How Long To Steep Cold Brew Coffee - We Tested

[@sushisea]

Can you also try with milk/creamer/ice? Maybe the ones that steep for longer are good for big iced cold brew drinks 😊😊

[@BrewEspressoCoffee]

Absolutely, and this is why the long steeping times survived for so long. But if you look at the TDS, the difference is minimal. So it means that beyond 24 hours there is no major extraction benefit. It means we just extract bad compounds. A coffee steeped for 72 hours is just marginally stronger than one steeped for 24 hours. But that extra stuff we extract is not something we want in our coffee. I hope this makes the info clearer. You can red the article mentioned in the description, we discuss that a bit more than in the video.

[@christinebean7932]

Thank you for your vides😀🤎 coffee🥰 You answered a question I had. The last time I made cold brew I was wondering if this method was waisting coffee so i covered the used grounds again with half more water and it was majorly bitter😖. compounds I don't want in my coffee or I still didn't do it right 😫 maybe I needed to add more water. I'll watch your vides again i think i blink & missed the answere I need😅

[@BrewEspressoCoffee]

@@christinebean7932 You are right, a second steep will extract only a fraction of the good stuff, because the are depleted from the first extraction. You will extract bitter stuff though. By then, the bitter compounds start to be more soluble and it's easier to extract them.

[@Dranomoly]

I find 18 hours or less is great as a RTD - ready to drink, you can taste without dilution and get the notes of the coffee. 24+ is a concentrate, you have to dilute (even if it's just with water) but is great with milk/cream/other. Great video.

[@josephteifer9714]

EXCELLENT video. I own the Baratza Encore and use it for cold brew. I'm glad I could see the settings. I've been grinding my beans at 35 and steeping for 18-24 hours. Based on the your experiment I'm going to grind at 18 and steep for 12 hours. I'm excited to try.

[@mcroadtrip7313]

I'm curious, how did it go sir? Thank you 😊

[@dustinwhite6885]

Update us Joe. What happened?

[@CryoSonicGaming]

Damn, this is an incredible and helpful video. Must've taken you guys a LOT of time and effort, deserves more views and subs thats for sure

[@ahmadchairil5081]

Thank you for the information and explanation. I like 24 hour cooldbrew, it has the bitterness, it has the sourness, it is quite balanced, I don't really understand how to process cooldbrew, usually I mix it with 2 spoons of brown sugar, 2 spoons of coconut creamer, a pinch of Himalayan salt, milk and ice cubes, it is quite delicious

[@BrewEspressoCoffee]

You add to your cold brew whatever you like. This is a personal choice, it's not about brewing. Many people switch to cold brew because properly brewed, it has almost no bittereness, so they can drink it black.

[@josephteifer9714]

I just tried the finer grind 12 hour recipe (Baratza Encore setting 16). I used a fine metal filter and then filtered the finished product through a Chemex paper filter. Works great.

[@BrewEspressoCoffee]

I am glad you liked it. I just love finer grinds, period.

[@Arrix949]

I like your attention to detail, but as a chemist, I would not stick a pipette into the samples rather pour some off or use the spoon to get a sample to pipette from.

[@BrewEspressoCoffee]

Not sure why I missed your comment a while ago when you posted. Your pipette comment is noted. Not a chemist myself, so next time I'll use your advice. I also wish I had a caffeine meter. But the budget was tight. Maybe I'll redo this experiment, including some other cold brewing methods, if I ever get a decent budget.

[@Rupamforever]

Thank you. On a humorous note, how geeky/nerdy and calm I wish my wife to be? This is the answer video. You're an amazing lady. :) (Best wishes for the channel from India)

[@BrewEspressoCoffee]

🤣

[@josephteifer9714]

This was an excellent video. I make cold brew and have been grinding on my Baratza Encore at 34. I’m going to try a batch at setting 18 for 12 hours. I am a new subscriber.

[@BrewEspressoCoffee]

Thank you! I'm glad it was useful.

[@djben928]

I watched the whole video. This is very helpful and informative. You have a unique YT channel.

[@BrewEspressoCoffee]

Thank you!

[@ednajankowski7058]

I’m just beginning my research into cold brew coffees. I’m really not a connoisseur of coffee but I don’t like them very acidic or Tanic. This is a great first video to watch.

