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Adding Fruit Juice to Brite Tanks

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  • Adding Fruit Juice to Brite Tanks

    Hello

    Kombucha amateur here trying to go pro.

    Up until now, we've been adding Ginger and cold pressed juices at the bottling stage through a syringe. But since starting to carbonate our brews with a Brite tank, we're encountering some problems.

    The Ginger Juice for example is not mixing well, and is forming small particles and congealing together. Fine in taste, not so good to look at.

    I'm also keen to add fruit juice to the tank in order to optimise my bottling time.

    I'm ready to do a test batch (around 38L) of Kombucha is chilled and ready to be carbonated.

    Would it be a good idea to add the juice before or after carbonisation? room temp? or better once cooled?

    any info most appreciated!

  • #2
    stabilization

    Are you packing with juice that hasn't been fermented? How are you keeping the package from exploding?
    Larry Horwitz

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    • #3
      we simply ask people to keep it refrigerated at all times. are there different methods that you would recommend to make it more stable?

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      • #4
        Lots to chew on

        Well, if you want to go pro I'll start by saying that you have legal obligations you'll need to explore in detail. I am NOT a lawyer, so keep that in mind as you read the following.

        First off, you as the manufacturer are responsible for the food safety of your product. For the commercial production of the 'buch that will likely require an FDA licensed facility and a full HACCP program. A program for your customers of 'hey, keep it cold' wouldn't stand up in court for even one hot second in the U.S. if your product injures a customer and the complain to any of a fist full of government agencies that have oversight into the manufacturing of consumer food products and or alcohol.

        Practices that are NOT recommended

        -Adding a fermentable sugar source to your product just before packaging without knowing how much potential carbonation (pressure) it would create if fermented.
        -Putting the onus of Food and Consumer Safety on the consumer. It is the responsibility of the producer to protect consumers by ensuring its products meet certain quality specifications before being released for distribution and sale.


        Releasing your product to the market with an unknown amount of unfermentable sugar could lead to:
        • Significantly over carbonated beer to the point of gushing when package is opened.
        • Microbiologically unstable beer. Fermentable sugar in the package can promote the growth of undesirable organisms such as bacteria and non-Saccharomyces yeast.
        • Flavor out of profile (due to above)
        • Package failure. Excessive carbonation and pressure within the package could cause a can seam to fail or a bottle to explode possibly resulting in serious personal injury.
        • The necessity to issue a recall for affected product(s).
        • Legal exposure for the producer due to damages resulting from package failure.



        Also, be aware that if you aren't licensed as an alcohol producer aka you have a federal brewer's notice, and state permits to manufacture alcohol, then you are likely going to get into hot water with the TTB. Kombucha with added juice/sugar will ultimately be kombucha with alcohol. Anything over 0.5% requires a permit. If you sell 'buch with alcohol without a permit you're bootlegging.
        Larry Horwitz

        Comment


        • #5
          thank you for your insight.

          what do you recommend in order to ferment the juice, and reduce the sugars? By adding juice to the Brite Tank at ambient temp, before crashing it, will this suffice as a second fermentation, leaving the product more stable overall?

          best

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