Introduction
Welcome to the last guide you’ll ever need to use for brewing your own cold brew coffee. Now, you may be wondering why we brought you here… It’s to give you a 2000 word essay on cold brew that takes four years to scroll through to get to the actual recipe! (If you just want the goods, scroll to the the recipe below).
Okay, just kidding. You found your way here because you’ve had a taste of that sweet, sweet nectar (aka cold brew), and you’re wondering how you can make it at home.
Well, you’re in luck - you’ve stumbled upon the biggest cold brew nerds on both sides of the Mississippi. We are River Cow, a cold brew obsessed company with an affinity for caffeine-consciousness.
Getting cold brew from your local coffee shop barista is a wonderful and charming experience. Stuff right out of a Hallmark romcom. However, brewing it yourself in your own home adds new excitement to your coffee habits and a new level of satisfaction and enjoyment.
In this guide, we’ll break down what cold brew is, why it’s the best stuff on earth, what you need, and how to brew step-by-step. Jump on in, the water is warm!
What is Cold Brew Coffee?
Cold brew coffee is made through a brewing method that involves steeping coarsely ground coffee beans in water for an extended period of time; usually anywhere from 18 to 24 hours. This is far different from the traditional brewing methods of hot-brewing coffee. Cold brew relies on time rather than heat to extract the flavors from the ground coffee beans. And I’ll tell you what - good things are worth the wait.
Now you may be wondering, “That sounds great, but can’t I just toss some iced cubes in my hot brewed coffee? Wouldn’t that also be a ~ cold brew ~?” Allow me to respond after I pull my head out of the drywall I just put it through.
No (and we cannot stress this enough) they are not the same. Same same, but different.
First, iced coffee brewed like that is more acidic with a more bitter flavor profile. Second, if you’re looking for a bold flavor profile with delectable chocolatey notes (and maybe some other good stuff for you sophisticated palette types), cold brew is your option.
Cold brew provides a significantly less acidic flavor with a smooth and ever so bold flavor profile. Our tummies salute to you cold brew.
Why Choose Cold Brew?
You’re still asking why?? Maybe you're not, but if you’re looking to impress your friends, this section is for you.
There are significant health benefits to drinking coffee, and more specifically, cold brew coffee.
Caffeine content: Cold brew can have up to 1.5x-2x the amount of caffeine in a normal cup of coffee. This is the fact that led to the founding of River Cow and our caffeine-conscious brand. As we like to say here at River Cow HQ, cold brew is for when you want to zoom.
Low acidity: We already discussed this point, but it’s worth reiterating. For those of us that a regular cup of joe has us reaching for antacids, cold brew can be our savior. The low acidity is helpful for those who need something easier on the stomach.
Rich in antioxidants: These antioxidants are maintained through the cold brew process, allowing you to get additional nutrients in your daily routine. NOTE: We don’t recommend that you solely get these antioxidants from coffee. But that’s a whole other topic that we’ll leave for you and your doctor.
Health benefits aside, the distinctly bold flavor and refreshing beverage that keeps cold brew newbies coming back time and time again. Cold brew provides a smoother, richer flavor over other methods. We believe cold brew coffee is the single best way to enjoy a cup of coffee (looking directly at you, espresso).
Ingredients and Equipment Needed
Ingredients:
- 4 cups (32 fl oz) of water
- 1 cup of whole beans* OR 1 cup coarsely ground coffee beans
- *Note if you get whole beans a coffee bean grinder is required. See equipment.
Equipment:
- Wide mouth mason jar (1 quart minimum)
- Mason jar not required. This method can be applied using a 48 oz pitcher or similar sized container to the mason jar. We also recommend always choose something with a lid.
- Coffee bean grinder (optional - for whole beans)
- Kitchen-grade cotton sack or cheesecloth
- Measuring cups
Step-by-Step Guide to Making Cold Brew Coffee
Step 1: Put your cotton sack in the mason jar, and wrap the opening around the lid of the mason jar.
Step 2: Add 1 cup of coarsely ground beans to the coffee sack in the mason jar.
Step 3: Pour 4 cups (32 oz) of water into the open beans of the mason jar.
- Our goal here is to soak all of the coffee grounds.
Step 4: Stir the beans to ensure grounds are fully soaked.