[@vinhgolf]

Great video. Do you leave the steep outside room temp or in the refrigerator?

[@robertrichman6873]

After googling the question 'Is it better to steep cold brew coffee at room temperature or in the refrigerator', there was a link where this was discussed on the Reddit sub - r/coffee. Many weighed in with their thoughts and experience. Most important, however, is the length of time required for one method vs the other.

[@josephteifer9714]

The finer grind and shorter steep time worked beautifully. I do filter the final product through a Chemix white paper filter. It’s much easier to steep for a shorter. As I mentioned earlier this was a fantastic video.

[@BrewEspressoCoffee]

Thanks for contributing. I'm glad we helped you make coffee that you like.

[@damienLOVEs]

Hi thanks for sharing and appreciate you for taking your time on the experiments. However, it would be helpful too if you can share how much ratio u have to dilute to 2% tds for each jar. It seems like a fun information to know and i might test it myself.

[@BrewEspressoCoffee]

There is a link in the description to a video recipe. This was not a video recipe so we couldn't cram in too much information. The video is way to long as it is. But check the link in the descriptio for the mason jar cold brew recipe where we discuss the dilution ratio as well.

[@jonthebru]

I use an older Contigo Travel coffee mug with 3 scoops of coffee, filled with water and left for 8 to 12 hours. Then I simply pour it through a coffee filter right into a mug of the same size. Works good, but there are other ways that conserve water better.

[@frozennorth3426]

This was helpful. I appreciate the rigor used to isolate variables and keep comparisons proper. Is there an easy way to test caffeine levels in coffee without sending it to a lab?

[@BrewEspressoCoffee]

I am afraid there is not. I believe there is a tool you can buy, but it's rather expensive. What I can say though, is that after 12 hours there is no major caffeine extraction.

[@frozennorth3426]

@@BrewEspressoCoffee Oh ok. That’s helpful, knowing it’s mostly just a matter of taste from that point on. Thank you very much.

[@jamesbenedict7516]

There are portable handheld refractory meters out there that measures caffeine and CGA. The one that I've used is by Lighttells (better check on the name again). The accuracy isn't that bad compared to the gold standard way measuring caffeine. Based on the some rudimentary experiments that I've conducted it could be off by an average of -/+ 8%. Although, some of my interns have reported discrepancies up to -/+ 18% when playing with it.

[@frozennorth3426]

@@jamesbenedict7516 Thank you. It looks like they’re 2500ish, which is out of my league, but it’s good to have a sense of the price point, and fascinating to see how the technology has progressed.

[@aweso]

Very interesting video. I've been going for around 16, just because it's convenient for me to make a batch right at the end of the work day and then it's ready to go in the morning, maybe I'll have to push back my coffee making a few hours later into the evening. Also interesting about the coarseness, I might try going slightly less coarse on my next batch as well since you said you liked the medium and medium-coarse ones a bit better

[@BrewEspressoCoffee]

16 hours is still good. But try it out once at 12 hours and see if it makes sense for you the extra hassle with adjusting your routine. If you drink it black, you might like it a bit more at 12 hours, but if you use a creamer, the difference is just covered by the milk.

[@aweso]

@@BrewEspressoCoffee that makes sense thanks. I do drink it black so definitely worth giving it a shot

[@IndigoCrow9.13]

Cool! What type of roast did you use? Light med. or dark? I watched the whole thing but don’t recall you saying what kind of coffee was used 😅

[@BrewEspressoCoffee]

I used a medium roast. With darker roasts the extraction could be faster, because the beans are more soluble. With light roasts the extraction could be slower. However, given the extended extraction time, these differences might become insignificant. I did not test for roast degree differences.

[@JamesSoho]

Thank I learned a lot, I just started brewing, I also have a water distiller, I think pure water is very important, what is everyone else do about water? I agree with 12hrs, I brew at room temp, I think cold brewing will slow it down and take longer, to get the best flavor, what's everyone's thinking on room or cold brew?

