https://hackerspacenijmegen.nl/api.php?action=feedcontributions&feedformat=atom&user=Sjors+GielenHackerspace Nijmegen Wiki - Gebruikersbijdragen [nl]2026-05-25T02:51:08ZGebruikersbijdragenMediaWiki 1.39.2https://hackerspacenijmegen.nl/index.php?title=Projects:Making_cola&diff=3004Projects:Making cola2026-05-24T12:03:08Z<p>Sjors Gielen: /* The process */</p>
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<div>[[Bestand:Schermafbeelding 2026-03-25 om 11.02.33.png|miniatuur]]<br />
[[Bestand:Schermafbeelding 2026-03-25 om 11.02.10.png|miniatuur]]<br />
I (Sjors) recently saw this video by LabCoatz reverse engineering the Coca-Cola recipe using (among other techniques) a mass spectrometer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDkH3EbWTYc<br />
<br />
Now I'm a bit of a Coca-Cola addict, so I'm intrigued and want to reproduce it.<br />
<br />
Perhaps once we've done this we can also make [[wikipedia:Open-source_cola|other kinds of cola]], like Toyen Cola, which has its recipe on the back. We could even do a taste test!<br />
<br />
== Overview ==<br />
LabCoatz calls the end product of their recipe '''LabCola'''. One liter of LabCola is built off of four components:<br />
<br />
* around 100g sugar<br />
* 1mL of flavor solution A<br />
* 10 mL of flavor solution B<br />
* around 1 liter of carbonated water<br />
<br />
Flavor solution A is made by adding the following components together (~100mL), then taking 20 mL from that and diluting to 1L using 95% ethanol:<br />
<br />
* 45.8mL lemon oil (NOW)<br />
* 36.5mL lime oil (NOW)<br />
* 8mL tea tree oil (NOW, from Australian tea tree, Melaleuca Alternifolia)<br />
* 4.5mL cassia cinnamon oil (NOW)<br />
* 2.7mL nutmeg oil (aura cacia)<br />
* 1.2mL orange oil (unknown brand, regular sweet orange)<br />
* 0.7mL coriander seed oil (Edens Garden, coriandrum sativum)<br />
* 0.6mL fenchol (any version of alpha-fenchol should work)<br />
<br />
Flavor solution B is made by adding the following components together (~400mL), then diluting to 1L using water:<br />
<br />
* 185mL caramel color (Durkee)<br />
* 150 grams food-grade vegetable glycerin (Equate)<br />
* 43mL 85% phosphoric acid (Duda Energy)<br />
* 10 grams wine tannin (North Mountain)<br />
* 9.65 grams caffeine<br />
* 10mL 5% vinegar (any white vinegar?)<br />
* 10mL vanilla extract (or a solution containing 0.95 grams per liter of vanillin)<br />
<br />
It's important to note that this is '''not''' '''the Coca-Cola recipe''', which uses coca leaf extract. It is supposed to be quite close, though.<br />
<br />
== Tools ==<br />
<br />
* Mass scale<br />
** Max measurement is 150g, most precise measurement is 9.65g<br />
** '''source: Michiel has two: <200gr with precision 0.01g & <600gr with precision 0.1gr.'''<br />
* micropipette + tips<br />
** ideally an [https://www.merkala.nl/minipet-var-microliterpipet.html adjustable micropipette], but these are quite expensive (€100+)<br />
** fixed 100µL micropipette is cheaper, €25 https://www.merkala.nl/minipet-microliterpipet.html<br />
** could also get a few [https://www.kruidvat.nl/kruidvat-doseerspuit/p/2335439 doseerspuit] at Kruidvat, €2, precision should be somewhere between 0.1mL and 0.5mL<br />
** '''setje graduated pipettes €15,85''' https://www.amazon.nl/pipetten-Graduated-Reinigingsborstel-Roerstaaf-Laboratorium/dp/B07V3VC7YZ<br />
* 50 mL graduated cilinder<br />
** '''€14,74''' https://www.labshop.nl/maatcilinder-hoog-model-klasse-a-bruine-schaalverdeling/?attribute_pa_volume=10-ml<br />
* some storage bottles (mainly 1L)<br />
** I'll produce 100 mL of pre-solution A, then dilute that into 1L of solution A and store the rest of the 80mL separately. Solution B is 1L at a time, so I'll need 3 storage bottles.<br />
** I'm considering to produce only 10 mL of pre-solution A then dilute that into 100mL of solution A. Since the solution offgasses it requires very little air in the bottle, so a 100mL bottle would be a good idea.<br />
** https://www.labshop.nl/labfles-glas-blank-gl45-blauw-simax/<br />
** €12,40 * 3 = '''€37,20'''<br />
* heat-resistant glassware for preparing the syrup (1L)<br />
** €9,23 https://www.labshop.nl/bekerglas-laag-model/<br />
** or '''€7,45''' https://labstuff.nl/contents/nl/p135.html<br />
** Ø 105mm, so '''watch glass ~€3''' https://labstuff.nl/contents/nl/p253.html<br />
* magnetic stirrer for mixing<br />
** '''source: Michiel has one'''<br />
* 100mL volumetric flask to make the dilution steps easier<br />
** for pre-solution A<br />
** €22,63 https://www.labshop.nl/maatkolf/?attribute_pa_volume=100-ml-ns12-21-klasse-a<br />
** '''€11,15''' https://labstuff.nl/contents/nl/p4695.html<br />
* water carbonator / sodastream<br />
** '''Sjors has this at home'''<br />
* gloves / safety glasses<br />
** gloves €4,17<br />
** Sjors already has safety glasses<br />
<br />
<br />
If we don't need to buy the mass scale nor magnetic stirrer, tools come out to approximately €125.<br />
<br />
== Ingedients ==<br />
{| class="wikitable"<br />
|+<br />
!Ingredient<br />
!Source link<br />
!Quantity<br />
!Quantity necessary<br />
!Order amount<br />
!Price per piece<br />
!Price total<br />
!Makes L solution<sup>12</sup><br />
!Makes L cola<br />
!Price per L cola<br />
|-<br />
|'''Overall'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Sugar<br />
|Makro (Van Gils kristalsuiker)<br />
|1kg<br />
|Around 100g<br />
|1<br />
|€0,75<br />
|€0,75<br />
|<br />
|10L<br />
|7,5 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Carbonated water<br />
|Self-made<br />
|<br />
|Around 1L<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|'''Flavor solution A'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Food-grade 95% alcohol<br />
|Makro (Chauffe coeur)<br />
|1L<br />
|1L<br />
|1<br />
|€32,42<br />
|€32,42<br />
|1L<br />
|1 kL<br />
|3.24 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Lemon oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-lemon-1-fl-oz-30-ml/928 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-lemon-oil-30-ml Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|45.8mL<br />
|2<br />
|€7,01<br />
|€14,02<br />
|6,55L<br />
|6,55 kL<br />
|0,23 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Lime oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-lime-1-fl-oz-30-ml/930 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-essential-oils-lime Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|36.5mL<br />
|2<br />
|€12,47<br />
|€24,94<br />
|8,22L<br />
|8,22 kL<br />
|0,19 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Tea tree oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-tea-tree-1-fl-oz-30-ml/37827 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-tea-tree-oil-30-ml Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|8mL<br />
|1<br />
|€9,42<br />
|€9,42<br />
|18,75L<br />
|18,75 kL<br />
|0,05 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Cassia cinnamon oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-cinnamon-cassia-1-fl-oz-30-ml/915 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-cinnamon-cassia-oil-30-ml Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|4,5mL<br />
|1<br />
|€8,04<br />
|€8,04<br />
|33,33L<br />
|33,33 kL<br />
|0,03 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Aura Cacia Nutmeg oil<br />
|<s>[https://www.amazon.com/Aura-Cacia-Essential-Nutmeg-Fluid/dp/B0007KO2ZM/ref=sr_1_1 Amazon.com] '''out of stock''' (alternatives different brands [https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-nutmeg-1-fl-oz-30-ml/941 iHerb], [https://www.berivita.com/etherische-olie/nootmuskaat-olie-zuiver-puur-10ml Berivita] '''no GC/MS available''')</s>Ordered from [https://www.vinevida.com/products/nutmeg-essential-oil?variant=43269423399135 VeniVida.com], different brand but with very similar GC/MS measurements, so should taste equally.<br />
|10mL<br />
|2.7mL<br />
|1<br />
|$5,99<br />
|€5,19<br />
|18,51L<br />
|18,51 kL<br />
|0,03 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Orange oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-orange-1-fl-oz-30-ml/953 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-orange-oil-30-ml?sqr=orange%20oil Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|1.2mL<br />
|1<br />
|€5,53<br />
|€5,53<br />
|125L<br />
|125 kL<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Edens Garden Coriander seed oil<br />
|[https://www.edensgarden.com/products/coriander-seed Edens Garden] (alternative [https://www.amazon.com/Edens-Garden-Coriander-Undiluted-Therapeutic/dp/B0046ZUW7G/ref=sr_1_4 Amazon.com], different brand [https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/koriander-olie-puur-biologisch-natuurlijk-5ml/9300000188330683/ bol.com])<br />
|5mL<br />
|0.7mL<br />
|1<br />
|$14,95<br />
|€13,33<br />
|35,71L<br />
|35,71 kL<br />
|0,06 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Alpha-Fenchol<br />
|[https://www.amazon.com/CCS-alpha-fenchol-Alcohol-Fragrance-Compound/dp/B075H1TF9T/ref=sr_1_2 Amazon.com] (alternative [https://pellwall.com/products/fenchol Pellwall] (UK), [https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/227211376456 eBay], [https://pevgrow.com/en/fenchol-arae.html pevgrow] (€27,90 incl shipping?), [https://terpenes-uk.co.uk/products/fenchol-natural terpenes] (£32 incl shipping)<br />
|30mL<br />
|0.6mL<br />
|1<br />
|$12,99<br />
|€11,25<br />
|42L<br />
|42 kL<br />
|0,02 cents<br />
|-<br />
|'''Total flavor solution A'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|~ €120<br />
|1L<br />
|1kL<br />
|€0,03 when produced at scale<br />
€0,12 for first liter<br />
|-<br />
|'''Flavor solution B'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Durkee caramel color<br />
|[https://www.amazon.com/Durkee-Food-Color-Caramel-32-Ounce/dp/B007KZJZ8G/ref=sr_1_1 Amazon.com] (alternative [https://pantryful.com/products/durkee-caramel-food-color-32-oz Pantryful])<br />
|32 oz. (946 mL)<br />
|185mL<br />
|1<br />
|$17,95<br />
|€15,54<br />
|5,11L<br />
|511L<br />
|2,3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Food-grade vegetable glycerin<br />
|[https://www.amazon.nl/ISOLATECH-Glycerine-farmaceutische-kwaliteit-plantaardig/dp/B0D89YR2NV/ Amazon.nl] (alternative [https://www.labshop.nl/glycerol-glycerine-995/?attribute_pa_volume=1-l Labshop], [https://www.werkenmetmerken.nl/nl/glycerine_99_5_foodgrade/p/20904 werkenmetmerken.nl] €9 for 1L)<br />
|250mL<br />
|150g (~150mL?)<br />
|1<br />
|€5,99<br />
|€5,99<br />
|1,67L<br />
|167L<br />
|4 cents<br />
|-<br />
|85% Phosphoric acid<br />
|[https://www.labshop.nl/fosforzuur-85-nvp/ Labshop]<br />
|1L<br />
|43mL<br />
|1<br />
|€20,27<br />
|€20,27<br />
|23,26L<br />
|2326L<br />
|0,8 cents<br />
|-<br />
|North Mountain Wine tannin<br />
|[https://www.amazon.com/North-Mountain-Supply-WT-2oz-Tannin/dp/B0CYZ5YSXM/ref=sr_1_1 Amazon.com] (alternative different brand [https://brouwland.com/nl/eikenhouten-chips/195-tannine-vinoferm-tannorouge-20-g.html Brouwland])<br />
|56g<br />
|10g<br />
|1<br />
|$20,66<br />
|€17,89<br />
|2L<br />
|200L<br />
|3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Caffeine powder<br />
|[https://voordeelkruiden.nl/cafeine-poeder/ Voordeelkruiden]If we want more: [https://woele.nl/product/cafeine-poeder-pharma-grade-250g/ Woele] alternative: [https://www.laboratoriumdiscounter.nl/nl/cafeine-995-puur.html Laboratiumdiscounter]<br />
|50g<br />
|9,65g<br />
|1<br />
|€2,60<br />
|€2,60<br />
|5,18L<br />
|518L<br />
|0,5 cents<br />
|-<br />
|5% vinegar<br />
|Makro (Burg natuurazijn '''4%''', dus gebruik 25% meer?)<br />
|1L<br />
|10mL<br />
|1<br />
|€1,01<br />
|€1,01<br />
|100L<br />
|10kL<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Vanilla extract<br />
|[https://www.amazon.nl/SaporePuro-Pure-Vanilline-Poeder-Voedingskwaliteit/dp/B07V6HSWML/ref=sr_1_1?__mk_nl_NL=ÅMÅŽÕÑ&crid=S3YK6COFEB4L&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.gE60AFOvayWbmzJYCHChr8TqcFZvaogBtawzsE7Rd846KUNFjJJ3z91jJJQBjY8_tjHngHGBRvtAQaIjjWbKTP9JtkNXLhbTc_Px2qUbzOztLwDWWnzuwTTM48gwb7JBuE-y0ni2lpjqcbojdwCSV2B_UPjp6kPDCYmSqzMPl82SMx8veSSkuuIyXuQo1rUnkAL0kU9pORzp2UHjC1Od7bZAIUQuzZUFtn5Ts95L5jS-iCGQsXRgSBMwlD6liDtGo0yAoW6fn7Hy20-w6osCtvPJG5y8KXoeUAaxEjInEfE.6UvfWewk8PDpsS7ABIgm7tNLJA7M2iGHFIGvRvVsSjo&dib_tag=se&keywords=vanilline&qid=1775422577&sprefix=vanilline%2Caps%2C146&sr=8-1 Amazon.nl] (alternative [https://www.laboratoriumdiscounter.nl/en/vanillin-995-extra-pure-foodgrade.html Laboratoriumdiscounter] but expensive shipping, alternative [https://producten.makro.nl/shop/pv/BTY-X742890/0032/0021/Nomu-Vanille-Extract-50-ml Makro.nl] but don't know vanillin strength)<br />
|100g<br />
|1g (dissolve in 100 mL<br />
water, take 0.95mL)<br />
|1<br />
|€9,80<br />
|€9,80<br />
|10kL<br />
|1ML<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|'''Total flavor solution B'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|~ €70<br />
|2L<br />
|200 L<br />
|€0,11 when produced at scale<br />
€0,35 for first liter<br />
|}<br />
(1) The essential oils in solution A, quantities as under "Quantity necessary", together make 100mL of pre-solution. "Flavor solution A" then consists of 20 mL of pre-solution, diluted to 1L using alcohol. So for each mL of essential oil in the pre-solution, a fifth (0.2 mL) goes into a liter of the actual solution. So quantity times order amount is the amount of ingredients we have, divided by quantity necessary is the amount of 100mL pre-solution we can make with the order. We can make 5L of solution with that, so the formula is: (quantity * order amount * 5) / (quantity necessary). Since 1mL of solution A goes into a L of cola, 1L solution makes 1000L cola.<br />
<br />
(2) For solution B, the ingredients together make about 400mL of pre-solution. "Flavor solution B" then consists of those 400 mL, diluted to 1L using water. So the "quantity necessary" goes directly into 1L of "Flavor solution B". Since order amount is 1 for all of these, the formula is: quantity / (quantity necessary). Since 10mL of solution B goes into a L of cola, 1L solution makes 100L cola.<br />
<br />
== Expiry ==<br />
After the first batch I'll have a liter of solution A, which is almost fully alcohol, so I expect it not to expire at all. This bottle is good for a thousand liters of cola, which is probably enough for a lifetime.<br />
<br />
I'll also have 80 mL of pre-solution A, which I'll store separately. I also expect it not to expire, but to be sure, I could add alcohol to this as well, and label the bottle as such so I know exactly how much diluted pre-solution contains 20 mL of the original pre-solution.<br />
<br />
As for solution B, I'm not sure but I expect that will expire faster. The original ingredients probably don't expire if closed well? If I make 1L that's enough for 100 L of cola, which probably lasts a few months unless it's really popular.<br />
<br />
Knowing nothing at all about food safety I asked Claude for secondary advice. ("This is a cola syrup, isn't it?") They said the solution A mixture would remain ''safe'' indefinitely, but chemical degradation would affect aroma over the years; they advise to reduce air in the bottle, reduce repeated opening (freshening of the oxygen), reduce heat and reduce light exposure. With that, realistically expiry could be pushed well beyond 5 years. For solution B, they said microbial stability is also very good due to the phosphoric acid (1.0-1.5 pH). Again, chemical degradation is the limiting factor. Sealed, room temperature and out of light, Claude expects 12-18 months for peak flavor, and "probably safe well beyond that". It says the main thing to watch out for is sediment from the tannin, and flavor decreasing. Neither makes it unsafe. Commercial cola syrups like this one carry 6-12 month best-by dates, and it says our threshold for "still good" may be more forgiving.<br />
<br />
As for the original ingredient bottles, I should check if they are labeled with best-before dates and label them with the date I first opened them. Claude says the essential oils are most perishable; they will degrade in 6-12 months. For vanilla extract it's often commercially dated 2-4 years. All other things are either really easily purchaseable or very long-lived (5+ years).<br />
<br />
Conclusion:<br />
<br />
* Keep the bottles at room temperature (or colder), in the dark, and with little air headspace in the bottle.<br />
* For the solution A bottles, I'll mark them with their production date and "expected best before date" of 5 years.<br />
* For the solution B bottles, I'll mark them with their production date and "expected best before date" of 12 months.<br />
* For the original ingredient bottles, I'll store them the same way. I could consider making more pre-solution with alcohol for preservation.<br />
<br />
== Financial overview ==<br />
This is a hobby project, so it's OK if it costs money and isn't cost-effective. However, I wanted to get an overview for myself.<br />
<br />
Initial, one-time investment into tools is €125. The initial investments into ingredients for the first run is ~€200, and shipping is €100. That means the first batch costs €425 and we can produce around 200 liters of cola from this. If it tastes great and is popular and people want to drink it instead of Coca-Cola, I could sell it at a cost price of €2,13 per liter.<br />
<br />
If we actually (expect to) make more than 200 liters, then for the next 200 liters I'd only need to purchase additional wine tannin. So for the first batch of 400 liters, at a cost of ~€450, it'd already be €0,88 per liter. So that's what the price becomes if it turns out to be quite popular. Eventually, if it's ''really'' popular it would cost €0,14 for the flavor solutions, plus some sugar and carbonated water.<br />
<br />
All orders done for the first batch:<br />
<br />
* Edens Garden $14,95 (€13,33)<br />
** Edens Garden Coriander Seed essential oil<br />
* Amazon.com <s>$86,06 (€76,55)</s> $66,17 (€59,67)<br />
** Durkee caramel color<br />
** Alpha fenchol<br />
** <s>Aura Cacia nutmeg oil</s> (refunded, not in stock)<br />
** North Mountain wine tannin<br />
* VineVida.com $13.73 (€11,36)<br />
** VineVida nutmeg oil<br />
* iHerb €61,95<br />
** NOW Lemon oil<br />
** NOW Lime oil<br />
** NOW Tea tree oil<br />
** NOW Cassia cinnamon oil<br />
** NOW Orange oil<br />
* Amazon.nl €31,64<br />
** Graduated pipettes<br />
** Vanillin powder (foodgrade)<br />
** Glycerin 99.5% (foodgrade)<br />
* Labstuff.nl €35,57<br />
** Glassware (beaker, watch glass, volumetric flask)<br />
* Labshop.nl €81,30<br />
** Graduated cylinder<br />
** Storage bottles<br />
** 85% Phosphoric acid<br />
* Voordeelkruiden.nl €7,55<br />
** Caffeine powder<br />
* Makro €38,35<br />
** Sugar<br />
** Vinegar<br />
** Pure alcohol (food-grade)<br />
** Gloves<br />
*Shipping MyUS USA/FL -> Netherlands $110 (€100,60)<br />
**~$40 base charge<br />
**$30 "dangerous goods surcharge" (unexpected, since the items were below the "limited quantity threshold", but the company refused to waive)<br />
**$30 prepaid customs fees (unexpected, since the total shipment value should be below threshold, but I wanted to prevent any customs issues)<br />
**$3,50 liability coverage<br />
**mark "for personal use" and include a proforma invoice<br />
<br />
Total paid: €441,32<br />
<br />
To purchase:<br />
<br />
* two tiny 5mL bottles for dilutions to make pipetting easier - https://www.glazen-en-potten.nl/helder-glazen-flessen-5ml-met-wit-schroefsluiting-st-4937.html<br />
* one 100mL bottle for the vanillin dilution<br />
<br />
== The process ==<br />
This is, at least initially, exactly from this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDkH3EbWTYc specifically the recipe in the description at the time of writing (version 111C)<br />
<br />
=== Equipment preparation & training ===<br />
For every step, even those later in this chapter:<br />
<br />
* Wear gloves (and potentially, safety glasses)<br />
* Measure accurately<br />
* Don't taste any of the unmixed/undiluted ingredients<br />
I've prepared by doing equipment training, first. I have a graduated pipette with lines every 0.01mL. I'm quite comfortable to give a 0.01mL margin for every measurement I do with it, after playing around with it a bit. The smallest oils (0.07mL coriander and 0.06mL fenchol) I will make dilutions for; the others, I will pipette directly. Between every pipette usage, I'll rinse three times with 95% alcohol.<br />
* Experiment with taking and dispensing ~0.1mL oil with a precision of 0.01mL.<br />
* Experiment with measuring and dispensing exactly 9.65 grams of powder. This is necessary for caffeine.<br />
* Experiment with mixing/diluting in bottles and the volumetric flask.<br />
<br />
=== Make 7X concentrate and syrup 1 ===<br />
What we're making:<br />
<br />
* ~10mL of 7X concentrate - the raw oil mixture<br />
* ~500mL of syrup 1 - the 7X concentrate diluted in ethanol, used at 1mL per liter of final cola.<br />
<br />
Note that the original video recipe makes 100mL of concentrate and then uses 20mL of that for 1L of syrup - the total mixture is the same, but there's a lot more potential waste.<br />
<br />
Preparation:<br />
<br />
* Re-read safety instructions above<br />
* Prepare a bit of ethanol (a.k.a. food-grade 95% alcohol) and a waste container for pipette rinsing (~15mL)<br />
* Warm up/melt the fenchol in hot water until fully liquid before beginning<br />
* Prepare a fenchol solution: 0.5mL fenchol + 4.5mL ethanol, label with "1:10 fenchol dilution", production date and the best before date of the fenchol bottle<br />
* Prepare a coriander solution: 0.5mL coriander oil + 4.5mL ethanol, label with "1:10 coriander oil dilution", production date and the best before date of the coriander bottle<br />
Now, we make the 7X concentrate. Take a clean 1L glass bottle. Label the bottle "Syrup 1 - 2% oil in ethanol - use 1mL per liter of cola", and add the production date and the '''earliest''' best before date of any of the ingredients. Add the oils in the following order, rinsing the pipette twice with ethanol between each ingredient (begin with 0.5mL pipette, switch to a larger one as convenient while keeping exact measurements):<br />
* 0.6mL liquid fenchol from the 1:10 dilution<br />
* 0.7mL coriander oil from the 1:10 dilution<br />
* 0.12mL orange oil (regular sweet orange)<br />
* 0.27mL nutmeg oil<br />
* 0.45mL cassia cinnamon oil<br />
* 0.8mL tea tree oil (from Australian tea tree, Melaleuca Alternifolia)<br />
* 3.65mL lime oil<br />
* 4.58mL lemon oil<br />
The glass bottle now contains slightly more than 10mL of pre-syrup, since the fenchol and coriander oils were diluted.<br />
<br />
Now, '''very carefully''' fill to 500mL with the ethanol (food-grade 95% alcohol). Absolutely do not overfill, so if necessary do the last part with a pipette. The 500mL mark on a graduated bottle is approximate, but this only affects ''intensity'' of the final flavour, not its character.<br />
<br />
Close the bottle tightly and invert several times to mix.<br />
<br />
''The video lets the concentrate age for a day or two before diluting in ethanol, but I won't, because (1) I'm concerned it'll offgas significantly into the 1L bottle, and (2) Claude says ageing is fine to do after adding ethanol instead of before (perhaps even better). TODO: watch [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2cF_a3NBeQ Art of Drink video on this].''<br />
<br />
If it turns out that 1mL is too much or not sufficient for the perfect taste, add a note to the label to use more/less than 1mL as appropriate.<br />
<br />
=== Make vanillin solution ===<br />
What we're making:<br />
<br />
* 100mL of vanillin solution at 0.95g/L (according to the original recipe), used in syrup 2<br />
<br />
Steps:<br />
<br />
* Weigh 0.10g vanillin powder (or slightly less) onto a paper funnel and tip into a clean 100mL volumetric flask<br />
* Add water to roughly half full and swirl to dissolve<br />
* Fill to the 100mL mark with water<br />
* Add the stopper, invert several times to mix<br />
* Label "Vanillin solution - 1.00g/L", add production date and best-before date<br />
<br />
The recipe calls for 0.95g/L but we can't measure that accurately unless we switch to a 1L solution.<br />
<br />
If the vanillin doesn't readily dissolve, try with warm water, or otherwise try with a few drops of ethanol.<br />
<br />
=== Make syrup 2 ===<br />
What we're making:<br />
<br />
* 100mL of water-based syrup, used at 10mL per liter of final cola.<br />
<br />
Preparation:<br />
<br />
* Re-read safety instructions above<br />
* Gloves and safety glasses are especially important for the phosphoric acid step<br />
* Have the vanillin solution ready<br />
* Prepare a paper funnel for the powders<br />
<br />
Into a clean 100mL volumetric flask, add ingredients in this order, swirling to fully incorporate each before adding the next:<br />
<br />
* 20mL hot water<br />
* 1.25mL vinegar (4% natural vinegar, was 1mL 5% vinegar)<br />
* 0.97g caffeine - weigh onto paper funnel, tap carefully into flask<br />
* 1g wine tannins - weigh into paper funnel, tap carefully into flask - swirl until both powders are fully dissolved<br />
* (put on a scale and tare the scale for the next step)<br />
* 15g glycerin - pipette directly into flask until scale reads 15g<br />
* 4.3mL 85% phosphoric acid - add slowly by pipette<br />
* 1mL vanillin solution from before<br />
* 18.5mL Durkee caramel color<br />
<br />
Once everything is dissolved, fill to the 100mL mark with water. Put the stop in and invert several times to mix.<br />
<br />
Either keep this in the flask, or move it to a 1L bottle labeled "Syrup 2 - water based - use 10mL per liter of cola", add the production date and '''earliest''' best before date of the ingredients.<br />
<br />
This syrup doesn't need to sit after making it.<br />
<br />
=== Make the first solution ===<br />
To prepare, make 1L of carbonated water and put it in the fridge so it's cold.<br />
<br />
* Take a 1L beaker that's heat-proof.<br />
* Add 104g sugar, and just enough water to dissolve the sugar (50-100mL?).<br />
* Add 10mL of the water-based solution (syrup 2).<br />
* Add 1mL of the alcohol-based solution (syrup 1).<br />
* Swirl to combine.<br />
* Mix and microwave (or otherwise heat) the mixture until nearly boiling, while covered with the watch glass.<br />
* Allow to cool completely to room temperature.<br />
* Once fully cooled, transfer to a 1L graduated bottle and dilute to a volume of 1L with cold carbonated water.<br />
<br />
You can drink this directly, but for the most accurate flavor it's best to let it rest for a day or so in the fridge.<br />
<br />
If the flavor is too mild, add more syrup 1; if too strong, add less.</div>Sjors Gielenhttps://hackerspacenijmegen.nl/index.php?title=Projects:Making_cola&diff=3003Projects:Making cola2026-05-12T23:17:05Z<p>Sjors Gielen: /* Make 7X concentrate and syrup 1 */</p>
<hr />
<div>[[Bestand:Schermafbeelding 2026-03-25 om 11.02.33.png|miniatuur]]<br />
[[Bestand:Schermafbeelding 2026-03-25 om 11.02.10.png|miniatuur]]<br />
I (Sjors) recently saw this video by LabCoatz reverse engineering the Coca-Cola recipe using (among other techniques) a mass spectrometer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDkH3EbWTYc<br />
<br />
Now I'm a bit of a Coca-Cola addict, so I'm intrigued and want to reproduce it.<br />
<br />
Perhaps once we've done this we can also make [[wikipedia:Open-source_cola|other kinds of cola]], like Toyen Cola, which has its recipe on the back. We could even do a taste test!<br />
<br />
== Overview ==<br />
LabCoatz calls the end product of their recipe '''LabCola'''. One liter of LabCola is built off of four components:<br />
<br />
* around 100g sugar<br />
* 1mL of flavor solution A<br />
* 10 mL of flavor solution B<br />
* around 1 liter of carbonated water<br />
<br />
Flavor solution A is made by adding the following components together (~100mL), then taking 20 mL from that and diluting to 1L using 95% ethanol:<br />
<br />
* 45.8mL lemon oil (NOW)<br />
* 36.5mL lime oil (NOW)<br />
* 8mL tea tree oil (NOW, from Australian tea tree, Melaleuca Alternifolia)<br />
* 4.5mL cassia cinnamon oil (NOW)<br />
* 2.7mL nutmeg oil (aura cacia)<br />
* 1.2mL orange oil (unknown brand, regular sweet orange)<br />
* 0.7mL coriander seed oil (Edens Garden, coriandrum sativum)<br />
* 0.6mL fenchol (any version of alpha-fenchol should work)<br />
<br />
Flavor solution B is made by adding the following components together (~400mL), then diluting to 1L using water:<br />
<br />
* 185mL caramel color (Durkee)<br />
* 150 grams food-grade vegetable glycerin (Equate)<br />
* 43mL 85% phosphoric acid (Duda Energy)<br />
* 10 grams wine tannin (North Mountain)<br />
* 9.65 grams caffeine<br />
* 10mL 5% vinegar (any white vinegar?)<br />
* 10mL vanilla extract (or a solution containing 0.95 grams per liter of vanillin)<br />
<br />
It's important to note that this is '''not''' '''the Coca-Cola recipe''', which uses coca leaf extract. It is supposed to be quite close, though.<br />
<br />
== Tools ==<br />
<br />
* Mass scale<br />
** Max measurement is 150g, most precise measurement is 9.65g<br />
** '''source: Michiel has two: <200gr with precision 0.01g & <600gr with precision 0.1gr.'''<br />
* micropipette + tips<br />
** ideally an [https://www.merkala.nl/minipet-var-microliterpipet.html adjustable micropipette], but these are quite expensive (€100+)<br />
** fixed 100µL micropipette is cheaper, €25 https://www.merkala.nl/minipet-microliterpipet.html<br />
** could also get a few [https://www.kruidvat.nl/kruidvat-doseerspuit/p/2335439 doseerspuit] at Kruidvat, €2, precision should be somewhere between 0.1mL and 0.5mL<br />
** '''setje graduated pipettes €15,85''' https://www.amazon.nl/pipetten-Graduated-Reinigingsborstel-Roerstaaf-Laboratorium/dp/B07V3VC7YZ<br />
* 50 mL graduated cilinder<br />
** '''€14,74''' https://www.labshop.nl/maatcilinder-hoog-model-klasse-a-bruine-schaalverdeling/?attribute_pa_volume=10-ml<br />
* some storage bottles (mainly 1L)<br />
** I'll produce 100 mL of pre-solution A, then dilute that into 1L of solution A and store the rest of the 80mL separately. Solution B is 1L at a time, so I'll need 3 storage bottles.<br />
** I'm considering to produce only 10 mL of pre-solution A then dilute that into 100mL of solution A. Since the solution offgasses it requires very little air in the bottle, so a 100mL bottle would be a good idea.<br />
** https://www.labshop.nl/labfles-glas-blank-gl45-blauw-simax/<br />
** €12,40 * 3 = '''€37,20'''<br />
* heat-resistant glassware for preparing the syrup (1L)<br />
** €9,23 https://www.labshop.nl/bekerglas-laag-model/<br />
** or '''€7,45''' https://labstuff.nl/contents/nl/p135.html<br />
** Ø 105mm, so '''watch glass ~€3''' https://labstuff.nl/contents/nl/p253.html<br />
* magnetic stirrer for mixing<br />
** '''source: Michiel has one'''<br />
* 100mL volumetric flask to make the dilution steps easier<br />
** for pre-solution A<br />
** €22,63 https://www.labshop.nl/maatkolf/?attribute_pa_volume=100-ml-ns12-21-klasse-a<br />
** '''€11,15''' https://labstuff.nl/contents/nl/p4695.html<br />
* water carbonator / sodastream<br />
** '''Sjors has this at home'''<br />
* gloves / safety glasses<br />
** gloves €4,17<br />
** Sjors already has safety glasses<br />
<br />
<br />
If we don't need to buy the mass scale nor magnetic stirrer, tools come out to approximately €125.<br />
<br />
== Ingedients ==<br />
{| class="wikitable"<br />
|+<br />
!Ingredient<br />
!Source link<br />
!Quantity<br />
!Quantity necessary<br />
!Order amount<br />
!Price per piece<br />
!Price total<br />
!Makes L solution<sup>12</sup><br />
!Makes L cola<br />
!Price per L cola<br />
|-<br />
|'''Overall'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Sugar<br />
|Makro (Van Gils kristalsuiker)<br />
|1kg<br />
|Around 100g<br />
|1<br />
|€0,75<br />
|€0,75<br />
|<br />
|10L<br />
|7,5 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Carbonated water<br />
|Self-made<br />
|<br />
|Around 1L<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|'''Flavor solution A'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Food-grade 95% alcohol<br />
|Makro (Chauffe coeur)<br />
|1L<br />
|1L<br />
|1<br />
|€32,42<br />
|€32,42<br />
|1L<br />
|1 kL<br />
|3.24 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Lemon oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-lemon-1-fl-oz-30-ml/928 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-lemon-oil-30-ml Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|45.8mL<br />
|2<br />
|€7,01<br />
|€14,02<br />
|6,55L<br />
|6,55 kL<br />
|0,23 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Lime oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-lime-1-fl-oz-30-ml/930 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-essential-oils-lime Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|36.5mL<br />
|2<br />
|€12,47<br />
|€24,94<br />
|8,22L<br />
|8,22 kL<br />
|0,19 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Tea tree oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-tea-tree-1-fl-oz-30-ml/37827 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-tea-tree-oil-30-ml Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|8mL<br />
|1<br />
|€9,42<br />
|€9,42<br />
|18,75L<br />
|18,75 kL<br />
|0,05 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Cassia cinnamon oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-cinnamon-cassia-1-fl-oz-30-ml/915 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-cinnamon-cassia-oil-30-ml Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|4,5mL<br />
|1<br />
|€8,04<br />
|€8,04<br />
|33,33L<br />
|33,33 kL<br />
|0,03 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Aura Cacia Nutmeg oil<br />
|<s>[https://www.amazon.com/Aura-Cacia-Essential-Nutmeg-Fluid/dp/B0007KO2ZM/ref=sr_1_1 Amazon.com] '''out of stock''' (alternatives different brands [https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-nutmeg-1-fl-oz-30-ml/941 iHerb], [https://www.berivita.com/etherische-olie/nootmuskaat-olie-zuiver-puur-10ml Berivita] '''no GC/MS available''')</s>Ordered from [https://www.vinevida.com/products/nutmeg-essential-oil?variant=43269423399135 VeniVida.com], different brand but with very similar GC/MS measurements, so should taste equally.<br />
|10mL<br />
|2.7mL<br />
|1<br />
|$5,99<br />
|€5,19<br />
|18,51L<br />
|18,51 kL<br />
|0,03 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Orange oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-orange-1-fl-oz-30-ml/953 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-orange-oil-30-ml?sqr=orange%20oil Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|1.2mL<br />
|1<br />
|€5,53<br />
|€5,53<br />
|125L<br />
|125 kL<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Edens Garden Coriander seed oil<br />
|[https://www.edensgarden.com/products/coriander-seed Edens Garden] (alternative [https://www.amazon.com/Edens-Garden-Coriander-Undiluted-Therapeutic/dp/B0046ZUW7G/ref=sr_1_4 Amazon.com], different brand [https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/koriander-olie-puur-biologisch-natuurlijk-5ml/9300000188330683/ bol.com])<br />
|5mL<br />
|0.7mL<br />
|1<br />
|$14,95<br />
|€13,33<br />
|35,71L<br />
|35,71 kL<br />
|0,06 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Alpha-Fenchol<br />
|[https://www.amazon.com/CCS-alpha-fenchol-Alcohol-Fragrance-Compound/dp/B075H1TF9T/ref=sr_1_2 Amazon.com] (alternative [https://pellwall.com/products/fenchol Pellwall] (UK), [https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/227211376456 eBay], [https://pevgrow.com/en/fenchol-arae.html pevgrow] (€27,90 incl shipping?), [https://terpenes-uk.co.uk/products/fenchol-natural terpenes] (£32 incl shipping)<br />
|30mL<br />
|0.6mL<br />
|1<br />
|$12,99<br />
|€11,25<br />
|42L<br />
|42 kL<br />
|0,02 cents<br />
|-<br />
|'''Total flavor solution A'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|~ €120<br />
|1L<br />
|1kL<br />
|€0,03 when produced at scale<br />
€0,12 for first liter<br />
|-<br />
|'''Flavor solution B'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Durkee caramel color<br />
|[https://www.amazon.com/Durkee-Food-Color-Caramel-32-Ounce/dp/B007KZJZ8G/ref=sr_1_1 Amazon.com] (alternative [https://pantryful.com/products/durkee-caramel-food-color-32-oz Pantryful])<br />
|32 oz. (946 mL)<br />
|185mL<br />
|1<br />
|$17,95<br />
|€15,54<br />
|5,11L<br />
|511L<br />
|2,3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Food-grade vegetable glycerin<br />
|[https://www.amazon.nl/ISOLATECH-Glycerine-farmaceutische-kwaliteit-plantaardig/dp/B0D89YR2NV/ Amazon.nl] (alternative [https://www.labshop.nl/glycerol-glycerine-995/?attribute_pa_volume=1-l Labshop], [https://www.werkenmetmerken.nl/nl/glycerine_99_5_foodgrade/p/20904 werkenmetmerken.nl] €9 for 1L)<br />
|250mL<br />
|150g (~150mL?)<br />
|1<br />
|€5,99<br />
|€5,99<br />
|1,67L<br />
|167L<br />
|4 cents<br />
|-<br />
|85% Phosphoric acid<br />
|[https://www.labshop.nl/fosforzuur-85-nvp/ Labshop]<br />
|1L<br />
|43mL<br />
|1<br />
|€20,27<br />
|€20,27<br />
|23,26L<br />
|2326L<br />
|0,8 cents<br />
|-<br />
|North Mountain Wine tannin<br />
|[https://www.amazon.com/North-Mountain-Supply-WT-2oz-Tannin/dp/B0CYZ5YSXM/ref=sr_1_1 Amazon.com] (alternative different brand [https://brouwland.com/nl/eikenhouten-chips/195-tannine-vinoferm-tannorouge-20-g.html Brouwland])<br />
|56g<br />
|10g<br />
|1<br />
|$20,66<br />
|€17,89<br />
|2L<br />
|200L<br />
|3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Caffeine powder<br />
|[https://voordeelkruiden.nl/cafeine-poeder/ Voordeelkruiden]If we want more: [https://woele.nl/product/cafeine-poeder-pharma-grade-250g/ Woele] alternative: [https://www.laboratoriumdiscounter.nl/nl/cafeine-995-puur.html Laboratiumdiscounter]<br />
|50g<br />
|9,65g<br />
|1<br />
|€2,60<br />
|€2,60<br />
|5,18L<br />
|518L<br />
|0,5 cents<br />
|-<br />
|5% vinegar<br />
|Makro (Burg natuurazijn '''4%''', dus gebruik 25% meer?)<br />
|1L<br />
|10mL<br />
|1<br />
|€1,01<br />
|€1,01<br />
|100L<br />
|10kL<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Vanilla extract<br />
|[https://www.amazon.nl/SaporePuro-Pure-Vanilline-Poeder-Voedingskwaliteit/dp/B07V6HSWML/ref=sr_1_1?__mk_nl_NL=ÅMÅŽÕÑ&crid=S3YK6COFEB4L&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.gE60AFOvayWbmzJYCHChr8TqcFZvaogBtawzsE7Rd846KUNFjJJ3z91jJJQBjY8_tjHngHGBRvtAQaIjjWbKTP9JtkNXLhbTc_Px2qUbzOztLwDWWnzuwTTM48gwb7JBuE-y0ni2lpjqcbojdwCSV2B_UPjp6kPDCYmSqzMPl82SMx8veSSkuuIyXuQo1rUnkAL0kU9pORzp2UHjC1Od7bZAIUQuzZUFtn5Ts95L5jS-iCGQsXRgSBMwlD6liDtGo0yAoW6fn7Hy20-w6osCtvPJG5y8KXoeUAaxEjInEfE.6UvfWewk8PDpsS7ABIgm7tNLJA7M2iGHFIGvRvVsSjo&dib_tag=se&keywords=vanilline&qid=1775422577&sprefix=vanilline%2Caps%2C146&sr=8-1 Amazon.nl] (alternative [https://www.laboratoriumdiscounter.nl/en/vanillin-995-extra-pure-foodgrade.html Laboratoriumdiscounter] but expensive shipping, alternative [https://producten.makro.nl/shop/pv/BTY-X742890/0032/0021/Nomu-Vanille-Extract-50-ml Makro.nl] but don't know vanillin strength)<br />
|100g<br />
|1g (dissolve in 100 mL<br />
water, take 0.95mL)<br />
|1<br />
|€9,80<br />
|€9,80<br />
|10kL<br />
|1ML<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|'''Total flavor solution B'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|~ €70<br />
|2L<br />
|200 L<br />
|€0,11 when produced at scale<br />
€0,35 for first liter<br />
|}<br />
(1) The essential oils in solution A, quantities as under "Quantity necessary", together make 100mL of pre-solution. "Flavor solution A" then consists of 20 mL of pre-solution, diluted to 1L using alcohol. So for each mL of essential oil in the pre-solution, a fifth (0.2 mL) goes into a liter of the actual solution. So quantity times order amount is the amount of ingredients we have, divided by quantity necessary is the amount of 100mL pre-solution we can make with the order. We can make 5L of solution with that, so the formula is: (quantity * order amount * 5) / (quantity necessary). Since 1mL of solution A goes into a L of cola, 1L solution makes 1000L cola.<br />
<br />
(2) For solution B, the ingredients together make about 400mL of pre-solution. "Flavor solution B" then consists of those 400 mL, diluted to 1L using water. So the "quantity necessary" goes directly into 1L of "Flavor solution B". Since order amount is 1 for all of these, the formula is: quantity / (quantity necessary). Since 10mL of solution B goes into a L of cola, 1L solution makes 100L cola.<br />
<br />
== Expiry ==<br />
After the first batch I'll have a liter of solution A, which is almost fully alcohol, so I expect it not to expire at all. This bottle is good for a thousand liters of cola, which is probably enough for a lifetime.<br />
<br />
I'll also have 80 mL of pre-solution A, which I'll store separately. I also expect it not to expire, but to be sure, I could add alcohol to this as well, and label the bottle as such so I know exactly how much diluted pre-solution contains 20 mL of the original pre-solution.<br />
<br />
As for solution B, I'm not sure but I expect that will expire faster. The original ingredients probably don't expire if closed well? If I make 1L that's enough for 100 L of cola, which probably lasts a few months unless it's really popular.<br />
<br />
Knowing nothing at all about food safety I asked Claude for secondary advice. ("This is a cola syrup, isn't it?") They said the solution A mixture would remain ''safe'' indefinitely, but chemical degradation would affect aroma over the years; they advise to reduce air in the bottle, reduce repeated opening (freshening of the oxygen), reduce heat and reduce light exposure. With that, realistically expiry could be pushed well beyond 5 years. For solution B, they said microbial stability is also very good due to the phosphoric acid (1.0-1.5 pH). Again, chemical degradation is the limiting factor. Sealed, room temperature and out of light, Claude expects 12-18 months for peak flavor, and "probably safe well beyond that". It says the main thing to watch out for is sediment from the tannin, and flavor decreasing. Neither makes it unsafe. Commercial cola syrups like this one carry 6-12 month best-by dates, and it says our threshold for "still good" may be more forgiving.<br />
<br />
As for the original ingredient bottles, I should check if they are labeled with best-before dates and label them with the date I first opened them. Claude says the essential oils are most perishable; they will degrade in 6-12 months. For vanilla extract it's often commercially dated 2-4 years. All other things are either really easily purchaseable or very long-lived (5+ years).<br />
<br />
Conclusion:<br />
<br />
* Keep the bottles at room temperature (or colder), in the dark, and with little air headspace in the bottle.<br />
* For the solution A bottles, I'll mark them with their production date and "expected best before date" of 5 years.<br />
* For the solution B bottles, I'll mark them with their production date and "expected best before date" of 12 months.<br />
* For the original ingredient bottles, I'll store them the same way. I could consider making more pre-solution with alcohol for preservation.<br />
<br />
== Financial overview ==<br />
This is a hobby project, so it's OK if it costs money and isn't cost-effective. However, I wanted to get an overview for myself.<br />
<br />
Initial, one-time investment into tools is €125. The initial investments into ingredients for the first run is ~€200, and shipping is €100. That means the first batch costs €425 and we can produce around 200 liters of cola from this. If it tastes great and is popular and people want to drink it instead of Coca-Cola, I could sell it at a cost price of €2,13 per liter.<br />
<br />
If we actually (expect to) make more than 200 liters, then for the next 200 liters I'd only need to purchase additional wine tannin. So for the first batch of 400 liters, at a cost of ~€450, it'd already be €0,88 per liter. So that's what the price becomes if it turns out to be quite popular. Eventually, if it's ''really'' popular it would cost €0,14 for the flavor solutions, plus some sugar and carbonated water.<br />
<br />
All orders done for the first batch:<br />
<br />
* Edens Garden $14,95 (€13,33)<br />
** Edens Garden Coriander Seed essential oil<br />
* Amazon.com <s>$86,06 (€76,55)</s> $66,17 (€59,67)<br />
** Durkee caramel color<br />
** Alpha fenchol<br />
** <s>Aura Cacia nutmeg oil</s> (refunded, not in stock)<br />
** North Mountain wine tannin<br />
* VineVida.com $13.73 (€11,36)<br />
** VineVida nutmeg oil<br />
* iHerb €61,95<br />
** NOW Lemon oil<br />
** NOW Lime oil<br />
** NOW Tea tree oil<br />
** NOW Cassia cinnamon oil<br />
** NOW Orange oil<br />
* Amazon.nl €31,64<br />
** Graduated pipettes<br />
** Vanillin powder (foodgrade)<br />
** Glycerin 99.5% (foodgrade)<br />
* Labstuff.nl €35,57<br />
** Glassware (beaker, watch glass, volumetric flask)<br />
* Labshop.nl €81,30<br />
** Graduated cylinder<br />
** Storage bottles<br />
** 85% Phosphoric acid<br />
* Voordeelkruiden.nl €7,55<br />
** Caffeine powder<br />
* Makro €38,35<br />
** Sugar<br />
** Vinegar<br />
** Pure alcohol (food-grade)<br />
** Gloves<br />
*Shipping MyUS USA/FL -> Netherlands $110 (€100,60)<br />
**~$40 base charge<br />
**$30 "dangerous goods surcharge" (unexpected, since the items were below the "limited quantity threshold", but the company refused to waive)<br />
**$30 prepaid customs fees (unexpected, since the total shipment value should be below threshold, but I wanted to prevent any customs issues)<br />
**$3,50 liability coverage<br />
**mark "for personal use" and include a proforma invoice<br />
<br />
Total paid: €441,32<br />
<br />
To purchase:<br />
<br />
* two tiny 5mL bottles for dilutions to make pipetting easier - https://www.glazen-en-potten.nl/helder-glazen-flessen-5ml-met-wit-schroefsluiting-st-4937.html<br />
* one 100mL bottle for the vanillin dilution<br />
<br />
== The process ==<br />
This is, at least initially, exactly from this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDkH3EbWTYc<br />
<br />
=== Equipment preparation & training ===<br />
For every step, even those later in this chapter:<br />
<br />
* Wear gloves (and potentially, safety glasses)<br />
* Measure accurately<br />
* Don't taste any of the unmixed/undiluted ingredients<br />
I've prepared by doing equipment training, first. I have a graduated pipette with lines every 0.01mL. I'm quite comfortable to give a 0.01mL margin for every measurement I do with it, after playing around with it a bit. The smallest oils (0.07mL coriander and 0.06mL fenchol) I will make dilutions for; the others, I will pipette directly. Between every pipette usage, I'll rinse three times with 95% alcohol.<br />
* Experiment with taking and dispensing ~0.1mL oil with a precision of 0.01mL.<br />
* Experiment with measuring and dispensing exactly 9.65 grams of powder. This is necessary for caffeine.<br />
* Experiment with mixing/diluting in bottles and the volumetric flask.<br />
<br />
=== Make 7X concentrate and syrup 1 ===<br />
What we're making:<br />
<br />
* ~10mL of 7X concentrate - the raw oil mixture<br />
* ~500mL of syrup 1 - the 7X concentrate diluted in ethanol, used at 1mL per liter of final cola.<br />
<br />
Note that the original video recipe makes 100mL of concentrate and then uses 20mL of that for 1L of syrup - the total mixture is the same, but there's a lot more potential waste.<br />
<br />
Preparation:<br />
<br />
* Re-read safety instructions above<br />
* Prepare a bit of ethanol (a.k.a. food-grade 95% alcohol) and a waste container for pipette rinsing (~15mL)<br />
* Warm up/melt the fenchol in hot water until fully liquid before beginning<br />
* Prepare a fenchol solution: 0.5mL fenchol + 4.5mL ethanol, label with "1:10 fenchol dilution", production date and the best before date of the fenchol bottle<br />
* Prepare a coriander solution: 0.5mL coriander oil + 4.5mL ethanol, label with "1:10 coriander oil dilution", production date and the best before date of the coriander bottle<br />
Now, we make the 7X concentrate. Take a clean 1L glass bottle. Label the bottle "Syrup 1 - 2% oil in ethanol - use 1mL per liter of cola", and add the production date and the '''earliest''' best before date of any of the ingredients. Add the oils in the following order, rinsing the pipette twice with ethanol between each ingredient (begin with 0.5mL pipette, switch to a larger one as convenient while keeping exact measurements):<br />
* 0.6mL liquid fenchol from the 1:10 dilution<br />
* 0.7mL coriander oil from the 1:10 dilution<br />
* 0.12mL orange oil (regular sweet orange)<br />
* 0.27mL nutmeg oil<br />
* 0.45mL cassia cinnamon oil<br />
* 0.8mL tea tree oil (from Australian tea tree, Melaleuca Alternifolia)<br />
* 3.65mL lime oil<br />
* 4.58mL lemon oil<br />
The glass bottle now contains slightly more than 10mL of pre-syrup, since the fenchol and coriander oils were diluted.<br />
<br />
Now, '''very carefully''' fill to 500mL with the ethanol (food-grade 95% alcohol). Absolutely do not overfill, so if necessary do the last part with a pipette. The 500mL mark on a graduated bottle is approximate, but this only affects ''intensity'' of the final flavour, not its character.<br />
<br />
Close the bottle tightly and invert several times to mix.<br />
<br />
''The video lets the concentrate age for a day or two before diluting in ethanol, but I won't, because (1) I'm concerned it'll offgas significantly into the 1L bottle, and (2) Claude says ageing is fine to do after adding ethanol instead of before (perhaps even better). TODO: watch [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2cF_a3NBeQ Art of Drink video on this].''<br />
<br />
If it turns out that 1mL is too much or not sufficient for the perfect taste, add a note to the label to use more/less than 1mL as appropriate.<br />
<br />
=== Make vanillin solution ===<br />
What we're making:<br />
<br />
* 100mL of vanillin solution at 0.95g/L (according to the original recipe), used in syrup 2<br />
<br />
Steps:<br />
<br />
* Weigh 0.10g vanillin powder (or slightly less) onto a paper funnel and tip into a clean 100mL volumetric flask<br />
* Add water to roughly half full and swirl to dissolve<br />
* Fill to the 100mL mark with water<br />
* Add the stopper, invert several times to mix<br />
* Label "Vanillin solution - 1.00g/L", add production date and best-before date<br />
<br />
The recipe calls for 0.95g/L but we can't measure that accurately unless we switch to a 1L solution.<br />
<br />
If the vanillin doesn't readily dissolve, try with warm water, or otherwise try with a few drops of ethanol.<br />
<br />
=== Make syrup 2 ===<br />
What we're making:<br />
<br />
* 100mL of water-based syrup, used at 10mL per liter of final cola.<br />
<br />
Preparation:<br />
<br />
* Re-read safety instructions above<br />
* Gloves and safety glasses are especially important for the phosphoric acid step<br />
* Have the vanillin solution ready<br />
* Prepare a paper funnel for the powders<br />
<br />
Into a clean 100mL volumetric flask, add ingredients in this order, swirling to fully incorporate each before adding the next:<br />
<br />
* 20mL hot water<br />
* 1.25mL vinegar (4% natural vinegar, was 1mL 5% vinegar)<br />
* 0.97g caffeine - weigh onto paper funnel, tap carefully into flask<br />
* 1g wine tannins - weigh into paper funnel, tap carefully into flask - swirl until both powders are fully dissolved<br />
* (put on a scale and tare the scale for the next step)<br />
* 15g glycerin - pipette directly into flask until scale reads 15g<br />
* 4.3mL 85% phosphoric acid - add slowly by pipette<br />
* 1mL vanillin solution from before<br />
* 18.5mL Durkee caramel color<br />
<br />
Once everything is dissolved, fill to the 100mL mark with water. Put the stop in and invert several times to mix.<br />
<br />
Either keep this in the flask, or move it to a 1L bottle labeled "Syrup 2 - water based - use 10mL per liter of cola", add the production date and '''earliest''' best before date of the ingredients.<br />
<br />
This syrup doesn't need to sit after making it.<br />
<br />
=== Make the first solution ===<br />
To prepare, make 1L of carbonated water and put it in the fridge so it's cold.<br />
<br />
* Take a 1L beaker that's heat-proof.<br />
* Add 104g sugar, and just enough water to dissolve the sugar (50-100mL?).<br />
* Add 10mL of the water-based solution (syrup 2).<br />
* Add 1mL of the alcohol-based solution (syrup 1).<br />
* Swirl to combine.<br />
* Mix and microwave (or otherwise heat) the mixture until nearly boiling, while covered with the watch glass.<br />
* Allow to cool completely to room temperature.<br />
* Once fully cooled, transfer to a 1L graduated bottle and dilute to a volume of 1L with cold carbonated water.<br />
<br />
You can drink this directly, but for the most accurate flavor it's best to let it rest for a day or so in the fridge.<br />
<br />
If the flavor is too mild, add more syrup 1; if too strong, add less.</div>Sjors Gielenhttps://hackerspacenijmegen.nl/index.php?title=Projects:Making_cola&diff=3002Projects:Making cola2026-05-12T23:15:49Z<p>Sjors Gielen: /* Make 7X concentrate and syrup 1 */</p>
<hr />
<div>[[Bestand:Schermafbeelding 2026-03-25 om 11.02.33.png|miniatuur]]<br />
[[Bestand:Schermafbeelding 2026-03-25 om 11.02.10.png|miniatuur]]<br />
I (Sjors) recently saw this video by LabCoatz reverse engineering the Coca-Cola recipe using (among other techniques) a mass spectrometer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDkH3EbWTYc<br />
<br />
Now I'm a bit of a Coca-Cola addict, so I'm intrigued and want to reproduce it.<br />
<br />
Perhaps once we've done this we can also make [[wikipedia:Open-source_cola|other kinds of cola]], like Toyen Cola, which has its recipe on the back. We could even do a taste test!<br />
<br />
== Overview ==<br />
LabCoatz calls the end product of their recipe '''LabCola'''. One liter of LabCola is built off of four components:<br />
<br />
* around 100g sugar<br />
* 1mL of flavor solution A<br />
* 10 mL of flavor solution B<br />
* around 1 liter of carbonated water<br />
<br />
Flavor solution A is made by adding the following components together (~100mL), then taking 20 mL from that and diluting to 1L using 95% ethanol:<br />
<br />
* 45.8mL lemon oil (NOW)<br />
* 36.5mL lime oil (NOW)<br />
* 8mL tea tree oil (NOW, from Australian tea tree, Melaleuca Alternifolia)<br />
* 4.5mL cassia cinnamon oil (NOW)<br />
* 2.7mL nutmeg oil (aura cacia)<br />
* 1.2mL orange oil (unknown brand, regular sweet orange)<br />
* 0.7mL coriander seed oil (Edens Garden, coriandrum sativum)<br />
* 0.6mL fenchol (any version of alpha-fenchol should work)<br />
<br />
Flavor solution B is made by adding the following components together (~400mL), then diluting to 1L using water:<br />
<br />
* 185mL caramel color (Durkee)<br />
* 150 grams food-grade vegetable glycerin (Equate)<br />
* 43mL 85% phosphoric acid (Duda Energy)<br />
* 10 grams wine tannin (North Mountain)<br />
* 9.65 grams caffeine<br />
* 10mL 5% vinegar (any white vinegar?)<br />
* 10mL vanilla extract (or a solution containing 0.95 grams per liter of vanillin)<br />
<br />
It's important to note that this is '''not''' '''the Coca-Cola recipe''', which uses coca leaf extract. It is supposed to be quite close, though.<br />
<br />
== Tools ==<br />
<br />
* Mass scale<br />
** Max measurement is 150g, most precise measurement is 9.65g<br />
** '''source: Michiel has two: <200gr with precision 0.01g & <600gr with precision 0.1gr.'''<br />
* micropipette + tips<br />
** ideally an [https://www.merkala.nl/minipet-var-microliterpipet.html adjustable micropipette], but these are quite expensive (€100+)<br />
** fixed 100µL micropipette is cheaper, €25 https://www.merkala.nl/minipet-microliterpipet.html<br />
** could also get a few [https://www.kruidvat.nl/kruidvat-doseerspuit/p/2335439 doseerspuit] at Kruidvat, €2, precision should be somewhere between 0.1mL and 0.5mL<br />
** '''setje graduated pipettes €15,85''' https://www.amazon.nl/pipetten-Graduated-Reinigingsborstel-Roerstaaf-Laboratorium/dp/B07V3VC7YZ<br />
* 50 mL graduated cilinder<br />
** '''€14,74''' https://www.labshop.nl/maatcilinder-hoog-model-klasse-a-bruine-schaalverdeling/?attribute_pa_volume=10-ml<br />
* some storage bottles (mainly 1L)<br />
** I'll produce 100 mL of pre-solution A, then dilute that into 1L of solution A and store the rest of the 80mL separately. Solution B is 1L at a time, so I'll need 3 storage bottles.<br />
** I'm considering to produce only 10 mL of pre-solution A then dilute that into 100mL of solution A. Since the solution offgasses it requires very little air in the bottle, so a 100mL bottle would be a good idea.<br />
** https://www.labshop.nl/labfles-glas-blank-gl45-blauw-simax/<br />
** €12,40 * 3 = '''€37,20'''<br />
* heat-resistant glassware for preparing the syrup (1L)<br />
** €9,23 https://www.labshop.nl/bekerglas-laag-model/<br />
** or '''€7,45''' https://labstuff.nl/contents/nl/p135.html<br />
** Ø 105mm, so '''watch glass ~€3''' https://labstuff.nl/contents/nl/p253.html<br />
* magnetic stirrer for mixing<br />
** '''source: Michiel has one'''<br />
* 100mL volumetric flask to make the dilution steps easier<br />
** for pre-solution A<br />
** €22,63 https://www.labshop.nl/maatkolf/?attribute_pa_volume=100-ml-ns12-21-klasse-a<br />
** '''€11,15''' https://labstuff.nl/contents/nl/p4695.html<br />
* water carbonator / sodastream<br />
** '''Sjors has this at home'''<br />
* gloves / safety glasses<br />
** gloves €4,17<br />
** Sjors already has safety glasses<br />
<br />
<br />
If we don't need to buy the mass scale nor magnetic stirrer, tools come out to approximately €125.<br />
<br />
== Ingedients ==<br />
{| class="wikitable"<br />
|+<br />
!Ingredient<br />
!Source link<br />
!Quantity<br />
!Quantity necessary<br />
!Order amount<br />
!Price per piece<br />
!Price total<br />
!Makes L solution<sup>12</sup><br />
!Makes L cola<br />
