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Low-Acid Cold Brew Coffee

Low-Acid Cold Brew Coffee

8 min read JUL 07, 2022

Cold brew coffee has become increasingly popular due to its smooth, rounded taste. However, there’s another reason so many people prefer cold brew. There’s less acid in cold brew compared to regular coffee, making it a great choice for people with stomach problems.

Although cold brew is lower in acid, there are ways to make your cold brew even less acidic.

If you suffer from any gastrointestinal issues such as IBS, bloating, or cramps, then low-acid coffee is something you need to try.

Keep reading to find out how you can benefit from low-acid cold brew coffee. We also give you a step-by-step recipe to make your cold brew coffee at home.

What This Article Covers:

Difference between Cold Brew and Regular Coffee

It’s easy to think that iced coffee and cold brew are the same. This is a common misconception. However, they are made from two entirely different processes.

When you cool down hot coffee and add ice, the result is iced coffee. While it’s similar in concept, it’s different from a cold brew.

Where iced coffee is regular coffee that’s cooled with ice, cold brew is made without heat.

Cold brew is made by steeping ground coffee beans in cold or room-temperature water for between 12 and 24 hours.

Cold brew is also much less acidic than regular coffee. This means that it doesn’t aggravate the lining of your gut as much.

Caffeine Levels in Hot vs Cold Brew

There’s a lot of debate whether cold brew has less caffeine than hot-brewed coffee.

According to research comparing different cold brew coffees, a 10 to 16-ounce cold brew coffee ranges from 160 to 319 mg of caffeine. A 16-ounce regular hot coffee has approximately 326 mg of caffeine. This means that only the most caffeinated cold brew has as much caffeine as regular coffee.

What matter most here is the type of coffee used. Coffee grown in different regions has different amounts of caffeine.

Why Is Low-acid Coffee a Good Match for Cold Brew?

Cold brew coffee is naturally lower in acidity. Cold brewing coffee can remove up to 70% of the acidity, making it a better choice for people with sensitive stomachs.

The lower acidity in cold brew coffee allows other flavors to shine through. Flavors like chocolate, fruit, and nuts and great to pair with low-acid coffee as they blend well with the mellowed bitterness of cold brew.

Follow our guide on how to make low-acid coffee at home to bring this innovation to your doorstep.

How to Make Low-acid Cold Brew Coffee

If you love an iced coffee on a hot summer's day, but hate how inconsistent the taste and texture are, then the perfect solution is to make a cold brew coffee. You’re guaranteed to get a perfectly smooth coffee every time.

It’s easy to make, especially if you get into a routine. There aren’t any complicated steps or expensive equipment, so you don’t have to be a qualified barista to pull it off.

All you need is a strainer, coffee grinder, and a large bowl.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Steeping Time: 12 hours

Serves: 3 Servings

Ingredients:

4 cups of water
1 cup of whole coffee beans

Use high-quality low-acid dark roast coffee beans to further reduce the acidity of your coffee. You should also use a dark roast as it’s lower in acidity.

Method:

Step 1: Coarsely Grind the Coffee Beans

Use the largest setting on your grinder to grind the coffee beans. The coffee should resemble coarse cornmeal rather than the fine powder used for espresso. You should end up with just under 1 cup of coffee grounds.

Step 2: Mix the Coffee and Water

Fill the container you're using with the coffee grinds. Pour water over the top and use a long-handled spoon to stir the grinds until they’re completely submerged.

Step 3: Steep Overnight.

To keep the jar free from dust and pests, cover it with a lid or a tiny plate. Give the coffee around 12 hours to steep. If you want to put it in the fridge, you’ll need to steep it for longer (another 12 hours) to fully extract the flavors and compounds in the beans.

Step 4: Strain the Coffee

Line a small strainer with a flour sack cloth or cheesecloth. Place the strainer over a bowl or large measuring cup. Pour the coffee through the strainer.

Step 5: Store the Coffee

Pour the coffee into a small jar or bottle. You can store it in the fridge for as long as a week.

You can alter the strength of your cold brew to suit your preferences by experimenting with steeping time and coffee content.

Some Helpful Tips

Make sure the beans are ground coarsely.

When beans are ground to a fine powder, as in the case of drip coffee, the over-infused coffee might get murky and gritty after being strained.

