Are Yirgacheffe Coffee Beans for Hand Brew Good Cold?

Washed Yirgacheffe from the Gedeb cooperative in the Gedeo Zone is a strong pick for cold brew. Grown at 2,000 to 2,100 meters from heirloom varieties and graded G1, it shows jasmine florals and citrus notes. A 1:10 coffee-to-water ratio, extracted slowly at low temperature for 12 to 14 hours, yields a sweet, tart, floral cup at home.

The flavor starts with careful processing. Cherries are delivered within 6 to 12 hours of picking, soaked and screened, pulped, then fermented 18 to 36 hours to remove mucilage before washing, sorting and 5 to 14 days of drying. A medium-light roast preserves those delicate aromatics, which is why these coffee beans for hand brew also work so well in cold water.

The Yirgacheffe region has long been famous for its bright citrus fruit notes, and the Front Street washed Gedingding produced by the Gedingding Cooperative in the Gedeo Zone, with its meticulous processing, presents full jasmine floral aromas and citrus flavors, making it a top choice for many enthusiasts when making cold brew. This article first introduces the origin background and complete washed process of this bean, from soaking and screening within 6 to 12 hours after picking, to pulping and depulping, 18 to 36 hours of fermentation for demucilage, washing and sorting, and 5 to 14 days of drying, sorting out the reasons for its flavor one by one. Then it explains the purpose of a medium-light roast and shares a super simple Yirgacheffe cold brew recipe step by step, using a 1:10 coffee-to-water ratio and slow extraction at low temperature for 12 to 14 hours, so you can also get a rich, sweet-and-tart floral and fruity cold brew at home.

Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Banko Gotiti Coop

Front Street Customer Service · Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Gedingding Cooperative

Country: Ethiopia

Region: Yirgacheffe Gedeo Zone

Altitude: 2000-2100m

Variety: Heirloom

Processing Method: Washed

Grade: G1

Among the many coffee-producing regions known for citrus fruit notes, Yirgacheffe has always been one of the most sought after. It has produced a particularly outstanding high-quality single origin, namely the Front Street washed Gedingding from the Gedingding Cooperative. It not only continues the classic style of Yirgacheffe, but also, because the processing steps are more meticulous, shows bright and full jasmine floral aromas and citrus flavors, making it especially suitable for cold brew coffee.

The reason Front Street · Gedingding Cooperative can accumulate such rich floral and fruity aromas is, on the one hand, thanks to Yirgacheffe's superior natural conditions, and on the other hand, inseparable from the local community's already quite mature washed processing technology. After being picked, the fresh coffee cherries are not left for long, usually being sent to the processing point within 6 to 12 hours. The first step is weighing, after which the fruit is immersed in water to pick out those cherries that float due to poor quality.

Next, the fruit is sent into a pulper for depulping, a step intended to separate the skin and pulp from the coffee fruit. After removing the skin and pulp, the parchment beans are moved into fermentation tanks or barrels and left to rest for 18 to 36 hours, during which enzymes break down the remaining mucilage and pectin. After demucilage is completed, the fruit is washed in the tank with an appropriate amount of clean water; during washing, stirring carries away the pectin breakdown residue attached to the surface of the beans, and what ultimately remains is the coffee parchment layer, silver skin, and green beans.

After washing, the coffee beans still need to go through sorting to remove defective beans. They are then sent to drying areas, which may be tarps, concrete patios, or raised beds, depending on the conditions. The drying time is affected by factors such as climate and environment, ranging from as short as 5 days to as long as 14 days. During this process, the moisture content of the coffee beans drops from 55% to 11%.

For Front Street washed Gedingding, in order to fully express its floral and fruity notes, a medium-light roast approach is chosen, which not only preserves the citric acidity but also brings out caramel notes, making the overall mouthfeel richer in layers.

A super simple method for making Yirgacheffe cold brew

1. Prepare 50g of freshly roasted Front Street · Gedingding Cooperative coffee beans and grind them to a sugar-like particle size (80% passing a No. 20 standard sieve).

2. Pour the ground coffee into a sealed bottle and add 500ml of room-temperature water.

3. Cover with the lid and shake evenly, then place in the refrigerator for 12-14 hours for low-temperature slow extraction.

4. After the time is up, use filter paper (or a strainer) to separate the coffee grounds. The resulting coffee liquid can be enjoyed immediately, or refrigerated and consumed within two days.

5. Because this method uses a 1:10 ratio to make cold brew coffee, allowing as much material as possible to dissolve in less water, the resulting cold brew coffee will appear rich, with abundant sweet-and-tart fruit flavors. You can also add an appropriate amount of ice cubes to dilute and chill it, making it even more refreshing and cool to drink.

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