Can You Cold Brew Mushroom Coffee? A Full Guide
Yes, you can cold brew mushroom coffee. Grind one Bywaqa Functional Coffee bag coarse, steep it in cold water for 12 to 18 hours, then strain. Cold brewing typically yields a smoother cup with softer acidity than hot brewing, which you can drink over ice or dilute to taste. Fresh grinding right before steeping keeps the aroma and function sealed until you need it.
Cold brew is forgiving by nature. There is no hot water to rush extraction, giving you more control over strength and body than a hot brew allows. The method works well for functional coffee: grind the tablets together with the beans, following the usual Bywaqa ritual.
What Ratio Works Best for Mushroom Coffee Cold Brew?
General cold brew practice uses a coffee-to-water ratio between 1:8 and 1:15 for a strong concentrate, or closer to 1:15 to 1:17 if you want something closer to drinking strength without dilution. A single 17g Bywaqa bag, which holds 15.8g of whole beans and four functional tablets, works well with the reference ratios below.
| Ratio | Water for one 17g bag | Style |
|---|---|---|
| 1:15 | 255ml (8.6 fl oz) | Stronger, closer to drinking strength |
| 1:16 | 272ml (9.2 fl oz) | Balanced, good default |
| 1:17 | 289ml (9.8 fl oz) | Lighter, easier to drink |
These are general reference amounts for brewing one whole bag, not a claim about flavor. Start at 1:16 and adjust to taste on your next batch.
How Long Should Mushroom Coffee Cold Brew Steep?
Most home cold brew sits for 12 to 18 hours at room temperature or in the fridge. Shorter steeps around 12 hours give a lighter, milder cup. Longer steeps near 18 hours pull more body and sweetness, as is typical with extended cold extraction.
Grind size matters as much as time. A grind that is too fine will over-extract and turn bitter over many hours, while a grind that is too coarse under-extracts and tastes thin and sour. For cold brew, aim coarse, closer to a French press setting than a drip setting.
- Open one Bywaqa bag and grind the beans and tablets together, coarse.
- Add the ground coffee to a jar or cold brew vessel.
- Pour in cold or room-temperature water using one of the ratios above.
- Stir briefly to saturate the grounds, then cover.
- Steep in the fridge for 12 to 18 hours.
- Strain through a fine mesh filter or paper filter.
- Serve over ice, or add milk if desired.
If you are new to dialing in grind size for functional coffee, the full breakdown lives in How to Grind Mushroom Coffee for Better Flavor. A Bywaqa coffee grinder has a dedicated French press setting at level 20, which is a reasonable starting point for cold brew too since both methods use a long steep with a coarse grind.
Why Grind Beans and Tablets Together for Cold Brew?
Bywaqa is whole bean by design, with no pre-ground or instant format. Each bag pairs 15.8g of specialty Colombian beans with four functional tablets, and the ritual is simple: grind them together right before brewing, then brew any way you like, including cold.
Grinding fresh, close to the moment you steep, is what keeps aroma and function sealed in rather than lost to air and time. This matters even more for cold brew, since the long steep gives oxidized grounds more time to taste flat. For a deeper look at building a daily routine around this, see our guide to making functional coffee. Each bag carries functional ingredients equivalent to more than 7,000mg of raw mushrooms and adaptogens, plus about 150mg of caffeine per bag, roughly what you would get from one regular cup of Arabica coffee.
How Do You Store and Serve Mushroom Coffee Cold Brew?
Once strained, cold brew keeps well refrigerated and is best used within a few days, as with any home-brewed coffee left standing in a fridge. Keep it in a sealed jar or pitcher to limit exposure to air and other fridge odors.
Drink options are flexible. Pour it over ice for a quick iced coffee, or add milk for a creamier glass. These are general drink ideas, not a claim about how Bywaqa tastes in any particular format, since that depends on your ratio and dilution.
What Coffee Comes in a Bywaqa Bag?
The coffee at the heart of Bywaqa is 100% Arabica, single origin, grown by the Rodriguez family in Sierra Nevada, Colombia, at 1,400 meters. It is Caturra variety, semi-washed and sun-dried, then dark roasted. Its tasting notes are baked pear, red grapefruit, dark chocolate, and hazelnut, with a flavor profile that leans sweet and structured rather than sharp: sweetness 5, acidity 2, structure 4, and bitterness 3 out of 5.
As a general rule, cold brewing softens acidity and rounds out sharp edges in any coffee, since there is no heat to accelerate the compounds that create brightness. This holds true across roast styles and origins, from bright washed coffees to deeper dark roasts. For more on how whole bean format plays into all of this, see Whole Bean Mushroom Coffee, Done Right.
Bywaqa is roasted in the USA in partnership with Agro Cafe, a specialty coffee company that supports family-run farms with irrigation and agronomic resources. The coffee is Fair Trade Certified and specialty grade, and each bag stays fresh unopened for up to six months, best used within eight weeks for aroma.
Frequently asked questions
Can you cold brew mushroom coffee?
Yes. Grind the beans and functional tablets together, coarse, steep in cold water for 12 to 18 hours, then strain.
What ratio should I use for mushroom coffee cold brew?
A ratio between 1:15 and 1:17 works well for one 17g bag, which is 255ml to 289ml of water. Start at 1:16 and adjust to taste.
How long does mushroom coffee cold brew need to steep?
Most home cold brew steeps for 12 to 18 hours in the fridge. Shorter steeps give a lighter cup, while longer steeps pull more body and sweetness.
What grind size is best for cold brewing mushroom coffee?
Use a coarse grind, similar to a French press setting, since long steep times need larger particles to avoid over-extraction and bitterness.
How should I store mushroom coffee cold brew?
Strain it, keep it in a sealed jar or pitcher in the fridge, and use it within a few days, as with any home-brewed coffee.
How much caffeine is in mushroom coffee cold brew?
Caffeine in the cup depends on your ratio and steep time. Each Bywaqa bag holds about 150mg of caffeine, roughly the amount in one regular cup of Arabica coffee.