INTRODUCTION
Nothing compares to having a good time with a refreshing nitro cold brew being sipped from time to time. It’s relaxing! You can easily make nitro cold brew at home by following the simple steps in this guide. But be sure you have the time, sacrifice, and the desire to get everything right since you will need these for the whole process.
Ready?
Let’s begin!
NITRO COLD BREW: WHAT IT IS AND WHAT IT ISN’T
Nitro Cold Brew is a nitrogen-infused cold coffee beverage. This is made possible by the introduction of pressurized nitrogen through a valve into the already made coffee brew. It is because of nitrogen that it is super attractive, thick, smooth, and velvety in texture. Also, it’s a milky-like layer that slowly appears up and down, contributing to its creamy, rich structure and complementing its lack of sugar and dairy.
The nitrogen replaces oxygen and CO2 which produces carbonic acids and is far less soft to taste. This enables proper preservation without compromising the health benefits and tastes for up to a year.
NITRO COLD BREW’S HISTORY
Nitro Cold Brew has only been around for two decades, but now it’s in almost every grocery store, coffee shop, and gas station. This beverage was introduced to South Florida customers at Third Wave Coffee in 2010. Although it cannot be traced back to the originator, Esquire in 2011 highlighted The Queen Kickshaw’s draft coffee as the forerunner of the coffee type, and Men’s Journal in 2013 cited Stumptown in Portland and Texas as possible originators.
The drink gained more popularity when Stumptown and Cuvee began selling it in cans in 2015 and Starbucks released its 500-store rollout in 2016. Since then, more companies such as Tim Horton and Duckin’ Donuts have begun producing and selling Nitro brew coffee. In fact, coffee nitro cold brew is so popular that it is even sold in kegs.
WHAT MAKES NITRO COLD BREW SO SPECIAL?
Over the years, there has been a call for the reduction or non-usage of sugar in drinks and beverages. Nitro Cold brew comes as the perfect solution. The nitrogen-infused substance contributes to its preservative functions without losing its taste.
Also, this beverage has less antioxidant effect than hot coffee and does not contain protons. And when poured in a transparent cup, the appearance is inviting, combined with a bubble structure.
WHAT ARE THE TOOLS YOU NEED TO MAKE NITRO COLD BREW AT HOME?
Making nitro cold brew at home requires many tools. You can start by getting:
- 2 mason jars, every 64 ounces.
- A coffee filter.
- A brewer’s sieve.
- Quick cascading nitro coffee keg lid to improve nitrogen simulation and adequate mixture.
- A corny keg or whipped cream dispenser to monitor and control nitrogen to be used.
- Cream charger
- Serving gears.
- Fermentation fridge.
- Nitrogen canister.
All of these are available at your local grocery or online store.
NITRO COLD BREW – THE RECIPE
● 8 ounces of Cold brew type coffee grind. Be sure about the coarse grinds and texture. You can grind your own coffee beans using a coffee grinder.
● Nitrogen gas (N2). Nitrogen is the most important ingredient in making Nitro cold brew coffee. You can easily purchase pure nitrogen online or even at welding retailers.
● A small amount of coffee concentrate.
● Filtered or refined water.
● Hot water for sanitizing tools.
THE STEPS INVOLVED IN MAKING HOMEMADE NITRO COLD BREW
You don’t need too many complicated steps to make a nice Nitro cold brew. After all, the aforementioned tools and ingredients are readily available.
The cold brew making process
● Start by sanitizing your Mason jars with hot water. Simply pour the hot water into them, shake after the lid is in place, and pour the hot water out.
● Put 8 ounces of cold brew coffee grinds in one of the mason jars. Note that cold brew coffee powder should be used in a 4 to 1 ratio with water.
● Fill up the Mason jar with filtered water.
● At this point, screw the lid up and shake gently to make sure the solution is of even texture. Be careful while shaking it, as the jar may slip off your hands.
● The next step is to get the mixture cold. If you have a fermentation chamber chest freezer, you can use it but if it’s a regular fridge, it’s still up to the task.
● Take the mason jar with the content and place it into whichever container you have and let it sit for 15 to 20 hours. The temperature should be room temperature because frozen parts are not necessary.
● After the coffee grinds have been kept in the refrigerator, it is time to filter them out. There are two steps to this, using a brewery sieve and coffee filters. The coffee filters can be used straight up, but with the amount of cold brew available, it might take a while.
➔ Put the brewed coffee through the brewery filter into the second jar. Clean the first jar and place a funnel inside.
➔ You can pour the filtrate from the first sieving through an already washed-off paper or coffee filter. You should have a clear, cold brew now.
● Add the coffee concentrates in quantity in small portions. The goal is to improve the overall taste, and if the concentration is too high, you can slake it with water a bit.
● Normally, nitrogen doesn’t mix well with liquids. The quick cascade Nitro coffee keg lid comes in handy here.
● Pour hot water into the corny keg, shake for a while, then drain the water out of the carbonation stone at the end of the introduction hose on the quick cascade keg lid.
● Then replace the quick cascade keg lid on the corny keg with the cold brew coffee from the Mason jar.
The nitrogen infusion of cold brew
● Connect the nitrogen regulator to the nitrogen canister. Approximately 5 PSI should be set. Oxygen needs to leave the cold brew and you can do that by purging the keg. Pull the relief valve for a few seconds while connecting the nitrogen hose from the regulator to the corny keg. As soon as the sound of oxygen rushing out lessens, drop the relief valve.
● Start sending nitrogen through the diffuser. After minutes, increase the PSI of the nitrogen regulator by 4 or 5 PSI. Do this after a couple of minutes until the PSI reaches around 35 to 45.
● Remove the nitrogen hose and put the corny keg into a kegerator or serve it through a stout faucet or the serving gears.
- Alternatively, you can fill the whipped cream dispenser with the cold brew, seal it, add nitrogen, and shake for a few seconds. After that, pour the nitro cold brew into a serving gear and enjoy.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What does coffee with nitrogen taste like?
Creamy, smooth mouthfeel, thick and, overall, very appealing.
Is Nitro cold brew coffee healthy?
Yes. It contains no sugar or dairy and some acidic properties of hot coffee are reduced.
How much caffeine does Nitro cold brew have?
59.17mg of caffeine is present in 100ml of Nitro cold brew coffee. The quality might change in different production companies but the ranges are all close to this.
Can you have Nitro coffee with milk?
Adding milk to nitro cold brew makes the foam disappear quickly. The experience and taste will be altered. Nitro Cold brew is best taken unaltered by any sweetener.
Do you add sugar to Nitro cold brew?
Nitro cold brew is preferred by many because it contains no sugar and gives a soothing thick feeling when taken. Adding granulated sugar will surely alter the smoothness and will reduce the healthy properties of the nitro cold brew.
Do you put ice in a Nitro cold brew?
Slaking is good if you think the nitro cold brew is too concentrated but ice is off the options.
Cold Brew lasts how long?
Nitrogen has preservative abilities which contribute to Nitro cold brew. It can last a long time and will still bring out that attractive bubble structure in transparent cups after being shaken.
CONCLUSION
Nitro cold brew is worth the effort of making, but it will only be hard the first time, and then it will be easy after that. Keep in mind when preparing cold brew coffee that the temperature should be at room temperature during the period you are going to store it. Follow the recipe and you can be called a professional Nitro cold brew coffee maker, and maybe someday you can become the next Starbucks.
