Ingredient Measurements

[Brad-B-Q]

Sent my family BBQ sauce to a co-packer. Got the test batch back. Color and flavor is totally off. They informed me that they converted my ingredients to "weight". I also suspect they used off-brand ingredients purchased in bulk. Question: is it necessary to convert fluid ounces to "net weight" ounces in order to bottle sauce? I'm a little confused because my sauce has the same amount of 2 different liquid ingredients, but the co-packer's conversion lists them as having different "ounce" measurements. Maybe they are taking into account "density"? Why not just mix using fluid ounces for the wet ingredients and net weight for the dry?

A good explanation of a co-packer's process would be appreciated.

-Brad

 

[pahutchens]

when I bake its by weight. easily scaleable when changing overall volume

 

[TailGateJoecom]

when I bake its by weight. easily scaleable when changing overall volume

This. That is why a lot of production cooking is done by weight and not volume. It is much easier to scale and more accurate.

 

[bizznessman]

Almost all commercial food production equipment are designed/manufactured as weighted measuring devices due to the efficiency aspect that it provides.

 

[IamMadMan]

Like Bizznessman said the commercial processors measure by weight not only for accuracy, but for consistency as well.

There are also differences in measures as far as dry measures and wet measures. They sell different measuring cups for liquid measure and dry measure, but in a home kitchen the difference is not a big concern. When one owns a Restaurant or Bakery the proper dry/wet measure becomes much more critical because you are cooking in volumes. It could mean the difference between mediocre food and great food...

As far as the change in ounces, a measured ounce (1/16 of a cup) will differ from an ounce in actual weight. As far as your concern about off-brand items, a processor will order in bulk, many brand name items are not available in bulk and would not be cost effective if they did.

If you used a dry measuring device to measure your liquids you may want to relate that to them.

.

 

[DaveAlvarado]

If they're going by weight, give them your recipe in weight.

Get a good digital scale, make a batch of your sauce, and weigh everything before you put it in.

OXO makes a decent kitchen scale for $50 that measures to the nearest gram or 1/8th oz. Before you use each ingredient, weigh the empty measuring cup or whatever and zero out the scale, then fill the measuring cup and put it back on the scale to get just the weight of what you added.