!Price per L cola<br />
|-<br />
|'''Overall'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Sugar<br />
|Makro (Van Gils kristalsuiker)<br />
|1kg<br />
|Around 100g<br />
|1<br />
|€0,75<br />
|€0,75<br />
|<br />
|10L<br />
|7,5 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Carbonated water<br />
|Self-made<br />
|<br />
|Around 1L<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|'''Flavor solution A'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Food-grade 95% alcohol<br />
|Makro (Chauffe coeur)<br />
|1L<br />
|1L<br />
|1<br />
|€32,42<br />
|€32,42<br />
|1L<br />
|1 kL<br />
|3.24 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Lemon oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-lemon-1-fl-oz-30-ml/928 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-lemon-oil-30-ml Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|45.8mL<br />
|2<br />
|€7,01<br />
|€14,02<br />
|6,55L<br />
|6,55 kL<br />
|0,23 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Lime oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-lime-1-fl-oz-30-ml/930 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-essential-oils-lime Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|36.5mL<br />
|2<br />
|€12,47<br />
|€24,94<br />
|8,22L<br />
|8,22 kL<br />
|0,19 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Tea tree oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-tea-tree-1-fl-oz-30-ml/37827 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-tea-tree-oil-30-ml Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|8mL<br />
|1<br />
|€9,42<br />
|€9,42<br />
|18,75L<br />
|18,75 kL<br />
|0,05 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Cassia cinnamon oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-cinnamon-cassia-1-fl-oz-30-ml/915 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-cinnamon-cassia-oil-30-ml Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|4,5mL<br />
|1<br />
|€8,04<br />
|€8,04<br />
|33,33L<br />
|33,33 kL<br />
|0,03 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Aura Cacia Nutmeg oil<br />
|<s>[https://www.amazon.com/Aura-Cacia-Essential-Nutmeg-Fluid/dp/B0007KO2ZM/ref=sr_1_1 Amazon.com] '''out of stock''' (alternatives different brands [https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-nutmeg-1-fl-oz-30-ml/941 iHerb], [https://www.berivita.com/etherische-olie/nootmuskaat-olie-zuiver-puur-10ml Berivita] '''no GC/MS available''')</s>Ordered from [https://www.vinevida.com/products/nutmeg-essential-oil?variant=43269423399135 VeniVida.com], different brand but with very similar GC/MS measurements, so should taste equally.<br />
|10mL<br />
|2.7mL<br />
|1<br />
|$5,99<br />
|€5,19<br />
|18,51L<br />
|18,51 kL<br />
|0,03 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Orange oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-orange-1-fl-oz-30-ml/953 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-orange-oil-30-ml?sqr=orange%20oil Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|1.2mL<br />
|1<br />
|€5,53<br />
|€5,53<br />
|125L<br />
|125 kL<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Edens Garden Coriander seed oil<br />
|[https://www.edensgarden.com/products/coriander-seed Edens Garden] (alternative [https://www.amazon.com/Edens-Garden-Coriander-Undiluted-Therapeutic/dp/B0046ZUW7G/ref=sr_1_4 Amazon.com], different brand [https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/koriander-olie-puur-biologisch-natuurlijk-5ml/9300000188330683/ bol.com])<br />
|5mL<br />
|0.7mL<br />
|1<br />
|$14,95<br />
|€13,33<br />
|35,71L<br />
|35,71 kL<br />
|0,06 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Alpha-Fenchol<br />
|[https://www.amazon.com/CCS-alpha-fenchol-Alcohol-Fragrance-Compound/dp/B075H1TF9T/ref=sr_1_2 Amazon.com] (alternative [https://pellwall.com/products/fenchol Pellwall] (UK), [https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/227211376456 eBay], [https://pevgrow.com/en/fenchol-arae.html pevgrow] (€27,90 incl shipping?), [https://terpenes-uk.co.uk/products/fenchol-natural terpenes] (£32 incl shipping)<br />
|30mL<br />
|0.6mL<br />
|1<br />
|$12,99<br />
|€11,25<br />
|42L<br />
|42 kL<br />
|0,02 cents<br />
|-<br />
|'''Total flavor solution A'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|~ €120<br />
|1L<br />
|1kL<br />
|€0,03 when produced at scale<br />
€0,12 for first liter<br />
|-<br />
|'''Flavor solution B'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Durkee caramel color<br />
|[https://www.amazon.com/Durkee-Food-Color-Caramel-32-Ounce/dp/B007KZJZ8G/ref=sr_1_1 Amazon.com] (alternative [https://pantryful.com/products/durkee-caramel-food-color-32-oz Pantryful])<br />
|32 oz. (946 mL)<br />
|185mL<br />
|1<br />
|$17,95<br />
|€15,54<br />
|5,11L<br />
|511L<br />
|2,3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Food-grade vegetable glycerin<br />
|[https://www.amazon.nl/ISOLATECH-Glycerine-farmaceutische-kwaliteit-plantaardig/dp/B0D89YR2NV/ Amazon.nl] (alternative [https://www.labshop.nl/glycerol-glycerine-995/?attribute_pa_volume=1-l Labshop], [https://www.werkenmetmerken.nl/nl/glycerine_99_5_foodgrade/p/20904 werkenmetmerken.nl] €9 for 1L)<br />
|250mL<br />
|150g (~150mL?)<br />
|1<br />
|€5,99<br />
|€5,99<br />
|1,67L<br />
|167L<br />
|4 cents<br />
|-<br />
|85% Phosphoric acid<br />
|[https://www.labshop.nl/fosforzuur-85-nvp/ Labshop]<br />
|1L<br />
|43mL<br />
|1<br />
|€20,27<br />
|€20,27<br />
|23,26L<br />
|2326L<br />
|0,8 cents<br />
|-<br />
|North Mountain Wine tannin<br />
|[https://www.amazon.com/North-Mountain-Supply-WT-2oz-Tannin/dp/B0CYZ5YSXM/ref=sr_1_1 Amazon.com] (alternative different brand [https://brouwland.com/nl/eikenhouten-chips/195-tannine-vinoferm-tannorouge-20-g.html Brouwland])<br />
|56g<br />
|10g<br />
|1<br />
|$20,66<br />
|€17,89<br />
|2L<br />
|200L<br />
|3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Caffeine powder<br />
|[https://voordeelkruiden.nl/cafeine-poeder/ Voordeelkruiden]If we want more: [https://woele.nl/product/cafeine-poeder-pharma-grade-250g/ Woele] alternative: [https://www.laboratoriumdiscounter.nl/nl/cafeine-995-puur.html Laboratiumdiscounter]<br />
|50g<br />
|9,65g<br />
|1<br />
|€2,60<br />
|€2,60<br />
|5,18L<br />
|518L<br />
|0,5 cents<br />
|-<br />
|5% vinegar<br />
|Makro (Burg natuurazijn '''4%''', dus gebruik 25% meer?)<br />
|1L<br />
|10mL<br />
|1<br />
|€1,01<br />
|€1,01<br />
|100L<br />
|10kL<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Vanilla extract<br />
|[https://www.amazon.nl/SaporePuro-Pure-Vanilline-Poeder-Voedingskwaliteit/dp/B07V6HSWML/ref=sr_1_1?__mk_nl_NL=ÅMÅŽÕÑ&crid=S3YK6COFEB4L&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.gE60AFOvayWbmzJYCHChr8TqcFZvaogBtawzsE7Rd846KUNFjJJ3z91jJJQBjY8_tjHngHGBRvtAQaIjjWbKTP9JtkNXLhbTc_Px2qUbzOztLwDWWnzuwTTM48gwb7JBuE-y0ni2lpjqcbojdwCSV2B_UPjp6kPDCYmSqzMPl82SMx8veSSkuuIyXuQo1rUnkAL0kU9pORzp2UHjC1Od7bZAIUQuzZUFtn5Ts95L5jS-iCGQsXRgSBMwlD6liDtGo0yAoW6fn7Hy20-w6osCtvPJG5y8KXoeUAaxEjInEfE.6UvfWewk8PDpsS7ABIgm7tNLJA7M2iGHFIGvRvVsSjo&dib_tag=se&keywords=vanilline&qid=1775422577&sprefix=vanilline%2Caps%2C146&sr=8-1 Amazon.nl] (alternative [https://www.laboratoriumdiscounter.nl/en/vanillin-995-extra-pure-foodgrade.html Laboratoriumdiscounter] but expensive shipping, alternative [https://producten.makro.nl/shop/pv/BTY-X742890/0032/0021/Nomu-Vanille-Extract-50-ml Makro.nl] but don't know vanillin strength)<br />
|100g<br />
|1g (dissolve in 100 mL<br />
water, take 0.95mL)<br />
|1<br />
|€9,80<br />
|€9,80<br />
|10kL<br />
|1ML<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|'''Total flavor solution B'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|~ €70<br />
|2L<br />
|200 L<br />
|€0,11 when produced at scale<br />
€0,35 for first liter<br />
|}<br />
(1) The essential oils in solution A, quantities as under "Quantity necessary", together make 100mL of pre-solution. "Flavor solution A" then consists of 20 mL of pre-solution, diluted to 1L using alcohol. So for each mL of essential oil in the pre-solution, a fifth (0.2 mL) goes into a liter of the actual solution. So quantity times order amount is the amount of ingredients we have, divided by quantity necessary is the amount of 100mL pre-solution we can make with the order. We can make 5L of solution with that, so the formula is: (quantity * order amount * 5) / (quantity necessary). Since 1mL of solution A goes into a L of cola, 1L solution makes 1000L cola.<br />
<br />
(2) For solution B, the ingredients together make about 400mL of pre-solution. "Flavor solution B" then consists of those 400 mL, diluted to 1L using water. So the "quantity necessary" goes directly into 1L of "Flavor solution B". Since order amount is 1 for all of these, the formula is: quantity / (quantity necessary). Since 10mL of solution B goes into a L of cola, 1L solution makes 100L cola.<br />
<br />
== Expiry ==<br />
After the first batch I'll have a liter of solution A, which is almost fully alcohol, so I expect it not to expire at all. This bottle is good for a thousand liters of cola, which is probably enough for a lifetime.<br />
<br />
I'll also have 80 mL of pre-solution A, which I'll store separately. I also expect it not to expire, but to be sure, I could add alcohol to this as well, and label the bottle as such so I know exactly how much diluted pre-solution contains 20 mL of the original pre-solution.<br />
<br />
As for solution B, I'm not sure but I expect that will expire faster. The original ingredients probably don't expire if closed well? If I make 1L that's enough for 100 L of cola, which probably lasts a few months unless it's really popular.<br />
<br />
Knowing nothing at all about food safety I asked Claude for secondary advice. ("This is a cola syrup, isn't it?") They said the solution A mixture would remain ''safe'' indefinitely, but chemical degradation would affect aroma over the years; they advise to reduce air in the bottle, reduce repeated opening (freshening of the oxygen), reduce heat and reduce light exposure. With that, realistically expiry could be pushed well beyond 5 years. For solution B, they said microbial stability is also very good due to the phosphoric acid (1.0-1.5 pH). Again, chemical degradation is the limiting factor. Sealed, room temperature and out of light, Claude expects 12-18 months for peak flavor, and "probably safe well beyond that". It says the main thing to watch out for is sediment from the tannin, and flavor decreasing. Neither makes it unsafe. Commercial cola syrups like this one carry 6-12 month best-by dates, and it says our threshold for "still good" may be more forgiving.<br />
<br />
As for the original ingredient bottles, I should check if they are labeled with best-before dates and label them with the date I first opened them. Claude says the essential oils are most perishable; they will degrade in 6-12 months. For vanilla extract it's often commercially dated 2-4 years. All other things are either really easily purchaseable or very long-lived (5+ years).<br />
<br />
Conclusion:<br />
<br />
* Keep the bottles at room temperature (or colder), in the dark, and with little air headspace in the bottle.<br />
* For the solution A bottles, I'll mark them with their production date and "expected best before date" of 5 years.<br />
* For the solution B bottles, I'll mark them with their production date and "expected best before date" of 12 months.<br />
* For the original ingredient bottles, I'll store them the same way. I could consider making more pre-solution with alcohol for preservation.<br />
<br />
== Financial overview ==<br />
This is a hobby project, so it's OK if it costs money and isn't cost-effective. However, I wanted to get an overview for myself.<br />
<br />
Initial, one-time investment into tools is €125. The initial investments into ingredients for the first run is ~€200, and shipping is €100. That means the first batch costs €425 and we can produce around 200 liters of cola from this. If it tastes great and is popular and people want to drink it instead of Coca-Cola, I could sell it at a cost price of €2,13 per liter.<br />
<br />
If we actually (expect to) make more than 200 liters, then for the next 200 liters I'd only need to purchase additional wine tannin. So for the first batch of 400 liters, at a cost of ~€450, it'd already be €0,88 per liter. So that's what the price becomes if it turns out to be quite popular. Eventually, if it's ''really'' popular it would cost €0,14 for the flavor solutions, plus some sugar and carbonated water.<br />
<br />
All orders done for the first batch:<br />
<br />
* Edens Garden $14,95 (€13,33)<br />
** Edens Garden Coriander Seed essential oil<br />
* Amazon.com <s>$86,06 (€76,55)</s> $66,17 (€59,67)<br />
** Durkee caramel color<br />
** Alpha fenchol<br />
** <s>Aura Cacia nutmeg oil</s> (refunded, not in stock)<br />
** North Mountain wine tannin<br />
* VineVida.com $13.73 (€11,36)<br />
** VineVida nutmeg oil<br />
* iHerb €61,95<br />
** NOW Lemon oil<br />
** NOW Lime oil<br />
** NOW Tea tree oil<br />
** NOW Cassia cinnamon oil<br />
** NOW Orange oil<br />
* Amazon.nl €31,64<br />
** Graduated pipettes<br />
** Vanillin powder (foodgrade)<br />
** Glycerin 99.5% (foodgrade)<br />
* Labstuff.nl €35,57<br />
** Glassware (beaker, watch glass, volumetric flask)<br />
* Labshop.nl €81,30<br />
** Graduated cylinder<br />
** Storage bottles<br />
** 85% Phosphoric acid<br />
* Voordeelkruiden.nl €7,55<br />
** Caffeine powder<br />
* Makro €38,35<br />
** Sugar<br />
** Vinegar<br />
** Pure alcohol (food-grade)<br />
** Gloves<br />
*Shipping MyUS USA/FL -> Netherlands $110 (€100,60)<br />
**~$40 base charge<br />
**$30 "dangerous goods surcharge" (unexpected, since the items were below the "limited quantity threshold", but the company refused to waive)<br />
**$30 prepaid customs fees (unexpected, since the total shipment value should be below threshold, but I wanted to prevent any customs issues)<br />
**$3,50 liability coverage<br />
**mark "for personal use" and include a proforma invoice<br />
<br />
Total paid: €441,32<br />
<br />
To purchase:<br />
<br />
* two tiny 5mL bottles for dilutions to make pipetting easier - https://www.glazen-en-potten.nl/helder-glazen-flessen-5ml-met-wit-schroefsluiting-st-4937.html<br />
* one 100mL bottle for the vanillin dilution<br />
<br />
== The process ==<br />
This is, at least initially, exactly from this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDkH3EbWTYc<br />
<br />
=== Equipment preparation & training ===<br />
For every step, even those later in this chapter:<br />
<br />
* Wear gloves (and potentially, safety glasses)<br />
* Measure accurately<br />
* Don't taste any of the unmixed/undiluted ingredients<br />
I've prepared by doing equipment training, first. I have a graduated pipette with lines every 0.01mL. I'm quite comfortable to give a 0.01mL margin for every measurement I do with it, after playing around with it a bit. The smallest oils (0.07mL coriander and 0.06mL fenchol) I will make dilutions for; the others, I will pipette directly. Between every pipette usage, I'll rinse three times with 95% alcohol.<br />
* Experiment with taking and dispensing ~0.1mL oil with a precision of 0.01mL.<br />
* Experiment with measuring and dispensing exactly 9.65 grams of powder. This is necessary for caffeine.<br />
* Experiment with mixing/diluting in bottles and the volumetric flask.<br />
<br />
=== Make 7X concentrate and syrup 1 ===<br />
What we're making:<br />
<br />
* ~10mL of 7X concentrate - the raw oil mixture<br />
* ~500mL of syrup 1 - the 7X concentrate diluted in ethanol, used at 1mL per liter of final cola.<br />
<br />
Note that the original video recipe makes 100mL of concentrate and then uses 20mL of that for 1L of syrup - the total mixture is the same, but there's a lot more potential waste.<br />
<br />
Preparation:<br />
<br />
* Re-read safety instructions above<br />
* Prepare a bit of ethanol (a.k.a. food-grade 95% alcohol) and a waste container for pipette rinsing (~15mL)<br />
* Warm up/melt the fenchol in hot water until fully liquid before beginning<br />
* Prepare a fenchol solution: 0.5mL fenchol + 4.5mL ethanol, label with "1:10 fenchol dilution", production date and the best before date of the fenchol bottle<br />
* Prepare a coriander solution: 0.5mL coriander oil + 4.5mL ethanol, label with "1:10 coriander oil dilution", production date and the best before date of the coriander bottle<br />
Now, we make the 7X concentrate. Take a clean 1L glass bottle. Label the bottle "Syrup 1 - 2% oil in ethanol - use 1mL per liter of cola", and add the production date and the '''earliest''' best before date of any of the ingredients. Add the oils in the following order, rinsing the pipette twice with ethanol between each ingredient (begin with 0.5mL pipette, switch to a larger one as convenient while keeping exact measurements):<br />
* 0.6mL liquid fenchol from the 1:10 dilution<br />
* 0.7mL coriander oil from the 1:10 dilution<br />
* 0.12mL orange oil (regular sweet orange)<br />
* 0.27mL nutmeg oil<br />
* 0.45mL cassia cinnamon oil<br />
* 0.8mL tea tree oil (from Australian tea tree, Melaleuca Alternifolia)<br />
* 3.65mL lime oil<br />
* 4.58mL lemon oil<br />
The glass bottle now contains slightly more than 10mL of pre-syrup, since the fenchol and coriander oils were diluted.<br />
<br />
Now, '''very carefully''' fill to 500mL with the ethanol (food-grade 95% alcohol). Absolutely do not overfill, so if necessary do the last part with a pipette. The 500mL mark on a graduated bottle is approximate, but this only affects ''intensity'' of the final flavour, not its character.<br />
<br />
Close the bottle tightly and invert several times to mix.<br />
<br />
''The video lets the concentrate age for a day or two before diluting in ethanol, but I won't, because (1) I'm concerned it'll offgas significantly into the 1L bottle, and (2) Claude says ageing is fine to do after adding ethanol instead of before (perhaps even better). TODO: watch Art of Drink video on this.''<br />
<br />
If it turns out that 1mL is too much or not sufficient for the perfect taste, add a note to the label to use more/less than 1mL as appropriate.<br />
<br />
=== Make vanillin solution ===<br />
What we're making:<br />
<br />
* 100mL of vanillin solution at 0.95g/L (according to the original recipe), used in syrup 2<br />
<br />
Steps:<br />
<br />
* Weigh 0.10g vanillin powder (or slightly less) onto a paper funnel and tip into a clean 100mL volumetric flask<br />
* Add water to roughly half full and swirl to dissolve<br />
* Fill to the 100mL mark with water<br />
* Add the stopper, invert several times to mix<br />
* Label "Vanillin solution - 1.00g/L", add production date and best-before date<br />
<br />
The recipe calls for 0.95g/L but we can't measure that accurately unless we switch to a 1L solution.<br />
<br />
If the vanillin doesn't readily dissolve, try with warm water, or otherwise try with a few drops of ethanol.<br />
<br />
=== Make syrup 2 ===<br />
What we're making:<br />
<br />
* 100mL of water-based syrup, used at 10mL per liter of final cola.<br />
<br />
Preparation:<br />
<br />
* Re-read safety instructions above<br />
* Gloves and safety glasses are especially important for the phosphoric acid step<br />
* Have the vanillin solution ready<br />
* Prepare a paper funnel for the powders<br />
<br />
Into a clean 100mL volumetric flask, add ingredients in this order, swirling to fully incorporate each before adding the next:<br />
<br />
* 20mL hot water<br />
* 1.25mL vinegar (4% natural vinegar, was 1mL 5% vinegar)<br />
* 0.97g caffeine - weigh onto paper funnel, tap carefully into flask<br />
* 1g wine tannins - weigh into paper funnel, tap carefully into flask - swirl until both powders are fully dissolved<br />
* (put on a scale and tare the scale for the next step)<br />
* 15g glycerin - pipette directly into flask until scale reads 15g<br />
* 4.3mL 85% phosphoric acid - add slowly by pipette<br />
* 1mL vanillin solution from before<br />
* 18.5mL Durkee caramel color<br />
<br />
Once everything is dissolved, fill to the 100mL mark with water. Put the stop in and invert several times to mix.<br />
<br />
Either keep this in the flask, or move it to a 1L bottle labeled "Syrup 2 - water based - use 10mL per liter of cola", add the production date and '''earliest''' best before date of the ingredients.<br />
<br />
This syrup doesn't need to sit after making it.<br />
<br />
=== Make the first solution ===<br />
To prepare, make 1L of carbonated water and put it in the fridge so it's cold.<br />
<br />
* Take a 1L beaker that's heat-proof.<br />
* Add 104g sugar, and just enough water to dissolve the sugar (50-100mL?).<br />
* Add 10mL of the water-based solution (syrup 2).<br />
* Add 1mL of the alcohol-based solution (syrup 1).<br />
* Swirl to combine.<br />
* Mix and microwave (or otherwise heat) the mixture until nearly boiling, while covered with the watch glass.<br />
* Allow to cool completely to room temperature.<br />
* Once fully cooled, transfer to a 1L graduated bottle and dilute to a volume of 1L with cold carbonated water.<br />
<br />
You can drink this directly, but for the most accurate flavor it's best to let it rest for a day or so in the fridge.<br />
<br />
If the flavor is too mild, add more syrup 1; if too strong, add less.</div>Sjors Gielenhttps://hackerspacenijmegen.nl/index.php?title=Projects:Making_cola&diff=3001Projects:Making cola2026-05-12T22:39:16Z<p>Sjors Gielen: /* Financial overview */</p>
<hr />
<div>[[Bestand:Schermafbeelding 2026-03-25 om 11.02.33.png|miniatuur]]<br />
[[Bestand:Schermafbeelding 2026-03-25 om 11.02.10.png|miniatuur]]<br />
I (Sjors) recently saw this video by LabCoatz reverse engineering the Coca-Cola recipe using (among other techniques) a mass spectrometer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDkH3EbWTYc<br />
<br />
Now I'm a bit of a Coca-Cola addict, so I'm intrigued and want to reproduce it.<br />
<br />
Perhaps once we've done this we can also make [[wikipedia:Open-source_cola|other kinds of cola]], like Toyen Cola, which has its recipe on the back. We could even do a taste test!<br />
<br />
== Overview ==<br />
LabCoatz calls the end product of their recipe '''LabCola'''. One liter of LabCola is built off of four components:<br />
<br />
* around 100g sugar<br />
* 1mL of flavor solution A<br />
* 10 mL of flavor solution B<br />
* around 1 liter of carbonated water<br />
<br />
Flavor solution A is made by adding the following components together (~100mL), then taking 20 mL from that and diluting to 1L using 95% ethanol:<br />
<br />
* 45.8mL lemon oil (NOW)<br />
* 36.5mL lime oil (NOW)<br />
* 8mL tea tree oil (NOW, from Australian tea tree, Melaleuca Alternifolia)<br />
* 4.5mL cassia cinnamon oil (NOW)<br />
* 2.7mL nutmeg oil (aura cacia)<br />
* 1.2mL orange oil (unknown brand, regular sweet orange)<br />
* 0.7mL coriander seed oil (Edens Garden, coriandrum sativum)<br />
* 0.6mL fenchol (any version of alpha-fenchol should work)<br />
<br />
Flavor solution B is made by adding the following components together (~400mL), then diluting to 1L using water:<br />
<br />
* 185mL caramel color (Durkee)<br />
* 150 grams food-grade vegetable glycerin (Equate)<br />
* 43mL 85% phosphoric acid (Duda Energy)<br />
* 10 grams wine tannin (North Mountain)<br />
* 9.65 grams caffeine<br />
* 10mL 5% vinegar (any white vinegar?)<br />
* 10mL vanilla extract (or a solution containing 0.95 grams per liter of vanillin)<br />
<br />
It's important to note that this is '''not''' '''the Coca-Cola recipe''', which uses coca leaf extract. It is supposed to be quite close, though.<br />
<br />
== Tools ==<br />
<br />
* Mass scale<br />
** Max measurement is 150g, most precise measurement is 9.65g<br />
** '''source: Michiel has two: <200gr with precision 0.01g & <600gr with precision 0.1gr.'''<br />
* micropipette + tips<br />
** ideally an [https://www.merkala.nl/minipet-var-microliterpipet.html adjustable micropipette], but these are quite expensive (€100+)<br />
** fixed 100µL micropipette is cheaper, €25 https://www.merkala.nl/minipet-microliterpipet.html<br />
** could also get a few [https://www.kruidvat.nl/kruidvat-doseerspuit/p/2335439 doseerspuit] at Kruidvat, €2, precision should be somewhere between 0.1mL and 0.5mL<br />
** '''setje graduated pipettes €15,85''' https://www.amazon.nl/pipetten-Graduated-Reinigingsborstel-Roerstaaf-Laboratorium/dp/B07V3VC7YZ<br />
* 50 mL graduated cilinder<br />
** '''€14,74''' https://www.labshop.nl/maatcilinder-hoog-model-klasse-a-bruine-schaalverdeling/?attribute_pa_volume=10-ml<br />
* some storage bottles (mainly 1L)<br />
** I'll produce 100 mL of pre-solution A, then dilute that into 1L of solution A and store the rest of the 80mL separately. Solution B is 1L at a time, so I'll need 3 storage bottles.<br />
** I'm considering to produce only 10 mL of pre-solution A then dilute that into 100mL of solution A. Since the solution offgasses it requires very little air in the bottle, so a 100mL bottle would be a good idea.<br />
** https://www.labshop.nl/labfles-glas-blank-gl45-blauw-simax/<br />
** €12,40 * 3 = '''€37,20'''<br />
* heat-resistant glassware for preparing the syrup (1L)<br />
** €9,23 https://www.labshop.nl/bekerglas-laag-model/<br />
** or '''€7,45''' https://labstuff.nl/contents/nl/p135.html<br />
** Ø 105mm, so '''watch glass ~€3''' https://labstuff.nl/contents/nl/p253.html<br />
* magnetic stirrer for mixing<br />
** '''source: Michiel has one'''<br />
* 100mL volumetric flask to make the dilution steps easier<br />
** for pre-solution A<br />
** €22,63 https://www.labshop.nl/maatkolf/?attribute_pa_volume=100-ml-ns12-21-klasse-a<br />
** '''€11,15''' https://labstuff.nl/contents/nl/p4695.html<br />
* water carbonator / sodastream<br />
** '''Sjors has this at home'''<br />
* gloves / safety glasses<br />
** gloves €4,17<br />
** Sjors already has safety glasses<br />
<br />
<br />
If we don't need to buy the mass scale nor magnetic stirrer, tools come out to approximately €125.<br />
<br />
== Ingedients ==<br />
{| class="wikitable"<br />
|+<br />
!Ingredient<br />
!Source link<br />
!Quantity<br />
!Quantity necessary<br />
!Order amount<br />
!Price per piece<br />
!Price total<br />
!Makes L solution<sup>12</sup><br />
!Makes L cola<br />
!Price per L cola<br />
|-<br />
|'''Overall'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Sugar<br />
|Makro (Van Gils kristalsuiker)<br />
|1kg<br />
|Around 100g<br />
|1<br />
|€0,75<br />
|€0,75<br />
|<br />
|10L<br />
|7,5 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Carbonated water<br />
|Self-made<br />
|<br />
|Around 1L<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|'''Flavor solution A'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Food-grade 95% alcohol<br />
|Makro (Chauffe coeur)<br />
|1L<br />
|1L<br />
|1<br />
|€32,42<br />
|€32,42<br />
|1L<br />
|1 kL<br />
|3.24 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Lemon oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-lemon-1-fl-oz-30-ml/928 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-lemon-oil-30-ml Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|45.8mL<br />
|2<br />
|€7,01<br />
|€14,02<br />
|6,55L<br />
|6,55 kL<br />
|0,23 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Lime oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-lime-1-fl-oz-30-ml/930 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-essential-oils-lime Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|36.5mL<br />
|2<br />
|€12,47<br />
|€24,94<br />
|8,22L<br />
|8,22 kL<br />
|0,19 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Tea tree oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-tea-tree-1-fl-oz-30-ml/37827 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-tea-tree-oil-30-ml Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|8mL<br />
|1<br />
|€9,42<br />
|€9,42<br />
|18,75L<br />
|18,75 kL<br />
|0,05 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Cassia cinnamon oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-cinnamon-cassia-1-fl-oz-30-ml/915 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-cinnamon-cassia-oil-30-ml Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|4,5mL<br />
|1<br />
|€8,04<br />
|€8,04<br />
|33,33L<br />
|33,33 kL<br />
|0,03 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Aura Cacia Nutmeg oil<br />
|<s>[https://www.amazon.com/Aura-Cacia-Essential-Nutmeg-Fluid/dp/B0007KO2ZM/ref=sr_1_1 Amazon.com] '''out of stock''' (alternatives different brands [https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-nutmeg-1-fl-oz-30-ml/941 iHerb], [https://www.berivita.com/etherische-olie/nootmuskaat-olie-zuiver-puur-10ml Berivita] '''no GC/MS available''')</s>Ordered from [https://www.vinevida.com/products/nutmeg-essential-oil?variant=43269423399135 VeniVida.com], different brand but with very similar GC/MS measurements, so should taste equally.<br />
|10mL<br />
|2.7mL<br />
|1<br />
|$5,99<br />
|€5,19<br />
|18,51L<br />
|18,51 kL<br />
|0,03 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Orange oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-orange-1-fl-oz-30-ml/953 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-orange-oil-30-ml?sqr=orange%20oil Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|1.2mL<br />
|1<br />
|€5,53<br />
|€5,53<br />
|125L<br />
|125 kL<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Edens Garden Coriander seed oil<br />
|[https://www.edensgarden.com/products/coriander-seed Edens Garden] (alternative [https://www.amazon.com/Edens-Garden-Coriander-Undiluted-Therapeutic/dp/B0046ZUW7G/ref=sr_1_4 Amazon.com], different brand [https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/koriander-olie-puur-biologisch-natuurlijk-5ml/9300000188330683/ bol.com])<br />
|5mL<br />
|0.7mL<br />
|1<br />
|$14,95<br />
|€13,33<br />
|35,71L<br />
|35,71 kL<br />
|0,06 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Alpha-Fenchol<br />
|[https://www.amazon.com/CCS-alpha-fenchol-Alcohol-Fragrance-Compound/dp/B075H1TF9T/ref=sr_1_2 Amazon.com] (alternative [https://pellwall.com/products/fenchol Pellwall] (UK), [https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/227211376456 eBay], [https://pevgrow.com/en/fenchol-arae.html pevgrow] (€27,90 incl shipping?), [https://terpenes-uk.co.uk/products/fenchol-natural terpenes] (£32 incl shipping)<br />
|30mL<br />
|0.6mL<br />
|1<br />
|$12,99<br />
|€11,25<br />
|42L<br />
|42 kL<br />
|0,02 cents<br />
|-<br />
|'''Total flavor solution A'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|~ €120<br />
|1L<br />
|1kL<br />
|€0,03 when produced at scale<br />
€0,12 for first liter<br />
|-<br />
|'''Flavor solution B'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Durkee caramel color<br />
|[https://www.amazon.com/Durkee-Food-Color-Caramel-32-Ounce/dp/B007KZJZ8G/ref=sr_1_1 Amazon.com] (alternative [https://pantryful.com/products/durkee-caramel-food-color-32-oz Pantryful])<br />
|32 oz. (946 mL)<br />
|185mL<br />
|1<br />
|$17,95<br />
|€15,54<br />
|5,11L<br />
|511L<br />
|2,3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Food-grade vegetable glycerin<br />
|[https://www.amazon.nl/ISOLATECH-Glycerine-farmaceutische-kwaliteit-plantaardig/dp/B0D89YR2NV/ Amazon.nl] (alternative [https://www.labshop.nl/glycerol-glycerine-995/?attribute_pa_volume=1-l Labshop], [https://www.werkenmetmerken.nl/nl/glycerine_99_5_foodgrade/p/20904 werkenmetmerken.nl] €9 for 1L)<br />
|250mL<br />
|150g (~150mL?)<br />
|1<br />
|€5,99<br />
|€5,99<br />
|1,67L<br />
|167L<br />
|4 cents<br />
|-<br />
|85% Phosphoric acid<br />
|[https://www.labshop.nl/fosforzuur-85-nvp/ Labshop]<br />
|1L<br />
|43mL<br />
|1<br />
|€20,27<br />
|€20,27<br />
|23,26L<br />
|2326L<br />
|0,8 cents<br />
|-<br />
|North Mountain Wine tannin<br />
|[https://www.amazon.com/North-Mountain-Supply-WT-2oz-Tannin/dp/B0CYZ5YSXM/ref=sr_1_1 Amazon.com] (alternative different brand [https://brouwland.com/nl/eikenhouten-chips/195-tannine-vinoferm-tannorouge-20-g.html Brouwland])<br />
|56g<br />
|10g<br />
|1<br />
|$20,66<br />
|€17,89<br />
|2L<br />
|200L<br />
|3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Caffeine powder<br />
|[https://voordeelkruiden.nl/cafeine-poeder/ Voordeelkruiden]If we want more: [https://woele.nl/product/cafeine-poeder-pharma-grade-250g/ Woele] alternative: [https://www.laboratoriumdiscounter.nl/nl/cafeine-995-puur.html Laboratiumdiscounter]<br />
|50g<br />
|9,65g<br />
|1<br />
|€2,60<br />
|€2,60<br />
|5,18L<br />
|518L<br />
|0,5 cents<br />
|-<br />
|5% vinegar<br />
|Makro (Burg natuurazijn '''4%''', dus gebruik 25% meer?)<br />
|1L<br />
|10mL<br />
|1<br />
|€1,01<br />
|€1,01<br />
|100L<br />
|10kL<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Vanilla extract<br />
|[https://www.amazon.nl/SaporePuro-Pure-Vanilline-Poeder-Voedingskwaliteit/dp/B07V6HSWML/ref=sr_1_1?__mk_nl_NL=ÅMÅŽÕÑ&crid=S3YK6COFEB4L&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.gE60AFOvayWbmzJYCHChr8TqcFZvaogBtawzsE7Rd846KUNFjJJ3z91jJJQBjY8_tjHngHGBRvtAQaIjjWbKTP9JtkNXLhbTc_Px2qUbzOztLwDWWnzuwTTM48gwb7JBuE-y0ni2lpjqcbojdwCSV2B_UPjp6kPDCYmSqzMPl82SMx8veSSkuuIyXuQo1rUnkAL0kU9pORzp2UHjC1Od7bZAIUQuzZUFtn5Ts95L5jS-iCGQsXRgSBMwlD6liDtGo0yAoW6fn7Hy20-w6osCtvPJG5y8KXoeUAaxEjInEfE.6UvfWewk8PDpsS7ABIgm7tNLJA7M2iGHFIGvRvVsSjo&dib_tag=se&keywords=vanilline&qid=1775422577&sprefix=vanilline%2Caps%2C146&sr=8-1 Amazon.nl] (alternative [https://www.laboratoriumdiscounter.nl/en/vanillin-995-extra-pure-foodgrade.html Laboratoriumdiscounter] but expensive shipping, alternative [https://producten.makro.nl/shop/pv/BTY-X742890/0032/0021/Nomu-Vanille-Extract-50-ml Makro.nl] but don't know vanillin strength)<br />
|100g<br />
|1g (dissolve in 100 mL<br />
water, take 0.95mL)<br />
|1<br />
|€9,80<br />
|€9,80<br />
|10kL<br />
|1ML<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|'''Total flavor solution B'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|~ €70<br />
|2L<br />
|200 L<br />
|€0,11 when produced at scale<br />
€0,35 for first liter<br />
|}<br />
(1) The essential oils in solution A, quantities as under "Quantity necessary", together make 100mL of pre-solution. "Flavor solution A" then consists of 20 mL of pre-solution, diluted to 1L using alcohol. So for each mL of essential oil in the pre-solution, a fifth (0.2 mL) goes into a liter of the actual solution. So quantity times order amount is the amount of ingredients we have, divided by quantity necessary is the amount of 100mL pre-solution we can make with the order. We can make 5L of solution with that, so the formula is: (quantity * order amount * 5) / (quantity necessary). Since 1mL of solution A goes into a L of cola, 1L solution makes 1000L cola.<br />
<br />
(2) For solution B, the ingredients together make about 400mL of pre-solution. "Flavor solution B" then consists of those 400 mL, diluted to 1L using water. So the "quantity necessary" goes directly into 1L of "Flavor solution B". Since order amount is 1 for all of these, the formula is: quantity / (quantity necessary). Since 10mL of solution B goes into a L of cola, 1L solution makes 100L cola.<br />
<br />
== Expiry ==<br />
After the first batch I'll have a liter of solution A, which is almost fully alcohol, so I expect it not to expire at all. This bottle is good for a thousand liters of cola, which is probably enough for a lifetime.<br />
<br />
I'll also have 80 mL of pre-solution A, which I'll store separately. I also expect it not to expire, but to be sure, I could add alcohol to this as well, and label the bottle as such so I know exactly how much diluted pre-solution contains 20 mL of the original pre-solution.<br />
<br />
As for solution B, I'm not sure but I expect that will expire faster. The original ingredients probably don't expire if closed well? If I make 1L that's enough for 100 L of cola, which probably lasts a few months unless it's really popular.<br />
<br />
Knowing nothing at all about food safety I asked Claude for secondary advice. ("This is a cola syrup, isn't it?") They said the solution A mixture would remain ''safe'' indefinitely, but chemical degradation would affect aroma over the years; they advise to reduce air in the bottle, reduce repeated opening (freshening of the oxygen), reduce heat and reduce light exposure. With that, realistically expiry could be pushed well beyond 5 years. For solution B, they said microbial stability is also very good due to the phosphoric acid (1.0-1.5 pH). Again, chemical degradation is the limiting factor. Sealed, room temperature and out of light, Claude expects 12-18 months for peak flavor, and "probably safe well beyond that". It says the main thing to watch out for is sediment from the tannin, and flavor decreasing. Neither makes it unsafe. Commercial cola syrups like this one carry 6-12 month best-by dates, and it says our threshold for "still good" may be more forgiving.<br />
<br />
As for the original ingredient bottles, I should check if they are labeled with best-before dates and label them with the date I first opened them. Claude says the essential oils are most perishable; they will degrade in 6-12 months. For vanilla extract it's often commercially dated 2-4 years. All other things are either really easily purchaseable or very long-lived (5+ years).<br />
<br />
Conclusion:<br />
<br />
* Keep the bottles at room temperature (or colder), in the dark, and with little air headspace in the bottle.<br />
* For the solution A bottles, I'll mark them with their production date and "expected best before date" of 5 years.<br />
* For the solution B bottles, I'll mark them with their production date and "expected best before date" of 12 months.<br />
* For the original ingredient bottles, I'll store them the same way. I could consider making more pre-solution with alcohol for preservation.<br />
<br />
== Financial overview ==<br />
This is a hobby project, so it's OK if it costs money and isn't cost-effective. However, I wanted to get an overview for myself.<br />
<br />
Initial, one-time investment into tools is €125. The initial investments into ingredients for the first run is ~€200, and shipping is €100. That means the first batch costs €425 and we can produce around 200 liters of cola from this. If it tastes great and is popular and people want to drink it instead of Coca-Cola, I could sell it at a cost price of €2,13 per liter.<br />
<br />
If we actually (expect to) make more than 200 liters, then for the next 200 liters I'd only need to purchase additional wine tannin. So for the first batch of 400 liters, at a cost of ~€450, it'd already be €0,88 per liter. So that's what the price becomes if it turns out to be quite popular. Eventually, if it's ''really'' popular it would cost €0,14 for the flavor solutions, plus some sugar and carbonated water.<br />
<br />
All orders done for the first batch:<br />
<br />
* Edens Garden $14,95 (€13,33)<br />
** Edens Garden Coriander Seed essential oil<br />
* Amazon.com <s>$86,06 (€76,55)</s> $66,17 (€59,67)<br />
** Durkee caramel color<br />
** Alpha fenchol<br />
** <s>Aura Cacia nutmeg oil</s> (refunded, not in stock)<br />
** North Mountain wine tannin<br />
* VineVida.com $13.73 (€11,36)<br />
** VineVida nutmeg oil<br />
* iHerb €61,95<br />
** NOW Lemon oil<br />
** NOW Lime oil<br />
** NOW Tea tree oil<br />
** NOW Cassia cinnamon oil<br />
** NOW Orange oil<br />
* Amazon.nl €31,64<br />
** Graduated pipettes<br />
** Vanillin powder (foodgrade)<br />
** Glycerin 99.5% (foodgrade)<br />
* Labstuff.nl €35,57<br />
** Glassware (beaker, watch glass, volumetric flask)<br />
* Labshop.nl €81,30<br />
** Graduated cylinder<br />
** Storage bottles<br />
** 85% Phosphoric acid<br />
* Voordeelkruiden.nl €7,55<br />
** Caffeine powder<br />
* Makro €38,35<br />
** Sugar<br />
** Vinegar<br />
** Pure alcohol (food-grade)<br />
** Gloves<br />
*Shipping MyUS USA/FL -> Netherlands $110 (€100,60)<br />
**~$40 base charge<br />
**$30 "dangerous goods surcharge" (unexpected, since the items were below the "limited quantity threshold", but the company refused to waive)<br />
**$30 prepaid customs fees (unexpected, since the total shipment value should be below threshold, but I wanted to prevent any customs issues)<br />
**$3,50 liability coverage<br />
**mark "for personal use" and include a proforma invoice<br />
<br />
Total paid: €441,32<br />
<br />
To purchase: two tiny 5mL bottles for dilutions to make pipetting easier - https://www.glazen-en-potten.nl/helder-glazen-flessen-5ml-met-wit-schroefsluiting-st-4937.html<br />
<br />
== The process ==<br />
This is, at least initially, exactly from this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDkH3EbWTYc<br />
<br />
=== Equipment preparation & training ===<br />
For every step, even those later in this chapter:<br />
<br />
* Wear gloves (and potentially, safety glasses)<br />
* Measure accurately<br />
* Don't taste any of the unmixed/undiluted ingredients<br />
I've prepared by doing equipment training, first. I have a graduated pipette with lines every 0.01mL. I'm quite comfortable to give a 0.01mL margin for every measurement I do with it, after playing around with it a bit. The smallest oils (0.07mL coriander and 0.06mL fenchol) I will make dilutions for; the others, I will pipette directly. Between every pipette usage, I'll rinse three times with 95% alcohol.<br />
* Experiment with taking and dispensing ~0.1mL oil with a precision of 0.01mL.<br />
* Experiment with measuring and dispensing exactly 9.65 grams of powder. This is necessary for caffeine.<br />
* Experiment with mixing/diluting in bottles and the volumetric flask.<br />
<br />
=== Make 7X concentrate and syrup 1 ===<br />
What we're making:<br />
<br />
* ~10mL of 7X concentrate - the raw oil mixture<br />
* ~500mL of syrup 1 - the 7X concentrate diluted in ethanol, used at 1mL per liter of final cola.<br />
<br />
Note that the original video recipe makes 100mL of concentrate and then uses 20mL of that for 1L of syrup - the total mixture is the same, but there's a lot more potential waste.<br />
<br />
Preparation:<br />
<br />
* Re-read safety instructions above<br />
* Prepare a bit of ethanol (a.k.a. food-grade 95% alcohol) and a waste container for pipette rinsing (~15mL)<br />
* Warm up/melt the fenchol in hot water until fully liquid before beginning<br />
* Prepare a fenchol solution: 0.5mL fenchol + 4.5mL ethanol, label with "1:10 fenchol dilution", production date and the best before date of the fenchol bottle<br />
* Prepare a coriander solution: 0.5mL coriander oil + 4.5mL ethanol, label with "1:10 coriander oil dilution", production date and the best before date of the coriander bottle<br />
Now, we make the 7X concentrate. Take a clean 1L glass bottle. Add the oils in the following order, rinsing the pipette twice with ethanol between each ingredient (begin with 0.5mL pipette, switch to a larger one as convenient while keeping exact measurements):<br />
* 0.6mL liquid fenchol from the 1:10 dilution<br />
* 0.7mL coriander oil from the 1:10 dilution<br />
* 0.12mL orange oil (regular sweet orange)<br />
* 0.27mL nutmeg oil<br />
* 0.45mL cassia cinnamon oil<br />
* 0.8mL tea tree oil (from Australian tea tree, Melaleuca Alternifolia)<br />
* 3.65mL lime oil<br />
* 4.58mL lemon oil<br />
The glass bottle now contains slightly more than 10mL of pre-syrup, since the fenchol and coriander oils were diluted.<br />
<br />
Now, '''very carefully''' fill to 500mL with the ethanol (food-grade 95% alcohol). Absolutely do not overfill, so if necessary do the last part with a pipette. The 500mL mark on a graduated bottle is approximate, but this only affects ''intensity'' of the final flavour, not its character.<br />
<br />
Close the bottle tightly and invert several times to mix.<br />
<br />
Label the bottle "Syrup 1 - 2% oil in ethanol - use 1mL per liter of cola", and add the production date and the '''earliest''' best before date of any of the ingredients.<br />
<br />
''The video lets this mixture age for a day or two before diluting in alcohol, but I won't, because (1) I'm concerned it'll offgas significantly into the 1L bottle, and (2) Claude says ageing is fine to do after adding ethanol instead of before (perhaps even better). TODO: watch Art of Drink video on this.''<br />
<br />
If it turns out that 1mL is too much or not sufficient for the perfect taste, add a note to the label to use more/less than 1mL as appropriate.<br />
<br />
=== Make syrup 2 ===<br />
First, weigh out the powders on the tiny scale.<br />
<br />
* 9.65g caffeine<br />
* 10g wine tannins<br />
<br />
Then, weigh out the glycerin on the larger scale.<br />
<br />
* 150g glycerin<br />
<br />
In the graduated cylinder, prepare:<br />
<br />
* 185 mL Durkee caramel color<br />
<br />
Then, prepare the syrup. Give each ingredient the time to fully incorporate before adding the next.<br />
<br />
* Take a 1L beaker<br />
* Add 200mL hot water<br />
* With a pipette, add 10 mL 5% vinegar (TODO: adjust, because I have 4% vinegar)<br />
* Add caffeine and wine tannins from above.<br />
* Add glycerin from above.<br />
<br />
* With pipette, add 43 mL of 85% phosphoric acid<br />
* With pipette, add 10 mL of vanilla extract (TODO: double check if this needs to be adjusted according to vanillin contents)<br />
* Add caramel color from above.<br />
<br />
Once everything is dissolved, add to a 1L bottle labeled "Syrup 2", and dilute the mixture to one liter using water.<br />
<br />
=== Make the first solution ===<br />
To prepare, make 1L of carbonated water and put it in the fridge so it's cold.<br />
<br />
* Take a 1L beaker.<br />
* Add 104g sugar, and just enough water to dissolve the sugar (250mL?) and mix with magnetic stirrer.<br />
* Add 10mL of the water-based solution (syrup 2).<br />
* Add 1mL of the alcohol-based solution (syrup 1).<br />
* Mix and microwave (or otherwise heat) the mixture until nearly boiling, and cover with the watch glass.<br />
* Once fully cooled, dilute the syrup to a volume of 1L with cold carbonated water.<br />
<br />
You can drink this directly, but it's better to let it rest for a day or so in the fridge.</div>Sjors Gielenhttps://hackerspacenijmegen.nl/index.php?title=Projects:Making_cola&diff=3000Projects:Making cola2026-05-12T22:38:33Z<p>Sjors Gielen: /* Equipment preparation & training */</p>
<hr />
<div>[[Bestand:Schermafbeelding 2026-03-25 om 11.02.33.png|miniatuur]]<br />
[[Bestand:Schermafbeelding 2026-03-25 om 11.02.10.png|miniatuur]]<br />
I (Sjors) recently saw this video by LabCoatz reverse engineering the Coca-Cola recipe using (among other techniques) a mass spectrometer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDkH3EbWTYc<br />
<br />
Now I'm a bit of a Coca-Cola addict, so I'm intrigued and want to reproduce it.<br />
<br />
Perhaps once we've done this we can also make [[wikipedia:Open-source_cola|other kinds of cola]], like Toyen Cola, which has its recipe on the back. We could even do a taste test!<br />
<br />
== Overview ==<br />
LabCoatz calls the end product of their recipe '''LabCola'''. One liter of LabCola is built off of four components:<br />
<br />
* around 100g sugar<br />
* 1mL of flavor solution A<br />
* 10 mL of flavor solution B<br />
* around 1 liter of carbonated water<br />
<br />
Flavor solution A is made by adding the following components together (~100mL), then taking 20 mL from that and diluting to 1L using 95% ethanol:<br />
<br />
* 45.8mL lemon oil (NOW)<br />
* 36.5mL lime oil (NOW)<br />
* 8mL tea tree oil (NOW, from Australian tea tree, Melaleuca Alternifolia)<br />
* 4.5mL cassia cinnamon oil (NOW)<br />
* 2.7mL nutmeg oil (aura cacia)<br />
* 1.2mL orange oil (unknown brand, regular sweet orange)<br />
* 0.7mL coriander seed oil (Edens Garden, coriandrum sativum)<br />
* 0.6mL fenchol (any version of alpha-fenchol should work)<br />
<br />
Flavor solution B is made by adding the following components together (~400mL), then diluting to 1L using water:<br />
<br />
* 185mL caramel color (Durkee)<br />
* 150 grams food-grade vegetable glycerin (Equate)<br />
* 43mL 85% phosphoric acid (Duda Energy)<br />
* 10 grams wine tannin (North Mountain)<br />
* 9.65 grams caffeine<br />
* 10mL 5% vinegar (any white vinegar?)<br />
* 10mL vanilla extract (or a solution containing 0.95 grams per liter of vanillin)<br />
<br />
It's important to note that this is '''not''' '''the Coca-Cola recipe''', which uses coca leaf extract. It is supposed to be quite close, though.<br />
<br />
== Tools ==<br />
<br />
* Mass scale<br />
** Max measurement is 150g, most precise measurement is 9.65g<br />
** '''source: Michiel has two: <200gr with precision 0.01g & <600gr with precision 0.1gr.'''<br />
* micropipette + tips<br />
** ideally an [https://www.merkala.nl/minipet-var-microliterpipet.html adjustable micropipette], but these are quite expensive (€100+)<br />
** fixed 100µL micropipette is cheaper, €25 https://www.merkala.nl/minipet-microliterpipet.html<br />
** could also get a few [https://www.kruidvat.nl/kruidvat-doseerspuit/p/2335439 doseerspuit] at Kruidvat, €2, precision should be somewhere between 0.1mL and 0.5mL<br />
** '''setje graduated pipettes €15,85''' https://www.amazon.nl/pipetten-Graduated-Reinigingsborstel-Roerstaaf-Laboratorium/dp/B07V3VC7YZ<br />
* 50 mL graduated cilinder<br />
** '''€14,74''' https://www.labshop.nl/maatcilinder-hoog-model-klasse-a-bruine-schaalverdeling/?attribute_pa_volume=10-ml<br />
* some storage bottles (mainly 1L)<br />
** I'll produce 100 mL of pre-solution A, then dilute that into 1L of solution A and store the rest of the 80mL separately. Solution B is 1L at a time, so I'll need 3 storage bottles.<br />
** I'm considering to produce only 10 mL of pre-solution A then dilute that into 100mL of solution A. Since the solution offgasses it requires very little air in the bottle, so a 100mL bottle would be a good idea.<br />
** https://www.labshop.nl/labfles-glas-blank-gl45-blauw-simax/<br />
** €12,40 * 3 = '''€37,20'''<br />
* heat-resistant glassware for preparing the syrup (1L)<br />
** €9,23 https://www.labshop.nl/bekerglas-laag-model/<br />
** or '''€7,45''' https://labstuff.nl/contents/nl/p135.html<br />
** Ø 105mm, so '''watch glass ~€3''' https://labstuff.nl/contents/nl/p253.html<br />
* magnetic stirrer for mixing<br />
** '''source: Michiel has one'''<br />
* 100mL volumetric flask to make the dilution steps easier<br />
** for pre-solution A<br />
** €22,63 https://www.labshop.nl/maatkolf/?attribute_pa_volume=100-ml-ns12-21-klasse-a<br />
** '''€11,15''' https://labstuff.nl/contents/nl/p4695.html<br />
* water carbonator / sodastream<br />
** '''Sjors has this at home'''<br />
* gloves / safety glasses<br />
** gloves €4,17<br />
** Sjors already has safety glasses<br />
<br />
<br />
If we don't need to buy the mass scale nor magnetic stirrer, tools come out to approximately €125.<br />
<br />
== Ingedients ==<br />
{| class="wikitable"<br />
|+<br />
!Ingredient<br />
!Source link<br />
!Quantity<br />
!Quantity necessary<br />
!Order amount<br />
!Price per piece<br />
!Price total<br />
!Makes L solution<sup>12</sup><br />
!Makes L cola<br />
!Price per L cola<br />
|-<br />
|'''Overall'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Sugar<br />
|Makro (Van Gils kristalsuiker)<br />
|1kg<br />
|Around 100g<br />
|1<br />
|€0,75<br />
|€0,75<br />
|<br />
|10L<br />
|7,5 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Carbonated water<br />
|Self-made<br />
|<br />
|Around 1L<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|'''Flavor solution A'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Food-grade 95% alcohol<br />
|Makro (Chauffe coeur)<br />
|1L<br />
|1L<br />
|1<br />
|€32,42<br />
|€32,42<br />
|1L<br />
|1 kL<br />
|3.24 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Lemon oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-lemon-1-fl-oz-30-ml/928 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-lemon-oil-30-ml Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|45.8mL<br />
|2<br />
|€7,01<br />
|€14,02<br />
|6,55L<br />
|6,55 kL<br />
|0,23 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Lime oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-lime-1-fl-oz-30-ml/930 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-essential-oils-lime Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|36.5mL<br />
|2<br />
|€12,47<br />
|€24,94<br />
|8,22L<br />
|8,22 kL<br />
|0,19 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Tea tree oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-tea-tree-1-fl-oz-30-ml/37827 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-tea-tree-oil-30-ml Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|8mL<br />
|1<br />
|€9,42<br />
|€9,42<br />
|18,75L<br />
|18,75 kL<br />
|0,05 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Cassia cinnamon oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-cinnamon-cassia-1-fl-oz-30-ml/915 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-cinnamon-cassia-oil-30-ml Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|4,5mL<br />
|1<br />
|€8,04<br />
|€8,04<br />
|33,33L<br />
|33,33 kL<br />
|0,03 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Aura Cacia Nutmeg oil<br />
|<s>[https://www.amazon.com/Aura-Cacia-Essential-Nutmeg-Fluid/dp/B0007KO2ZM/ref=sr_1_1 Amazon.com] '''out of stock''' (alternatives different brands [https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-nutmeg-1-fl-oz-30-ml/941 iHerb], [https://www.berivita.com/etherische-olie/nootmuskaat-olie-zuiver-puur-10ml Berivita] '''no GC/MS available''')</s>Ordered from [https://www.vinevida.com/products/nutmeg-essential-oil?variant=43269423399135 VeniVida.com], different brand but with very similar GC/MS measurements, so should taste equally.<br />
|10mL<br />
|2.7mL<br />
|1<br />
|$5,99<br />
|€5,19<br />
|18,51L<br />
|18,51 kL<br />
|0,03 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Orange oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-orange-1-fl-oz-30-ml/953 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-orange-oil-30-ml?sqr=orange%20oil Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|1.2mL<br />
|1<br />
|€5,53<br />
|€5,53<br />
|125L<br />
|125 kL<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Edens Garden Coriander seed oil<br />
|[https://www.edensgarden.com/products/coriander-seed Edens Garden] (alternative [https://www.amazon.com/Edens-Garden-Coriander-Undiluted-Therapeutic/dp/B0046ZUW7G/ref=sr_1_4 Amazon.com], different brand [https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/koriander-olie-puur-biologisch-natuurlijk-5ml/9300000188330683/ bol.com])<br />
|5mL<br />
|0.7mL<br />
|1<br />
|$14,95<br />
|€13,33<br />
|35,71L<br />
|35,71 kL<br />
|0,06 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Alpha-Fenchol<br />
|[https://www.amazon.com/CCS-alpha-fenchol-Alcohol-Fragrance-Compound/dp/B075H1TF9T/ref=sr_1_2 Amazon.com] (alternative [https://pellwall.com/products/fenchol Pellwall] (UK), [https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/227211376456 eBay], [https://pevgrow.com/en/fenchol-arae.html pevgrow] (€27,90 incl shipping?), [https://terpenes-uk.co.uk/products/fenchol-natural terpenes] (£32 incl shipping)<br />
|30mL<br />
|0.6mL<br />
|1<br />
|$12,99<br />
|€11,25<br />
|42L<br />
|42 kL<br />
|0,02 cents<br />
|-<br />
|'''Total flavor solution A'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|~ €120<br />
|1L<br />
|1kL<br />
|€0,03 when produced at scale<br />
€0,12 for first liter<br />
|-<br />
|'''Flavor solution B'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Durkee caramel color<br />
|[https://www.amazon.com/Durkee-Food-Color-Caramel-32-Ounce/dp/B007KZJZ8G/ref=sr_1_1 Amazon.com] (alternative [https://pantryful.com/products/durkee-caramel-food-color-32-oz Pantryful])<br />
|32 oz. (946 mL)<br />
|185mL<br />
|1<br />
|$17,95<br />
|€15,54<br />
|5,11L<br />
|511L<br />
|2,3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Food-grade vegetable glycerin<br />
|[https://www.amazon.nl/ISOLATECH-Glycerine-farmaceutische-kwaliteit-plantaardig/dp/B0D89YR2NV/ Amazon.nl] (alternative [https://www.labshop.nl/glycerol-glycerine-995/?attribute_pa_volume=1-l Labshop], [https://www.werkenmetmerken.nl/nl/glycerine_99_5_foodgrade/p/20904 werkenmetmerken.nl] €9 for 1L)<br />
|250mL<br />
|150g (~150mL?)<br />
|1<br />
|€5,99<br />
|€5,99<br />
|1,67L<br />
|167L<br />
|4 cents<br />
|-<br />
|85% Phosphoric acid<br />
|[https://www.labshop.nl/fosforzuur-85-nvp/ Labshop]<br />
|1L<br />
|43mL<br />
|1<br />
|€20,27<br />
|€20,27<br />
|23,26L<br />
|2326L<br />
|0,8 cents<br />
|-<br />
|North Mountain Wine tannin<br />
|[https://www.amazon.com/North-Mountain-Supply-WT-2oz-Tannin/dp/B0CYZ5YSXM/ref=sr_1_1 Amazon.com] (alternative different brand [https://brouwland.com/nl/eikenhouten-chips/195-tannine-vinoferm-tannorouge-20-g.html Brouwland])<br />
|56g<br />
|10g<br />
|1<br />
|$20,66<br />
|€17,89<br />
|2L<br />
|200L<br />
|3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Caffeine powder<br />
|[https://voordeelkruiden.nl/cafeine-poeder/ Voordeelkruiden]If we want more: [https://woele.nl/product/cafeine-poeder-pharma-grade-250g/ Woele] alternative: [https://www.laboratoriumdiscounter.nl/nl/cafeine-995-puur.html Laboratiumdiscounter]<br />
|50g<br />
|9,65g<br />
|1<br />
|€2,60<br />
|€2,60<br />
|5,18L<br />
|518L<br />
|0,5 cents<br />
|-<br />
|5% vinegar<br />
|Makro (Burg natuurazijn '''4%''', dus gebruik 25% meer?)<br />
|1L<br />
|10mL<br />
|1<br />
|€1,01<br />
|€1,01<br />
|100L<br />
|10kL<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Vanilla extract<br />
