Serving People Serving Coffee Since 2005
Issue link: http://baristamagazine.epubxp.com/i/659497
93 www.baristamagazine.com "In reevaluating the process of how the quality of delicate coffee aromas and flavors can be best retained and expressed in the beer—at least with our approach—meant we wanted to go with the cold-brewing process," says J.C. "It was a matter of matching the base beer to some of the incredible coffees that Barrington produces." J.C. emphasizes that cold-brew coffee was appropriate for the beer they wanted to make, and every roaster and brewery should take care to make sure that they've chosen the coffee and the brew method that fits their vision for the final product. There are other more practical reasons that cold-brew coffee concentrate has taken off as a key ingredient in the brewing world. Consider this list of pros: It creates virtually no mess for the brewer; it eliminates the possibility of an unpleasant flavor due to overextraction in the fermentor; and it assures the roaster of the flavor being added to the beer, since they controlled the brew method, and the ease of adding concentrate after completion of the brewing process makes it less challenging to achieve exact ratios. You might be tempted to describe the use of cold-brew coffee con- centrates as a form of quality control, and you wouldn't be far off the mark. That's not to say other methods of combining coffee with beer can't result in a delicious, well-balanced beer. But with cold brew, it's just easier to ensure that the coffee tastes great. It eliminates many of the margins for error, and better yet, puts micromanagers at ease. "Cold-brew concentrate gives you more control," says Jon Felix- Lund, director of operations at Coava Coffee Roasters in Portland, Ore. "With delivering beans, you have no clue what the brewer is going to do with them. The quality component of cold-brew concentrate is clear." Considered one of the finest specialty roasters in the country, Coava At le , Portland, Ore.–-based Rogue Ales released an IPA made with Stumptown Coff ee's cold-brew coff ee, in April. Right: Coava Coff ee Roasters, also based in Portland, collaborated with Northwest beer darling Pfriem, for a beer made with Coava's Kimama from Kenya.