[@BrewEspressoCoffee]

Unasked advice: Distilled water is not good for brewing coffee. There are a couple of issues with distilled water. Incomplete extraction, believe it or not, having some minerals in the water helps with dissolution of the coffee solubles. The other one is just taste. A little bit of magnesium and calcium, (etc), makes your water taste better. That taste will be reflected in the final coffee cup. However, if the tap water is really bad in your area, distilled water is still the better choice. However, since you obviously are buying that distilled water, maybe consider changing your purchase to regular drinking water, if the tap one is really bad. Test and reply, please. To answer your question, I prefer fridge. The reason is less chances of contamination. But room temperature is absolutely fine. This one is kind of splitting hair...

[@talkycashew5]

Fantastic video. I'm commenting to help the algorithm

[@SergoSS79]

Great video, thank you! Could you please share whar were the grid settings for medium, medium-coarse and coarse on you griding machine? That would be very helpful

[@BrewEspressoCoffee]

The medium is a 20 on a Baratza Encore. But that might not mean much if you own a different grinder. Or even on Baratza differently calibrated. Medium is you standard automatic drip. Coarse is your standard French press. But I strongly encourage you to test. Make three small batches and see which one you like most.

[@SergoSS79]

@@BrewEspressoCoffee Perfect, thank you! I have Baratza Encore but what I do now is testing, testing, testing. Alsou just bought the Refractometer for more accurate recepies and test batches. Thanks again!

[@BrewEspressoCoffee]

@@SergoSS79 A TDS meter is useless, unless you want to redo my tests. The point I was trying to get across with the TDS meter, was that you don't get more flavor if you brew longer. All you get by brewing longer is bitterness. But test, if you like the bitterness, which many people do, brew it longer.

[@SergoSS79]

@@BrewEspressoCoffee yes, that's exactly what I'm doing: many tests to come up with the best recipie. Too many parameters and I want to make sure I compare on the same TDS..

[@revanrevan9887]

The 1 video that i was lookin for rn it is suprise that i saw in my feed . Thanks for the info ^^

[@BrewEspressoCoffee]

We're really glad we could help!

[@suavecitosgarage4258]

And this background song will forever be stick in my head 💯

[@BrewEspressoCoffee]

Hahaha. Not my intention.. BUT, now my video is memorable for the wrong reasons. :)

[@Judah6497]

What kind of coffee grinder is that? You should put a link in the description. Nice video!

[@ripsqad8493]

Awesome video I really love this format

[@GrayHomeVideo]

I don't stress it. I make it somewhere between 9AM to 2PM, and let it sit in the fridge overnight. Then I strain it out of the jar and filter it in a similar time frame the next day. So it might get 24 hours, or it might get less than that. I drink it either black or with home-made hemp milk. It's always delicious! But I use nice quality beans. Anyway, cold brew is easy to make, I absolutely love it! Easier on my stomach for sure!

[@BrewEspressoCoffee]

Under 24 hours is perfect. When you drink it black, you might taste the difference between 24 hours and 12, but not a whole lot. Homemade hemp milk... That's got to be delicious...

[@LuisMartinez-gb1if]

Hi there, I read your article and you mention an another way to make cold brew, could you make a video with making Vacuum Cold Brew process?? thks! :D

[@BrewEspressoCoffee]

It's on the pipe. Thanks for mentioning it.

[@SouthWindTheDJ]

Hi! Great video, very usefull! I have a question: Did you leave it on the counter (room tempreture) or in the fridge to steep? Thank you in advance!

[@BrewEspressoCoffee]

I brewed it in the fridge, but this shouldn't matter much. For more brewing tips and the recipe, check the link in the description.

[@christinebean7932]

What is a coffee sock? Im thinking I might like it. Might be messy in the house but outside (correct me if in wrong ) turn it insideout to dump grounds on ground, around plants and rinse it and use that to water your flowers and veggies then when rinsed out and let dry in 🌞. Im looking to make this coffee, to make less of a carbon footprint. Thank you😊

[@BrewEspressoCoffee]

A coffee sock is any bag, typically textile, that you can fill with coffee and then immerse in water for steeping. I tried that a few years ago, and I'd never go back to that method. But in a bind, is acceptable.

[@elizabethcazares8245]

Thanks for doing the work for all of us 😁

[@calebc6434]

Where is the paper you said was linked?

[@robertlee8792]

Thanks!!! You make learning smooth and rich! Sorta like the most excellent coffees!!!