|[https://www.amazon.nl/SaporePuro-Pure-Vanilline-Poeder-Voedingskwaliteit/dp/B07V6HSWML/ref=sr_1_1?__mk_nl_NL=ÅMÅŽÕÑ&crid=S3YK6COFEB4L&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.gE60AFOvayWbmzJYCHChr8TqcFZvaogBtawzsE7Rd846KUNFjJJ3z91jJJQBjY8_tjHngHGBRvtAQaIjjWbKTP9JtkNXLhbTc_Px2qUbzOztLwDWWnzuwTTM48gwb7JBuE-y0ni2lpjqcbojdwCSV2B_UPjp6kPDCYmSqzMPl82SMx8veSSkuuIyXuQo1rUnkAL0kU9pORzp2UHjC1Od7bZAIUQuzZUFtn5Ts95L5jS-iCGQsXRgSBMwlD6liDtGo0yAoW6fn7Hy20-w6osCtvPJG5y8KXoeUAaxEjInEfE.6UvfWewk8PDpsS7ABIgm7tNLJA7M2iGHFIGvRvVsSjo&dib_tag=se&keywords=vanilline&qid=1775422577&sprefix=vanilline%2Caps%2C146&sr=8-1 Amazon.nl] (alternative [https://www.laboratoriumdiscounter.nl/en/vanillin-995-extra-pure-foodgrade.html Laboratoriumdiscounter] but expensive shipping, alternative [https://producten.makro.nl/shop/pv/BTY-X742890/0032/0021/Nomu-Vanille-Extract-50-ml Makro.nl] but don't know vanillin strength)<br />
|100g<br />
|1g (dissolve in 100 mL<br />
water, take 0.95mL)<br />
|1<br />
|€9,80<br />
|€9,80<br />
|10kL<br />
|1ML<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|'''Total flavor solution B'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|~ €70<br />
|2L<br />
|200 L<br />
|€0,11 when produced at scale<br />
€0,35 for first liter<br />
|}<br />
(1) The essential oils in solution A, quantities as under "Quantity necessary", together make 100mL of pre-solution. "Flavor solution A" then consists of 20 mL of pre-solution, diluted to 1L using alcohol. So for each mL of essential oil in the pre-solution, a fifth (0.2 mL) goes into a liter of the actual solution. So quantity times order amount is the amount of ingredients we have, divided by quantity necessary is the amount of 100mL pre-solution we can make with the order. We can make 5L of solution with that, so the formula is: (quantity * order amount * 5) / (quantity necessary). Since 1mL of solution A goes into a L of cola, 1L solution makes 1000L cola.<br />
<br />
(2) For solution B, the ingredients together make about 400mL of pre-solution. "Flavor solution B" then consists of those 400 mL, diluted to 1L using water. So the "quantity necessary" goes directly into 1L of "Flavor solution B". Since order amount is 1 for all of these, the formula is: quantity / (quantity necessary). Since 10mL of solution B goes into a L of cola, 1L solution makes 100L cola.<br />
<br />
== Expiry ==<br />
After the first batch I'll have a liter of solution A, which is almost fully alcohol, so I expect it not to expire at all. This bottle is good for a thousand liters of cola, which is probably enough for a lifetime.<br />
<br />
I'll also have 80 mL of pre-solution A, which I'll store separately. I also expect it not to expire, but to be sure, I could add alcohol to this as well, and label the bottle as such so I know exactly how much diluted pre-solution contains 20 mL of the original pre-solution.<br />
<br />
As for solution B, I'm not sure but I expect that will expire faster. The original ingredients probably don't expire if closed well? If I make 1L that's enough for 100 L of cola, which probably lasts a few months unless it's really popular.<br />
<br />
Knowing nothing at all about food safety I asked Claude for secondary advice. ("This is a cola syrup, isn't it?") They said the solution A mixture would remain ''safe'' indefinitely, but chemical degradation would affect aroma over the years; they advise to reduce air in the bottle, reduce repeated opening (freshening of the oxygen), reduce heat and reduce light exposure. With that, realistically expiry could be pushed well beyond 5 years. For solution B, they said microbial stability is also very good due to the phosphoric acid (1.0-1.5 pH). Again, chemical degradation is the limiting factor. Sealed, room temperature and out of light, Claude expects 12-18 months for peak flavor, and "probably safe well beyond that". It says the main thing to watch out for is sediment from the tannin, and flavor decreasing. Neither makes it unsafe. Commercial cola syrups like this one carry 6-12 month best-by dates, and it says our threshold for "still good" may be more forgiving.<br />
<br />
As for the original ingredient bottles, I should check if they are labeled with best-before dates and label them with the date I first opened them. Claude says the essential oils are most perishable; they will degrade in 6-12 months. For vanilla extract it's often commercially dated 2-4 years. All other things are either really easily purchaseable or very long-lived (5+ years).<br />
<br />
Conclusion:<br />
<br />
* Keep the bottles at room temperature (or colder), in the dark, and with little air headspace in the bottle.<br />
* For the solution A bottles, I'll mark them with their production date and "expected best before date" of 5 years.<br />
* For the solution B bottles, I'll mark them with their production date and "expected best before date" of 12 months.<br />
* For the original ingredient bottles, I'll store them the same way. I could consider making more pre-solution with alcohol for preservation.<br />
<br />
== Financial overview ==<br />
This is a hobby project, so it's OK if it costs money and isn't cost-effective. However, I wanted to get an overview for myself.<br />
<br />
Initial, one-time investment into tools is €125. The initial investments into ingredients for the first run is ~€200, and shipping is €100. That means the first batch costs €425 and we can produce around 200 liters of cola from this. If it tastes great and is popular and people want to drink it instead of Coca-Cola, I could sell it at a cost price of €2,13 per liter.<br />
<br />
If we actually (expect to) make more than 200 liters, then for the next 200 liters I'd only need to purchase additional wine tannin. So for the first batch of 400 liters, at a cost of ~€450, it'd already be €0,88 per liter. So that's what the price becomes if it turns out to be quite popular. Eventually, if it's ''really'' popular it would cost €0,14 for the flavor solutions, plus some sugar and carbonated water.<br />
<br />
All orders done for the first batch:<br />
<br />
* Edens Garden $14,95 (€13,33)<br />
** Edens Garden Coriander Seed essential oil<br />
* Amazon.com <s>$86,06 (€76,55)</s> $66,17 (€59,67)<br />
** Durkee caramel color<br />
** Alpha fenchol<br />
** <s>Aura Cacia nutmeg oil</s> (refunded, not in stock)<br />
** North Mountain wine tannin<br />
* VineVida.com $13.73 (€11,36)<br />
** VineVida nutmeg oil<br />
* iHerb €61,95<br />
** NOW Lemon oil<br />
** NOW Lime oil<br />
** NOW Tea tree oil<br />
** NOW Cassia cinnamon oil<br />
** NOW Orange oil<br />
* Amazon.nl €31,64<br />
** Graduated pipettes<br />
** Vanillin powder (foodgrade)<br />
** Glycerin 99.5% (foodgrade)<br />
* Labstuff.nl €35,57<br />
** Glassware (beaker, watch glass, volumetric flask)<br />
* Labshop.nl €81,30<br />
** Graduated cylinder<br />
** Storage bottles<br />
** 85% Phosphoric acid<br />
* Voordeelkruiden.nl €7,55<br />
** Caffeine powder<br />
* Makro €38,35<br />
** Sugar<br />
** Vinegar<br />
** Pure alcohol (food-grade)<br />
** Gloves<br />
*Shipping MyUS USA/FL -> Netherlands $110 (€100,60)<br />
**~$40 base charge<br />
**$30 "dangerous goods surcharge" (unexpected, since the items were below the "limited quantity threshold", but the company refused to waive)<br />
**$30 prepaid customs fees (unexpected, since the total shipment value should be below threshold, but I wanted to prevent any customs issues)<br />
**$3,50 liability coverage<br />
**mark "for personal use" and include a proforma invoice<br />
<br />
Total paid: €441,32<br />
<br />
== The process ==<br />
This is, at least initially, exactly from this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDkH3EbWTYc<br />
<br />
=== Equipment preparation & training ===<br />
For every step, even those later in this chapter:<br />
<br />
* Wear gloves (and potentially, safety glasses)<br />
* Measure accurately<br />
* Don't taste any of the unmixed/undiluted ingredients<br />
I've prepared by doing equipment training, first. I have a graduated pipette with lines every 0.01mL. I'm quite comfortable to give a 0.01mL margin for every measurement I do with it, after playing around with it a bit. The smallest oils (0.07mL coriander and 0.06mL fenchol) I will make dilutions for; the others, I will pipette directly. Between every pipette usage, I'll rinse three times with 95% alcohol.<br />
* Experiment with taking and dispensing ~0.1mL oil with a precision of 0.01mL.<br />
* Experiment with measuring and dispensing exactly 9.65 grams of powder. This is necessary for caffeine.<br />
* Experiment with mixing/diluting in bottles and the volumetric flask.<br />
<br />
=== Make 7X concentrate and syrup 1 ===<br />
What we're making:<br />
<br />
* ~10mL of 7X concentrate - the raw oil mixture<br />
* ~500mL of syrup 1 - the 7X concentrate diluted in ethanol, used at 1mL per liter of final cola.<br />
<br />
Note that the original video recipe makes 100mL of concentrate and then uses 20mL of that for 1L of syrup - the total mixture is the same, but there's a lot more potential waste.<br />
<br />
Preparation:<br />
<br />
* Re-read safety instructions above<br />
* Prepare a bit of ethanol (a.k.a. food-grade 95% alcohol) and a waste container for pipette rinsing (~15mL)<br />
* Warm up/melt the fenchol in hot water until fully liquid before beginning<br />
* Prepare a fenchol solution: 0.5mL fenchol + 4.5mL ethanol, label with "1:10 fenchol dilution", production date and the best before date of the fenchol bottle<br />
* Prepare a coriander solution: 0.5mL coriander oil + 4.5mL ethanol, label with "1:10 coriander oil dilution", production date and the best before date of the coriander bottle<br />
Now, we make the 7X concentrate. Take a clean 1L glass bottle. Add the oils in the following order, rinsing the pipette twice with ethanol between each ingredient (begin with 0.5mL pipette, switch to a larger one as convenient while keeping exact measurements):<br />
* 0.6mL liquid fenchol from the 1:10 dilution<br />
* 0.7mL coriander oil from the 1:10 dilution<br />
* 0.12mL orange oil (regular sweet orange)<br />
* 0.27mL nutmeg oil<br />
* 0.45mL cassia cinnamon oil<br />
* 0.8mL tea tree oil (from Australian tea tree, Melaleuca Alternifolia)<br />
* 3.65mL lime oil<br />
* 4.58mL lemon oil<br />
The glass bottle now contains slightly more than 10mL of pre-syrup, since the fenchol and coriander oils were diluted.<br />
<br />
Now, '''very carefully''' fill to 500mL with the ethanol (food-grade 95% alcohol). Absolutely do not overfill, so if necessary do the last part with a pipette. The 500mL mark on a graduated bottle is approximate, but this only affects ''intensity'' of the final flavour, not its character.<br />
<br />
Close the bottle tightly and invert several times to mix.<br />
<br />
Label the bottle "Syrup 1 - 2% oil in ethanol - use 1mL per liter of cola", and add the production date and the '''earliest''' best before date of any of the ingredients.<br />
<br />
''The video lets this mixture age for a day or two before diluting in alcohol, but I won't, because (1) I'm concerned it'll offgas significantly into the 1L bottle, and (2) Claude says ageing is fine to do after adding ethanol instead of before (perhaps even better). TODO: watch Art of Drink video on this.''<br />
<br />
If it turns out that 1mL is too much or not sufficient for the perfect taste, add a note to the label to use more/less than 1mL as appropriate.<br />
<br />
=== Make syrup 2 ===<br />
First, weigh out the powders on the tiny scale.<br />
<br />
* 9.65g caffeine<br />
* 10g wine tannins<br />
<br />
Then, weigh out the glycerin on the larger scale.<br />
<br />
* 150g glycerin<br />
<br />
In the graduated cylinder, prepare:<br />
<br />
* 185 mL Durkee caramel color<br />
<br />
Then, prepare the syrup. Give each ingredient the time to fully incorporate before adding the next.<br />
<br />
* Take a 1L beaker<br />
* Add 200mL hot water<br />
* With a pipette, add 10 mL 5% vinegar (TODO: adjust, because I have 4% vinegar)<br />
* Add caffeine and wine tannins from above.<br />
* Add glycerin from above.<br />
<br />
* With pipette, add 43 mL of 85% phosphoric acid<br />
* With pipette, add 10 mL of vanilla extract (TODO: double check if this needs to be adjusted according to vanillin contents)<br />
* Add caramel color from above.<br />
<br />
Once everything is dissolved, add to a 1L bottle labeled "Syrup 2", and dilute the mixture to one liter using water.<br />
<br />
=== Make the first solution ===<br />
To prepare, make 1L of carbonated water and put it in the fridge so it's cold.<br />
<br />
* Take a 1L beaker.<br />
* Add 104g sugar, and just enough water to dissolve the sugar (250mL?) and mix with magnetic stirrer.<br />
* Add 10mL of the water-based solution (syrup 2).<br />
* Add 1mL of the alcohol-based solution (syrup 1).<br />
* Mix and microwave (or otherwise heat) the mixture until nearly boiling, and cover with the watch glass.<br />
* Once fully cooled, dilute the syrup to a volume of 1L with cold carbonated water.<br />
<br />
You can drink this directly, but it's better to let it rest for a day or so in the fridge.</div>Sjors Gielenhttps://hackerspacenijmegen.nl/index.php?title=Projects:Making_cola&diff=2998Projects:Making cola2026-05-05T23:41:08Z<p>Sjors Gielen: /* The process */</p>
<hr />
<div>[[Bestand:Schermafbeelding 2026-03-25 om 11.02.33.png|miniatuur]]<br />
[[Bestand:Schermafbeelding 2026-03-25 om 11.02.10.png|miniatuur]]<br />
I (Sjors) recently saw this video by LabCoatz reverse engineering the Coca-Cola recipe using (among other techniques) a mass spectrometer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDkH3EbWTYc<br />
<br />
Now I'm a bit of a Coca-Cola addict, so I'm intrigued and want to reproduce it.<br />
<br />
Perhaps once we've done this we can also make [[wikipedia:Open-source_cola|other kinds of cola]], like Toyen Cola, which has its recipe on the back. We could even do a taste test!<br />
<br />
== Overview ==<br />
LabCoatz calls the end product of their recipe '''LabCola'''. One liter of LabCola is built off of four components:<br />
<br />
* around 100g sugar<br />
* 1mL of flavor solution A<br />
* 10 mL of flavor solution B<br />
* around 1 liter of carbonated water<br />
<br />
Flavor solution A is made by adding the following components together (~100mL), then taking 20 mL from that and diluting to 1L using 95% ethanol:<br />
<br />
* 45.8mL lemon oil (NOW)<br />
* 36.5mL lime oil (NOW)<br />
* 8mL tea tree oil (NOW, from Australian tea tree, Melaleuca Alternifolia)<br />
* 4.5mL cassia cinnamon oil (NOW)<br />
* 2.7mL nutmeg oil (aura cacia)<br />
* 1.2mL orange oil (unknown brand, regular sweet orange)<br />
* 0.7mL coriander seed oil (Edens Garden, coriandrum sativum)<br />
* 0.6mL fenchol (any version of alpha-fenchol should work)<br />
<br />
Flavor solution B is made by adding the following components together (~400mL), then diluting to 1L using water:<br />
<br />
* 185mL caramel color (Durkee)<br />
* 150 grams food-grade vegetable glycerin (Equate)<br />
* 43mL 85% phosphoric acid (Duda Energy)<br />
* 10 grams wine tannin (North Mountain)<br />
* 9.65 grams caffeine<br />
* 10mL 5% vinegar (any white vinegar?)<br />
* 10mL vanilla extract (or a solution containing 0.95 grams per liter of vanillin)<br />
<br />
It's important to note that this is '''not''' '''the Coca-Cola recipe''', which uses coca leaf extract. It is supposed to be quite close, though.<br />
<br />
== Tools ==<br />
<br />
* Mass scale<br />
** Max measurement is 150g, most precise measurement is 9.65g<br />
** '''source: Michiel has two: <200gr with precision 0.01g & <600gr with precision 0.1gr.'''<br />
* micropipette + tips<br />
** ideally an [https://www.merkala.nl/minipet-var-microliterpipet.html adjustable micropipette], but these are quite expensive (€100+)<br />
** fixed 100µL micropipette is cheaper, €25 https://www.merkala.nl/minipet-microliterpipet.html<br />
** could also get a few [https://www.kruidvat.nl/kruidvat-doseerspuit/p/2335439 doseerspuit] at Kruidvat, €2, precision should be somewhere between 0.1mL and 0.5mL<br />
** '''setje graduated pipettes €15,85''' https://www.amazon.nl/pipetten-Graduated-Reinigingsborstel-Roerstaaf-Laboratorium/dp/B07V3VC7YZ<br />
* 50 mL graduated cilinder<br />
** '''€14,74''' https://www.labshop.nl/maatcilinder-hoog-model-klasse-a-bruine-schaalverdeling/?attribute_pa_volume=10-ml<br />
* some storage bottles (mainly 1L)<br />
** I'll produce 100 mL of pre-solution A, then dilute that into 1L of solution A and store the rest of the 80mL separately. Solution B is 1L at a time, so I'll need 3 storage bottles.<br />
** I'm considering to produce only 10 mL of pre-solution A then dilute that into 100mL of solution A. Since the solution offgasses it requires very little air in the bottle, so a 100mL bottle would be a good idea.<br />
** https://www.labshop.nl/labfles-glas-blank-gl45-blauw-simax/<br />
** €12,40 * 3 = '''€37,20'''<br />
* heat-resistant glassware for preparing the syrup (1L)<br />
** €9,23 https://www.labshop.nl/bekerglas-laag-model/<br />
** or '''€7,45''' https://labstuff.nl/contents/nl/p135.html<br />
** Ø 105mm, so '''watch glass ~€3''' https://labstuff.nl/contents/nl/p253.html<br />
* magnetic stirrer for mixing<br />
** '''source: Michiel has one'''<br />
* 100mL volumetric flask to make the dilution steps easier<br />
** for pre-solution A<br />
** €22,63 https://www.labshop.nl/maatkolf/?attribute_pa_volume=100-ml-ns12-21-klasse-a<br />
** '''€11,15''' https://labstuff.nl/contents/nl/p4695.html<br />
* water carbonator / sodastream<br />
** '''Sjors has this at home'''<br />
* gloves / safety glasses<br />
** gloves €4,17<br />
** Sjors already has safety glasses<br />
<br />
<br />
If we don't need to buy the mass scale nor magnetic stirrer, tools come out to approximately €125.<br />
<br />
== Ingedients ==<br />
{| class="wikitable"<br />
|+<br />
!Ingredient<br />
!Source link<br />
!Quantity<br />
!Quantity necessary<br />
!Order amount<br />
!Price per piece<br />
!Price total<br />
!Makes L solution<sup>12</sup><br />
!Makes L cola<br />
!Price per L cola<br />
|-<br />
|'''Overall'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Sugar<br />
|Makro (Van Gils kristalsuiker)<br />
|1kg<br />
|Around 100g<br />
|1<br />
|€0,75<br />
|€0,75<br />
|<br />
|10L<br />
|7,5 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Carbonated water<br />
|Self-made<br />
|<br />
|Around 1L<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|'''Flavor solution A'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Food-grade 95% alcohol<br />
|Makro (Chauffe coeur)<br />
|1L<br />
|1L<br />
|1<br />
|€32,42<br />
|€32,42<br />
|1L<br />
|1 kL<br />
|3.24 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Lemon oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-lemon-1-fl-oz-30-ml/928 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-lemon-oil-30-ml Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|45.8mL<br />
|2<br />
|€7,01<br />
|€14,02<br />
|6,55L<br />
|6,55 kL<br />
|0,23 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Lime oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-lime-1-fl-oz-30-ml/930 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-essential-oils-lime Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|36.5mL<br />
|2<br />
|€12,47<br />
|€24,94<br />
|8,22L<br />
|8,22 kL<br />
|0,19 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Tea tree oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-tea-tree-1-fl-oz-30-ml/37827 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-tea-tree-oil-30-ml Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|8mL<br />
|1<br />
|€9,42<br />
|€9,42<br />
|18,75L<br />
|18,75 kL<br />
|0,05 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Cassia cinnamon oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-cinnamon-cassia-1-fl-oz-30-ml/915 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-cinnamon-cassia-oil-30-ml Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|4,5mL<br />
|1<br />
|€8,04<br />
|€8,04<br />
|33,33L<br />
|33,33 kL<br />
|0,03 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Aura Cacia Nutmeg oil<br />
|<s>[https://www.amazon.com/Aura-Cacia-Essential-Nutmeg-Fluid/dp/B0007KO2ZM/ref=sr_1_1 Amazon.com] '''out of stock''' (alternatives different brands [https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-nutmeg-1-fl-oz-30-ml/941 iHerb], [https://www.berivita.com/etherische-olie/nootmuskaat-olie-zuiver-puur-10ml Berivita] '''no GC/MS available''')</s>Ordered from [https://www.vinevida.com/products/nutmeg-essential-oil?variant=43269423399135 VeniVida.com], different brand but with very similar GC/MS measurements, so should taste equally.<br />
|10mL<br />
|2.7mL<br />
|1<br />
|$5,99<br />
|€5,19<br />
|18,51L<br />
|18,51 kL<br />
|0,03 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Orange oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-orange-1-fl-oz-30-ml/953 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-orange-oil-30-ml?sqr=orange%20oil Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|1.2mL<br />
|1<br />
|€5,53<br />
|€5,53<br />
|125L<br />
|125 kL<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Edens Garden Coriander seed oil<br />
|[https://www.edensgarden.com/products/coriander-seed Edens Garden] (alternative [https://www.amazon.com/Edens-Garden-Coriander-Undiluted-Therapeutic/dp/B0046ZUW7G/ref=sr_1_4 Amazon.com], different brand [https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/koriander-olie-puur-biologisch-natuurlijk-5ml/9300000188330683/ bol.com])<br />
|5mL<br />
|0.7mL<br />
|1<br />
|$14,95<br />
|€13,33<br />
|35,71L<br />
|35,71 kL<br />
|0,06 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Alpha-Fenchol<br />
|[https://www.amazon.com/CCS-alpha-fenchol-Alcohol-Fragrance-Compound/dp/B075H1TF9T/ref=sr_1_2 Amazon.com] (alternative [https://pellwall.com/products/fenchol Pellwall] (UK), [https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/227211376456 eBay], [https://pevgrow.com/en/fenchol-arae.html pevgrow] (€27,90 incl shipping?), [https://terpenes-uk.co.uk/products/fenchol-natural terpenes] (£32 incl shipping)<br />
|30mL<br />
|0.6mL<br />
|1<br />
|$12,99<br />
|€11,25<br />
|42L<br />
|42 kL<br />
|0,02 cents<br />
|-<br />
|'''Total flavor solution A'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|~ €120<br />
|1L<br />
|1kL<br />
|€0,03 when produced at scale<br />
€0,12 for first liter<br />
|-<br />
|'''Flavor solution B'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Durkee caramel color<br />
|[https://www.amazon.com/Durkee-Food-Color-Caramel-32-Ounce/dp/B007KZJZ8G/ref=sr_1_1 Amazon.com] (alternative [https://pantryful.com/products/durkee-caramel-food-color-32-oz Pantryful])<br />
|32 oz. (946 mL)<br />
|185mL<br />
|1<br />
|$17,95<br />
|€15,54<br />
|5,11L<br />
|511L<br />
|2,3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Food-grade vegetable glycerin<br />
|[https://www.amazon.nl/ISOLATECH-Glycerine-farmaceutische-kwaliteit-plantaardig/dp/B0D89YR2NV/ Amazon.nl] (alternative [https://www.labshop.nl/glycerol-glycerine-995/?attribute_pa_volume=1-l Labshop], [https://www.werkenmetmerken.nl/nl/glycerine_99_5_foodgrade/p/20904 werkenmetmerken.nl] €9 for 1L)<br />
|250mL<br />
|150g (~150mL?)<br />
|1<br />
|€5,99<br />
|€5,99<br />
|1,67L<br />
|167L<br />
|4 cents<br />
|-<br />
|85% Phosphoric acid<br />
|[https://www.labshop.nl/fosforzuur-85-nvp/ Labshop]<br />
|1L<br />
|43mL<br />
|1<br />
|€20,27<br />
|€20,27<br />
|23,26L<br />
|2326L<br />
|0,8 cents<br />
|-<br />
|North Mountain Wine tannin<br />
|[https://www.amazon.com/North-Mountain-Supply-WT-2oz-Tannin/dp/B0CYZ5YSXM/ref=sr_1_1 Amazon.com] (alternative different brand [https://brouwland.com/nl/eikenhouten-chips/195-tannine-vinoferm-tannorouge-20-g.html Brouwland])<br />
|56g<br />
|10g<br />
|1<br />
|$20,66<br />
|€17,89<br />
|2L<br />
|200L<br />
|3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Caffeine powder<br />
|[https://voordeelkruiden.nl/cafeine-poeder/ Voordeelkruiden]If we want more: [https://woele.nl/product/cafeine-poeder-pharma-grade-250g/ Woele] alternative: [https://www.laboratoriumdiscounter.nl/nl/cafeine-995-puur.html Laboratiumdiscounter]<br />
|50g<br />
|9,65g<br />
|1<br />
|€2,60<br />
|€2,60<br />
|5,18L<br />
|518L<br />
|0,5 cents<br />
|-<br />
|5% vinegar<br />
|Makro (Burg natuurazijn '''4%''', dus gebruik 25% meer?)<br />
|1L<br />
|10mL<br />
|1<br />
|€1,01<br />
|€1,01<br />
|100L<br />
|10kL<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Vanilla extract<br />
|[https://www.amazon.nl/SaporePuro-Pure-Vanilline-Poeder-Voedingskwaliteit/dp/B07V6HSWML/ref=sr_1_1?__mk_nl_NL=ÅMÅŽÕÑ&crid=S3YK6COFEB4L&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.gE60AFOvayWbmzJYCHChr8TqcFZvaogBtawzsE7Rd846KUNFjJJ3z91jJJQBjY8_tjHngHGBRvtAQaIjjWbKTP9JtkNXLhbTc_Px2qUbzOztLwDWWnzuwTTM48gwb7JBuE-y0ni2lpjqcbojdwCSV2B_UPjp6kPDCYmSqzMPl82SMx8veSSkuuIyXuQo1rUnkAL0kU9pORzp2UHjC1Od7bZAIUQuzZUFtn5Ts95L5jS-iCGQsXRgSBMwlD6liDtGo0yAoW6fn7Hy20-w6osCtvPJG5y8KXoeUAaxEjInEfE.6UvfWewk8PDpsS7ABIgm7tNLJA7M2iGHFIGvRvVsSjo&dib_tag=se&keywords=vanilline&qid=1775422577&sprefix=vanilline%2Caps%2C146&sr=8-1 Amazon.nl] (alternative [https://www.laboratoriumdiscounter.nl/en/vanillin-995-extra-pure-foodgrade.html Laboratoriumdiscounter] but expensive shipping, alternative [https://producten.makro.nl/shop/pv/BTY-X742890/0032/0021/Nomu-Vanille-Extract-50-ml Makro.nl] but don't know vanillin strength)<br />
|100g<br />
|1g (dissolve in 100 mL<br />
water, take 0.95mL)<br />
|1<br />
|€9,80<br />
|€9,80<br />
|10kL<br />
|1ML<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|'''Total flavor solution B'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|~ €70<br />
|2L<br />
|200 L<br />
|€0,11 when produced at scale<br />
€0,35 for first liter<br />
|}<br />
(1) The essential oils in solution A, quantities as under "Quantity necessary", together make 100mL of pre-solution. "Flavor solution A" then consists of 20 mL of pre-solution, diluted to 1L using alcohol. So for each mL of essential oil in the pre-solution, a fifth (0.2 mL) goes into a liter of the actual solution. So quantity times order amount is the amount of ingredients we have, divided by quantity necessary is the amount of 100mL pre-solution we can make with the order. We can make 5L of solution with that, so the formula is: (quantity * order amount * 5) / (quantity necessary). Since 1mL of solution A goes into a L of cola, 1L solution makes 1000L cola.<br />
<br />
(2) For solution B, the ingredients together make about 400mL of pre-solution. "Flavor solution B" then consists of those 400 mL, diluted to 1L using water. So the "quantity necessary" goes directly into 1L of "Flavor solution B". Since order amount is 1 for all of these, the formula is: quantity / (quantity necessary). Since 10mL of solution B goes into a L of cola, 1L solution makes 100L cola.<br />
<br />
== Expiry ==<br />
After the first batch I'll have a liter of solution A, which is almost fully alcohol, so I expect it not to expire at all. This bottle is good for a thousand liters of cola, which is probably enough for a lifetime.<br />
<br />
I'll also have 80 mL of pre-solution A, which I'll store separately. I also expect it not to expire, but to be sure, I could add alcohol to this as well, and label the bottle as such so I know exactly how much diluted pre-solution contains 20 mL of the original pre-solution.<br />
<br />
As for solution B, I'm not sure but I expect that will expire faster. The original ingredients probably don't expire if closed well? If I make 1L that's enough for 100 L of cola, which probably lasts a few months unless it's really popular.<br />
<br />
Knowing nothing at all about food safety I asked Claude for secondary advice. ("This is a cola syrup, isn't it?") They said the solution A mixture would remain ''safe'' indefinitely, but chemical degradation would affect aroma over the years; they advise to reduce air in the bottle, reduce repeated opening (freshening of the oxygen), reduce heat and reduce light exposure. With that, realistically expiry could be pushed well beyond 5 years. For solution B, they said microbial stability is also very good due to the phosphoric acid (1.0-1.5 pH). Again, chemical degradation is the limiting factor. Sealed, room temperature and out of light, Claude expects 12-18 months for peak flavor, and "probably safe well beyond that". It says the main thing to watch out for is sediment from the tannin, and flavor decreasing. Neither makes it unsafe. Commercial cola syrups like this one carry 6-12 month best-by dates, and it says our threshold for "still good" may be more forgiving.<br />
<br />
As for the original ingredient bottles, I should check if they are labeled with best-before dates and label them with the date I first opened them. Claude says the essential oils are most perishable; they will degrade in 6-12 months. For vanilla extract it's often commercially dated 2-4 years. All other things are either really easily purchaseable or very long-lived (5+ years).<br />
<br />
Conclusion:<br />
<br />
* Keep the bottles at room temperature (or colder), in the dark, and with little air headspace in the bottle.<br />
* For the solution A bottles, I'll mark them with their production date and "expected best before date" of 5 years.<br />
* For the solution B bottles, I'll mark them with their production date and "expected best before date" of 12 months.<br />
* For the original ingredient bottles, I'll store them the same way. I could consider making more pre-solution with alcohol for preservation.<br />
<br />
== Financial overview ==<br />
This is a hobby project, so it's OK if it costs money and isn't cost-effective. However, I wanted to get an overview for myself.<br />
<br />
Initial, one-time investment into tools is €125. The initial investments into ingredients for the first run is ~€200, and shipping is €100. That means the first batch costs €425 and we can produce around 200 liters of cola from this. If it tastes great and is popular and people want to drink it instead of Coca-Cola, I could sell it at a cost price of €2,13 per liter.<br />
<br />
If we actually (expect to) make more than 200 liters, then for the next 200 liters I'd only need to purchase additional wine tannin. So for the first batch of 400 liters, at a cost of ~€450, it'd already be €0,88 per liter. So that's what the price becomes if it turns out to be quite popular. Eventually, if it's ''really'' popular it would cost €0,14 for the flavor solutions, plus some sugar and carbonated water.<br />
<br />
All orders done for the first batch:<br />
<br />
* Edens Garden $14,95 (€13,33)<br />
** Edens Garden Coriander Seed essential oil<br />
* Amazon.com <s>$86,06 (€76,55)</s> $66,17 (€59,67)<br />
** Durkee caramel color<br />
** Alpha fenchol<br />
** <s>Aura Cacia nutmeg oil</s> (refunded, not in stock)<br />
** North Mountain wine tannin<br />
* VineVida.com $13.73 (€11,36)<br />
** VineVida nutmeg oil<br />
* iHerb €61,95<br />
** NOW Lemon oil<br />
** NOW Lime oil<br />
** NOW Tea tree oil<br />
** NOW Cassia cinnamon oil<br />
** NOW Orange oil<br />
* Amazon.nl €31,64<br />
** Graduated pipettes<br />
** Vanillin powder (foodgrade)<br />
** Glycerin 99.5% (foodgrade)<br />
* Labstuff.nl €35,57<br />
** Glassware (beaker, watch glass, volumetric flask)<br />
* Labshop.nl €81,30<br />
** Graduated cylinder<br />
** Storage bottles<br />
** 85% Phosphoric acid<br />
* Voordeelkruiden.nl €7,55<br />
** Caffeine powder<br />
* Makro €38,35<br />
** Sugar<br />
** Vinegar<br />
** Pure alcohol (food-grade)<br />
** Gloves<br />
*Shipping MyUS USA/FL -> Netherlands $110 (€100,60)<br />
**~$40 base charge<br />
**$30 "dangerous goods surcharge" (unexpected, since the items were below the "limited quantity threshold", but the company refused to waive)<br />
**$30 prepaid customs fees (unexpected, since the total shipment value should be below threshold, but I wanted to prevent any customs issues)<br />
**$3,50 liability coverage<br />
**mark "for personal use" and include a proforma invoice<br />
<br />
Total paid: €441,32<br />
<br />
== The process ==<br />
This is, at least initially, exactly from this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDkH3EbWTYc<br />
<br />
=== Equipment preparation & training ===<br />
For every step, even those later in this chapter:<br />
<br />
* Wear gloves (and potentially, safety glasses)<br />
* Measure accurately<br />
* Don't taste any of the unmixed/undiluted ingredients<br />
<br />
Use the following list for material training. Only continue when you're comfortable with these.<br />
<br />
* Experiment with taking and dispensing exactly 0.06mL (60 µL) of oil (e.g. olive oil) from a bottle. This is necessary for coriander oil and fenchol.<br />
** If this is impossible, then either:<br />
*** Purchase new pipettes<br />
*** Take more mL of the target oil, dilute with alcohol, mix well, then take more mL accordingly of the resulting mixture<br />
*** Or scale up the recipe below<br />
* Experiment with measuring and dispensing exactly 9.65 grams of powder. This is necessary for caffeine.<br />
* Experiment with mixing/diluting in bottles and the volumetric flask.<br />
<br />
=== Make syrup 1 ===<br />
We will make 100 mL of the "7X Syrup", the alcohol-based syrup that contains most of the flavor. The video makes 1L, so all these numbers are divided by 10 below.<br />
<br />
Preparation:<br />
<br />
* Warm up/melt the fenchol in hot water before beginning.<br />
<br />
Take a 1L bottle, label it "Syrup 1 (7X)" then add:<br />
<br />
* 4.58mL lemon oil<br />
* 3.65mL lime oil<br />
* 0.8mL tea tree oil (from Australian tea tree, Melaleuca Alternifolia)<br />
* 0.45mL cassia cinnamon oil<br />
* 0.27mL nutmeg oil<br />
* 0.12mL orange oil (regular sweet orange)<br />
* 0.07mL coriander oil<br />
* 0.06mL fenchol (any version of alpha-fenchol should work)<br />
<br />
This makes 10 mL of pre-syrup.<br />
<br />
''The video lets this mixture age for a day or two before diluting in alcohol, but I won't, because (1) I'm concerned it'll offgas significantly into the 1L bottle, and (2) Claude says ageing is fine to do after adding ethanol instead of before (perhaps even better). TODO: watch Art of Drink video on this.''<br />
<br />
Then, fill to 500 mL with food-grade 95% alcohol. Close bottle and mix well.<br />
<br />
''Alternatively, do the mixing and diluting in a volumetric flask? I have a 100 mL volumetric flask – to use it, we could take 2mL of pre-syrup, then fill to 100 mL with ethanol.''<br />
<br />
=== Make syrup 2 ===<br />
First, weigh out the powders on the tiny scale.<br />
<br />
* 9.65g caffeine<br />
* 10g wine tannins<br />
<br />
Then, weigh out the glycerin on the larger scale.<br />
<br />
* 150g glycerin<br />
<br />
In the graduated cylinder, prepare:<br />
<br />
* 185 mL Durkee caramel color<br />
<br />
Then, prepare the syrup. Give each ingredient the time to fully incorporate before adding the next.<br />
<br />
* Take a 1L beaker<br />
* Add 200mL hot water<br />
* With a pipette, add 10 mL 5% vinegar (TODO: adjust, because I have 4% vinegar)<br />
* Add caffeine and wine tannins from above.<br />
* Add glycerin from above.<br />
<br />
* With pipette, add 43 mL of 85% phosphoric acid<br />
* With pipette, add 10 mL of vanilla extract (TODO: double check if this needs to be adjusted according to vanillin contents)<br />
* Add caramel color from above.<br />
<br />
Once everything is dissolved, add to a 1L bottle labeled "Syrup 2", and dilute the mixture to one liter using water.<br />
<br />
=== Make the first solution ===<br />
To prepare, make 1L of carbonated water and put it in the fridge so it's cold.<br />
<br />
* Take a 1L beaker.<br />
* Add 104g sugar, and just enough water to dissolve the sugar (250mL?) and mix with magnetic stirrer.<br />
* Add 10mL of the water-based solution (syrup 2).<br />
* Add 1mL of the alcohol-based solution (syrup 1).<br />
* Mix and microwave (or otherwise heat) the mixture until nearly boiling, and cover with the watch glass.<br />
* Once fully cooled, dilute the syrup to a volume of 1L with cold carbonated water.<br />
<br />
You can drink this directly, but it's better to let it rest for a day or so in the fridge.</div>Sjors Gielenhttps://hackerspacenijmegen.nl/index.php?title=Projects:Making_cola&diff=2997Projects:Making cola2026-05-05T22:51:55Z<p>Sjors Gielen: </p>
<hr />
<div>[[Bestand:Schermafbeelding 2026-03-25 om 11.02.33.png|miniatuur]]<br />
[[Bestand:Schermafbeelding 2026-03-25 om 11.02.10.png|miniatuur]]<br />
I (Sjors) recently saw this video by LabCoatz reverse engineering the Coca-Cola recipe using (among other techniques) a mass spectrometer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDkH3EbWTYc<br />
<br />
Now I'm a bit of a Coca-Cola addict, so I'm intrigued and want to reproduce it.<br />
<br />
Perhaps once we've done this we can also make [[wikipedia:Open-source_cola|other kinds of cola]], like Toyen Cola, which has its recipe on the back. We could even do a taste test!<br />
<br />
== Overview ==<br />
LabCoatz calls the end product of their recipe '''LabCola'''. One liter of LabCola is built off of four components:<br />
<br />
* around 100g sugar<br />
* 1mL of flavor solution A<br />
* 10 mL of flavor solution B<br />
* around 1 liter of carbonated water<br />
<br />
Flavor solution A is made by adding the following components together (~100mL), then taking 20 mL from that and diluting to 1L using 95% ethanol:<br />
<br />
* 45.8mL lemon oil (NOW)<br />
* 36.5mL lime oil (NOW)<br />
* 8mL tea tree oil (NOW, from Australian tea tree, Melaleuca Alternifolia)<br />
* 4.5mL cassia cinnamon oil (NOW)<br />
* 2.7mL nutmeg oil (aura cacia)<br />
* 1.2mL orange oil (unknown brand, regular sweet orange)<br />
* 0.7mL coriander seed oil (Edens Garden, coriandrum sativum)<br />
* 0.6mL fenchol (any version of alpha-fenchol should work)<br />
<br />
Flavor solution B is made by adding the following components together (~400mL), then diluting to 1L using water:<br />
<br />
* 185mL caramel color (Durkee)<br />
* 150 grams food-grade vegetable glycerin (Equate)<br />
* 43mL 85% phosphoric acid (Duda Energy)<br />
* 10 grams wine tannin (North Mountain)<br />
* 9.65 grams caffeine<br />
* 10mL 5% vinegar (any white vinegar?)<br />
* 10mL vanilla extract (or a solution containing 0.95 grams per liter of vanillin)<br />
<br />
It's important to note that this is '''not''' '''the Coca-Cola recipe''', which uses coca leaf extract. It is supposed to be quite close, though.<br />
<br />
== Tools ==<br />
<br />
* Mass scale<br />
** Max measurement is 150g, most precise measurement is 9.65g<br />
** '''source: Michiel has two ('''<br />
** possible source: €14,20 https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/precisie-weegschaal-0-01-gram-keukenweegschaal-digitaal-milligram-precisieweegschaal-pocket-weegschaal-sieraden-weegschaal/9300000031220365/<br />
** possible source: €29 https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/trendfield-precisie-weegschaal-0-001-gr-nauwkeurig-digitale-keukenweegschaal-inclusief-batterijen-zwart/9200000111011750/<br />
** possible source: €139,15 https://www.labshop.nl/schoolweegschaal-efs-500-2/<br />
* micropipette + tips<br />
** ideally an [https://www.merkala.nl/minipet-var-microliterpipet.html adjustable micropipette], but these are quite expensive (€100+)<br />
** fixed 100µL micropipette is cheaper, €25 https://www.merkala.nl/minipet-microliterpipet.html<br />
** could also get a few [https://www.kruidvat.nl/kruidvat-doseerspuit/p/2335439 doseerspuit] at Kruidvat, €2, precision should be somewhere between 0.1mL and 0.5mL<br />
** '''setje graduated pipettes €15,85''' https://www.amazon.nl/pipetten-Graduated-Reinigingsborstel-Roerstaaf-Laboratorium/dp/B07V3VC7YZ<br />
* 50 mL graduated cilinder<br />
** '''€14,74''' https://www.labshop.nl/maatcilinder-hoog-model-klasse-a-bruine-schaalverdeling/?attribute_pa_volume=10-ml<br />
* some storage bottles (mainly 1L)<br />
** I'll produce 100 mL of pre-solution A, then dilute that into 1L of solution A and store the rest of the 80mL separately. Solution B is 1L at a time, so I'll need 3 storage bottles.<br />
** I'm considering to produce only 10 mL of pre-solution A then dilute that into 100mL of solution A. Since the solution offgasses it requires very little air in the bottle, so a 100mL bottle would be a good idea.<br />
** https://www.labshop.nl/labfles-glas-blank-gl45-blauw-simax/<br />
** €12,40 * 3 = '''€37,20'''<br />
* heat-resistant glassware for preparing the syrup (1L)<br />
** €9,23 https://www.labshop.nl/bekerglas-laag-model/<br />
** or '''€7,45''' https://labstuff.nl/contents/nl/p135.html<br />
** Ø 105mm, so '''watch glass ~€3''' https://labstuff.nl/contents/nl/p253.html<br />
* magnetic stirrer for mixing<br />
** €133,10 https://www.labshop.nl/mini-magnetische-roerder-rotilabo-m-3/<br />
** '''possible source: Michiel has one'''<br />
* 100mL volumetric flask to make the dilution steps easier<br />
** for pre-solution A<br />
** €22,63 https://www.labshop.nl/maatkolf/?attribute_pa_volume=100-ml-ns12-21-klasse-a<br />
** '''€11,15''' https://labstuff.nl/contents/nl/p4695.html<br />
* water carbonator / sodastream<br />
** '''Sjors has this at home'''<br />
* gloves / safety glasses<br />
** gloves €4,17<br />
** Sjors already has safety glasses<br />
<br />
<br />
If we don't need to buy the mass scale nor magnetic stirrer, tools come out to approximately €125.<br />
<br />
== Ingedients ==<br />
{| class="wikitable"<br />
|+<br />
!Ingredient<br />
!Source link<br />
!Quantity<br />
!Quantity necessary<br />
!Order amount<br />
!Price per piece<br />
!Price total<br />
!Makes L solution<sup>12</sup><br />
!Makes L cola<br />
!Price per L cola<br />
|-<br />
|'''Overall'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Sugar<br />
|Makro (Van Gils kristalsuiker)<br />
|1kg<br />
|Around 100g<br />
|1<br />
|€0,75<br />
|€0,75<br />
|<br />
|10L<br />
|7,5 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Carbonated water<br />
|Self-made<br />
|<br />
|Around 1L<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|'''Flavor solution A'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Food-grade 95% alcohol<br />
|Makro (Chauffe coeur)<br />
|1L<br />
|1L<br />
|1<br />
|€32,42<br />
|€32,42<br />
|1L<br />
|1 kL<br />
|3.24 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Lemon oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-lemon-1-fl-oz-30-ml/928 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-lemon-oil-30-ml Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|45.8mL<br />
|2<br />
|€7,01<br />
|€14,02<br />
|6,55L<br />
|6,55 kL<br />
|0,23 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Lime oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-lime-1-fl-oz-30-ml/930 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-essential-oils-lime Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|36.5mL<br />
|2<br />
|€12,47<br />
|€24,94<br />
|8,22L<br />
|8,22 kL<br />
|0,19 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Tea tree oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-tea-tree-1-fl-oz-30-ml/37827 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-tea-tree-oil-30-ml Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|8mL<br />
|1<br />
|€9,42<br />
|€9,42<br />
|18,75L<br />
|18,75 kL<br />
|0,05 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Cassia cinnamon oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-cinnamon-cassia-1-fl-oz-30-ml/915 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-cinnamon-cassia-oil-30-ml Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|4,5mL<br />
|1<br />
|€8,04<br />
|€8,04<br />
|33,33L<br />
|33,33 kL<br />
|0,03 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Aura Cacia Nutmeg oil<br />
|<s>[https://www.amazon.com/Aura-Cacia-Essential-Nutmeg-Fluid/dp/B0007KO2ZM/ref=sr_1_1 Amazon.com] '''out of stock''' (alternatives different brands [https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-nutmeg-1-fl-oz-30-ml/941 iHerb], [https://www.berivita.com/etherische-olie/nootmuskaat-olie-zuiver-puur-10ml Berivita] '''no GC/MS available''')</s>Ordered from [https://www.vinevida.com/products/nutmeg-essential-oil?variant=43269423399135 VeniVida.com], different brand but with very similar GC/MS measurements, so should taste equally.<br />
|10mL<br />
|2.7mL<br />
|1<br />
|$5,99<br />
|€5,19<br />
|18,51L<br />
|18,51 kL<br />
|0,03 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Orange oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-orange-1-fl-oz-30-ml/953 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-orange-oil-30-ml?sqr=orange%20oil Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|1.2mL<br />
|1<br />
|€5,53<br />
|€5,53<br />
|125L<br />
|125 kL<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Edens Garden Coriander seed oil<br />
|[https://www.edensgarden.com/products/coriander-seed Edens Garden] (alternative [https://www.amazon.com/Edens-Garden-Coriander-Undiluted-Therapeutic/dp/B0046ZUW7G/ref=sr_1_4 Amazon.com], different brand [https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/koriander-olie-puur-biologisch-natuurlijk-5ml/9300000188330683/ bol.com])<br />
|5mL<br />
|0.7mL<br />
|1<br />
|$14,95<br />
|€13,33<br />
|35,71L<br />
|35,71 kL<br />
|0,06 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Alpha-Fenchol<br />
|[https://www.amazon.com/CCS-alpha-fenchol-Alcohol-Fragrance-Compound/dp/B075H1TF9T/ref=sr_1_2 Amazon.com] (alternative [https://pellwall.com/products/fenchol Pellwall] (UK), [https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/227211376456 eBay], [https://pevgrow.com/en/fenchol-arae.html pevgrow] (€27,90 incl shipping?), [https://terpenes-uk.co.uk/products/fenchol-natural terpenes] (£32 incl shipping)<br />
|30mL<br />
|0.6mL<br />
|1<br />
|$12,99<br />
|€11,25<br />
|42L<br />
|42 kL<br />
|0,02 cents<br />
|-<br />
|'''Total flavor solution A'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|~ €120<br />
|1L<br />
|1kL<br />
|€0,03 when produced at scale<br />
€0,12 for first liter<br />
|-<br />
|'''Flavor solution B'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Durkee caramel color<br />
|[https://www.amazon.com/Durkee-Food-Color-Caramel-32-Ounce/dp/B007KZJZ8G/ref=sr_1_1 Amazon.com] (alternative [https://pantryful.com/products/durkee-caramel-food-color-32-oz Pantryful])<br />
|32 oz. (946 mL)<br />
|185mL<br />
|1<br />
|$17,95<br />
|€15,54<br />
|5,11L<br />
|511L<br />
|2,3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Food-grade vegetable glycerin<br />
|[https://www.amazon.nl/ISOLATECH-Glycerine-farmaceutische-kwaliteit-plantaardig/dp/B0D89YR2NV/ Amazon.nl] (alternative [https://www.labshop.nl/glycerol-glycerine-995/?attribute_pa_volume=1-l Labshop], [https://www.werkenmetmerken.nl/nl/glycerine_99_5_foodgrade/p/20904 werkenmetmerken.nl] €9 for 1L)<br />
|250mL<br />
|150g (~150mL?)<br />
|1<br />
|€5,99<br />
|€5,99<br />
|1,67L<br />
|167L<br />
|4 cents<br />
|-<br />
|85% Phosphoric acid<br />
|[https://www.labshop.nl/fosforzuur-85-nvp/ Labshop]<br />
|1L<br />
|43mL<br />
|1<br />
|€20,27<br />
|€20,27<br />
|23,26L<br />
|2326L<br />
|0,8 cents<br />
|-<br />
|North Mountain Wine tannin<br />
|[https://www.amazon.com/North-Mountain-Supply-WT-2oz-Tannin/dp/B0CYZ5YSXM/ref=sr_1_1 Amazon.com] (alternative different brand [https://brouwland.com/nl/eikenhouten-chips/195-tannine-vinoferm-tannorouge-20-g.html Brouwland])<br />
|56g<br />
|10g<br />
|1<br />
|$20,66<br />
|€17,89<br />
|2L<br />
|200L<br />
|3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Caffeine powder<br />
|[https://voordeelkruiden.nl/cafeine-poeder/ Voordeelkruiden]If we want more: [https://woele.nl/product/cafeine-poeder-pharma-grade-250g/ Woele] alternative: [https://www.laboratoriumdiscounter.nl/nl/cafeine-995-puur.html Laboratiumdiscounter]<br />
|50g<br />
|9,65g<br />
|1<br />
|€2,60<br />
|€2,60<br />
|5,18L<br />
|518L<br />
|0,5 cents<br />
|-<br />
|5% vinegar<br />
|Makro (Burg natuurazijn '''4%''', dus gebruik 25% meer?)<br />
|1L<br />
|10mL<br />
|1<br />
|€1,01<br />
|€1,01<br />
|100L<br />
|10kL<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Vanilla extract<br />
|[https://www.amazon.nl/SaporePuro-Pure-Vanilline-Poeder-Voedingskwaliteit/dp/B07V6HSWML/ref=sr_1_1?__mk_nl_NL=ÅMÅŽÕÑ&crid=S3YK6COFEB4L&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.gE60AFOvayWbmzJYCHChr8TqcFZvaogBtawzsE7Rd846KUNFjJJ3z91jJJQBjY8_tjHngHGBRvtAQaIjjWbKTP9JtkNXLhbTc_Px2qUbzOztLwDWWnzuwTTM48gwb7JBuE-y0ni2lpjqcbojdwCSV2B_UPjp6kPDCYmSqzMPl82SMx8veSSkuuIyXuQo1rUnkAL0kU9pORzp2UHjC1Od7bZAIUQuzZUFtn5Ts95L5jS-iCGQsXRgSBMwlD6liDtGo0yAoW6fn7Hy20-w6osCtvPJG5y8KXoeUAaxEjInEfE.6UvfWewk8PDpsS7ABIgm7tNLJA7M2iGHFIGvRvVsSjo&dib_tag=se&keywords=vanilline&qid=1775422577&sprefix=vanilline%2Caps%2C146&sr=8-1 Amazon.nl] (alternative [https://www.laboratoriumdiscounter.nl/en/vanillin-995-extra-pure-foodgrade.html Laboratoriumdiscounter] but expensive shipping, alternative [https://producten.makro.nl/shop/pv/BTY-X742890/0032/0021/Nomu-Vanille-Extract-50-ml Makro.nl] but don't know vanillin strength)<br />
|100g<br />
|1g (dissolve in 100 mL<br />
water, take 0.95mL)<br />
|1<br />
|€9,80<br />
|€9,80<br />
|10kL<br />
|1ML<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|'''Total flavor solution B'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|~ €70<br />
|2L<br />
|200 L<br />
|€0,11 when produced at scale<br />
€0,35 for first liter<br />
|}<br />
(1) The essential oils in solution A, quantities as under "Quantity necessary", together make 100mL of pre-solution. "Flavor solution A" then consists of 20 mL of pre-solution, diluted to 1L using alcohol. So for each mL of essential oil in the pre-solution, a fifth (0.2 mL) goes into a liter of the actual solution. So quantity times order amount is the amount of ingredients we have, divided by quantity necessary is the amount of 100mL pre-solution we can make with the order. We can make 5L of solution with that, so the formula is: (quantity * order amount * 5) / (quantity necessary). Since 1mL of solution A goes into a L of cola, 1L solution makes 1000L cola.<br />
<br />
(2) For solution B, the ingredients together make about 400mL of pre-solution. "Flavor solution B" then consists of those 400 mL, diluted to 1L using water. So the "quantity necessary" goes directly into 1L of "Flavor solution B". Since order amount is 1 for all of these, the formula is: quantity / (quantity necessary). Since 10mL of solution B goes into a L of cola, 1L solution makes 100L cola.<br />
<br />
== Expiry ==<br />
After the first batch I'll have a liter of solution A, which is almost fully alcohol, so I expect it not to expire at all. This bottle is good for a thousand liters of cola, which is probably enough for a lifetime.<br />
<br />
I'll also have 80 mL of pre-solution A, which I'll store separately. I also expect it not to expire, but to be sure, I could add alcohol to this as well, and label the bottle as such so I know exactly how much diluted pre-solution contains 20 mL of the original pre-solution.<br />
<br />
As for solution B, I'm not sure but I expect that will expire faster. The original ingredients probably don't expire if closed well? If I make 1L that's enough for 100 L of cola, which probably lasts a few months unless it's really popular.<br />
<br />
Knowing nothing at all about food safety I asked Claude for secondary advice. ("This is a cola syrup, isn't it?") They said the solution A mixture would remain ''safe'' indefinitely, but chemical degradation would affect aroma over the years; they advise to reduce air in the bottle, reduce repeated opening (freshening of the oxygen), reduce heat and reduce light exposure. With that, realistically expiry could be pushed well beyond 5 years. For solution B, they said microbial stability is also very good due to the phosphoric acid (1.0-1.5 pH). Again, chemical degradation is the limiting factor. Sealed, room temperature and out of light, Claude expects 12-18 months for peak flavor, and "probably safe well beyond that". It says the main thing to watch out for is sediment from the tannin, and flavor decreasing. Neither makes it unsafe. Commercial cola syrups like this one carry 6-12 month best-by dates, and it says our threshold for "still good" may be more forgiving.<br />
<br />
As for the original ingredient bottles, I should check if they are labeled with best-before dates and label them with the date I first opened them. Claude says the essential oils are most perishable; they will degrade in 6-12 months. For vanilla extract it's often commercially dated 2-4 years. All other things are either really easily purchaseable or very long-lived (5+ years).<br />
<br />
Conclusion:<br />
<br />
* Keep the bottles at room temperature (or colder), in the dark, and with little air headspace in the bottle.<br />
* For the solution A bottles, I'll mark them with their production date and "expected best before date" of 5 years.<br />
* For the solution B bottles, I'll mark them with their production date and "expected best before date" of 12 months.<br />
* For the original ingredient bottles, I'll store them the same way. I could consider making more pre-solution with alcohol for preservation.<br />
<br />
== Financial overview ==<br />
This is a hobby project, so it's OK if it costs money and isn't cost-effective. However, I wanted to get an overview for myself.<br />
<br />
Initial, one-time investment into tools is €125. The initial investments into ingredients for the first run is ~€200, and shipping is €100. That means the first batch costs €425 and we can produce around 200 liters of cola from this. If it tastes great and is popular and people want to drink it instead of Coca-Cola, I could sell it at a cost price of €2,13 per liter.<br />
<br />
If we actually (expect to) make more than 200 liters, then for the next 200 liters I'd only need to purchase additional wine tannin. So for the first batch of 400 liters, at a cost of ~€450, it'd already be €0,88 per liter. So that's what the price becomes if it turns out to be quite popular. Eventually, if it's ''really'' popular it would cost €0,14 for the flavor solutions, plus some sugar and carbonated water.<br />
<br />
All orders done for the first batch:<br />
<br />
* Edens Garden $14,95 (€13,33)<br />
** Edens Garden Coriander Seed essential oil<br />
* Amazon.com <s>$86,06 (€76,55)</s> $66,17 (€59,67)<br />
** Durkee caramel color<br />
** Alpha fenchol<br />
** <s>Aura Cacia nutmeg oil</s> (refunded, not in stock)<br />
** North Mountain wine tannin<br />
* VineVida.com $13.73 (€11,36)<br />
** VineVida nutmeg oil<br />
* iHerb €61,95<br />
** NOW Lemon oil<br />
** NOW Lime oil<br />
** NOW Tea tree oil<br />
** NOW Cassia cinnamon oil<br />
** NOW Orange oil<br />
* Amazon.nl €31,64<br />
** Graduated pipettes<br />
** Vanillin powder (foodgrade)<br />
** Glycerin 99.5% (foodgrade)<br />
* Labstuff.nl €35,57<br />
** Glassware (beaker, watch glass, volumetric flask)<br />
* Labshop.nl €81,30<br />
** Graduated cylinder<br />
** Storage bottles<br />
** 85% Phosphoric acid<br />
* Voordeelkruiden.nl €7,55<br />
** Caffeine powder<br />
* Makro €38,35<br />
** Sugar<br />
** Vinegar<br />
** Pure alcohol (food-grade)<br />
** Gloves<br />
*Shipping MyUS USA/FL -> Netherlands $110 (€100,60)<br />
**~$40 base charge<br />
**$30 "dangerous goods surcharge" (unexpected, since the items were below the "limited quantity threshold", but the company refused to waive)<br />
**$30 prepaid customs fees (unexpected, since the total shipment value should be below threshold, but I wanted to prevent any customs issues)<br />
**$3,50 liability coverage<br />
**mark "for personal use" and include a proforma invoice<br />
<br />
Total paid: €441,32<br />
<br />
== The process ==<br />
This is, at least initially, exactly from this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDkH3EbWTYc<br />
<br />
=== Equipment preparation & training ===<br />
For every step, even those later in this chapter:<br />
<br />
* Wear gloves (and potentially, safety glasses)<br />
* Measure accurately<br />
* Don't taste any of the unmixed/undiluted ingredients<br />
<br />
Use the following list for material training. Only continue when you're comfortable with these.<br />
<br />
* Experiment with taking and dispensing exactly 0.06mL (60 µL) of oil (e.g. olive oil) from a bottle.<br />
** If this is impossible, then either:<br />
*** Purchase new pipettes<br />
*** Take more mL of the target oil, dilute with alcohol, mix well, then take more mL accordingly of the resulting mixture<br />
*** Or scale up the recipe below<br />
<br />
=== Make syrup 1 ===<br />
We will make 100 mL of the "7X Syrup", the alcohol-based syrup that contains most of the flavor. The video makes 1L, so all these numbers are divided by 10 below.<br />
<br />
Preparation:<br />
<br />
* Warm up/melt the fenchol in hot water before beginning.<br />
<br />
Take a 1L bottle, label it "Syrup 1 (7X)" then add:<br />
<br />
* 4.58mL lemon oil<br />
* 3.65mL lime oil<br />
* 0.8mL tea tree oil (from Australian tea tree, Melaleuca Alternifolia)<br />
* 0.45mL cassia cinnamon oil<br />
* 0.27mL nutmeg oil<br />
* 0.12mL orange oil (regular sweet orange)<br />
* 0.07mL coriander oil<br />
* 0.06mL fenchol (any version of alpha-fenchol should work)<br />
<br />
This makes 10 mL of syrup. Let this mixture age for a day or two before continuing.<br />
<br />
Then, fill to 500 mL with food-grade 95% alcohol.<br />
<br />
=== Make syrup 2 ===<br />
TODO<br />
<br />
=== Make the first solution ===<br />
TODO<br />
<br />
=== Finish the first drink ===<br />
TODO</div>Sjors Gielenhttps://hackerspacenijmegen.nl/index.php?title=Projects:Making_cola&diff=2996Projects:Making cola2026-04-23T09:31:27Z<p>Sjors Gielen: /* Financial overview */</p>
<hr />
<div>[[Bestand:Schermafbeelding 2026-03-25 om 11.02.33.png|miniatuur]]<br />
[[Bestand:Schermafbeelding 2026-03-25 om 11.02.10.png|miniatuur]]<br />
I (Sjors) recently saw this video by LabCoatz reverse engineering the Coca-Cola recipe using (among other techniques) a mass spectrometer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDkH3EbWTYc<br />
<br />
Now I'm a bit of a Coca-Cola addict, so I'm intrigued and want to reproduce it.<br />
<br />
Perhaps once we've done this we can also make [[wikipedia:Open-source_cola|other kinds of cola]], like Toyen Cola, which has its recipe on the back. We could even do a taste test!<br />
