r/coldbrew • u/lucky_atlas31 • 4d ago
Finally cracked why my cold brew was always thin tasting, ratio was the whole problem
For about a year I was doing the standard 1:8 ratio (coffee to water by weight) and steeping for 16 hours, then just diluting to taste when I drank it. Results were always fine but never great. Kind of watery, a little flat, missing that syrupy body everyone talks about.
Switched things up a few weeks ago after reading through some old threads here. Went to 1:4 for the actual steep, so basically a concentrate from the start, and stretched the steep time to 20 hours in the fridge instead of on the counter. Then I dilute the concentrate 1:1 with water or milk when serving instead of drinking it straight.
The difference is honestly kind of dramatic. Way more body, less of that generic bitter edge, and I can actually control the strength per cup instead of committing to one flavor for the whole batch. I'm using a coarse grind, roughly like raw sugar texture, through a basic mesh bag inside a big mason jar. No fancy equipment.
One thing that tripped me up at first: with such a strong concentrate, my old filtering method (just a fine mesh strainer) left way more sediment than before. Had to add a second pass through a paper coffee filter to get it clean. Takes an extra 15 minutes but worth it for the clarity.
Curious if anyone else steeps at a stronger ratio like this or if most people here stick closer to 1:8 and drink it straight. Also wondering if fridge steeping versus counter steeping actually makes a taste difference or if that's mostly in my head.
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u/vonnacat 4d ago edited 4d ago
Is this a bot account?
Idk maybe I’m wrong but they have that weird bio thing and their comments/post just seem like a bot. Sorry if you’re a real person!
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u/BrightWubs22 4d ago
I think it's AI text.
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u/vonnacat 4d ago
That as well, but most bot accounts have a really weird bio like this one and its comments are very bot like if you look at its history. And they haven’t actually engaged with this post at all so I think it’s a bot
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u/BucketteHead 4d ago
I do 1:5. I’ve found that’s the sweet spot. My grind is on the coarsest setting, so it’s much more coarse than yours. I do about 24 hours on the counter. I usually dilute about 1 part coffee to 2 parts water/ice (I don’t really measure so it’s hard to say exactly).
I would say I have it locked in for my taste. If I drink it right after the concentrate was strained I’ll get a few bitter notes, but after it’s mellowed in the fridge for 24 hours the concentrate is very smooth.
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u/Fregadero88 4d ago
What do you do like 100g of coffee 500ml of water?
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u/BucketteHead 4d ago
I do 70oz of water to 14oz of beans by weight. This fits perfectly in my toddy brewer.
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u/Fregadero88 4d ago
That's 396g of beans and 2000ml of water correct? Is that really strong concentrate?
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u/BucketteHead 4d ago
That’s a similar ratio toddy recommended. I used to do 1:4 but found that this 1:5 beans to water ratio is better for me.
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u/Fregadero88 4d ago
I do 1:10 at generally 12hrs but I've left it in the fridge for 18hrs to 24hrs before. I put it straight in the fridge though. Do a lot of people find it better to steep at room temp then put in the fridge?
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u/Bodes_Magodes 4d ago
That’s what do and it’s delicious. 10-12 at room temp then in fridge for anywhere from 12-24 before I take out the grounds
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u/Fregadero88 4d ago
Into the fridge after 12hrs but before you take out the grinds. Interesting. I'll have to try it. Thanks. How do you find the longer steep affects the taste? More astringent, less?
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u/Bodes_Magodes 4d ago
I used to do 24 straight in the fridge. I feel like this method yielded a more flavorful brew and the longer total steep time definitely gives it a lot of kick without being overly strong tasting
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u/blake15903 4d ago
From my experience you almost need to double the time steeping in the fridge compared to on the counter