[@CrabtreeGuitar]

Good information, thank you!

[@jons3808]

Great video! Coincidentally, I have a Baratza Encore and my sister just gave me a Hario Cold Brew Bottle. Did you use setting 17 (roughly) on your grinder for your preferred brew? Thanks!

[@BrewEspressoCoffee]

I used 20 for my fine grind. That is the equivalent of a drip coffee. 17 could be even better than 20, though I didn't test.

[@jons3808]

@@BrewEspressoCoffee Thank you! That’s finer than I was grinding. I’ll give it a try next time I make a batch.

[@DavidFletcher566]

Good video overall. I like the scientific method you used. I do recommend that you look at the camera when speaking. The first part of the video where you are reading off a screen is not a good method of presentation. Otherwise excellent host and information. Thank you.

[@godblessthelessfortunate3175]

I have a TDS meter that measures TDS in ppm. How do you convert it to percent? Better yet, what should be a good range for TDS in ppm for coffee? For example, if I divide the TDS reading of 200ppm by 1,000,000, I get 0.02% which is a couple orders of magnitude lower than yours. I must be doing something wrong.

[@BrewEspressoCoffee]

You need a coffee TDS meter. They are calibrated for that range.

[@4buFahad]

what is the Ratio?

[@PiotrWojnowski]

Thanks for the video. Just look at the lens, please 😀

[@veejack9196]

What’s the correct measurements I should use when making 32 ounces?

[@BrewEspressoCoffee]

This isn't a recipe video, but more a way to understand how steeping time affects your coffee taste. However, a good starting point is a 1:9 coffee to water final ratio. Watch my recipe video here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nmHKdoFritKAZ8k and you'll understand the process better. Just ignore the steeping time in that one. This test was done after I shot that recipe.

[@IDCrish]

Was the comparison made between 72hours just "finished" coffee and 24 hours old "12 hour brew" coffee? Or how can you compare them if you start the process at the same time for all the coffees?

[@BrewEspressoCoffee]

The 12 and 24 hours were strained and kept in the fridge.

[@ruixing519]

Great stuff. hope you get more views!

[@LMironono]

Great video, thanks

[@huganseta2557]

Very helpful video thank youu. Can i cold brew with fine grinded? Cus i dont have a grinding machine and on stores I can only find espresso coffee. 😢

[@BrewEspressoCoffee]

I never tried that fine of a grind, but I think it should work. Note that the filtering is crucial if you grind this fine. I suggest you watch our other video on how to brew with a mason jar and a disposable filter bag. The filter bag I suggest there will help with that. Also, you will have to slightly adjust the brew time with finer grinds.

[@kentClimber]

Hi, lets say I do it for 12 hours and then filter it, how long can I keep in fridge before drinking it?

[@BrewEspressoCoffee]

The conventional wisdom says you can keep it in the fridge for 2 weeks, but i had it for longer. It doesn't spoil, but mold can grow, occasionally.

[@bbrief]

Thank you. I appreciate your efforts. This was pretty interesting?

[@bbrief]

I'm sorry. The question mark at the end was an accident. This video deserves an exclamation mark instead!

[@GrayHomeVideo]

I agree, very interesting! Appreciated the consistent methodology! And I might have to try one steeped for less time than my usual 20-24 hours at some point for fun, see what I think.

[@AlexanderBotsford]

Awesome! Thank you for doing this for me!

[@ghs338]

Excellent video!!

[@aanbuzlifea9817]

Should cover the bottle or not?

[@BrewEspressoCoffee]

For sanitary reasons, yes. But from a brewing perspective, it does nothing. Also depending on the stuff you have in the fridge, you don't want your coffee to absorb some onion odor.

[@veejack9196]

Hi after watching the video twice I’m still a little confused, so should I let my cold brew sit for about 12 hours to 24 hours before drinking it?I like a strong coffee but not bitter.

[@BrewEspressoCoffee]

Yes, 12 to 24 hours is a great starting point. If you add lots of milk to it, 24 hours is better. If you drink it straight, I recommend 12 hours.

