Making cold brew seems easy on the surface.
Measure.
Grind.
Steep.
Drink.
What could be so hard about that?
Although the brewing process is not complicated, it is the small details that make a major impact. If you’re not cautious, your cold brew can taste watery, extremely bitter, or even worse—tasteless.
The flavor, acidity levels, and mouthfeel of cold brew coffee can differ significantly depending on the brewing method.
To make the perfect cold brew coffee, it is important to understand the principles of coffee extraction.
1. Immersion coffee
The Immersion method of making cold brew coffee is very simple. You just need to combine water and ground coffee in a container and let it sit for a few hours. After that, you just need to strain out the coffee grounds and your cold brew coffee will be ready.
Over 70% of coffee professionals and enthusiasts surveyed said they use immersion to make their cold brew, which is quite a testament to its simplicity and deliciousness. Immersion cold brews are typically very balanced, with low-acidity levels and no bitterness.
You only need a few things to make cold brew coffee: a container, water, coffee, and a filter. Immersion brewing is also very consistent and doesn’t require any special equipment.
The disadvantage of immersion cold brew is that it becomes more difficult to distinguish the subtle flavors of the coffee. With immersion cold brew, all of the coffee’s flavors are essentially combined together in one big pot.
The machine is easy to use and you can make large batches of food at one time. It is easy to repeat the process and you can use any combination of water temperatures.
The best features of the immersion method are its consistency and predictability. Recipes can be easily replicated and adjustments are simple. This method delivers a very full-bodied cup with great mouth feel. Coffee oils are more noticeable, giving the cup the viscosity we desire.
The immersion method is a way to make coffee where the grinds are fully saturated for a long period of time. This usually results in a coffee that is less acidic and has less strong flavors, like caramel, brown sugar, and cola.
2. Bitter cold brew
The worst part about bitter cold brew is the terrible pungent taste it leaves on the back of your tongue. It’s enough to make any devoted cold brew drinker turn away from finishing an entire glass.
Don’t worry if your cold brew coffee is bitter. You know from your understanding of the extraction process that this just means the coffee was over-extracted.
Since cold brew is an immersion brew method, we can adjust two variables to remedy the bitterness on the next brew:
Grind size
If your cold brew coffee is bitter, it is likely because your coffee grinds were too fine. Smaller coffee grounds take less time to extract, resulting in a bitter cold brew. To fix this, try grinding your coffee beans to a coarser setting. This will help slow down the extraction process and produce a sweeter cold brew.
Brewing time
If your coffee grind size is too coarse, the coffee will be bitter. To fix this, stop the extraction process earlier. Cold brew coffee should ideally steep for 12-18 hours, depending on the recipe. Experiment with a few different time frames to find what works best for your coffee.
3. Sour cold brew
Sour cold brew is the result of under extraction.
Under extraction!
Using the same principles to fix bitter coffee, we know that we can remedy sour cold brew by adjusting the:
Grind size
If your cold brew coffee tastes sour, it is because the grind is too coarse. This happens because the grinds take too long to extract. If the grind is too coarse, you will not be able to extract all of the tasty solubles in the right amount of time, and you will be left with a sour, acidic drink.
Brewing time
If your cold brew coffee tastes sour or acidic, it may be because you didn’t let the grounds steep for long enough. Try extending the brew time next time, and the sourness should turn into a sweet, rich flavor.
4. Watery cold brew
It’s a simple mathematical formula that coffee roasters and baristas use to achieve the perfect balance of sweetness and acidity in coffee. The Golden Ratio for coffee is 1 part coffee to 2 parts water. The Golden Ratio for coffee is 1:2, coffee to water.
The optimum coffee-to-water ratio for a hot coffee is 1:15, 1:16, 1:17, or 1:18.
Of course, the ratio you select depends on factors such as:
- The bean’s origin
- Roast level
- Grind size
- Water temperature
But most importantly… brew method.
The Golden Ratio for making coffee only applies to methods like French Press or pour over coffee. To get the creamy, rich taste we love from cold brew, we don’t follow the Golden Ratio. Instead, we make cold brew as a concentrate.
To make cold brew coffee that is not watery and has good flavor, use a 1:8 to 1:10 coffee to water ratio.
The advantage of cold brew coffee is that it can be enjoyed over ice without losing any flavor. This is because the coffee is brewed at a concentrate.
5. Thin-tasting cold brew
If your cold brew coffee tastes thin, you may need to adjust your recipe.
Even though I ground the coffee beans to the right size, brewed it at the correct concentration, and extracted it for the right amount of time, it still tastes like it’s missing something.
In this situation, the problem may be with the beans you are using.
Opt for medium roast beans when making cold brew.
The flavors of light roasted coffee can become sour and almost “thin-like” when brewed cold, whereas dark roasted coffee tends to lack a nuanced flavor when made as a cold brew.
