Cold brew is a rich and caffeine-packed drink that usually lasts for three or four days in the fridge. However, you can make it last longer by storing it correctly.
In this article, we’re going to break down how long your cold brew will last, how to store it the right way, and how to know when it’s time to throw it out.
How Long Does Cold Brew Last?
Well, cold brew will last longer than regular coffee. In the fridge, cold brew will stay fresh and tasty for three to four days, while regular coffee will only stay fresh for a couple of hours.
The difference in storage time is because the flavor compounds in cold brew are extracted very slowly and at a low temperature. Therefore, the final drink has less quinic acid than if it had been brewed with hot water.
Because of this lower acidity level, oxidation (the process by which flavor is lost) takes place more slowly.
Here is a quick cheat sheet for the shelf life of your cold brew:
- Freshly Brewed Cold Brew (diluted and ready-to-drink) — 2–3 days in the fridge.
- Cold Brew Concentrate — When stored properly, up to two weeks. This lasts longer than ready-to-drink cold brew as it’s more acidic.
- Cold Brew with Milk or Sweeteners — 2–3 days, due to the sugar and dairy content, which can spoil more quickly.
How Can You Make It Last Longer?
To get the full two-week shelf life that cold brew can have, there are a few tips and tricks, as well as just good storage practices.
- Specialized Cold-Brew Storage Containers — They can remove the air from within themselves, leaving only the liquid inside. They can be pricey, but many cafes use this technique for peak freshness and flavor.
- Dark/Opaque Containers — Sunlight can degrade flavor compounds. However, if you’re already keeping the cold brew in a dark fridge, this may be redundant.
- Freeze — Freeze portions of the cold brew concentrate, and then you can melt and dilute those to make a tasty drink. You could also freeze the concentrate into ice cubes and then add those to any beverage for a slow-release coffee punch.
- Brewing Changes — Always brew concentrated cold brew rather than ready-to-drink, and always use fresh, filtered water. This will create a stronger, cleaner beverage.
How to Tell if Your Cold Brew is Stale or Spoiled
It can be tough to identify whether an old pot of cold brew has gone stale or has spoiled entirely, and is unsafe to drink. Use the tips below to tell whether your cold brew is okay to use:
Stale Cold Brew
Generally, cold-brew can start to taste a little stale after around a week. This may be a little more or less time for your brew, depending on how it’s been stored. You’ll know the cold brew is stale when it tastes quite flat and dull — most of the flavor has been lost.
Stale cold brew can experience a little separation, too. As long as it goes back to normal when you shake it, it's likely just stale, not spoiled. However, if it remains separated, it's too far gone.
If your cold brew is stale, you can still drink it. However, you might not want to — it’s not quite as majestic as it once was. Don’t rush straight to getting rid of it, though — there are still things you can use it for, which we’ll get into a little later on.
Spoiled Cold Brew
You’ll very likely be able to tell cold brew is spoiled even without knowing the tell-tale signs. Spoiled cold brew will have a sour, unpleasant smell and taste, and may even have some visible mold.
If your brew has gotten to this point, it’s no longer safe to consume and should be thrown out as soon as possible.
Don’t Let Your Cold Brew Spoil: 4 Uses for Stale Cold Brew
We’ve spoken a lot in the past about how coffee can be beneficial for a wide range of reasons. Those benefits aren’t just for drinking as a delicious, antioxidant-packed beverage; they can extend elsewhere, too.
1. Watering Your Plants
A great idea is to use your stale cold brew to water your plants. Coffee contains a lot of nitrogen, which is a key nutrient for plants: they turn it into protein.
However, it’s not a total water replacement, and if your plants start to get a little yellow at the edges of their leaves, it’s time to stop with the coffee.
If you have a houseplant-watering routine, you could dilute stale cold brew into the water you’re using for the plants. That way, your leafy friends are getting the best of both worlds.
2. Cocktails
Even though stale cold brew has lost the delicate notes it once had, it can still pack a powerful coffee-flavored punch! As such, it can be a great addition to cocktails and mocktails. Coffee and rum are a winning combination, so adding a splash to your next rum drink can be a real flavor-booster.
Cold brew can be a great alcohol-free replacement for coffee liqueur, so bear it in mind if you’re having a mocktail night.
3. Baking
Stale cold-brew isn’t just a good ingredient for cocktails; it can also be very beneficial in baking. Adding it to a coffee and walnut cake, for instance, can impart a smooth, delicious flavor to the final dessert.
Since you’re adding lots of sugar, butter, and baking spices to the mixing bowl alongside the coffee, it doesn’t matter that the liquid isn’t quite as flavor-packed as it once was.
4. Cooking
Finally, stale cold brew can be used alongside meat as a superb marinade. This is an unusual use for coffee, but because the brew is slightly acidic, it can gently tenderize the meat.
There are marinades out there that use this method with other food and drinks, plus there’s a long history of people adding coffee to their beef chilli. While it may sound odd, the science and the flavors are all there — give it a go!
Making Cold Brew Coffee
Making cold brew is very simple — it’s a question of getting the ratio right and then waiting for the coffee flavor to disperse into the water.
