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  1. Bulk Juice Concentrates
  2. Commercial Juice Concentrates: FAQs

Commercial Juice Concentrates: FAQs

About Old Orchard

Product

Usage Guidelines

The Ordering Process

Can’t find the answer to your question? Contact us.

ABOUT OLD ORCHARD

Why does Old Orchard look/sound familiar?

We sell Old Orchard brand bottled and frozen juice blends in retail chains, nationally and internationally. We advertise in the Brewing Industry Guide as well as the Craft Beer & Brewing podcast.

How long has Old Orchard been supplying the craft beverage industry?

We’ve been building our name as the “Blending Experts” since 1985, but our bulk program started in recent years. Brewers were buying our frozen concentrates in cans from their local grocery store, so we decided to create the bulk program for improved accessibility and pricing to brewers.

What makes Old Orchard stand out from other suppliers?

  • PRICING. Whole fruit, purees and straight concentrates are expensive; our craft blends are not. Our high volume production results in economies of scale savings for our bulk customers.
  • QUALITY. We don’t cut our craft concentrates with added sugars. We pack them with REAL fruit concentrates and natural fruit flavor, for maximum impact in the final brew.
  • SERVICE. We don’t just supply our customers; we connect. We strive to answer all inquiries promptly, and we meet with our brewery partners in their own taprooms whenever possible.
  • LOCATION. Located in BEER CITY, USA—aka greater Grand Rapids, Michigan—we’re the premier supplier to the Midwest and East coast (but our reach is as far west as California and as far south as Florida).

How big is Old Orchard’s craft beverage customer base?

We supply hundreds of customers nationwide—whether for beer, wine, cider, spirits, mead, kombucha, or other creative applications.

FAQ: Product

What are craft juice concentrate blends?

Our proprietary craft concentrate blends combine multiple juice concentrates with natural flavors to create a value-added, enhanced flavor profile at a discounted price. In comparison, straight concentrates often lose their color and aroma during processing.

Do your craft concentrates contain added sugars? 

Our craft concentrate blends are made with fruit juice concentrate and do not contain added sugar; however, when used as an ingredient in your finished product, the sugar content might be considered "added" depending on how the craft concentrates are used.  We recommend reviewing the FDA’s guidance on added sugars for more information.

What are the applications for your concentrates?

Our juice concentrates are used to flavor and sweeten craft beverages such as beer, wine, cider, mead, spirits, seltzer, or kombucha.

What are the benefits of craft concentrate blends?

Our concentrate blends are crafted for optimal flavor, color, clarity and aroma—at a fraction of the price. Our customers have saved thousands of dollars by switching to our products.

Why doesn’t Old Orchard sell purees, extracts, or straight concentrates?

In our experience working with hundreds of breweries, they prefer our craft concentrate blends to other options. Whole fruit doesn’t impart enough flavor; purees require too much filtering; extracts alone taste too artificial; straight concentrates are too expensive. So we proudly stick with concentrate blends in our niche as “The Blending Experts from BEER CITY, USA”.

Can you create custom blends?

Yes, we have created custom blends for various breweries. However, in lieu of a setup fee, we require a 4 drum minimum only on the first order of a custom blend.

Are your concentrates Organic, Kosher, or Non-GMO certified?

Our concentrates are not Organic or Kosher. We can provide a statement on Non-GMO status.

Why don’t you sell specialty flavors like Guava or Prickly Pear?

We focus on the flavors we already use for our bottled and frozen retail products. This translates into big cost savings to our bulk customers, due to economies of scale.

Do you pasteurize and/or aseptically pack your concentrates?

Old Orchard adheres to strict SQF standards and guidelines in our manufacturing processes. We use pasteurized ingredients for our craft concentrates. We do not aseptically pack them however, so they are not shelf stable and must be stored refrigerated or frozen. Regardless of the method of preservation or any treatment applied by Old Orchard Brands, it is the responsibility of the purchaser to complete a HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) or similar risk analysis and to ensure further processing for food safety and quality, including a thermal (or equivalent 5-log reduction) step to beverages made from our concentrates.

