Is the ratio of cold extract coffee 1:10 or 1:15? How much powder and how much water are used to make cold extraction best?

The original intention of cold-extracted coffee is that under low temperature conditions, small molecules that tend to be aromatic and sour are more easily released in cold water. Therefore, the coffee tastes light and is mostly sour and sour. In addition, because it is not limited by equipment and places, cold extraction can be said to be coffee that people can get at their fingertips. As long as there are raw materials, bottles, water, and a refrigerator at home, caffeine freedom can be easily achieved.

At this time, a careful friend discovered a phenomenon: different from hand-brewed coffee, which is almost unchanged for thousands of years, the ratio of powder to water used to make cold extract always spans a large span. Some people like to use 1:8, others advocate 1:13, and some people are accustomed to 1:10 like Qianjie. So what taste experience will the cold extract made in different proportions have?

What is the effect of powdered water compared to coffee?

As a typical immersion-type extraction, cold extraction coffee is a process in which low-temperature water and coffee powder are contacted in the same container for a long time to extract flavor. When other parameters remain unchanged, the greater the proportion of water, the lower the concentration of coffee liquor will be, the lighter the coffee flavor will be, and the thinner the taste will be; conversely, the less the proportion of water, the higher the concentration will be, and the stronger the taste will be., the thicker the taste.

Therefore, in order to find a balanced taste and give the coffee a better flavor, we have to apply an appropriate powder to water ratio.

How long does it take to soak for cold extract? How fine does coffee powder need to be ground?

We all know that the various parameters involved in any extraction scheme are more or less related. For cold extraction, the ratio of powder and water is not the only factor that determines the taste. We also need to look at the grinding thickness, soaking time, water quality, and the most critical coffee beans.

Although low-temperature extraction can reduce the appearance of bitter substances, it is not 100%. Therefore, in order to pursue delicious food, the coffee powder used for cold extraction should not be ground too finely, let alone soaked for too long. For the former, we recommend controlling the pass rate of the standard sieve of 0.85mm in the range of about 80-85%, which can look like the granular shape of white sugar to the naked eye; the latter is best controlled in 6 - 16 hours, because this ensures sufficient powder and water contact time, and it is not easy to show negative taste due to over-extraction.

The reason why Qianjie emphasizes water quality is not only because it is the medium of extraction, but also because it is the most easily ignored among all parameters. For example, there are always friends in front of the front street who asked,"Although they bought our coffee beans and followed the parameters provided in the article to make cold extraction, the taste was not as good as expected. After eliminating the various" culprits ", they discovered that the original problem was caused by the colorless and odorless" water ". Friends with similar troubles can refer to the past comparison test in front street," Using different waters to make cold extraction, the difference is so big!" I won't elaborate too much here.

In terms of the selection of coffee beans, the Kenyan AA on the bean rack is used as an experimental demonstration on Qianjie here. It uses the K72 water washing method, and the varieties are SL28 and SL34. SL28 and SL34 are both varieties selected after multiple cultivation. SL28 belongs to the Bourbon gene group and has the bright tonality of the original Bourbon and rich acid. SL34 is closer to the gene of iron pickup, and the acid is milder.

Iced coffee made by Kenya AA has the feeling of dark berries wrapping around the mouth at the entrance. It also has the rich aroma of young tomatoes. It is very enjoyable to drink when chilled, so it is the first choice for many friends for cold extraction.

How does the cold extract coffee made with different powder-to-water ratios taste?

Since cold extraction is always carried out at an environment of 0 - 10 ° C, the extraction efficiency is very low, and the coffee powder and water are in a relatively static state, and there is no external force driving the coffee powder in the middle, so the speed at which it dissolves flavor substances is very limited. In order to make the experimental results more clear, Qianjie set four more common powder-to-water ratios here, which are 1:8, 1:10, 1:12, and 1:15 respectively, and the other parameters remain unchanged.

The production process is all the same. Pour the coffee powder and water into the container in turn, then stir, seal, and then put them into the refrigerator in turn. When the time is up, we take them out and filter them (you can stir once halfway).

Coffee beans: Kenya·washed AA

Powder amount: 18g

Soaking time: 6 hours

Grinding degree: Fine granulated sugar/China No. 20 standard sieve sieving rate of 80%(EK43s scale 9.5 grids)

Powder-water ratio: 1:8, 1:10, 1:12, 1:15

Corresponding water volume: 144g, 180g, 216g, 270g

The coffee liquor with a powder-to-water ratio of 1:8 has the deepest color, the strongest and most sour taste, and the taste is even a little salty, with only a few berries in the flavor and a bitter finish;

The coffee liquor with a powder-to-water ratio of 1:10 smells like sugarcane. The flavors are red brier, berries, and pear tea. The taste is slightly strong, the acidity is high, and the sweetness is not obvious;

The cold extraction with a powder-to-water ratio of 1:12 has the clearest taste, and the flavors include young tomatoes, red bullion, dark plum juice, sugar cane, and the residual aroma of plum sugar. The concentration is moderate, and the balance is between sweet, sour and sweet;

Coffee liquor with a powder-to-water ratio of 1:15 has the lightest color and a thin body. There is only a little acid from black briins and berries. The taste is flat, but there is almost no bitterness.

It is not difficult to see from the above comparison that the ratio of 1:8 does not have enough room for the flavor of coffee because it uses less water, and it is easy to show the negative characteristics of strong bitterness; on the contrary, 1:15 uses more water, and dissolves. The matter is excessively diluted, resulting in insufficient pure thickness of the coffee, which naturally becomes bland and tasteless when drinking.

Among the two groups of 1:10 and 1:12, it is obvious that cold extract coffee made using 1:12 has the best flavor and taste when drunk directly, but Qianjie will give priority to 1:10 in many articles and daily products. Why is this?

Regarding the production of Cold Harvest, Qianjie mainly considers two points.

First, in order to maintain the taste of the cold extract at a low temperature, in addition to using ice cups, we will also add 1 or 2 hard ice cubes, so that even if the coffee is diluted, the flavor will not be changed too much; Second, because each guest has different taste preferences, some like light and some like strong. When the ice cubes are first added, the coffee tastes full and thick. As time passes, it slowly melts into water, and the coffee gradually becomes lighter. Therefore, the use of a high-concentration version of cold extract and ice satisfies both the "heavy taste pie" and the "light pie."