Why Do People Love Cold Brew?
Well first off, people love cold brew coffee because it tastes great! Cold brew is less acidic, and some consider it smoother than hot coffee. There is a natural sweetness to it that just makes people fall in love. Most find cold brew to be less bitter than hot coffee as well.
From a financial standpoint, cold brew has a long shelf life so once it’s made, you can hold onto it for a while. This can lead to savings in the long term. On top of that, when you discover how to make cold brew coffee at home, you’ll find it is a relatively simple, forgiving, and customizable process. Really anyone can learn how to make cold brew coffee at home!
So, if you have been wondering how to make cold brew coffee at home, you’ve come to the right place. In this article we will discuss a few important aspects of making cold brew, then we will get into the step-by-step guides for both small batches and large batches of at home production. Let’s settle in, take a sip, and start brewing!
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How is Cold Brew Different from Iced Coffee?
The most prominent difference between cold brew and iced coffee is the brewing method. Cold brew is brewed…well…cold, while iced coffee is hot coffee poured over ice. Many find cold brew coffee to have a smoother and less acidic flavor profile. You may even notice a quality cold brew to be a bit chocolatey! A final difference we want to note is shelf life. Cold brew can last up to 2 weeks, while traditional hot coffee only lasts hours. Seems to us that everyone should know how to make cold brew coffee at home!
Choosing the Best Coffee Beans for Cold Brew
The first question many people ask is, “whole beans or pre-ground”? Whole beans are definitely the best for cold brew! Getting yourself some quality whole beans ensures freshness and allows you to control the grind size (which we are about to find out is very important).
Fresh beans are essential for all coffee, but especially cold brew. If the beans were roasted more than a month ago, you can do better. Try to find beans that have been roasted about 2-4 weeks ago.
Let’s talk roasts. If you already have a preference between light, medium, or dark roasts, probably stick with that at least for your first run. If you are undecided, here are some flavor tips to help you decide. Light roasts will be brighter and more tea-like. Medium to dark roasts are what most people will recommend using for cold brew.
Medium to dark roasts produce a fuller body of flavors when cold brewed. This happens due to the flavors being caramelized during the roasting process. Just think of all that nutty, chocolatey goodness!
Grind Size: The Most Important Variable to Consider
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It is essential to not over-grind your beans. You want them to be a bit chunky, like the size of sea salt. This is the sweet spot for cold brew. Finely ground beans can clog your filters. Not only that, but it can lead to over-extraction which causes a bitter flavor. And as you have just heard us mention multiple times in the above section, cold brew is known for NOT being bitter. So, do yourself a favor and coarsely grind your beans for cold brew.
Best Coffee-to-Water Ratio Calculator
You have two options when it comes to the coffee-to-water ratio. First, you can make ready-to-drink cold brew. Second, you can make cold brew concentrate. Ready-to-drink cold brew should be mixed in a 1:8 ratio of coffee grounds to water. For example, if you have 100 grams of coffee grounds, you need 800 grams of water. This also works if you are using volume to measure 1 cup of coffee grounds requires 8 cups of water to make ready-to-drink cold brew.
Concentrate requires less water; a 1:4 ratio is ideal. For example, 100g of coffee ground with 400g of water. Or, 1 cup of coffee grounds with 4 cups of water. Choosing to make concentrate over ready-to-drink cold brew allows you much more customization when it comes to making drinks. Now each person you serve can decide exactly how they want their cold brew.
Additionally, concentrate has a longer shelf life than ready-to-drink cold brew (14 days compared to 5 days). It also takes up much less storage space – about half as much. That can be a huge factor if you are making large batches.
Speaking of large batches, concentrate is ideal for large batch production just due to the effort required to strain half as much water as ready-to-drink cold brew. Imagine having to steep 100kg of water for ready-to-drink cold brew versus 50kg of water when making concentrate.
Table of Contents
How to Make Cold Brew Coffee at Home:
Small Batch Step-by-Step Guide
Necessary Materials
- Whole bean coffee (see Best Beans section above)
- Scale or measuring cup
- Coffee bean grinder
- Filtered water (amount depend on how many beans you have, use the calculator above)
- Mesh bag (about 73 micron – 160 micron)
- Jar for steeping
- Jar for storage
Step 1: Measure and Grind the Beans
First things first, let’s get the ratio of coffee-to-water down. If you are making ready-to-drink cold brew, you want a 1:8 ratio of ground coffee beans to water. This can be in weight or volume. For example:
100 grams of ground coffee beans : 800 grams of filtered water
OR
1 cup of ground coffee beans : 8 cups of filtered water
If you are making concentrate, you want a 1:4 ratio of ground coffee beans to water. This can also be done in weight or volume. Here is an example:
100 grams of ground coffee beans : 400 grams of filtered water
OR
1 cup of ground coffee beans : 4 cups of filtered water
Once you have your measurements determined, go ahead and grind your beans into a coarse grind (like sea salt). Be careful not to overgrind as this can cause filtration and flavor issues.
