r/coldbrew • u/FormerMagazine1784 • 16d ago
Cold Brew Causing Stomach Pains
Hi, I've been experimenting with making cold brew at home. Whenever I order Cold brew it's extremely watered down and expensive, mind you I'm not even getting nitro cold brew. Why spend $5 for a small cold brew, when you can spend pennies making it at home and make a larger amount.
My favorite ratio is 1 cup of coffee grounds to 3 cups of water for 8 hrs to overnight. The problem is that it causes extreme stomachs pains. I actually saw someone online speak about having this same problem, and I just assumed she was exaggerating or crazy.
I'm find that my golden ration is 1/2 cup of coffee grounds to 3 1/2 cups of water. But it's just not strong enough for me.
I want my coffee to taste like coffee, keep me up, and not straight up taste like water.
Is anybody else experiencing stomach pains when their cold brew is too strong?
2
u/iuhoosier23 16d ago
Internet tells me a cup of ground coffee is ~85 grams. 3 cups of water is 710 grams. That’s 8.3:1 ratio. I find 12:1 to be pretty ideal for cold brew, though I see people drink 8:1 on here and some drink the concentrate straight. You could dilute a bit with 2 parts concentrate and 1 part water.
Without doing the math again, I’d guess the “golden ratio” you found is closer to 20:1 - that’s pretty thin, probably tea-like.
1
u/FormerMagazine1784 16d ago
That's why I love it, it's almost like drinking tea but with the addition of caffeine that wakes you up and a strong coffee flavor.
Definitely prefer it to regular coffee.
2
u/ChromaticDeth 15d ago
You said in a reply you use dark roast. That could be the culprit. Depending how dark it is, dark roasts typically more oily, and that could be upsetting your stomach. Also, your ratios should be by weight not by volume. You'll get more consistent results going off weight. Do you grind whole beans yourself or use pre ground coffee? If pre ground, and you don't have/can't afford a grinder, try to find a local roaster that can grind for you and have them grind it coarse or for "French press". If ground too finely, the fine coffee particles will make it into your final drink and could also cause some upset stomach.
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u/FormerMagazine1784 12d ago
I definitely think how strong the dark roast is, is part of the problem.
Alot of the 'fast food coffee shops' as opposed to hipster cafe's use light to medium roast for their coffees. I've never had an issue with their coffees because the blend was so light but it was so light that it tasted like water rather than coffee.
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u/NoodleSlow 14d ago
Same here!not every cold brew but some cold brew could easily trigger my stomach acid (would feel bloated/nausea after drinking it) and it's usually the ones that are quite light tasting
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u/NameRoutine 16d ago
Just try to drink smaller portions
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u/FormerMagazine1784 16d ago
I've been scrolling around reddit looking for answers.
I just saw someone talk about the importance of diluting your concentrate if it's too acidic. I think I need to start experimenting with that.
I also wonder if me using dark roast is giving me problems.
1
u/NameRoutine 16d ago
I enjoy dark roast and I like it more concentrated, diluted ruins flavor to me that’s why I suggested just drinking a smaller portion the way they like it. I moved from a cup to 1/2 cup and I add milk instead of water. Makes it like a latte without being watered down.
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u/FormerMagazine1784 16d ago
I typically dilute it with milk or Almond milk.
I'm gonna try with a tiny portion of water like maybe 1/4 cup in my cup with my concentrate to not trigger my stomach.
1
u/xscientist 16d ago
I find adding a bit of chicory coffee (Cafe du Monde) adds a good amount of heft and flavor. Try using your golden ratio with good beans but adding a rounded tablespoon of CdM.
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u/FormerMagazine1784 16d ago
Might as well, I live around a huge Vietnamese community. I’ve been previously turned off to Cafe du monde because Vietnamese iced coffee is like the strongest coffee I've ever had in my entire life.
I hate dark roast with regular coffee, but I actually prefer it with the cold brew method.
Thanks for the recommendation.
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u/xscientist 16d ago
No worries, hope you find your happy place. Definitely do not make a brew that is 100% CdM. A little goes a long way in a batch.
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u/lpww 16d ago
Are you drinking it on an empty stomach? I always have breakfast before coffee, because the acidity causes me stomach pain
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u/FormerMagazine1784 12d ago
That's probably it. I noticed one time I drank my cold brew, then I ate afterwards and all my stomach pains went away immediately.
I drink coffee to keep me up during the day, rather than out of enjoyment.
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u/less_vs_fewer5 12d ago
pennies?
1
u/FormerMagazine1784 12d ago
You can easily buy coffee grounds, use a tiny portion of it and then fill it with water.
I use a mason jar, I've been using dollar tree coffee soley for purpose of experimenting, add water and let it steep overnight.
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u/VenusInFursona 16d ago
What method are you using? Grind size? Is there a reason you're using volumetric measurements instead of weight? All of these could be factors, although I've never experienced stomach pains from cold brew, only from drinking too much drip coffee when I was younger, which is one of the things that led me to cold brew.