Anyone using a refractometer to test for sweetness in apple juice?
The sweetness in my Granny Smith’s changed rather dramatically over the last couple of weeks and it really affected my blends.
I made recpe adjustments intuitively, but I am more interested in having a system in place that can eliminate guessing and assure consistency in my blends.
Thinking that a chart that has adjusted recipes based on Brix percentage would be pretty rad.
If anyone has experience with a refractometer and using the Brix scale, I would appreciate any suggestions.
I’ve heard of Brix meters being used in some juice co’s as quality control step. If the brix is too high or low they know there’s an issue with the recipe and it needs to be adjusted. So you’re definitely on the right track with that. You could also test PH for acidity.
Sugars and organic acids, frequently evaluated through soluble solid content (SSC) (or °Brix) and titratable acidity (TA), along with a large number of aroma compounds, are considered primary components of the flavor of fruits and veggies.
Organoleptic and sensorial analysis constitutes an indispensable tool to obtain information on those aspects of food quality to which any other analytic technique can be applied. In the particular case of fruits and vegetables, flavor sensory analysis is needed to know in which extent the changes in composition or structure affect the perceived flavor. Another interesting point is the possibility of analyzing the relationship between the sensorially perceived changes and the consumer response. Providing consumers with fruits and vegetables that meet their requirements about flavor will undoubtedly increase consumption.
There is an especial refractometer for fruit and veggies whit Auto temperature compensation and a ph meter.