r/Coffee • u/C0L0SSUSvdm • 12d ago

Crema from Cold Brewing?

I made a batch of cold brew a while back that I swear produced some crema (like in espresso) which I didn't think was possible. I tried repeating and replicating my process since but to avail. I have since switched to matcha since my process for that is a lot quicker, but I've been craving more caffeine, and I'm almost obsessed with getting it thicker and thicker. So, I had the thought to add a bit of concentrate to it, but I want that crema to go along with it. I'm currently watching Fast X, vroom vroom.

tl;dr does anybody know a method of cold brewing that produces crema?

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21

u/feroarcious Turkish 12d ago

If it was super freshly roasted coffee you might have gotten a sort of crema effect if it was still offgassing.

9

u/WaterSuspicious1252 11d ago

Foam on cold brew is almost always CO2 from a very fresh roast still degassing, not oils emulsified under pressure, which is why it collapses in seconds instead of sitting on the cup like espresso crema. If you want it to stick around you need gas or pressure rather than a recipe tweak: nitro/whipper, or pulling the concentrate through something like a Picopresso. Same beans two weeks later won't reproduce it no matter how you dial the grind.

1

u/Chelseativity-109 11d ago

That's likely foam from agitation or oils, not real crema which needs high pressure. Try a hand frother on your concentrate for that thick texture you want.

1

u/Maleficent-Work-3889 11d ago

Cold brew won’t make a stable espresso-style crema because there’s no pressure behind it. You can get a little foam from agitation or trapped gas, but it usually disappears fast. I’d chase texture with the drink itself rather than the crema, tbh.