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How to Use Cold Brew with Brewed Within

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cold brew

Why Choose Cold Brew

Cold brew is a method where coarsely ground coffee beans steep in cool or room-temperature water over a long time — usually 12 to 24 hours.

Because you’re not using hot water, the result tends to be smoother, gentler on the stomach, and has less bitter or sharp acidity.

At Brewed Within, our goal is to highlight the bean’s natural sweetness and flavor — and cold brew supports that beautifully.

What You’ll Need: Tools & Ingredients

Tools you need

  • Large container or pitcher with lid (for steeping)
  • Fine mesh strainer or cloth filter (to remove grounds)
  • Digital scale (for accurate measurements)
  • Coffee grinder (burr grinder is best)
  • Spoon or stir-stick
  • Serving pitcher or bottles to store concentrate
  • Glass for serving

Ingredients

  • Freshly roasted whole-bean coffee from Brewed Within
  • Clean, filtered water (room temperature or cold)
  • Ice (optional, for serving)
  • Milk or milk alternative, simple syrup or sweetener (optional)

Recommended Ratios & Settings

  • A good ratio to start: 1 g coffee : ~15-17 g water (for a regular brew) or, if making concentrate, use more coffee relative to water
  • Grind size: coarse — similar to coarse sea salt or breadcrumbs.
  • Steep time: 12 to 24 hours (depending on how strong you like the brew) in the fridge or at room temperature.

These serve as a solid starting point. Once you’ve brewed a few times you can fine-tune for your taste.

Step-by-Step: Brewing Cold Brew with Brewed Within Beans

Here’s how to do it. You can scale up if you want a bigger batch.

Step 1: Measure & Grind

  • 1. Decide how much concentrate you need. For example, if you want about 1 litre of concentrate, you might use around 60-70 g of coffee and ~900 g water (this is approximate; you can adjust up or down).
  • 2. Weigh your coffee beans and grind them to a coarse size. Freshly roast and grind for best flavor.

Step 2: Combine Coffee & Water

  • 1. Place the ground coffee into your container/pitcher.
  • 2. Pour the room temperature or cold filtered water over the grounds, making sure all grounds are saturated.
  • 3. Use a spoon to stir gently, ensuring all the grounds are wet and none are floating dry at the top. Some guides suggest stirring after 5 minutes or so to get good saturation.

Step 3: Steep

  • 1. Cover the container with a lid (or plastic wrap) and leave it to steep for 12 to 24 hours. If you like a stronger, richer concentrate, lean toward the longer end (18-24 hours). If you prefer something smoother and lighter, aim closer to 12 hours.
  • 2. You can steep at room temperature or in the fridge. For hot climates, use the fridge to keep things safe and stable.

Step 4: Strain the Grounds

  • 1. After steeping, it’s time to separate the liquid from the grounds. Place your mesh strainer over a bowl or pitcher and line it with a cloth or use a fine filter to catch fine particles.
  • 2. Pour the steeped mixture through the strainer slowly. If you see a lot of sediment, you may want to strain it a second time.
  • 3. You now have your cold brew concentrate.

Step 5: Store & Serve

  • 1. Transfer the concentrate into bottles or an airtight pitcher and store in the fridge. It can stay fresh about 1 week (some say up to 2 weeks) depending on freshness of beans and cleanliness of vessel.
  • 2. When you’re ready to drink: Fill a glass with ice, then pour the concentrate and dilute with water, milk or milk alternative depending on taste. A common dilution is 1 part concentrate to 1-2 parts water, or adjust to your preference.
  • 3. Optional: Add sweetener or flavored syrup if you like, or serve it plain to taste the bean flavor.

Tips & Tweaks for Better Cold Brew

Here are extra suggestions to help you refine your brew.

  • Grind size matters: If your cold brew tastes weak or watery, your grind may be too coarse. If there’s too much sludge or sediment, your grind may be too fine.
  • Steep time: Longer steeping gives deeper flavor but if it goes too long (especially at room temp) it can pull bitter compounds.
  • Bean freshness: Use freshly roasted beans and grind just before brewing for best taste.
  • Water quality: Since you’re using cold or room temp water, water taste and quality have strong impact. Filtered water helps.
  • Make concentrate for flexibility: Brewing a strong concentrate gives you flexibility to dilute later; good if you want iced coffee, or mix with milk, or keep for multiple servings.
  • Keep it clean: Clean your container, strainer and bottles well. Old coffee oils and residue can affect flavor.
  • Experiment with ratio: If you like very smooth and mild coffee, use a milder ratio (for example 1:17). If you like bold and strong, use heavier coffee (for example 1:12) and then dilute later.
  • Serve cold: Cold brew is naturally meant to be served cold or over ice; avoid reheating it because it may alter flavor profile.

Why This Method Works for Brewed Within

At Brewed Within we roast with care to bring out natural bean characteristics: sweetness, origin notes, aroma, and clarity. Cold brew fits that because:

  • It preserves flavor without using hot water that can extract unwanted bitter or harsh compounds.
  • It creates a smooth, easy-drinking cup that highlights bean nuance rather than just strength.
  • It’s scalable: once you’ve mastered one batch, you can prep ahead for the week, making great coffee available at a moment’s notice.
  • It allows you to tweak for your taste — whether you prefer light and mellow or bold and concentrated.