Choosing the Right Beans
Cold brew can isolate some delicious flavors in coffee. Typically, smoothness, sweetness, and rich nuttiness are at the forefront of every glass.
To get the best cold brew, select a coffee that’s already overflowing with these notes!
Arabica beans are ideal, since they have a higher sugar content than robusta beans, making them suitable for a sweet and delicate cold brew.
Equipment & Ingredients Needed
- High Quality Coffee — Opt for a high-quality, whole-bean arabica such as DaLat for a smooth, sweet, and nutty flavor.
- Water — Use fresh and filtered water for the best flavor, and to make the brew last a little longer in your fridge.
- Coffee Grinder — Since the brew will take place over a long period of time, a coarser grind will prevent overextraction.
- Opaque Container — Brewing in an opaque container will prevent any flavor from being degraded by sunlight.
- Stirring Tool — A simple wooden spoon will work fine, but it’s important to ensure all the grounds are wet and well-distributed.
Step-By-Step Guide
Making cold brew is perfectly simple; here’s a quick step-by-step guide to the recipe. There are more complex recipes online, and they can be a great way to get into the finer details of great cold brew.
- Gather the Ingredients — Get started by gathering your ingredients and equipment. You’ll need an airtight glass container, coarsely ground coffee, and water.
- Grind and Measure the Coffee — The exact amount of coffee and water you use is up to you, but the ratio is what matters — a 1:8 ratio of coffee to water is ideal for making concentrated cold brew.
- Mix Everything — Add the coffee and water to the airtight container, and use a long spoon, chopstick, or similar implement to make sure the grounds are totally broken up. Any dry clumps will be unevenly extracted, leading to a poorer overall flavor.
- Start the Brew — Seal the container tightly, and then place it into the fridge for 12–24 hours. The cold temperature means that brewing must take a long time, and it also results in a smooth, sweet final product.
- Filter — After the brewing has finished, separate the grounds and the brewed coffee. You can do this with a sieve, muslin, or a regular coffee filter. It may take a longer time than a regular pour-over brew, since there are more coffee grounds involved, so the brew will take longer to drain through them.
- Rinse and Store — Once separated, rinse out the airtight container to remove any leftover grounds, and return the brewed coffee to it.
- Dilute and Enjoy —To drink, dilute the concentrated brew by combining equal amounts of cold brew and fresh water. You may need to adjust the ratio here slightly depending on your personal taste.
FAQs: How Long Does Cold Brew Last?
Now that we’ve rounded up some key knowledge about cold brew, let’s break down these common FAQs.
1. How Long Will Cold Brew Last in the Fridge?
Ready-to-drink cold brew will tend to last for two to three days in the fridge. Concentrated cold brew is more acidic, so it will last longer — for up to two weeks, depending on how it’s stored.
2. How Can You Tell If Cold Brew Has Gone Bad?
After one to two weeks, cold brew will start to go stale. At that stage, the flavor and aroma will be vastly decreased, and it will be quite flat. It’s still safe to drink, though not very palatable. Totally spoiled cold brew will be very cloudy, have a sour flavor and aroma, and may even have some visible mold — throw that away as soon as possible.
3. How Long Will Cold Brew Keep Me Awake?
There’s no exact number to know how long cold brew might keep you awake, since the answer depends on your tolerance and how rapidly your system metabolises caffeine. However, cold brew generally has a bit more caffeine than regular coffee, so be careful with it and watch out for jitters and anxiety.
4. Is It Okay to Drink Old Cold Brew?
This depends on how old the cold brew is. Stale cold brew is fine to drink; it just may taste a little flat. However, spoiled cold brew will smell and taste sour, and may even have visible mold. At that point, it’s no longer safe to drink.
5. Is Cold Brew Coffee Healthy?
Yes, cold brew coffee can be very healthy and packed with antioxidants. However, it becomes less healthy if you regularly add a lot of sugar or cream. At that point, it’s very calorific and should be enjoyed as a treat.
6. What Is the Expiration of Cold Brew?
Cold brew will last for around two weeks before it goes stale. At that point, it’s still technically safe to drink, but it will taste a little flat. We’d recommend using it up when it’s stale by watering plants or baking with it.
7. Does Cold Brew Tea Go Bad?
As with cold brew coffee, cold brew tea can go bad. It will tend to lose most of its flavor in the first 24–48 hours after brewing, and will start to go bad after around a week. If it starts to taste bitter, sour, or otherwise off, it’s better to be on the safe side and throw it out.
8. Is Cold Brew Good for Weight Loss?
Cold brew can be good for weight loss since it’s naturally sweeter than regular coffee. This can let you put less sugar in your coffee, reducing your caloric intake and helping with overall weight loss.
9. Why Is Cold Brew So Much Better?
Cold brew is beloved by many because of the slow brewing process. This method leads to a smoother, sweeter flavor than other coffee brewing methods, and can be particularly palatable.
10. Can You Drink 3-Week-Old Cold Brew?
We would advise against drinking 3-week-old cold brew. Cold brew will lose most, if not all, of its flavor after around two weeks, so anything older than that will likely be dull at best, and unsafe at worst.
