6 replies to this topic

[Eryn]

Okay, here's the situation

This weekend, our fridge froze over, reaching 47F max at one point, but spending most of its time at about 42-43F

In said fridge, we have a brewing tank, which I had placed hot tea, herbal extracts and melted honey in to cool over the weekend. (our main, glycol chilled brewing tank is malfunctioning, so this was my only option) The mixture has a BRIX of 8.1 and a pH of 4.44

The tank was cleaned well prior to adding the extracts, and all procedures were followed to keep the product safe from contamination. The tank was sealed after the liquid was added, and on Sunday when it was cracked open, it started to pull in air, as sealing it while it cooled (probably was around 80-90F) had caused a vacuum.

Can these extracts be saved? Can a pasteurization help? The extracts were to receive additional ingredients today, which would bring the pH to around 3.7 and Bx to about 4.4 (max) 

I know it's a long shot. It's just an expensive dump, so I thought it was worth a second opinion.  Of course, having sick consumers is a bigger expense, so I'm fine dumping it if that's the recommendation. 

Thank you so much!
 

[Scampi]

I would think you're biggest concern here is yeast and mold, not necessarily pathogens---sometimes pasteurization isn't effective enough against those

 

 

What are you concerned is the problem?

[olenazh]

Worse case scenario: imagine, a person consumes your brew, gets sick and complains to FDA (or whoever is handling customer complaints). Even though, it may not be your fault (as often happens, a person ate something else, or just wanted a credit, or a grumpy person), but FDA will come to your facility, check records and find out everything. First, you could be fined by FDA, second - you might be sued by a customer. Now think - is it really worth of saving "expensive dump"?

[ESuttmiller]

I'll go back to my early days in the restuarant biz. 

 

"When in doubt, throw it out."

 

Sometimes higher ups get peeved, but who cares. You are covering your backside and theirs. 

Edited by ESuttmiller, 27 June 2022 - 06:59 PM.

[SQFconsultant]

The standard refrigeration system was not intended for placing warm/hot liquids in - even if in a vessel as the first thing that happens is the inside temp of the unit goes up before it will begin to cool down.

 

It's dump time.

[Eryn]

Thank you everybody.  We were prepared to dump it, I just had to be sure. 

[sumitaswar]

If you have recently had your fridge freeze over, it is essential to review product safety. This is because food that has been in the freezer for a long time can become contaminated with harmful bacteria and fungi. These microorganisms can cause severe illnesses, leading to fever, vomiting, and diarrhea. In some cases, these infections may even be fatal.
To avoid getting sick after your fridge froze over:
-Clean all surfaces inside and outside of the refrigerator that was in contact with food before freezing