[@Sam-rj3kq]

So the one she liked best was steeped for 12 hrs and medium grind

[@BrewEspressoCoffee]

Grind size would still be subject to personal taste. The message was: "Keep an open mind, and test with finer grinds and see of you like it." So far a couple of commenters tested with finer grinds and they loved it. I would love to hear from more people who played with grind size. Taste is subjective.

[@kenchoox]

what beans did you use? 100% arabica?

[@BrewEspressoCoffee]

Yes, 100% Arabica.

[@MrHerks]

Did I miss it? How long was optimal?

[@BrewEspressoCoffee]

12 to 18 hours. After that you extract unwanted flavors.

[@coffeelover_13]

awesome vid

[@KD-bp7xj]

thanks, good insight!

[@coffeelover_13]

how much water did you use?

[@BrewEspressoCoffee]

The brewing was done with a 1:5 ratio - coffee to water. Then the final diluted product was 1:8. So I added 250 ml of water for the brewing, then I diluted it with another 150 ml of water, plus or minus 20 ml, depending on the batch. The batches steeped longer, needed a bit more water to hit the 2% TDS.

[@mclyde6266]

Thought this was Courtney laplante giving a coffee tutorial.

[@quietfont]

Thanks ❤

[@Rekage]

thank youu ❤️

[@tluva1020]

No 48hrs??

[@V.Z.69]

Putting the spoon in the white cup was driving me crazy.

[@marioboba]

you lost me when you start brewing dark roast coffee. lol

[@BouncingTribbles]

I'm trying a 12 hour with my normal grind. None of the videos I've watched have justified the rough grind

[@BrewEspressoCoffee]

That's why we tested. The coarse grind is usually recommended when your filtering is not that great, or to avoid overextraction. In our case the filter is pretty good, and we liked the finer grind more. If you are still on the fence, just brew two batches with coarse and medium grind, and see which one you like more.

[@BouncingTribbles]

@@BrewEspressoCoffee i use a very fine grind, Turkish style. I started one an hour ago, I'll start another at 10 tonight, and I'll let you know in the morning

[@BrewEspressoCoffee]

@@BouncingTribbles That is a great test. I think you will have to decant, due to the very fine grind, but on the other hand, you might be able to shorten the extraction time. I can't wait to hear about your results. Cheers.

[@thomasgomez9695]

ThOMAS FGOMeZ

[@MrFarid345]

Are you a coffee connoisseur..?

[@TuanAnhNguyen-fk6ik]

Omg I can't hear what she said 🥲

[@RMarieB-x6p]

The content is good, but the vocal fry gets a little too hard to listen to . Probably unconscious, maybe unintentional, gives a kind of bored vibe. Don’t know if that was your intention . Take care of your voice.

[@geeseylynn]

I bought International Mocha Delight, and I had to throw it away because my radical capitalist boss thinks it means Kill

[@BrewEspressoCoffee]

🤣

[@ricrui3]

I like the idea of the video and the content but the audio, editing and the format almost made me stop watching it. Please don’t read your introduction

[@theonlybuster]

100% Agreed. Great video idea, especially for those just getting into cold brewing. The first part was very hard to watch. I ended up skipping ahead and almost exited the video until I noticed this comment. If the creator is new and this was one of their first videos, then this is good. But if they've been making videos for a while, I sincerely hope they take this comment as positive criticism as opposed to anything else. Because the video is incredibly useful and very informative BUT it's a bit difficult to watch.

[@insane1998]

Marry me fr

[@jeffreywienhoff6412]

the music is awful

[@BrewEspressoCoffee]

Ha, ha. You are questioning my musical preferences. I hope you at least know more about cold brew....

[@jeffreywienhoff6412]

i did learn about cold brewing coffee and have done so since everyone loved it thanks. Most demonstration videos have annoying music which is un needed and causes some info to be washed out in noise

[@ippman]

Your too beautiful for brew coffee 😅

[@kumawatrohan]

KZbin just recommended me your Channel. Loved the video❤️🥺. I hope I can make videos soon too and share my experience.🥲🥺 Do make more and more videos (loving them❤️)

[@BrewEspressoCoffee]

Good luck with your KZbin endeavors.

[@sushisea]

Thank you!!! I’ve heard 12 to 48 hours and it’s been really confusing 🥲 it’s my first time making cold brew and I don’t wanna ruin it ^^