If you’re looking for a coffee with complex flavors and a heavier body, medium roast is the way to go. It’s the perfect balance for cold brew!
6. Ice drip method
Ice drip cold brew is made by drip-filtering cold water over coffee grounds for a long period of time. The slow drip-filtering of cold water over coffee grounds produces ice drip cold brew. This method results in a less acidic and smoother cup of coffee.
The glass towers in this method of cold brewing coffee are deceptively simple. Cold water is slowly dripped onto coffee grounds, seeping through the bed of grounds and dripping into a container underneath as cold brew coffee.
The result of ice drip coffee is a wide range of nuanced flavors while still maintaining a thick, syrupy body. Fans of this type of coffee believe it brings out the true flavors of the coffee beans.
Although ice drip brewing takes a little more effort to get the drip rate right and keep it consistent throughout the day, it only takes about a day to finish. You will need to purchase a dedicated ice drip cold brew device if you want to make a large quantity at one time.
The flavors of the coffee are very pure and emphasize the floral or fruity notes. The slow drip method results in a very clean cup of cold brew coffee. It also looks very impressive and is a great conversation starter. You can also be very hands-on with this method and have fun tweaking the ratios and water temperatures.
7. Japanese iced method
Japanese Iced Coffee is made using a very similar process to cold brew coffee, but the beans are ground much finer. This results in a coffee that is less acidic and less bitterness. Japanese Iced Coffee is not really cold brew coffee, nor is it iced coffee. It is made using a process similar to cold brew coffee, but the beans are ground much finer, resulting in a coffee that is less acidic and less bitter.
A Japanese Iced Coffee is a coffee that has been brewed hot and poured over ice. This method of making coffee captures the wonderful aroma of hot coffee while still maintaining the sweetness of cold brew.
As well as tasting good, Japanese Iced Coffee takes the same amount of time to make as hot coffee, which is very convenient.
Although it has some drawbacks, Japanese Iced Coffee is still a good choice for coffee. The ice in the vessel will begin to melt as you brew hot coffee over the top, so you have to estimate the dilution and it might take some practice. You also can’t make large batches unless you have an automatic drip machine.
The Japanese iced coffee method can result in a more flavorful, bright and complex brew. A great washed Yirgacheffe coffee can taste different from other cold brews. It’s easy to do and you may already have the equipment.
This machine makes cold coffee quickly, which is great if you have a sudden craving for iced coffee and don’t want to wait 24 hours for cold brew coffee using the immersion process.
Cold brew tastes flavorless
If the flavor of your cold brew is not as strong as it should be, this could be a sign that there is something wrong with the water you are using or the coffee beans you are using.
Water quality
Coffee is 99% water.
We use water to make coffee, so it is important that the water has the right combination of minerals to make the coffee taste good. If the water quality is poor, the coffee will not taste good.
If you want to improve the taste of your cold brew, try using filtered water or spring water the next time you make it.
Coffee bean quality
While brewing coffee cold will bring out some sweetness and dampen the acidity, it won’t cause the flavors to magically disappear. If this happens, it’s likely because your coffee is:
- A low-grade quality coffee
- Far too old
- Pre-ground
Whole bean specialty coffee that has been expertly roasted tastes best when brewed using the cold brew method.
To make delicious cold brew coffee, make sure to…
Opt for specialty-grade coffee
You can be confident that the specialty coffee you buy was roasted with a focus on quality and meets very high coffee standards.
Check the roast date
The age of your coffee beans may be the cause of your flavorless cold brew. Coffee that was roasted months ago will lose some of its vibrancy and flavor. When purchasing, make sure you check the roast date on the bag of coffee beans.
Grind before you brew
Pre-ground coffee is not recommended for cold brew coffee because it is often ground to work with standard coffee machines instead of cold brew immersion systems. This can result in the coffee tasting bad. Choose whole bean coffee and grind the amount you need before brewing.
Great cold brew coffee starts with a great grinder
It is evident that a coffee grinder is the most important piece of equipment you need to make excellent cold brew coffee.
If you want to make a good cold brew, you need to start with good coffee. Even if you follow a recipe and use filtered water, if you use pre-ground coffee, it will still taste bad.
You will never regret buying a coffee grinder for your home coffee brewing setup.
A coffee grinder will upgrade all the coffee you brew at home. But which one should you get?
A burr coffee grinder, either manual or electric, will give you an even, consistent grind.
While affordable, blade grinders cause unevenness due to the popcorn effect, leading to sour or bitter cold brew flavors.
You will be able to make your cold brew recipe perfect by using a manual or electric burr grinder to adjust the grind size and grind only the amount of coffee you need for the recipe.
Choosing the right cold brew style for you
There are many different types of cold brew coffee, and the best way to try them all is by using one of the three methods described above. Each method has its own advantages and produces a unique flavor.