Production System – Weight, Volume & Overrun
This guide explains how the Production System handles weight, volume, overrun, and inclusions — and how they all connect when planning and producing ice cream.
1. Key Concepts
Before diving into the production system, it helps to understand the key terms and how they relate to each other. These concepts are used throughout the calculator and production planning.
1.1 Mix Weight
Mix Weight is the total weight of all base ingredients that go into your pot or pasteurizer. This includes milk, cream, sugar, stabilizers, emulsifiers, and all other ingredients that make up the liquid ice cream base.
Mix Weight does not include inclusions (add-ins like chocolate chips, cookie dough, fruit pieces) or infusions (ingredients steeped and removed, like vanilla pods or tea leaves).
1.2 Inclusions (Add-ins)
Inclusions are solid ingredients that are folded into the ice cream after churning. They are physically present in the final product and take up space in the container, but they are not part of the liquid mix that gets pasteurized and churned.
Common examples:
- Chocolate chips, chunks, or shavings
- Cookie dough pieces
- Nut pieces, praline
- Fruit pieces, candied fruit
- Swirl sauces (caramel, fudge)
In the Recipe Editor, inclusions are marked with the Inclusion checkbox. This distinction is critical because inclusions affect volume and weight calculations differently from mix ingredients.
1.3 Overrun
Overrun is the percentage of air incorporated into the ice cream during churning. It is defined as:
Overrun % = ((Volume of ice cream − Volume of mix) / Volume of mix) × 100
For example, if you start with 10 liters of liquid mix and churn it into 12.5 liters of ice cream, the overrun is 25%.
| Ice Cream Style | Typical Overrun |
|---|---|
| Gelato | 20–40% |
| Premium ice cream | 25–50% |
| Standard ice cream | 60–100% |
| Economy / soft serve | 80–120% |
💡 Per-Recipe Overrun Each recipe stores its own overrun value. This is important because different recipes typically have different overrun — a dense gelato and a light soft serve will behave very differently. The overrun is set in the Recipe Editor and is used automatically in all production calculations.
1.4 Density
Mix density is how heavy the liquid mix is per unit of volume, measured in grams per milliliter (g/mL). A typical ice cream mix has a density of around 1.05–1.12 g/mL, meaning it is slightly heavier than water (1.0 g/mL).
The calculator computes the density automatically from the recipe composition. Higher fat and sugar content increases density; higher water content decreases it.
1.5 Evaporation
Evaporation is the percentage of water lost when cooking the mix on a stove. Typically 3–5%. If you use a pasteurizer (closed system), evaporation is usually 0%. Evaporation is set per recipe in the Recipe Editor.
When evaporation is non-zero, the Final Weight (after cooking) is less than the Mix Weight (what you weigh out). The relationship is:
Final Weight = Mix Weight × (1 − Evaporation %)
2. How the Numbers Fit Together
The journey from raw ingredients to a filled container involves several transformations. Each step changes either the weight or volume of the product.
2.1 The Production Flow
⚖️ Weigh ingredients→🍳 Cook / pasteurize→🌀 Churn (add air)→🍫 Fold in inclusions→📦 Fill containers
| Step | What Happens | How Quantity Changes | Example (1000g recipe, 25% overrun) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Weigh ingredients | Mix Weight (what you weigh out) | 1000g mix + 100g chocolate chips |
| 2 | Cook / pasteurize | Final Weight = Mix Weight × (1 − evap%) | 1000g × 0.97 = 970g (3% evap) |
| 3 | Churn (add air) | Ice cream vol = mix vol × (1 + overrun%) | 0.90L mix → 0.90 × 1.25 = 1.12L ice cream |
| 4 | Fold in inclusions | Final vol = ice cream vol + inclusion vol | 1.12L + 0.08L chips = 1.20L product |
| 5 | Fill containers | Container count = final vol / container size | 1.20L / 0.5L = 2.4 cups |
⚠️ Important: Weight vs Volume The Production Planning system works in mix weight (kg). This is the weight you actually measure out on your scale. When you plan production using volume-based products (like “500mL cups”), the system converts the target volume back to the mix weight you need to prepare. Understanding this conversion is essential.
2.2 The Volume-to-Weight Conversion
When you define a Product as a volume (e.g., 500mL cups) and add it to the production plan, the system needs to work backwards from the final product volume to the mix weight you need to prepare. Here is how it works:
| Step | Calculation | Example: 40 × 500mL cups |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Total product volume = units × volume per unit | 40 × 500mL = 20,000mL = 20.0L |
| 2 | Subtract inclusion displacement volume | 20.0L − 1.6L chips = 18.4L churned base |
| 3 | Reverse overrun: mix vol = base vol / (1 + overrun%) | 18.4L / 1.25 = 14.7L liquid mix |
| 4 | Apply density: final weight = mix vol × density | 14.7L × 1.08 kg/L = 15.9 kg |
| 5 | Reverse evaporation: mix weight = final wt / (1 − evap%) | 15.9 / 0.97 = 16.4 kg mix weight |
The result (16.4 kg in this example) is the Mix Weight — the number stored in your production plan. This is what you weigh on your scale.