Step 5: Tie up the cotton sack and submerge in the water as best as possible.
Step 6: Let sit for 18-24 hours.
- The longer the brew the stronger the coffee. If you only have 12 hours, that will be fine too. We do not recommend less than 12.
- You can leave it on your counter or put it in the fridge. Fridge requires longer brew times (24 hours).
- Great to begin brewing on a lazy sunday afternoon.
Step 7: Remove the beans from the container and dispose.
- Optional: careful. There will be some water still in the coffee sack with the coarse beans. Feel free to let drain into the cold brew concentrate.
Step 8: You now have cold brew concentrate! Move to a pitcher or carafe and add 2 cups of water (or more for desired taste), or store the mason jar in your fridge as cold brew concentrate.
- We recommend a 1:1 cold brew to water ratio. Get your measuring cups back out!
Tips for the Perfect Cold Brew
- Coarse Coffee Beans: This is an absolute requirement. You don’t want your beans to be too fine or it will cause a murky, gritty cold brew concentration.
- Dilute the concentrate: Some people (I won’t name names) love them some cold brew concentrate. Different strokes for different folks I suppose. We recommend adding your cold brew concentrate and water to a larger pitcher or carafe so that you can enjoy with ease. As mentioned in the instructions, less water = stronger cup of cold brew. Experiment and find what works for you.
- Optional: keep as concentrate in your fridge and mix when you’re ready for a cup of cold brew.
- Timing: We recommend anywhere from 18-24 hours for an ideal concentrate output. Sometimes, timing doesn’t work. Life is busy. If that’s the case, anything over 12 hours will produce great results.
Serving Suggestions
- Cold Brew straight up – nothing added. Enjoy the smooth udderly bold flavor of cold brew on its own.
- Cold Brew as you like it – adding a lil flavor never hurt no one. Add what your heart desires.
- Cold Brew Latte – no, we are not saying add espresso to your cold brew. Nor do we suggest it. Get your cold latte fix with a cold brew base that won’t have you going back to the old way. We are pro-milk and alternative milk here. We’re River Cow after all.
- Cold Brew Martini – a fun twist on the espresso martini.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
This process is very simple. There’s not much to fear so don’t be nervous. There’s really not much to mess up. However, there are a couple of things to avoid.
Concentrate Dilution: When you first start making cold brew, it’s more of an experimentation of what you like! You get to learn about your preferences when you dilute the concentrate. The only concern when it comes to dilution is adding too much. When you add too much water, you mute your coffee experience.
- To avoid this when you’re first making cold brew, be scientific with the amount of water you’re adding to your concentrate. Get out measuring cups. Start 1 part concentrate and 1 part water. Want stronger? Try less water. Too strong? Add more water.
- You don’t need to add the concentrate to a pitcher and dilute right away. For your first batch, keep it as concentrate and play around with those ratios.
- On your second or third batch, you’ll understand what you like from a ratio perspective, so you can add the concentrate and water to a big pitcher for easy enjoyment throughout your week.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- This is up to you! Already have some beans you prefer from a local coffee shop? Give them a try. The River Cow cold brew pouches are a medium/dark roast.
- We recommend a 32 oz mason jar or a similar sized container or pitcher with a lid. We highly recommend using something reusable as well. Save the damn planet y’all.
- Great question - one we’ve asked ourselves as well. Just double the ratio above!
- We appreciate any and all opportunities to put Nitro in its place – we are not fans. Nitro cold brew is a type of cold brew coffee infused with nitrogen gas, intended to create a creamy and frothy texture with a head similar to a draft beer. We think it takes away from the cold brew itself. We like it puuuuuuuuure.
- Absolutely. Send us a email at support@tryrivercow.com. We love cold brew and we know you will too. We’ll help you enjoy the blissful experience of drinking cold brew. That sweet sweet nectar. *chefs kiss*
Conclusion
We aren’t lying when we say that cold brew is the best way to enjoy coffee. We believe its smooth and ridiculously bold flavor should be enjoyed at any point in the day.
If you want to short cut your cold brew making experience, shop our cold brew pouches here at River Cow. Our Full Caff pouch is great for a morning kick in the rump, and our Decaf pouch is for you to enjoy at any part of the day without compromising your sleep. River Cow pouches are the easiest way to enjoy artisanal coffee shop cold brew right at home.