Cold Brew vs Nitro Cold Brew

Nitro cold brew coffees have been on-trend for almost a decade. But what does it really mean to craft a nitro cold brew drink?

After all, brewing itself is a category including wildly diverse processes. Brewing is the act of immersing solid leaves, grounds, or starches in water, then acting to boil or steep the solid components with precision, to create a beverage.

The specific brewing processes vary quite a bit, depending on the type of drink you’re aiming for.

Tea leaves and ground coffee beans can be brewed into a warm drink in a matter of minutes, when pressed or steeped in hot water.

Given all that, what does it mean to cold brew a beverage? And what does nitrogen add to the process?

In this guide, we answer those questions and more.

What Is A “Cold Brew” Coffee or Tea?

Cold brewing alters brewing processes by removing heated or boiling water from the equation. Instead, the solid components of the drink are steeped in cold or room temperature water, usually for a much longer period of time than they’d typically be steeped in hot water.

What Is A Nitro Cold Brew?

A nitro cold brew is a cold brewed beverage infused with nitrogen. It typically has a foam or head of small nitrogen bubbles.

The most common type of nitro cold brew drink is a cold coffee or tea.

The Nitro Brewing Process Vs. Regular Cold Brewing Methods

Cold brewing limits or avoids the use of hot water. Yet, nitro cold brews and regular cold brews are made through different cold processes.

Regular Cold Brew Coffee (Process)

Regular cold brew coffee is typically made in three steps.

1. Mix ground coffee and cool water.
a. The mixture’s ratio is 8:1 water:grounds for coffee, or 4:1 for concentrate.

2. Refrigerate the mixture for 12-24 hours.

3. Pour the cold coffee through a strainer to filter out the grounds.

Regular Cold Brew Tea (Process)

Cold brew tea is made similarly.

1. Mix water and tea leaves in a jar.
a. Often, a ratio of 3:2 water:tea is ideal

2. Refrigerate the mixture for 8-12 hours.

3. Strain out the loose tea leaves when pouring the tea.

Nitro Cold Brew Drinks (Process)

Nitro cold brews require baristas to add a fourth step to the cold brew process.

The coffee or tea is cold brewed using the typical, three-step method. Then, nitrogen is infused into the cold drink as it’s poured.

Typically, the nitrogen is infused through a specialized device. NitroBrew offers a range of tools to suit different business needs, including the compact Micro Nitro infuser. This inline system seamlessly integrates with existing beverage taps, providing a versatile, low-maintenance solution for creating smooth, creamy nitro drinks in cafes, bars, and breweries.

Regardless, nitrogenation is the last step in the process.

Why Aren’t There Nitro Hot Brew Drinks?

Theoretically, a person could try to use a nitro press or taps to infuse nitrogen into hot drinks.

It wouldn’t be wise, though. Nitrogen simply isn’t soluble in hot liquids.

Nitrogen is 68% less soluble in coffee served at 150°F than it is in coffee served at 40°F.

As a result, most of the nitrogen the device would try to force into a hot drink would simply disappear. Rather than dissolving in the liquid and re-emerging as a thick head of bubbly foam, it will quickly dissipate.

Nitro Cold Brew Vs. Cold Brew: Taste Differences

Texture Differences

The clearest difference between nitro cold brew and regular cold brew is the drink’s texture.

Nitro cold brew coffees and teas have a silky, velvety texture. These drinks are smoother and creamier than their regular cold brew counterparts, and the nitrogen bubbles create a frothy head similar to that of a stout.

Flavor Differences

Even without nitrogen, cold-brewed coffees and teas have less acidity and more nuanced flavor profiles than drinks brewed hot and poured over ice.

Cold Brews Offer Subtle Flavors

Cold steeping releases fewer acids, tannins, and volatile aromatic compounds from coffee beans than hot water does. As a result, cold brewed coffee has a more subtle aroma, and its flavor has fewer sharp, tangy, or bitter elements. Overall, its base flavor is more mellow.

At the same time, cold brewing draws out more natural lipids and oils, and it preserves the natural sucrose in coffee beans.

Thus, cold brewed coffee has a sweeter, milder, and more full-bodied flavor than hot brewed java.

Nitro Cold Brews Are Sweeter, More Aromatic

Nitro cold brews have a reputation of being even sweeter than regular cold brewed coffee. The nitrogen bubbles not only contribute to a silky texture; they also further cut down on acidity in the drink.

Notably, nitro cold brew teas are markedly less bitter than their regular cold brew counterparts, for a similar reason.

Flavor profiles depend on how the coffee is prepared pre-nitrogenation. Once nitrogenated, those cold brews can maintain a stronger, more complex aroma.

Cold Brew Vs. Nitro Cold Brew: Features Face-Off

How do different cold brew features compare to their nitro cold brew counterparts?

Portability: Regular Cold Brews Win

Carrying out a cup of nitro cold brew requires specifically designed containers. In a regular container, nitro cold brew will go flat fairly quickly.

Thus, regular cold brews are more portable.

Caffeine: Nitro Cold Brews Have More Caffeine (Usually)

Nitro cold brew coffees have more caffeine than typical cold brews. Often, this is because nitro cold brews can be made with a higher ratio of coffee to water than regular cold brews, as the nitrogenation will reliably reduce the drink’s bitterness and astringency.

Cold brewing draws more caffeine out of coffee beans than hot brewing, regardless of nitrogenation.

Discover Elegant, Everyday Nitro Brewing

At Quantiperm, our nitro innovations elevate brewing at all levels. Whether you want to nitrogenate and package your beverages or simply install infusers that can infuse right on demand at the point of service we have you covered. NitroBrew, a product of QuantiPerm, has many on demand infusers ideal for any business. Including the NitroBrew Tabletop—a simple, elegant, and sustainable way to serve nitro beverages!

If you’d like to make simple, elegant nitro brews part of your drink service, contact us by calling (602) 903-2158.