If you can, use filtered water. This is better for extraction and results in a sweeter and better-defined drink.

Steep for at least 12 hours for the coffee to fully infuse the water. you can shave off a few minutes of this time, but don't be too stingy. Straining it early straining results in a weak and watery cup of coffee.

Watch out for over-steeping. This can begin to extract some of the bitter flavors we're trying to avoid. Try not to steep for longer than around 15 hours if you’re doing it at room temperature.

Utilize coffee ice cubes to chill your cold brew. To avoid watering down your drink as the ice melts, make coffee ice cubes.

For keeping your brew at the perfect temperature, store it in closed containers or bottles and keep refrigerated.

Does Cold Brew Coffee Taste Different to Regular Coffee?

Cold brew is characterized as creamy, smooth, and less acidic, with hints of cocoa and caramel.

Cold brew has a rich and slightly sweet flavor. For these reasons, many people have started to prefer cold brews to regular coffee. Many low-acid coffee alternatives are easy and enjoyable to make.

With conventional coffee, boiling water causes the coffee to release excess acid. This gives your cup of coffee the vibrant, tangy qualities that most people enjoy.

Brewing coffee in hot water releases also oils that don’t dissolve at lower temperatures. These oils contain acidic compounds that give coffee its bitter bite.

The acidic compounds result in acid shock which prevents you from tasting subtle notes in coffee’s flavor.

Health Benefits of Low-acid Cold Brew Coffee

Coffee is rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents. Some research has found that cold brew coffee can have a beneficial effect on your immune system.

There are further benefits of low-acid coffee.

Drinking coffee on an empty stomach can give you bad heartburn and IBS. It’s common to enjoy a cup of coffee first thing in the morning, especially if you practice intermittent fasting.

You may also experience other symptoms such as bloating, diarrhea, and cramps.

Low-acid cold brew is preferable for people with stomach issues like IBS. Decaffeinated cold brew is even better because caffeine encourages the flow of food through the digestive tract.

We’ve got a selection of deliciously flavored beans so you can find the best low-acid decaf coffee for you. Finding a decaf cold brew can be difficult unless you make it yourself.

One significant advantage of cold brew over normal coffee is that it’s frequently drunk without milk. This is because it’s naturally smoother, sweeter, and more full-bodied. This cuts out unnecessary fats and calories.

Cold brew has fewer than 25 calories per serving, excluding any cream and sugar you might add.

How to Make Your Cold Brew Less Acidic

Add Milk

Although coffee is healthier with less milk, you can add milk or cream to your coffee. This results in a less acidic coffee drink because the milk or cream neutralizes the acid.

Use a Dark Roast Coffee

Light roast coffees generally have a higher acidity than dark roasts. Make your cold brew coffee with a dark roast coffee bean if you want a low-acid cold brew coffee.

Dark roast beans are the least acidic type of coffee as the roasting process breaks down a lot of the complex compounds that release acid during brewing.

How to Serve a Cold Brew Coffee

Cold brewing is highly versatile. The solution is stable which means you can serve it in many different ways.

You can even heat it up. Simply add boiling water to concentrated syrup. You still benefit from the low-acid cold brew except now you can enjoy it hot. What matters most is the method of extraction.

You can use cold brew coffee for different recipes. The low acid makes it great for marinating or baking. You can also make a nice coffee cocktail.

Key Takeaways

Regardless of how coffee is brewed, You should drink what tastes good to you. You may prefer the bitter flavor of the coffee. If your stomach can handle the acidity then there’s no reason not to drink regular coffee.

If you prefer a coffee with antioxidants or low acidity, you may want to pay attention to the roast and the type of coffee beans used. You will also want to choose a cold brew instead of a hot-brewed coffee.

If you want a low-acid coffee, you will want to use a darker roast. A dark roast cold brew coffee will be the least acidic. This will help protect your stomach and your teeth.

If you want an even less acidic option, try to find low-acid coffee beans.

Essentially the temperature at that the bean is roasted, impacts the chemistry of the coffee brew. The roast impacts the taste of the coffee, and cold brew coffee has a less bitter, naturally sweet flavor.

Whichever option you decide to choose, make sure it’s what make’s your body feel good. Most importantly, make sure you enjoy it.

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