How to package cold brew concentrates
Cold brew coffee is often prepared as a concentrate, ready for later dilution with cold water for a refreshing and simple caffeine kick or as a base for cocktails and mocktails.
Coffee businesses choose to package cold brew concentrates in various ways. Glass or plastic bottles are common, as are cold brew coffee pouches or bag-in-box solutions. Some offer greater sustainability credentials than others, as well as greater branding and design potential.
As the global cold brew coffee market continues to grow, including at-home consumption, cold brew concentrate is an ideal beverage type. Coffee businesses should be aware of the best ways to package cold brew concentrates. It’s an innovative and cost-effective way to introduce new consumers to cold brew coffee and provide regular cold brew drinkers with exciting new formats.
We spoke to Chris Gagg, director of operations at Truth Coffee, to learn more.
What is cold brew concentrate, and how does it differ from cold brew?
In a LinkedIn post, Krzysztof Barabosz, head of coffee and co-founder of Hard Beans, explained, “Concentrated cold brew is a potent form of cold brew coffee characterised by a higher coffee-to-water ratio during the brewing process.”
“In traditional form, it involves steeping coarsely ground coffee beans in cold water for an extended period, resulting in a strong, flavorful concentrate. This concentrate is typically diluted with water, milk, or alternative milk before consumption to achieve the desired strength.”
Brewing cold brew varies from person to person or business to business. Some prefer to brew a stronger beverage, diluting it later or simply preferring a deeper, richer flavour. In contrast, others brew with a lower coffee-to-water ratio for a more balanced result.
The industry largely agrees that a concentrate is defined as a cold brew brewed with a coffee-to-water ratio between 1:4 and 1:8 – for example, 200 g of ground coffee with 800 ml to 1600 ml of water.
“There are four key characteristics of cold brew concentrate,” continues Krzysztof.
“Concentrated cold brew is distinguished by a significant increase in the amount of coffee used in the brewing process, compared to regular cold brew.
“The higher coffee concentration results in a more intense and robust flavour profile. Some coffee enthusiasts appreciate the bold and rich taste that concentrated cold brew delivers.
“Consumers have the flexibility to dilute the concentrate according to personal taste preferences. This adaptability makes it suitable for those who enjoy experimenting with the strength of their coffee.
“Achieving a perfect balance in dituon requires precision. Too much will result in a weak brew, while too little can make the coffee overly strong. This aspect may be challenging for those who prefer a more straightforward brewing process.”
“In cold brew concentrate, you have all the benefits that normal coffee offers and more”, Chris adds.
“You get the functional elements – high antioxidant levels, better focus, better circulation – that you would from regular cold brew. Plus, we know that the extended extraction that cold brew uses naturally expresses more caffeine, so when you use a concentrate, you can actually regulate the caffeine levels more accurately.”
Once opened, cold brew concentrate can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two weeks, making it a perfect and convenient choice for consumers who want to make a daily brew without purchasing multiple RTD cans or bottles.
On the business side, food service outlets retailing cold brew can purchase concentrate from their suppliers and add water, milk, or non-dairy milk when preparing an order. This saves precious space, helps speed up workflow, and cuts down on transport and logistics costs.
What are the best ways to package cold brew concentrates?
When it comes time to package cold brew concentrates, certain types are more efficient and sustainable, especially for multi serve needs.
Bag-in-box solutions are a great way to package cold brew concentrate. Made from two key components – an outer kraft paper and cardboard box and an internal aseptic, biodegradable plastic bag with a dispensing tap – bag-in-box packaging is lightweight, protective, and convenient.
Rise Brewing Co., a nitro-coffee business, chooses to package cold brew concentrate in this way because it is logistically convenient to replace burdensome kegs and kegerator machinery.
Bag-in-box cold brew concentrate packaging is 100% recyclable. Once consumed, the user needs to separate the outer box and the internal bag from each other and recycle according to local regulations.
Moreover, by choosing to package cold brew concentrate in bag-in-box packaging, the coffee business can stratify its offering, retailing a wide range of sizes, from smaller 1.5-litre boxes to large, office or business-friendly 20-litre ones.
Another equally sustainable option for packaging cold brew concentrate is flexible cold brew pouches. Made from recyclable, compostable LDPE and PLA plastics, cold brew coffee pouches are similarly customisable, lightweight, and convenient.
Resealable, recyclable screw caps help consumers or businesses keep their cold brew coffee fresh over multiple days, stored in refrigerators. Once consumed, they collapse, making recycling a simple and efficient process.
Instead of the limited branding space offered by plastic and glass bottles, pouch surfaces are almost completely customisable (except the bottom), so coffee businesses can leverage the increased real estate to create aesthetics that jump off the shelf.
Pouches pack efficiently; up to ten pouches can fit in the same space as one glass bottle in transport. This reduces the carbon footprint of associated transport and logistic processes and simplifies on-site storage.
Businesses that choose to package cold brew concentrate in pouches can select from a wide range of sizes, ranging from 187 ml up to 3 litres, offering their customers a format that matches different needs or settings.
At Cold Brew Pak, we offer fully customisable, 100% recyclable pouches and bag-in-box solutions for businesses looking to package cold brew concentrate efficiently and sustainably.
To source your own line of cold brew contrate packaging or learn more about the different solutions we offer, visit our website or get in touch with the Cold Brew Pak team directly.
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Package cold brew concentrates
Images provided by Roots
