Cold brew coffee is something you can make ahead and enjoy whenever you want. Plus, it is a lower-acid alternative to hot brew coffee. Use a low-acid brand, such as Alex’s Low-Acid Organic Coffee, and you can look forward to delicious cold brew coffee anytime. Here is how to make cold brew coffee.

Why Make Cold Brew Coffee

You might want to make cold brew coffee for many reasons, such as the following.

• It has a lower acid content than hot brew coffee, which can make it gentler on the stomach.
• You can make it ahead of time so that there is always coffee ready for you whenever you want it. 
• You like to be involved in every step of your coffee-making process, from grinding the beans to testing the acidity of your water.

You might just want to make it because it is fun!

Tips for Making the Best Cold Brew Coffee

You can 

• Choose a type of coffee that tastes great. Alex’s Low-Acid Organic Coffee has notes of fruit, chocolate, nuts, and vanilla, for example. 
• You can make a bigger or smaller recipe. Just keep the ratio of coffee beans to water at 1:4, or 1:3.5 for a stronger brew. That is, for every cup of coffee beans, use 3.5 to 4 cups of water. For a half-cup of beans, use 1 ¾ to 2 cups of water.
• If you grind your own beans, grind them to a medium coarse consistency.
• Use filtered water. Also, if you are looking to minimize the acidity of your coffee, check the acidity of your water. Some tap water is higher in acid due to the addition of chemicals during processing. 

You can experiment to see which ratio of beans to water works best for your tastes, as well as the exact consistency grind that you like the most.

How to Serve and Use Cold Brew Coffee

You can use cold-brew coffee the same way you would use hot brew coffee. 

• Heated and served black or with your favorite milk or creamer, sweetener, or flavoring syrups.
• Over ice with milk, flavoring syrup, and whipped cream.
• In an energizing shake with protein powder and milk.
• In mocha brownies, cake, and frosting recipes.
• In stews and chili with meat.

You can make a big batch of cold brew coffee so that there is always enough to use in dessert and entrée recipes to add flavor and depth.

Recipe for Cold Brew Coffee

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup of whole coffee beans, such as from Alex’s Low-Acid Organic Coffee
• 4 cups of filtered water

Instructions: 

1. Grind the coffee beans to a medium coarse consistency.
2. Add the coffee beans and water to a mason jar or glass container. Cover it and put it in the fridge or on the counter for 12 to 15 hours, or overnight. 
3. Strain the coffee, using cheesecloth or a coffee filter, into a large bowl. Use it or cover it and store it in the fridge for up to a week.