Cold brew coffee is not a new creation, and has been around for some time. However, despite being a popular product since 2015, many people still seem to be confused about what makes cold brew coffee distinct from the regular hot brewed one.

Compared to the usual hot brewing, cold brewing uses a different extraction method which produces a smoother, sweeter, and more versatile finish, playing by the rules of coffee-making differently.

Read on to find out more about what makes hot brew coffee and cold brew coffee different, and which one is better for you.

What is the difference between hot brew and cold brew?

Cold brew coffee is a brewed coffee produced by steeping ground coffee beans in cold or room-temperature water for 12 to 24 hours. Compared to the other brewing methods, cold brewing requires the coffee beans’ grind size to be coarser to create more flavour. Generally, the taste of a cold brew coffee that has been made right is light, smooth, and sweet.

On the other hand, hot brew coffee is produced by applying hot water to ground coffee beans. There are various methods for brewing hot coffee, such as using a drip machine, a French press, or a pour-over coffee maker. The grind size required for a hot brew differs from method to method, but most people opt for a medium grind. Because it’s brewed at a higher temperature, hot brew coffee tastes more bitter than a cold brew.

Why choose cold brew coffee?

Both hot brew coffee and cold brew coffee have their respective strengths and weaknesses. However, if you’re looking for a coffee that will provide you with much more flavour without worrying about the acids, cold brew is your best choice.

Here are some of the primary reasons you should choose a cold brew coffee over a hot brew.

1. There is far more versatility in cold brew

Hot coffee is only hot coffee. Although it’s cosy, rich, and satisfying on rainy afternoons, there’s nothing much you can do with a hot coffee. While there are a few mixed drinks you can create with it, they’re not something you’d consider versatile. 

In contrast, you can make various drinks with cold brew coffee. This is because cold brewing produces a concentration that you can easily pair with many other ingredients, such as milk, sugar, soda, and more. Hence, if you like exploring flavours and ingredients, cold brewing will give you an avenue for creative beverage-making.

2. Cold brew has lower acidity and bitterness

You can notice a significant difference between hot brew coffee and cold brew coffee from the first sip. Compared to a hot brew, a cold brew coffee tends to be less acidic and taste less bitter. Contrary to popular belief, bitter coffee is not strong coffee. The difference in acidity and taste is simply due to the nature of their brewing process.

As you probably already know, extraction occurs when water dissolves and extricates compounds out of coffee grounds, such as sugars and acids. Different temperatures extricate different compounds at varying speeds. Hence, if you use boiling water when brewing your coffee, you’ll likely get a strong bitter taste because boiling water causes acids to break down into extra-bitter compounds.

On the other hand, cold brewing doesn’t create that much bitterness because it plays by different rules. Rather than just slowing down the extraction of tasty compounds in coffee beans, cold water changes what is being extracted and what stays behind in the grounds. In other words, cold brewing doesn’t extract the acids that typically become bitter in hot brew coffee. These acids don’t also oxidise, so the cold brew doesn’t get extra acidic.

3. Cold brew lets you taste coffee aroma better

There are some apparent differences between a hot brew and a cold brew when it comes to flavour. A hot brew coffee usually has a rounded taste, a savoury aroma, a light sweetness, and a crisp acidity. On the other hand, cold brew coffee often boasts a smooth flavour, an abundance of sweetness, a moderate hint of acidity, and essentially no bitterness.

Cold brew coffee doesn’t deliver rich aromas right off the bat compared to hot brew – and there’s a good reason. Unlike in hot coffee, where the aromatic coffee oils quickly become volatile due to the high temperature, the oils remain cool in the cold brewing and thus don’t become volatile.

This means that the coffee oils stay in the cold brew coffee so that when you swallow your drink, the savoury and aromatic oils reach your retro-nasal passages and make your brain interpret them as a bundle of vibrant flavours.

Conclusion

The difference between hot brewing and cold brewing mainly lies in how they extract and produce coffee and the quality of coffee they make. If you want a fuller coffee in terms of flavour, lower levels of acidity, and versatility, cold brew coffee is the perfect choice for you! A bottle of ready-to-drink cold brew coffee will surely give you everything you’re looking for in a drink!

For the best and most convenient ready-to-drink coffee anytime, try out our bottled cold brew coffee that comes in various flavours, such as mocha, oat latte, and more. Our savoury and energy-boosting cold brew coffee is the perfect grab-and-go drink for your hectic schedules.

As you may now have discovered, coffee offers unlimited flexibility owing to its many different variations in recipes, coffee bean grounds, and the brewing process. Those looking to venture into the vast world of coffee making will eventually stumble upon cold brew coffee. For the uninitiated, the first thing to know about cold brew coffee is that it is far from being just hot coffee poured over ice.  

Instead, it's best to think of this distinctly strong and often pricier coffee that peaks in popularity during the hot days of summer as an entirely different beast. It's made slowly by steeping coffee beans before straining them out, resulting in a smooth and sweet brew that lacks hot brewed coffee's acidity and bitterness. Although making it yourself at home is relatively simple, we must admit that it does involve a bit more than just pouring water onto a batch of coffee beans and forgetting about them. 

If you're interested in making your own cold brew at home, avoid these common mistakes to ensure your first sip is one to remember.

1. Using the wrong beans

While it may sound obvious, the type of beans you use is one of the most important factors regardless of which brewing process you opt for. In this case, use a quality batch of relatively new coffee beans. In most cases, those that are several weeks old should be the upper limit. Even though the cold brew process is far more forgiving when it comes to the age of beans, using those that are already months old will only lead to noticing its lifeless qualities.

2. Grinding them too fine 

Other brewing methods like pour-over require finely grinding the beans. Fine ground coffee will lead to being over-extracted and result in bitter coffee. However, that is not the case with cold brew since it involves steeping the grounds for 12-24 hours, so make sure to grind them coarsely instead.

3. Using the wrong ratio 

The basic formula is one gallon of water to one pound of grounded coffee beans when making cold brew. For the average coffee lover just trying to experiment at home, a suitable ratio would be four cups of water to a quarter-pound of grounded coffee beans.

4. Not diluting the concentrate

No matter how long you steep your beans, the cold brew concentrate will generally be too strong to consume directly. Therefore, dilute it by mixing with water or another liquid of your choosing, such as cream or milk and its many alternatives, to cut down the intensity. When you follow the 1 gallon:1 pound ratio, your cold brew should contain roughly double the caffeine in hot drip coffee. Cutting that half and half with water will keep your caffeine consumption at moderate levels while also mitigating the intensity.

 5. Storing the brew for too long

There are several reasons why cold brew is better - one being their longer shelf life. If you have some undiluted cold brew concentrate left, you can keep it chilled in the fridge for up to two weeks. However, note that its flavour quality will typically degrade past the first week. If you opted to add water to cut the concentrate further, its shelf life would decrease to just two to three days.

Conclusion

Making your own cold brew at home certainly sounds exciting and well-worth trying out. Hopefully, these tips and some trial and error will help you land on the perfect concoction. Before getting started, why not check out our ready-to-drink cold brew coffee in Singapore first for some inspiration?

At Wake The Crew, our coffee concentrates and bottled cold brews are freshly brewed in our SFA-approved microbrewery in Singapore. We offer delivery, wholesale options, and more! Contact us today to get your caffeine fix!