<br />
== Overview ==<br />
LabCoatz calls the end product of their recipe '''LabCola'''. One liter of LabCola is built off of four components:<br />
<br />
* around 100g sugar<br />
* 1mL of flavor solution A<br />
* 10 mL of flavor solution B<br />
* around 1 liter of carbonated water<br />
<br />
Flavor solution A is made by adding the following components together (~100mL), then taking 20 mL from that and diluting to 1L using 95% ethanol:<br />
<br />
* 45.8mL lemon oil (NOW)<br />
* 36.5mL lime oil (NOW)<br />
* 8mL tea tree oil (NOW, from Australian tea tree, Melaleuca Alternifolia)<br />
* 4.5mL cassia cinnamon oil (NOW)<br />
* 2.7mL nutmeg oil (aura cacia)<br />
* 1.2mL orange oil (unknown brand, regular sweet orange)<br />
* 0.7mL coriander seed oil (Edens Garden, coriandrum sativum)<br />
* 0.6mL fenchol (any version of alpha-fenchol should work)<br />
<br />
Flavor solution B is made by adding the following components together (~400mL), then diluting to 1L using water:<br />
<br />
* 185mL caramel color (Durkee)<br />
* 150 grams food-grade vegetable glycerin (Equate)<br />
* 43mL 85% phosphoric acid (Duda Energy)<br />
* 10 grams wine tannin (North Mountain)<br />
* 9.65 grams caffeine<br />
* 10mL 5% vinegar (any white vinegar?)<br />
* 10mL vanilla extract (or a solution containing 0.95 grams per liter of vanillin)<br />
<br />
It's important to note that this is '''not''' '''the Coca-Cola recipe''', which uses coca leaf extract. It is supposed to be quite close, though.<br />
<br />
== Tools ==<br />
<br />
* Mass scale<br />
** Max measurement is 150g, most precise measurement is 9.65g<br />
** '''possible source: Michiel may have one''', Mats as well<br />
** possible source: €14,20 https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/precisie-weegschaal-0-01-gram-keukenweegschaal-digitaal-milligram-precisieweegschaal-pocket-weegschaal-sieraden-weegschaal/9300000031220365/<br />
** possible source: €29 https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/trendfield-precisie-weegschaal-0-001-gr-nauwkeurig-digitale-keukenweegschaal-inclusief-batterijen-zwart/9200000111011750/<br />
** possible source: €139,15 https://www.labshop.nl/schoolweegschaal-efs-500-2/<br />
* micropipette + tips<br />
** ideally an [https://www.merkala.nl/minipet-var-microliterpipet.html adjustable micropipette], but these are quite expensive (€100+)<br />
** fixed 100µL micropipette is cheaper, €25 https://www.merkala.nl/minipet-microliterpipet.html<br />
** could also get a few [https://www.kruidvat.nl/kruidvat-doseerspuit/p/2335439 doseerspuit] at Kruidvat, €2, precision should be somewhere between 0.1mL and 0.5mL<br />
** '''setje graduated pipettes €15,85''' https://www.amazon.nl/pipetten-Graduated-Reinigingsborstel-Roerstaaf-Laboratorium/dp/B07V3VC7YZ<br />
* 50 mL graduated cilinder<br />
** '''€14,74''' https://www.labshop.nl/maatcilinder-hoog-model-klasse-a-bruine-schaalverdeling/?attribute_pa_volume=10-ml<br />
* some storage bottles (mainly 1L)<br />
** I'll produce 100 mL of pre-solution A, then dilute that into 1L of solution A and store the rest of the 80mL separately. Solution B is 1L at a time, so I'll need 3 storage bottles.<br />
** I'm considering to produce only 10 mL of pre-solution A then dilute that into 100mL of solution A. Since the solution offgasses it requires very little air in the bottle, so a 100mL bottle would be a good idea.<br />
** https://www.labshop.nl/labfles-glas-blank-gl45-blauw-simax/<br />
** €12,40 * 3 = '''€37,20'''<br />
* heat-resistant glassware for preparing the syrup (1L)<br />
** €9,23 https://www.labshop.nl/bekerglas-laag-model/<br />
** or '''€7,45''' https://labstuff.nl/contents/nl/p135.html<br />
** Ø 105mm, so '''watch glass ~€3''' https://labstuff.nl/contents/nl/p253.html<br />
* magnetic stirrer for mixing<br />
** €133,10 https://www.labshop.nl/mini-magnetische-roerder-rotilabo-m-3/<br />
** '''possible source: Michiel has one'''<br />
* 100mL volumetric flask to make the dilution steps easier<br />
** for pre-solution A<br />
** €22,63 https://www.labshop.nl/maatkolf/?attribute_pa_volume=100-ml-ns12-21-klasse-a<br />
** '''€11,15''' https://labstuff.nl/contents/nl/p4695.html<br />
* water carbonator / sodastream<br />
** '''Sjors has this at home'''<br />
* gloves / safety glasses<br />
** gloves €4,17<br />
** Sjors already has safety glasses<br />
<br />
<br />
If we don't need to buy the mass scale nor magnetic stirrer, tools come out to approximately €125.<br />
<br />
== Ingedients ==<br />
{| class="wikitable"<br />
|+<br />
!Ingredient<br />
!Source link<br />
!Quantity<br />
!Quantity necessary<br />
!Order amount<br />
!Price per piece<br />
!Price total<br />
!Makes L solution<sup>12</sup><br />
!Makes L cola<br />
!Price per L cola<br />
|-<br />
|'''Overall'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Sugar<br />
|Makro (Van Gils kristalsuiker)<br />
|1kg<br />
|Around 100g<br />
|1<br />
|€0,75<br />
|€0,75<br />
|<br />
|10L<br />
|7,5 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Carbonated water<br />
|Self-made<br />
|<br />
|Around 1L<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|'''Flavor solution A'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Food-grade 95% alcohol<br />
|Makro (Chauffe coeur)<br />
|1L<br />
|1L<br />
|1<br />
|€32,42<br />
|€32,42<br />
|1L<br />
|1 kL<br />
|3.24 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Lemon oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-lemon-1-fl-oz-30-ml/928 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-lemon-oil-30-ml Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|45.8mL<br />
|2<br />
|€7,01<br />
|€14,02<br />
|6,55L<br />
|6,55 kL<br />
|0,23 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Lime oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-lime-1-fl-oz-30-ml/930 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-essential-oils-lime Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|36.5mL<br />
|2<br />
|€12,47<br />
|€24,94<br />
|8,22L<br />
|8,22 kL<br />
|0,19 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Tea tree oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-tea-tree-1-fl-oz-30-ml/37827 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-tea-tree-oil-30-ml Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|8mL<br />
|1<br />
|€9,42<br />
|€9,42<br />
|18,75L<br />
|18,75 kL<br />
|0,05 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Cassia cinnamon oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-cinnamon-cassia-1-fl-oz-30-ml/915 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-cinnamon-cassia-oil-30-ml Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|4,5mL<br />
|1<br />
|€8,04<br />
|€8,04<br />
|33,33L<br />
|33,33 kL<br />
|0,03 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Aura Cacia Nutmeg oil<br />
|<s>[https://www.amazon.com/Aura-Cacia-Essential-Nutmeg-Fluid/dp/B0007KO2ZM/ref=sr_1_1 Amazon.com] '''out of stock''' (alternatives different brands [https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-nutmeg-1-fl-oz-30-ml/941 iHerb], [https://www.berivita.com/etherische-olie/nootmuskaat-olie-zuiver-puur-10ml Berivita] '''no GC/MS available''')</s>Ordered from [https://www.vinevida.com/products/nutmeg-essential-oil?variant=43269423399135 VeniVida.com], different brand but with very similar GC/MS measurements, so should taste equally.<br />
|10mL<br />
|2.7mL<br />
|1<br />
|$5,99<br />
|€5,19<br />
|18,51L<br />
|18,51 kL<br />
|0,03 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Orange oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-orange-1-fl-oz-30-ml/953 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-orange-oil-30-ml?sqr=orange%20oil Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|1.2mL<br />
|1<br />
|€5,53<br />
|€5,53<br />
|125L<br />
|125 kL<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Edens Garden Coriander seed oil<br />
|[https://www.edensgarden.com/products/coriander-seed Edens Garden] (alternative [https://www.amazon.com/Edens-Garden-Coriander-Undiluted-Therapeutic/dp/B0046ZUW7G/ref=sr_1_4 Amazon.com], different brand [https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/koriander-olie-puur-biologisch-natuurlijk-5ml/9300000188330683/ bol.com])<br />
|5mL<br />
|0.7mL<br />
|1<br />
|$14,95<br />
|€13,33<br />
|35,71L<br />
|35,71 kL<br />
|0,06 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Alpha-Fenchol<br />
|[https://www.amazon.com/CCS-alpha-fenchol-Alcohol-Fragrance-Compound/dp/B075H1TF9T/ref=sr_1_2 Amazon.com] (alternative [https://pellwall.com/products/fenchol Pellwall] (UK), [https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/227211376456 eBay], [https://pevgrow.com/en/fenchol-arae.html pevgrow] (€27,90 incl shipping?), [https://terpenes-uk.co.uk/products/fenchol-natural terpenes] (£32 incl shipping)<br />
|30mL<br />
|0.6mL<br />
|1<br />
|$12,99<br />
|€11,25<br />
|42L<br />
|42 kL<br />
|0,02 cents<br />
|-<br />
|'''Total flavor solution A'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|~ €120<br />
|1L<br />
|1kL<br />
|€0,03 when produced at scale<br />
€0,12 for first liter<br />
|-<br />
|'''Flavor solution B'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Durkee caramel color<br />
|[https://www.amazon.com/Durkee-Food-Color-Caramel-32-Ounce/dp/B007KZJZ8G/ref=sr_1_1 Amazon.com] (alternative [https://pantryful.com/products/durkee-caramel-food-color-32-oz Pantryful])<br />
|32 oz. (946 mL)<br />
|185mL<br />
|1<br />
|$17,95<br />
|€15,54<br />
|5,11L<br />
|511L<br />
|2,3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Food-grade vegetable glycerin<br />
|[https://www.amazon.nl/ISOLATECH-Glycerine-farmaceutische-kwaliteit-plantaardig/dp/B0D89YR2NV/ Amazon.nl] (alternative [https://www.labshop.nl/glycerol-glycerine-995/?attribute_pa_volume=1-l Labshop], [https://www.werkenmetmerken.nl/nl/glycerine_99_5_foodgrade/p/20904 werkenmetmerken.nl] €9 for 1L)<br />
|250mL<br />
|150g (~150mL?)<br />
|1<br />
|€5,99<br />
|€5,99<br />
|1,67L<br />
|167L<br />
|4 cents<br />
|-<br />
|85% Phosphoric acid<br />
|[https://www.labshop.nl/fosforzuur-85-nvp/ Labshop]<br />
|1L<br />
|43mL<br />
|1<br />
|€20,27<br />
|€20,27<br />
|23,26L<br />
|2326L<br />
|0,8 cents<br />
|-<br />
|North Mountain Wine tannin<br />
|[https://www.amazon.com/North-Mountain-Supply-WT-2oz-Tannin/dp/B0CYZ5YSXM/ref=sr_1_1 Amazon.com] (alternative different brand [https://brouwland.com/nl/eikenhouten-chips/195-tannine-vinoferm-tannorouge-20-g.html Brouwland])<br />
|56g<br />
|10g<br />
|1<br />
|$20,66<br />
|€17,89<br />
|2L<br />
|200L<br />
|3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Caffeine powder<br />
|[https://voordeelkruiden.nl/cafeine-poeder/ Voordeelkruiden]If we want more: [https://woele.nl/product/cafeine-poeder-pharma-grade-250g/ Woele] alternative: [https://www.laboratoriumdiscounter.nl/nl/cafeine-995-puur.html Laboratiumdiscounter]<br />
|50g<br />
|9,65g<br />
|1<br />
|€2,60<br />
|€2,60<br />
|5,18L<br />
|518L<br />
|0,5 cents<br />
|-<br />
|5% vinegar<br />
|Makro (Burg natuurazijn '''4%''', dus gebruik 25% meer?)<br />
|1L<br />
|10mL<br />
|1<br />
|€1,01<br />
|€1,01<br />
|100L<br />
|10kL<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Vanilla extract<br />
|[https://www.amazon.nl/SaporePuro-Pure-Vanilline-Poeder-Voedingskwaliteit/dp/B07V6HSWML/ref=sr_1_1?__mk_nl_NL=ÅMÅŽÕÑ&crid=S3YK6COFEB4L&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.gE60AFOvayWbmzJYCHChr8TqcFZvaogBtawzsE7Rd846KUNFjJJ3z91jJJQBjY8_tjHngHGBRvtAQaIjjWbKTP9JtkNXLhbTc_Px2qUbzOztLwDWWnzuwTTM48gwb7JBuE-y0ni2lpjqcbojdwCSV2B_UPjp6kPDCYmSqzMPl82SMx8veSSkuuIyXuQo1rUnkAL0kU9pORzp2UHjC1Od7bZAIUQuzZUFtn5Ts95L5jS-iCGQsXRgSBMwlD6liDtGo0yAoW6fn7Hy20-w6osCtvPJG5y8KXoeUAaxEjInEfE.6UvfWewk8PDpsS7ABIgm7tNLJA7M2iGHFIGvRvVsSjo&dib_tag=se&keywords=vanilline&qid=1775422577&sprefix=vanilline%2Caps%2C146&sr=8-1 Amazon.nl] (alternative [https://www.laboratoriumdiscounter.nl/en/vanillin-995-extra-pure-foodgrade.html Laboratoriumdiscounter] but expensive shipping, alternative [https://producten.makro.nl/shop/pv/BTY-X742890/0032/0021/Nomu-Vanille-Extract-50-ml Makro.nl] but don't know vanillin strength)<br />
|100g<br />
|1g (dissolve in 100 mL<br />
water, take 0.95mL)<br />
|1<br />
|€9,80<br />
|€9,80<br />
|10kL<br />
|1ML<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|'''Total flavor solution B'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|~ €70<br />
|2L<br />
|200 L<br />
|€0,11 when produced at scale<br />
€0,35 for first liter<br />
|}<br />
(1) The essential oils in solution A, quantities as under "Quantity necessary", together make 100mL of pre-solution. "Flavor solution A" then consists of 20 mL of pre-solution, diluted to 1L using alcohol. So for each mL of essential oil in the pre-solution, a fifth (0.2 mL) goes into a liter of the actual solution. So quantity times order amount is the amount of ingredients we have, divided by quantity necessary is the amount of 100mL pre-solution we can make with the order. We can make 5L of solution with that, so the formula is: (quantity * order amount * 5) / (quantity necessary). Since 1mL of solution A goes into a L of cola, 1L solution makes 1000L cola.<br />
<br />
(2) For solution B, the ingredients together make about 400mL of pre-solution. "Flavor solution B" then consists of those 400 mL, diluted to 1L using water. So the "quantity necessary" goes directly into 1L of "Flavor solution B". Since order amount is 1 for all of these, the formula is: quantity / (quantity necessary). Since 10mL of solution B goes into a L of cola, 1L solution makes 100L cola.<br />
<br />
== Expiry ==<br />
After the first batch I'll have a liter of solution A, which is almost fully alcohol, so I expect it not to expire at all. This bottle is good for a thousand liters of cola, which is probably enough for a lifetime.<br />
<br />
I'll also have 80 mL of pre-solution A, which I'll store separately. I also expect it not to expire, but to be sure, I could add alcohol to this as well, and label the bottle as such so I know exactly how much diluted pre-solution contains 20 mL of the original pre-solution.<br />
<br />
As for solution B, I'm not sure but I expect that will expire faster. The original ingredients probably don't expire if closed well? If I make 1L that's enough for 100 L of cola, which probably lasts a few months unless it's really popular.<br />
<br />
Knowing nothing at all about food safety I asked Claude for secondary advice. ("This is a cola syrup, isn't it?") They said the solution A mixture would remain ''safe'' indefinitely, but chemical degradation would affect aroma over the years; they advise to reduce air in the bottle, reduce repeated opening (freshening of the oxygen), reduce heat and reduce light exposure. With that, realistically expiry could be pushed well beyond 5 years. For solution B, they said microbial stability is also very good due to the phosphoric acid (1.0-1.5 pH). Again, chemical degradation is the limiting factor. Sealed, room temperature and out of light, Claude expects 12-18 months for peak flavor, and "probably safe well beyond that". It says the main thing to watch out for is sediment from the tannin, and flavor decreasing. Neither makes it unsafe. Commercial cola syrups like this one carry 6-12 month best-by dates, and it says our threshold for "still good" may be more forgiving.<br />
<br />
As for the original ingredient bottles, I should check if they are labeled with best-before dates and label them with the date I first opened them. Claude says the essential oils are most perishable; they will degrade in 6-12 months. For vanilla extract it's often commercially dated 2-4 years. All other things are either really easily purchaseable or very long-lived (5+ years).<br />
<br />
Conclusion:<br />
<br />
* Keep the bottles at room temperature (or colder), in the dark, and with little air headspace in the bottle.<br />
* For the solution A bottles, I'll mark them with their production date and "expected best before date" of 5 years.<br />
* For the solution B bottles, I'll mark them with their production date and "expected best before date" of 12 months.<br />
* For the original ingredient bottles, I'll store them the same way. I could consider making more pre-solution with alcohol for preservation.<br />
<br />
== Financial overview ==<br />
This is a hobby project, so it's OK if it costs money and isn't cost-effective. However, I wanted to get an overview for myself.<br />
<br />
Initial, one-time investment into tools is €125. The initial investments into ingredients for the first run is ~€200, and shipping is €100. That means the first batch costs €425 and we can produce around 200 liters of cola from this. If it tastes great and is popular and people want to drink it instead of Coca-Cola, I could sell it at a cost price of €2,13 per liter.<br />
<br />
If we actually (expect to) make more than 200 liters, then for the next 200 liters I'd only need to purchase additional wine tannin. So for the first batch of 400 liters, at a cost of ~€450, it'd already be €0,88 per liter. So that's what the price becomes if it turns out to be quite popular. Eventually, if it's ''really'' popular it would cost €0,14 for the flavor solutions, plus some sugar and carbonated water.<br />
<br />
All orders done for the first batch:<br />
<br />
* Edens Garden $14,95 (€13,33)<br />
** Edens Garden Coriander Seed essential oil<br />
* Amazon.com <s>$86,06 (€76,55)</s> $66,17 (€59,67)<br />
** Durkee caramel color<br />
** Alpha fenchol<br />
** <s>Aura Cacia nutmeg oil</s> (refunded, not in stock)<br />
** North Mountain wine tannin<br />
* VineVida.com $13.73 (€11,36)<br />
** VineVida nutmeg oil<br />
* iHerb €61,95<br />
** NOW Lemon oil<br />
** NOW Lime oil<br />
** NOW Tea tree oil<br />
** NOW Cassia cinnamon oil<br />
** NOW Orange oil<br />
* Amazon.nl €31,64<br />
** Graduated pipettes<br />
** Vanillin powder (foodgrade)<br />
** Glycerin 99.5% (foodgrade)<br />
* Labstuff.nl €35,57<br />
** Glassware (beaker, watch glass, volumetric flask)<br />
* Labshop.nl €81,30<br />
** Graduated cylinder<br />
** Storage bottles<br />
** 85% Phosphoric acid<br />
* Voordeelkruiden.nl €7,55<br />
** Caffeine powder<br />
* Makro €38,35<br />
** Sugar<br />
** Vinegar<br />
** Pure alcohol (food-grade)<br />
** Gloves<br />
*Shipping MyUS USA/FL -> Netherlands $110 (€100,60)<br />
**~$40 base charge<br />
**$30 "dangerous goods surcharge" (unexpected, since the items were below the "limited quantity threshold", but the company refused to waive)<br />
**$30 prepaid customs fees (unexpected, since the total shipment value should be below threshold, but I wanted to prevent any customs issues)<br />
**$3,50 liability coverage<br />
**mark "for personal use" and include a proforma invoice<br />
<br />
Total paid: €441,32</div>Sjors Gielenhttps://hackerspacenijmegen.nl/index.php?title=Projects:Making_cola&diff=2995Projects:Making cola2026-04-23T09:31:00Z<p>Sjors Gielen: /* Financial overview */</p>
<hr />
<div>[[Bestand:Schermafbeelding 2026-03-25 om 11.02.33.png|miniatuur]]<br />
[[Bestand:Schermafbeelding 2026-03-25 om 11.02.10.png|miniatuur]]<br />
I (Sjors) recently saw this video by LabCoatz reverse engineering the Coca-Cola recipe using (among other techniques) a mass spectrometer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDkH3EbWTYc<br />
<br />
Now I'm a bit of a Coca-Cola addict, so I'm intrigued and want to reproduce it.<br />
<br />
Perhaps once we've done this we can also make [[wikipedia:Open-source_cola|other kinds of cola]], like Toyen Cola, which has its recipe on the back. We could even do a taste test!<br />
<br />
== Overview ==<br />
LabCoatz calls the end product of their recipe '''LabCola'''. One liter of LabCola is built off of four components:<br />
<br />
* around 100g sugar<br />
* 1mL of flavor solution A<br />
* 10 mL of flavor solution B<br />
* around 1 liter of carbonated water<br />
<br />
Flavor solution A is made by adding the following components together (~100mL), then taking 20 mL from that and diluting to 1L using 95% ethanol:<br />
<br />
* 45.8mL lemon oil (NOW)<br />
* 36.5mL lime oil (NOW)<br />
* 8mL tea tree oil (NOW, from Australian tea tree, Melaleuca Alternifolia)<br />
* 4.5mL cassia cinnamon oil (NOW)<br />
* 2.7mL nutmeg oil (aura cacia)<br />
* 1.2mL orange oil (unknown brand, regular sweet orange)<br />
* 0.7mL coriander seed oil (Edens Garden, coriandrum sativum)<br />
* 0.6mL fenchol (any version of alpha-fenchol should work)<br />
<br />
Flavor solution B is made by adding the following components together (~400mL), then diluting to 1L using water:<br />
<br />
* 185mL caramel color (Durkee)<br />
* 150 grams food-grade vegetable glycerin (Equate)<br />
* 43mL 85% phosphoric acid (Duda Energy)<br />
* 10 grams wine tannin (North Mountain)<br />
* 9.65 grams caffeine<br />
* 10mL 5% vinegar (any white vinegar?)<br />
* 10mL vanilla extract (or a solution containing 0.95 grams per liter of vanillin)<br />
<br />
It's important to note that this is '''not''' '''the Coca-Cola recipe''', which uses coca leaf extract. It is supposed to be quite close, though.<br />
<br />
== Tools ==<br />
<br />
* Mass scale<br />
** Max measurement is 150g, most precise measurement is 9.65g<br />
** '''possible source: Michiel may have one''', Mats as well<br />
** possible source: €14,20 https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/precisie-weegschaal-0-01-gram-keukenweegschaal-digitaal-milligram-precisieweegschaal-pocket-weegschaal-sieraden-weegschaal/9300000031220365/<br />
** possible source: €29 https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/trendfield-precisie-weegschaal-0-001-gr-nauwkeurig-digitale-keukenweegschaal-inclusief-batterijen-zwart/9200000111011750/<br />
** possible source: €139,15 https://www.labshop.nl/schoolweegschaal-efs-500-2/<br />
* micropipette + tips<br />
** ideally an [https://www.merkala.nl/minipet-var-microliterpipet.html adjustable micropipette], but these are quite expensive (€100+)<br />
** fixed 100µL micropipette is cheaper, €25 https://www.merkala.nl/minipet-microliterpipet.html<br />
** could also get a few [https://www.kruidvat.nl/kruidvat-doseerspuit/p/2335439 doseerspuit] at Kruidvat, €2, precision should be somewhere between 0.1mL and 0.5mL<br />
** '''setje graduated pipettes €15,85''' https://www.amazon.nl/pipetten-Graduated-Reinigingsborstel-Roerstaaf-Laboratorium/dp/B07V3VC7YZ<br />
* 50 mL graduated cilinder<br />
** '''€14,74''' https://www.labshop.nl/maatcilinder-hoog-model-klasse-a-bruine-schaalverdeling/?attribute_pa_volume=10-ml<br />
* some storage bottles (mainly 1L)<br />
** I'll produce 100 mL of pre-solution A, then dilute that into 1L of solution A and store the rest of the 80mL separately. Solution B is 1L at a time, so I'll need 3 storage bottles.<br />
** I'm considering to produce only 10 mL of pre-solution A then dilute that into 100mL of solution A. Since the solution offgasses it requires very little air in the bottle, so a 100mL bottle would be a good idea.<br />
** https://www.labshop.nl/labfles-glas-blank-gl45-blauw-simax/<br />
** €12,40 * 3 = '''€37,20'''<br />
* heat-resistant glassware for preparing the syrup (1L)<br />
** €9,23 https://www.labshop.nl/bekerglas-laag-model/<br />
** or '''€7,45''' https://labstuff.nl/contents/nl/p135.html<br />
** Ø 105mm, so '''watch glass ~€3''' https://labstuff.nl/contents/nl/p253.html<br />
* magnetic stirrer for mixing<br />
** €133,10 https://www.labshop.nl/mini-magnetische-roerder-rotilabo-m-3/<br />
** '''possible source: Michiel has one'''<br />
* 100mL volumetric flask to make the dilution steps easier<br />
** for pre-solution A<br />
** €22,63 https://www.labshop.nl/maatkolf/?attribute_pa_volume=100-ml-ns12-21-klasse-a<br />
** '''€11,15''' https://labstuff.nl/contents/nl/p4695.html<br />
* water carbonator / sodastream<br />
** '''Sjors has this at home'''<br />
* gloves / safety glasses<br />
** gloves €4,17<br />
** Sjors already has safety glasses<br />
<br />
<br />
If we don't need to buy the mass scale nor magnetic stirrer, tools come out to approximately €125.<br />
<br />
== Ingedients ==<br />
{| class="wikitable"<br />
|+<br />
!Ingredient<br />
!Source link<br />
!Quantity<br />
!Quantity necessary<br />
!Order amount<br />
!Price per piece<br />
!Price total<br />
!Makes L solution<sup>12</sup><br />
!Makes L cola<br />
!Price per L cola<br />
|-<br />
|'''Overall'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Sugar<br />
|Makro (Van Gils kristalsuiker)<br />
|1kg<br />
|Around 100g<br />
|1<br />
|€0,75<br />
|€0,75<br />
|<br />
|10L<br />
|7,5 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Carbonated water<br />
|Self-made<br />
|<br />
|Around 1L<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|'''Flavor solution A'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Food-grade 95% alcohol<br />
|Makro (Chauffe coeur)<br />
|1L<br />
|1L<br />
|1<br />
|€32,42<br />
|€32,42<br />
|1L<br />
|1 kL<br />
|3.24 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Lemon oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-lemon-1-fl-oz-30-ml/928 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-lemon-oil-30-ml Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|45.8mL<br />
|2<br />
|€7,01<br />
|€14,02<br />
|6,55L<br />
|6,55 kL<br />
|0,23 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Lime oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-lime-1-fl-oz-30-ml/930 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-essential-oils-lime Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|36.5mL<br />
|2<br />
|€12,47<br />
|€24,94<br />
|8,22L<br />
|8,22 kL<br />
|0,19 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Tea tree oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-tea-tree-1-fl-oz-30-ml/37827 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-tea-tree-oil-30-ml Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|8mL<br />
|1<br />
|€9,42<br />
|€9,42<br />
|18,75L<br />
|18,75 kL<br />
|0,05 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Cassia cinnamon oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-cinnamon-cassia-1-fl-oz-30-ml/915 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-cinnamon-cassia-oil-30-ml Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|4,5mL<br />
|1<br />
|€8,04<br />
|€8,04<br />
|33,33L<br />
|33,33 kL<br />
|0,03 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Aura Cacia Nutmeg oil<br />
|<s>[https://www.amazon.com/Aura-Cacia-Essential-Nutmeg-Fluid/dp/B0007KO2ZM/ref=sr_1_1 Amazon.com] '''out of stock''' (alternatives different brands [https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-nutmeg-1-fl-oz-30-ml/941 iHerb], [https://www.berivita.com/etherische-olie/nootmuskaat-olie-zuiver-puur-10ml Berivita] '''no GC/MS available''')</s>Ordered from [https://www.vinevida.com/products/nutmeg-essential-oil?variant=43269423399135 VeniVida.com], different brand but with very similar GC/MS measurements, so should taste equally.<br />
|10mL<br />
|2.7mL<br />
|1<br />
|$5,99<br />
|€5,19<br />
|18,51L<br />
|18,51 kL<br />
|0,03 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Orange oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-orange-1-fl-oz-30-ml/953 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-orange-oil-30-ml?sqr=orange%20oil Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|1.2mL<br />
|1<br />
|€5,53<br />
|€5,53<br />
|125L<br />
|125 kL<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Edens Garden Coriander seed oil<br />
|[https://www.edensgarden.com/products/coriander-seed Edens Garden] (alternative [https://www.amazon.com/Edens-Garden-Coriander-Undiluted-Therapeutic/dp/B0046ZUW7G/ref=sr_1_4 Amazon.com], different brand [https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/koriander-olie-puur-biologisch-natuurlijk-5ml/9300000188330683/ bol.com])<br />
|5mL<br />
|0.7mL<br />
|1<br />
|$14,95<br />
|€13,33<br />
|35,71L<br />
|35,71 kL<br />
|0,06 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Alpha-Fenchol<br />
|[https://www.amazon.com/CCS-alpha-fenchol-Alcohol-Fragrance-Compound/dp/B075H1TF9T/ref=sr_1_2 Amazon.com] (alternative [https://pellwall.com/products/fenchol Pellwall] (UK), [https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/227211376456 eBay], [https://pevgrow.com/en/fenchol-arae.html pevgrow] (€27,90 incl shipping?), [https://terpenes-uk.co.uk/products/fenchol-natural terpenes] (£32 incl shipping)<br />
|30mL<br />
|0.6mL<br />
|1<br />
|$12,99<br />
|€11,25<br />
|42L<br />
|42 kL<br />
|0,02 cents<br />
|-<br />
|'''Total flavor solution A'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|~ €120<br />
|1L<br />
|1kL<br />
|€0,03 when produced at scale<br />
€0,12 for first liter<br />
|-<br />
|'''Flavor solution B'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Durkee caramel color<br />
|[https://www.amazon.com/Durkee-Food-Color-Caramel-32-Ounce/dp/B007KZJZ8G/ref=sr_1_1 Amazon.com] (alternative [https://pantryful.com/products/durkee-caramel-food-color-32-oz Pantryful])<br />
|32 oz. (946 mL)<br />
|185mL<br />
|1<br />
|$17,95<br />
|€15,54<br />
|5,11L<br />
|511L<br />
|2,3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Food-grade vegetable glycerin<br />
|[https://www.amazon.nl/ISOLATECH-Glycerine-farmaceutische-kwaliteit-plantaardig/dp/B0D89YR2NV/ Amazon.nl] (alternative [https://www.labshop.nl/glycerol-glycerine-995/?attribute_pa_volume=1-l Labshop], [https://www.werkenmetmerken.nl/nl/glycerine_99_5_foodgrade/p/20904 werkenmetmerken.nl] €9 for 1L)<br />
|250mL<br />
|150g (~150mL?)<br />
|1<br />
|€5,99<br />
|€5,99<br />
|1,67L<br />
|167L<br />
|4 cents<br />
|-<br />
|85% Phosphoric acid<br />
|[https://www.labshop.nl/fosforzuur-85-nvp/ Labshop]<br />
|1L<br />
|43mL<br />
|1<br />
|€20,27<br />
|€20,27<br />
|23,26L<br />
|2326L<br />
|0,8 cents<br />
|-<br />
|North Mountain Wine tannin<br />
|[https://www.amazon.com/North-Mountain-Supply-WT-2oz-Tannin/dp/B0CYZ5YSXM/ref=sr_1_1 Amazon.com] (alternative different brand [https://brouwland.com/nl/eikenhouten-chips/195-tannine-vinoferm-tannorouge-20-g.html Brouwland])<br />
|56g<br />
|10g<br />
|1<br />
|$20,66<br />
|€17,89<br />
|2L<br />
|200L<br />
|3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Caffeine powder<br />
|[https://voordeelkruiden.nl/cafeine-poeder/ Voordeelkruiden]If we want more: [https://woele.nl/product/cafeine-poeder-pharma-grade-250g/ Woele] alternative: [https://www.laboratoriumdiscounter.nl/nl/cafeine-995-puur.html Laboratiumdiscounter]<br />
|50g<br />
|9,65g<br />
|1<br />
|€2,60<br />
|€2,60<br />
|5,18L<br />
|518L<br />
|0,5 cents<br />
|-<br />
|5% vinegar<br />
|Makro (Burg natuurazijn '''4%''', dus gebruik 25% meer?)<br />
|1L<br />
|10mL<br />
|1<br />
|€1,01<br />
|€1,01<br />
|100L<br />
|10kL<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Vanilla extract<br />
|[https://www.amazon.nl/SaporePuro-Pure-Vanilline-Poeder-Voedingskwaliteit/dp/B07V6HSWML/ref=sr_1_1?__mk_nl_NL=ÅMÅŽÕÑ&crid=S3YK6COFEB4L&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.gE60AFOvayWbmzJYCHChr8TqcFZvaogBtawzsE7Rd846KUNFjJJ3z91jJJQBjY8_tjHngHGBRvtAQaIjjWbKTP9JtkNXLhbTc_Px2qUbzOztLwDWWnzuwTTM48gwb7JBuE-y0ni2lpjqcbojdwCSV2B_UPjp6kPDCYmSqzMPl82SMx8veSSkuuIyXuQo1rUnkAL0kU9pORzp2UHjC1Od7bZAIUQuzZUFtn5Ts95L5jS-iCGQsXRgSBMwlD6liDtGo0yAoW6fn7Hy20-w6osCtvPJG5y8KXoeUAaxEjInEfE.6UvfWewk8PDpsS7ABIgm7tNLJA7M2iGHFIGvRvVsSjo&dib_tag=se&keywords=vanilline&qid=1775422577&sprefix=vanilline%2Caps%2C146&sr=8-1 Amazon.nl] (alternative [https://www.laboratoriumdiscounter.nl/en/vanillin-995-extra-pure-foodgrade.html Laboratoriumdiscounter] but expensive shipping, alternative [https://producten.makro.nl/shop/pv/BTY-X742890/0032/0021/Nomu-Vanille-Extract-50-ml Makro.nl] but don't know vanillin strength)<br />
|100g<br />
|1g (dissolve in 100 mL<br />
water, take 0.95mL)<br />
|1<br />
|€9,80<br />
|€9,80<br />
|10kL<br />
|1ML<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|'''Total flavor solution B'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|~ €70<br />
|2L<br />
|200 L<br />
|€0,11 when produced at scale<br />
€0,35 for first liter<br />
|}<br />
(1) The essential oils in solution A, quantities as under "Quantity necessary", together make 100mL of pre-solution. "Flavor solution A" then consists of 20 mL of pre-solution, diluted to 1L using alcohol. So for each mL of essential oil in the pre-solution, a fifth (0.2 mL) goes into a liter of the actual solution. So quantity times order amount is the amount of ingredients we have, divided by quantity necessary is the amount of 100mL pre-solution we can make with the order. We can make 5L of solution with that, so the formula is: (quantity * order amount * 5) / (quantity necessary). Since 1mL of solution A goes into a L of cola, 1L solution makes 1000L cola.<br />
<br />
(2) For solution B, the ingredients together make about 400mL of pre-solution. "Flavor solution B" then consists of those 400 mL, diluted to 1L using water. So the "quantity necessary" goes directly into 1L of "Flavor solution B". Since order amount is 1 for all of these, the formula is: quantity / (quantity necessary). Since 10mL of solution B goes into a L of cola, 1L solution makes 100L cola.<br />
<br />
== Expiry ==<br />
After the first batch I'll have a liter of solution A, which is almost fully alcohol, so I expect it not to expire at all. This bottle is good for a thousand liters of cola, which is probably enough for a lifetime.<br />
<br />
I'll also have 80 mL of pre-solution A, which I'll store separately. I also expect it not to expire, but to be sure, I could add alcohol to this as well, and label the bottle as such so I know exactly how much diluted pre-solution contains 20 mL of the original pre-solution.<br />
<br />
As for solution B, I'm not sure but I expect that will expire faster. The original ingredients probably don't expire if closed well? If I make 1L that's enough for 100 L of cola, which probably lasts a few months unless it's really popular.<br />
<br />
Knowing nothing at all about food safety I asked Claude for secondary advice. ("This is a cola syrup, isn't it?") They said the solution A mixture would remain ''safe'' indefinitely, but chemical degradation would affect aroma over the years; they advise to reduce air in the bottle, reduce repeated opening (freshening of the oxygen), reduce heat and reduce light exposure. With that, realistically expiry could be pushed well beyond 5 years. For solution B, they said microbial stability is also very good due to the phosphoric acid (1.0-1.5 pH). Again, chemical degradation is the limiting factor. Sealed, room temperature and out of light, Claude expects 12-18 months for peak flavor, and "probably safe well beyond that". It says the main thing to watch out for is sediment from the tannin, and flavor decreasing. Neither makes it unsafe. Commercial cola syrups like this one carry 6-12 month best-by dates, and it says our threshold for "still good" may be more forgiving.<br />
<br />
As for the original ingredient bottles, I should check if they are labeled with best-before dates and label them with the date I first opened them. Claude says the essential oils are most perishable; they will degrade in 6-12 months. For vanilla extract it's often commercially dated 2-4 years. All other things are either really easily purchaseable or very long-lived (5+ years).<br />
<br />
Conclusion:<br />
<br />
* Keep the bottles at room temperature (or colder), in the dark, and with little air headspace in the bottle.<br />
* For the solution A bottles, I'll mark them with their production date and "expected best before date" of 5 years.<br />
* For the solution B bottles, I'll mark them with their production date and "expected best before date" of 12 months.<br />
* For the original ingredient bottles, I'll store them the same way. I could consider making more pre-solution with alcohol for preservation.<br />
<br />
== Financial overview ==<br />
This is a hobby project, so it's OK if it costs money and isn't cost-effective. However, I wanted to get an overview for myself.<br />
<br />
Initial, one-time investment into tools is €125. The initial investments into ingredients for the first run is ~€200, and shipping is €100. That means the first batch costs €425 and we can produce around 200 liters of cola from this. If it tastes great and is popular and people want to drink it instead of Coca-Cola, I could sell it at a cost price of €2,13 per liter.<br />
<br />
If we actually (expect to) make more than 200 liters, then for the next 200 liters I'd only need to purchase additional wine tannin. So for the first batch of 400 liters, at a cost of ~€450, it'd already be €0,88 per liter. So that's what the price becomes if it turns out to be quite popular. Eventually, if it's ''really'' popular it would cost €0,14 for the flavor solutions, plus some sugar and carbonated water.<br />
<br />
So far, three orders were done:<br />
<br />
* Edens Garden $14,95 (€13,33)<br />
** Edens Garden Coriander Seed essential oil<br />
* Amazon.com <s>$86,06 (€76,55)</s> $66,17 (€59,67)<br />
** Durkee caramel color<br />
** Alpha fenchol<br />
** <s>Aura Cacia nutmeg oil</s> (refunded, not in stock)<br />
** North Mountain wine tannin<br />
* VineVida.com $13.73 (€11,36)<br />
** VineVida nutmeg oil<br />
* iHerb €61,95<br />
** NOW Lemon oil<br />
** NOW Lime oil<br />
** NOW Tea tree oil<br />
** NOW Cassia cinnamon oil<br />
** NOW Orange oil<br />
* TODO: MyUS shipping from Florida to Netherlands ~€20<br />
* Amazon.nl €31,64<br />
** Graduated pipettes<br />
** Vanillin powder (foodgrade)<br />
** Glycerin 99.5% (foodgrade)<br />
* Labstuff.nl €35,57<br />
** Glassware (beaker, watch glass, volumetric flask)<br />
* Labshop.nl €81,30<br />
** Graduated cylinder<br />
** Storage bottles<br />
** 85% Phosphoric acid<br />
* Voordeelkruiden.nl €7,55<br />
** Caffeine powder<br />
* Makro €38,35<br />
** Sugar<br />
** Vinegar<br />
** Pure alcohol (food-grade)<br />
** Gloves<br />
*Shipping MyUS USA/FL -> Netherlands $110 (€100,60)<br />
**~$40 base charge<br />
**$30 "dangerous goods surcharge" (unexpected, since the items were below the "limited quantity threshold", but the company refused to waive)<br />
**$30 prepaid customs fees (unexpected, since the total shipment value should be below threshold, but I wanted to prevent any customs issues)<br />
**$3,50 liability coverage<br />
**mark "for personal use" and include a proforma invoice<br />
<br />
Total paid: €441,32</div>Sjors Gielenhttps://hackerspacenijmegen.nl/index.php?title=Projects:Making_cola&diff=2994Projects:Making cola2026-04-23T09:29:24Z<p>Sjors Gielen: /* Financial overview */</p>
<hr />
<div>[[Bestand:Schermafbeelding 2026-03-25 om 11.02.33.png|miniatuur]]<br />
[[Bestand:Schermafbeelding 2026-03-25 om 11.02.10.png|miniatuur]]<br />
I (Sjors) recently saw this video by LabCoatz reverse engineering the Coca-Cola recipe using (among other techniques) a mass spectrometer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDkH3EbWTYc<br />
<br />
Now I'm a bit of a Coca-Cola addict, so I'm intrigued and want to reproduce it.<br />
<br />
Perhaps once we've done this we can also make [[wikipedia:Open-source_cola|other kinds of cola]], like Toyen Cola, which has its recipe on the back. We could even do a taste test!<br />
<br />
== Overview ==<br />
LabCoatz calls the end product of their recipe '''LabCola'''. One liter of LabCola is built off of four components:<br />
<br />
* around 100g sugar<br />
* 1mL of flavor solution A<br />
* 10 mL of flavor solution B<br />
* around 1 liter of carbonated water<br />
<br />
Flavor solution A is made by adding the following components together (~100mL), then taking 20 mL from that and diluting to 1L using 95% ethanol:<br />
<br />
* 45.8mL lemon oil (NOW)<br />
* 36.5mL lime oil (NOW)<br />
* 8mL tea tree oil (NOW, from Australian tea tree, Melaleuca Alternifolia)<br />
* 4.5mL cassia cinnamon oil (NOW)<br />
* 2.7mL nutmeg oil (aura cacia)<br />
* 1.2mL orange oil (unknown brand, regular sweet orange)<br />
* 0.7mL coriander seed oil (Edens Garden, coriandrum sativum)<br />
* 0.6mL fenchol (any version of alpha-fenchol should work)<br />
<br />
Flavor solution B is made by adding the following components together (~400mL), then diluting to 1L using water:<br />
<br />
* 185mL caramel color (Durkee)<br />
* 150 grams food-grade vegetable glycerin (Equate)<br />
* 43mL 85% phosphoric acid (Duda Energy)<br />
* 10 grams wine tannin (North Mountain)<br />
* 9.65 grams caffeine<br />
* 10mL 5% vinegar (any white vinegar?)<br />
* 10mL vanilla extract (or a solution containing 0.95 grams per liter of vanillin)<br />
<br />
It's important to note that this is '''not''' '''the Coca-Cola recipe''', which uses coca leaf extract. It is supposed to be quite close, though.<br />
<br />
== Tools ==<br />
<br />
* Mass scale<br />
** Max measurement is 150g, most precise measurement is 9.65g<br />
** '''possible source: Michiel may have one''', Mats as well<br />
** possible source: €14,20 https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/precisie-weegschaal-0-01-gram-keukenweegschaal-digitaal-milligram-precisieweegschaal-pocket-weegschaal-sieraden-weegschaal/9300000031220365/<br />
** possible source: €29 https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/trendfield-precisie-weegschaal-0-001-gr-nauwkeurig-digitale-keukenweegschaal-inclusief-batterijen-zwart/9200000111011750/<br />
** possible source: €139,15 https://www.labshop.nl/schoolweegschaal-efs-500-2/<br />
* micropipette + tips<br />
** ideally an [https://www.merkala.nl/minipet-var-microliterpipet.html adjustable micropipette], but these are quite expensive (€100+)<br />
** fixed 100µL micropipette is cheaper, €25 https://www.merkala.nl/minipet-microliterpipet.html<br />
** could also get a few [https://www.kruidvat.nl/kruidvat-doseerspuit/p/2335439 doseerspuit] at Kruidvat, €2, precision should be somewhere between 0.1mL and 0.5mL<br />
** '''setje graduated pipettes €15,85''' https://www.amazon.nl/pipetten-Graduated-Reinigingsborstel-Roerstaaf-Laboratorium/dp/B07V3VC7YZ<br />
* 50 mL graduated cilinder<br />
** '''€14,74''' https://www.labshop.nl/maatcilinder-hoog-model-klasse-a-bruine-schaalverdeling/?attribute_pa_volume=10-ml<br />
* some storage bottles (mainly 1L)<br />
** I'll produce 100 mL of pre-solution A, then dilute that into 1L of solution A and store the rest of the 80mL separately. Solution B is 1L at a time, so I'll need 3 storage bottles.<br />
** I'm considering to produce only 10 mL of pre-solution A then dilute that into 100mL of solution A. Since the solution offgasses it requires very little air in the bottle, so a 100mL bottle would be a good idea.<br />
** https://www.labshop.nl/labfles-glas-blank-gl45-blauw-simax/<br />
** €12,40 * 3 = '''€37,20'''<br />
* heat-resistant glassware for preparing the syrup (1L)<br />
** €9,23 https://www.labshop.nl/bekerglas-laag-model/<br />
** or '''€7,45''' https://labstuff.nl/contents/nl/p135.html<br />
** Ø 105mm, so '''watch glass ~€3''' https://labstuff.nl/contents/nl/p253.html<br />
* magnetic stirrer for mixing<br />
** €133,10 https://www.labshop.nl/mini-magnetische-roerder-rotilabo-m-3/<br />
** '''possible source: Michiel has one'''<br />
* 100mL volumetric flask to make the dilution steps easier<br />
** for pre-solution A<br />
** €22,63 https://www.labshop.nl/maatkolf/?attribute_pa_volume=100-ml-ns12-21-klasse-a<br />
** '''€11,15''' https://labstuff.nl/contents/nl/p4695.html<br />
* water carbonator / sodastream<br />
** '''Sjors has this at home'''<br />
* gloves / safety glasses<br />
** gloves €4,17<br />
** Sjors already has safety glasses<br />
<br />
<br />
If we don't need to buy the mass scale nor magnetic stirrer, tools come out to approximately €125.<br />
<br />
== Ingedients ==<br />
{| class="wikitable"<br />
|+<br />
!Ingredient<br />
!Source link<br />
!Quantity<br />
!Quantity necessary<br />
!Order amount<br />
!Price per piece<br />
!Price total<br />
!Makes L solution<sup>12</sup><br />
!Makes L cola<br />
!Price per L cola<br />
|-<br />
|'''Overall'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Sugar<br />
|Makro (Van Gils kristalsuiker)<br />
|1kg<br />
|Around 100g<br />
|1<br />
|€0,75<br />
|€0,75<br />
|<br />
|10L<br />
|7,5 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Carbonated water<br />
|Self-made<br />
|<br />
|Around 1L<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|'''Flavor solution A'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Food-grade 95% alcohol<br />
|Makro (Chauffe coeur)<br />
|1L<br />
|1L<br />
|1<br />
|€32,42<br />
|€32,42<br />
|1L<br />
|1 kL<br />
|3.24 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Lemon oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-lemon-1-fl-oz-30-ml/928 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-lemon-oil-30-ml Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|45.8mL<br />
|2<br />
|€7,01<br />
|€14,02<br />
|6,55L<br />
|6,55 kL<br />
|0,23 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Lime oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-lime-1-fl-oz-30-ml/930 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-essential-oils-lime Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|36.5mL<br />
|2<br />
|€12,47<br />
|€24,94<br />
|8,22L<br />
|8,22 kL<br />
|0,19 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Tea tree oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-tea-tree-1-fl-oz-30-ml/37827 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-tea-tree-oil-30-ml Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|8mL<br />
|1<br />
|€9,42<br />
|€9,42<br />
|18,75L<br />
|18,75 kL<br />
|0,05 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Cassia cinnamon oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-cinnamon-cassia-1-fl-oz-30-ml/915 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-cinnamon-cassia-oil-30-ml Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|4,5mL<br />
|1<br />
|€8,04<br />
|€8,04<br />
|33,33L<br />
|33,33 kL<br />
|0,03 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Aura Cacia Nutmeg oil<br />
|<s>[https://www.amazon.com/Aura-Cacia-Essential-Nutmeg-Fluid/dp/B0007KO2ZM/ref=sr_1_1 Amazon.com] '''out of stock''' (alternatives different brands [https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-nutmeg-1-fl-oz-30-ml/941 iHerb], [https://www.berivita.com/etherische-olie/nootmuskaat-olie-zuiver-puur-10ml Berivita] '''no GC/MS available''')</s>Ordered from [https://www.vinevida.com/products/nutmeg-essential-oil?variant=43269423399135 VeniVida.com], different brand but with very similar GC/MS measurements, so should taste equally.<br />
|10mL<br />
|2.7mL<br />
|1<br />
|$5,99<br />
|€5,19<br />
|18,51L<br />
|18,51 kL<br />
|0,03 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Orange oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-orange-1-fl-oz-30-ml/953 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-orange-oil-30-ml?sqr=orange%20oil Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|1.2mL<br />
|1<br />
|€5,53<br />
|€5,53<br />
|125L<br />
|125 kL<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Edens Garden Coriander seed oil<br />
|[https://www.edensgarden.com/products/coriander-seed Edens Garden] (alternative [https://www.amazon.com/Edens-Garden-Coriander-Undiluted-Therapeutic/dp/B0046ZUW7G/ref=sr_1_4 Amazon.com], different brand [https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/koriander-olie-puur-biologisch-natuurlijk-5ml/9300000188330683/ bol.com])<br />
|5mL<br />
|0.7mL<br />
|1<br />
|$14,95<br />
|€13,33<br />
|35,71L<br />
|35,71 kL<br />
|0,06 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Alpha-Fenchol<br />
|[https://www.amazon.com/CCS-alpha-fenchol-Alcohol-Fragrance-Compound/dp/B075H1TF9T/ref=sr_1_2 Amazon.com] (alternative [https://pellwall.com/products/fenchol Pellwall] (UK), [https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/227211376456 eBay], [https://pevgrow.com/en/fenchol-arae.html pevgrow] (€27,90 incl shipping?), [https://terpenes-uk.co.uk/products/fenchol-natural terpenes] (£32 incl shipping)<br />
|30mL<br />
|0.6mL<br />
|1<br />
|$12,99<br />
|€11,25<br />
|42L<br />
|42 kL<br />
|0,02 cents<br />
|-<br />
|'''Total flavor solution A'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|~ €120<br />
|1L<br />
|1kL<br />
|€0,03 when produced at scale<br />
€0,12 for first liter<br />
|-<br />
|'''Flavor solution B'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Durkee caramel color<br />
|[https://www.amazon.com/Durkee-Food-Color-Caramel-32-Ounce/dp/B007KZJZ8G/ref=sr_1_1 Amazon.com] (alternative [https://pantryful.com/products/durkee-caramel-food-color-32-oz Pantryful])<br />
|32 oz. (946 mL)<br />
|185mL<br />
|1<br />
|$17,95<br />
|€15,54<br />
|5,11L<br />
|511L<br />
|2,3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Food-grade vegetable glycerin<br />
|[https://www.amazon.nl/ISOLATECH-Glycerine-farmaceutische-kwaliteit-plantaardig/dp/B0D89YR2NV/ Amazon.nl] (alternative [https://www.labshop.nl/glycerol-glycerine-995/?attribute_pa_volume=1-l Labshop], [https://www.werkenmetmerken.nl/nl/glycerine_99_5_foodgrade/p/20904 werkenmetmerken.nl] €9 for 1L)<br />
|250mL<br />
|150g (~150mL?)<br />
|1<br />
|€5,99<br />
|€5,99<br />
|1,67L<br />
|167L<br />
|4 cents<br />
|-<br />
|85% Phosphoric acid<br />
|[https://www.labshop.nl/fosforzuur-85-nvp/ Labshop]<br />
|1L<br />
|43mL<br />
|1<br />
|€20,27<br />
|€20,27<br />
|23,26L<br />
|2326L<br />
|0,8 cents<br />
|-<br />
|North Mountain Wine tannin<br />
|[https://www.amazon.com/North-Mountain-Supply-WT-2oz-Tannin/dp/B0CYZ5YSXM/ref=sr_1_1 Amazon.com] (alternative different brand [https://brouwland.com/nl/eikenhouten-chips/195-tannine-vinoferm-tannorouge-20-g.html Brouwland])<br />
|56g<br />
|10g<br />
|1<br />
|$20,66<br />
|€17,89<br />
|2L<br />
|200L<br />
|3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Caffeine powder<br />
|[https://voordeelkruiden.nl/cafeine-poeder/ Voordeelkruiden]If we want more: [https://woele.nl/product/cafeine-poeder-pharma-grade-250g/ Woele] alternative: [https://www.laboratoriumdiscounter.nl/nl/cafeine-995-puur.html Laboratiumdiscounter]<br />
|50g<br />
|9,65g<br />
|1<br />
|€2,60<br />
|€2,60<br />
|5,18L<br />
|518L<br />
|0,5 cents<br />
|-<br />
|5% vinegar<br />
|Makro (Burg natuurazijn '''4%''', dus gebruik 25% meer?)<br />
|1L<br />
|10mL<br />
|1<br />
|€1,01<br />
|€1,01<br />
|100L<br />
|10kL<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Vanilla extract<br />
|[https://www.amazon.nl/SaporePuro-Pure-Vanilline-Poeder-Voedingskwaliteit/dp/B07V6HSWML/ref=sr_1_1?__mk_nl_NL=ÅMÅŽÕÑ&crid=S3YK6COFEB4L&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.gE60AFOvayWbmzJYCHChr8TqcFZvaogBtawzsE7Rd846KUNFjJJ3z91jJJQBjY8_tjHngHGBRvtAQaIjjWbKTP9JtkNXLhbTc_Px2qUbzOztLwDWWnzuwTTM48gwb7JBuE-y0ni2lpjqcbojdwCSV2B_UPjp6kPDCYmSqzMPl82SMx8veSSkuuIyXuQo1rUnkAL0kU9pORzp2UHjC1Od7bZAIUQuzZUFtn5Ts95L5jS-iCGQsXRgSBMwlD6liDtGo0yAoW6fn7Hy20-w6osCtvPJG5y8KXoeUAaxEjInEfE.6UvfWewk8PDpsS7ABIgm7tNLJA7M2iGHFIGvRvVsSjo&dib_tag=se&keywords=vanilline&qid=1775422577&sprefix=vanilline%2Caps%2C146&sr=8-1 Amazon.nl] (alternative [https://www.laboratoriumdiscounter.nl/en/vanillin-995-extra-pure-foodgrade.html Laboratoriumdiscounter] but expensive shipping, alternative [https://producten.makro.nl/shop/pv/BTY-X742890/0032/0021/Nomu-Vanille-Extract-50-ml Makro.nl] but don't know vanillin strength)<br />
|100g<br />
|1g (dissolve in 100 mL<br />
water, take 0.95mL)<br />
|1<br />
|€9,80<br />
|€9,80<br />
|10kL<br />
|1ML<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|'''Total flavor solution B'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|~ €70<br />
|2L<br />
|200 L<br />
|€0,11 when produced at scale<br />
€0,35 for first liter<br />
|}<br />
(1) The essential oils in solution A, quantities as under "Quantity necessary", together make 100mL of pre-solution. "Flavor solution A" then consists of 20 mL of pre-solution, diluted to 1L using alcohol. So for each mL of essential oil in the pre-solution, a fifth (0.2 mL) goes into a liter of the actual solution. So quantity times order amount is the amount of ingredients we have, divided by quantity necessary is the amount of 100mL pre-solution we can make with the order. We can make 5L of solution with that, so the formula is: (quantity * order amount * 5) / (quantity necessary). Since 1mL of solution A goes into a L of cola, 1L solution makes 1000L cola.<br />
<br />
(2) For solution B, the ingredients together make about 400mL of pre-solution. "Flavor solution B" then consists of those 400 mL, diluted to 1L using water. So the "quantity necessary" goes directly into 1L of "Flavor solution B". Since order amount is 1 for all of these, the formula is: quantity / (quantity necessary). Since 10mL of solution B goes into a L of cola, 1L solution makes 100L cola.<br />
<br />
== Expiry ==<br />
After the first batch I'll have a liter of solution A, which is almost fully alcohol, so I expect it not to expire at all. This bottle is good for a thousand liters of cola, which is probably enough for a lifetime.<br />
<br />
I'll also have 80 mL of pre-solution A, which I'll store separately. I also expect it not to expire, but to be sure, I could add alcohol to this as well, and label the bottle as such so I know exactly how much diluted pre-solution contains 20 mL of the original pre-solution.<br />
<br />
As for solution B, I'm not sure but I expect that will expire faster. The original ingredients probably don't expire if closed well? If I make 1L that's enough for 100 L of cola, which probably lasts a few months unless it's really popular.<br />
<br />
Knowing nothing at all about food safety I asked Claude for secondary advice. ("This is a cola syrup, isn't it?") They said the solution A mixture would remain ''safe'' indefinitely, but chemical degradation would affect aroma over the years; they advise to reduce air in the bottle, reduce repeated opening (freshening of the oxygen), reduce heat and reduce light exposure. With that, realistically expiry could be pushed well beyond 5 years. For solution B, they said microbial stability is also very good due to the phosphoric acid (1.0-1.5 pH). Again, chemical degradation is the limiting factor. Sealed, room temperature and out of light, Claude expects 12-18 months for peak flavor, and "probably safe well beyond that". It says the main thing to watch out for is sediment from the tannin, and flavor decreasing. Neither makes it unsafe. Commercial cola syrups like this one carry 6-12 month best-by dates, and it says our threshold for "still good" may be more forgiving.<br />
<br />
As for the original ingredient bottles, I should check if they are labeled with best-before dates and label them with the date I first opened them. Claude says the essential oils are most perishable; they will degrade in 6-12 months. For vanilla extract it's often commercially dated 2-4 years. All other things are either really easily purchaseable or very long-lived (5+ years).<br />
<br />
Conclusion:<br />
<br />
* Keep the bottles at room temperature (or colder), in the dark, and with little air headspace in the bottle.<br />
* For the solution A bottles, I'll mark them with their production date and "expected best before date" of 5 years.<br />
* For the solution B bottles, I'll mark them with their production date and "expected best before date" of 12 months.<br />
* For the original ingredient bottles, I'll store them the same way. I could consider making more pre-solution with alcohol for preservation.<br />
<br />
== Financial overview ==<br />
This is a hobby project, so it's OK if it costs money and isn't cost-effective. However, I wanted to get an overview for myself.<br />
<br />
Initial, one-time investment into tools is €125. The initial investments into ingredients for the first run is ~€200. With some margin, that means the first batch costs €350 and we can produce around 200 liters of cola from this. If it tastes great and is popular and people want to drink it instead of Coca-Cola, I could sell it at a cost price of €1,75 per liter.<br />
<br />
If we actually (expect to) make more than 200 liters, then for the next 200 liters I'd only need to purchase additional wine tannin. So for the first batch of 400 liters, at a cost of €350, it'd already be €0,88 per liter. So that's what the price becomes if it turns out to be quite popular. Eventually, if it's ''really'' popular it would cost €0,14 for the flavor solutions, plus some sugar and carbonated water.<br />
<br />
So far, three orders were done:<br />
<br />
* Edens Garden $14,95 (€13,33)<br />
** Edens Garden Coriander Seed essential oil<br />
* Amazon.com <s>$86,06 (€76,55)</s> $66,17 (€59,67)<br />
** Durkee caramel color<br />
** Alpha fenchol<br />
** <s>Aura Cacia nutmeg oil</s> (refunded, not in stock)<br />
** North Mountain wine tannin<br />
* VineVida.com $13.73 (€11,36)<br />
** VineVida nutmeg oil<br />
* iHerb €61,95<br />
** NOW Lemon oil<br />
** NOW Lime oil<br />
** NOW Tea tree oil<br />
** NOW Cassia cinnamon oil<br />
** NOW Orange oil<br />
* TODO: MyUS shipping from Florida to Netherlands ~€20<br />
* Amazon.nl €31,64<br />
** Graduated pipettes<br />
** Vanillin powder (foodgrade)<br />
** Glycerin 99.5% (foodgrade)<br />
* Labstuff.nl €35,57<br />
** Glassware (beaker, watch glass, volumetric flask)<br />
* Labshop.nl €81,30<br />
** Graduated cylinder<br />
** Storage bottles<br />
** 85% Phosphoric acid<br />
* Voordeelkruiden.nl €7,55<br />
** Caffeine powder<br />
* Makro €38,35<br />
** Sugar<br />
** Vinegar<br />
** Pure alcohol (food-grade)<br />
** Gloves<br />
*Shipping MyUS USA/FL -> Netherlands $110 (€100,60)<br />
**~$40 base charge<br />
**$30 "dangerous goods surcharge" (unexpected, since the items were below the "limited quantity threshold", but the company refused to waive)<br />
**$30 prepaid customs fees (unexpected, since the total shipment value should be below threshold, but I wanted to prevent any customs issues)<br />
**$3,50 liability coverage<br />
**mark "for personal use" and include a proforma invoice<br />
<br />