Do you sell Apple Juice Concentrate made from XYZ varieties?

We sell Apple Juice Concentrate made from a blend of dessert-style apples (not bittersweets/bittersharps). We cannot guarantee the presence of specific apple varieties.

 

FAQ: Usage Guidelines

How should Old Orchard craft concentrates be used?

Most of our craft beverage customers add our concentrates undiluted after fermentation (first deactivating yeast through filtering, pasteurization, sorbates, etc.). Usage rate is typically 1-5% by volume. For a more subtle flavor effect, the concentrates can also be prediluted into juice or used as a fermentable base. Thorough blending can be achieved with a centrifugal pump or similar method.

What is the water-to-concentrate dilution ratio for reconstituting each concentrate?

Dilution and usage guidelines are available when you scroll down to the bottom of each flavor page.

In what size or format do you offer the juice concentrates?

We currently sell in 5 gallon pails and 52 gallon, plastic-lined steel drums. Tankers and truckloads are available with sufficient lead time, and one-way totes may be an option in the future. 

What is the shelf life and storage guidelines for Old Orchard concentrates?

Our juice concentrates are manufactured with a 6-month shelf-life. They should be stored at refrigerated or frozen temperatures (at or below 38 degrees F) for maximum shelf life and optimal quality.

Are your craft concentrates the same as the Old Orchard brand frozen cans sold in stores?

Our bulk concentrates are typically more concentrated than the product you’ve tried in stores. We’ve crafted our bulk blends specifically for applications in craft beverage.

Are your craft concentrates clarified or do they need to be filtered?

Our craft concentrates are more clarified than purees and typically don’t need to be filtered. But a few of our tropical flavors (like Mango and Grapefruit) may be thicker than the others, and filtering can be used at the discretion of the brewer.

Are your concentrates locally sourced?

Our concentrate blends are crafted locally in our Michigan facility, but our fruit sourcing varies throughout the year depending on seasonality and availability.

FAQ: The Ordering Process

How do I place an order?

You can place orders through our online ordering system by creating an account login at oldorchard.com/account/join/bulk-sales, then logging in at oldorchard.com/bulksales. 

Please note: only one account is allowed per company. If your business already has an existing account, please login using those credentials. If need be, you can update the name or email address within your online profile.

What is the lead time for an order?

Our standard lead time is currently 10 business days, although occasionally we may have inventory available for shorter lead times. Feel free to contact us about availability and lead time estimates for your order.

What is the shipping process?

We are working towards delivered pricing options for checkout. In the meantime, please review your options in the Old Orchard Shipping & Pickup Guide: Brew Movers, Personal Pickup, or Arrange Your Own Carrier.  Our lead time is 10 business days, and all orders ship from our facility at 1991 Twelve Mile Rd, Sparta, MI 49345. We cannot ship your order until we confirm your shipping preference. 

What is your return policy?

CANCELLATIONS:
We cannot accept order cancellations. If you need to add on to your order or request similar adjustments, please contact us before 8am the next business day after placing your order.

RETURNS:
Due to the perishable nature of our concentrates, we cannot accept returns. Thank you for understanding.

REFUNDS:
We cannot issue refunds. However, if you have any quality concerns upon receiving your product, please contact us as soon as possible. We will review on a case-by-case basis.

SHIPPING DAMAGE:
All bulk concentrate orders from Old Orchard are FOB shipping point, so the customer takes title to the product when it is picked up at our Sparta facility. Damage during transit is uncommon, but not impossible. Old Orchard is not responsible for any mishandling of product by the carrier, including (but not limited to) the following scenarios:

1) damaged container or spilled product occurring after departure from our facility
2) spoilage caused by transit delays
3) spoilage caused by exposing product to high temperatures for too long

Please move your concentrates into refrigerator or freezer storage as soon as you receive them. Because our concentrates are frozen when they ship, we recommend selecting 1-2 day shipping options. We also recommend scheduling your shipment to leave Monday-Wednesday, as shipments on Thursdays and Fridays might be delayed in transit over the weekend.