Cold brew recipe is too sweet when I scale it—any tips?
Quote from nate peltier on Oct 12, 2024, 8:15 amI’ve been making a pretty awesome cold press coffee with pumpkin spice, and it’s a hit with my regulars.
Here’s what I usually throw in for one cup:
- 8 oz cold brew coffee (I let it steep for 12-24 hours)
- 1 tablespoon of my homemade pumpkin spice syrup (basically pumpkin puree, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and vanilla)
- 1-2 tablespoons of cream or oat milk
- A little sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice on top for that fall vibe
But here’s where I’m stuck... I tried to scale this recipe up for an event (like, 50 people), and for some reason, it just doesn’t taste right. It’s way too sweet, and the flavors are kinda off. I’m not sure if I’m adding too much syrup or if the ingredients just don’t mix well in bigger batches.
Anyone else had this problem scaling up a coffee recipe? How do you keep it from getting too sweet when you’re making big batches? I want to keep that balance but not sure how to tweak it for larger quantities.
I’ve been making a pretty awesome cold press coffee with pumpkin spice, and it’s a hit with my regulars.
Here’s what I usually throw in for one cup:
- 8 oz cold brew coffee (I let it steep for 12-24 hours)
- 1 tablespoon of my homemade pumpkin spice syrup (basically pumpkin puree, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and vanilla)
- 1-2 tablespoons of cream or oat milk
- A little sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice on top for that fall vibe
But here’s where I’m stuck... I tried to scale this recipe up for an event (like, 50 people), and for some reason, it just doesn’t taste right. It’s way too sweet, and the flavors are kinda off. I’m not sure if I’m adding too much syrup or if the ingredients just don’t mix well in bigger batches.
Anyone else had this problem scaling up a coffee recipe? How do you keep it from getting too sweet when you’re making big batches? I want to keep that balance but not sure how to tweak it for larger quantities.
Quote from smack on Oct 15, 2024, 11:52 amNext time, don’t wait until the last minute to test a batch recipe, especially if it’s for an event. You should have anticipated this issue. All that being said here's what I would do.
- Adjust syrup ratios carefully. Syrups tend to overpower in large batches, so try cutting the syrup quantity down by about 20-30%.
- Start with a smaller test batch. Don’t go from 1 cup to 50 cups in one leap. Scale up to 4 or 5 servings first and then go bigger.
- Consider diluting the base mix. If your syrup is too strong, you can dilute it by adding more cold brew or even water without losing too much flavor.
- Balance with more cream/oat milk. You could also try adding a bit more cream or oat milk to cut down on the sweetness, but don’t overdo it or the drink could lose its richness.
Next time, don’t wait until the last minute to test a batch recipe, especially if it’s for an event. You should have anticipated this issue. All that being said here's what I would do.
- Adjust syrup ratios carefully. Syrups tend to overpower in large batches, so try cutting the syrup quantity down by about 20-30%.
- Start with a smaller test batch. Don’t go from 1 cup to 50 cups in one leap. Scale up to 4 or 5 servings first and then go bigger.
- Consider diluting the base mix. If your syrup is too strong, you can dilute it by adding more cold brew or even water without losing too much flavor.
- Balance with more cream/oat milk. You could also try adding a bit more cream or oat milk to cut down on the sweetness, but don’t overdo it or the drink could lose its richness.