How to Make Cold Brew Coffee

Last updated on Mar 6, 2019
Richard Traylor

Cold brew coffee is a popular coffee trend that has been growing in coffee shops and restaurants around the world. One of the main benefits of cold brew coffee, besides the fact that it's very caffeinated, is that the recipe is versatile, and you can change the strength of your brew until you find the flavor you're looking for. Keep reading to learn how to make bulk cold brew coffee, how it's different from regular coffee, and how you can adjust our recipe for your needs.

How to Make Cold Brew Coffee



Large Batch Cold Brew Recipe

Here's how you can make large batches of cold brew coffee in-house. Our recipe will yield 6 gallons of cold brew coffee.

Cold Brew Coffee Concentrate Ingredients:

Here are the items that you'll need to make our cold brew coffee recipe:

  • 5 lbs. of coffee beans
  • 3.5 gallons of water

Cold Brew Coffee Equipment

How to Make Large Batch Cold Brew Coffee Step by Step:

  • grinding coffee beans for cold brew coffee1.

    Grind your coffee beans on the coarsest setting. Your ground beans should be chunky, similar to the texture and size of Kosher salt.

    pouring coffee grounds and water into a bulk container2.

    Place your coffee grounds in a 22 quart container and add 3.5 gallons of water. Stir until the coffee is thoroughly moistened.

  • placing a lid on a food container3.

    Let your coffee steep for 18 to 24 hours.

    straining cold brew coffee4.

    The following day, strain your mixture through a chinois and cheesecloth. Don't press down on the coffee while it is straining because it can add bitterness and acidity. Strain the mixture a second time, if necessary.

  • refrigerating cold brew coffee5.

    At this point, your coffee is ready to drink, but there will be some silt leftover. If desired, put the concentrate in the refrigerator until the silt settles at the bottom of your container.

    pouring cold brew coffee into a beverage dispenser6.

    Pour your cold brew concentrate into another container, leaving the silt behind.

  • adding water to cold brew concentrate7.

    Add water until you have a 1:1 ratio of clean water to coffee. Serve your coffee over ice and add milk, cream, or simple syrup to taste.

What Is Cold Brew Coffee?

Cold brew coffee is a type of coffee that's made by steeping coffee grounds in a refrigerator or at room temperature over a long period of time, such as overnight or 24 hours. Cold brew coffee is typically much more concentrated and caffeinated than drip or french press coffee.

Cold brew coffee is usually served over ice with milk or cream. Although, due the subdued bitter flavor, you can drink cold brew coffee straight.

Differences Between Drip Coffee and Cold Brew Coffee

You might be wondering the difference between cold brew coffee and standard brewing methods. There are several main distinctions between cold brew and drip coffee:

  • Cold brew coffee is stronger than regular coffee. Cold brew coffee is, on average, much more potent and caffeinated than drip or french press coffee. Plus, because the coffee is already cold, you don't have to worry about diluting it with ice.
  • It has a smooth texture. When making hot coffee, the boiling water burns the beans, which gives the brew an acidic and bitter flavor. Cold brew coffee steeps at room temperature or in the refrigerator, so you get a rich and smooth taste without the bitterness.
  • Cold brew coffee recipes are versatile. If you want to create a strong coffee concentrate, you can easily add more coffee grounds to your cold brew recipe. If you want to tone down the strength, you can use fewer grounds.
  • You can make it in bulk ahead of time. Because cold brew coffee takes so long to make, you can easily prepare one big batch and portion it out as necessary. One batch of cold brew coffee can stay in the fridge for two weeks.

Tips for Making Cold Brew Coffee

One of the main benefits of making cold brew coffee is the versatility of the recipe. As a result, you can play with the ratios to change the strength of your cold brew. Here are some helpful tips that you can use to adjust our large batch cold brew coffee recipe to your needs:

  • If you want to create cold brew concentrate, just skip step 7. Be warned, though, that concentrate is very strong and slightly bitter, so it's best to dilute it with water, milk, or cream.
  • For a stronger brew, use a higher ratio of coffee grounds to water.
  • If you prefer a less concentrated cold brew, add more water in the last step.
  • Cold brew coffee and cold brew concentrate are also excellent bases for making coffee smoothies, frappes, and iced coffee due to its concentrated flavor and caffeine level.

Whether you're looking to add a new item to your cafe's menu or you're looking to improve your restaurant's coffee service, our bulk batch cold brew coffee is the perfect addition. An added benefit of our cold brew coffee is how adaptable it is, and you should play around with the recipe until you find the ratio and strength that works best for you.

If you're looking for an easier way to serve cold brew coffee to your customers, canned cold brew coffee or individual coffee packs are great alternatives.

The information provided on this website does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice. Please refer to our Content Policy for more details.
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