{"id":51,"date":"2026-09-27T15:29:48","date_gmt":"2026-09-27T15:29:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/qa-s3.axis-software.dev\/homemade-cold-brew\/"},"modified":"2026-09-27T15:29:48","modified_gmt":"2026-09-27T15:29:48","slug":"homemade-cold-brew","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/qa-s3.axis-software.dev\/en\/homemade-cold-brew\/","title":{"rendered":"Homemade cold brew: ratios and times"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Cold brew is made with cold water and many hours, not with ice over hot coffee. The result is sweet, low in acidity and very refreshing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is the simplest way to have coffee ready in the fridge all week, and you do not need any special equipment to make it. A large jar, a sieve, a paper filter and a little patience are enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Steaming<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What it is and what it is not<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Cold brew is not the same as iced coffee. With iced coffee you brew a hot drink and chill it all at once; with cold brew the coffee is never heated. Cold water extracts more slowly and leaves behind much of the acidic and bitter compounds, which is why the result is so smooth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another advantage is that it is very forgiving. There is no need to control the water temperature or the time to the second, and an hour either way is barely noticeable. It is a good method for when you do not feel like watching the brewer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The immersion method we use here is a close cousin of the French press: all the coffee in contact with all the water, only at a different temperature and for many hours instead of four minutes. If you already brew with a press, you can use it for this too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ratio and time<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Ratio<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

For a concentrate, use one part coffee to eight parts water: 100 g of coffee at a very coarse grind<\/a> for 800 ml of water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That concentrate is not drunk as it is. When serving, dilute it with the same amount of water or milk, or a little more, depending on how strong you like it. If you prefer to make it ready to drink, use one part coffee to fifteen of water and steep it a few hours longer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Time<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Between 12 and 18 hours in the fridge. Less than 12 comes out weak; more than 20 starts to turn bitter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Temperature changes the times. At room temperature extraction is faster and ten to twelve hours can be enough, but in summer it is better to do it in the fridge so the coffee does not pick up odd flavours. Note how long you left it and adjust the next batch. If your fridge is very cold, extraction slows down and you may need the full eighteen hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which coffee to use<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It works better with a medium roast, with chocolate and nut notes, than with a very acidic light roast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Use filtered water: cold, limescale and chlorine are more noticeable than when hot. Since the water spends so many hours with the coffee, any taste it carries ends up in the bottle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Buy whole beans and grind them yourself. With the amount of coffee each batch takes, a grind from days ago shows in the result much more than in a single hot cup.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you fancy something different, try natural-process Ethiopian coffees: cold, they bring out very pleasant strawberry and blueberry notes. A floral washed coffee, on the other hand, can end up too light, and does better in the V60.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step by step<\/h2>\n\n\n\n