Cold Brew Coffee Concentrate

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Homemade cold brew coffee concentrate is simple to make and requires minimal hands-on time. The only ingredients you need are cold water and coffee grounds.

What is cold brew coffee concentrate?

Cold brew coffee concentrate is cold brew coffee that has been brewed so that it is strong enough to need diluting when serving. This recipe allows for a 1:1 “reconstitution”.  So if you want 1 cup of cold brew coffee, you would pour a half cup of the cold brew coffee concentrate into a glass and then a half cup of another liquid such as water, ice, or creamer of your choice.

Cold Brew VS Iced Coffee:

Cold brew coffee is brewed using cold water and no heat. The lack of heat on the coffee grounds causes the coffee to not have as much acidity or bitterness.

Iced coffee is coffee that is brewed regularly and served at room temperature or chilled over ice. Iced coffee has the same level of acidity and bitterness as hot brewed coffee.

What type of coffee do I need to make cold brew coffee concentrate?

Whatever coffee you would like! You do want the grind of the coffee to be a medium to coarse grind though. The finer the grind, the faster the cold brew will strengthen and the more bitter it will be. There is a small Amish market near us that sells discounted groceries and they were selling organic coffee for extremely cheap. I bought so much of it and then found that I did not like coffee when it was brewed because it tasted too acidic. I now use it exclusively for our cold brew concentrate because the acidity is nearly non-existent when it doesn’t have the heat.

What supplies do I need to make cold brew vs iced coffee?

Traditionally, iced coffee is made how you make your hot coffee and then chilled or served at room temperature over ice. The only “specialty” thing you would need is ice and a pitcher. Cold brew coffee required a few more supplies:

Cheesecloth or a coffee filter

Fine mesh strainers

Pitcher

Coffee grinder (if you want to grind your own coffee)

How to make Cold Brew Coffee Concentrate

First, grind your coffee if it is not pre-ground. You want a medium to coarse grind. Next, combine the coffee grounds and cold water. This is a .5:1 ratio so you can increase it or decrease it as much as you would like. When the brew is done you will end up with slightly less liquid than you started with. This is because the coffee grounds absorb the water. Our pitcher held 7 cups of water and 3 1/2 cups of ground coffee.

Let the coffee and water mixture sit on the counter or in the fridge for 12-24 hours. The longer it brews, the stronger it will be, but the bitterness will also become more apparent. We like ours after it has sat for about 16 hours.

Next strain the coffee. Using either a cheesecloth or a coffee filter that you’ve laid into a fine mesh strainer, strain the coffee from the grounds. Don’t squeeze the grounds, just wait until there is no more liquid dripping from the strainer.

Store the cold-brew coffee concentrate in a covered container in the fridge for up to a week.

How to use cold brew coffee concentrate:

This concentrate is meant to be diluted on a 1:1 ratio. If you want a cup of coffee, use a half cup of the concentrate and add a half cup of water or creamer of your choice, and serve over ice. Using this ratio, you can make yourself cold brew coffee or use it in recipes. Check out our peanut butter mocha breakfast smoothie!

Cold Brew Coffee Concentrate

Easy to make cold brew concentrate meant to be used at a 1:1 ratio

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

rest time 16 hours hrs

Total Time 16 hours hrs 10 minutes mins

Course Drinks

Servings 2 cups

Ingredients

  

• 1 cup of cold water
• ½ cup of course ground coffee

Instructions

 

• You can easily increase this recipe to make as much as you would like. We usually use 7 cups of water to 3.5 cups of ground coffee
• Combine the course ground coffee and cold water in a large bowl or pitcher. Mix thoroughly.
• Let sit in the fridge or on the counter for 12-24 hours. We like ours after about 16 hours.
• Strain the coffee using a coffee filter or cheesecloth and a fine mesh strainer.
• Store covered in the refrigerator for up to a week.
• This is a strong cold brew concentrate that is meant to be diluted on a 1:1 ratio. If you want a cup of coffee, use a half cup of the concentrate and add a half cup of ice, water, or creamer of your choice.

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