Troubleshooting Quick Reference

Problem

Likely Cause

Adjustment

Coffee tastes weak or watery

Ratio too light, grind too coarse, steep time too short

Use more coffee, finer grind, longer steep time

Coffee tastes bitter or off

Grind too fine, steep time too long, water temp too warm

Coarser grind, shorten steep time, keep steep in fridge

Lots of sediment or sludge

Grind too fine, filter too coarse

Use coarser grind, double strain with finer filter

Brew finishes but tastes flat

Bean not fresh, water quality poor

Use fresh beans, filtered water

Serving tastes too strong or intense

Concentrate too heavy or undiluted

Dilute with water or milk, adjust ratio next time
cold brew
Print Recipe

How to Use Cold Brew

Learn how to use cold brew with Brewed Within to create smooth, refreshing coffee drinks at home. This simple guide shows you how to mix, dilute, and serve cold brew with milk, ice, or your favorite flavors for a perfectly balanced cup every time
Course: Drinks

Equipment

  • Large container or pitcher with lid (for steeping)
  • Fine mesh strainer or cloth filter (to remove grounds)
  • Digital scale (for accurate measurements)
  • Coffee grinder (burr grinder is best)
  • Spoon or stir-stick
  • Serving pitcher or bottles to store concentrate
  • Glass for serving

Ingredients

  • Freshly roasted whole-bean coffee
  • Clean, filtered water (room temperature or cold)
  • Ice (optional, for serving)
  • Milk or milk alternative, simple syrup or sweetener (optional)

Instructions

  • Step 1: Measure & Grind - Decide how much cold brew concentrate you want to make, such as using around 60 to 70 grams of coffee with about 900 grams of water for roughly 1 litre, adjusting the ratio to suit your taste. Weigh your beans for accuracy and grind them to a coarse consistency, using freshly roasted beans for the best flavor and aroma.
  • Step 2: Combine Coffee & Water - Place the coarsely ground coffee into a large container or pitcher, then pour room temperature or cold filtered water over the grounds, ensuring they are fully submerged. Stir gently so all the coffee is evenly saturated and no dry grounds remain floating on top, helping promote even extraction.
  • Step 3: Steep - Cover the container with a lid or plastic wrap and allow the mixture to steep for 12 to 24 hours, depending on your preference for strength, with shorter times producing a smoother taste and longer times creating a richer concentrate. You can steep at room temperature or in the refrigerator, especially in warmer climates to maintain stability.
  • Step 4: Strain the Grounds - After steeping, strain the mixture by pouring it through a mesh strainer lined with a cloth or fine filter into a clean bowl or pitcher to separate the liquid from the grounds. If you notice excess sediment, strain it a second time to achieve a cleaner, smoother concentrate.
  • Step 5: Store & Serve - Transfer the finished cold brew concentrate into an airtight bottle or pitcher and store it in the refrigerator, where it can stay fresh for about one week. When ready to serve, pour the concentrate over ice and dilute with water, milk, or a milk alternative, commonly using a 1 to 1 or 1 to 2 ratio, and add sweetener or flavored syrup if desired.

Notes

Recommended Ratio & Settings

  • A good ratio to start: 1 g coffee : ~15-17 g water (for a regular brew) or, if making concentrate, use more coffee relative to water.
  • Grind size: coarse — similar to coarse sea salt or breadcrumbs.
Steep time: 12 to 24 hours (depending on how strong you like the brew) in the fridge or at room temperature.

FAQs

Cold brew coffee is made by steeping coarsely ground coffee beans in cold or room temperature water for a long period (typically 12-24 hours). It produces a smooth, low-acid brew.

No, you don’t need fancy gear. A pitcher or container, coarse ground coffee, water, and a way to strain the grounds are enough. More advanced gear helps, but isn’t required.

Use a coarse grind — roughly the size of coarse sea salt or breadcrumbs. Finer grinds may cause sediment or over-extraction.

A good standard ratio is around 1 g coffee : 15-17 g water. If you’re making a concentrate, you might use more coffee relative to the water.

Typically between 12 to 24 hours. The exact time depends on how strong you want it and the temperature you’re steeping at.

Strain it, transfer to a clean, airtight container or bottle, and store it in the fridge. It should stay good for about a week — some say up to two weeks depending on how fresh your beans were and how clean your gear is.

Cold brew is often served over ice, diluted with water or milk to taste. For example, one part concentrate to one to two parts water is common. You can add milk, sweetener or flavors as desired.

Because cold brew uses cool water and a long steep time, fewer bitter or acidic compounds are extracted compared with hot-brewed coffee that is cooled. That gives it a smoother taste profile.

Yes — you can experiment. Medium-roast beans often give good balance; darker roasts can bring more body and richness. Since the brewing method is slower and gentler, subtle flavor notes in well-roasted beans can come through nicely.

Because it aligns with our goal of showcasing bean flavour, clarity and balance. This method gives you control, smoothness, and a great cup that reflects the care we put into roasting — ready for you at any time.

Final Words

Using cold brew is simple, but the small details make all the difference. Measure your concentrate, dilute to the strength you enjoy, add ice, milk, or your favorite flavors, and serve it fresh. When you start with Brewed Within beans, you get a smooth, balanced base that shines whether you keep it classic or dress it up.

As you get comfortable, you will begin to understand how your preferred ratio, dilution, and additions shape the final taste. Adjust slowly, taste as you go, and find the balance that suits you best.

Here’s to smooth, refreshing coffee in every glass. ☕

Picture of Fritz Ocampo

Fritz Ocampo

Fritz is a coffee enthusiast and the voice behind Brewed Within, where curiosity for beans, brewing methods, and coffee rituals comes together. With a hands-on approach to espresso, pour-over, and home brewing, Fritz focuses on practical coffee knowledge that helps readers enjoy better coffee without overcomplicating the process. His work centres on honest experience, approachable guidance, and a genuine love for the craft behind every cup.

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