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Cold Brew is an increasingly popular drink among coffee drinkers. Often milder and less acidic than traditional black coffee, it is refreshing on a hot summer day.
With the modern availability of at home coffee makers, people are beginning to make their own coffee. With that comes many questions including: how do I know if and when my Cold Brew has gone bad?
The most obvious way to tell if Cold Brew is bad is to check for mold. If mold is growing anywhere in the jar, including on the lid, then the cold brew has gone bad.
How Long Does Cold Brew Last
While Mold is the obvious answer to how to know if your cold brew is bad, there are other factors involved. Typically, you should follow the best buy date for any store-bought cold brew.
For Cold Brew made at home, industry experts recommend 7-14 days if stored in the fridge. If left on the countertop, Cold Brew can go bad in a matter of hours.
If you add sugar or milk to the Cold Brew it will last for only a few days before it starts to go bad. It is recommended that you add milk or sugar only to the glass you are about to drink and not to the whole jar or bottle of cold brew.
However, whether your cold brew is bad may depend a great deal on you. Cold Brew can begin to taste stale to the more discerning coffee drinker. If your Cold Brew no longer tastes good to you then it is time to throw it out.
Signs that Your Cold Brew is Bad
One of the first signs that Cold Brew is going bad is a change in flavor. It may taste stale, or bitter, or sour.
Another sign can be the smell. Although less common, a change in smell will indicate that the cold brew is going bad.
Lastly, mold growing anywhere in the container means that the Cold Brew is bad and should be thrown out.
How to Make Cold Brew that will Last Longer
If you are making cold brew at home, there are things you can do to ensure that your cold brew lasts longer.
- Use High-Quality Coffee Beans that are freshly ground.
You do not need to buy coffee beans that are the highest quality in the coffee industry or rare and expensive. You only need to make sure you have a fairly good quality coffee.
Make sure your coffee beans are not past the expiration date. While expired coffee beans can be used, they will be less potent and more likely to taste stale.
Choosing a coffee that you like the flavor of is important. Coffee bean, and therefore coffee flavor, is impacted by:
- the growing location
- the soil it is grown in
- the elevation
- the amount of rain and heat that the plant gets
- Processing
- Roasting
- Storage
- Use a Coarse Coffee Bean Grind
How you grind your coffee is also important. If the beans are too finely ground your cold brew can be bitter in flavor.
You want a coarse grind for ideal flavor. However, do not make the grounds too large or not enough flavor will seep out and the cold brew will be bland.
- Use the right Proportions of Coffee to Water
Using the right amount of water and coffee grounds is important. For One Gallon of Water, you need One Pound of Coffee. If you are only making a cup or two just scale down the numbers to match.
It is also important to use good quality water. If your water tastes bad, then the Cold Brew will also taste bad. If your tap water is not consistently good, or if it is consistently bad, use bottled spring water.
- Steep your Cold Brew for the right amount of time
You want to steep your Cold Brew for the proper amount of time. Leave the grounds in too long and the Cold Brew could begin to taste bitter.
Cold Brew should be steeped for at least 12 hours. If steeped for less time it will have less flavor.
The ideal steeping time for most is 14-16 hours. This gives the beans enough time to flavor the water but not so much that it will be too bitter or too strong. This will give you a smooth Cold Brew Coffee.
If you enjoy a stronger or more bitter coffee drink than 20-24 hours is ideal. Cold Brew Steeped this long will have more caffeine as well.
It is not recommended that Cold Brew be steeped longer than 24 hours. Remove the grounds and store in the fridge.
Final Thoughts
Homemade cold brew is refreshing and delicious. If you only drink a cup or two a day using a smaller Cold Brew Maker will help prevent your Cold Brew from going bad.
If you drink more than two cups of Cold Brew a day or have multiple people in your family that drink Cold Brew, a larger Cold Brew Maker is probably best.
Either way if you make sure to drink your cold brew in less than 7 days it will most likely not go bad.