Most home brewers make a critical error: they cold brew, then immediately chill and dilute. This creates uneven extraction. Instead, brew a concentrate using a 1:4 coffee-to-water ratio (by weight) with coarsely ground beans. A 12-ounce cup of beans to 48 ounces of filtered water steeped for 16 hours yields a concentrate that tastes clean, not thin. The Timing Matters Strain through a fine mesh filter the next morning, then refrigerate the concentrate separately from ice water. When you're ready to drink, pour 4 ounces of concentrate into a glass, add 6 ounces of cold water, then ice. This prevents the over-dilution that happens when ice melts into concentrate directly. If you prefer it stronger, adjust the water ratio downward by an ounce at a time until you hit your ideal balance. The concentrate keeps for two weeks refrigerated, which means you're just five minutes away from excellent coffee every single morning. Temperature control matters too—brew at room temperature, never in the refrigerator. Room-temperature brewing extracts more evenly and creates less bitterness. One tablespoon of cold milk or cream added after the water, before ice, creates a silkier mouthfeel without diluting flavor.