Cold Brew Coffee

What is Cold Brew Coffee?

Cold brew coffee is a method of making coffee by immersing coffee grounds in cold water and then straining it. Cold brew provides a completely new flavor to the original, well-recognized smell and taste of hot brewed coffee. This method of brewing is easy to do and is growing rapidly in popularity, due to its unique taste and healthier status.

Chemistry of Coffee Brewing

The process of brewing coffee revolves around the coffee grounds. Coffee grounds have solubles, which are made up of molecules, and extracting them gives coffee its smell and taste. These solubles dissolve at temperatures between 195 to 205 degrees Fahrenheit. With these high temperatures, it is easier for many solubles to be extracted from the grounds, resulting in a more powerful, stronger taste. Higher temperatures also mean that the solubes become volatile, or unstable, leading to a release of the “coffee smell”. However, at these temperatures more oxygen is required and the grounds inevitably oxidize and degrade chemically, giving the coffee a bitter, acidic taste. While this method of brewing coffee is great for hot coffee, using the

same coffee for an iced beverage (hot coffee over ice) is too strong tasting. It is here that cold brew coffee is the better option.

Difference Between Cold and Hot Brew

As is seen in the name, cold brew and hot brew differ in the temperature of the water used to extract the flavor from the coffee grounds. However, that is not the only difference. The other major difference

between the two brewing processes is time. Hot brew coffee can be brewed in a short amount of time, with the extremely hot water drawing out the flavorful yet sour taste. Cold brew coffee requires lots

of time, as the solubles from the grounds take much longer to extract in cold water. Since the extraction is slow, cold brew should be sat for up to 24 hours or more to pull as many solubles as possible and even then, the coffee grounds needs to be at least double the amount to extract the same amount with cold brew as hot brew does. Without the heat of the water, the solubles do not become volatile and therefore do not emit the coffee aroma. In addition, there is also little to no oxidation or degredation of the grounds, meaning there is no bitter taste to cold brew.

Cold Brew as an Alternative

Cold brew coffee is the better iced coffee drink, proven by chemistry. The cold brew brewing process eliminates the strong, acidic taste of hot coffee and replaces it with a sweet, understated rich flavor. A cold brew coffee is also less likely to be watered down by ice like most iced coffees, since the drink is already cold and doesn’t require it to cool down the drink. Cold brew can be consumed black or with cream/milk and sugar. Although it is more expensive, cold brew can be bought at any coffee shop now, and can also be bought by the bottle.

Works Cited

1. Phung, Alice C. "Coffee Brewing Chemistry: Hot Brew vs. Cold Brew." Scienceandfood. UCLA, 14 Aug. 2014. Web. 23 July 2016.

2. Calderone, Julia. "Chemistry Explains Why Cold Brew Coffee Tastes Better than Hot." Tech Insider. Business Insider, 14 Aug. 2015. Web. 20 July 2016.

3. "Coffee." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 20 July 2016. 4. Jobst, Merlin. "How to Make Cold Brew Coffee." Jamie Oliver. N.p., 4 Aug. 2014. Web.

19 July 2016. 5. Image 1 http://www.gimmesomeoven.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Cold-Brew-

Coffee-1.jpg6. Image 2

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0915/4486/products/toddy_cold_brew_system_coffee_brewer_0_1024x1024.jpg?v=1447834619

7. Image 3 http://lifecdn.dailyburn.com/life/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Cold-Brew-2.jpg