How much coffee for a gallon of cold brew
A US gallon of water is 3,785 ml. For cold brew to drink as is, 1:8 takes 473 g (1.04 lb) of coffee. For a concentrate at 1:4 it takes 946 g (2.09 lb). The grounds keep roughly twice their weight in water, sometimes a bit more, so you strain out less than you put in.
Coffee by batch size
Find the amount of water you start with on the left. Each cell shows the coffee in grams and pounds, and roughly what you get back after straining.
| Water | 1:4 (concentrate) | 1:5 (concentrate) | 1:8 (drink as is) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 quart | 237 g 0.52 lb yields 16 fl oz | 189 g 0.42 lb yields 19 fl oz | 118 g 0.26 lb yields 24 fl oz |
| Half gallon | 473 g 1.04 lb yields 32 fl oz | 379 g 0.83 lb yields 38 fl oz | 237 g 0.52 lb yields 48 fl oz |
| 1 gallon | 946 g 2.09 lb yields 64 fl oz | 757 g 1.67 lb yields 77 fl oz | 473 g 1.04 lb yields 96 fl oz |
| 2 gallons | 1893 g 4.17 lb yields 128 fl oz | 1514 g 3.34 lb yields 154 fl oz | 946 g 2.09 lb yields 192 fl oz |
| 5 gallons | 4732 g 10.43 lb yields 320 fl oz | 3785 g 8.35 lb yields 384 fl oz | 2366 g 5.22 lb yields 480 fl oz |
A pound bag of coffee
Coffee is usually sold by the pound, so here is the other direction: how much water one bag takes.
| Ratio | Water | You get back |
|---|---|---|
| 1:4 | 1814 ml 0.48 gal |
907 ml 31 fl oz |
| 1:5 | 2268 ml 0.6 gal |
1361 ml 46 fl oz |
| 1:8 | 3629 ml 0.96 gal |
2722 ml 92 fl oz |
A pound of coffee in a gallon of water works out to about 1:8.3. That is ready-to-drink strength. A 1:4 concentrate needs about 2 pounds per gallon.
To end up with a gallon to drink
If the goal is a full gallon in the glass, start with more water than a gallon, or brew a concentrate and top it up.
| Brew | Water to steep | Coffee |
|---|---|---|
| 1:8, drink as is | 5047 ml | 631 g 1.39 lb |
| 1:5, diluted 1:1 | 3155 ml | 631 g 1.39 lb |
| 1:4, diluted 1:1 | 3785 ml | 946 g 2.09 lb |
"Diluted 1:1" means one part water or milk for each part of concentrate. A 1:5 concentrate diluted 1:1 ends up at about 1:8, so it needs the same coffee as brewing 1:8 directly, in a smaller jar. The dilution table has the final strength for other mixes.
Assumptions
1 ml of water weighs 1 g, a US gallon is 3,785 ml and a pound is 454 g. The yield is an estimate based on the grounds keeping about twice their weight in water. A filter that isn't pressed keeps more, and grind makes a difference too.
The jar has to hold the grounds as well as the water, so a gallon batch needs a container bigger than a gallon. Steep times and steps are on the cold brew ratio page, and the calculator takes any other amount.