With funding from Toddy, the CSF will conduct experiments, research, lectures, and more.
BY KATRINA YENTCH
BARISTA MAGAZINE ONLINE
The Coffee Science Foundation (CSF), a subsidiary of the Specialty Coffee Association, has recently secured funding to begin an extensive research project called “Towards a Deeper Understanding of Cold Brew.” Toddy LLC, a leading cold-brewer manufacturer, is funding the research, which will address the increasing impact that this product has made on the specialty-coffee industry over the last decade.
“Cold-brewed coffee has become an important part of the specialty-coffee landscape, and we are excited to investigate the sensory and physical properties that make it so special,” said Peter Giuliano, SCA’s chief research officer and CSF executive director, in a press release. “We look forward to sharing this research openly with the community, and are thankful to Toddy in supporting this mission.”
This project is the first of several that have started since the Coffee Science Foundation’s beginnings in April 2019. In addition to handling some of the research started by the SCA, they’ve also been working on an espresso research project with support from the Simonelli Group.
“Towards a Deeper Understanding of Cold Brew” kicks off within the first quarter of this year and goes through 2022. Some of the analysts involved include Ph.D. coffee researchers trained in chemistry, sensory science, physical, and consumer sciences. They’ll be presenting their findings at upcoming SCA events, webinars, and future publications. In conducting these studies, the Coffee Science Foundation hopes to enlighten others about cold-brew extraction, storage, preparation, and consumer value. The research team will dive deep into topics like:
- A thorough exploration of cold-brewed extraction techniques, including temperature during brewing, brewing time, extraction percentage, and concentration, documenting their impact on sensory and chemical attributes using various specialty coffees and roasts.
- A thorough exploration of the effect of time elapsed during and post brew on the sensory and chemical attributes of cold-brewed coffee.
- An in-depth look at domestic and international consumer preferences of the various extraction and holding parameters, including preference mapping and potentially price tolerance and premiums.
- A series of publications for the coffee and popular press, sharing research results, including a cold-brewing handbook.
- A series of lectures (20+) at various coffee events, by coffee researchers and project leaders.
- Research findings integrated into the SCA Education Curriculum.
“For years we’ve known that cold-brewing coffee produces a very different cup than traditional hot brewing methods, but it has been difficult for anyone to explain how and why,” said Toddy’s president Julia Leach in the press release. “Much of the research in the cold-brew space over the past several years has been proprietary. We felt it was important for Toddy to take a leadership role in supporting research that will benefit the overall industry.”
To follow the research, you can find updates as soon as findings are uncovered through the CSF website and SCA News, as well as on social media. “We love to begin sharing things as soon as we discover them!” Peter said “We also publish peer-reviewed academic papers on these things, so you will start to see lectures at events, articles, and papers in late 2020.”