3. Production Planning
3.1 Planning by Weight (Direct)
The simplest way to plan production is to specify the mix weight directly. You enter the weight in kilograms and the system uses this value as-is.
For example, if your recipe is 1000g and you want to make a double batch, set the planned quantity to 2.0 kg. The system will scale all ingredient quantities proportionally.
3.2 Planning by Containers
When you plan using containers (e.g., “fill 20 tubs of 2.5L”), the system calculates the mix weight for you using the conversion described in Section 2.2. This accounts for overrun, density, and evaporation to give you the correct amount of mix to prepare.
3.3 Planning by Product
Products are pre-defined combinations of a recipe, container type, and unit count. When you add a Product to a production plan, the system calculates the required mix weight based on the product definition.
For example, a Product might be defined as:
- Recipe: Vanilla Gelato
- Container: 500mL cup
- Units: 40
The system converts 40 × 500mL = 20L of final product volume into the required mix weight, accounting for overrun, density, evaporation, and inclusion displacement.
4. Ingredient Forecast
The ingredient forecast shows you exactly how much of each ingredient you need for your selected production plans. It scales all ingredient quantities proportionally based on the planned mix weight.
4.1 How Scaling Works
The system calculates a scaling ratio based on your planned quantity relative to the recipe’s mix weight:
Scaling ratio = Planned mix weight / Recipe mix weight
Every ingredient in the recipe (both mix ingredients and inclusions) is multiplied by this ratio. The ratio is based on mix weight only (excluding inclusions) because that is what the planned quantity represents.
Example
Your recipe has 1000g mix weight plus 100g chocolate chips (inclusion). You plan to produce 5.0 kg (5000g) of mix:
- Scaling ratio = 5000 / 1000 = 5.0
- Each mix ingredient weight × 5.0
- Chocolate chips: 100g × 5.0 = 500g (also scaled correctly)
The forecast total will show 5500g (5000g mix + 500g inclusions) — the total weight of ingredients you need to purchase or have in stock.
💡 Forecast includes everything The forecast shows all ingredients you need, including inclusions. While the planned quantity is the mix weight, the forecast correctly shows the full list of what you need to buy and have on hand.
4.2 Expand to Raw Ingredients
If your recipe uses recipe-derived ingredients (e.g., a praline paste that itself is made from a recipe), the forecast can expand these into their raw components. Toggle the “Expand to raw ingredients” switch to see the full breakdown of what you need to purchase.
4.3 Stock Status Colors
| Color | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Green | Stock on hand covers the full requirement |
| Amber | Short now, but covered by on-order deliveries or planned production |
| Red | Not enough stock, even accounting for orders and planned production |
5. Production (Mark as Produced)
When you produce a batch, the system deducts ingredients from your stock based on the same scaling ratio. The production dialog shows you the ingredient breakdown and current stock levels before you confirm.
5.1 What Gets Deducted
- All mix ingredients are deducted proportionally based on the produced mix weight
- Inclusions are also deducted (they are used from stock even though they are not part of the mix)
- Infusion ingredients are deducted too (they are used during cooking, even though they are removed before churning)
5.2 Recipe-Derived Ingredients
If a recipe produces a recipe-derived ingredient (e.g., producing “Vanilla Base” that is used as an ingredient in other recipes), the system automatically increases the stock of that derived ingredient by the produced quantity. This is shown in the production dialog as a green row with a factory icon.
6. Quick Reference
6.1 Glossary
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Mix Weight | Total weight of base ingredients (excludes inclusions and infusions) |
| Final Weight | Mix weight after evaporation: Mix Weight × (1 − Evaporation %) |
| Mix Volume | Volume of the liquid mix: Final Weight / Density |
| Ice Cream Volume | Volume after churning: Mix Volume × (1 + Overrun %) |
| Inclusion Volume | Physical volume of add-ins: Inclusion Weight / Inclusion Density |
| Product Volume | Total final volume in container: Ice Cream Volume + Inclusion Volume |
| Overrun | Percentage of air added during churning. Set per recipe. |
| Density | Weight per volume of liquid mix (g/mL). Calculated automatically. |
| Evaporation | Percentage of water lost during cooking. Set per recipe. 0% for pasteurizers. |
| Planned Quantity | The mix weight (kg) in a production plan. This is what you weigh on your scale. |
| Recipe-Derived | An ingredient produced by another recipe (e.g., praline paste, vanilla base). |
6.2 Key Formulas
| What You Want | Formula |
|---|---|
| Final Weight from Mix Weight | Final Weight = Mix Weight × (1 − Evaporation %) |
| Mix Volume from Final Weight | Mix Volume = Final Weight / Density |
| Ice Cream Volume from Mix Volume | Ice Cream Volume = Mix Volume × (1 + Overrun %) |
| Product Volume (total) | Product Volume = Ice Cream Volume + Inclusion Volume |
| Mix Weight from Product Volume | = (Product Vol − Incl. Vol) / (1 + Overrun) × Density / (1 − Evap) |
| Ingredient scaling ratio | Ratio = Planned Mix Weight / Recipe Mix Weight |