature extraction. The time required for low-temperature extraction is 24 hours. So can cold brew coffee be extracted at room temperature? Cold brew coffee can certainly be extracted at room temperature, but the extraction time should be shortened accordingly. Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) recommends shortening the time to 8 to 12 hours for room-temperature extraction.

Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee)'s cold brew method is based on 50 grams of coffee powder. After grinding the coffee beans, place them in a clean, oil-free sealed container, add 400 milliliters of room-temperature water and 200 grams of hard ice cubes (a total ice-water mixture of 600 grams), cover with the lid and shake gently to ensure the coffee powder and ice water are fully in contact, then put it in the refrigerator and let it sit for 12 to 24 hours. After extraction is complete, filter out the coffee grounds with filter paper or a fine mesh strainer, then store the coffee liquid in a clean sealed bottle and refrigerate for about 4 hours before drinking.

How long can cold brew coffee be stored after filtering is complete? Front Street Coffee has discussed how to drink pour-over coffee: different temperatures give different flavors, but it should not be left too long—for example, for a day—and should still be finished as soon as possible. Cold brew coffee is different. Theoretically, the longer cold brew coffee sits, the stronger the fermented taste becomes. But excessive fermentation will cause the coffee to lose its original flavor. For friends who do not like too strong a fermented taste, Front Street Coffee does not recommend trying it casually. The best time to taste cold brew coffee is 2 to 3 days after filtering out the grounds, and the storage time is recommended not to exceed 7 days.

Low temperature and long extraction time are the two major characteristics of cold brew coffee, and also the main differences between cold brew coffee and hot brew coffee. Hot brew coffee uses hot water to extract coffee powder, at a temperature between 88 and 91°C, generally no more than 5 minutes. The fastest espresso (Espresso) takes only 18 to 23 seconds, while cold brew coffee far exceeds hot brew coffee in time. Speaking of the long extraction time of cold brew coffee, Front Street Coffee uses a rather poetic phrase to describe it: "What you drink is not just a cup of coffee, but a long wait."

Characteristics of cold brew coffee

In terms of flavor, high temperature causes the tannic acid in coffee to decompose into caffeic acid, bringing sourness and bitterness. Studies have shown that the acidic substances in cold brew coffee are 67% lower than in hot brew methods. Therefore, compared with hot brew coffee and iced coffee made by adding ice after hot brewing, coffee made by the cold brew process has a lower sour and astringent taste, and is thus widely popular. For friends who do not like sour coffee, cold brew coffee is very suitable.

In addition, Front Street Coffee found that low temperature and long contact with coffee powder allow only small-molecule flavor substances to be extracted, such as floral and fruity aromas, while larger-molecule flavor substances, such as smoky and roasted notes, are difficult to extract. This is why cold brew coffee does not have a very sensory-impacting aroma when smelled, but tastes smoother, richer, more layered, with obvious sweetness returning, and no greasy feeling.

Of course, all of this is premised on the coffee beans must be fresh. Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) knows well that the freshness of coffee beans greatly affects the flavor. Front Street Coffee's roasting philosophy is "Freshly roasted good coffee," so that every customer who places an order receives the freshest coffee. Therefore, the coffee beans shipped by Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) are all within 5 days of the roasting date. The resting period for coffee is about 4 to 7 days, so when customers receive it, it is exactly at its best flavor.

Front Street Coffee believes that any coffee-making method requires constant practice, so that all the flavors of the coffee can be better expressed. Front Street Coffee has fifty different coffees from different origins, allowing everyone to better taste different coffee flavors; friends can also come to Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) to discuss coffee with our baristas.

The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.