Which coffee bean mixture suits cold brew, and at what ratio?

Any single-origin bean used for pour-over can also be used for cold brew, though the resulting cup changes with roast level and origin. Front Street brews with 60 g of coffee to 600 ml of liquid, a 1:10 ratio, grinding slightly finer than pour-over so about 85 percent passes an 850-micron sieve.

Water is mixed with ice at 1:1, the valve set to 7 drops every 10 seconds, and extraction runs 6 to 8 hours. The coffee is then bottled and chilled for 12 hours. Front Street's own street coffee recipes include Costa Rica Mozart with dark berry and wine notes, Kenya Little Tomato, Indonesia Golden Mandheling, and a Sherry-Beethoven blend with whiskey aroma and vanilla cream.

What coffee beans are suitable for cold brew coffee? This is a question many customers often ask when they visit the shop. In this installment of Barista Growth Diary, we'll explore this topic. First, we'll introduce Front Street's equipment for making cold brew coffee, including the powder-to-water ratio, grind size, flow rate, and extraction time, and then explain that theoretically, any single-origin beans used for pour-over can also be used for cold brew. Next, we'll share four of Front Street's commonly made cold brew recipes: Costa Rica Mozart brings dark berry and fermented wine notes, Kenya Little Tomato offers a refreshing fruity taste, Indonesia Golden Mandheling breaks the misconception that dark roast cold brew must be bitter, and the blend of Sherry and Beethoven interweaves whiskey aroma with vanilla cream. At the end, we encourage everyone to experiment more according to their own taste.

Not long ago, a customer visiting the shop asked, "What kind of coffee beans should be chosen for making cold brew coffee?" To address such questions, this installment of Barista Growth Diary will provide answers for everyone!

How does Front Street make cold brew coffee? The cold brew tower used by Front Street is the Tiamo HG2713, which is a relatively large cold brew pot. Its components include an upper water container, a glass powder cup, a serpentine coil, and a lower coffee pot. Some cold brew pots have an integrated design and may omit the serpentine coil, but these differences do not affect the production of cold brew coffee, so everyone can choose according to their needs.

When Front Street uses this cold brew tower, 60g of coffee powder is placed in the powder cup, and 600ml of coffee liquid is ultimately extracted, achieving a powder-to-liquid ratio of 1:10. In terms of grind size, it is slightly finer than pour-over coffee, and if measured with an 850mm sieve, the pass-through rate is about 85%. The ratio of ice water mixture is 1:1, and the throttle valve controls the flow rate to 7 drops every 10 seconds, with the entire extraction process lasting about 6 to 8 hours. After extraction, it is bottled and refrigerated for 12 hours before drinking.

The cold brew coffee made this way is generally quite concentrated. When serving, Front Street adds ice to chill and dilute it, allowing it to maintain its condition for a longer time when tasted.

What coffee beans does Front Street Coffee use for cold brew? Theoretically, any single-origin coffee beans used for pour-over can also be used for cold brew coffee. Below are a few cold brew recipes that Front Street frequently makes.

① Dark berry type: 60 grams of Front Street Costa Rica Mozart. Front Street Mozart beans are processed using the anaerobic honey method and have a very distinctive raisin aroma. When made into cold brew, the flavors of blueberry, black grape, and fermented wine become very prominent, with a refreshing taste that lingers on the palate.

② Refreshing and clean type: 60 grams of Front Street Little Tomato. Front Street Kenya Little Tomato has quite lively acidity, resembling a glass of juice overall. When used for cold brew, it brings out the fresh aroma of cherry tomatoes and grapefruit, with a refreshing and light acidity on the palate, making it very suitable for summer drinking.

③ Sweet and delicious type: 60 grams of Front Street Indonesia Golden Mandheling. Few shops use dark roast coffee for cold brew, and those who haven't tried it might think that cold brew made from dark roast beans would be very bitter, but that's not actually the case. Following Front Street's cold brew method, after putting it in the refrigerator for 24 hours and then adding ice, Front Street Golden Mandheling cold brew coffee presents a sweet taste with a hint of chocolate bitterness, overall very clear, and the rich fermented feel is comforting.

④ Front Street Classic Cold Brew: 30 grams of Front Street Sherry + 30 grams of Front Street Beethoven. This is Front Street's own cold brew recipe, and it's a combination that many customers enjoy. When making it, mix Front Street Honduras Sherry coffee beans and Front Street Costa Rica Beethoven coffee beans in proportion before grinding. Once made into cold brew, the rich whiskey aroma, refreshing citrus fruit, and full-bodied vanilla cream blend together, leaving an endless aftertaste.

Due to limited space, Front Street has only listed the 4 most popular cold brew recipes here. You can also try using other coffee beans to make cold brew and find a combination that suits your taste—you might just discover an unexpected surprise!

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