Cold-brew is a favorite for many but what you may not know is how long you can store it for. If you feel like you have to keep making new batches all the time then maybe you are storing them wrong.
Continue reading to find out why your cold brew might be going bad and how you can extend its life for longer.
What is a Cold Brew?
To sum it up in a sentence, making cold brew means that you steep coffee grounds in water for a few hours in the refrigerator and serve it cold. You can choose to dilute the concentrate with water or with milk.
If you want to know more about this, you can read our article on how to make cold brew coffee at home.
What is the Shelf-life of a Cold Brew?
Now, onto the main point, how long does cold brew last?
First, you have to steep the coffee for 12-24 hours in the fridge. Then after filtering it, you still have to store it in the refrigerator.
If it’s properly stored (more on that below) then it should last you for about a week or two – that is 7 days to 14 days. The coffee may not taste very fresh after the first week but it won’t go bad until after two weeks. Note: This is only for the concentrate.
If you dilute the whole batch of cold brew then it will barely last for 2 or 3 days even in the cool temperature. So, make sure your concentrate remains pure when you take it out to make a cup of cold coffee for yourself.
And if you keep it at room temperature then it will be ruined within a few hours.
How to Know that Your Cold Brew has Gone Bad?
These are the signs that indicate it is time to make a new batch:
- The very first sign would be the strange odor coming from your concentrate.
- If you were to taste it then it would taste like old, stale coffee.
- Lastly, you will actually be able to see mold around it if it’s kept for a really long time.
I would not recommend experimenting with the longevity of your cold brew. A general rule of thumb is 14 days. After which you should definitely throw it away and brew fresh, new grounds.
However, you may have beans with added preservatives so if the packaging allows keeping it longer than 14 days then that’s up to you.
How Can You Make Cold Brew Last Longer?
Here are some ways you can try to keep your brew concentrate in the best condition for as long as possible. Again, a maximum of 14 days, no matter how many strategies you’ve applied. Also, as noted above, this is for keeping concentrate, which lasts much longer than the diluted cold brew.
1. Coffee Beans
The most important part of any coffee drink is the quality of the beans you use.
Make sure you get fresh, high-quality beans which would automatically guarantee a well-made concentrate.
2. Airtight Container
A good practice would be to store your cold brew in a glass, airtight container such as mason jars with lids.
This would ensure that there is no contaminant affecting your concentrate.
3. Refrigeration
As previously mentioned, make sure you store it in the refrigerator.
It will go rancid if kept outside even if it’s freezing because you just can’t match the controlled temperature of a fridge.
4. Coarser Grinding
If nothing seems to be working, you might want to try a coarser setting while grinding your beans. Or getting a courser grind if you buy pre-ground coffee.
The coffee flavors just seep out more in this form and its larger particles filter easily. This would result in an ultimately better concentrate.
Now you know the best tips and tricks to store your cold brew.
Have fun making and drinking your coffee without worrying about it going off!
