RAIN technology allows packaged cold brew coffee to maintain a fresh taste for 120 days, compared to previous industry standard of 1-2 days; cold brew market poised for significant growth as BKON creates a new freshness advantage for coffee brands.
Paving the way for exponential industry growth, beverage technology innovator BKON today announced the results of a new study that prove its breakthrough RAIN™ (Reverse Atmospheric Infusion™) technology both increases the freshness of packaged cold brew from 1-2 days to at least 120 days, and extends the life of the beverage for months further. BKON conducted the study with a leading coffee roaster and third-party lab EMSL Analytical Inc.
“These study results reaffirm the value we bring to coffee brands, namely that our patented technology can extract the richest cold brew coffee flavor, while allowing the fresh taste experience to last for months after production,” said Lou Vastardis, BKON. “Our RAIN technology unlocks the potential for major growth in the cold brew industry; now, coffee brands can scale packaged cold brew without sacrificing freshness, including single-origin coffees that exhibit distinct, recognizable flavor characteristics.”
Continued Vastardis, “We witnessed this trend in the craft beer market, when consumer preferences shifted in favor of fresh, locally-brewed micro-beers, and we’re now poised to again bear witness to it in the cold brew coffee market, now that the technology is in place to offer a packaged product that stays fresh for the requisite amount of time.”
To test for freshness, BKON partnered with a leading coffee company to simultaneously evaluate the sensory qualities of two RAIN-brewed coffee products on an ongoing basis. Over a period of twelve months, flavor and aroma testing was completed by experts at BKON and the partnering coffee roaster. Both parties concluded that the desirable and distinguishing qualities of each product remained consistent for over four months, with fresh, consistent flavor through 120 days for one SKU and 180 days for the other SKU.
“The growing popularity of cold brew continues to be fueled by a consumer demand for ready-to-drink and on-tap coffee beverages,” Vastardis explained, “but while cold brew represents a new, significant chapter for the industry, flavor degradation has historically prevented coffee brands from protecting and scaling optimal consumer experiences. We are proving that with RAIN, this roadblock is no longer the case.”
Additionally, BKON provided cans from their partner’s production run to third-party lab EMSL Analytical for microbiological analysis. The products were kept refrigerated and tested across three different time intervals for a variety of microbial organisms including lactic bacteria – which is primarily responsible for flavor souring. EMSL found that the cold brew coffee did not support the growth of any tested bacteria with undetectable levels up to 273 days – far surpassing the industry standard of 45 days.
“In a non-RAIN brewed cold brew, the pH shifts in as little as 45 days due to the growth of lactic bacteria,” Vastardis said. “As it begins to grow, it eventually turns sour, leaving it unrecognizable compared with its fresh-brewed counterpart. As a result, brands have been forced to choose between limiting their distribution, or heat-treating the coffee which flattens the flavor and fails to deliver the fresh-brewed experience consumers expect.”
While other cold brew methods rely on suspending coffee particles in water, RAIN uses a much more advanced process to extract every succulent note from any ingredient a beverage producer wants to extract into liquid. First, a vacuum removes the gases from the ingredient’s structure. Water is then infused into the empty spaces, where it absorbs the flavors and aromas contained in the ingredients. By controlling the strength, duration and frequency of vacuum cycles, RAIN extracts far more flavor than traditional brewing methods.
“Through the findings of this study, we’ve proven that a higher standard of packaged cold brew is now attainable,” concluded Vastardis. “Consumers can experience the promise of freshness and distinguishable flavors months after production, and coffee brands can now expand the reach and scale of their cold supply product line by replicating what our current partners have achieved.”
For more information on BKON, visit www.bkonbrew.com. For hi-res photography, click here.