Coffee is our jam. You could say it’s in our co-founders blood, coming from a family with roots that are generations deep in the industry. So naturally, TDS has been a part of our vernacular for years.
As BKON stepped into the commercial manufacturing space a few years ago, our vernacular evolved along with our business. Beverage manufacturers and co-packers don’t talk TDS, but instead rely on Brix measurements because it provides a more accurate means for managing quality control and ingredient costs. We knew we needed to verify if Brix was an acceptable replacement for refractive TDS measurements.
Brix is a measurement of sucrose in a liquid. It became a universal standard of measurement due to its long history of usage in the brewing world that dates back to the 1800’s. While its often used with liquids such as juice or wine, the explosion of packaged cold coffee beverages has made the use of Brix equally important for coffee brands.
A basic formula is commonly used for converting TDS to Brix. BKON works with many different brands and bean profiles, which gave us the unique opportunity to see that this formula may be problematic if relied on. So we took a closer look to identify if there is a true correlation between Brix and TDS.
We studied multiple coffee samples from both the BKON lab and production floor, using recipes that yield identical strengths and extractions. They were each diluted to the same 6.4 Brix strength, and the TDS was measured using a calibrated VST refractometer.
Even though each coffee was diluted to the same Brix value, each of the samples produced a different TDS. Despite the variation in TDS, the sensory characteristics remained consistent. This validated for us that Brix is the ideal means of measurement to maintain a precise product spec at the industrial level.
TDS, on the other hand, is best used as a tool for determining hot coffee extraction calibrations in commercial settings . The nature in which TDS meters can vary complicates their use at an industrial level. TDS is typically acquired by taking the Electrical Conductivity (EC) and performing a calculation. Standard Coffee TDS Meters, such as VST, work as a refractometer that creates its calculation based on a BRIX Refractive Index. Due to this, the calibration cannot be verified as an industrial standard.
For all of these reasons, brands that work with BKON are provided a Brix measurement during both recipe development and brew production.
If you prefer to purchase a Brix meter, we recommend the MISCO PA201 digital Brix refractometer.
Interested in Learning More About BKON’s Services? Enter your e-mail below and we’ll be in touch.