STiR coffee and tea magazine

12 STiR coffee and tea / Issue 4, 2021 (August / September) Cold Brew Coffee Technology – Beverage with Potential With flexible air roasting technology, modern high-performance grinders, and special extraction plants, Neuhaus Neotec and Devex Verfahrenstechnik provide the basis for the production of cold brew coffee on a large scale. As a trend-setting drink, cold brew coffee spread to coffee shops and kitchens all over the world. "Cold brew" does not refer to the drink itself, but to the method of preparation. Here, the aromas and flavors are extracted from the roasted and ground coffee bean with cold water instead of the more commonly used hot water. Extraction at room temperature or colder has so far been used mainly for the production of small batch cold brew coffee. Only slowly is the wider beverage industry beginning to discover the potential of this preparation method for production in larger quantities. One of these pioneers is a large North American roaster who, with the help of the process technology experts at Devex, aims to produce cold brew coffee at industrial scale. The company will not only produce cold brew coffee, but also collect extensive data on the interaction of various factors that influence the finished product. These are, for example, the green coffee, the roasting process, the degree of grinding, and, above all, the quality and composition of the water. These parameters all influence each other and as a result also the end-product, cold brew coffee. During cold extraction, more water-soluble aromas are released from the ground coffee. This creates a very distinctive flavor profile that has only a slight resemblance to the familiar hot preparation coffee taste. Unlike hot extraction, fruity, sweetish, light flavors predominate in cold extraction. The roasting degree for cold brew extraction is usually lighter than for filter or espresso coffee. The roasting profile must be customized to ensure the creation of as many desirable water-soluble flavors as possible. Neuhaus Neotec's renowned RFB air roasting technology, with its incredible flexibility in roasting profile design, is ideally suited for the production of cold brew roasted coffee and in particular producing a reproducible and homogeneous degree of roasting within the coffee batch, even with short roasting times. In addition to the perfect degree of roasting, the grind has a decisive influence on the flavor profile of the cold brew. The finer the grind, the more specific particle surface is available for extracting the flavors. In conjunction, a consistent particle size ratio must be set to ensure the unobstructed water flow through the ground coffee bed. An exact setting of the grind as well as an even distribution of the particle sizes within the grind are therefore major factors influencing the extraction time. Small batch production of cold-brewed coffee often require 12-24 hours. With their special method of dynamic extraction, the Devex systems needs only 2-3 hours for the same quantity and yield. Neuhaus Neotec and its sister company Devex Verfahren- stechnik are among the few companies worldwide that can offer the combination of hot air-based roasting technology and state-of-the-art grinders together with special extraction plants for the production of cold brew coffee for small to large scales. Devex extraction plant for cold brew applications at the innovation center in Germany. Cold Brew Market Getting Hotter and Hotter In June, research outfit Technavio estimated the cold brew coffee market would grow US$1.119 billion during the period 2020-2024. Only a month later, the firm published another report saying that the cold brew coffee market is set to grow by US$1.37 billion during the period 2021-2025, Another report by Market Research Future (MRF) recently estimated the cold brew coffee market reaching US$654.91 by 2026 at 14.01% CAGR. These estimates may vary widely, but one thing is certain, cold brew consumption is going up. According to MRF, the escalating consumption of cold brew coffee encourages the top manufacturers to come up with even more innovative flavors to capture the attention of a higher number of consumers. Cold brew coffee or tea steeps the ground beans or leaf in cold or room tempera- ture water for an extended period of time. The process brews the coffee or tea, using time rather than temperature to release the flavors. Cold brew coffee is for those who plan ahead, a long, gradual process, that can take up to 24 hours. According to Wikipedia, Cold brewing tea is a practice which comes from Japan, to gently extract flavors from the tea itself. Hotter brewing may scorch the tea, destroying any natural benefits as well as creating a bitter tasting tea. The result of this process is much different than what you would get by simply icing a hot brewed coffee. Photo credit: Christopher Cornelius, Wikimedia Commons Cold brew gently extracts flavors at cold or room temperatures. Category is . . . Cold Brew

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