Here Comes The Cold Brew
Griffin Thomas, Marketing Manager | Fortuna Enterprises, LLC
Well, folks, we've entered Cold Brew Season. It's around this time of year that coffee shops and restaurants start going crazy with colder beverages (and charging crazy amounts for said offerings). There are actually quite a few details involved in both roasting, brewing, and serving this form of coffee - let’s talk cold brew!
Brewtiful!
Two main elements determine the quality and enjoy-ability of all cold brew coffees: flavor and acidity. As with all forms of coffee, flavor comes as a result of the inherent qualities of each bean breaking down at the molecular level throughout the brewing process. Because regular hot coffee is brewed and enjoyed rather quickly, flavor comes across as being more complex and identifiable since aroma and taste are immediately available. Cold brew, which typically takes a full day or more to develop, offers more broad profiles (sweet, savory, earth, chocolate, herb, fruit, and so on) as opposed to the more intricate levels of flavor found in standard brews. Furthermore, darker roasts will typically be more congruous with their more standard hot versions as certain levels of flavor fall off during their extended stay in the roaster.
Acidity, the second element, is heavily muted in cold brews; for those who generally turn away from bright or more acidic coffees, this might mean that those options are far more accessible and enjoyable. Some might miss the traditional bursts of coffee flavor common when citrus acidity is allowed to expand in a hot brew. In these cases, a medium or even lighter roast may be best as some of those acidic qualities are still allowed into the final product.
Head Roaster William has been hands-on and busy with the increasing demand for cold brew coffees over the past month or so. Roasting for these applications involves attention to specific details;
“The cold brew method removes a lot of acidity, so when roasting, I like to play up the sweetness and the unique character of whatever coffee we’re working with. For natural Ethiopia coffees, you can really dial in on the jammy nature of the bean without worrying whether the resulting coffee will be too acidic. Keeping a focus on developing the sugars and bringing out all the fruit flavors is the key.”
Raspberry and Blueberry Pie notes combine in a sweet, smooth coffee with medium body and bright acidity that lend perfectly to colder applications. Medium body and bright acidity point to a cold brew that's full of lasting flavor!
Wine-like aroma pairs with honey and orange flavor in our Organic Fair-Trade Huehuetenango. However you choose to brew this coffee, its medium body, balanced acidity and clean aftertaste provide delightfully memorable taste.
Formulated specifically for cold brew, this popular Fortuna blend features a nutty aroma, almond and caramel flavor, and sweet acidity. This uniquely bright blend preserves the existing flavors of the beans while offering something new as a result of the brewing method.
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| Image source: StockSnap |
Well, folks, we've entered Cold Brew Season. It's around this time of year that coffee shops and restaurants start going crazy with colder beverages (and charging crazy amounts for said offerings). There are actually quite a few details involved in both roasting, brewing, and serving this form of coffee - let’s talk cold brew!
Brewtiful!
Two main elements determine the quality and enjoy-ability of all cold brew coffees: flavor and acidity. As with all forms of coffee, flavor comes as a result of the inherent qualities of each bean breaking down at the molecular level throughout the brewing process. Because regular hot coffee is brewed and enjoyed rather quickly, flavor comes across as being more complex and identifiable since aroma and taste are immediately available. Cold brew, which typically takes a full day or more to develop, offers more broad profiles (sweet, savory, earth, chocolate, herb, fruit, and so on) as opposed to the more intricate levels of flavor found in standard brews. Furthermore, darker roasts will typically be more congruous with their more standard hot versions as certain levels of flavor fall off during their extended stay in the roaster.
Acidity, the second element, is heavily muted in cold brews; for those who generally turn away from bright or more acidic coffees, this might mean that those options are far more accessible and enjoyable. Some might miss the traditional bursts of coffee flavor common when citrus acidity is allowed to expand in a hot brew. In these cases, a medium or even lighter roast may be best as some of those acidic qualities are still allowed into the final product.
Head Roaster William has been hands-on and busy with the increasing demand for cold brew coffees over the past month or so. Roasting for these applications involves attention to specific details;
“The cold brew method removes a lot of acidity, so when roasting, I like to play up the sweetness and the unique character of whatever coffee we’re working with. For natural Ethiopia coffees, you can really dial in on the jammy nature of the bean without worrying whether the resulting coffee will be too acidic. Keeping a focus on developing the sugars and bringing out all the fruit flavors is the key.”
Fortuna Cold Brew Favorites
Raspberry and Blueberry Pie notes combine in a sweet, smooth coffee with medium body and bright acidity that lend perfectly to colder applications. Medium body and bright acidity point to a cold brew that's full of lasting flavor!
Wine-like aroma pairs with honey and orange flavor in our Organic Fair-Trade Huehuetenango. However you choose to brew this coffee, its medium body, balanced acidity and clean aftertaste provide delightfully memorable taste.
Formulated specifically for cold brew, this popular Fortuna blend features a nutty aroma, almond and caramel flavor, and sweet acidity. This uniquely bright blend preserves the existing flavors of the beans while offering something new as a result of the brewing method.
Brew It Better
Whether you're making gallons of cold brew for your business or simply making a batch to enjoy at home, Fortuna has the tools you need to brew like a pro!
For home use, we recommend the Hario Mizudashi Cold Brew Pot. This wonderful little tool is fairly self-explanatory and makes a fantastic batch of cold brew in no time.
Larger operations will appreciate the Toddy Commercial Cold Brew System. This bucket-like kit, pictured here at center, makes overnight brewing of larger volumes of cold brew extremely simple. The resulting concentrate can be diluted manually in smaller doses or all at once for storage and dispensing.
For those larger shops and restaurants seeking to dispense efficiently and easily, a cold brew dispenser (pictured at right), or kegerator, covers all bases. Add nitrogen and a second tap to switch between regular and nitro cold brew with a simple lever pull!
However you choose to prepare cold brew, we hope that you enjoy the results! These beverages are excellent money makers, and tend to draw crowds - we'll make sure you're prepared!
For home use, we recommend the Hario Mizudashi Cold Brew Pot. This wonderful little tool is fairly self-explanatory and makes a fantastic batch of cold brew in no time.
Larger operations will appreciate the Toddy Commercial Cold Brew System. This bucket-like kit, pictured here at center, makes overnight brewing of larger volumes of cold brew extremely simple. The resulting concentrate can be diluted manually in smaller doses or all at once for storage and dispensing.
For those larger shops and restaurants seeking to dispense efficiently and easily, a cold brew dispenser (pictured at right), or kegerator, covers all bases. Add nitrogen and a second tap to switch between regular and nitro cold brew with a simple lever pull!
However you choose to prepare cold brew, we hope that you enjoy the results! These beverages are excellent money makers, and tend to draw crowds - we'll make sure you're prepared!
- Griffin Thomas
Marketing Manager
Fortuna Enterprises, LLC