Total paid: €441,32</div>Sjors Gielenhttps://hackerspacenijmegen.nl/index.php?title=Projects:Making_cola&diff=2993Projects:Making cola2026-04-23T09:27:00Z<p>Sjors Gielen: /* Financial overview */</p>
<hr />
<div>[[Bestand:Schermafbeelding 2026-03-25 om 11.02.33.png|miniatuur]]<br />
[[Bestand:Schermafbeelding 2026-03-25 om 11.02.10.png|miniatuur]]<br />
I (Sjors) recently saw this video by LabCoatz reverse engineering the Coca-Cola recipe using (among other techniques) a mass spectrometer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDkH3EbWTYc<br />
<br />
Now I'm a bit of a Coca-Cola addict, so I'm intrigued and want to reproduce it.<br />
<br />
Perhaps once we've done this we can also make [[wikipedia:Open-source_cola|other kinds of cola]], like Toyen Cola, which has its recipe on the back. We could even do a taste test!<br />
<br />
== Overview ==<br />
LabCoatz calls the end product of their recipe '''LabCola'''. One liter of LabCola is built off of four components:<br />
<br />
* around 100g sugar<br />
* 1mL of flavor solution A<br />
* 10 mL of flavor solution B<br />
* around 1 liter of carbonated water<br />
<br />
Flavor solution A is made by adding the following components together (~100mL), then taking 20 mL from that and diluting to 1L using 95% ethanol:<br />
<br />
* 45.8mL lemon oil (NOW)<br />
* 36.5mL lime oil (NOW)<br />
* 8mL tea tree oil (NOW, from Australian tea tree, Melaleuca Alternifolia)<br />
* 4.5mL cassia cinnamon oil (NOW)<br />
* 2.7mL nutmeg oil (aura cacia)<br />
* 1.2mL orange oil (unknown brand, regular sweet orange)<br />
* 0.7mL coriander seed oil (Edens Garden, coriandrum sativum)<br />
* 0.6mL fenchol (any version of alpha-fenchol should work)<br />
<br />
Flavor solution B is made by adding the following components together (~400mL), then diluting to 1L using water:<br />
<br />
* 185mL caramel color (Durkee)<br />
* 150 grams food-grade vegetable glycerin (Equate)<br />
* 43mL 85% phosphoric acid (Duda Energy)<br />
* 10 grams wine tannin (North Mountain)<br />
* 9.65 grams caffeine<br />
* 10mL 5% vinegar (any white vinegar?)<br />
* 10mL vanilla extract (or a solution containing 0.95 grams per liter of vanillin)<br />
<br />
It's important to note that this is '''not''' '''the Coca-Cola recipe''', which uses coca leaf extract. It is supposed to be quite close, though.<br />
<br />
== Tools ==<br />
<br />
* Mass scale<br />
** Max measurement is 150g, most precise measurement is 9.65g<br />
** '''possible source: Michiel may have one''', Mats as well<br />
** possible source: €14,20 https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/precisie-weegschaal-0-01-gram-keukenweegschaal-digitaal-milligram-precisieweegschaal-pocket-weegschaal-sieraden-weegschaal/9300000031220365/<br />
** possible source: €29 https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/trendfield-precisie-weegschaal-0-001-gr-nauwkeurig-digitale-keukenweegschaal-inclusief-batterijen-zwart/9200000111011750/<br />
** possible source: €139,15 https://www.labshop.nl/schoolweegschaal-efs-500-2/<br />
* micropipette + tips<br />
** ideally an [https://www.merkala.nl/minipet-var-microliterpipet.html adjustable micropipette], but these are quite expensive (€100+)<br />
** fixed 100µL micropipette is cheaper, €25 https://www.merkala.nl/minipet-microliterpipet.html<br />
** could also get a few [https://www.kruidvat.nl/kruidvat-doseerspuit/p/2335439 doseerspuit] at Kruidvat, €2, precision should be somewhere between 0.1mL and 0.5mL<br />
** '''setje graduated pipettes €15,85''' https://www.amazon.nl/pipetten-Graduated-Reinigingsborstel-Roerstaaf-Laboratorium/dp/B07V3VC7YZ<br />
* 50 mL graduated cilinder<br />
** '''€14,74''' https://www.labshop.nl/maatcilinder-hoog-model-klasse-a-bruine-schaalverdeling/?attribute_pa_volume=10-ml<br />
* some storage bottles (mainly 1L)<br />
** I'll produce 100 mL of pre-solution A, then dilute that into 1L of solution A and store the rest of the 80mL separately. Solution B is 1L at a time, so I'll need 3 storage bottles.<br />
** I'm considering to produce only 10 mL of pre-solution A then dilute that into 100mL of solution A. Since the solution offgasses it requires very little air in the bottle, so a 100mL bottle would be a good idea.<br />
** https://www.labshop.nl/labfles-glas-blank-gl45-blauw-simax/<br />
** €12,40 * 3 = '''€37,20'''<br />
* heat-resistant glassware for preparing the syrup (1L)<br />
** €9,23 https://www.labshop.nl/bekerglas-laag-model/<br />
** or '''€7,45''' https://labstuff.nl/contents/nl/p135.html<br />
** Ø 105mm, so '''watch glass ~€3''' https://labstuff.nl/contents/nl/p253.html<br />
* magnetic stirrer for mixing<br />
** €133,10 https://www.labshop.nl/mini-magnetische-roerder-rotilabo-m-3/<br />
** '''possible source: Michiel has one'''<br />
* 100mL volumetric flask to make the dilution steps easier<br />
** for pre-solution A<br />
** €22,63 https://www.labshop.nl/maatkolf/?attribute_pa_volume=100-ml-ns12-21-klasse-a<br />
** '''€11,15''' https://labstuff.nl/contents/nl/p4695.html<br />
* water carbonator / sodastream<br />
** '''Sjors has this at home'''<br />
* gloves / safety glasses<br />
** gloves €4,17<br />
** Sjors already has safety glasses<br />
<br />
<br />
If we don't need to buy the mass scale nor magnetic stirrer, tools come out to approximately €125.<br />
<br />
== Ingedients ==<br />
{| class="wikitable"<br />
|+<br />
!Ingredient<br />
!Source link<br />
!Quantity<br />
!Quantity necessary<br />
!Order amount<br />
!Price per piece<br />
!Price total<br />
!Makes L solution<sup>12</sup><br />
!Makes L cola<br />
!Price per L cola<br />
|-<br />
|'''Overall'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Sugar<br />
|Makro (Van Gils kristalsuiker)<br />
|1kg<br />
|Around 100g<br />
|1<br />
|€0,75<br />
|€0,75<br />
|<br />
|10L<br />
|7,5 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Carbonated water<br />
|Self-made<br />
|<br />
|Around 1L<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|'''Flavor solution A'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Food-grade 95% alcohol<br />
|Makro (Chauffe coeur)<br />
|1L<br />
|1L<br />
|1<br />
|€32,42<br />
|€32,42<br />
|1L<br />
|1 kL<br />
|3.24 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Lemon oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-lemon-1-fl-oz-30-ml/928 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-lemon-oil-30-ml Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|45.8mL<br />
|2<br />
|€7,01<br />
|€14,02<br />
|6,55L<br />
|6,55 kL<br />
|0,23 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Lime oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-lime-1-fl-oz-30-ml/930 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-essential-oils-lime Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|36.5mL<br />
|2<br />
|€12,47<br />
|€24,94<br />
|8,22L<br />
|8,22 kL<br />
|0,19 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Tea tree oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-tea-tree-1-fl-oz-30-ml/37827 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-tea-tree-oil-30-ml Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|8mL<br />
|1<br />
|€9,42<br />
|€9,42<br />
|18,75L<br />
|18,75 kL<br />
|0,05 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Cassia cinnamon oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-cinnamon-cassia-1-fl-oz-30-ml/915 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-cinnamon-cassia-oil-30-ml Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|4,5mL<br />
|1<br />
|€8,04<br />
|€8,04<br />
|33,33L<br />
|33,33 kL<br />
|0,03 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Aura Cacia Nutmeg oil<br />
|<s>[https://www.amazon.com/Aura-Cacia-Essential-Nutmeg-Fluid/dp/B0007KO2ZM/ref=sr_1_1 Amazon.com] '''out of stock''' (alternatives different brands [https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-nutmeg-1-fl-oz-30-ml/941 iHerb], [https://www.berivita.com/etherische-olie/nootmuskaat-olie-zuiver-puur-10ml Berivita] '''no GC/MS available''')</s>Ordered from [https://www.vinevida.com/products/nutmeg-essential-oil?variant=43269423399135 VeniVida.com], different brand but with very similar GC/MS measurements, so should taste equally.<br />
|10mL<br />
|2.7mL<br />
|1<br />
|$5,99<br />
|€5,19<br />
|18,51L<br />
|18,51 kL<br />
|0,03 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Orange oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-orange-1-fl-oz-30-ml/953 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-orange-oil-30-ml?sqr=orange%20oil Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|1.2mL<br />
|1<br />
|€5,53<br />
|€5,53<br />
|125L<br />
|125 kL<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Edens Garden Coriander seed oil<br />
|[https://www.edensgarden.com/products/coriander-seed Edens Garden] (alternative [https://www.amazon.com/Edens-Garden-Coriander-Undiluted-Therapeutic/dp/B0046ZUW7G/ref=sr_1_4 Amazon.com], different brand [https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/koriander-olie-puur-biologisch-natuurlijk-5ml/9300000188330683/ bol.com])<br />
|5mL<br />
|0.7mL<br />
|1<br />
|$14,95<br />
|€13,33<br />
|35,71L<br />
|35,71 kL<br />
|0,06 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Alpha-Fenchol<br />
|[https://www.amazon.com/CCS-alpha-fenchol-Alcohol-Fragrance-Compound/dp/B075H1TF9T/ref=sr_1_2 Amazon.com] (alternative [https://pellwall.com/products/fenchol Pellwall] (UK), [https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/227211376456 eBay], [https://pevgrow.com/en/fenchol-arae.html pevgrow] (€27,90 incl shipping?), [https://terpenes-uk.co.uk/products/fenchol-natural terpenes] (£32 incl shipping)<br />
|30mL<br />
|0.6mL<br />
|1<br />
|$12,99<br />
|€11,25<br />
|42L<br />
|42 kL<br />
|0,02 cents<br />
|-<br />
|'''Total flavor solution A'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|~ €120<br />
|1L<br />
|1kL<br />
|€0,03 when produced at scale<br />
€0,12 for first liter<br />
|-<br />
|'''Flavor solution B'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Durkee caramel color<br />
|[https://www.amazon.com/Durkee-Food-Color-Caramel-32-Ounce/dp/B007KZJZ8G/ref=sr_1_1 Amazon.com] (alternative [https://pantryful.com/products/durkee-caramel-food-color-32-oz Pantryful])<br />
|32 oz. (946 mL)<br />
|185mL<br />
|1<br />
|$17,95<br />
|€15,54<br />
|5,11L<br />
|511L<br />
|2,3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Food-grade vegetable glycerin<br />
|[https://www.amazon.nl/ISOLATECH-Glycerine-farmaceutische-kwaliteit-plantaardig/dp/B0D89YR2NV/ Amazon.nl] (alternative [https://www.labshop.nl/glycerol-glycerine-995/?attribute_pa_volume=1-l Labshop], [https://www.werkenmetmerken.nl/nl/glycerine_99_5_foodgrade/p/20904 werkenmetmerken.nl] €9 for 1L)<br />
|250mL<br />
|150g (~150mL?)<br />
|1<br />
|€5,99<br />
|€5,99<br />
|1,67L<br />
|167L<br />
|4 cents<br />
|-<br />
|85% Phosphoric acid<br />
|[https://www.labshop.nl/fosforzuur-85-nvp/ Labshop]<br />
|1L<br />
|43mL<br />
|1<br />
|€20,27<br />
|€20,27<br />
|23,26L<br />
|2326L<br />
|0,8 cents<br />
|-<br />
|North Mountain Wine tannin<br />
|[https://www.amazon.com/North-Mountain-Supply-WT-2oz-Tannin/dp/B0CYZ5YSXM/ref=sr_1_1 Amazon.com] (alternative different brand [https://brouwland.com/nl/eikenhouten-chips/195-tannine-vinoferm-tannorouge-20-g.html Brouwland])<br />
|56g<br />
|10g<br />
|1<br />
|$20,66<br />
|€17,89<br />
|2L<br />
|200L<br />
|3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Caffeine powder<br />
|[https://voordeelkruiden.nl/cafeine-poeder/ Voordeelkruiden]If we want more: [https://woele.nl/product/cafeine-poeder-pharma-grade-250g/ Woele] alternative: [https://www.laboratoriumdiscounter.nl/nl/cafeine-995-puur.html Laboratiumdiscounter]<br />
|50g<br />
|9,65g<br />
|1<br />
|€2,60<br />
|€2,60<br />
|5,18L<br />
|518L<br />
|0,5 cents<br />
|-<br />
|5% vinegar<br />
|Makro (Burg natuurazijn '''4%''', dus gebruik 25% meer?)<br />
|1L<br />
|10mL<br />
|1<br />
|€1,01<br />
|€1,01<br />
|100L<br />
|10kL<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Vanilla extract<br />
|[https://www.amazon.nl/SaporePuro-Pure-Vanilline-Poeder-Voedingskwaliteit/dp/B07V6HSWML/ref=sr_1_1?__mk_nl_NL=ÅMÅŽÕÑ&crid=S3YK6COFEB4L&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.gE60AFOvayWbmzJYCHChr8TqcFZvaogBtawzsE7Rd846KUNFjJJ3z91jJJQBjY8_tjHngHGBRvtAQaIjjWbKTP9JtkNXLhbTc_Px2qUbzOztLwDWWnzuwTTM48gwb7JBuE-y0ni2lpjqcbojdwCSV2B_UPjp6kPDCYmSqzMPl82SMx8veSSkuuIyXuQo1rUnkAL0kU9pORzp2UHjC1Od7bZAIUQuzZUFtn5Ts95L5jS-iCGQsXRgSBMwlD6liDtGo0yAoW6fn7Hy20-w6osCtvPJG5y8KXoeUAaxEjInEfE.6UvfWewk8PDpsS7ABIgm7tNLJA7M2iGHFIGvRvVsSjo&dib_tag=se&keywords=vanilline&qid=1775422577&sprefix=vanilline%2Caps%2C146&sr=8-1 Amazon.nl] (alternative [https://www.laboratoriumdiscounter.nl/en/vanillin-995-extra-pure-foodgrade.html Laboratoriumdiscounter] but expensive shipping, alternative [https://producten.makro.nl/shop/pv/BTY-X742890/0032/0021/Nomu-Vanille-Extract-50-ml Makro.nl] but don't know vanillin strength)<br />
|100g<br />
|1g (dissolve in 100 mL<br />
water, take 0.95mL)<br />
|1<br />
|€9,80<br />
|€9,80<br />
|10kL<br />
|1ML<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|'''Total flavor solution B'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|~ €70<br />
|2L<br />
|200 L<br />
|€0,11 when produced at scale<br />
€0,35 for first liter<br />
|}<br />
(1) The essential oils in solution A, quantities as under "Quantity necessary", together make 100mL of pre-solution. "Flavor solution A" then consists of 20 mL of pre-solution, diluted to 1L using alcohol. So for each mL of essential oil in the pre-solution, a fifth (0.2 mL) goes into a liter of the actual solution. So quantity times order amount is the amount of ingredients we have, divided by quantity necessary is the amount of 100mL pre-solution we can make with the order. We can make 5L of solution with that, so the formula is: (quantity * order amount * 5) / (quantity necessary). Since 1mL of solution A goes into a L of cola, 1L solution makes 1000L cola.<br />
<br />
(2) For solution B, the ingredients together make about 400mL of pre-solution. "Flavor solution B" then consists of those 400 mL, diluted to 1L using water. So the "quantity necessary" goes directly into 1L of "Flavor solution B". Since order amount is 1 for all of these, the formula is: quantity / (quantity necessary). Since 10mL of solution B goes into a L of cola, 1L solution makes 100L cola.<br />
<br />
== Expiry ==<br />
After the first batch I'll have a liter of solution A, which is almost fully alcohol, so I expect it not to expire at all. This bottle is good for a thousand liters of cola, which is probably enough for a lifetime.<br />
<br />
I'll also have 80 mL of pre-solution A, which I'll store separately. I also expect it not to expire, but to be sure, I could add alcohol to this as well, and label the bottle as such so I know exactly how much diluted pre-solution contains 20 mL of the original pre-solution.<br />
<br />
As for solution B, I'm not sure but I expect that will expire faster. The original ingredients probably don't expire if closed well? If I make 1L that's enough for 100 L of cola, which probably lasts a few months unless it's really popular.<br />
<br />
Knowing nothing at all about food safety I asked Claude for secondary advice. ("This is a cola syrup, isn't it?") They said the solution A mixture would remain ''safe'' indefinitely, but chemical degradation would affect aroma over the years; they advise to reduce air in the bottle, reduce repeated opening (freshening of the oxygen), reduce heat and reduce light exposure. With that, realistically expiry could be pushed well beyond 5 years. For solution B, they said microbial stability is also very good due to the phosphoric acid (1.0-1.5 pH). Again, chemical degradation is the limiting factor. Sealed, room temperature and out of light, Claude expects 12-18 months for peak flavor, and "probably safe well beyond that". It says the main thing to watch out for is sediment from the tannin, and flavor decreasing. Neither makes it unsafe. Commercial cola syrups like this one carry 6-12 month best-by dates, and it says our threshold for "still good" may be more forgiving.<br />
<br />
As for the original ingredient bottles, I should check if they are labeled with best-before dates and label them with the date I first opened them. Claude says the essential oils are most perishable; they will degrade in 6-12 months. For vanilla extract it's often commercially dated 2-4 years. All other things are either really easily purchaseable or very long-lived (5+ years).<br />
<br />
Conclusion:<br />
<br />
* Keep the bottles at room temperature (or colder), in the dark, and with little air headspace in the bottle.<br />
* For the solution A bottles, I'll mark them with their production date and "expected best before date" of 5 years.<br />
* For the solution B bottles, I'll mark them with their production date and "expected best before date" of 12 months.<br />
* For the original ingredient bottles, I'll store them the same way. I could consider making more pre-solution with alcohol for preservation.<br />
<br />
== Financial overview ==<br />
This is a hobby project, so it's OK if it costs money and isn't cost-effective. However, I wanted to get an overview for myself.<br />
<br />
Initial, one-time investment into tools is €125. The initial investments into ingredients for the first run is ~€200. With some margin, that means the first batch costs €350 and we can produce around 200 liters of cola from this. If it tastes great and is popular and people want to drink it instead of Coca-Cola, I could sell it at a cost price of €1,75 per liter.<br />
<br />
If we actually (expect to) make more than 200 liters, then for the next 200 liters I'd only need to purchase additional wine tannin. So for the first batch of 400 liters, at a cost of €350, it'd already be €0,88 per liter. So that's what the price becomes if it turns out to be quite popular. Eventually, if it's ''really'' popular it would cost €0,14 for the flavor solutions, plus some sugar and carbonated water.<br />
<br />
So far, three orders were done:<br />
<br />
* Edens Garden $14,95 (€13,33)<br />
** Edens Garden Coriander Seed essential oil<br />
* Amazon.com <s>$86,06 (€76,55)</s> $66,17 (€59,67)<br />
** Durkee caramel color<br />
** Alpha fenchol<br />
** <s>Aura Cacia nutmeg oil</s> (refunded, not in stock)<br />
** North Mountain wine tannin<br />
* VineVida.com $13.73 (€11,36)<br />
** VineVida nutmeg oil<br />
* iHerb €61,95<br />
** NOW Lemon oil<br />
** NOW Lime oil<br />
** NOW Tea tree oil<br />
** NOW Cassia cinnamon oil<br />
** NOW Orange oil<br />
* TODO: MyUS shipping from Florida to Netherlands ~€20<br />
* Amazon.nl €31,64<br />
** Graduated pipettes<br />
** Vanillin powder (foodgrade)<br />
** Glycerin 99.5% (foodgrade)<br />
* Labstuff.nl €35,57<br />
** Glassware (beaker, watch glass, volumetric flask)<br />
* Labshop.nl €81,30<br />
** Graduated cylinder<br />
** Storage bottles<br />
** 85% Phosphoric acid<br />
* Voordeelkruiden.nl €7,55<br />
** Caffeine powder<br />
* Makro €38,35<br />
** Sugar<br />
** Vinegar<br />
** Pure alcohol (food-grade)<br />
** Gloves<br />
*Shipping MyUS USA/FL -> Netherlands $110<br />
**~$40 base charge<br />
**$30 "dangerous goods surcharge" (unexpected, since the items were below the "limited quantity threshold", but the company refused to waive)<br />
**$30 prepaid customs fees (unexpected, since the total shipment value should be below threshold, but I wanted to prevent any customs issues)<br />
**$3,50 liability coverage<br />
**mark "for personal use" and include a proforma invoice<br />
<br />
Total paid: €340,72<br />
<br />
Remaining: ~€20 (shipping MyUS USA/FL -> NL)</div>Sjors Gielenhttps://hackerspacenijmegen.nl/index.php?title=Projects:Making_cola&diff=2988Projects:Making cola2026-04-06T16:14:56Z<p>Sjors Gielen: /* Financial overview */</p>
<hr />
<div>[[Bestand:Schermafbeelding 2026-03-25 om 11.02.33.png|miniatuur]]<br />
[[Bestand:Schermafbeelding 2026-03-25 om 11.02.10.png|miniatuur]]<br />
I (Sjors) recently saw this video by LabCoatz reverse engineering the Coca-Cola recipe using (among other techniques) a mass spectrometer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDkH3EbWTYc<br />
<br />
Now I'm a bit of a Coca-Cola addict, so I'm intrigued and want to reproduce it.<br />
<br />
Perhaps once we've done this we can also make [[wikipedia:Open-source_cola|other kinds of cola]], like Toyen Cola, which has its recipe on the back. We could even do a taste test!<br />
<br />
== Overview ==<br />
LabCoatz calls the end product of their recipe '''LabCola'''. One liter of LabCola is built off of four components:<br />
<br />
* around 100g sugar<br />
* 1mL of flavor solution A<br />
* 10 mL of flavor solution B<br />
* around 1 liter of carbonated water<br />
<br />
Flavor solution A is made by adding the following components together (~100mL), then taking 20 mL from that and diluting to 1L using 95% ethanol:<br />
<br />
* 45.8mL lemon oil (NOW)<br />
* 36.5mL lime oil (NOW)<br />
* 8mL tea tree oil (NOW, from Australian tea tree, Melaleuca Alternifolia)<br />
* 4.5mL cassia cinnamon oil (NOW)<br />
* 2.7mL nutmeg oil (aura cacia)<br />
* 1.2mL orange oil (unknown brand, regular sweet orange)<br />
* 0.7mL coriander seed oil (Edens Garden, coriandrum sativum)<br />
* 0.6mL fenchol (any version of alpha-fenchol should work)<br />
<br />
Flavor solution B is made by adding the following components together (~400mL), then diluting to 1L using water:<br />
<br />
* 185mL caramel color (Durkee)<br />
* 150 grams food-grade vegetable glycerin (Equate)<br />
* 43mL 85% phosphoric acid (Duda Energy)<br />
* 10 grams wine tannin (North Mountain)<br />
* 9.65 grams caffeine<br />
* 10mL 5% vinegar (any white vinegar?)<br />
* 10mL vanilla extract (or a solution containing 0.95 grams per liter of vanillin)<br />
<br />
It's important to note that this is '''not''' '''the Coca-Cola recipe''', which uses coca leaf extract. It is supposed to be quite close, though.<br />
<br />
== Tools ==<br />
<br />
* Mass scale<br />
** Max measurement is 150g, most precise measurement is 9.65g<br />
** '''possible source: Michiel may have one''', Mats as well<br />
** possible source: €14,20 https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/precisie-weegschaal-0-01-gram-keukenweegschaal-digitaal-milligram-precisieweegschaal-pocket-weegschaal-sieraden-weegschaal/9300000031220365/<br />
** possible source: €29 https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/trendfield-precisie-weegschaal-0-001-gr-nauwkeurig-digitale-keukenweegschaal-inclusief-batterijen-zwart/9200000111011750/<br />
** possible source: €139,15 https://www.labshop.nl/schoolweegschaal-efs-500-2/<br />
* micropipette + tips<br />
** ideally an [https://www.merkala.nl/minipet-var-microliterpipet.html adjustable micropipette], but these are quite expensive (€100+)<br />
** fixed 100µL micropipette is cheaper, €25 https://www.merkala.nl/minipet-microliterpipet.html<br />
** could also get a few [https://www.kruidvat.nl/kruidvat-doseerspuit/p/2335439 doseerspuit] at Kruidvat, €2, precision should be somewhere between 0.1mL and 0.5mL<br />
** '''setje graduated pipettes €15,85''' https://www.amazon.nl/pipetten-Graduated-Reinigingsborstel-Roerstaaf-Laboratorium/dp/B07V3VC7YZ<br />
* 50 mL graduated cilinder<br />
** '''€14,74''' https://www.labshop.nl/maatcilinder-hoog-model-klasse-a-bruine-schaalverdeling/?attribute_pa_volume=10-ml<br />
* some storage bottles (mainly 1L)<br />
** I'll produce 100 mL of pre-solution A, then dilute that into 1L of solution A and store the rest of the 80mL separately. Solution B is 1L at a time, so I'll need 3 storage bottles.<br />
** I'm considering to produce only 10 mL of pre-solution A then dilute that into 100mL of solution A. Since the solution offgasses it requires very little air in the bottle, so a 100mL bottle would be a good idea.<br />
** https://www.labshop.nl/labfles-glas-blank-gl45-blauw-simax/<br />
** €12,40 * 3 = '''€37,20'''<br />
* heat-resistant glassware for preparing the syrup (1L)<br />
** €9,23 https://www.labshop.nl/bekerglas-laag-model/<br />
** or '''€7,45''' https://labstuff.nl/contents/nl/p135.html<br />
** Ø 105mm, so '''watch glass ~€3''' https://labstuff.nl/contents/nl/p253.html<br />
* magnetic stirrer for mixing<br />
** €133,10 https://www.labshop.nl/mini-magnetische-roerder-rotilabo-m-3/<br />
** '''possible source: Michiel has one'''<br />
* 100mL volumetric flask to make the dilution steps easier<br />
** for pre-solution A<br />
** €22,63 https://www.labshop.nl/maatkolf/?attribute_pa_volume=100-ml-ns12-21-klasse-a<br />
** '''€11,15''' https://labstuff.nl/contents/nl/p4695.html<br />
* water carbonator / sodastream<br />
** '''Sjors has this at home'''<br />
* gloves / safety glasses<br />
** gloves €4,17<br />
** Sjors already has safety glasses<br />
<br />
<br />
If we don't need to buy the mass scale nor magnetic stirrer, tools come out to approximately €125.<br />
<br />
== Ingedients ==<br />
{| class="wikitable"<br />
|+<br />
!Ingredient<br />
!Source link<br />
!Quantity<br />
!Quantity necessary<br />
!Order amount<br />
!Price per piece<br />
!Price total<br />
!Makes L solution<sup>12</sup><br />
!Makes L cola<br />
!Price per L cola<br />
|-<br />
|'''Overall'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Sugar<br />
|Makro (Van Gils kristalsuiker)<br />
|1kg<br />
|Around 100g<br />
|1<br />
|€0,75<br />
|€0,75<br />
|<br />
|10L<br />
|7,5 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Carbonated water<br />
|Self-made<br />
|<br />
|Around 1L<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|'''Flavor solution A'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Food-grade 95% alcohol<br />
|Makro (Chauffe coeur)<br />
|1L<br />
|1L<br />
|1<br />
|€32,42<br />
|€32,42<br />
|1L<br />
|1 kL<br />
|3.24 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Lemon oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-lemon-1-fl-oz-30-ml/928 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-lemon-oil-30-ml Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|45.8mL<br />
|2<br />
|€7,01<br />
|€14,02<br />
|6,55L<br />
|6,55 kL<br />
|0,23 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Lime oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-lime-1-fl-oz-30-ml/930 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-essential-oils-lime Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|36.5mL<br />
|2<br />
|€12,47<br />
|€24,94<br />
|8,22L<br />
|8,22 kL<br />
|0,19 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Tea tree oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-tea-tree-1-fl-oz-30-ml/37827 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-tea-tree-oil-30-ml Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|8mL<br />
|1<br />
|€9,42<br />
|€9,42<br />
|18,75L<br />
|18,75 kL<br />
|0,05 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Cassia cinnamon oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-cinnamon-cassia-1-fl-oz-30-ml/915 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-cinnamon-cassia-oil-30-ml Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|4,5mL<br />
|1<br />
|€8,04<br />
|€8,04<br />
|33,33L<br />
|33,33 kL<br />
|0,03 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Aura Cacia Nutmeg oil<br />
|<s>[https://www.amazon.com/Aura-Cacia-Essential-Nutmeg-Fluid/dp/B0007KO2ZM/ref=sr_1_1 Amazon.com] '''out of stock''' (alternatives different brands [https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-nutmeg-1-fl-oz-30-ml/941 iHerb], [https://www.berivita.com/etherische-olie/nootmuskaat-olie-zuiver-puur-10ml Berivita] '''no GC/MS available''')</s>Ordered from [https://www.vinevida.com/products/nutmeg-essential-oil?variant=43269423399135 VeniVida.com], different brand but with very similar GC/MS measurements, so should taste equally.<br />
|10mL<br />
|2.7mL<br />
|1<br />
|$5,99<br />
|€5,19<br />
|18,51L<br />
|18,51 kL<br />
|0,03 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Orange oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-orange-1-fl-oz-30-ml/953 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-orange-oil-30-ml?sqr=orange%20oil Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|1.2mL<br />
|1<br />
|€5,53<br />
|€5,53<br />
|125L<br />
|125 kL<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Edens Garden Coriander seed oil<br />
|[https://www.edensgarden.com/products/coriander-seed Edens Garden] (alternative [https://www.amazon.com/Edens-Garden-Coriander-Undiluted-Therapeutic/dp/B0046ZUW7G/ref=sr_1_4 Amazon.com], different brand [https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/koriander-olie-puur-biologisch-natuurlijk-5ml/9300000188330683/ bol.com])<br />
|5mL<br />
|0.7mL<br />
|1<br />
|$14,95<br />
|€13,33<br />
|35,71L<br />
|35,71 kL<br />
|0,06 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Alpha-Fenchol<br />
|[https://www.amazon.com/CCS-alpha-fenchol-Alcohol-Fragrance-Compound/dp/B075H1TF9T/ref=sr_1_2 Amazon.com] (alternative [https://pellwall.com/products/fenchol Pellwall] (UK), [https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/227211376456 eBay], [https://pevgrow.com/en/fenchol-arae.html pevgrow] (€27,90 incl shipping?), [https://terpenes-uk.co.uk/products/fenchol-natural terpenes] (£32 incl shipping)<br />
|30mL<br />
|0.6mL<br />
|1<br />
|$12,99<br />
|€11,25<br />
|42L<br />
|42 kL<br />
|0,02 cents<br />
|-<br />
|'''Total flavor solution A'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|~ €120<br />
|1L<br />
|1kL<br />
|€0,03 when produced at scale<br />
€0,12 for first liter<br />
|-<br />
|'''Flavor solution B'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Durkee caramel color<br />
|[https://www.amazon.com/Durkee-Food-Color-Caramel-32-Ounce/dp/B007KZJZ8G/ref=sr_1_1 Amazon.com] (alternative [https://pantryful.com/products/durkee-caramel-food-color-32-oz Pantryful])<br />
|32 oz. (946 mL)<br />
|185mL<br />
|1<br />
|$17,95<br />
|€15,54<br />
|5,11L<br />
|511L<br />
|2,3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Food-grade vegetable glycerin<br />
|[https://www.amazon.nl/ISOLATECH-Glycerine-farmaceutische-kwaliteit-plantaardig/dp/B0D89YR2NV/ Amazon.nl] (alternative [https://www.labshop.nl/glycerol-glycerine-995/?attribute_pa_volume=1-l Labshop], [https://www.werkenmetmerken.nl/nl/glycerine_99_5_foodgrade/p/20904 werkenmetmerken.nl] €9 for 1L)<br />
|250mL<br />
|150g (~150mL?)<br />
|1<br />
|€5,99<br />
|€5,99<br />
|1,67L<br />
|167L<br />
|4 cents<br />
|-<br />
|85% Phosphoric acid<br />
|[https://www.labshop.nl/fosforzuur-85-nvp/ Labshop]<br />
|1L<br />
|43mL<br />
|1<br />
|€20,27<br />
|€20,27<br />
|23,26L<br />
|2326L<br />
|0,8 cents<br />
|-<br />
|North Mountain Wine tannin<br />
|[https://www.amazon.com/North-Mountain-Supply-WT-2oz-Tannin/dp/B0CYZ5YSXM/ref=sr_1_1 Amazon.com] (alternative different brand [https://brouwland.com/nl/eikenhouten-chips/195-tannine-vinoferm-tannorouge-20-g.html Brouwland])<br />
|56g<br />
|10g<br />
|1<br />
|$20,66<br />
|€17,89<br />
|2L<br />
|200L<br />
|3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Caffeine powder<br />
|[https://voordeelkruiden.nl/cafeine-poeder/ Voordeelkruiden]If we want more: [https://woele.nl/product/cafeine-poeder-pharma-grade-250g/ Woele] alternative: [https://www.laboratoriumdiscounter.nl/nl/cafeine-995-puur.html Laboratiumdiscounter]<br />
|50g<br />
|9,65g<br />
|1<br />
|€2,60<br />
|€2,60<br />
|5,18L<br />
|518L<br />
|0,5 cents<br />
|-<br />
|5% vinegar<br />
|Makro (Burg natuurazijn '''4%''', dus gebruik 25% meer?)<br />
|1L<br />
|10mL<br />
|1<br />
|€1,01<br />
|€1,01<br />
|100L<br />
|10kL<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Vanilla extract<br />
|[https://www.amazon.nl/SaporePuro-Pure-Vanilline-Poeder-Voedingskwaliteit/dp/B07V6HSWML/ref=sr_1_1?__mk_nl_NL=ÅMÅŽÕÑ&crid=S3YK6COFEB4L&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.gE60AFOvayWbmzJYCHChr8TqcFZvaogBtawzsE7Rd846KUNFjJJ3z91jJJQBjY8_tjHngHGBRvtAQaIjjWbKTP9JtkNXLhbTc_Px2qUbzOztLwDWWnzuwTTM48gwb7JBuE-y0ni2lpjqcbojdwCSV2B_UPjp6kPDCYmSqzMPl82SMx8veSSkuuIyXuQo1rUnkAL0kU9pORzp2UHjC1Od7bZAIUQuzZUFtn5Ts95L5jS-iCGQsXRgSBMwlD6liDtGo0yAoW6fn7Hy20-w6osCtvPJG5y8KXoeUAaxEjInEfE.6UvfWewk8PDpsS7ABIgm7tNLJA7M2iGHFIGvRvVsSjo&dib_tag=se&keywords=vanilline&qid=1775422577&sprefix=vanilline%2Caps%2C146&sr=8-1 Amazon.nl] (alternative [https://www.laboratoriumdiscounter.nl/en/vanillin-995-extra-pure-foodgrade.html Laboratoriumdiscounter] but expensive shipping, alternative [https://producten.makro.nl/shop/pv/BTY-X742890/0032/0021/Nomu-Vanille-Extract-50-ml Makro.nl] but don't know vanillin strength)<br />
|100g<br />
|1g (dissolve in 100 mL<br />
water, take 0.95mL)<br />
|1<br />
|€9,80<br />
|€9,80<br />
|10kL<br />
|1ML<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|'''Total flavor solution B'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|~ €70<br />
|2L<br />
|200 L<br />
|€0,11 when produced at scale<br />
€0,35 for first liter<br />
|}<br />
(1) The essential oils in solution A, quantities as under "Quantity necessary", together make 100mL of pre-solution. "Flavor solution A" then consists of 20 mL of pre-solution, diluted to 1L using alcohol. So for each mL of essential oil in the pre-solution, a fifth (0.2 mL) goes into a liter of the actual solution. So quantity times order amount is the amount of ingredients we have, divided by quantity necessary is the amount of 100mL pre-solution we can make with the order. We can make 5L of solution with that, so the formula is: (quantity * order amount * 5) / (quantity necessary). Since 1mL of solution A goes into a L of cola, 1L solution makes 1000L cola.<br />
<br />
(2) For solution B, the ingredients together make about 400mL of pre-solution. "Flavor solution B" then consists of those 400 mL, diluted to 1L using water. So the "quantity necessary" goes directly into 1L of "Flavor solution B". Since order amount is 1 for all of these, the formula is: quantity / (quantity necessary). Since 10mL of solution B goes into a L of cola, 1L solution makes 100L cola.<br />
<br />
== Expiry ==<br />
After the first batch I'll have a liter of solution A, which is almost fully alcohol, so I expect it not to expire at all. This bottle is good for a thousand liters of cola, which is probably enough for a lifetime.<br />
<br />
I'll also have 80 mL of pre-solution A, which I'll store separately. I also expect it not to expire, but to be sure, I could add alcohol to this as well, and label the bottle as such so I know exactly how much diluted pre-solution contains 20 mL of the original pre-solution.<br />
<br />
As for solution B, I'm not sure but I expect that will expire faster. The original ingredients probably don't expire if closed well? If I make 1L that's enough for 100 L of cola, which probably lasts a few months unless it's really popular.<br />
<br />
Knowing nothing at all about food safety I asked Claude for secondary advice. ("This is a cola syrup, isn't it?") They said the solution A mixture would remain ''safe'' indefinitely, but chemical degradation would affect aroma over the years; they advise to reduce air in the bottle, reduce repeated opening (freshening of the oxygen), reduce heat and reduce light exposure. With that, realistically expiry could be pushed well beyond 5 years. For solution B, they said microbial stability is also very good due to the phosphoric acid (1.0-1.5 pH). Again, chemical degradation is the limiting factor. Sealed, room temperature and out of light, Claude expects 12-18 months for peak flavor, and "probably safe well beyond that". It says the main thing to watch out for is sediment from the tannin, and flavor decreasing. Neither makes it unsafe. Commercial cola syrups like this one carry 6-12 month best-by dates, and it says our threshold for "still good" may be more forgiving.<br />
<br />
As for the original ingredient bottles, I should check if they are labeled with best-before dates and label them with the date I first opened them. Claude says the essential oils are most perishable; they will degrade in 6-12 months. For vanilla extract it's often commercially dated 2-4 years. All other things are either really easily purchaseable or very long-lived (5+ years).<br />
<br />
Conclusion:<br />
<br />
* Keep the bottles at room temperature (or colder), in the dark, and with little air headspace in the bottle.<br />
* For the solution A bottles, I'll mark them with their production date and "expected best before date" of 5 years.<br />
* For the solution B bottles, I'll mark them with their production date and "expected best before date" of 12 months.<br />
* For the original ingredient bottles, I'll store them the same way. I could consider making more pre-solution with alcohol for preservation.<br />
<br />
== Financial overview ==<br />
This is a hobby project, so it's OK if it costs money and isn't cost-effective. However, I wanted to get an overview for myself.<br />
<br />
Initial, one-time investment into tools is €125. The initial investments into ingredients for the first run is ~€200. With some margin, that means the first batch costs €350 and we can produce around 200 liters of cola from this. If it tastes great and is popular and people want to drink it instead of Coca-Cola, I could sell it at a cost price of €1,75 per liter.<br />
<br />
If we actually (expect to) make more than 200 liters, then for the next 200 liters I'd only need to purchase additional wine tannin. So for the first batch of 400 liters, at a cost of €350, it'd already be €0,88 per liter. So that's what the price becomes if it turns out to be quite popular. Eventually, if it's ''really'' popular it would cost €0,14 for the flavor solutions, plus some sugar and carbonated water.<br />
<br />
So far, three orders were done:<br />
<br />
* Edens Garden $14,95 (€13,33)<br />
** Edens Garden Coriander Seed essential oil<br />
* Amazon.com <s>$86,06 (€76,55)</s> $66,17 (€59,67)<br />
** Durkee caramel color<br />
** Alpha fenchol<br />
** <s>Aura Cacia nutmeg oil</s> (refunded, not in stock)<br />
** North Mountain wine tannin<br />
* VineVida.com $13.73 (€11,36)<br />
** VineVida nutmeg oil<br />
* iHerb €61,95<br />
** NOW Lemon oil<br />
** NOW Lime oil<br />
** NOW Tea tree oil<br />
** NOW Cassia cinnamon oil<br />
** NOW Orange oil<br />
* TODO: MyUS shipping from Florida to Netherlands ~€20<br />
* Amazon.nl €31,64<br />
** Graduated pipettes<br />
** Vanillin powder (foodgrade)<br />
** Glycerin 99.5% (foodgrade)<br />
* Labstuff.nl €35,57<br />
** Glassware (beaker, watch glass, volumetric flask)<br />
* Labshop.nl €81,30<br />
** Graduated cylinder<br />
** Storage bottles<br />
** 85% Phosphoric acid<br />
* Voordeelkruiden.nl €7,55<br />
** Caffeine powder<br />
* Makro €38,35<br />
** Sugar<br />
** Vinegar<br />
** Pure alcohol (food-grade)<br />
** Gloves<br />
<br />
Total paid: €340,72<br />
<br />
Remaining: ~€20 (shipping MyUS USA/FL -> NL)</div>Sjors Gielenhttps://hackerspacenijmegen.nl/index.php?title=Projects:Making_cola&diff=2987Projects:Making cola2026-04-06T16:12:30Z<p>Sjors Gielen: /* Financial overview */</p>
<hr />
<div>[[Bestand:Schermafbeelding 2026-03-25 om 11.02.33.png|miniatuur]]<br />
[[Bestand:Schermafbeelding 2026-03-25 om 11.02.10.png|miniatuur]]<br />
I (Sjors) recently saw this video by LabCoatz reverse engineering the Coca-Cola recipe using (among other techniques) a mass spectrometer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDkH3EbWTYc<br />
<br />
Now I'm a bit of a Coca-Cola addict, so I'm intrigued and want to reproduce it.<br />
<br />
Perhaps once we've done this we can also make [[wikipedia:Open-source_cola|other kinds of cola]], like Toyen Cola, which has its recipe on the back. We could even do a taste test!<br />
<br />
== Overview ==<br />
LabCoatz calls the end product of their recipe '''LabCola'''. One liter of LabCola is built off of four components:<br />
<br />
* around 100g sugar<br />
* 1mL of flavor solution A<br />
* 10 mL of flavor solution B<br />
* around 1 liter of carbonated water<br />
<br />
Flavor solution A is made by adding the following components together (~100mL), then taking 20 mL from that and diluting to 1L using 95% ethanol:<br />
<br />
* 45.8mL lemon oil (NOW)<br />
* 36.5mL lime oil (NOW)<br />
* 8mL tea tree oil (NOW, from Australian tea tree, Melaleuca Alternifolia)<br />
* 4.5mL cassia cinnamon oil (NOW)<br />
* 2.7mL nutmeg oil (aura cacia)<br />
* 1.2mL orange oil (unknown brand, regular sweet orange)<br />
* 0.7mL coriander seed oil (Edens Garden, coriandrum sativum)<br />
* 0.6mL fenchol (any version of alpha-fenchol should work)<br />
<br />
Flavor solution B is made by adding the following components together (~400mL), then diluting to 1L using water:<br />
<br />
* 185mL caramel color (Durkee)<br />
* 150 grams food-grade vegetable glycerin (Equate)<br />
* 43mL 85% phosphoric acid (Duda Energy)<br />
* 10 grams wine tannin (North Mountain)<br />
* 9.65 grams caffeine<br />
* 10mL 5% vinegar (any white vinegar?)<br />
* 10mL vanilla extract (or a solution containing 0.95 grams per liter of vanillin)<br />
<br />
It's important to note that this is '''not''' '''the Coca-Cola recipe''', which uses coca leaf extract. It is supposed to be quite close, though.<br />
<br />
== Tools ==<br />
<br />
* Mass scale<br />
** Max measurement is 150g, most precise measurement is 9.65g<br />
** '''possible source: Michiel may have one''', Mats as well<br />
** possible source: €14,20 https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/precisie-weegschaal-0-01-gram-keukenweegschaal-digitaal-milligram-precisieweegschaal-pocket-weegschaal-sieraden-weegschaal/9300000031220365/<br />
** possible source: €29 https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/trendfield-precisie-weegschaal-0-001-gr-nauwkeurig-digitale-keukenweegschaal-inclusief-batterijen-zwart/9200000111011750/<br />
** possible source: €139,15 https://www.labshop.nl/schoolweegschaal-efs-500-2/<br />
* micropipette + tips<br />
** ideally an [https://www.merkala.nl/minipet-var-microliterpipet.html adjustable micropipette], but these are quite expensive (€100+)<br />
** fixed 100µL micropipette is cheaper, €25 https://www.merkala.nl/minipet-microliterpipet.html<br />
** could also get a few [https://www.kruidvat.nl/kruidvat-doseerspuit/p/2335439 doseerspuit] at Kruidvat, €2, precision should be somewhere between 0.1mL and 0.5mL<br />
** '''setje graduated pipettes €15,85''' https://www.amazon.nl/pipetten-Graduated-Reinigingsborstel-Roerstaaf-Laboratorium/dp/B07V3VC7YZ<br />
* 50 mL graduated cilinder<br />
** '''€14,74''' https://www.labshop.nl/maatcilinder-hoog-model-klasse-a-bruine-schaalverdeling/?attribute_pa_volume=10-ml<br />
* some storage bottles (mainly 1L)<br />
** I'll produce 100 mL of pre-solution A, then dilute that into 1L of solution A and store the rest of the 80mL separately. Solution B is 1L at a time, so I'll need 3 storage bottles.<br />
** I'm considering to produce only 10 mL of pre-solution A then dilute that into 100mL of solution A. Since the solution offgasses it requires very little air in the bottle, so a 100mL bottle would be a good idea.<br />
** https://www.labshop.nl/labfles-glas-blank-gl45-blauw-simax/<br />
** €12,40 * 3 = '''€37,20'''<br />
* heat-resistant glassware for preparing the syrup (1L)<br />
** €9,23 https://www.labshop.nl/bekerglas-laag-model/<br />
** or '''€7,45''' https://labstuff.nl/contents/nl/p135.html<br />
** Ø 105mm, so '''watch glass ~€3''' https://labstuff.nl/contents/nl/p253.html<br />
* magnetic stirrer for mixing<br />
** €133,10 https://www.labshop.nl/mini-magnetische-roerder-rotilabo-m-3/<br />
** '''possible source: Michiel has one'''<br />
* 100mL volumetric flask to make the dilution steps easier<br />
** for pre-solution A<br />
** €22,63 https://www.labshop.nl/maatkolf/?attribute_pa_volume=100-ml-ns12-21-klasse-a<br />
** '''€11,15''' https://labstuff.nl/contents/nl/p4695.html<br />
* water carbonator / sodastream<br />
** '''Sjors has this at home'''<br />
* gloves / safety glasses<br />
** gloves €4,17<br />
** Sjors already has safety glasses<br />
<br />
<br />
If we don't need to buy the mass scale nor magnetic stirrer, tools come out to approximately €125.<br />
<br />
== Ingedients ==<br />
{| class="wikitable"<br />
|+<br />
!Ingredient<br />
!Source link<br />
!Quantity<br />
!Quantity necessary<br />
!Order amount<br />
!Price per piece<br />
!Price total<br />
!Makes L solution<sup>12</sup><br />
!Makes L cola<br />
!Price per L cola<br />
|-<br />
|'''Overall'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Sugar<br />
|Makro (Van Gils kristalsuiker)<br />
|1kg<br />
|Around 100g<br />
|1<br />
|€0,75<br />
|€0,75<br />
|<br />
|10L<br />
|7,5 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Carbonated water<br />
|Self-made<br />
|<br />
|Around 1L<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|'''Flavor solution A'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Food-grade 95% alcohol<br />
|Makro (Chauffe coeur)<br />
|1L<br />
|1L<br />
|1<br />
|€32,42<br />
|€32,42<br />
|1L<br />
|1 kL<br />
|3.24 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Lemon oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-lemon-1-fl-oz-30-ml/928 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-lemon-oil-30-ml Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|45.8mL<br />
|2<br />
|€7,01<br />
|€14,02<br />
|6,55L<br />
|6,55 kL<br />
|0,23 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Lime oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-lime-1-fl-oz-30-ml/930 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-essential-oils-lime Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|36.5mL<br />
|2<br />
|€12,47<br />
|€24,94<br />
|8,22L<br />
|8,22 kL<br />
|0,19 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Tea tree oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-tea-tree-1-fl-oz-30-ml/37827 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-tea-tree-oil-30-ml Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|8mL<br />
|1<br />
|€9,42<br />
|€9,42<br />
|18,75L<br />
|18,75 kL<br />
|0,05 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Cassia cinnamon oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-cinnamon-cassia-1-fl-oz-30-ml/915 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-cinnamon-cassia-oil-30-ml Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|4,5mL<br />
|1<br />
|€8,04<br />
|€8,04<br />
|33,33L<br />
|33,33 kL<br />
|0,03 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Aura Cacia Nutmeg oil<br />
|<s>[https://www.amazon.com/Aura-Cacia-Essential-Nutmeg-Fluid/dp/B0007KO2ZM/ref=sr_1_1 Amazon.com] '''out of stock''' (alternatives different brands [https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-nutmeg-1-fl-oz-30-ml/941 iHerb], [https://www.berivita.com/etherische-olie/nootmuskaat-olie-zuiver-puur-10ml Berivita] '''no GC/MS available''')</s>Ordered from [https://www.vinevida.com/products/nutmeg-essential-oil?variant=43269423399135 VeniVida.com], different brand but with very similar GC/MS measurements, so should taste equally.<br />
|10mL<br />
|2.7mL<br />
|1<br />
|$5,99<br />
|€5,19<br />
|18,51L<br />
|18,51 kL<br />
|0,03 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Orange oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-orange-1-fl-oz-30-ml/953 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-orange-oil-30-ml?sqr=orange%20oil Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|1.2mL<br />
|1<br />
|€5,53<br />
|€5,53<br />
|125L<br />
|125 kL<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Edens Garden Coriander seed oil<br />
|[https://www.edensgarden.com/products/coriander-seed Edens Garden] (alternative [https://www.amazon.com/Edens-Garden-Coriander-Undiluted-Therapeutic/dp/B0046ZUW7G/ref=sr_1_4 Amazon.com], different brand [https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/koriander-olie-puur-biologisch-natuurlijk-5ml/9300000188330683/ bol.com])<br />
|5mL<br />
|0.7mL<br />
|1<br />
|$14,95<br />
|€13,33<br />
|35,71L<br />
|35,71 kL<br />
|0,06 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Alpha-Fenchol<br />
|[https://www.amazon.com/CCS-alpha-fenchol-Alcohol-Fragrance-Compound/dp/B075H1TF9T/ref=sr_1_2 Amazon.com] (alternative [https://pellwall.com/products/fenchol Pellwall] (UK), [https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/227211376456 eBay], [https://pevgrow.com/en/fenchol-arae.html pevgrow] (€27,90 incl shipping?), [https://terpenes-uk.co.uk/products/fenchol-natural terpenes] (£32 incl shipping)<br />
|30mL<br />
|0.6mL<br />
|1<br />
|$12,99<br />
|€11,25<br />
|42L<br />
|42 kL<br />
|0,02 cents<br />
|-<br />
|'''Total flavor solution A'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|~ €120<br />
|1L<br />
|1kL<br />
|€0,03 when produced at scale<br />
€0,12 for first liter<br />
|-<br />
|'''Flavor solution B'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Durkee caramel color<br />
|[https://www.amazon.com/Durkee-Food-Color-Caramel-32-Ounce/dp/B007KZJZ8G/ref=sr_1_1 Amazon.com] (alternative [https://pantryful.com/products/durkee-caramel-food-color-32-oz Pantryful])<br />
|32 oz. (946 mL)<br />
|185mL<br />
|1<br />
|$17,95<br />
|€15,54<br />
|5,11L<br />
|511L<br />
|2,3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Food-grade vegetable glycerin<br />
|[https://www.amazon.nl/ISOLATECH-Glycerine-farmaceutische-kwaliteit-plantaardig/dp/B0D89YR2NV/ Amazon.nl] (alternative [https://www.labshop.nl/glycerol-glycerine-995/?attribute_pa_volume=1-l Labshop], [https://www.werkenmetmerken.nl/nl/glycerine_99_5_foodgrade/p/20904 werkenmetmerken.nl] €9 for 1L)<br />
|250mL<br />
|150g (~150mL?)<br />
|1<br />
|€5,99<br />
|€5,99<br />
|1,67L<br />
|167L<br />
|4 cents<br />
|-<br />
|85% Phosphoric acid<br />
|[https://www.labshop.nl/fosforzuur-85-nvp/ Labshop]<br />
|1L<br />
|43mL<br />
|1<br />
|€20,27<br />
|€20,27<br />
|23,26L<br />
|2326L<br />
|0,8 cents<br />
|-<br />
|North Mountain Wine tannin<br />
|[https://www.amazon.com/North-Mountain-Supply-WT-2oz-Tannin/dp/B0CYZ5YSXM/ref=sr_1_1 Amazon.com] (alternative different brand [https://brouwland.com/nl/eikenhouten-chips/195-tannine-vinoferm-tannorouge-20-g.html Brouwland])<br />
|56g<br />
|10g<br />
|1<br />
|$20,66<br />
|€17,89<br />
|2L<br />
|200L<br />
|3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Caffeine powder<br />
|[https://voordeelkruiden.nl/cafeine-poeder/ Voordeelkruiden]If we want more: [https://woele.nl/product/cafeine-poeder-pharma-grade-250g/ Woele] alternative: [https://www.laboratoriumdiscounter.nl/nl/cafeine-995-puur.html Laboratiumdiscounter]<br />
|50g<br />
|9,65g<br />
|1<br />
|€2,60<br />
|€2,60<br />
|5,18L<br />
|518L<br />
|0,5 cents<br />
|-<br />
|5% vinegar<br />
|Makro (Burg natuurazijn '''4%''', dus gebruik 25% meer?)<br />
|1L<br />
|10mL<br />
|1<br />
|€1,01<br />
|€1,01<br />
|100L<br />
|10kL<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Vanilla extract<br />
|[https://www.amazon.nl/SaporePuro-Pure-Vanilline-Poeder-Voedingskwaliteit/dp/B07V6HSWML/ref=sr_1_1?__mk_nl_NL=ÅMÅŽÕÑ&crid=S3YK6COFEB4L&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.gE60AFOvayWbmzJYCHChr8TqcFZvaogBtawzsE7Rd846KUNFjJJ3z91jJJQBjY8_tjHngHGBRvtAQaIjjWbKTP9JtkNXLhbTc_Px2qUbzOztLwDWWnzuwTTM48gwb7JBuE-y0ni2lpjqcbojdwCSV2B_UPjp6kPDCYmSqzMPl82SMx8veSSkuuIyXuQo1rUnkAL0kU9pORzp2UHjC1Od7bZAIUQuzZUFtn5Ts95L5jS-iCGQsXRgSBMwlD6liDtGo0yAoW6fn7Hy20-w6osCtvPJG5y8KXoeUAaxEjInEfE.6UvfWewk8PDpsS7ABIgm7tNLJA7M2iGHFIGvRvVsSjo&dib_tag=se&keywords=vanilline&qid=1775422577&sprefix=vanilline%2Caps%2C146&sr=8-1 Amazon.nl] (alternative [https://www.laboratoriumdiscounter.nl/en/vanillin-995-extra-pure-foodgrade.html Laboratoriumdiscounter] but expensive shipping, alternative [https://producten.makro.nl/shop/pv/BTY-X742890/0032/0021/Nomu-Vanille-Extract-50-ml Makro.nl] but don't know vanillin strength)<br />
|100g<br />
|1g (dissolve in 100 mL<br />
water, take 0.95mL)<br />
|1<br />
|€9,80<br />
|€9,80<br />
|10kL<br />
|1ML<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|'''Total flavor solution B'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|~ €70<br />
|2L<br />
|200 L<br />
|€0,11 when produced at scale<br />
€0,35 for first liter<br />
|}<br />
(1) The essential oils in solution A, quantities as under "Quantity necessary", together make 100mL of pre-solution. "Flavor solution A" then consists of 20 mL of pre-solution, diluted to 1L using alcohol. So for each mL of essential oil in the pre-solution, a fifth (0.2 mL) goes into a liter of the actual solution. So quantity times order amount is the amount of ingredients we have, divided by quantity necessary is the amount of 100mL pre-solution we can make with the order. We can make 5L of solution with that, so the formula is: (quantity * order amount * 5) / (quantity necessary). Since 1mL of solution A goes into a L of cola, 1L solution makes 1000L cola.<br />
<br />
(2) For solution B, the ingredients together make about 400mL of pre-solution. "Flavor solution B" then consists of those 400 mL, diluted to 1L using water. So the "quantity necessary" goes directly into 1L of "Flavor solution B". Since order amount is 1 for all of these, the formula is: quantity / (quantity necessary). Since 10mL of solution B goes into a L of cola, 1L solution makes 100L cola.<br />
<br />
== Expiry ==<br />
After the first batch I'll have a liter of solution A, which is almost fully alcohol, so I expect it not to expire at all. This bottle is good for a thousand liters of cola, which is probably enough for a lifetime.<br />
<br />
I'll also have 80 mL of pre-solution A, which I'll store separately. I also expect it not to expire, but to be sure, I could add alcohol to this as well, and label the bottle as such so I know exactly how much diluted pre-solution contains 20 mL of the original pre-solution.<br />
<br />
As for solution B, I'm not sure but I expect that will expire faster. The original ingredients probably don't expire if closed well? If I make 1L that's enough for 100 L of cola, which probably lasts a few months unless it's really popular.<br />
<br />
Knowing nothing at all about food safety I asked Claude for secondary advice. ("This is a cola syrup, isn't it?") They said the solution A mixture would remain ''safe'' indefinitely, but chemical degradation would affect aroma over the years; they advise to reduce air in the bottle, reduce repeated opening (freshening of the oxygen), reduce heat and reduce light exposure. With that, realistically expiry could be pushed well beyond 5 years. For solution B, they said microbial stability is also very good due to the phosphoric acid (1.0-1.5 pH). Again, chemical degradation is the limiting factor. Sealed, room temperature and out of light, Claude expects 12-18 months for peak flavor, and "probably safe well beyond that". It says the main thing to watch out for is sediment from the tannin, and flavor decreasing. Neither makes it unsafe. Commercial cola syrups like this one carry 6-12 month best-by dates, and it says our threshold for "still good" may be more forgiving.<br />
<br />
As for the original ingredient bottles, I should check if they are labeled with best-before dates and label them with the date I first opened them. Claude says the essential oils are most perishable; they will degrade in 6-12 months. For vanilla extract it's often commercially dated 2-4 years. All other things are either really easily purchaseable or very long-lived (5+ years).<br />
<br />
Conclusion:<br />
<br />
* Keep the bottles at room temperature (or colder), in the dark, and with little air headspace in the bottle.<br />
* For the solution A bottles, I'll mark them with their production date and "expected best before date" of 5 years.<br />
* For the solution B bottles, I'll mark them with their production date and "expected best before date" of 12 months.<br />
* For the original ingredient bottles, I'll store them the same way. I could consider making more pre-solution with alcohol for preservation.<br />
<br />
== Financial overview ==<br />
This is a hobby project, so it's OK if it costs money and isn't cost-effective. However, I wanted to get an overview for myself.<br />
<br />
Initial, one-time investment into tools is €125. The initial investments into ingredients for the first run is ~€200. With some margin, that means the first batch costs €350 and we can produce around 200 liters of cola from this. If it tastes great and is popular and people want to drink it instead of Coca-Cola, I could sell it at a cost price of €1,75 per liter.<br />
<br />
If we actually (expect to) make more than 200 liters, then for the next 200 liters I'd only need to purchase additional wine tannin. So for the first batch of 400 liters, at a cost of €350, it'd already be €0,88 per liter. So that's what the price becomes if it turns out to be quite popular. Eventually, if it's ''really'' popular it would cost €0,14 for the flavor solutions, plus some sugar and carbonated water.<br />
<br />
So far, three orders were done:<br />
<br />
* Edens Garden $14,95 (€13,33)<br />
** Edens Garden Coriander Seed essential oil<br />
* Amazon.com <s>$86,06 (€76,55)</s> $66,17 (€??)<br />
** Durkee caramel color<br />
** Alpha fenchol<br />
** <s>Aura Cacia nutmeg oil</s> (refunded, not in stock)<br />
** North Mountain wine tannin<br />
* VineVida.com $13.73 (€11,36)<br />
** VineVida nutmeg oil<br />
* iHerb €61,95<br />
** NOW Lemon oil<br />
** NOW Lime oil<br />
** NOW Tea tree oil<br />
** NOW Cassia cinnamon oil<br />
** NOW Orange oil<br />
* TODO: MyUS shipping from Florida to Netherlands ~€20<br />
* Amazon.nl €31,64<br />
** Graduated pipettes<br />
** Vanillin powder (foodgrade)<br />
** Glycerin 99.5% (foodgrade)<br />
* Labstuff.nl €35,57<br />
** Glassware (beaker, watch glass, volumetric flask)<br />
* Labshop.nl €81,30<br />
** Graduated cylinder<br />
** Storage bottles<br />
** 85% Phosphoric acid<br />
* Voordeelkruiden.nl €7,55<br />
