Barista Magazine

AUG-SEP 2015

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72 barista magazine Of course, the number of specialized contraptions like the decades-old but more popular than ever Toddy Café system and the trendy Filtron method prove that like any other kind of coffee brewing, finesse and thought are required to pull it off right. In Boston, the acclaimed 1369 Coffeehouse has been serving cold brew since 1998, long before the likes of Peet's or Starbucks en- tered the cold-brew market. Not only do they serve it by the glass, but baristas also deliver growlers full of it by bicycle. Regulars have become so obsessed with the drink that the two 1369 locations each produce more than 40 gallons of cold brew a day using the Toddy method. Chemical engineer Todd Simpson patented the Toddy Cold Brew System in the 1960s, and since then, it has become famous for its sim- ple but effective way of producing cold-brew concentrate: Pour water into a container with ground coffee, let it steep for at least 12 hours, and release the concentrate via a filter positioned above a hole in the bottom of the container. Toddy claims the resulting coffee is 67-percent less acidic than coffee brewed with hot water. James Gerber, owner of the 1369 Coffeehouse, has experiment- ed with countless ways of serving coffee cold, including iced-coffee methods whereby the coffee is brewed hot before being cooled down (a good example being what's commonly referred to as the Japanese iced-coffee method or iced pourover coffee). However, James has stuck with the Toddy method due to its relative ease and the consistent flavor profile, which he deems best suited for medium and dark roasts. "With this method, we're able to produce high volumes of cold brew while maximizing the quality flavor," he says. "We make our cold brew with a medium-roasted Mexican coffee, and a total-immersion brew method results in a cold brew that's very smooth and chocolaty with caramel notes." Over the years, other companies have riffed on the Toddy system to create purportedly better ways of producing cold brew using the total- immersion method. For example, Hario and Takeya both manufacture decanters—beautiful in their simplicity—that feature a container made of fine mesh to hold and filter out the grounds. While these immersion pots are great for home use and for low-volume café environments, one other total-immersion device has become a leader in the cold-brew retail market: Filtron. The primary difference between Toddy and Filtron is a reusable filtration system. It's also worth noting that Filtron, just like Toddy, offers a commercial version of their system intended for retail use. Until around 2011, Portland, Ore.–based Stumptown Coffee Roast- ers used the Filtron system in each of its cafés to produce cold-brew concentrate. The system performed well, but the company's baristas grew tired of the tedious clean-up process and the time needed for production. That's when Stumptown, always blazing its own trail, looked for a better way to meet growing demand and keep their baristas happy. "Any way you brewed it in a café environment, using any of the to- tal-immersion systems on the market, it was just dirty," says Diane Ayls- worth, director of cold brew at Stumptown. "It might come as a surprise to some, but the reason we started bottling cold brew was simply [to give] an answer to our baristas, not [in an effort to chase] any market opportunity. The growth in bottled cold brew came after the fact." Imitating the way the Filtron system works on a larger scale, Stump- town began brewing and bottling its cold brew using professional beer brewery equipment; the coffee steeps in a traditional mash/lauter tun, then enters a holding tank before being extensively filtered. Stumptown's team has found that filtration is really the differentiating factor when it comes to total-immersion brewing methods. "When you consider all of the ways to brew cold brew using the full-immersion method, they're really all the same," says Diane. "The difference you taste comes from the quality of the coffee and the level of filtration." Thank you to all the sponsors, competitors, volunteers and attendees of Coffeelandia! The Oregon Coffee Board's block party celebrating Oregon's culinary coffee culture was a night to enjoy. Congratulations to the winners of the coffee beer and coffee liqueur contest and the latte art throwdown! We could not have done it without your generous support! 1st Prize Latte Art Bethany Hargrove 1st Prize Coffee Beer Oakshire Brewing - Overcast Espresso Stout 1st Prize Coffee Liqueur New Deal Distillery - Coffee Liqueur Creating successful behaviors for specialty coffee roasters Business Planning, Strategy & Support Green Coffee Sourcing & Grading Roast Profiling and Training Cupping & Barista Training Quality Control 913.940.pmliubrewedbehavior.com It's not just a business, it's a behavior. Learn to Behave.

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