Using Corrected Brix to Convert Grams to Ounces

Hello, 

 

New to the orange juice industry. I am trying to figure out where a chart came from that is posted in the lab. Nobody has been able to tell me where it came from or why we use it. There is no reference data printed on the paper. From what I understand of it, it's the "Corrected, Brix" and a conversion factor at 4 C, and is used to convert grams to ounces. We calculate this value and tell the filling operator to adjust based on this information.

 

I've been searching for hours coming up only with USDA specific gravity and conversion charts, but none of them look like the one we have. I don't want to post the chart itself in case for some reason it is proprietary, but I doubt it. 

It sounds like there is an element of confusion here - the SG / relative density / apparent density / true density don't have a bearing on conversion of grams to ounces (or vice versa) as they are both units of mass.

1oz is 28.3g irrespective of whether you're looking at FCOJ or pamphlets containing broken promises from politicians ;)

 

You only need to start worrying about density if you're converting between units of volume and units of mass - e.g. going from gallons to lbs, or L to kg.

 

The slight possible exception to this is that the US has a strange habit of trading some FCOJ priced on so-called "lbs solids", where what you're paying for is effectively "just" the weight of the soluble solids component, rather than the weight of the overall product.

 

If you're trying to convert from kg to L (or equivalent in imperial units) then you will need the corrected Brix, and a reference table like the USDA one along with the conversion factor for the SG measurement - specific gravity is density relative to the density of water at a stated temperature, rather than an actual density, so the conversion factor adjusts for this.

 

If you can explain exactly what you're trying to calculate from which information then we might be able to provide further guidance :thumbup:

Oh there is definitely massive confusion, I'll be the first to admit. and rather shamefully I'm a microbiologist but this is my first time I'm countering anything to do with wet chemistry, and it's just trying to help a technician answer a question... So I appreciate that through correction to my approach. What they do is they take the corrected brix value and convert the weight of the filled juice product from ounces to grams using the correct brix and a correction factor based on this mystery chart. The temperature is in 4C on the chart.

Hi ,

 

I have been using the attached reference data sheet from FDA  since 2010. Also, we get our product periodically tested by an accredited lab and values are always very close to the one on the table.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Raj 

I'm assuming you are converting mass to volume?

 

What is the operator adjusting, the brix?  The volume fill?

 

It may be a chart someone at your company created based no the target brix of the juice and taking weight & volume measurements at different temperatures.  They could have done it with various brix levels as well, hard to say.  For the most part the chart posted is pretty close for most juices & sugar syrups, but that's based on a temperature of 20 C.

Do you find it easier to use Ounces instead of Grams? I don't understand why people in different parts of the world use different measures for weighing. I won't understand. I have moved to Australia, and here all was written in Ounces. I couldn't make my dinner because of the Ounces. But I navigated a bit on the Internet and found a website that helped me convert grams to ounces, which made my life easier. So, if it is still hard for you to convert grams to ounces, you can use an online converter.

28.3495g is equal to 1 ounce