** Caffeine powder<br />
* Makro €38,35<br />
** Sugar<br />
** Vinegar<br />
** Pure alcohol (food-grade)<br />
** Gloves<br />
<br />
Total paid: €346,24</div>Sjors Gielenhttps://hackerspacenijmegen.nl/index.php?title=Projects:Making_cola&diff=2986Projects:Making cola2026-04-06T15:26:41Z<p>Sjors Gielen: </p>
<hr />
<div>[[Bestand:Schermafbeelding 2026-03-25 om 11.02.33.png|miniatuur]]<br />
[[Bestand:Schermafbeelding 2026-03-25 om 11.02.10.png|miniatuur]]<br />
I (Sjors) recently saw this video by LabCoatz reverse engineering the Coca-Cola recipe using (among other techniques) a mass spectrometer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDkH3EbWTYc<br />
<br />
Now I'm a bit of a Coca-Cola addict, so I'm intrigued and want to reproduce it.<br />
<br />
Perhaps once we've done this we can also make [[wikipedia:Open-source_cola|other kinds of cola]], like Toyen Cola, which has its recipe on the back. We could even do a taste test!<br />
<br />
== Overview ==<br />
LabCoatz calls the end product of their recipe '''LabCola'''. One liter of LabCola is built off of four components:<br />
<br />
* around 100g sugar<br />
* 1mL of flavor solution A<br />
* 10 mL of flavor solution B<br />
* around 1 liter of carbonated water<br />
<br />
Flavor solution A is made by adding the following components together (~100mL), then taking 20 mL from that and diluting to 1L using 95% ethanol:<br />
<br />
* 45.8mL lemon oil (NOW)<br />
* 36.5mL lime oil (NOW)<br />
* 8mL tea tree oil (NOW, from Australian tea tree, Melaleuca Alternifolia)<br />
* 4.5mL cassia cinnamon oil (NOW)<br />
* 2.7mL nutmeg oil (aura cacia)<br />
* 1.2mL orange oil (unknown brand, regular sweet orange)<br />
* 0.7mL coriander seed oil (Edens Garden, coriandrum sativum)<br />
* 0.6mL fenchol (any version of alpha-fenchol should work)<br />
<br />
Flavor solution B is made by adding the following components together (~400mL), then diluting to 1L using water:<br />
<br />
* 185mL caramel color (Durkee)<br />
* 150 grams food-grade vegetable glycerin (Equate)<br />
* 43mL 85% phosphoric acid (Duda Energy)<br />
* 10 grams wine tannin (North Mountain)<br />
* 9.65 grams caffeine<br />
* 10mL 5% vinegar (any white vinegar?)<br />
* 10mL vanilla extract (or a solution containing 0.95 grams per liter of vanillin)<br />
<br />
It's important to note that this is '''not''' '''the Coca-Cola recipe''', which uses coca leaf extract. It is supposed to be quite close, though.<br />
<br />
== Tools ==<br />
<br />
* Mass scale<br />
** Max measurement is 150g, most precise measurement is 9.65g<br />
** '''possible source: Michiel may have one''', Mats as well<br />
** possible source: €14,20 https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/precisie-weegschaal-0-01-gram-keukenweegschaal-digitaal-milligram-precisieweegschaal-pocket-weegschaal-sieraden-weegschaal/9300000031220365/<br />
** possible source: €29 https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/trendfield-precisie-weegschaal-0-001-gr-nauwkeurig-digitale-keukenweegschaal-inclusief-batterijen-zwart/9200000111011750/<br />
** possible source: €139,15 https://www.labshop.nl/schoolweegschaal-efs-500-2/<br />
* micropipette + tips<br />
** ideally an [https://www.merkala.nl/minipet-var-microliterpipet.html adjustable micropipette], but these are quite expensive (€100+)<br />
** fixed 100µL micropipette is cheaper, €25 https://www.merkala.nl/minipet-microliterpipet.html<br />
** could also get a few [https://www.kruidvat.nl/kruidvat-doseerspuit/p/2335439 doseerspuit] at Kruidvat, €2, precision should be somewhere between 0.1mL and 0.5mL<br />
** '''setje graduated pipettes €15,85''' https://www.amazon.nl/pipetten-Graduated-Reinigingsborstel-Roerstaaf-Laboratorium/dp/B07V3VC7YZ<br />
* 50 mL graduated cilinder<br />
** '''€14,74''' https://www.labshop.nl/maatcilinder-hoog-model-klasse-a-bruine-schaalverdeling/?attribute_pa_volume=10-ml<br />
* some storage bottles (mainly 1L)<br />
** I'll produce 100 mL of pre-solution A, then dilute that into 1L of solution A and store the rest of the 80mL separately. Solution B is 1L at a time, so I'll need 3 storage bottles.<br />
** I'm considering to produce only 10 mL of pre-solution A then dilute that into 100mL of solution A. Since the solution offgasses it requires very little air in the bottle, so a 100mL bottle would be a good idea.<br />
** https://www.labshop.nl/labfles-glas-blank-gl45-blauw-simax/<br />
** €12,40 * 3 = '''€37,20'''<br />
* heat-resistant glassware for preparing the syrup (1L)<br />
** €9,23 https://www.labshop.nl/bekerglas-laag-model/<br />
** or '''€7,45''' https://labstuff.nl/contents/nl/p135.html<br />
** Ø 105mm, so '''watch glass ~€3''' https://labstuff.nl/contents/nl/p253.html<br />
* magnetic stirrer for mixing<br />
** €133,10 https://www.labshop.nl/mini-magnetische-roerder-rotilabo-m-3/<br />
** '''possible source: Michiel has one'''<br />
* 100mL volumetric flask to make the dilution steps easier<br />
** for pre-solution A<br />
** €22,63 https://www.labshop.nl/maatkolf/?attribute_pa_volume=100-ml-ns12-21-klasse-a<br />
** '''€11,15''' https://labstuff.nl/contents/nl/p4695.html<br />
* water carbonator / sodastream<br />
** '''Sjors has this at home'''<br />
* gloves / safety glasses<br />
** gloves €4,17<br />
** Sjors already has safety glasses<br />
<br />
<br />
If we don't need to buy the mass scale nor magnetic stirrer, tools come out to approximately €125.<br />
<br />
== Ingedients ==<br />
{| class="wikitable"<br />
|+<br />
!Ingredient<br />
!Source link<br />
!Quantity<br />
!Quantity necessary<br />
!Order amount<br />
!Price per piece<br />
!Price total<br />
!Makes L solution<sup>12</sup><br />
!Makes L cola<br />
!Price per L cola<br />
|-<br />
|'''Overall'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Sugar<br />
|Makro (Van Gils kristalsuiker)<br />
|1kg<br />
|Around 100g<br />
|1<br />
|€0,75<br />
|€0,75<br />
|<br />
|10L<br />
|7,5 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Carbonated water<br />
|Self-made<br />
|<br />
|Around 1L<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|'''Flavor solution A'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Food-grade 95% alcohol<br />
|Makro (Chauffe coeur)<br />
|1L<br />
|1L<br />
|1<br />
|€32,42<br />
|€32,42<br />
|1L<br />
|1 kL<br />
|3.24 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Lemon oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-lemon-1-fl-oz-30-ml/928 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-lemon-oil-30-ml Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|45.8mL<br />
|2<br />
|€7,01<br />
|€14,02<br />
|6,55L<br />
|6,55 kL<br />
|0,23 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Lime oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-lime-1-fl-oz-30-ml/930 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-essential-oils-lime Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|36.5mL<br />
|2<br />
|€12,47<br />
|€24,94<br />
|8,22L<br />
|8,22 kL<br />
|0,19 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Tea tree oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-tea-tree-1-fl-oz-30-ml/37827 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-tea-tree-oil-30-ml Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|8mL<br />
|1<br />
|€9,42<br />
|€9,42<br />
|18,75L<br />
|18,75 kL<br />
|0,05 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Cassia cinnamon oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-cinnamon-cassia-1-fl-oz-30-ml/915 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-cinnamon-cassia-oil-30-ml Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|4,5mL<br />
|1<br />
|€8,04<br />
|€8,04<br />
|33,33L<br />
|33,33 kL<br />
|0,03 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Aura Cacia Nutmeg oil<br />
|[https://www.amazon.com/Aura-Cacia-Essential-Nutmeg-Fluid/dp/B0007KO2ZM/ref=sr_1_1 Amazon.com] (alternatives different brands [https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-nutmeg-1-fl-oz-30-ml/941 iHerb], [https://www.berivita.com/etherische-olie/nootmuskaat-olie-zuiver-puur-10ml Berivita])<br />
|30mL<br />
|2.7mL<br />
|1<br />
|$19,89<br />
|€17,22<br />
|55,56L<br />
|55,56 kL<br />
|0,03 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Orange oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-orange-1-fl-oz-30-ml/953 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-orange-oil-30-ml?sqr=orange%20oil Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|1.2mL<br />
|1<br />
|€5,53<br />
|€5,53<br />
|125L<br />
|125 kL<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Edens Garden Coriander seed oil<br />
|[https://www.edensgarden.com/products/coriander-seed Edens Garden] (alternative [https://www.amazon.com/Edens-Garden-Coriander-Undiluted-Therapeutic/dp/B0046ZUW7G/ref=sr_1_4 Amazon.com], different brand [https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/koriander-olie-puur-biologisch-natuurlijk-5ml/9300000188330683/ bol.com])<br />
|5mL<br />
|0.7mL<br />
|1<br />
|$14,95<br />
|€13,33<br />
|35,71L<br />
|35,71 kL<br />
|0,06 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Alpha-Fenchol<br />
|[https://www.amazon.com/CCS-alpha-fenchol-Alcohol-Fragrance-Compound/dp/B075H1TF9T/ref=sr_1_2 Amazon.com] (alternative [https://pellwall.com/products/fenchol Pellwall] (UK), [https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/227211376456 eBay], [https://pevgrow.com/en/fenchol-arae.html pevgrow] (€27,90 incl shipping?), [https://terpenes-uk.co.uk/products/fenchol-natural terpenes] (£32 incl shipping)<br />
|30mL<br />
|0.6mL<br />
|1<br />
|$12,99<br />
|€11,25<br />
|42L<br />
|42 kL<br />
|0,02 cents<br />
|-<br />
|'''Total flavor solution A'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|~ €120<br />
|1L<br />
|1kL<br />
|€0,03 when produced at scale<br />
€0,12 for first liter<br />
|-<br />
|'''Flavor solution B'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Durkee caramel color<br />
|[https://www.amazon.com/Durkee-Food-Color-Caramel-32-Ounce/dp/B007KZJZ8G/ref=sr_1_1 Amazon.com] (alternative [https://pantryful.com/products/durkee-caramel-food-color-32-oz Pantryful])<br />
|32 oz. (946 mL)<br />
|185mL<br />
|1<br />
|$17,95<br />
|€15,54<br />
|5,11L<br />
|511L<br />
|2,3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Food-grade vegetable glycerin<br />
|[https://www.amazon.nl/ISOLATECH-Glycerine-farmaceutische-kwaliteit-plantaardig/dp/B0D89YR2NV/ Amazon.nl] (alternative [https://www.labshop.nl/glycerol-glycerine-995/?attribute_pa_volume=1-l Labshop], [https://www.werkenmetmerken.nl/nl/glycerine_99_5_foodgrade/p/20904 werkenmetmerken.nl] €9 for 1L)<br />
|250mL<br />
|150g (~150mL?)<br />
|1<br />
|€5,99<br />
|€5,99<br />
|1,67L<br />
|167L<br />
|4 cents<br />
|-<br />
|85% Phosphoric acid<br />
|[https://www.labshop.nl/fosforzuur-85-nvp/ Labshop]<br />
|1L<br />
|43mL<br />
|1<br />
|€20,27<br />
|€20,27<br />
|23,26L<br />
|2326L<br />
|0,8 cents<br />
|-<br />
|North Mountain Wine tannin<br />
|[https://www.amazon.com/North-Mountain-Supply-WT-2oz-Tannin/dp/B0CYZ5YSXM/ref=sr_1_1 Amazon.com] (alternative different brand [https://brouwland.com/nl/eikenhouten-chips/195-tannine-vinoferm-tannorouge-20-g.html Brouwland])<br />
|56g<br />
|10g<br />
|1<br />
|$20,66<br />
|€17,89<br />
|2L<br />
|200L<br />
|3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Caffeine powder<br />
|[https://voordeelkruiden.nl/cafeine-poeder/ Voordeelkruiden]If we want more: [https://woele.nl/product/cafeine-poeder-pharma-grade-250g/ Woele] alternative: [https://www.laboratoriumdiscounter.nl/nl/cafeine-995-puur.html Laboratiumdiscounter]<br />
|50g<br />
|9,65g<br />
|1<br />
|€2,60<br />
|€2,60<br />
|5,18L<br />
|518L<br />
|0,5 cents<br />
|-<br />
|5% vinegar<br />
|Makro (Burg natuurazijn '''4%''', dus gebruik 25% meer?)<br />
|1L<br />
|10mL<br />
|1<br />
|€1,01<br />
|€1,01<br />
|100L<br />
|10kL<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Vanilla extract<br />
|[https://www.amazon.nl/SaporePuro-Pure-Vanilline-Poeder-Voedingskwaliteit/dp/B07V6HSWML/ref=sr_1_1?__mk_nl_NL=ÅMÅŽÕÑ&crid=S3YK6COFEB4L&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.gE60AFOvayWbmzJYCHChr8TqcFZvaogBtawzsE7Rd846KUNFjJJ3z91jJJQBjY8_tjHngHGBRvtAQaIjjWbKTP9JtkNXLhbTc_Px2qUbzOztLwDWWnzuwTTM48gwb7JBuE-y0ni2lpjqcbojdwCSV2B_UPjp6kPDCYmSqzMPl82SMx8veSSkuuIyXuQo1rUnkAL0kU9pORzp2UHjC1Od7bZAIUQuzZUFtn5Ts95L5jS-iCGQsXRgSBMwlD6liDtGo0yAoW6fn7Hy20-w6osCtvPJG5y8KXoeUAaxEjInEfE.6UvfWewk8PDpsS7ABIgm7tNLJA7M2iGHFIGvRvVsSjo&dib_tag=se&keywords=vanilline&qid=1775422577&sprefix=vanilline%2Caps%2C146&sr=8-1 Amazon.nl] (alternative [https://www.laboratoriumdiscounter.nl/en/vanillin-995-extra-pure-foodgrade.html Laboratoriumdiscounter] but expensive shipping, alternative [https://producten.makro.nl/shop/pv/BTY-X742890/0032/0021/Nomu-Vanille-Extract-50-ml Makro.nl] but don't know vanillin strength)<br />
|100g<br />
|1g (dissolve in 100 mL<br />
water, take 0.95mL)<br />
|1<br />
|€9,80<br />
|€9,80<br />
|10kL<br />
|1ML<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|'''Total flavor solution B'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|~ €70<br />
|2L<br />
|200 L<br />
|€0,11 when produced at scale<br />
€0,35 for first liter<br />
|}<br />
(1) The essential oils in solution A, quantities as under "Quantity necessary", together make 100mL of pre-solution. "Flavor solution A" then consists of 20 mL of pre-solution, diluted to 1L using alcohol. So for each mL of essential oil in the pre-solution, a fifth (0.2 mL) goes into a liter of the actual solution. So quantity times order amount is the amount of ingredients we have, divided by quantity necessary is the amount of 100mL pre-solution we can make with the order. We can make 5L of solution with that, so the formula is: (quantity * order amount * 5) / (quantity necessary). Since 1mL of solution A goes into a L of cola, 1L solution makes 1000L cola.<br />
<br />
(2) For solution B, the ingredients together make about 400mL of pre-solution. "Flavor solution B" then consists of those 400 mL, diluted to 1L using water. So the "quantity necessary" goes directly into 1L of "Flavor solution B". Since order amount is 1 for all of these, the formula is: quantity / (quantity necessary). Since 10mL of solution B goes into a L of cola, 1L solution makes 100L cola.<br />
<br />
== Expiry ==<br />
After the first batch I'll have a liter of solution A, which is almost fully alcohol, so I expect it not to expire at all. This bottle is good for a thousand liters of cola, which is probably enough for a lifetime.<br />
<br />
I'll also have 80 mL of pre-solution A, which I'll store separately. I also expect it not to expire, but to be sure, I could add alcohol to this as well, and label the bottle as such so I know exactly how much diluted pre-solution contains 20 mL of the original pre-solution.<br />
<br />
As for solution B, I'm not sure but I expect that will expire faster. The original ingredients probably don't expire if closed well? If I make 1L that's enough for 100 L of cola, which probably lasts a few months unless it's really popular.<br />
<br />
Knowing nothing at all about food safety I asked Claude for secondary advice. ("This is a cola syrup, isn't it?") They said the solution A mixture would remain ''safe'' indefinitely, but chemical degradation would affect aroma over the years; they advise to reduce air in the bottle, reduce repeated opening (freshening of the oxygen), reduce heat and reduce light exposure. With that, realistically expiry could be pushed well beyond 5 years. For solution B, they said microbial stability is also very good due to the phosphoric acid (1.0-1.5 pH). Again, chemical degradation is the limiting factor. Sealed, room temperature and out of light, Claude expects 12-18 months for peak flavor, and "probably safe well beyond that". It says the main thing to watch out for is sediment from the tannin, and flavor decreasing. Neither makes it unsafe. Commercial cola syrups like this one carry 6-12 month best-by dates, and it says our threshold for "still good" may be more forgiving.<br />
<br />
As for the original ingredient bottles, I should check if they are labeled with best-before dates and label them with the date I first opened them. Claude says the essential oils are most perishable; they will degrade in 6-12 months. For vanilla extract it's often commercially dated 2-4 years. All other things are either really easily purchaseable or very long-lived (5+ years).<br />
<br />
Conclusion:<br />
<br />
* Keep the bottles at room temperature (or colder), in the dark, and with little air headspace in the bottle.<br />
* For the solution A bottles, I'll mark them with their production date and "expected best before date" of 5 years.<br />
* For the solution B bottles, I'll mark them with their production date and "expected best before date" of 12 months.<br />
* For the original ingredient bottles, I'll store them the same way. I could consider making more pre-solution with alcohol for preservation.<br />
<br />
== Financial overview ==<br />
This is a hobby project, so it's OK if it costs money and isn't cost-effective. However, I wanted to get an overview for myself.<br />
<br />
Initial, one-time investment into tools is €125. The initial investments into ingredients for the first run is ~€200. With some margin, that means the first batch costs €350 and we can produce around 200 liters of cola from this. If it tastes great and is popular and people want to drink it instead of Coca-Cola, I could sell it at a cost price of €1,75 per liter.<br />
<br />
If we actually (expect to) make more than 200 liters, then for the next 200 liters I'd only need to purchase additional wine tannin. So for the first batch of 400 liters, at a cost of €350, it'd already be €0,88 per liter. So that's what the price becomes if it turns out to be quite popular. Eventually, if it's ''really'' popular it would cost €0,14 for the flavor solutions, plus some sugar and carbonated water.<br />
<br />
So far, three orders were done:<br />
<br />
* Edens Garden $14,95 (€13,33)<br />
** Edens Garden Coriander Seed essential oil<br />
* Amazon.com $86,06 (€76,55)<br />
** Durkee caramel color<br />
** Alpha fenchol<br />
** Aura Cacia nutmeg oil<br />
** North Mountain wine tannin<br />
* iHerb €61,95<br />
** NOW Lemon oil<br />
** NOW Lime oil<br />
** NOW Tea tree oil<br />
** NOW Cassia cinnamon oil<br />
** NOW Orange oil<br />
* TODO: MyUS shipping from Florida to Netherlands ~€20<br />
* Amazon.nl €31,64<br />
** Graduated pipettes<br />
** Vanillin powder (foodgrade)<br />
** Glycerin 99.5% (foodgrade)<br />
* Labstuff.nl €35,57<br />
** Glassware (beaker, watch glass, volumetric flask)<br />
* Labshop.nl €81,30<br />
** Graduated cylinder<br />
** Storage bottles<br />
** 85% Phosphoric acid<br />
* Voordeelkruiden.nl €7,55<br />
** Caffeine powder<br />
* Makro €38,35<br />
** Sugar<br />
** Vinegar<br />
** Pure alcohol (food-grade)<br />
** Gloves<br />
<br />
Total paid: €346,24</div>Sjors Gielenhttps://hackerspacenijmegen.nl/index.php?title=Projects:Making_cola&diff=2983Projects:Making cola2026-04-05T23:04:02Z<p>Sjors Gielen: /* Financial overview */</p>
<hr />
<div>[[Bestand:Schermafbeelding 2026-03-25 om 11.02.33.png|miniatuur]]<br />
[[Bestand:Schermafbeelding 2026-03-25 om 11.02.10.png|miniatuur]]<br />
I (Sjors) recently saw this video by LabCoatz reverse engineering the Coca-Cola recipe using (among other techniques) a mass spectrometer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDkH3EbWTYc<br />
<br />
Now I'm a bit of a Coca-Cola addict, so I'm intrigued and want to reproduce it.<br />
<br />
Perhaps once we've done this we can also make [[wikipedia:Open-source_cola|other kinds of cola]], like Toyen Cola, which has its recipe on the back. We could even do a taste test!<br />
<br />
== Overview ==<br />
LabCoatz calls the end product of their recipe '''LabCola'''. One liter of LabCola is built off of four components:<br />
<br />
* around 100g sugar<br />
* 1mL of flavor solution A<br />
* 10 mL of flavor solution B<br />
* around 1 liter of carbonated water<br />
<br />
Flavor solution A is made by adding the following components together (~100mL), then taking 20 mL from that and diluting to 1L using 95% ethanol:<br />
<br />
* 45.8mL lemon oil (NOW)<br />
* 36.5mL lime oil (NOW)<br />
* 8mL tea tree oil (NOW, from Australian tea tree, Melaleuca Alternifolia)<br />
* 4.5mL cassia cinnamon oil (NOW)<br />
* 2.7mL nutmeg oil (aura cacia)<br />
* 1.2mL orange oil (unknown brand, regular sweet orange)<br />
* 0.7mL coriander seed oil (Edens Garden, coriandrum sativum)<br />
* 0.6mL fenchol (any version of alpha-fenchol should work)<br />
<br />
Flavor solution B is made by adding the following components together (~400mL), then diluting to 1L using water:<br />
<br />
* 185mL caramel color (Durkee)<br />
* 150 grams food-grade vegetable glycerin (Equate)<br />
* 43mL 85% phosphoric acid (Duda Energy)<br />
* 10 grams wine tannin (North Mountain)<br />
* 9.65 grams caffeine<br />
* 10mL 5% vinegar (any white vinegar?)<br />
* 10mL vanilla extract (or a solution containing 0.95 grams per liter of vanillin)<br />
<br />
It's important to note that this is '''not''' '''the Coca-Cola recipe''', which uses coca leaf extract. It is supposed to be quite close, though.<br />
<br />
== Tools ==<br />
<br />
* Mass scale<br />
** Max measurement is 150g, most precise measurement is 9.65g<br />
** '''possible source: Michiel may have one''', Mats as well<br />
** possible source: €14,20 https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/precisie-weegschaal-0-01-gram-keukenweegschaal-digitaal-milligram-precisieweegschaal-pocket-weegschaal-sieraden-weegschaal/9300000031220365/<br />
** possible source: €29 https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/trendfield-precisie-weegschaal-0-001-gr-nauwkeurig-digitale-keukenweegschaal-inclusief-batterijen-zwart/9200000111011750/<br />
** possible source: €139,15 https://www.labshop.nl/schoolweegschaal-efs-500-2/<br />
* micropipette + tips<br />
** ideally an [https://www.merkala.nl/minipet-var-microliterpipet.html adjustable micropipette], but these are quite expensive (€100+)<br />
** fixed 100µL micropipette is cheaper, €25 https://www.merkala.nl/minipet-microliterpipet.html<br />
** could also get a few [https://www.kruidvat.nl/kruidvat-doseerspuit/p/2335439 doseerspuit] at Kruidvat, €2, precision should be somewhere between 0.1mL and 0.5mL<br />
** '''setje graduated pipettes €15,85''' https://www.amazon.nl/pipetten-Graduated-Reinigingsborstel-Roerstaaf-Laboratorium/dp/B07V3VC7YZ<br />
* 50 mL graduated cilinder<br />
** '''€14,74''' https://www.labshop.nl/maatcilinder-hoog-model-klasse-a-bruine-schaalverdeling/?attribute_pa_volume=10-ml<br />
* some storage bottles (mainly 1L)<br />
** I'll produce 100 mL of pre-solution A, then dilute that into 1L of solution A and store the rest of the 80mL separately. Solution B is 1L at a time, so I'll need 3 storage bottles.<br />
** I'm considering to produce only 10 mL of pre-solution A then dilute that into 100mL of solution A. Since the solution offgasses it requires very little air in the bottle, so a 100mL bottle would be a good idea.<br />
** https://www.labshop.nl/labfles-glas-blank-gl45-blauw-simax/<br />
** €12,40 * 3 = '''€37,20'''<br />
* heat-resistant glassware for preparing the syrup (1L)<br />
** €9,23 https://www.labshop.nl/bekerglas-laag-model/<br />
** or '''€7,45''' https://labstuff.nl/contents/nl/p135.html<br />
** Ø 105mm, so '''watch glass ~€3''' https://labstuff.nl/contents/nl/p253.html<br />
* magnetic stirrer for mixing<br />
** €133,10 https://www.labshop.nl/mini-magnetische-roerder-rotilabo-m-3/<br />
** '''possible source: Michiel has one'''<br />
* 100mL volumetric flask to make the dilution steps easier<br />
** for pre-solution A<br />
** €22,63 https://www.labshop.nl/maatkolf/?attribute_pa_volume=100-ml-ns12-21-klasse-a<br />
** '''€11,15''' https://labstuff.nl/contents/nl/p4695.html<br />
* water carbonator / sodastream<br />
** '''Sjors has this at home'''<br />
* gloves / safety glasses<br />
** €8,75 https://www.werkenmetmerken.nl/nl/chemisch_bestendige_werkhandschoen/p/9489<br />
** '''but probably already present'''<br />
<br />
<br />
If we don't need to buy the mass scale nor magnetic stirrer, tools come out to approximately €125.<br />
<br />
== Ingedients ==<br />
{| class="wikitable"<br />
|+<br />
!Ingredient<br />
!Source link<br />
!Quantity<br />
!Quantity necessary<br />
!Order amount<br />
!Price per piece<br />
!Price total<br />
!Makes L solution<sup>12</sup><br />
!Makes L cola<br />
!Price per L cola<br />
|-<br />
|'''Overall'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Sugar<br />
|TODO Supermarket<br />
|<br />
|Around 100g<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Carbonated water<br />
|Self-made<br />
|<br />
|Around 1L<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|'''Flavor solution A'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Food-grade 95% alcohol<br />
|TODO [https://www.topdrinks.de/navimer-alcohol-pur-glas-1ltr Topdrinks.de]<br />
|1L<br />
|1L<br />
|1<br />
|€23,50<br />
|€23,50<br />
|1L<br />
|1 kL<br />
|2.35 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Lemon oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-lemon-1-fl-oz-30-ml/928 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-lemon-oil-30-ml Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|45.8mL<br />
|2<br />
|€7,01<br />
|€14,02<br />
|6,55L<br />
|6,55 kL<br />
|0,23 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Lime oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-lime-1-fl-oz-30-ml/930 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-essential-oils-lime Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|36.5mL<br />
|2<br />
|€12,47<br />
|€24,94<br />
|8,22L<br />
|8,22 kL<br />
|0,19 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Tea tree oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-tea-tree-1-fl-oz-30-ml/37827 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-tea-tree-oil-30-ml Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|8mL<br />
|1<br />
|€9,42<br />
|€9,42<br />
|18,75L<br />
|18,75 kL<br />
|0,05 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Cassia cinnamon oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-cinnamon-cassia-1-fl-oz-30-ml/915 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-cinnamon-cassia-oil-30-ml Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|4,5mL<br />
|1<br />
|€8,04<br />
|€8,04<br />
|33,33L<br />
|33,33 kL<br />
|0,03 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Aura Cacia Nutmeg oil<br />
|[https://www.amazon.com/Aura-Cacia-Essential-Nutmeg-Fluid/dp/B0007KO2ZM/ref=sr_1_1 Amazon.com] (alternatives different brands [https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-nutmeg-1-fl-oz-30-ml/941 iHerb], [https://www.berivita.com/etherische-olie/nootmuskaat-olie-zuiver-puur-10ml Berivita])<br />
|30mL<br />
|2.7mL<br />
|1<br />
|$19,89<br />
|€17,22<br />
|55,56L<br />
|55,56 kL<br />
|0,03 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Orange oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-orange-1-fl-oz-30-ml/953 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-orange-oil-30-ml?sqr=orange%20oil Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|1.2mL<br />
|1<br />
|€5,53<br />
|€5,53<br />
|125L<br />
|125 kL<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Edens Garden Coriander seed oil<br />
|[https://www.edensgarden.com/products/coriander-seed Edens Garden] (alternative [https://www.amazon.com/Edens-Garden-Coriander-Undiluted-Therapeutic/dp/B0046ZUW7G/ref=sr_1_4 Amazon.com], different brand [https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/koriander-olie-puur-biologisch-natuurlijk-5ml/9300000188330683/ bol.com])<br />
|5mL<br />
|0.7mL<br />
|1<br />
|$14,95<br />
|€13,33<br />
|35,71L<br />
|35,71 kL<br />
|0,06 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Alpha-Fenchol<br />
|[https://www.amazon.com/CCS-alpha-fenchol-Alcohol-Fragrance-Compound/dp/B075H1TF9T/ref=sr_1_2 Amazon.com] (alternative [https://pellwall.com/products/fenchol Pellwall] (UK), [https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/227211376456 eBay], [https://pevgrow.com/en/fenchol-arae.html pevgrow] (€27,90 incl shipping?), [https://terpenes-uk.co.uk/products/fenchol-natural terpenes] (£32 incl shipping)<br />
|30mL<br />
|0.6mL<br />
|1<br />
|$12,99<br />
|€11,25<br />
|42L<br />
|42 kL<br />
|0,02 cents<br />
|-<br />
|'''Total flavor solution A'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|~ €120<br />
|1L<br />
|1kL<br />
|€0,03 when produced at scale<br />
€0,12 for first liter<br />
|-<br />
|'''Flavor solution B'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Durkee caramel color<br />
|[https://www.amazon.com/Durkee-Food-Color-Caramel-32-Ounce/dp/B007KZJZ8G/ref=sr_1_1 Amazon.com] (alternative [https://pantryful.com/products/durkee-caramel-food-color-32-oz Pantryful])<br />
|32 oz. (946 mL)<br />
|185mL<br />
|1<br />
|$17,95<br />
|€15,54<br />
|5,11L<br />
|511L<br />
|2,3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Food-grade vegetable glycerin<br />
|[https://www.amazon.nl/ISOLATECH-Glycerine-farmaceutische-kwaliteit-plantaardig/dp/B0D89YR2NV/ Amazon.nl] (alternative [https://www.labshop.nl/glycerol-glycerine-995/?attribute_pa_volume=1-l Labshop], [https://www.werkenmetmerken.nl/nl/glycerine_99_5_foodgrade/p/20904 werkenmetmerken.nl] €9 for 1L)<br />
|250mL<br />
|150g (~150mL?)<br />
|1<br />
|€5,99<br />
|€5,99<br />
|1,67L<br />
|167L<br />
|4 cents<br />
|-<br />
|85% Phosphoric acid<br />
|[https://www.labshop.nl/fosforzuur-85-nvp/ Labshop]<br />
|1L<br />
|43mL<br />
|1<br />
|€20,27<br />
|€20,27<br />
|23,26L<br />
|2326L<br />
|0,8 cents<br />
|-<br />
|North Mountain Wine tannin<br />
|[https://www.amazon.com/North-Mountain-Supply-WT-2oz-Tannin/dp/B0CYZ5YSXM/ref=sr_1_1 Amazon.com] (alternative different brand [https://brouwland.com/nl/eikenhouten-chips/195-tannine-vinoferm-tannorouge-20-g.html Brouwland])<br />
|56g<br />
|10g<br />
|1<br />
|$20,66<br />
|€17,89<br />
|2L<br />
|200L<br />
|3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Caffeine powder<br />
|[https://voordeelkruiden.nl/cafeine-poeder/ Voordeelkruiden]If we want more: [https://woele.nl/product/cafeine-poeder-pharma-grade-250g/ Woele] alternative: [https://www.laboratoriumdiscounter.nl/nl/cafeine-995-puur.html Laboratiumdiscounter]<br />
|50g<br />
|9,65g<br />
|1<br />
|€2,60<br />
|€2,60<br />
|5,18L<br />
|518L<br />
|0,5 cents<br />
|-<br />
|5% vinegar<br />
|TODO Supermarket (Double check 5%!)<br />
|1L<br />
|10mL<br />
|1<br />
|€0,99<br />
|€0,99<br />
|100L<br />
|10kL<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Vanilla extract<br />
|[https://www.amazon.nl/SaporePuro-Pure-Vanilline-Poeder-Voedingskwaliteit/dp/B07V6HSWML/ref=sr_1_1?__mk_nl_NL=ÅMÅŽÕÑ&crid=S3YK6COFEB4L&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.gE60AFOvayWbmzJYCHChr8TqcFZvaogBtawzsE7Rd846KUNFjJJ3z91jJJQBjY8_tjHngHGBRvtAQaIjjWbKTP9JtkNXLhbTc_Px2qUbzOztLwDWWnzuwTTM48gwb7JBuE-y0ni2lpjqcbojdwCSV2B_UPjp6kPDCYmSqzMPl82SMx8veSSkuuIyXuQo1rUnkAL0kU9pORzp2UHjC1Od7bZAIUQuzZUFtn5Ts95L5jS-iCGQsXRgSBMwlD6liDtGo0yAoW6fn7Hy20-w6osCtvPJG5y8KXoeUAaxEjInEfE.6UvfWewk8PDpsS7ABIgm7tNLJA7M2iGHFIGvRvVsSjo&dib_tag=se&keywords=vanilline&qid=1775422577&sprefix=vanilline%2Caps%2C146&sr=8-1 Amazon.nl] (alternative [https://www.laboratoriumdiscounter.nl/en/vanillin-995-extra-pure-foodgrade.html Laboratoriumdiscounter] but expensive shipping, alternative [https://producten.makro.nl/shop/pv/BTY-X742890/0032/0021/Nomu-Vanille-Extract-50-ml Makro.nl] but don't know vanillin strength)<br />
|100g<br />
|1g (dissolve in 100 mL<br />
water, take 0.95mL)<br />
|1<br />
|€9,80<br />
|€9,80<br />
|10kL<br />
|1ML<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|'''Total flavor solution B'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|~ €70<br />
|2L<br />
|200 L<br />
|€0,11 when produced at scale<br />
€0,35 for first liter<br />
|}<br />
(1) The essential oils in solution A, quantities as under "Quantity necessary", together make 100mL of pre-solution. "Flavor solution A" then consists of 20 mL of pre-solution, diluted to 1L using alcohol. So for each mL of essential oil in the pre-solution, a fifth (0.2 mL) goes into a liter of the actual solution. So quantity times order amount is the amount of ingredients we have, divided by quantity necessary is the amount of 100mL pre-solution we can make with the order. We can make 5L of solution with that, so the formula is: (quantity * order amount * 5) / (quantity necessary). Since 1mL of solution A goes into a L of cola, 1L solution makes 1000L cola.<br />
<br />
(2) For solution B, the ingredients together make about 400mL of pre-solution. "Flavor solution B" then consists of those 400 mL, diluted to 1L using water. So the "quantity necessary" goes directly into 1L of "Flavor solution B". Since order amount is 1 for all of these, the formula is: quantity / (quantity necessary). Since 10mL of solution B goes into a L of cola, 1L solution makes 100L cola.<br />
<br />
== Expiry ==<br />
After the first batch I'll have a liter of solution A, which is almost fully alcohol, so I expect it not to expire at all. This bottle is good for a thousand liters of cola, which is probably enough for a lifetime.<br />
<br />
I'll also have 80 mL of pre-solution A, which I'll store separately. I also expect it not to expire, but to be sure, I could add alcohol to this as well, and label the bottle as such so I know exactly how much diluted pre-solution contains 20 mL of the original pre-solution.<br />
<br />
As for solution B, I'm not sure but I expect that will expire faster. The original ingredients probably don't expire if closed well? If I make 1L that's enough for 100 L of cola, which probably lasts a few months unless it's really popular.<br />
<br />
Knowing nothing at all about food safety I asked Claude for secondary advice. ("This is a cola syrup, isn't it?") They said the solution A mixture would remain ''safe'' indefinitely, but chemical degradation would affect aroma over the years; they advise to reduce air in the bottle, reduce repeated opening (freshening of the oxygen), reduce heat and reduce light exposure. With that, realistically expiry could be pushed well beyond 5 years. For solution B, they said microbial stability is also very good due to the phosphoric acid (1.0-1.5 pH). Again, chemical degradation is the limiting factor. Sealed, room temperature and out of light, Claude expects 12-18 months for peak flavor, and "probably safe well beyond that". It says the main thing to watch out for is sediment from the tannin, and flavor decreasing. Neither makes it unsafe. Commercial cola syrups like this one carry 6-12 month best-by dates, and it says our threshold for "still good" may be more forgiving.<br />
<br />
As for the original ingredient bottles, I should check if they are labeled with best-before dates and label them with the date I first opened them. Claude says the essential oils are most perishable; they will degrade in 6-12 months. For vanilla extract it's often commercially dated 2-4 years. All other things are either really easily purchaseable or very long-lived (5+ years).<br />
<br />
Conclusion:<br />
<br />
* Keep the bottles at room temperature (or colder), in the dark, and with little air headspace in the bottle.<br />
* For the solution A bottles, I'll mark them with their production date and "expected best before date" of 5 years.<br />
* For the solution B bottles, I'll mark them with their production date and "expected best before date" of 12 months.<br />
* For the original ingredient bottles, I'll store them the same way. I could consider making more pre-solution with alcohol for preservation.<br />
<br />
== Financial overview ==<br />
This is a hobby project, so it's OK if it costs money and isn't cost-effective. However, I wanted to get an overview for myself.<br />
<br />
Initial, one-time investment into tools is €125. The initial investments into ingredients for the first run is ~€200. With some margin, that means the first batch costs €350 and we can produce around 200 liters of cola from this. If it tastes great and is popular and people want to drink it instead of Coca-Cola, I could sell it at a cost price of €1,75 per liter.<br />
<br />
If we actually (expect to) make more than 200 liters, then for the next 200 liters I'd only need to purchase additional wine tannin. So for the first batch of 400 liters, at a cost of €350, it'd already be €0,88 per liter. So that's what the price becomes if it turns out to be quite popular. Eventually, if it's ''really'' popular it would cost €0,14 for the flavor solutions, plus some sugar and carbonated water.<br />
<br />
So far, three orders were done:<br />
<br />
* Edens Garden $14,95 (€13,33)<br />
** Edens Garden Coriander Seed essential oil<br />
* Amazon.com $86,06 (€76,55)<br />
** Durkee caramel color<br />
** Alpha fenchol<br />
** Aura Cacia nutmeg oil<br />
** North Mountain wine tannin<br />
* iHerb €61,95<br />
** NOW Lemon oil<br />
** NOW Lime oil<br />
** NOW Tea tree oil<br />
** NOW Cassia cinnamon oil<br />
** NOW Orange oil<br />
* TODO: MyUS shipping from Florida to Netherlands ~€20<br />
* Amazon.nl €31,64<br />
** Graduated pipettes<br />
** Vanillin powder (foodgrade)<br />
** Glycerin 99.5% (foodgrade)<br />
* Labstuff.nl €35,57<br />
** Glassware (beaker, watch glass, volumetric flask)<br />
* Labshop.nl €81,30<br />
** Graduated cylinder<br />
** Storage bottles<br />
** 85% Phosphoric acid<br />
* Voordeelkruiden.nl €7,55<br />
** Caffeine powder<br />
* TODO ingredients online<br />
** Food-grade 95% alcohol €23,50<br />
* TODO ingredients supermarket<br />
** Sugar<br />
** 5% vinegar<br />
* TODO equipment<br />
** Gloves €8,75<br />
<br />
Total paid: €307,89<br />
<br />
Total remaining: ~€50</div>Sjors Gielenhttps://hackerspacenijmegen.nl/index.php?title=Projects:Making_cola&diff=2982Projects:Making cola2026-04-05T21:17:59Z<p>Sjors Gielen: /* Ingedients */</p>
<hr />
<div>[[Bestand:Schermafbeelding 2026-03-25 om 11.02.33.png|miniatuur]]<br />
[[Bestand:Schermafbeelding 2026-03-25 om 11.02.10.png|miniatuur]]<br />
I (Sjors) recently saw this video by LabCoatz reverse engineering the Coca-Cola recipe using (among other techniques) a mass spectrometer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDkH3EbWTYc<br />
<br />
Now I'm a bit of a Coca-Cola addict, so I'm intrigued and want to reproduce it.<br />
<br />
Perhaps once we've done this we can also make [[wikipedia:Open-source_cola|other kinds of cola]], like Toyen Cola, which has its recipe on the back. We could even do a taste test!<br />
<br />
== Overview ==<br />
LabCoatz calls the end product of their recipe '''LabCola'''. One liter of LabCola is built off of four components:<br />
<br />
* around 100g sugar<br />
* 1mL of flavor solution A<br />
* 10 mL of flavor solution B<br />
* around 1 liter of carbonated water<br />
<br />
Flavor solution A is made by adding the following components together (~100mL), then taking 20 mL from that and diluting to 1L using 95% ethanol:<br />
<br />
* 45.8mL lemon oil (NOW)<br />
* 36.5mL lime oil (NOW)<br />
* 8mL tea tree oil (NOW, from Australian tea tree, Melaleuca Alternifolia)<br />
* 4.5mL cassia cinnamon oil (NOW)<br />
* 2.7mL nutmeg oil (aura cacia)<br />
* 1.2mL orange oil (unknown brand, regular sweet orange)<br />
* 0.7mL coriander seed oil (Edens Garden, coriandrum sativum)<br />
* 0.6mL fenchol (any version of alpha-fenchol should work)<br />
<br />
Flavor solution B is made by adding the following components together (~400mL), then diluting to 1L using water:<br />
<br />
* 185mL caramel color (Durkee)<br />
* 150 grams food-grade vegetable glycerin (Equate)<br />
* 43mL 85% phosphoric acid (Duda Energy)<br />
* 10 grams wine tannin (North Mountain)<br />
* 9.65 grams caffeine<br />
* 10mL 5% vinegar (any white vinegar?)<br />
* 10mL vanilla extract (or a solution containing 0.95 grams per liter of vanillin)<br />
<br />
It's important to note that this is '''not''' '''the Coca-Cola recipe''', which uses coca leaf extract. It is supposed to be quite close, though.<br />
<br />
== Tools ==<br />
<br />
* Mass scale<br />
** Max measurement is 150g, most precise measurement is 9.65g<br />
** possible source: Michiel may have one, Mats as well<br />
** possible source: €14,20 https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/precisie-weegschaal-0-01-gram-keukenweegschaal-digitaal-milligram-precisieweegschaal-pocket-weegschaal-sieraden-weegschaal/9300000031220365/<br />
** possible source: €29 https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/trendfield-precisie-weegschaal-0-001-gr-nauwkeurig-digitale-keukenweegschaal-inclusief-batterijen-zwart/9200000111011750/<br />
** possible source: €139,15 https://www.labshop.nl/schoolweegschaal-efs-500-2/<br />
* micropipette + tips<br />
** ideally an [https://www.merkala.nl/minipet-var-microliterpipet.html adjustable micropipette], but these are quite expensive (€100+)<br />
** fixed 100µL micropipette is cheaper, €25 https://www.merkala.nl/minipet-microliterpipet.html<br />
** could also get a few [https://www.kruidvat.nl/kruidvat-doseerspuit/p/2335439 doseerspuit] at Kruidvat, €2, precision should be somewhere between 0.1mL and 0.5mL<br />
** setje graduated pipettes €15,85 https://www.amazon.nl/pipetten-Graduated-Reinigingsborstel-Roerstaaf-Laboratorium/dp/B07V3VC7YZ<br />
* 50 mL graduated cilinder<br />
** €14,74 https://www.labshop.nl/maatcilinder-hoog-model-klasse-a-bruine-schaalverdeling/?attribute_pa_volume=10-ml<br />
* some storage bottles (mainly 1L)<br />
** I'll produce 100 mL of pre-solution A, then dilute that into 1L of solution A and store the rest of the 80mL separately. Solution B is 1L at a time, so I'll need 3 storage bottles.<br />
** I'm considering to produce only 10 mL of pre-solution A then dilute that into 100mL of solution A. Since the solution offgasses it requires very little air in the bottle, so a 100mL bottle would be a good idea.<br />
** https://www.labshop.nl/labfles-glas-blank-gl45-blauw-simax/<br />
** €12,40 * 3 = €37,20<br />
* heat-resistant glassware for preparing the syrup (1L)<br />
** €9,23 https://www.labshop.nl/bekerglas-laag-model/<br />
** or €7,45 https://labstuff.nl/contents/nl/p135.html<br />
** Ø 105mm, dus horlogeglas ~€3 https://labstuff.nl/contents/nl/p253.html<br />
* magnetic stirrer for mixing<br />
** €133,10 https://www.labshop.nl/mini-magnetische-roerder-rotilabo-m-3/<br />
** possible source: Michiel has one<br />
* 100mL volumetric flask to make the dilution steps easier<br />
** for pre-solution A<br />
** €22,63 https://www.labshop.nl/maatkolf/?attribute_pa_volume=100-ml-ns12-21-klasse-a<br />
** €11,15 https://labstuff.nl/contents/nl/p4695.html<br />
* water carbonator / sodastream<br />
** Sjors has this at home<br />
* gloves / safety glasses<br />
** €8,75 https://www.werkenmetmerken.nl/nl/chemisch_bestendige_werkhandschoen/p/9489<br />
** but probably already present<br />
<br />
<br />
If we don't need to buy the mass scale nor magnetic stirrer, tools come out to approximately €125.<br />
<br />
== Ingedients ==<br />
{| class="wikitable"<br />
|+<br />
!Ingredient<br />
!Source link<br />
!Quantity<br />
!Quantity necessary<br />
!Order amount<br />
!Price per piece<br />
!Price total<br />
!Makes L solution<sup>12</sup><br />
!Makes L cola<br />
!Price per L cola<br />
|-<br />
|'''Overall'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Sugar<br />
|TODO Supermarket<br />
|<br />
|Around 100g<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Carbonated water<br />
|Self-made<br />
|<br />
|Around 1L<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|'''Flavor solution A'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Food-grade 95% alcohol<br />
|TODO [https://www.topdrinks.de/navimer-alcohol-pur-glas-1ltr Topdrinks.de]<br />
|1L<br />
|1L<br />
|1<br />
|€23,50<br />
|€23,50<br />
|1L<br />
|1 kL<br />
|2.35 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Lemon oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-lemon-1-fl-oz-30-ml/928 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-lemon-oil-30-ml Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|45.8mL<br />
|2<br />
|€7,01<br />
|€14,02<br />
|6,55L<br />
|6,55 kL<br />
|0,23 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Lime oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-lime-1-fl-oz-30-ml/930 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-essential-oils-lime Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|36.5mL<br />
|2<br />
|€12,47<br />
|€24,94<br />
|8,22L<br />
|8,22 kL<br />
|0,19 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Tea tree oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-tea-tree-1-fl-oz-30-ml/37827 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-tea-tree-oil-30-ml Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|8mL<br />
|1<br />
|€9,42<br />
|€9,42<br />
|18,75L<br />
|18,75 kL<br />
|0,05 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Cassia cinnamon oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-cinnamon-cassia-1-fl-oz-30-ml/915 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-cinnamon-cassia-oil-30-ml Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|4,5mL<br />
|1<br />
|€8,04<br />
|€8,04<br />
|33,33L<br />
|33,33 kL<br />
|0,03 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Aura Cacia Nutmeg oil<br />
|[https://www.amazon.com/Aura-Cacia-Essential-Nutmeg-Fluid/dp/B0007KO2ZM/ref=sr_1_1 Amazon.com] (alternatives different brands [https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-nutmeg-1-fl-oz-30-ml/941 iHerb], [https://www.berivita.com/etherische-olie/nootmuskaat-olie-zuiver-puur-10ml Berivita])<br />
|30mL<br />
|2.7mL<br />
|1<br />
|$19,89<br />
|€17,22<br />
|55,56L<br />
|55,56 kL<br />
|0,03 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Orange oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-orange-1-fl-oz-30-ml/953 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-orange-oil-30-ml?sqr=orange%20oil Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|1.2mL<br />
|1<br />
|€5,53<br />
|€5,53<br />
|125L<br />
|125 kL<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Edens Garden Coriander seed oil<br />
|[https://www.edensgarden.com/products/coriander-seed Edens Garden] (alternative [https://www.amazon.com/Edens-Garden-Coriander-Undiluted-Therapeutic/dp/B0046ZUW7G/ref=sr_1_4 Amazon.com], different brand [https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/koriander-olie-puur-biologisch-natuurlijk-5ml/9300000188330683/ bol.com])<br />
|5mL<br />
|0.7mL<br />
|1<br />
|$14,95<br />
|€13,33<br />
|35,71L<br />
|35,71 kL<br />
|0,06 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Alpha-Fenchol<br />
|[https://www.amazon.com/CCS-alpha-fenchol-Alcohol-Fragrance-Compound/dp/B075H1TF9T/ref=sr_1_2 Amazon.com] (alternative [https://pellwall.com/products/fenchol Pellwall] (UK), [https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/227211376456 eBay], [https://pevgrow.com/en/fenchol-arae.html pevgrow] (€27,90 incl shipping?), [https://terpenes-uk.co.uk/products/fenchol-natural terpenes] (£32 incl shipping)<br />
|30mL<br />
|0.6mL<br />
|1<br />
|$12,99<br />
|€11,25<br />
|42L<br />
|42 kL<br />
|0,02 cents<br />
|-<br />
|'''Total flavor solution A'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|~ €120<br />
|1L<br />
|1kL<br />
|€0,03 when produced at scale<br />
€0,12 for first liter<br />
|-<br />
|'''Flavor solution B'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Durkee caramel color<br />
|[https://www.amazon.com/Durkee-Food-Color-Caramel-32-Ounce/dp/B007KZJZ8G/ref=sr_1_1 Amazon.com] (alternative [https://pantryful.com/products/durkee-caramel-food-color-32-oz Pantryful])<br />
|32 oz. (946 mL)<br />
|185mL<br />
|1<br />
|$17,95<br />
|€15,54<br />
|5,11L<br />
|511L<br />
|2,3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Food-grade vegetable glycerin<br />
|TODO [https://www.amazon.nl/ISOLATECH-Glycerine-farmaceutische-kwaliteit-plantaardig/dp/B0D89YR2NV/ Amazon.nl] (alternative [https://www.labshop.nl/glycerol-glycerine-995/?attribute_pa_volume=1-l Labshop], [https://www.werkenmetmerken.nl/nl/glycerine_99_5_foodgrade/p/20904 werkenmetmerken.nl] €9 for 1L)<br />
|250mL<br />
|150g (~150mL?)<br />
|1<br />
|€5,99<br />
|€5,99<br />
|1,67L<br />
|167L<br />
|4 cents<br />
|-<br />
|85% Phosphoric acid<br />
|TODO [https://www.labshop.nl/fosforzuur-85-nvp/ Labshop]<br />
|1L<br />
|43mL<br />
|1<br />
|€20,27<br />
|€20,27<br />
|23,26L<br />
|2326L<br />
|0,8 cents<br />
|-<br />
|North Mountain Wine tannin<br />
|[https://www.amazon.com/North-Mountain-Supply-WT-2oz-Tannin/dp/B0CYZ5YSXM/ref=sr_1_1 Amazon.com] (alternative different brand [https://brouwland.com/nl/eikenhouten-chips/195-tannine-vinoferm-tannorouge-20-g.html Brouwland])<br />
|56g<br />
|10g<br />
|1<br />
|$20,66<br />
|€17,89<br />
|2L<br />
|200L<br />
|3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Caffeine powder<br />
|TODO [https://voordeelkruiden.nl/cafeine-poeder/ Voordeelkruiden]If we want more: [https://woele.nl/product/cafeine-poeder-pharma-grade-250g/ Woele] alternative: [https://www.laboratoriumdiscounter.nl/nl/cafeine-995-puur.html Laboratiumdiscounter]<br />
|50g<br />
|9,65g<br />
|1<br />
|€2,60<br />
|€2,60<br />
|5,18L<br />
|518L<br />
|0,5 cents<br />
|-<br />
|5% vinegar<br />
|TODO Supermarket (Double check 5%!)<br />
|1L<br />
|10mL<br />
|1<br />
|€0,99<br />
|€0,99<br />
|100L<br />
|10kL<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Vanilla extract<br />
|TODO [https://www.amazon.nl/SaporePuro-Pure-Vanilline-Poeder-Voedingskwaliteit/dp/B07V6HSWML/ref=sr_1_1?__mk_nl_NL=ÅMÅŽÕÑ&crid=S3YK6COFEB4L&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.gE60AFOvayWbmzJYCHChr8TqcFZvaogBtawzsE7Rd846KUNFjJJ3z91jJJQBjY8_tjHngHGBRvtAQaIjjWbKTP9JtkNXLhbTc_Px2qUbzOztLwDWWnzuwTTM48gwb7JBuE-y0ni2lpjqcbojdwCSV2B_UPjp6kPDCYmSqzMPl82SMx8veSSkuuIyXuQo1rUnkAL0kU9pORzp2UHjC1Od7bZAIUQuzZUFtn5Ts95L5jS-iCGQsXRgSBMwlD6liDtGo0yAoW6fn7Hy20-w6osCtvPJG5y8KXoeUAaxEjInEfE.6UvfWewk8PDpsS7ABIgm7tNLJA7M2iGHFIGvRvVsSjo&dib_tag=se&keywords=vanilline&qid=1775422577&sprefix=vanilline%2Caps%2C146&sr=8-1 Amazon.nl] (alternative [https://www.laboratoriumdiscounter.nl/en/vanillin-995-extra-pure-foodgrade.html Laboratoriumdiscounter] but expensive shipping, alternative [https://producten.makro.nl/shop/pv/BTY-X742890/0032/0021/Nomu-Vanille-Extract-50-ml Makro.nl] but don't know vanillin strength)<br />
|100g<br />
|1g (dissolve in 100 mL<br />
water, take 0.95mL)<br />
|1<br />
|€9,80<br />
|€9,80<br />
|10kL<br />
|1ML<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|'''Total flavor solution B'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|~ €70<br />
|2L<br />
|200 L<br />
|€0,11 when produced at scale<br />
€0,35 for first liter<br />
|}<br />
(1) The essential oils in solution A, quantities as under "Quantity necessary", together make 100mL of pre-solution. "Flavor solution A" then consists of 20 mL of pre-solution, diluted to 1L using alcohol. So for each mL of essential oil in the pre-solution, a fifth (0.2 mL) goes into a liter of the actual solution. So quantity times order amount is the amount of ingredients we have, divided by quantity necessary is the amount of 100mL pre-solution we can make with the order. We can make 5L of solution with that, so the formula is: (quantity * order amount * 5) / (quantity necessary). Since 1mL of solution A goes into a L of cola, 1L solution makes 1000L cola.<br />
<br />
(2) For solution B, the ingredients together make about 400mL of pre-solution. "Flavor solution B" then consists of those 400 mL, diluted to 1L using water. So the "quantity necessary" goes directly into 1L of "Flavor solution B". Since order amount is 1 for all of these, the formula is: quantity / (quantity necessary). Since 10mL of solution B goes into a L of cola, 1L solution makes 100L cola.<br />
<br />
== Expiry ==<br />
After the first batch I'll have a liter of solution A, which is almost fully alcohol, so I expect it not to expire at all. This bottle is good for a thousand liters of cola, which is probably enough for a lifetime.<br />
<br />
I'll also have 80 mL of pre-solution A, which I'll store separately. I also expect it not to expire, but to be sure, I could add alcohol to this as well, and label the bottle as such so I know exactly how much diluted pre-solution contains 20 mL of the original pre-solution.<br />
<br />
As for solution B, I'm not sure but I expect that will expire faster. The original ingredients probably don't expire if closed well? If I make 1L that's enough for 100 L of cola, which probably lasts a few months unless it's really popular.<br />
<br />
Knowing nothing at all about food safety I asked Claude for secondary advice. ("This is a cola syrup, isn't it?") They said the solution A mixture would remain ''safe'' indefinitely, but chemical degradation would affect aroma over the years; they advise to reduce air in the bottle, reduce repeated opening (freshening of the oxygen), reduce heat and reduce light exposure. With that, realistically expiry could be pushed well beyond 5 years. For solution B, they said microbial stability is also very good due to the phosphoric acid (1.0-1.5 pH). Again, chemical degradation is the limiting factor. Sealed, room temperature and out of light, Claude expects 12-18 months for peak flavor, and "probably safe well beyond that". It says the main thing to watch out for is sediment from the tannin, and flavor decreasing. Neither makes it unsafe. Commercial cola syrups like this one carry 6-12 month best-by dates, and it says our threshold for "still good" may be more forgiving.<br />
<br />
As for the original ingredient bottles, I should check if they are labeled with best-before dates and label them with the date I first opened them. Claude says the essential oils are most perishable; they will degrade in 6-12 months. For vanilla extract it's often commercially dated 2-4 years. All other things are either really easily purchaseable or very long-lived (5+ years).<br />
<br />
Conclusion:<br />
<br />
* Keep the bottles at room temperature (or colder), in the dark, and with little air headspace in the bottle.<br />
* For the solution A bottles, I'll mark them with their production date and "expected best before date" of 5 years.<br />
* For the solution B bottles, I'll mark them with their production date and "expected best before date" of 12 months.<br />
* For the original ingredient bottles, I'll store them the same way. I could consider making more pre-solution with alcohol for preservation.<br />
<br />
== Financial overview ==<br />
This is a hobby project, so it's OK if it costs money and isn't cost-effective. However, I wanted to get an overview for myself.<br />
<br />
Initial, one-time investment into tools is €125. The initial investments into ingredients for the first run is ~€200. With some margin, that means the first batch costs €350 and we can produce around 200 liters of cola from this. If it tastes great and is popular and people want to drink it instead of Coca-Cola, I could sell it at a cost price of €1,75 per liter.<br />
<br />
If we actually (expect to) make more than 200 liters, then for the next 200 liters I'd only need to purchase additional wine tannin. So for the first batch of 400 liters, at a cost of €350, it'd already be €0,88 per liter. So that's what the price becomes if it turns out to be quite popular. Eventually, if it's ''really'' popular it would cost €0,14 for the flavor solutions, plus some sugar and carbonated water.<br />
<br />
So far, three orders were done:<br />
<br />
* Edens Garden $14,95 (€13,33)<br />
** Edens Garden Coriander Seed essential oil<br />
* Amazon.com $86,06 (~€75)<br />
** Durkee caramel color<br />
** Alpha fenchol<br />
** Aura Cacia nutmeg oil<br />
** North Mountain wine tannin<br />
* iHerb €61,95<br />
** NOW Lemon oil<br />
** NOW Lime oil<br />
** NOW Tea tree oil<br />
** NOW Cassia cinnamon oil<br />
** NOW Orange oil<br />
* TODO: MyUS shipping from Florida to Netherlands ~€20<br />
* TODO ingredients online<br />
** Food-grade 95% alcohol €23,50<br />
** Food-grade vegetable glycerin €12,04<br />
** 85% phosphoric acid €20,27<br />
** Caffeine powder €2,60<br />
** Vanilla extract €15,19<br />
* TODO ingredients supermarket<br />
** Sugar<br />
** 5% vinegar<br />
* TODO equipment<br />
** Graduated pipettes €15,85<br />
** Graduated cylinder €14,74<br />
** Storage bottles €37,20<br />
** Syrup preparation glassware €25,23<br />
** Volumetric flask €22,63<br />
** Gloves €8,75<br />
<br />
Total paid: €150<br />
<br />
Total remaining: ~€220</div>Sjors Gielenhttps://hackerspacenijmegen.nl/index.php?title=Projects:Making_cola&diff=2981Projects:Making cola2026-04-05T20:59:34Z<p>Sjors Gielen: /* Ingedients */</p>
<hr />
<div>[[Bestand:Schermafbeelding 2026-03-25 om 11.02.33.png|miniatuur]]<br />
[[Bestand:Schermafbeelding 2026-03-25 om 11.02.10.png|miniatuur]]<br />
I (Sjors) recently saw this video by LabCoatz reverse engineering the Coca-Cola recipe using (among other techniques) a mass spectrometer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDkH3EbWTYc<br />
<br />
Now I'm a bit of a Coca-Cola addict, so I'm intrigued and want to reproduce it.<br />
<br />
Perhaps once we've done this we can also make [[wikipedia:Open-source_cola|other kinds of cola]], like Toyen Cola, which has its recipe on the back. We could even do a taste test!<br />
<br />
== Overview ==<br />
LabCoatz calls the end product of their recipe '''LabCola'''. One liter of LabCola is built off of four components:<br />
<br />
* around 100g sugar<br />
* 1mL of flavor solution A<br />
* 10 mL of flavor solution B<br />
* around 1 liter of carbonated water<br />
<br />
Flavor solution A is made by adding the following components together (~100mL), then taking 20 mL from that and diluting to 1L using 95% ethanol:<br />