Step 2: Combine Coffee & Water
Pour the ground coffee beans and water into your first jar. Give it a gentle stir to get rid of any dry pockets. It is important to make sure the beans are fully saturated.
Step 3: Steep
Cover the jar and steep for 12-24 hours. You can steep at room temperature or in the fridge. Most people say steeping in the fridge will produce a cleaner flavor, but it is up to you.
Step 4: Strain
Use your mesh bag to strain the ground beans out of the water. You can strain directly into your second storage jar. We DO NOT suggest squeezing the bag as this can let some of the finer coffee grounds seep through.
Step 5: Store
Store your final product in the jar with a lid. It is best to store in the fridge for maximum shelf life. Concentrate can be stored for up to 14 days. Ready-to-drink cold brew should be used within 5 days.
How to Make Cold Brew Coffee at Home:
Large Batch Step-By-Step Guide
Necessary Materials
- Bucket to do the steeping – most common sizes are 5, 10, 20, 32, and 55 gallon
- 2nd bucket for the additional filtration step and storage
- Mesh filter bag for the initial soak (known as bubble bags) – about 90 micron to 160 micron – gallon size of the bag should match the bucket you plan to use
- Mesh filter bag for the additional soak – about 73 micron to 120 micron for extra fine filtration – gallon size of the bag should match the bucket you plan to use
- Filtered water – make sure you have enough for the amount of coffee beans you are using (see Step 2: Measure and Grind Beans below)
- Scale
- Sanitized long paddle for stirring
- Rack to hang the filter bag and allow it to drip (optional but recommended)
Step 1: Prep Vessel and Filter Bag
First things first, clean your buckets and filter bags. You don’t want to be serving dirty cold brew. The mesh bags are best cleaned using a cold water spray. Avoid using any alcohol or bleach as these can degrade the integrity of the mesh bags and lead to tears.
Line your first bucket with the mesh bag of the larger micron size. Bubble bags have a draw string that can secure the bag around the rim of your bucket.
Do the same with your second bucket and the smaller micron size mesh bag.
Step 2: Measure and Grind the Beans
If you are making ready-to-drink cold brew, you want a 1:8 ratio of ground coffee beans to water. This can be in weight or volume. For example:
1 kilogram of ground coffee beans : 8 kilograms of filtered water
OR
1 gallon of ground coffee beans : 8 gallons of filtered water
If you are making concentrate, you want a 1:4 ratio of ground coffee beans to water. This can also be done in weight or volume. Here is an example:
1 kilogram of ground coffee beans : 4 kilograms of filtered water
OR
1 gallon of ground coffee beans : 4 gallons of filtered water
Once you have your measurements determined, go ahead and grind your beans into a coarse grind (like sea salt). Be careful not to overgrind as this can cause filtration and flavor issues.
Step 3: Combine Water & Beans to Saturate
Fill your first bucket with the coffee beans and spread them out evenly. Next, slowly pour the filtered water over the beans and into the bucket. Be sure not to overfill your bucket so nothing is lost during the mixing process. Leave at least 6 inches of room at the top.
Now, use your sanitized long paddle to GENTLY stir the water and coffee beans. This will help to ensure all the beans are fully saturated. Be careful not to stir too aggressively and risk tearing the filter bag.
Step 4: Steep
Cover your bucket with a lid and let it steep for about 18-24 hours. It is best practice to agitate the beans every 6 hours to ensure full saturation.
Step 5: Lift and Drain the Filter Bag
Get your arm muscles ready to work! Slowly (we mean it!) lift the filter bag out of the water. Hold it over the bucket for about 30 minutes and allow all the water to drip out. The bigger filter bag you have, the longer it can take to fully drip out.
If you have a rack to hang the bag while it drips, even better for your arms!
DO NOT squeeze the bag as this can allow coffee grounds to seep through and create a bitter flavor.
Step 6: Secondary Filtration
Now, take your first bucket which is now filled with cold brew, and SLOWLY pour it into the second bucket which is lined with your smaller micron mesh filter bag. Once you have fully transferred the cold brew from the first bucket to the second, repeat step 5 above.
Step 7: Storage
Your cold brew is now ready to go! It can be stored in the second bucket which it should already be in. Make sure to cover it with a lid. It is best to store in a refrigerator, but if you do not have room, room temperature is fine, just know storing at room temperature means it has a shorter shelf life.