Like it or not, cold brew coffee is the coolest trend among coffee enthusiasts nowadays.
But when you make it yourself, how should you bottle your cold brew coffee?
There are right and wrong ways of bottling and storing your fresh supply of cold brew coffee!
While the brewing process plays a major role in the overall taste of your coffee, how you bottle and store cold brew can effect how long it lasts and how your cold brew tastes.
In this article, I tell you what you need to know about how to bottle your cold brew coffee at home.
How To Store Cold Brew
We often find ourselves in the dilemma of choosing between glass or plastic particularly when it is related to drinking.
Be it for water or for your caffeinated concoction, the material of your bottle plays a very important role.
To store your cold brew, you have a few options, including glass and plastic.
Cold Brew in Plastic Bottles
- Cheaper than glass bottles
- Are made of various chemicals that can significantly increase the possibility of leaching
- They don't break
- Most plastic bottles can affect the taste of your cold brew because of the acetaldehyde lining
- More CO2-permeable than glass (impacts freshness)
Cold Brew in Glass Bottles
- Breakable and more expensive than plastic
- Free from chemicals such as polycarbonate, phthalate, and BPA that can lead to leaching
- Healthier to use for all types of drinks
- Ideal for keeping cold drinks inside the fridge
- Doesn't affect the taste of your cold brew
Glass is usually recommended for bottling cold breww coffee.
Although glass bottles cost more than their plastic counterparts, glass can easily keep your cold brew, well, cold.
Glass bottles also keep your cold brew fresh for longer.
Bottling your cold brew in glass will also keep a crisper cold brew taste.
Plastic will change the flavor of your cold brew pretty quickly.
Plastic bottles are more pourous than glass and plastic itself releases chemicals into your drink over time.
Best Ways To Bottle Cold Brew
There are three types of glass bottles that you can use in storing your cold brew coffee concentrate.
It's ideal to use a glass bottle with a lid that can be sealed shut.
I like to use multiple, smaller mason jars with lids so I can have individual portions of cold brew at home (think grab-and-go).
Also great for serving cold brew (the cute way)... 🙂
If you are brewing for your own personal supply, using a bottle with a cheesecloth strapped over the bottle's mouth will do as well.
You can also use your french press beaker if you happen to have one (I've rated the best french presses here, if you need one!).
Using a cheesecloth as a cover for your bottle can be a great, cheap way to keep your cold brew in the fridge.
You can directly pour the concentrate straight into your mug while straining it at the same time.
Just put a cheese strainer (or filter) over the lip of your glass jar and secure it with a rubber band.
How Long Does Cold Brew Last?
Shelf life of cold brew concentrate inside the fridge can go for as long as two weeks.
After cold brewing, strain the undiluted solution using a coffee filter and secure it in a jar with a resealable cap.
You can store your base brew inside your fridge for up to two weeks maximum, should you choose to make a lot of it in one go.
But if you dilute your cold brew with water, milk, creamer, or flavoring, all these add-in's decreases your cold brew's shelf life by almost 75% (another reason to bottle your cold brew in individual servings).
On the other hand, coffee manufacturers that produce cold brew coffee in a bottle boast a shelf life of up to 180 days.
Manufactured cold brew drinks are efficiently sealed for freshness.
Sometimes, manufacturers add preservatives to their bottled cold brew to make it last longer (check your labels!).
I prefer to make cold brew myself and have it be preservative-free, but that's just me (I want to drink coffee, not chemicals people ... Unless it's caffeine).
**Click here to get my quick and easy recipe for cold brew coffee!**
​On the other hand, planning on putting up a business out of your love for cold brew requires a serious consideration for bottle design.
After all, most consumers go for 50% looks and 50% content yumminess (like dating, am-I-right?).
If you're curious, watch this video to see how cold brew coffee is bottled in batches through a smaller production line set-up:
​Final Thought
Bottling your cold base brew correctly is important keeping it fresh and smooth until you decide to gulp it down to the last drop.
Glass bottles are a more practical and effective option compared to their plastic counterparts.
Glass doesn't affect the taste of your cold brew and glass helps to keep your cold brew colder for a longer period of time.
Don't get me started on the fact that glass bottles are more environmentally friendly than plastics.
Grab a glass, and get brewing.