<br />
* 45.8mL lemon oil (NOW)<br />
* 36.5mL lime oil (NOW)<br />
* 8mL tea tree oil (NOW, from Australian tea tree, Melaleuca Alternifolia)<br />
* 4.5mL cassia cinnamon oil (NOW)<br />
* 2.7mL nutmeg oil (aura cacia)<br />
* 1.2mL orange oil (unknown brand, regular sweet orange)<br />
* 0.7mL coriander seed oil (Edens Garden, coriandrum sativum)<br />
* 0.6mL fenchol (any version of alpha-fenchol should work)<br />
<br />
Flavor solution B is made by adding the following components together (~400mL), then diluting to 1L using water:<br />
<br />
* 185mL caramel color (Durkee)<br />
* 150 grams food-grade vegetable glycerin (Equate)<br />
* 43mL 85% phosphoric acid (Duda Energy)<br />
* 10 grams wine tannin (North Mountain)<br />
* 9.65 grams caffeine<br />
* 10mL 5% vinegar (any white vinegar?)<br />
* 10mL vanilla extract (or a solution containing 0.95 grams per liter of vanillin)<br />
<br />
It's important to note that this is '''not''' '''the Coca-Cola recipe''', which uses coca leaf extract. It is supposed to be quite close, though.<br />
<br />
== Tools ==<br />
<br />
* Mass scale<br />
** Max measurement is 150g, most precise measurement is 9.65g<br />
** possible source: Michiel may have one, Mats as well<br />
** possible source: €14,20 https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/precisie-weegschaal-0-01-gram-keukenweegschaal-digitaal-milligram-precisieweegschaal-pocket-weegschaal-sieraden-weegschaal/9300000031220365/<br />
** possible source: €29 https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/trendfield-precisie-weegschaal-0-001-gr-nauwkeurig-digitale-keukenweegschaal-inclusief-batterijen-zwart/9200000111011750/<br />
** possible source: €139,15 https://www.labshop.nl/schoolweegschaal-efs-500-2/<br />
* micropipette + tips<br />
** ideally an [https://www.merkala.nl/minipet-var-microliterpipet.html adjustable micropipette], but these are quite expensive (€100+)<br />
** fixed 100µL micropipette is cheaper, €25 https://www.merkala.nl/minipet-microliterpipet.html<br />
** could also get a few [https://www.kruidvat.nl/kruidvat-doseerspuit/p/2335439 doseerspuit] at Kruidvat, €2, precision should be somewhere between 0.1mL and 0.5mL<br />
** setje graduated pipettes €15,85 https://www.amazon.nl/pipetten-Graduated-Reinigingsborstel-Roerstaaf-Laboratorium/dp/B07V3VC7YZ<br />
* 50 mL graduated cilinder<br />
** €14,74 https://www.labshop.nl/maatcilinder-hoog-model-klasse-a-bruine-schaalverdeling/?attribute_pa_volume=10-ml<br />
* some storage bottles (mainly 1L)<br />
** I'll produce 100 mL of pre-solution A, then dilute that into 1L of solution A and store the rest of the 80mL separately. Solution B is 1L at a time, so I'll need 3 storage bottles.<br />
** I'm considering to produce only 10 mL of pre-solution A then dilute that into 100mL of solution A. Since the solution offgasses it requires very little air in the bottle, so a 100mL bottle would be a good idea.<br />
** https://www.labshop.nl/labfles-glas-blank-gl45-blauw-simax/<br />
** €12,40 * 3 = €37,20<br />
* heat-resistant glassware for preparing the syrup (1L)<br />
** €9,23 https://www.labshop.nl/bekerglas-laag-model/<br />
** or €7,45 https://labstuff.nl/contents/nl/p135.html<br />
** Ø 105mm, dus horlogeglas ~€3 https://labstuff.nl/contents/nl/p253.html<br />
* magnetic stirrer for mixing<br />
** €133,10 https://www.labshop.nl/mini-magnetische-roerder-rotilabo-m-3/<br />
** possible source: Michiel has one<br />
* 100mL volumetric flask to make the dilution steps easier<br />
** for pre-solution A<br />
** €22,63 https://www.labshop.nl/maatkolf/?attribute_pa_volume=100-ml-ns12-21-klasse-a<br />
** €11,15 https://labstuff.nl/contents/nl/p4695.html<br />
* water carbonator / sodastream<br />
** Sjors has this at home<br />
* gloves / safety glasses<br />
** €8,75 https://www.werkenmetmerken.nl/nl/chemisch_bestendige_werkhandschoen/p/9489<br />
** but probably already present<br />
<br />
<br />
If we don't need to buy the mass scale nor magnetic stirrer, tools come out to approximately €125.<br />
<br />
== Ingedients ==<br />
{| class="wikitable"<br />
|+<br />
!Ingredient<br />
!Source link<br />
!Quantity<br />
!Quantity necessary<br />
!Order amount<br />
!Price per piece<br />
!Price total<br />
!Makes L solution<sup>12</sup><br />
!Makes L cola<br />
!Price per L cola<br />
|-<br />
|'''Overall'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Sugar<br />
|TODO Supermarket<br />
|<br />
|Around 100g<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Carbonated water<br />
|Self-made<br />
|<br />
|Around 1L<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|'''Flavor solution A'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Food-grade 95% alcohol<br />
|TODO [https://www.topdrinks.de/navimer-alcohol-pur-glas-1ltr Topdrinks.de]<br />
|1L<br />
|1L<br />
|1<br />
|€23,50<br />
|€23,50<br />
|1L<br />
|1 kL<br />
|2.35 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Lemon oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-lemon-1-fl-oz-30-ml/928 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-lemon-oil-30-ml Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|45.8mL<br />
|2<br />
|€7,01<br />
|€14,02<br />
|6,55L<br />
|6,55 kL<br />
|0,23 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Lime oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-lime-1-fl-oz-30-ml/930 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-essential-oils-lime Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|36.5mL<br />
|2<br />
|€12,47<br />
|€24,94<br />
|8,22L<br />
|8,22 kL<br />
|0,19 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Tea tree oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-tea-tree-1-fl-oz-30-ml/37827 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-tea-tree-oil-30-ml Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|8mL<br />
|1<br />
|€9,42<br />
|€9,42<br />
|18,75L<br />
|18,75 kL<br />
|0,05 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Cassia cinnamon oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-cinnamon-cassia-1-fl-oz-30-ml/915 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-cinnamon-cassia-oil-30-ml Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|4,5mL<br />
|1<br />
|€8,04<br />
|€8,04<br />
|33,33L<br />
|33,33 kL<br />
|0,03 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Aura Cacia Nutmeg oil<br />
|[https://www.amazon.com/Aura-Cacia-Essential-Nutmeg-Fluid/dp/B0007KO2ZM/ref=sr_1_1 Amazon.com] (alternatives different brands [https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-nutmeg-1-fl-oz-30-ml/941 iHerb], [https://www.berivita.com/etherische-olie/nootmuskaat-olie-zuiver-puur-10ml Berivita])<br />
|30mL<br />
|2.7mL<br />
|1<br />
|$19,89<br />
|€17,22<br />
|55,56L<br />
|55,56 kL<br />
|0,03 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Orange oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-orange-1-fl-oz-30-ml/953 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-orange-oil-30-ml?sqr=orange%20oil Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|1.2mL<br />
|1<br />
|€5,53<br />
|€5,53<br />
|125L<br />
|125 kL<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Edens Garden Coriander seed oil<br />
|[https://www.edensgarden.com/products/coriander-seed Edens Garden] (alternative [https://www.amazon.com/Edens-Garden-Coriander-Undiluted-Therapeutic/dp/B0046ZUW7G/ref=sr_1_4 Amazon.com], different brand [https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/koriander-olie-puur-biologisch-natuurlijk-5ml/9300000188330683/ bol.com])<br />
|5mL<br />
|0.7mL<br />
|1<br />
|$14,95<br />
|€13,33<br />
|35,71L<br />
|35,71 kL<br />
|0,06 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Alpha-Fenchol<br />
|[https://www.amazon.com/CCS-alpha-fenchol-Alcohol-Fragrance-Compound/dp/B075H1TF9T/ref=sr_1_2 Amazon.com] (alternative [https://pellwall.com/products/fenchol Pellwall] (UK), [https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/227211376456 eBay], [https://pevgrow.com/en/fenchol-arae.html pevgrow] (€27,90 incl shipping?), [https://terpenes-uk.co.uk/products/fenchol-natural terpenes] (£32 incl shipping)<br />
|30mL<br />
|0.6mL<br />
|1<br />
|$12,99<br />
|€11,25<br />
|42L<br />
|42 kL<br />
|0,02 cents<br />
|-<br />
|'''Total flavor solution A'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|~ €120<br />
|1L<br />
|1kL<br />
|€0,03 when produced at scale<br />
€0,12 for first liter<br />
|-<br />
|'''Flavor solution B'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Durkee caramel color<br />
|[https://www.amazon.com/Durkee-Food-Color-Caramel-32-Ounce/dp/B007KZJZ8G/ref=sr_1_1 Amazon.com] (alternative [https://pantryful.com/products/durkee-caramel-food-color-32-oz Pantryful])<br />
|32 oz. (946 mL)<br />
|185mL<br />
|1<br />
|$17,95<br />
|€15,54<br />
|5,11L<br />
|511L<br />
|2,3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Food-grade vegetable glycerin<br />
|TODO [https://www.labshop.nl/glycerol-glycerine-995/?attribute_pa_volume=1-l Labshop]alternative: [https://www.werkenmetmerken.nl/nl/glycerine_99_5_foodgrade/p/20904 werkenmetmerken.nl] (€9 for 1L)<br />
|1L<br />
|150g (~150mL?)<br />
|1<br />
|€12,04<br />
|€12,04<br />
|6,66L<br />
|666L<br />
|2 cents<br />
|-<br />
|85% Phosphoric acid<br />
|TODO [https://www.labshop.nl/fosforzuur-85-nvp/ Labshop]<br />
|1L<br />
|43mL<br />
|1<br />
|€20,27<br />
|€20,27<br />
|23,26L<br />
|2326L<br />
|0,8 cents<br />
|-<br />
|North Mountain Wine tannin<br />
|[https://www.amazon.com/North-Mountain-Supply-WT-2oz-Tannin/dp/B0CYZ5YSXM/ref=sr_1_1 Amazon.com] (alternative different brand [https://brouwland.com/nl/eikenhouten-chips/195-tannine-vinoferm-tannorouge-20-g.html Brouwland])<br />
|56g<br />
|10g<br />
|1<br />
|$20,66<br />
|€17,89<br />
|2L<br />
|200L<br />
|3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Caffeine powder<br />
|TODO [https://voordeelkruiden.nl/cafeine-poeder/ Voordeelkruiden]If we want more: [https://woele.nl/product/cafeine-poeder-pharma-grade-250g/ Woele] alternative: [https://www.laboratoriumdiscounter.nl/nl/cafeine-995-puur.html Laboratiumdiscounter]<br />
|50g<br />
|9,65g<br />
|1<br />
|€2,60<br />
|€2,60<br />
|5,18L<br />
|518L<br />
|0,5 cents<br />
|-<br />
|5% vinegar<br />
|TODO Supermarket (Double check 5%!)<br />
|1L<br />
|10mL<br />
|1<br />
|€0,99<br />
|€0,99<br />
|100L<br />
|10kL<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Vanilla extract<br />
|TODO [https://www.amazon.nl/SaporePuro-Pure-Vanilline-Poeder-Voedingskwaliteit/dp/B07V6HSWML/ref=sr_1_1?__mk_nl_NL=ÅMÅŽÕÑ&crid=S3YK6COFEB4L&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.gE60AFOvayWbmzJYCHChr8TqcFZvaogBtawzsE7Rd846KUNFjJJ3z91jJJQBjY8_tjHngHGBRvtAQaIjjWbKTP9JtkNXLhbTc_Px2qUbzOztLwDWWnzuwTTM48gwb7JBuE-y0ni2lpjqcbojdwCSV2B_UPjp6kPDCYmSqzMPl82SMx8veSSkuuIyXuQo1rUnkAL0kU9pORzp2UHjC1Od7bZAIUQuzZUFtn5Ts95L5jS-iCGQsXRgSBMwlD6liDtGo0yAoW6fn7Hy20-w6osCtvPJG5y8KXoeUAaxEjInEfE.6UvfWewk8PDpsS7ABIgm7tNLJA7M2iGHFIGvRvVsSjo&dib_tag=se&keywords=vanilline&qid=1775422577&sprefix=vanilline%2Caps%2C146&sr=8-1 Amazon.nl] (alternative [https://www.laboratoriumdiscounter.nl/en/vanillin-995-extra-pure-foodgrade.html Laboratoriumdiscounter] but expensive shipping, alternative [https://producten.makro.nl/shop/pv/BTY-X742890/0032/0021/Nomu-Vanille-Extract-50-ml Makro.nl] but don't know vanillin strength)<br />
|100g<br />
|1g (dissolve in 100 mL<br />
water, take 0.95mL)<br />
|1<br />
|€9,80<br />
|€9,80<br />
|10kL<br />
|1ML<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|'''Total flavor solution B'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|~ €70<br />
|2L<br />
|200 L<br />
|€0,11 when produced at scale<br />
€0,35 for first liter<br />
|}<br />
(1) The essential oils in solution A, quantities as under "Quantity necessary", together make 100mL of pre-solution. "Flavor solution A" then consists of 20 mL of pre-solution, diluted to 1L using alcohol. So for each mL of essential oil in the pre-solution, a fifth (0.2 mL) goes into a liter of the actual solution. So quantity times order amount is the amount of ingredients we have, divided by quantity necessary is the amount of 100mL pre-solution we can make with the order. We can make 5L of solution with that, so the formula is: (quantity * order amount * 5) / (quantity necessary). Since 1mL of solution A goes into a L of cola, 1L solution makes 1000L cola.<br />
<br />
(2) For solution B, the ingredients together make about 400mL of pre-solution. "Flavor solution B" then consists of those 400 mL, diluted to 1L using water. So the "quantity necessary" goes directly into 1L of "Flavor solution B". Since order amount is 1 for all of these, the formula is: quantity / (quantity necessary). Since 10mL of solution B goes into a L of cola, 1L solution makes 100L cola.<br />
<br />
== Expiry ==<br />
After the first batch I'll have a liter of solution A, which is almost fully alcohol, so I expect it not to expire at all. This bottle is good for a thousand liters of cola, which is probably enough for a lifetime.<br />
<br />
I'll also have 80 mL of pre-solution A, which I'll store separately. I also expect it not to expire, but to be sure, I could add alcohol to this as well, and label the bottle as such so I know exactly how much diluted pre-solution contains 20 mL of the original pre-solution.<br />
<br />
As for solution B, I'm not sure but I expect that will expire faster. The original ingredients probably don't expire if closed well? If I make 1L that's enough for 100 L of cola, which probably lasts a few months unless it's really popular.<br />
<br />
Knowing nothing at all about food safety I asked Claude for secondary advice. ("This is a cola syrup, isn't it?") They said the solution A mixture would remain ''safe'' indefinitely, but chemical degradation would affect aroma over the years; they advise to reduce air in the bottle, reduce repeated opening (freshening of the oxygen), reduce heat and reduce light exposure. With that, realistically expiry could be pushed well beyond 5 years. For solution B, they said microbial stability is also very good due to the phosphoric acid (1.0-1.5 pH). Again, chemical degradation is the limiting factor. Sealed, room temperature and out of light, Claude expects 12-18 months for peak flavor, and "probably safe well beyond that". It says the main thing to watch out for is sediment from the tannin, and flavor decreasing. Neither makes it unsafe. Commercial cola syrups like this one carry 6-12 month best-by dates, and it says our threshold for "still good" may be more forgiving.<br />
<br />
As for the original ingredient bottles, I should check if they are labeled with best-before dates and label them with the date I first opened them. Claude says the essential oils are most perishable; they will degrade in 6-12 months. For vanilla extract it's often commercially dated 2-4 years. All other things are either really easily purchaseable or very long-lived (5+ years).<br />
<br />
Conclusion:<br />
<br />
* Keep the bottles at room temperature (or colder), in the dark, and with little air headspace in the bottle.<br />
* For the solution A bottles, I'll mark them with their production date and "expected best before date" of 5 years.<br />
* For the solution B bottles, I'll mark them with their production date and "expected best before date" of 12 months.<br />
* For the original ingredient bottles, I'll store them the same way. I could consider making more pre-solution with alcohol for preservation.<br />
<br />
== Financial overview ==<br />
This is a hobby project, so it's OK if it costs money and isn't cost-effective. However, I wanted to get an overview for myself.<br />
<br />
Initial, one-time investment into tools is €125. The initial investments into ingredients for the first run is ~€200. With some margin, that means the first batch costs €350 and we can produce around 200 liters of cola from this. If it tastes great and is popular and people want to drink it instead of Coca-Cola, I could sell it at a cost price of €1,75 per liter.<br />
<br />
If we actually (expect to) make more than 200 liters, then for the next 200 liters I'd only need to purchase additional wine tannin. So for the first batch of 400 liters, at a cost of €350, it'd already be €0,88 per liter. So that's what the price becomes if it turns out to be quite popular. Eventually, if it's ''really'' popular it would cost €0,14 for the flavor solutions, plus some sugar and carbonated water.<br />
<br />
So far, three orders were done:<br />
<br />
* Edens Garden $14,95 (€13,33)<br />
** Edens Garden Coriander Seed essential oil<br />
* Amazon.com $86,06 (~€75)<br />
** Durkee caramel color<br />
** Alpha fenchol<br />
** Aura Cacia nutmeg oil<br />
** North Mountain wine tannin<br />
* iHerb €61,95<br />
** NOW Lemon oil<br />
** NOW Lime oil<br />
** NOW Tea tree oil<br />
** NOW Cassia cinnamon oil<br />
** NOW Orange oil<br />
* TODO: MyUS shipping from Florida to Netherlands ~€20<br />
* TODO ingredients online<br />
** Food-grade 95% alcohol €23,50<br />
** Food-grade vegetable glycerin €12,04<br />
** 85% phosphoric acid €20,27<br />
** Caffeine powder €2,60<br />
** Vanilla extract €15,19<br />
* TODO ingredients supermarket<br />
** Sugar<br />
** 5% vinegar<br />
* TODO equipment<br />
** Graduated pipettes €15,85<br />
** Graduated cylinder €14,74<br />
** Storage bottles €37,20<br />
** Syrup preparation glassware €25,23<br />
** Volumetric flask €22,63<br />
** Gloves €8,75<br />
<br />
Total paid: €150<br />
<br />
Total remaining: ~€220</div>Sjors Gielenhttps://hackerspacenijmegen.nl/index.php?title=Projects:Making_cola&diff=2980Projects:Making cola2026-04-05T20:11:34Z<p>Sjors Gielen: /* Ingedients */</p>
<hr />
<div>[[Bestand:Schermafbeelding 2026-03-25 om 11.02.33.png|miniatuur]]<br />
[[Bestand:Schermafbeelding 2026-03-25 om 11.02.10.png|miniatuur]]<br />
I (Sjors) recently saw this video by LabCoatz reverse engineering the Coca-Cola recipe using (among other techniques) a mass spectrometer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDkH3EbWTYc<br />
<br />
Now I'm a bit of a Coca-Cola addict, so I'm intrigued and want to reproduce it.<br />
<br />
Perhaps once we've done this we can also make [[wikipedia:Open-source_cola|other kinds of cola]], like Toyen Cola, which has its recipe on the back. We could even do a taste test!<br />
<br />
== Overview ==<br />
LabCoatz calls the end product of their recipe '''LabCola'''. One liter of LabCola is built off of four components:<br />
<br />
* around 100g sugar<br />
* 1mL of flavor solution A<br />
* 10 mL of flavor solution B<br />
* around 1 liter of carbonated water<br />
<br />
Flavor solution A is made by adding the following components together (~100mL), then taking 20 mL from that and diluting to 1L using 95% ethanol:<br />
<br />
* 45.8mL lemon oil (NOW)<br />
* 36.5mL lime oil (NOW)<br />
* 8mL tea tree oil (NOW, from Australian tea tree, Melaleuca Alternifolia)<br />
* 4.5mL cassia cinnamon oil (NOW)<br />
* 2.7mL nutmeg oil (aura cacia)<br />
* 1.2mL orange oil (unknown brand, regular sweet orange)<br />
* 0.7mL coriander seed oil (Edens Garden, coriandrum sativum)<br />
* 0.6mL fenchol (any version of alpha-fenchol should work)<br />
<br />
Flavor solution B is made by adding the following components together (~400mL), then diluting to 1L using water:<br />
<br />
* 185mL caramel color (Durkee)<br />
* 150 grams food-grade vegetable glycerin (Equate)<br />
* 43mL 85% phosphoric acid (Duda Energy)<br />
* 10 grams wine tannin (North Mountain)<br />
* 9.65 grams caffeine<br />
* 10mL 5% vinegar (any white vinegar?)<br />
* 10mL vanilla extract (or a solution containing 0.95 grams per liter of vanillin)<br />
<br />
It's important to note that this is '''not''' '''the Coca-Cola recipe''', which uses coca leaf extract. It is supposed to be quite close, though.<br />
<br />
== Tools ==<br />
<br />
* Mass scale<br />
** Max measurement is 150g, most precise measurement is 9.65g<br />
** possible source: Michiel may have one, Mats as well<br />
** possible source: €14,20 https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/precisie-weegschaal-0-01-gram-keukenweegschaal-digitaal-milligram-precisieweegschaal-pocket-weegschaal-sieraden-weegschaal/9300000031220365/<br />
** possible source: €29 https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/trendfield-precisie-weegschaal-0-001-gr-nauwkeurig-digitale-keukenweegschaal-inclusief-batterijen-zwart/9200000111011750/<br />
** possible source: €139,15 https://www.labshop.nl/schoolweegschaal-efs-500-2/<br />
* micropipette + tips<br />
** ideally an [https://www.merkala.nl/minipet-var-microliterpipet.html adjustable micropipette], but these are quite expensive (€100+)<br />
** fixed 100µL micropipette is cheaper, €25 https://www.merkala.nl/minipet-microliterpipet.html<br />
** could also get a few [https://www.kruidvat.nl/kruidvat-doseerspuit/p/2335439 doseerspuit] at Kruidvat, €2, precision should be somewhere between 0.1mL and 0.5mL<br />
** setje graduated pipettes €15,85 https://www.amazon.nl/pipetten-Graduated-Reinigingsborstel-Roerstaaf-Laboratorium/dp/B07V3VC7YZ<br />
* 50 mL graduated cilinder<br />
** €14,74 https://www.labshop.nl/maatcilinder-hoog-model-klasse-a-bruine-schaalverdeling/?attribute_pa_volume=10-ml<br />
* some storage bottles (mainly 1L)<br />
** I'll produce 100 mL of pre-solution A, then dilute that into 1L of solution A and store the rest of the 80mL separately. Solution B is 1L at a time, so I'll need 3 storage bottles.<br />
** I'm considering to produce only 10 mL of pre-solution A then dilute that into 100mL of solution A. Since the solution offgasses it requires very little air in the bottle, so a 100mL bottle would be a good idea.<br />
** https://www.labshop.nl/labfles-glas-blank-gl45-blauw-simax/<br />
** €12,40 * 3 = €37,20<br />
* heat-resistant glassware for preparing the syrup (1L)<br />
** €9,23 https://www.labshop.nl/bekerglas-laag-model/<br />
** or €7,45 https://labstuff.nl/contents/nl/p135.html<br />
** Ø 105mm, dus horlogeglas ~€3 https://labstuff.nl/contents/nl/p253.html<br />
* magnetic stirrer for mixing<br />
** €133,10 https://www.labshop.nl/mini-magnetische-roerder-rotilabo-m-3/<br />
** possible source: Michiel has one<br />
* 100mL volumetric flask to make the dilution steps easier<br />
** for pre-solution A<br />
** €22,63 https://www.labshop.nl/maatkolf/?attribute_pa_volume=100-ml-ns12-21-klasse-a<br />
** €11,15 https://labstuff.nl/contents/nl/p4695.html<br />
* water carbonator / sodastream<br />
** Sjors has this at home<br />
* gloves / safety glasses<br />
** €8,75 https://www.werkenmetmerken.nl/nl/chemisch_bestendige_werkhandschoen/p/9489<br />
** but probably already present<br />
<br />
<br />
If we don't need to buy the mass scale nor magnetic stirrer, tools come out to approximately €125.<br />
<br />
== Ingedients ==<br />
{| class="wikitable"<br />
|+<br />
!Ingredient<br />
!Source link<br />
!Quantity<br />
!Quantity necessary<br />
!Order amount<br />
!Price per piece<br />
!Price total<br />
!Makes L solution<sup>12</sup><br />
!Makes L cola<br />
!Price per L cola<br />
|-<br />
|'''Overall'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Sugar<br />
|TODO Supermarket<br />
|<br />
|Around 100g<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Carbonated water<br />
|Self-made<br />
|<br />
|Around 1L<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|'''Flavor solution A'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Food-grade 95% alcohol<br />
|TODO [https://www.topdrinks.de/navimer-alcohol-pur-glas-1ltr Topdrinks.de]<br />
|1L<br />
|1L<br />
|1<br />
|€23,50<br />
|€23,50<br />
|1L<br />
|1 kL<br />
|2.35 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Lemon oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-lemon-1-fl-oz-30-ml/928 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-lemon-oil-30-ml Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|45.8mL<br />
|2<br />
|€7,01<br />
|€14,02<br />
|6,55L<br />
|6,55 kL<br />
|0,23 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Lime oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-lime-1-fl-oz-30-ml/930 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-essential-oils-lime Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|36.5mL<br />
|2<br />
|€12,47<br />
|€24,94<br />
|8,22L<br />
|8,22 kL<br />
|0,19 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Tea tree oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-tea-tree-1-fl-oz-30-ml/37827 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-tea-tree-oil-30-ml Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|8mL<br />
|1<br />
|€9,42<br />
|€9,42<br />
|18,75L<br />
|18,75 kL<br />
|0,05 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Cassia cinnamon oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-cinnamon-cassia-1-fl-oz-30-ml/915 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-cinnamon-cassia-oil-30-ml Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|4,5mL<br />
|1<br />
|€8,04<br />
|€8,04<br />
|33,33L<br />
|33,33 kL<br />
|0,03 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Aura Cacia Nutmeg oil<br />
|[https://www.amazon.com/Aura-Cacia-Essential-Nutmeg-Fluid/dp/B0007KO2ZM/ref=sr_1_1 Amazon.com] (alternatives different brands [https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-nutmeg-1-fl-oz-30-ml/941 iHerb], [https://www.berivita.com/etherische-olie/nootmuskaat-olie-zuiver-puur-10ml Berivita])<br />
|30mL<br />
|2.7mL<br />
|1<br />
|$19,89<br />
|€17,22<br />
|55,56L<br />
|55,56 kL<br />
|0,03 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Orange oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-orange-1-fl-oz-30-ml/953 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-orange-oil-30-ml?sqr=orange%20oil Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|1.2mL<br />
|1<br />
|€5,53<br />
|€5,53<br />
|125L<br />
|125 kL<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Edens Garden Coriander seed oil<br />
|[https://www.edensgarden.com/products/coriander-seed Edens Garden] (alternative [https://www.amazon.com/Edens-Garden-Coriander-Undiluted-Therapeutic/dp/B0046ZUW7G/ref=sr_1_4 Amazon.com], different brand [https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/koriander-olie-puur-biologisch-natuurlijk-5ml/9300000188330683/ bol.com])<br />
|5mL<br />
|0.7mL<br />
|1<br />
|$14,95<br />
|€13,33<br />
|35,71L<br />
|35,71 kL<br />
|0,06 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Alpha-Fenchol<br />
|[https://www.amazon.com/CCS-alpha-fenchol-Alcohol-Fragrance-Compound/dp/B075H1TF9T/ref=sr_1_2 Amazon.com] (alternative [https://pellwall.com/products/fenchol Pellwall] (UK), [https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/227211376456 eBay], [https://pevgrow.com/en/fenchol-arae.html pevgrow] (€27,90 incl shipping?), [https://terpenes-uk.co.uk/products/fenchol-natural terpenes] (£32 incl shipping)<br />
|30mL<br />
|0.6mL<br />
|1<br />
|$12,99<br />
|€11,25<br />
|42L<br />
|42 kL<br />
|0,02 cents<br />
|-<br />
|'''Total flavor solution A'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|~ €120<br />
|1L<br />
|1kL<br />
|€0,03 when produced at scale<br />
€0,12 for first liter<br />
|-<br />
|'''Flavor solution B'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Durkee caramel color<br />
|[https://www.amazon.com/Durkee-Food-Color-Caramel-32-Ounce/dp/B007KZJZ8G/ref=sr_1_1 Amazon.com] (alternative [https://pantryful.com/products/durkee-caramel-food-color-32-oz Pantryful])<br />
|32 oz. (946 mL)<br />
|185mL<br />
|1<br />
|$17,95<br />
|€15,54<br />
|5,11L<br />
|511L<br />
|2,3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Food-grade vegetable glycerin<br />
|TODO [https://www.labshop.nl/glycerol-glycerine-995/?attribute_pa_volume=1-l Labshop]alternative: [https://www.werkenmetmerken.nl/nl/glycerine_99_5_foodgrade/p/20904 werkenmetmerken.nl] (€9 for 1L)<br />
|1L<br />
|150g (~150mL?)<br />
|1<br />
|€12,04<br />
|€12,04<br />
|6,66L<br />
|666L<br />
|2 cents<br />
|-<br />
|85% Phosphoric acid<br />
|TODO [https://www.labshop.nl/fosforzuur-85-nvp/ Labshop]<br />
|1L<br />
|43mL<br />
|1<br />
|€20,27<br />
|€20,27<br />
|23,26L<br />
|2326L<br />
|0,8 cents<br />
|-<br />
|North Mountain Wine tannin<br />
|[https://www.amazon.com/North-Mountain-Supply-WT-2oz-Tannin/dp/B0CYZ5YSXM/ref=sr_1_1 Amazon.com] (alternative different brand [https://brouwland.com/nl/eikenhouten-chips/195-tannine-vinoferm-tannorouge-20-g.html Brouwland])<br />
|56g<br />
|10g<br />
|1<br />
|$20,66<br />
|€17,89<br />
|2L<br />
|200L<br />
|3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Caffeine powder<br />
|TODO [https://voordeelkruiden.nl/cafeine-poeder/ Voordeelkruiden]If we want more: [https://woele.nl/product/cafeine-poeder-pharma-grade-250g/ Woele]<br />
|50g<br />
|9,65g<br />
|1<br />
|€2,60<br />
|€2,60<br />
|5,18L<br />
|518L<br />
|0,5 cents<br />
|-<br />
|5% vinegar<br />
|TODO Supermarket (Double check 5%!)<br />
|1L<br />
|10mL<br />
|1<br />
|€0,99<br />
|€0,99<br />
|100L<br />
|10kL<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Vanilla extract<br />
|TODO [https://producten.makro.nl/shop/pv/BTY-X742890/0032/0021/Nomu-Vanille-Extract-50-ml Makro.nl]<br />
|50mL<br />
|10mL<br />
|1<br />
|€15,19<br />
|€15,19<br />
|5L<br />
|500L<br />
|3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|'''Total flavor solution B'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|~ €70<br />
|2L<br />
|200 L<br />
|€0,11 when produced at scale<br />
€0,35 for first liter<br />
|}<br />
(1) The essential oils in solution A, quantities as under "Quantity necessary", together make 100mL of pre-solution. "Flavor solution A" then consists of 20 mL of pre-solution, diluted to 1L using alcohol. So for each mL of essential oil in the pre-solution, a fifth (0.2 mL) goes into a liter of the actual solution. So quantity times order amount is the amount of ingredients we have, divided by quantity necessary is the amount of 100mL pre-solution we can make with the order. We can make 5L of solution with that, so the formula is: (quantity * order amount * 5) / (quantity necessary). Since 1mL of solution A goes into a L of cola, 1L solution makes 1000L cola.<br />
<br />
(2) For solution B, the ingredients together make about 400mL of pre-solution. "Flavor solution B" then consists of those 400 mL, diluted to 1L using water. So the "quantity necessary" goes directly into 1L of "Flavor solution B". Since order amount is 1 for all of these, the formula is: quantity / (quantity necessary). Since 10mL of solution B goes into a L of cola, 1L solution makes 100L cola.<br />
<br />
== Expiry ==<br />
After the first batch I'll have a liter of solution A, which is almost fully alcohol, so I expect it not to expire at all. This bottle is good for a thousand liters of cola, which is probably enough for a lifetime.<br />
<br />
I'll also have 80 mL of pre-solution A, which I'll store separately. I also expect it not to expire, but to be sure, I could add alcohol to this as well, and label the bottle as such so I know exactly how much diluted pre-solution contains 20 mL of the original pre-solution.<br />
<br />
As for solution B, I'm not sure but I expect that will expire faster. The original ingredients probably don't expire if closed well? If I make 1L that's enough for 100 L of cola, which probably lasts a few months unless it's really popular.<br />
<br />
Knowing nothing at all about food safety I asked Claude for secondary advice. ("This is a cola syrup, isn't it?") They said the solution A mixture would remain ''safe'' indefinitely, but chemical degradation would affect aroma over the years; they advise to reduce air in the bottle, reduce repeated opening (freshening of the oxygen), reduce heat and reduce light exposure. With that, realistically expiry could be pushed well beyond 5 years. For solution B, they said microbial stability is also very good due to the phosphoric acid (1.0-1.5 pH). Again, chemical degradation is the limiting factor. Sealed, room temperature and out of light, Claude expects 12-18 months for peak flavor, and "probably safe well beyond that". It says the main thing to watch out for is sediment from the tannin, and flavor decreasing. Neither makes it unsafe. Commercial cola syrups like this one carry 6-12 month best-by dates, and it says our threshold for "still good" may be more forgiving.<br />
<br />
As for the original ingredient bottles, I should check if they are labeled with best-before dates and label them with the date I first opened them. Claude says the essential oils are most perishable; they will degrade in 6-12 months. For vanilla extract it's often commercially dated 2-4 years. All other things are either really easily purchaseable or very long-lived (5+ years).<br />
<br />
Conclusion:<br />
<br />
* Keep the bottles at room temperature (or colder), in the dark, and with little air headspace in the bottle.<br />
* For the solution A bottles, I'll mark them with their production date and "expected best before date" of 5 years.<br />
* For the solution B bottles, I'll mark them with their production date and "expected best before date" of 12 months.<br />
* For the original ingredient bottles, I'll store them the same way. I could consider making more pre-solution with alcohol for preservation.<br />
<br />
== Financial overview ==<br />
This is a hobby project, so it's OK if it costs money and isn't cost-effective. However, I wanted to get an overview for myself.<br />
<br />
Initial, one-time investment into tools is €125. The initial investments into ingredients for the first run is ~€200. With some margin, that means the first batch costs €350 and we can produce around 200 liters of cola from this. If it tastes great and is popular and people want to drink it instead of Coca-Cola, I could sell it at a cost price of €1,75 per liter.<br />
<br />
If we actually (expect to) make more than 200 liters, then for the next 200 liters I'd only need to purchase additional wine tannin. So for the first batch of 400 liters, at a cost of €350, it'd already be €0,88 per liter. So that's what the price becomes if it turns out to be quite popular. Eventually, if it's ''really'' popular it would cost €0,14 for the flavor solutions, plus some sugar and carbonated water.<br />
<br />
So far, three orders were done:<br />
<br />
* Edens Garden $14,95 (€13,33)<br />
** Edens Garden Coriander Seed essential oil<br />
* Amazon.com $86,06 (~€75)<br />
** Durkee caramel color<br />
** Alpha fenchol<br />
** Aura Cacia nutmeg oil<br />
** North Mountain wine tannin<br />
* iHerb €61,95<br />
** NOW Lemon oil<br />
** NOW Lime oil<br />
** NOW Tea tree oil<br />
** NOW Cassia cinnamon oil<br />
** NOW Orange oil<br />
* TODO: MyUS shipping from Florida to Netherlands ~€20<br />
* TODO ingredients online<br />
** Food-grade 95% alcohol €23,50<br />
** Food-grade vegetable glycerin €12,04<br />
** 85% phosphoric acid €20,27<br />
** Caffeine powder €2,60<br />
** Vanilla extract €15,19<br />
* TODO ingredients supermarket<br />
** Sugar<br />
** 5% vinegar<br />
* TODO equipment<br />
** Graduated pipettes €15,85<br />
** Graduated cylinder €14,74<br />
** Storage bottles €37,20<br />
** Syrup preparation glassware €25,23<br />
** Volumetric flask €22,63<br />
** Gloves €8,75<br />
<br />
Total paid: €150<br />
<br />
Total remaining: ~€220</div>Sjors Gielenhttps://hackerspacenijmegen.nl/index.php?title=Projects:Making_cola&diff=2979Projects:Making cola2026-04-05T20:06:28Z<p>Sjors Gielen: /* Tools */</p>
<hr />
<div>[[Bestand:Schermafbeelding 2026-03-25 om 11.02.33.png|miniatuur]]<br />
[[Bestand:Schermafbeelding 2026-03-25 om 11.02.10.png|miniatuur]]<br />
I (Sjors) recently saw this video by LabCoatz reverse engineering the Coca-Cola recipe using (among other techniques) a mass spectrometer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDkH3EbWTYc<br />
<br />
Now I'm a bit of a Coca-Cola addict, so I'm intrigued and want to reproduce it.<br />
<br />
Perhaps once we've done this we can also make [[wikipedia:Open-source_cola|other kinds of cola]], like Toyen Cola, which has its recipe on the back. We could even do a taste test!<br />
<br />
== Overview ==<br />
LabCoatz calls the end product of their recipe '''LabCola'''. One liter of LabCola is built off of four components:<br />
<br />
* around 100g sugar<br />
* 1mL of flavor solution A<br />
* 10 mL of flavor solution B<br />
* around 1 liter of carbonated water<br />
<br />
Flavor solution A is made by adding the following components together (~100mL), then taking 20 mL from that and diluting to 1L using 95% ethanol:<br />
<br />
* 45.8mL lemon oil (NOW)<br />
* 36.5mL lime oil (NOW)<br />
* 8mL tea tree oil (NOW, from Australian tea tree, Melaleuca Alternifolia)<br />
* 4.5mL cassia cinnamon oil (NOW)<br />
* 2.7mL nutmeg oil (aura cacia)<br />
* 1.2mL orange oil (unknown brand, regular sweet orange)<br />
* 0.7mL coriander seed oil (Edens Garden, coriandrum sativum)<br />
* 0.6mL fenchol (any version of alpha-fenchol should work)<br />
<br />
Flavor solution B is made by adding the following components together (~400mL), then diluting to 1L using water:<br />
<br />
* 185mL caramel color (Durkee)<br />
* 150 grams food-grade vegetable glycerin (Equate)<br />
* 43mL 85% phosphoric acid (Duda Energy)<br />
* 10 grams wine tannin (North Mountain)<br />
* 9.65 grams caffeine<br />
* 10mL 5% vinegar (any white vinegar?)<br />
* 10mL vanilla extract (or a solution containing 0.95 grams per liter of vanillin)<br />
<br />
It's important to note that this is '''not''' '''the Coca-Cola recipe''', which uses coca leaf extract. It is supposed to be quite close, though.<br />
<br />
== Tools ==<br />
<br />
* Mass scale<br />
** Max measurement is 150g, most precise measurement is 9.65g<br />
** possible source: Michiel may have one, Mats as well<br />
** possible source: €14,20 https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/precisie-weegschaal-0-01-gram-keukenweegschaal-digitaal-milligram-precisieweegschaal-pocket-weegschaal-sieraden-weegschaal/9300000031220365/<br />
** possible source: €29 https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/trendfield-precisie-weegschaal-0-001-gr-nauwkeurig-digitale-keukenweegschaal-inclusief-batterijen-zwart/9200000111011750/<br />
** possible source: €139,15 https://www.labshop.nl/schoolweegschaal-efs-500-2/<br />
* micropipette + tips<br />
** ideally an [https://www.merkala.nl/minipet-var-microliterpipet.html adjustable micropipette], but these are quite expensive (€100+)<br />
** fixed 100µL micropipette is cheaper, €25 https://www.merkala.nl/minipet-microliterpipet.html<br />
** could also get a few [https://www.kruidvat.nl/kruidvat-doseerspuit/p/2335439 doseerspuit] at Kruidvat, €2, precision should be somewhere between 0.1mL and 0.5mL<br />
** setje graduated pipettes €15,85 https://www.amazon.nl/pipetten-Graduated-Reinigingsborstel-Roerstaaf-Laboratorium/dp/B07V3VC7YZ<br />
* 50 mL graduated cilinder<br />
** €14,74 https://www.labshop.nl/maatcilinder-hoog-model-klasse-a-bruine-schaalverdeling/?attribute_pa_volume=10-ml<br />
* some storage bottles (mainly 1L)<br />
** I'll produce 100 mL of pre-solution A, then dilute that into 1L of solution A and store the rest of the 80mL separately. Solution B is 1L at a time, so I'll need 3 storage bottles.<br />
** I'm considering to produce only 10 mL of pre-solution A then dilute that into 100mL of solution A. Since the solution offgasses it requires very little air in the bottle, so a 100mL bottle would be a good idea.<br />
** https://www.labshop.nl/labfles-glas-blank-gl45-blauw-simax/<br />
** €12,40 * 3 = €37,20<br />
* heat-resistant glassware for preparing the syrup (1L)<br />
** €9,23 https://www.labshop.nl/bekerglas-laag-model/<br />
** or €7,45 https://labstuff.nl/contents/nl/p135.html<br />
** Ø 105mm, dus horlogeglas ~€3 https://labstuff.nl/contents/nl/p253.html<br />
* magnetic stirrer for mixing<br />
** €133,10 https://www.labshop.nl/mini-magnetische-roerder-rotilabo-m-3/<br />
** possible source: Michiel has one<br />
* 100mL volumetric flask to make the dilution steps easier<br />
** for pre-solution A<br />
** €22,63 https://www.labshop.nl/maatkolf/?attribute_pa_volume=100-ml-ns12-21-klasse-a<br />
** €11,15 https://labstuff.nl/contents/nl/p4695.html<br />
* water carbonator / sodastream<br />
** Sjors has this at home<br />
* gloves / safety glasses<br />
** €8,75 https://www.werkenmetmerken.nl/nl/chemisch_bestendige_werkhandschoen/p/9489<br />
** but probably already present<br />
<br />
<br />
If we don't need to buy the mass scale nor magnetic stirrer, tools come out to approximately €125.<br />
<br />
== Ingedients ==<br />
{| class="wikitable"<br />
|+<br />
!Ingredient<br />
!Source link<br />
!Quantity<br />
!Quantity necessary<br />
!Order amount<br />
!Price per piece<br />
!Price total<br />
!Makes L solution<sup>12</sup><br />
!Makes L cola<br />
!Price per L cola<br />
|-<br />
|'''Overall'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Sugar<br />
|TODO Supermarket<br />
|<br />
|Around 100g<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Carbonated water<br />
|Self-made<br />
|<br />
|Around 1L<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|'''Flavor solution A'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Food-grade 95% alcohol<br />
|TODO [https://www.topdrinks.de/navimer-alcohol-pur-glas-1ltr Topdrinks.de]<br />
|1L<br />
|1L<br />
|1<br />
|€23,50<br />
|€23,50<br />
|1L<br />
|1 kL<br />
|2.35 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Lemon oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-lemon-1-fl-oz-30-ml/928 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-lemon-oil-30-ml Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|45.8mL<br />
|2<br />
|€7,01<br />
|€14,02<br />
|6,55L<br />
|6,55 kL<br />
|0,23 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Lime oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-lime-1-fl-oz-30-ml/930 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-essential-oils-lime Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|36.5mL<br />
|2<br />
|€12,47<br />
|€24,94<br />
|8,22L<br />
|8,22 kL<br />
|0,19 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Tea tree oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-tea-tree-1-fl-oz-30-ml/37827 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-tea-tree-oil-30-ml Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|8mL<br />
|1<br />
|€9,42<br />
|€9,42<br />
|18,75L<br />
|18,75 kL<br />
|0,05 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Cassia cinnamon oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-cinnamon-cassia-1-fl-oz-30-ml/915 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-cinnamon-cassia-oil-30-ml Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|4,5mL<br />
|1<br />
|€8,04<br />
|€8,04<br />
|33,33L<br />
|33,33 kL<br />
|0,03 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Aura Cacia Nutmeg oil<br />
|[https://www.amazon.com/Aura-Cacia-Essential-Nutmeg-Fluid/dp/B0007KO2ZM/ref=sr_1_1 Amazon] (alternatives different brands [https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-nutmeg-1-fl-oz-30-ml/941 iHerb], [https://www.berivita.com/etherische-olie/nootmuskaat-olie-zuiver-puur-10ml Berivita])<br />
|30mL<br />
|2.7mL<br />
|1<br />
|$19,89<br />
|€17,22<br />
|55,56L<br />
|55,56 kL<br />
|0,03 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Orange oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-orange-1-fl-oz-30-ml/953 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-orange-oil-30-ml?sqr=orange%20oil Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|1.2mL<br />
|1<br />
|€5,53<br />
|€5,53<br />
|125L<br />
|125 kL<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Edens Garden Coriander seed oil<br />
|[https://www.edensgarden.com/products/coriander-seed Edens Garden] (alternative [https://www.amazon.com/Edens-Garden-Coriander-Undiluted-Therapeutic/dp/B0046ZUW7G/ref=sr_1_4 Amazon], different brand [https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/koriander-olie-puur-biologisch-natuurlijk-5ml/9300000188330683/ bol.com])<br />
|5mL<br />
|0.7mL<br />
|1<br />
|$14,95<br />
|€13,33<br />
|35,71L<br />
|35,71 kL<br />
|0,06 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Alpha-Fenchol<br />
|[https://www.amazon.com/CCS-alpha-fenchol-Alcohol-Fragrance-Compound/dp/B075H1TF9T/ref=sr_1_2 Amazon] (alternative [https://pellwall.com/products/fenchol Pellwall] (UK), [https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/227211376456 eBay], [https://pevgrow.com/en/fenchol-arae.html pevgrow] (€27,90 incl shipping?), [https://terpenes-uk.co.uk/products/fenchol-natural terpenes] (£32 incl shipping)<br />
|30mL<br />
|0.6mL<br />
|1<br />
|$12,99<br />
|€11,25<br />
|42L<br />
|42 kL<br />
|0,02 cents<br />
|-<br />
|'''Total flavor solution A'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|~ €120<br />
|1L<br />
|1kL<br />
|€0,03 when produced at scale<br />
€0,12 for first liter<br />
|-<br />
|'''Flavor solution B'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Durkee caramel color<br />
|[https://www.amazon.com/Durkee-Food-Color-Caramel-32-Ounce/dp/B007KZJZ8G/ref=sr_1_1 Amazon] (alternative [https://pantryful.com/products/durkee-caramel-food-color-32-oz Pantryful])<br />
|32 oz. (946 mL)<br />
|185mL<br />
|1<br />
|$17,95<br />
|€15,54<br />
|5,11L<br />
|511L<br />
|2,3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Food-grade vegetable glycerin<br />
|TODO [https://www.labshop.nl/glycerol-glycerine-995/?attribute_pa_volume=1-l Labshop]alternative: [https://www.werkenmetmerken.nl/nl/glycerine_99_5_foodgrade/p/20904 werkenmetmerken.nl] (€9 for 1L)<br />
|1L<br />
|150g (~150mL?)<br />
|1<br />
|€12,04<br />
|€12,04<br />
|6,66L<br />
|666L<br />
|2 cents<br />
|-<br />
|85% Phosphoric acid<br />
|TODO [https://www.labshop.nl/fosforzuur-85-nvp/ Labshop]<br />
|1L<br />
|43mL<br />
|1<br />
|€20,27<br />
|€20,27<br />
|23,26L<br />
|2326L<br />
|0,8 cents<br />
|-<br />
|North Mountain Wine tannin<br />
|[https://www.amazon.com/North-Mountain-Supply-WT-2oz-Tannin/dp/B0CYZ5YSXM/ref=sr_1_1 Amazon] (alternative different brand [https://brouwland.com/nl/eikenhouten-chips/195-tannine-vinoferm-tannorouge-20-g.html Brouwland])<br />
|56g<br />
|10g<br />
|1<br />
|$20,66<br />
|€17,89<br />
|2L<br />
|200L<br />
|3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Caffeine powder<br />
|TODO [https://voordeelkruiden.nl/cafeine-poeder/ Voordeelkruiden]If we want more: [https://woele.nl/product/cafeine-poeder-pharma-grade-250g/ Woele]<br />
|50g<br />
|9,65g<br />
|1<br />
|€2,60<br />
|€2,60<br />
|5,18L<br />
|518L<br />
|0,5 cents<br />
|-<br />
|5% vinegar<br />
|TODO Supermarket (Double check 5%!)<br />
|1L<br />
|10mL<br />
|1<br />
|€0,99<br />
|€0,99<br />
|100L<br />
|10kL<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Vanilla extract<br />
|TODO [https://producten.makro.nl/shop/pv/BTY-X742890/0032/0021/Nomu-Vanille-Extract-50-ml Makro.nl]<br />
|50mL<br />
|10mL<br />
|1<br />
|€15,19<br />
|€15,19<br />
|5L<br />
|500L<br />
|3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|'''Total flavor solution B'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|~ €70<br />
|2L<br />
|200 L<br />
|€0,11 when produced at scale<br />
€0,35 for first liter<br />
|}<br />
(1) The essential oils in solution A, quantities as under "Quantity necessary", together make 100mL of pre-solution. "Flavor solution A" then consists of 20 mL of pre-solution, diluted to 1L using alcohol. So for each mL of essential oil in the pre-solution, a fifth (0.2 mL) goes into a liter of the actual solution. So quantity times order amount is the amount of ingredients we have, divided by quantity necessary is the amount of 100mL pre-solution we can make with the order. We can make 5L of solution with that, so the formula is: (quantity * order amount * 5) / (quantity necessary). Since 1mL of solution A goes into a L of cola, 1L solution makes 1000L cola.<br />
<br />
(2) For solution B, the ingredients together make about 400mL of pre-solution. "Flavor solution B" then consists of those 400 mL, diluted to 1L using water. So the "quantity necessary" goes directly into 1L of "Flavor solution B". Since order amount is 1 for all of these, the formula is: quantity / (quantity necessary). Since 10mL of solution B goes into a L of cola, 1L solution makes 100L cola.<br />
<br />
== Expiry ==<br />
After the first batch I'll have a liter of solution A, which is almost fully alcohol, so I expect it not to expire at all. This bottle is good for a thousand liters of cola, which is probably enough for a lifetime.<br />
<br />
I'll also have 80 mL of pre-solution A, which I'll store separately. I also expect it not to expire, but to be sure, I could add alcohol to this as well, and label the bottle as such so I know exactly how much diluted pre-solution contains 20 mL of the original pre-solution.<br />
<br />
As for solution B, I'm not sure but I expect that will expire faster. The original ingredients probably don't expire if closed well? If I make 1L that's enough for 100 L of cola, which probably lasts a few months unless it's really popular.<br />
<br />
Knowing nothing at all about food safety I asked Claude for secondary advice. ("This is a cola syrup, isn't it?") They said the solution A mixture would remain ''safe'' indefinitely, but chemical degradation would affect aroma over the years; they advise to reduce air in the bottle, reduce repeated opening (freshening of the oxygen), reduce heat and reduce light exposure. With that, realistically expiry could be pushed well beyond 5 years. For solution B, they said microbial stability is also very good due to the phosphoric acid (1.0-1.5 pH). Again, chemical degradation is the limiting factor. Sealed, room temperature and out of light, Claude expects 12-18 months for peak flavor, and "probably safe well beyond that". It says the main thing to watch out for is sediment from the tannin, and flavor decreasing. Neither makes it unsafe. Commercial cola syrups like this one carry 6-12 month best-by dates, and it says our threshold for "still good" may be more forgiving.<br />
<br />
As for the original ingredient bottles, I should check if they are labeled with best-before dates and label them with the date I first opened them. Claude says the essential oils are most perishable; they will degrade in 6-12 months. For vanilla extract it's often commercially dated 2-4 years. All other things are either really easily purchaseable or very long-lived (5+ years).<br />
<br />
Conclusion:<br />
<br />
* Keep the bottles at room temperature (or colder), in the dark, and with little air headspace in the bottle.<br />
* For the solution A bottles, I'll mark them with their production date and "expected best before date" of 5 years.<br />
* For the solution B bottles, I'll mark them with their production date and "expected best before date" of 12 months.<br />
* For the original ingredient bottles, I'll store them the same way. I could consider making more pre-solution with alcohol for preservation.<br />
<br />
== Financial overview ==<br />
This is a hobby project, so it's OK if it costs money and isn't cost-effective. However, I wanted to get an overview for myself.<br />
<br />
Initial, one-time investment into tools is €125. The initial investments into ingredients for the first run is ~€200. With some margin, that means the first batch costs €350 and we can produce around 200 liters of cola from this. If it tastes great and is popular and people want to drink it instead of Coca-Cola, I could sell it at a cost price of €1,75 per liter.<br />
<br />
If we actually (expect to) make more than 200 liters, then for the next 200 liters I'd only need to purchase additional wine tannin. So for the first batch of 400 liters, at a cost of €350, it'd already be €0,88 per liter. So that's what the price becomes if it turns out to be quite popular. Eventually, if it's ''really'' popular it would cost €0,14 for the flavor solutions, plus some sugar and carbonated water.<br />
<br />
So far, three orders were done:<br />
<br />
* Edens Garden $14,95 (€13,33)<br />
** Edens Garden Coriander Seed essential oil<br />
* Amazon.com $86,06 (~€75)<br />
** Durkee caramel color<br />
** Alpha fenchol<br />
** Aura Cacia nutmeg oil<br />
** North Mountain wine tannin<br />
* iHerb €61,95<br />
** NOW Lemon oil<br />
** NOW Lime oil<br />
** NOW Tea tree oil<br />
** NOW Cassia cinnamon oil<br />
** NOW Orange oil<br />
* TODO: MyUS shipping from Florida to Netherlands ~€20<br />
* TODO ingredients online<br />
** Food-grade 95% alcohol €23,50<br />
** Food-grade vegetable glycerin €12,04<br />
** 85% phosphoric acid €20,27<br />
** Caffeine powder €2,60<br />
** Vanilla extract €15,19<br />
* TODO ingredients supermarket<br />
** Sugar<br />
** 5% vinegar<br />
* TODO equipment<br />
** Graduated pipettes €15,85<br />
** Graduated cylinder €14,74<br />
** Storage bottles €37,20<br />
** Syrup preparation glassware €25,23<br />
** Volumetric flask €22,63<br />
** Gloves €8,75<br />
<br />
Total paid: €150<br />
<br />
Total remaining: ~€220</div>Sjors Gielenhttps://hackerspacenijmegen.nl/index.php?title=Projects:Making_cola&diff=2978Projects:Making cola2026-04-05T19:24:07Z<p>Sjors Gielen: /* Tools */</p>
<hr />
<div>[[Bestand:Schermafbeelding 2026-03-25 om 11.02.33.png|miniatuur]]<br />
[[Bestand:Schermafbeelding 2026-03-25 om 11.02.10.png|miniatuur]]<br />
I (Sjors) recently saw this video by LabCoatz reverse engineering the Coca-Cola recipe using (among other techniques) a mass spectrometer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDkH3EbWTYc<br />
<br />
Now I'm a bit of a Coca-Cola addict, so I'm intrigued and want to reproduce it.<br />
<br />
Perhaps once we've done this we can also make [[wikipedia:Open-source_cola|other kinds of cola]], like Toyen Cola, which has its recipe on the back. We could even do a taste test!<br />
<br />
== Overview ==<br />
LabCoatz calls the end product of their recipe '''LabCola'''. One liter of LabCola is built off of four components:<br />
<br />
* around 100g sugar<br />
* 1mL of flavor solution A<br />
* 10 mL of flavor solution B<br />
* around 1 liter of carbonated water<br />
<br />
Flavor solution A is made by adding the following components together (~100mL), then taking 20 mL from that and diluting to 1L using 95% ethanol:<br />
<br />
* 45.8mL lemon oil (NOW)<br />
* 36.5mL lime oil (NOW)<br />
* 8mL tea tree oil (NOW, from Australian tea tree, Melaleuca Alternifolia)<br />
* 4.5mL cassia cinnamon oil (NOW)<br />
* 2.7mL nutmeg oil (aura cacia)<br />
* 1.2mL orange oil (unknown brand, regular sweet orange)<br />
* 0.7mL coriander seed oil (Edens Garden, coriandrum sativum)<br />
* 0.6mL fenchol (any version of alpha-fenchol should work)<br />
<br />
Flavor solution B is made by adding the following components together (~400mL), then diluting to 1L using water:<br />
<br />
* 185mL caramel color (Durkee)<br />
* 150 grams food-grade vegetable glycerin (Equate)<br />
* 43mL 85% phosphoric acid (Duda Energy)<br />
* 10 grams wine tannin (North Mountain)<br />
* 9.65 grams caffeine<br />
* 10mL 5% vinegar (any white vinegar?)<br />
* 10mL vanilla extract (or a solution containing 0.95 grams per liter of vanillin)<br />
<br />
It's important to note that this is '''not''' '''the Coca-Cola recipe''', which uses coca leaf extract. It is supposed to be quite close, though.<br />
<br />
== Tools ==<br />
<br />
* Mass scale<br />
** Max measurement is 150g, most precise measurement is 9.65g<br />
** possible source: Michiel may have one, Mats as well<br />
** possible source: €14,20 https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/precisie-weegschaal-0-01-gram-keukenweegschaal-digitaal-milligram-precisieweegschaal-pocket-weegschaal-sieraden-weegschaal/9300000031220365/<br />
** possible source: €29 https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/trendfield-precisie-weegschaal-0-001-gr-nauwkeurig-digitale-keukenweegschaal-inclusief-batterijen-zwart/9200000111011750/<br />
** possible source: €139,15 https://www.labshop.nl/schoolweegschaal-efs-500-2/<br />
* micropipette + tips<br />
** ideally an [https://www.merkala.nl/minipet-var-microliterpipet.html adjustable micropipette], but these are quite expensive (€100+)<br />
** fixed 100µL micropipette is cheaper, €25 https://www.merkala.nl/minipet-microliterpipet.html<br />
** could also get a few [https://www.kruidvat.nl/kruidvat-doseerspuit/p/2335439 doseerspuit] at Kruidvat, €2, precision should be somewhere between 0.1mL and 0.5mL<br />
** setje graduated pipettes €15,85 https://www.amazon.nl/pipetten-Graduated-Reinigingsborstel-Roerstaaf-Laboratorium/dp/B07V3VC7YZ<br />
* 50 mL graduated cilinder<br />
** €14,74 https://www.labshop.nl/maatcilinder-hoog-model-klasse-a-bruine-schaalverdeling/?attribute_pa_volume=10-ml<br />
* some storage bottles (mainly 1L)<br />
** I'll produce 100 mL of pre-solution A, then dilute that into 1L of solution A and store the rest of the 80mL separately. Solution B is 1L at a time, so I'll need 3 storage bottles.<br />
** I'm considering to produce only 10 mL of pre-solution A then dilute that into 100mL of solution A. Since the solution offgasses it requires very little air in the bottle, so a 100mL bottle would be a good idea.<br />
** https://www.labshop.nl/labfles-glas-blank-gl45-blauw-simax/<br />
** €12,40 * 3 = €37,20<br />
* heat-resistant glassware for preparing the syrup (1L)<br />
** €9,23 https://www.labshop.nl/bekerglas-laag-model/<br />
** or €7,45 https://labstuff.nl/contents/nl/p135.html<br />
** Ø 105mm, dus horlogeglas ~€3 https://labstuff.nl/contents/nl/p253.html<br />
* magnetic stirrer for mixing<br />
** €133,10 https://www.labshop.nl/mini-magnetische-roerder-rotilabo-m-3/<br />
** possible source: Michiel has one<br />
* 100mL volumetric flask to make the dilution steps easier<br />
** for pre-solution A<br />
** €22,63 https://www.labshop.nl/maatkolf/?attribute_pa_volume=100-ml-ns12-21-klasse-a<br />
* water carbonator / sodastream<br />
** Sjors has this at home<br />
* gloves / safety glasses<br />
** €8,75 https://www.werkenmetmerken.nl/nl/chemisch_bestendige_werkhandschoen/p/9489<br />
** but probably already present<br />
<br />
<br />
If we don't need to buy the mass scale nor magnetic stirrer, tools come out to approximately €125.<br />
<br />
== Ingedients ==<br />
{| class="wikitable"<br />
|+<br />
!Ingredient<br />
!Source link<br />
!Quantity<br />
!Quantity necessary<br />
!Order amount<br />
!Price per piece<br />
!Price total<br />
!Makes L solution<sup>12</sup><br />
!Makes L cola<br />
!Price per L cola<br />
|-<br />
|'''Overall'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Sugar<br />
|TODO Supermarket<br />
|<br />
|Around 100g<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Carbonated water<br />
|Self-made<br />
|<br />
|Around 1L<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|'''Flavor solution A'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Food-grade 95% alcohol<br />
|TODO [https://www.topdrinks.de/navimer-alcohol-pur-glas-1ltr Topdrinks.de]<br />
|1L<br />
|1L<br />
|1<br />
|€23,50<br />
|€23,50<br />
|1L<br />
|1 kL<br />
|2.35 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Lemon oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-lemon-1-fl-oz-30-ml/928 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-lemon-oil-30-ml Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|45.8mL<br />
|2<br />
|€7,01<br />
|€14,02<br />
|6,55L<br />
|6,55 kL<br />
|0,23 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Lime oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-lime-1-fl-oz-30-ml/930 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-essential-oils-lime Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|36.5mL<br />
|2<br />
|€12,47<br />
|€24,94<br />
|8,22L<br />
|8,22 kL<br />
|0,19 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Tea tree oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-tea-tree-1-fl-oz-30-ml/37827 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-tea-tree-oil-30-ml Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|8mL<br />
|1<br />
|€9,42<br />
|€9,42<br />
|18,75L<br />
|18,75 kL<br />
|0,05 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Cassia cinnamon oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-cinnamon-cassia-1-fl-oz-30-ml/915 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-cinnamon-cassia-oil-30-ml Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|4,5mL<br />
|1<br />
|€8,04<br />
|€8,04<br />
|33,33L<br />
|33,33 kL<br />
|0,03 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Aura Cacia Nutmeg oil<br />
|[https://www.amazon.com/Aura-Cacia-Essential-Nutmeg-Fluid/dp/B0007KO2ZM/ref=sr_1_1 Amazon] (alternatives different brands [https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-nutmeg-1-fl-oz-30-ml/941 iHerb], [https://www.berivita.com/etherische-olie/nootmuskaat-olie-zuiver-puur-10ml Berivita])<br />
|30mL<br />
|2.7mL<br />
|1<br />
|$19,89<br />
|€17,22<br />
|55,56L<br />
|55,56 kL<br />
|0,03 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Orange oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-orange-1-fl-oz-30-ml/953 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-orange-oil-30-ml?sqr=orange%20oil Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|1.2mL<br />
|1<br />
|€5,53<br />
|€5,53<br />
|125L<br />
|125 kL<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Edens Garden Coriander seed oil<br />
|[https://www.edensgarden.com/products/coriander-seed Edens Garden] (alternative [https://www.amazon.com/Edens-Garden-Coriander-Undiluted-Therapeutic/dp/B0046ZUW7G/ref=sr_1_4 Amazon], different brand [https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/koriander-olie-puur-biologisch-natuurlijk-5ml/9300000188330683/ bol.com])<br />
|5mL<br />
|0.7mL<br />
|1<br />
|$14,95<br />
|€13,33<br />
|35,71L<br />
|35,71 kL<br />
|0,06 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Alpha-Fenchol<br />
|[https://www.amazon.com/CCS-alpha-fenchol-Alcohol-Fragrance-Compound/dp/B075H1TF9T/ref=sr_1_2 Amazon] (alternative [https://pellwall.com/products/fenchol Pellwall] (UK), [https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/227211376456 eBay], [https://pevgrow.com/en/fenchol-arae.html pevgrow] (€27,90 incl shipping?), [https://terpenes-uk.co.uk/products/fenchol-natural terpenes] (£32 incl shipping)<br />
|30mL<br />
|0.6mL<br />
|1<br />
|$12,99<br />
|€11,25<br />
|42L<br />
|42 kL<br />
|0,02 cents<br />
|-<br />
|'''Total flavor solution A'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|~ €120<br />
|1L<br />
|1kL<br />
|€0,03 when produced at scale<br />
€0,12 for first liter<br />
|-<br />
|'''Flavor solution B'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Durkee caramel color<br />
|[https://www.amazon.com/Durkee-Food-Color-Caramel-32-Ounce/dp/B007KZJZ8G/ref=sr_1_1 Amazon] (alternative [https://pantryful.com/products/durkee-caramel-food-color-32-oz Pantryful])<br />
|32 oz. (946 mL)<br />
|185mL<br />
|1<br />
|$17,95<br />
|€15,54<br />
|5,11L<br />
|511L<br />
|2,3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Food-grade vegetable glycerin<br />
|TODO [https://www.labshop.nl/glycerol-glycerine-995/?attribute_pa_volume=1-l Labshop]alternative: [https://www.werkenmetmerken.nl/nl/glycerine_99_5_foodgrade/p/20904 werkenmetmerken.nl] (€9 for 1L)<br />
|1L<br />
|150g (~150mL?)<br />
|1<br />
|€12,04<br />
|€12,04<br />
|6,66L<br />
|666L<br />
|2 cents<br />
|-<br />
|85% Phosphoric acid<br />
|TODO [https://www.labshop.nl/fosforzuur-85-nvp/ Labshop]<br />
|1L<br />
|43mL<br />
|1<br />
|€20,27<br />
|€20,27<br />
|23,26L<br />
|2326L<br />
|0,8 cents<br />
|-<br />
|North Mountain Wine tannin<br />
|([https://www.amazon.com/North-Mountain-Supply-WT-2oz-Tannin/dp/B0CYZ5YSXM/ref=sr_1_1 Amazon] (alternative different brand [https://brouwland.com/nl/eikenhouten-chips/195-tannine-vinoferm-tannorouge-20-g.html Brouwland])<br />
|56g<br />
|10g<br />
|1<br />
|$20,66<br />
|€17,89<br />
|2L<br />
|200L<br />
|3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Caffeine powder<br />
|TODO [https://voordeelkruiden.nl/cafeine-poeder/ Voordeelkruiden]If we want more: [https://woele.nl/product/cafeine-poeder-pharma-grade-250g/ Woele]<br />
|50g<br />
|9,65g<br />
|1<br />
|€2,60<br />
|€2,60<br />
|5,18L<br />
|518L<br />
|0,5 cents<br />
|-<br />
|5% vinegar<br />
|TODO Supermarket (Double check 5%!)<br />
|1L<br />
|10mL<br />
|1<br />
|€0,99<br />
|€0,99<br />
|100L<br />
|10kL<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Vanilla extract<br />
|TODO [https://producten.makro.nl/shop/pv/BTY-X742890/0032/0021/Nomu-Vanille-Extract-50-ml Makro.nl]<br />
|50mL<br />
|10mL<br />
|1<br />
|€15,19<br />
|€15,19<br />
|5L<br />
|500L<br />
|3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|'''Total flavor solution B'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|~ €70<br />
|2L<br />
|200 L<br />
|€0,11 when produced at scale<br />
€0,35 for first liter<br />
|}<br />
(1) The essential oils in solution A, quantities as under "Quantity necessary", together make 100mL of pre-solution. "Flavor solution A" then consists of 20 mL of pre-solution, diluted to 1L using alcohol. So for each mL of essential oil in the pre-solution, a fifth (0.2 mL) goes into a liter of the actual solution. So quantity times order amount is the amount of ingredients we have, divided by quantity necessary is the amount of 100mL pre-solution we can make with the order. We can make 5L of solution with that, so the formula is: (quantity * order amount * 5) / (quantity necessary). Since 1mL of solution A goes into a L of cola, 1L solution makes 1000L cola.<br />
<br />
(2) For solution B, the ingredients together make about 400mL of pre-solution. "Flavor solution B" then consists of those 400 mL, diluted to 1L using water. So the "quantity necessary" goes directly into 1L of "Flavor solution B". Since order amount is 1 for all of these, the formula is: quantity / (quantity necessary). Since 10mL of solution B goes into a L of cola, 1L solution makes 100L cola.<br />
<br />
== Expiry ==<br />
After the first batch I'll have a liter of solution A, which is almost fully alcohol, so I expect it not to expire at all. This bottle is good for a thousand liters of cola, which is probably enough for a lifetime.<br />
<br />
I'll also have 80 mL of pre-solution A, which I'll store separately. I also expect it not to expire, but to be sure, I could add alcohol to this as well, and label the bottle as such so I know exactly how much diluted pre-solution contains 20 mL of the original pre-solution.<br />
<br />
As for solution B, I'm not sure but I expect that will expire faster. The original ingredients probably don't expire if closed well? If I make 1L that's enough for 100 L of cola, which probably lasts a few months unless it's really popular.<br />
<br />
Knowing nothing at all about food safety I asked Claude for secondary advice. ("This is a cola syrup, isn't it?") They said the solution A mixture would remain ''safe'' indefinitely, but chemical degradation would affect aroma over the years; they advise to reduce air in the bottle, reduce repeated opening (freshening of the oxygen), reduce heat and reduce light exposure. With that, realistically expiry could be pushed well beyond 5 years. For solution B, they said microbial stability is also very good due to the phosphoric acid (1.0-1.5 pH). Again, chemical degradation is the limiting factor. Sealed, room temperature and out of light, Claude expects 12-18 months for peak flavor, and "probably safe well beyond that". It says the main thing to watch out for is sediment from the tannin, and flavor decreasing. Neither makes it unsafe. Commercial cola syrups like this one carry 6-12 month best-by dates, and it says our threshold for "still good" may be more forgiving.<br />
<br />
As for the original ingredient bottles, I should check if they are labeled with best-before dates and label them with the date I first opened them. Claude says the essential oils are most perishable; they will degrade in 6-12 months. For vanilla extract it's often commercially dated 2-4 years. All other things are either really easily purchaseable or very long-lived (5+ years).<br />
<br />
Conclusion:<br />
<br />
* Keep the bottles at room temperature (or colder), in the dark, and with little air headspace in the bottle.<br />
* For the solution A bottles, I'll mark them with their production date and "expected best before date" of 5 years.<br />
* For the solution B bottles, I'll mark them with their production date and "expected best before date" of 12 months.<br />
* For the original ingredient bottles, I'll store them the same way. I could consider making more pre-solution with alcohol for preservation.<br />
<br />
== Financial overview ==<br />
This is a hobby project, so it's OK if it costs money and isn't cost-effective. However, I wanted to get an overview for myself.<br />
<br />
Initial, one-time investment into tools is €125. The initial investments into ingredients for the first run is ~€200. With some margin, that means the first batch costs €350 and we can produce around 200 liters of cola from this. If it tastes great and is popular and people want to drink it instead of Coca-Cola, I could sell it at a cost price of €1,75 per liter.<br />
<br />
If we actually (expect to) make more than 200 liters, then for the next 200 liters I'd only need to purchase additional wine tannin. So for the first batch of 400 liters, at a cost of €350, it'd already be €0,88 per liter. So that's what the price becomes if it turns out to be quite popular. Eventually, if it's ''really'' popular it would cost €0,14 for the flavor solutions, plus some sugar and carbonated water.<br />
<br />
So far, three orders were done:<br />
<br />
* Edens Garden $14,95 (€13,33)<br />
** Edens Garden Coriander Seed essential oil<br />
* Amazon.com $86,06 (~€75)<br />
** Durkee caramel color<br />
** Alpha fenchol<br />
** Aura Cacia nutmeg oil<br />
** North Mountain wine tannin<br />
* iHerb €61,95<br />
** NOW Lemon oil<br />
** NOW Lime oil<br />
** NOW Tea tree oil<br />
** NOW Cassia cinnamon oil<br />
** NOW Orange oil<br />
* TODO: MyUS shipping from Florida to Netherlands ~€20<br />
* TODO ingredients online<br />
** Food-grade 95% alcohol €23,50<br />
** Food-grade vegetable glycerin €12,04<br />
** 85% phosphoric acid €20,27<br />
** Caffeine powder €2,60<br />
** Vanilla extract €15,19<br />
* TODO ingredients supermarket<br />
** Sugar<br />
** 5% vinegar<br />
* TODO equipment<br />
** Graduated pipettes €15,85<br />
** Graduated cylinder €14,74<br />
** Storage bottles €37,20<br />
** Syrup preparation glassware €25,23<br />
** Volumetric flask €22,63<br />
** Gloves €8,75<br />
<br />
Total paid: €150<br />
<br />
Total remaining: ~€220</div>Sjors Gielenhttps://hackerspacenijmegen.nl/index.php?title=Projects:Making_cola&diff=2977Projects:Making cola2026-04-05T19:22:03Z<p>Sjors Gielen: /* Tools */</p>
<hr />
<div>[[Bestand:Schermafbeelding 2026-03-25 om 11.02.33.png|miniatuur]]<br />
[[Bestand:Schermafbeelding 2026-03-25 om 11.02.10.png|miniatuur]]<br />
I (Sjors) recently saw this video by LabCoatz reverse engineering the Coca-Cola recipe using (among other techniques) a mass spectrometer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDkH3EbWTYc<br />
<br />
Now I'm a bit of a Coca-Cola addict, so I'm intrigued and want to reproduce it.<br />
<br />
Perhaps once we've done this we can also make [[wikipedia:Open-source_cola|other kinds of cola]], like Toyen Cola, which has its recipe on the back. We could even do a taste test!<br />
<br />
== Overview ==<br />
LabCoatz calls the end product of their recipe '''LabCola'''. One liter of LabCola is built off of four components:<br />
<br />
* around 100g sugar<br />
* 1mL of flavor solution A<br />
* 10 mL of flavor solution B<br />
* around 1 liter of carbonated water<br />
<br />
Flavor solution A is made by adding the following components together (~100mL), then taking 20 mL from that and diluting to 1L using 95% ethanol:<br />
<br />
* 45.8mL lemon oil (NOW)<br />
* 36.5mL lime oil (NOW)<br />
* 8mL tea tree oil (NOW, from Australian tea tree, Melaleuca Alternifolia)<br />
* 4.5mL cassia cinnamon oil (NOW)<br />
* 2.7mL nutmeg oil (aura cacia)<br />
* 1.2mL orange oil (unknown brand, regular sweet orange)<br />
* 0.7mL coriander seed oil (Edens Garden, coriandrum sativum)<br />
* 0.6mL fenchol (any version of alpha-fenchol should work)<br />
<br />
Flavor solution B is made by adding the following components together (~400mL), then diluting to 1L using water:<br />
<br />
* 185mL caramel color (Durkee)<br />
* 150 grams food-grade vegetable glycerin (Equate)<br />
* 43mL 85% phosphoric acid (Duda Energy)<br />
* 10 grams wine tannin (North Mountain)<br />
* 9.65 grams caffeine<br />
* 10mL 5% vinegar (any white vinegar?)<br />
* 10mL vanilla extract (or a solution containing 0.95 grams per liter of vanillin)<br />
<br />
It's important to note that this is '''not''' '''the Coca-Cola recipe''', which uses coca leaf extract. It is supposed to be quite close, though.<br />
<br />
== Tools ==<br />
<br />
* Mass scale<br />
** Max measurement is 150g, most precise measurement is 9.65g<br />
** possible source: Michiel may have one, Mats as well<br />
** possible source: €14,20 https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/precisie-weegschaal-0-01-gram-keukenweegschaal-digitaal-milligram-precisieweegschaal-pocket-weegschaal-sieraden-weegschaal/9300000031220365/<br />
** possible source: €29 https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/trendfield-precisie-weegschaal-0-001-gr-nauwkeurig-digitale-keukenweegschaal-inclusief-batterijen-zwart/9200000111011750/<br />
** possible source: €139,15 https://www.labshop.nl/schoolweegschaal-efs-500-2/<br />
* micropipette + tips<br />
** ideally an [https://www.merkala.nl/minipet-var-microliterpipet.html adjustable micropipette], but these are quite expensive (€100+)<br />
** fixed 100µL micropipette is cheaper, €25 https://www.merkala.nl/minipet-microliterpipet.html<br />
** could also get a few [https://www.kruidvat.nl/kruidvat-doseerspuit/p/2335439 doseerspuit] at Kruidvat, €2, precision should be somewhere between 0.1mL and 0.5mL<br />
** setje graduated pipettes €15,85 https://www.amazon.nl/pipetten-Graduated-Reinigingsborstel-Roerstaaf-Laboratorium/dp/B07V3VC7YZ<br />
* 50 mL graduated cilinder<br />
** €14,74 https://www.labshop.nl/maatcilinder-hoog-model-klasse-a-bruine-schaalverdeling/?attribute_pa_volume=10-ml<br />
* some storage bottles (mainly 1L)<br />
** I'll produce 100 mL of pre-solution A, then dilute that into 1L of solution A and store the rest of the 80mL separately. Solution B is 1L at a time, so I'll need 3 storage bottles.<br />
** I'm considering to produce only 10 mL of pre-solution A then dilute that into 100mL of solution A. Since the solution offgasses it requires very little air in the bottle, so a 100mL bottle would be a good idea.<br />
** https://www.labshop.nl/labfles-glas-blank-gl45-blauw-simax/<br />
** €12,40 * 3 = €37,20<br />
* heat-resistant glassware for preparing the syrup (1L)<br />
** €9,23 https://www.labshop.nl/bekerglas-laag-model/<br />
** or €7,45 https://labstuff.nl/contents/nl/p135.html<br />
** Ø 105mm, dus dekglaasje ~€16 https://www.labshop.nl/horlogeglas-10-stuks/ maar afdekken kan misschien ook wel met folie?<br />
* magnetic stirrer for mixing<br />
** €133,10 https://www.labshop.nl/mini-magnetische-roerder-rotilabo-m-3/<br />
** possible source: Michiel has one<br />
* 100mL volumetric flask to make the dilution steps easier<br />
** for pre-solution A<br />
** €22,63 https://www.labshop.nl/maatkolf/?attribute_pa_volume=100-ml-ns12-21-klasse-a<br />
* water carbonator / sodastream<br />
** Sjors has this at home<br />
* gloves / safety glasses<br />
** €8,75 https://www.werkenmetmerken.nl/nl/chemisch_bestendige_werkhandschoen/p/9489<br />
** but probably already present<br />
<br />
<br />
If we don't need to buy the mass scale nor magnetic stirrer, tools come out to approximately €125.<br />
<br />
== Ingedients ==<br />
{| class="wikitable"<br />
|+<br />
!Ingredient<br />
!Source link<br />
!Quantity<br />
!Quantity necessary<br />
!Order amount<br />
!Price per piece<br />
!Price total<br />
!Makes L solution<sup>12</sup><br />
!Makes L cola<br />
!Price per L cola<br />
|-<br />
|'''Overall'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Sugar<br />
|TODO Supermarket<br />
|<br />
|Around 100g<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Carbonated water<br />
|Self-made<br />
|<br />
|Around 1L<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|'''Flavor solution A'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Food-grade 95% alcohol<br />
|TODO [https://www.topdrinks.de/navimer-alcohol-pur-glas-1ltr Topdrinks.de]<br />
|1L<br />
|1L<br />
|1<br />
|€23,50<br />
|€23,50<br />
|1L<br />
|1 kL<br />
|2.35 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Lemon oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-lemon-1-fl-oz-30-ml/928 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-lemon-oil-30-ml Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|45.8mL<br />
|2<br />
|€7,01<br />
|€14,02<br />
|6,55L<br />
|6,55 kL<br />
|0,23 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Lime oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-lime-1-fl-oz-30-ml/930 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-essential-oils-lime Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|36.5mL<br />
|2<br />
|€12,47<br />
|€24,94<br />
|8,22L<br />
|8,22 kL<br />
|0,19 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Tea tree oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-tea-tree-1-fl-oz-30-ml/37827 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-tea-tree-oil-30-ml Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|8mL<br />
|1<br />
|€9,42<br />
|€9,42<br />
|18,75L<br />
|18,75 kL<br />
|0,05 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Cassia cinnamon oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-cinnamon-cassia-1-fl-oz-30-ml/915 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-cinnamon-cassia-oil-30-ml Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|4,5mL<br />
|1<br />
|€8,04<br />
|€8,04<br />
|33,33L<br />
|33,33 kL<br />
|0,03 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Aura Cacia Nutmeg oil<br />
|[https://www.amazon.com/Aura-Cacia-Essential-Nutmeg-Fluid/dp/B0007KO2ZM/ref=sr_1_1 Amazon] (alternatives different brands [https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-nutmeg-1-fl-oz-30-ml/941 iHerb], [https://www.berivita.com/etherische-olie/nootmuskaat-olie-zuiver-puur-10ml Berivita])<br />
|30mL<br />
|2.7mL<br />
|1<br />
|$19,89<br />
|€17,22<br />
|55,56L<br />
|55,56 kL<br />
|0,03 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Orange oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-orange-1-fl-oz-30-ml/953 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-orange-oil-30-ml?sqr=orange%20oil Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|1.2mL<br />
|1<br />
|€5,53<br />
|€5,53<br />
|125L<br />
|125 kL<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Edens Garden Coriander seed oil<br />
|[https://www.edensgarden.com/products/coriander-seed Edens Garden] (alternative [https://www.amazon.com/Edens-Garden-Coriander-Undiluted-Therapeutic/dp/B0046ZUW7G/ref=sr_1_4 Amazon], different brand [https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/koriander-olie-puur-biologisch-natuurlijk-5ml/9300000188330683/ bol.com])<br />
|5mL<br />
|0.7mL<br />
|1<br />
|$14,95<br />
|€13,33<br />
|35,71L<br />
|35,71 kL<br />
|0,06 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Alpha-Fenchol<br />
|[https://www.amazon.com/CCS-alpha-fenchol-Alcohol-Fragrance-Compound/dp/B075H1TF9T/ref=sr_1_2 Amazon] (alternative [https://pellwall.com/products/fenchol Pellwall] (UK), [https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/227211376456 eBay], [https://pevgrow.com/en/fenchol-arae.html pevgrow] (€27,90 incl shipping?), [https://terpenes-uk.co.uk/products/fenchol-natural terpenes] (£32 incl shipping)<br />
|30mL<br />
|0.6mL<br />
|1<br />
|$12,99<br />
|€11,25<br />
|42L<br />
|42 kL<br />
|0,02 cents<br />
|-<br />
|'''Total flavor solution A'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|~ €120<br />
|1L<br />
|1kL<br />
|€0,03 when produced at scale<br />
€0,12 for first liter<br />
|-<br />
|'''Flavor solution B'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Durkee caramel color<br />
|[https://www.amazon.com/Durkee-Food-Color-Caramel-32-Ounce/dp/B007KZJZ8G/ref=sr_1_1 Amazon] (alternative [https://pantryful.com/products/durkee-caramel-food-color-32-oz Pantryful])<br />
|32 oz. (946 mL)<br />
|185mL<br />
|1<br />
|$17,95<br />
|€15,54<br />
|5,11L<br />
|511L<br />
|2,3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Food-grade vegetable glycerin<br />
|TODO [https://www.labshop.nl/glycerol-glycerine-995/?attribute_pa_volume=1-l Labshop]alternative: [https://www.werkenmetmerken.nl/nl/glycerine_99_5_foodgrade/p/20904 werkenmetmerken.nl] (€9 for 1L)<br />
|1L<br />
|150g (~150mL?)<br />
|1<br />
|€12,04<br />
|€12,04<br />
|6,66L<br />
|666L<br />
|2 cents<br />
|-<br />
|85% Phosphoric acid<br />
|TODO [https://www.labshop.nl/fosforzuur-85-nvp/ Labshop]<br />
|1L<br />
|43mL<br />
|1<br />
|€20,27<br />
|€20,27<br />
|23,26L<br />
|2326L<br />
|0,8 cents<br />
|-<br />
|North Mountain Wine tannin<br />
|([https://www.amazon.com/North-Mountain-Supply-WT-2oz-Tannin/dp/B0CYZ5YSXM/ref=sr_1_1 Amazon] (alternative different brand [https://brouwland.com/nl/eikenhouten-chips/195-tannine-vinoferm-tannorouge-20-g.html Brouwland])<br />
|56g<br />
|10g<br />
|1<br />
|$20,66<br />
|€17,89<br />
|2L<br />
|200L<br />
|3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Caffeine powder<br />
|TODO [https://voordeelkruiden.nl/cafeine-poeder/ Voordeelkruiden]If we want more: [https://woele.nl/product/cafeine-poeder-pharma-grade-250g/ Woele]<br />
|50g<br />
|9,65g<br />
|1<br />
|€2,60<br />
|€2,60<br />
|5,18L<br />
|518L<br />
|0,5 cents<br />
|-<br />
|5% vinegar<br />
|TODO Supermarket (Double check 5%!)<br />
|1L<br />
|10mL<br />
|1<br />
|€0,99<br />
|€0,99<br />
|100L<br />
|10kL<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Vanilla extract<br />
|TODO [https://producten.makro.nl/shop/pv/BTY-X742890/0032/0021/Nomu-Vanille-Extract-50-ml Makro.nl]<br />
|50mL<br />
|10mL<br />
|1<br />
|€15,19<br />
|€15,19<br />
|5L<br />
|500L<br />
|3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|'''Total flavor solution B'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|~ €70<br />
|2L<br />
|200 L<br />
|€0,11 when produced at scale<br />
€0,35 for first liter<br />
|}<br />
(1) The essential oils in solution A, quantities as under "Quantity necessary", together make 100mL of pre-solution. "Flavor solution A" then consists of 20 mL of pre-solution, diluted to 1L using alcohol. So for each mL of essential oil in the pre-solution, a fifth (0.2 mL) goes into a liter of the actual solution. So quantity times order amount is the amount of ingredients we have, divided by quantity necessary is the amount of 100mL pre-solution we can make with the order. We can make 5L of solution with that, so the formula is: (quantity * order amount * 5) / (quantity necessary). Since 1mL of solution A goes into a L of cola, 1L solution makes 1000L cola.<br />
<br />
(2) For solution B, the ingredients together make about 400mL of pre-solution. "Flavor solution B" then consists of those 400 mL, diluted to 1L using water. So the "quantity necessary" goes directly into 1L of "Flavor solution B". Since order amount is 1 for all of these, the formula is: quantity / (quantity necessary). Since 10mL of solution B goes into a L of cola, 1L solution makes 100L cola.<br />
<br />
== Expiry ==<br />
After the first batch I'll have a liter of solution A, which is almost fully alcohol, so I expect it not to expire at all. This bottle is good for a thousand liters of cola, which is probably enough for a lifetime.<br />
<br />
I'll also have 80 mL of pre-solution A, which I'll store separately. I also expect it not to expire, but to be sure, I could add alcohol to this as well, and label the bottle as such so I know exactly how much diluted pre-solution contains 20 mL of the original pre-solution.<br />
<br />
As for solution B, I'm not sure but I expect that will expire faster. The original ingredients probably don't expire if closed well? If I make 1L that's enough for 100 L of cola, which probably lasts a few months unless it's really popular.<br />
<br />
Knowing nothing at all about food safety I asked Claude for secondary advice. ("This is a cola syrup, isn't it?") They said the solution A mixture would remain ''safe'' indefinitely, but chemical degradation would affect aroma over the years; they advise to reduce air in the bottle, reduce repeated opening (freshening of the oxygen), reduce heat and reduce light exposure. With that, realistically expiry could be pushed well beyond 5 years. For solution B, they said microbial stability is also very good due to the phosphoric acid (1.0-1.5 pH). Again, chemical degradation is the limiting factor. Sealed, room temperature and out of light, Claude expects 12-18 months for peak flavor, and "probably safe well beyond that". It says the main thing to watch out for is sediment from the tannin, and flavor decreasing. Neither makes it unsafe. Commercial cola syrups like this one carry 6-12 month best-by dates, and it says our threshold for "still good" may be more forgiving.<br />
<br />
As for the original ingredient bottles, I should check if they are labeled with best-before dates and label them with the date I first opened them. Claude says the essential oils are most perishable; they will degrade in 6-12 months. For vanilla extract it's often commercially dated 2-4 years. All other things are either really easily purchaseable or very long-lived (5+ years).<br />
<br />
Conclusion:<br />
<br />
* Keep the bottles at room temperature (or colder), in the dark, and with little air headspace in the bottle.<br />
* For the solution A bottles, I'll mark them with their production date and "expected best before date" of 5 years.<br />
* For the solution B bottles, I'll mark them with their production date and "expected best before date" of 12 months.<br />
* For the original ingredient bottles, I'll store them the same way. I could consider making more pre-solution with alcohol for preservation.<br />
<br />
== Financial overview ==<br />
This is a hobby project, so it's OK if it costs money and isn't cost-effective. However, I wanted to get an overview for myself.<br />
<br />
Initial, one-time investment into tools is €125. The initial investments into ingredients for the first run is ~€200. With some margin, that means the first batch costs €350 and we can produce around 200 liters of cola from this. If it tastes great and is popular and people want to drink it instead of Coca-Cola, I could sell it at a cost price of €1,75 per liter.<br />
<br />
If we actually (expect to) make more than 200 liters, then for the next 200 liters I'd only need to purchase additional wine tannin. So for the first batch of 400 liters, at a cost of €350, it'd already be €0,88 per liter. So that's what the price becomes if it turns out to be quite popular. Eventually, if it's ''really'' popular it would cost €0,14 for the flavor solutions, plus some sugar and carbonated water.<br />
<br />
So far, three orders were done:<br />
<br />
* Edens Garden $14,95 (€13,33)<br />
** Edens Garden Coriander Seed essential oil<br />
* Amazon.com $86,06 (~€75)<br />
** Durkee caramel color<br />
** Alpha fenchol<br />
** Aura Cacia nutmeg oil<br />
** North Mountain wine tannin<br />
* iHerb €61,95<br />
** NOW Lemon oil<br />
** NOW Lime oil<br />
** NOW Tea tree oil<br />
** NOW Cassia cinnamon oil<br />
** NOW Orange oil<br />
* TODO: MyUS shipping from Florida to Netherlands ~€20<br />
* TODO ingredients online<br />
** Food-grade 95% alcohol €23,50<br />
** Food-grade vegetable glycerin €12,04<br />
** 85% phosphoric acid €20,27<br />
** Caffeine powder €2,60<br />
** Vanilla extract €15,19<br />
* TODO ingredients supermarket<br />
** Sugar<br />
** 5% vinegar<br />
* TODO equipment<br />
** Graduated pipettes €15,85<br />
** Graduated cylinder €14,74<br />
** Storage bottles €37,20<br />
** Syrup preparation glassware €25,23<br />
** Volumetric flask €22,63<br />
** Gloves €8,75<br />
<br />
Total paid: €150<br />
<br />
Total remaining: ~€220</div>Sjors Gielenhttps://hackerspacenijmegen.nl/index.php?title=Projects:Making_cola&diff=2975Projects:Making cola2026-03-31T22:48:55Z<p>Sjors Gielen: /* Financial overview */</p>
<hr />
<div>[[Bestand:Schermafbeelding 2026-03-25 om 11.02.33.png|miniatuur]]<br />
[[Bestand:Schermafbeelding 2026-03-25 om 11.02.10.png|miniatuur]]<br />
I (Sjors) recently saw this video by LabCoatz reverse engineering the Coca-Cola recipe using (among other techniques) a mass spectrometer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDkH3EbWTYc<br />
<br />
Now I'm a bit of a Coca-Cola addict, so I'm intrigued and want to reproduce it.<br />
<br />
Perhaps once we've done this we can also make [[wikipedia:Open-source_cola|other kinds of cola]], like Toyen Cola, which has its recipe on the back. We could even do a taste test!<br />
<br />
== Overview ==<br />
LabCoatz calls the end product of their recipe '''LabCola'''. One liter of LabCola is built off of four components:<br />
<br />
* around 100g sugar<br />
* 1mL of flavor solution A<br />
* 10 mL of flavor solution B<br />
* around 1 liter of carbonated water<br />
<br />
Flavor solution A is made by adding the following components together (~100mL), then taking 20 mL from that and diluting to 1L using 95% ethanol:<br />
<br />
* 45.8mL lemon oil (NOW)<br />
* 36.5mL lime oil (NOW)<br />
* 8mL tea tree oil (NOW, from Australian tea tree, Melaleuca Alternifolia)<br />
* 4.5mL cassia cinnamon oil (NOW)<br />
* 2.7mL nutmeg oil (aura cacia)<br />
* 1.2mL orange oil (unknown brand, regular sweet orange)<br />
* 0.7mL coriander seed oil (Edens Garden, coriandrum sativum)<br />
* 0.6mL fenchol (any version of alpha-fenchol should work)<br />
<br />
Flavor solution B is made by adding the following components together (~400mL), then diluting to 1L using water:<br />
<br />
* 185mL caramel color (Durkee)<br />
* 150 grams food-grade vegetable glycerin (Equate)<br />
* 43mL 85% phosphoric acid (Duda Energy)<br />
* 10 grams wine tannin (North Mountain)<br />
* 9.65 grams caffeine<br />
* 10mL 5% vinegar (any white vinegar?)<br />
* 10mL vanilla extract (or a solution containing 0.95 grams per liter of vanillin)<br />
<br />
It's important to note that this is '''not''' '''the Coca-Cola recipe''', which uses coca leaf extract. It is supposed to be quite close, though.<br />
<br />
== Tools ==<br />
<br />
* Mass scale<br />
** Max measurement is 150g, most precise measurement is 9.65g<br />
** possible source: Michiel may have one, Mats as well<br />
** possible source: €14,20 https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/precisie-weegschaal-0-01-gram-keukenweegschaal-digitaal-milligram-precisieweegschaal-pocket-weegschaal-sieraden-weegschaal/9300000031220365/<br />
** possible source: €29 https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/trendfield-precisie-weegschaal-0-001-gr-nauwkeurig-digitale-keukenweegschaal-inclusief-batterijen-zwart/9200000111011750/<br />
** possible source: €139,15 https://www.labshop.nl/schoolweegschaal-efs-500-2/<br />
* micropipette + tips<br />
** ideally an [https://www.merkala.nl/minipet-var-microliterpipet.html adjustable micropipette], but these are quite expensive (€100+)<br />
** fixed 100µL micropipette is cheaper, €25 https://www.merkala.nl/minipet-microliterpipet.html<br />
** could also get a few [https://www.kruidvat.nl/kruidvat-doseerspuit/p/2335439 doseerspuit] at Kruidvat, €2, precision should be somewhere between 0.1mL and 0.5mL<br />
** setje graduated pipettes €15,85 https://www.amazon.nl/pipetten-Graduated-Reinigingsborstel-Roerstaaf-Laboratorium/dp/B07V3VC7YZ<br />
* 50 mL graduated cilinder<br />
** €14,74 https://www.labshop.nl/maatcilinder-hoog-model-klasse-a-bruine-schaalverdeling/?attribute_pa_volume=10-ml<br />
* some storage bottles (mainly 1L)<br />
** I'll produce 100 mL of pre-solution A, then dilute that into 1L of solution A and store the rest of the 80mL separately. Solution B is 1L at a time, so I'll need 3 storage bottles.<br />
** I'm considering to produce only 10 mL of pre-solution A then dilute that into 100mL of solution A. Since the solution offgasses it requires very little air in the bottle, so a 100mL bottle would be a good idea.<br />
** https://www.labshop.nl/labfles-glas-blank-gl45-blauw-simax/<br />
** €12,40 * 3 = €37,20<br />
* heat-resistant glassware for preparing the syrup (1L)<br />
** €9,23 https://www.labshop.nl/bekerglas-laag-model/<br />
** Ø 105mm, dus dekglaasje ~€16 https://www.labshop.nl/horlogeglas-10-stuks/ maar afdekken kan misschien ook wel met folie?<br />
* magnetic stirrer for mixing<br />
** €133,10 https://www.labshop.nl/mini-magnetische-roerder-rotilabo-m-3/<br />
** possible source: Michiel has one<br />
* 100mL volumetric flask to make the dilution steps easier<br />
** for pre-solution A<br />
** €22,63 https://www.labshop.nl/maatkolf/?attribute_pa_volume=100-ml-ns12-21-klasse-a<br />
* water carbonator / sodastream<br />
** Sjors has this at home<br />
* gloves / safety glasses<br />
** €8,75 https://www.werkenmetmerken.nl/nl/chemisch_bestendige_werkhandschoen/p/9489<br />
** but probably already present<br />
<br />
<br />
If we don't need to buy the mass scale nor magnetic stirrer, tools come out to approximately €125.<br />
<br />
== Ingedients ==<br />
{| class="wikitable"<br />
|+<br />
!Ingredient<br />
!Source link<br />
!Quantity<br />
!Quantity necessary<br />
!Order amount<br />
!Price per piece<br />
!Price total<br />
!Makes L solution<sup>12</sup><br />
!Makes L cola<br />
!Price per L cola<br />
|-<br />
|'''Overall'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Sugar<br />
|TODO Supermarket<br />
|<br />
|Around 100g<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Carbonated water<br />
|Self-made<br />
|<br />
|Around 1L<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|'''Flavor solution A'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Food-grade 95% alcohol<br />
|TODO [https://www.topdrinks.de/navimer-alcohol-pur-glas-1ltr Topdrinks.de]<br />
|1L<br />
|1L<br />
|1<br />
|€23,50<br />
|€23,50<br />
|1L<br />
|1 kL<br />
|2.35 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Lemon oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-lemon-1-fl-oz-30-ml/928 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-lemon-oil-30-ml Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|45.8mL<br />
|2<br />
|€7,01<br />
|€14,02<br />
|6,55L<br />
|6,55 kL<br />
|0,23 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Lime oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-lime-1-fl-oz-30-ml/930 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-essential-oils-lime Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|36.5mL<br />
|2<br />
|€12,47<br />
|€24,94<br />
|8,22L<br />
|8,22 kL<br />
|0,19 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Tea tree oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-tea-tree-1-fl-oz-30-ml/37827 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-tea-tree-oil-30-ml Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|8mL<br />
|1<br />
|€9,42<br />
|€9,42<br />
|18,75L<br />
|18,75 kL<br />
|0,05 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Cassia cinnamon oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-cinnamon-cassia-1-fl-oz-30-ml/915 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-cinnamon-cassia-oil-30-ml Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|4,5mL<br />
|1<br />
|€8,04<br />
|€8,04<br />
|33,33L<br />
|33,33 kL<br />
|0,03 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Aura Cacia Nutmeg oil<br />
|[https://www.amazon.com/Aura-Cacia-Essential-Nutmeg-Fluid/dp/B0007KO2ZM/ref=sr_1_1 Amazon] (alternatives different brands [https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-nutmeg-1-fl-oz-30-ml/941 iHerb], [https://www.berivita.com/etherische-olie/nootmuskaat-olie-zuiver-puur-10ml Berivita])<br />
|30mL<br />
|2.7mL<br />
|1<br />
|$19,89<br />
|€17,22<br />
|55,56L<br />
|55,56 kL<br />
|0,03 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Orange oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-orange-1-fl-oz-30-ml/953 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-orange-oil-30-ml?sqr=orange%20oil Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|1.2mL<br />
|1<br />
|€5,53<br />
|€5,53<br />
|125L<br />
|125 kL<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Edens Garden Coriander seed oil<br />
|[https://www.edensgarden.com/products/coriander-seed Edens Garden] (alternative [https://www.amazon.com/Edens-Garden-Coriander-Undiluted-Therapeutic/dp/B0046ZUW7G/ref=sr_1_4 Amazon], different brand [https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/koriander-olie-puur-biologisch-natuurlijk-5ml/9300000188330683/ bol.com])<br />
|5mL<br />
|0.7mL<br />
|1<br />
|$14,95<br />
|€13,33<br />
|35,71L<br />
|35,71 kL<br />
|0,06 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Alpha-Fenchol<br />
|[https://www.amazon.com/CCS-alpha-fenchol-Alcohol-Fragrance-Compound/dp/B075H1TF9T/ref=sr_1_2 Amazon] (alternative [https://pellwall.com/products/fenchol Pellwall] (UK), [https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/227211376456 eBay], [https://pevgrow.com/en/fenchol-arae.html pevgrow] (€27,90 incl shipping?), [https://terpenes-uk.co.uk/products/fenchol-natural terpenes] (£32 incl shipping)<br />
|30mL<br />
|0.6mL<br />
|1<br />
|$12,99<br />
|€11,25<br />
|42L<br />
|42 kL<br />
|0,02 cents<br />
|-<br />
|'''Total flavor solution A'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|~ €120<br />
|1L<br />
|1kL<br />
|€0,03 when produced at scale<br />
€0,12 for first liter<br />
|-<br />
|'''Flavor solution B'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Durkee caramel color<br />
|[https://www.amazon.com/Durkee-Food-Color-Caramel-32-Ounce/dp/B007KZJZ8G/ref=sr_1_1 Amazon] (alternative [https://pantryful.com/products/durkee-caramel-food-color-32-oz Pantryful])<br />
|32 oz. (946 mL)<br />
|185mL<br />
|1<br />
|$17,95<br />
|€15,54<br />
|5,11L<br />
|511L<br />
|2,3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Food-grade vegetable glycerin<br />
|TODO [https://www.labshop.nl/glycerol-glycerine-995/?attribute_pa_volume=1-l Labshop]alternative: [https://www.werkenmetmerken.nl/nl/glycerine_99_5_foodgrade/p/20904 werkenmetmerken.nl] (€9 for 1L)<br />
|1L<br />
|150g (~150mL?)<br />
|1<br />
|€12,04<br />
|€12,04<br />
|6,66L<br />
|666L<br />
|2 cents<br />
|-<br />
|85% Phosphoric acid<br />
|TODO [https://www.labshop.nl/fosforzuur-85-nvp/ Labshop]<br />
|1L<br />
|43mL<br />
|1<br />
|€20,27<br />
|€20,27<br />
|23,26L<br />
|2326L<br />
|0,8 cents<br />
|-<br />
|North Mountain Wine tannin<br />
|([https://www.amazon.com/North-Mountain-Supply-WT-2oz-Tannin/dp/B0CYZ5YSXM/ref=sr_1_1 Amazon] (alternative different brand [https://brouwland.com/nl/eikenhouten-chips/195-tannine-vinoferm-tannorouge-20-g.html Brouwland])<br />
|56g<br />
|10g<br />
|1<br />
|$20,66<br />
|€17,89<br />
|2L<br />
|200L<br />
|3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Caffeine powder<br />
|TODO [https://voordeelkruiden.nl/cafeine-poeder/ Voordeelkruiden]If we want more: [https://woele.nl/product/cafeine-poeder-pharma-grade-250g/ Woele]<br />
|50g<br />
|9,65g<br />
|1<br />
|€2,60<br />
|€2,60<br />
|5,18L<br />
|518L<br />
|0,5 cents<br />
|-<br />
|5% vinegar<br />
|TODO Supermarket (Double check 5%!)<br />
|1L<br />
|10mL<br />
|1<br />
|€0,99<br />
|€0,99<br />
|100L<br />
|10kL<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Vanilla extract<br />
|TODO [https://producten.makro.nl/shop/pv/BTY-X742890/0032/0021/Nomu-Vanille-Extract-50-ml Makro.nl]<br />
|50mL<br />
|10mL<br />
|1<br />
|€15,19<br />
|€15,19<br />
|5L<br />
|500L<br />
|3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|'''Total flavor solution B'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|~ €70<br />
|2L<br />
|200 L<br />
|€0,11 when produced at scale<br />
€0,35 for first liter<br />
|}<br />
(1) The essential oils in solution A, quantities as under "Quantity necessary", together make 100mL of pre-solution. "Flavor solution A" then consists of 20 mL of pre-solution, diluted to 1L using alcohol. So for each mL of essential oil in the pre-solution, a fifth (0.2 mL) goes into a liter of the actual solution. So quantity times order amount is the amount of ingredients we have, divided by quantity necessary is the amount of 100mL pre-solution we can make with the order. We can make 5L of solution with that, so the formula is: (quantity * order amount * 5) / (quantity necessary). Since 1mL of solution A goes into a L of cola, 1L solution makes 1000L cola.<br />
<br />
(2) For solution B, the ingredients together make about 400mL of pre-solution. "Flavor solution B" then consists of those 400 mL, diluted to 1L using water. So the "quantity necessary" goes directly into 1L of "Flavor solution B". Since order amount is 1 for all of these, the formula is: quantity / (quantity necessary). Since 10mL of solution B goes into a L of cola, 1L solution makes 100L cola.<br />
<br />
== Expiry ==<br />
After the first batch I'll have a liter of solution A, which is almost fully alcohol, so I expect it not to expire at all. This bottle is good for a thousand liters of cola, which is probably enough for a lifetime.<br />
<br />
I'll also have 80 mL of pre-solution A, which I'll store separately. I also expect it not to expire, but to be sure, I could add alcohol to this as well, and label the bottle as such so I know exactly how much diluted pre-solution contains 20 mL of the original pre-solution.<br />
<br />
As for solution B, I'm not sure but I expect that will expire faster. The original ingredients probably don't expire if closed well? If I make 1L that's enough for 100 L of cola, which probably lasts a few months unless it's really popular.<br />
<br />
Knowing nothing at all about food safety I asked Claude for secondary advice. ("This is a cola syrup, isn't it?") They said the solution A mixture would remain ''safe'' indefinitely, but chemical degradation would affect aroma over the years; they advise to reduce air in the bottle, reduce repeated opening (freshening of the oxygen), reduce heat and reduce light exposure. With that, realistically expiry could be pushed well beyond 5 years. For solution B, they said microbial stability is also very good due to the phosphoric acid (1.0-1.5 pH). Again, chemical degradation is the limiting factor. Sealed, room temperature and out of light, Claude expects 12-18 months for peak flavor, and "probably safe well beyond that". It says the main thing to watch out for is sediment from the tannin, and flavor decreasing. Neither makes it unsafe. Commercial cola syrups like this one carry 6-12 month best-by dates, and it says our threshold for "still good" may be more forgiving.<br />
<br />
As for the original ingredient bottles, I should check if they are labeled with best-before dates and label them with the date I first opened them. Claude says the essential oils are most perishable; they will degrade in 6-12 months. For vanilla extract it's often commercially dated 2-4 years. All other things are either really easily purchaseable or very long-lived (5+ years).<br />
<br />
Conclusion:<br />
<br />
* Keep the bottles at room temperature (or colder), in the dark, and with little air headspace in the bottle.<br />
* For the solution A bottles, I'll mark them with their production date and "expected best before date" of 5 years.<br />
* For the solution B bottles, I'll mark them with their production date and "expected best before date" of 12 months.<br />
* For the original ingredient bottles, I'll store them the same way. I could consider making more pre-solution with alcohol for preservation.<br />
<br />
== Financial overview ==<br />
This is a hobby project, so it's OK if it costs money and isn't cost-effective. However, I wanted to get an overview for myself.<br />
<br />
Initial, one-time investment into tools is €125. The initial investments into ingredients for the first run is ~€200. With some margin, that means the first batch costs €350 and we can produce around 200 liters of cola from this. If it tastes great and is popular and people want to drink it instead of Coca-Cola, I could sell it at a cost price of €1,75 per liter.<br />
<br />
If we actually (expect to) make more than 200 liters, then for the next 200 liters I'd only need to purchase additional wine tannin. So for the first batch of 400 liters, at a cost of €350, it'd already be €0,88 per liter. So that's what the price becomes if it turns out to be quite popular. Eventually, if it's ''really'' popular it would cost €0,14 for the flavor solutions, plus some sugar and carbonated water.<br />
<br />
So far, three orders were done:<br />
<br />
* Edens Garden $14,95 (€13,33)<br />
** Edens Garden Coriander Seed essential oil<br />
* Amazon.com $86,06 (~€75)<br />
** Durkee caramel color<br />
** Alpha fenchol<br />
** Aura Cacia nutmeg oil<br />
** North Mountain wine tannin<br />
* iHerb €61,95<br />
** NOW Lemon oil<br />
** NOW Lime oil<br />
** NOW Tea tree oil<br />
** NOW Cassia cinnamon oil<br />
** NOW Orange oil<br />
* TODO: MyUS shipping from Florida to Netherlands ~€20<br />
* TODO ingredients online<br />
** Food-grade 95% alcohol €23,50<br />
** Food-grade vegetable glycerin €12,04<br />
** 85% phosphoric acid €20,27<br />
** Caffeine powder €2,60<br />
** Vanilla extract €15,19<br />
* TODO ingredients supermarket<br />
** Sugar<br />
** 5% vinegar<br />
* TODO equipment<br />
** Graduated pipettes €15,85<br />
** Graduated cylinder €14,74<br />
** Storage bottles €37,20<br />
** Syrup preparation glassware €25,23<br />
** Volumetric flask €22,63<br />
** Gloves €8,75<br />
<br />
Total paid: €150<br />
<br />
Total remaining: ~€220</div>Sjors Gielenhttps://hackerspacenijmegen.nl/index.php?title=Projects:Making_cola&diff=2974Projects:Making cola2026-03-31T22:37:21Z<p>Sjors Gielen: /* Tools */</p>
<hr />
<div>[[Bestand:Schermafbeelding 2026-03-25 om 11.02.33.png|miniatuur]]<br />
[[Bestand:Schermafbeelding 2026-03-25 om 11.02.10.png|miniatuur]]<br />
I (Sjors) recently saw this video by LabCoatz reverse engineering the Coca-Cola recipe using (among other techniques) a mass spectrometer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDkH3EbWTYc<br />
<br />
Now I'm a bit of a Coca-Cola addict, so I'm intrigued and want to reproduce it.<br />
<br />
Perhaps once we've done this we can also make [[wikipedia:Open-source_cola|other kinds of cola]], like Toyen Cola, which has its recipe on the back. We could even do a taste test!<br />
<br />
== Overview ==<br />
LabCoatz calls the end product of their recipe '''LabCola'''. One liter of LabCola is built off of four components:<br />
<br />
* around 100g sugar<br />
* 1mL of flavor solution A<br />
* 10 mL of flavor solution B<br />
* around 1 liter of carbonated water<br />
<br />
Flavor solution A is made by adding the following components together (~100mL), then taking 20 mL from that and diluting to 1L using 95% ethanol:<br />
<br />
* 45.8mL lemon oil (NOW)<br />
* 36.5mL lime oil (NOW)<br />
* 8mL tea tree oil (NOW, from Australian tea tree, Melaleuca Alternifolia)<br />
* 4.5mL cassia cinnamon oil (NOW)<br />
* 2.7mL nutmeg oil (aura cacia)<br />
* 1.2mL orange oil (unknown brand, regular sweet orange)<br />
* 0.7mL coriander seed oil (Edens Garden, coriandrum sativum)<br />
* 0.6mL fenchol (any version of alpha-fenchol should work)<br />
<br />
Flavor solution B is made by adding the following components together (~400mL), then diluting to 1L using water:<br />
<br />
* 185mL caramel color (Durkee)<br />
* 150 grams food-grade vegetable glycerin (Equate)<br />
* 43mL 85% phosphoric acid (Duda Energy)<br />
* 10 grams wine tannin (North Mountain)<br />
* 9.65 grams caffeine<br />
* 10mL 5% vinegar (any white vinegar?)<br />
* 10mL vanilla extract (or a solution containing 0.95 grams per liter of vanillin)<br />
<br />
It's important to note that this is '''not''' '''the Coca-Cola recipe''', which uses coca leaf extract. It is supposed to be quite close, though.<br />
<br />
== Tools ==<br />
<br />
* Mass scale<br />
** Max measurement is 150g, most precise measurement is 9.65g<br />
** possible source: Michiel may have one, Mats as well<br />
** possible source: €14,20 https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/precisie-weegschaal-0-01-gram-keukenweegschaal-digitaal-milligram-precisieweegschaal-pocket-weegschaal-sieraden-weegschaal/9300000031220365/<br />
** possible source: €29 https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/trendfield-precisie-weegschaal-0-001-gr-nauwkeurig-digitale-keukenweegschaal-inclusief-batterijen-zwart/9200000111011750/<br />
** possible source: €139,15 https://www.labshop.nl/schoolweegschaal-efs-500-2/<br />
* micropipette + tips<br />
** ideally an [https://www.merkala.nl/minipet-var-microliterpipet.html adjustable micropipette], but these are quite expensive (€100+)<br />
** fixed 100µL micropipette is cheaper, €25 https://www.merkala.nl/minipet-microliterpipet.html<br />
** could also get a few [https://www.kruidvat.nl/kruidvat-doseerspuit/p/2335439 doseerspuit] at Kruidvat, €2, precision should be somewhere between 0.1mL and 0.5mL<br />
** setje graduated pipettes €15,85 https://www.amazon.nl/pipetten-Graduated-Reinigingsborstel-Roerstaaf-Laboratorium/dp/B07V3VC7YZ<br />
* 50 mL graduated cilinder<br />
** €14,74 https://www.labshop.nl/maatcilinder-hoog-model-klasse-a-bruine-schaalverdeling/?attribute_pa_volume=10-ml<br />
* some storage bottles (mainly 1L)<br />
** I'll produce 100 mL of pre-solution A, then dilute that into 1L of solution A and store the rest of the 80mL separately. Solution B is 1L at a time, so I'll need 3 storage bottles.<br />
** I'm considering to produce only 10 mL of pre-solution A then dilute that into 100mL of solution A. Since the solution offgasses it requires very little air in the bottle, so a 100mL bottle would be a good idea.<br />
** https://www.labshop.nl/labfles-glas-blank-gl45-blauw-simax/<br />
** €12,40 * 3 = €37,20<br />
* heat-resistant glassware for preparing the syrup (1L)<br />
** €9,23 https://www.labshop.nl/bekerglas-laag-model/<br />
** Ø 105mm, dus dekglaasje ~€16 https://www.labshop.nl/horlogeglas-10-stuks/ maar afdekken kan misschien ook wel met folie?<br />
* magnetic stirrer for mixing<br />
** €133,10 https://www.labshop.nl/mini-magnetische-roerder-rotilabo-m-3/<br />
** possible source: Michiel has one<br />
* 100mL volumetric flask to make the dilution steps easier<br />
** for pre-solution A<br />
** €22,63 https://www.labshop.nl/maatkolf/?attribute_pa_volume=100-ml-ns12-21-klasse-a<br />
* water carbonator / sodastream<br />
** Sjors has this at home<br />
* gloves / safety glasses<br />
** €8,75 https://www.werkenmetmerken.nl/nl/chemisch_bestendige_werkhandschoen/p/9489<br />
** but probably already present<br />
<br />
<br />
If we don't need to buy the mass scale nor magnetic stirrer, tools come out to approximately €125.<br />
<br />
== Ingedients ==<br />
{| class="wikitable"<br />
|+<br />
!Ingredient<br />
!Source link<br />
!Quantity<br />
!Quantity necessary<br />
!Order amount<br />
!Price per piece<br />
!Price total<br />
!Makes L solution<sup>12</sup><br />
!Makes L cola<br />
!Price per L cola<br />
|-<br />
|'''Overall'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Sugar<br />
|TODO Supermarket<br />
|<br />
|Around 100g<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Carbonated water<br />
|Self-made<br />
|<br />
|Around 1L<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|'''Flavor solution A'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Food-grade 95% alcohol<br />
|TODO [https://www.topdrinks.de/navimer-alcohol-pur-glas-1ltr Topdrinks.de]<br />
|1L<br />
|1L<br />
|1<br />
|€23,50<br />
|€23,50<br />
|1L<br />
|1 kL<br />
|2.35 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Lemon oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-lemon-1-fl-oz-30-ml/928 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-lemon-oil-30-ml Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|45.8mL<br />
|2<br />
|€7,01<br />
|€14,02<br />
|6,55L<br />
|6,55 kL<br />
|0,23 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Lime oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-lime-1-fl-oz-30-ml/930 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-essential-oils-lime Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|36.5mL<br />
|2<br />
|€12,47<br />
|€24,94<br />
|8,22L<br />
|8,22 kL<br />
|0,19 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Tea tree oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-tea-tree-1-fl-oz-30-ml/37827 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-tea-tree-oil-30-ml Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|8mL<br />
|1<br />
|€9,42<br />
|€9,42<br />
|18,75L<br />
|18,75 kL<br />
|0,05 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Cassia cinnamon oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-cinnamon-cassia-1-fl-oz-30-ml/915 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-cinnamon-cassia-oil-30-ml Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|4,5mL<br />
|1<br />
|€8,04<br />
|€8,04<br />
|33,33L<br />
|33,33 kL<br />
|0,03 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Aura Cacia Nutmeg oil<br />
|[https://www.amazon.com/Aura-Cacia-Essential-Nutmeg-Fluid/dp/B0007KO2ZM/ref=sr_1_1 Amazon] (alternatives different brands [https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-nutmeg-1-fl-oz-30-ml/941 iHerb], [https://www.berivita.com/etherische-olie/nootmuskaat-olie-zuiver-puur-10ml Berivita])<br />
|30mL<br />
|2.7mL<br />
|1<br />
|$19,89<br />
|€17,22<br />
|55,56L<br />
|55,56 kL<br />
|0,03 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Orange oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-orange-1-fl-oz-30-ml/953 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-orange-oil-30-ml?sqr=orange%20oil Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|1.2mL<br />
|1<br />
|€5,53<br />
|€5,53<br />
|125L<br />
|125 kL<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Edens Garden Coriander seed oil<br />
|[https://www.edensgarden.com/products/coriander-seed Edens Garden] (alternative [https://www.amazon.com/Edens-Garden-Coriander-Undiluted-Therapeutic/dp/B0046ZUW7G/ref=sr_1_4 Amazon], different brand [https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/koriander-olie-puur-biologisch-natuurlijk-5ml/9300000188330683/ bol.com])<br />
|5mL<br />
|0.7mL<br />
|1<br />
|$14,95<br />
|€13,33<br />
|35,71L<br />
|35,71 kL<br />
|0,06 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Alpha-Fenchol<br />
|[https://www.amazon.com/CCS-alpha-fenchol-Alcohol-Fragrance-Compound/dp/B075H1TF9T/ref=sr_1_2 Amazon] (alternative [https://pellwall.com/products/fenchol Pellwall] (UK), [https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/227211376456 eBay], [https://pevgrow.com/en/fenchol-arae.html pevgrow] (€27,90 incl shipping?), [https://terpenes-uk.co.uk/products/fenchol-natural terpenes] (£32 incl shipping)<br />
|30mL<br />
|0.6mL<br />
|1<br />
|$12,99<br />
|€11,25<br />
|42L<br />
|42 kL<br />
|0,02 cents<br />
|-<br />
|'''Total flavor solution A'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|~ €120<br />
|1L<br />
|1kL<br />
|€0,03 when produced at scale<br />
€0,12 for first liter<br />
|-<br />
|'''Flavor solution B'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Durkee caramel color<br />
|[https://www.amazon.com/Durkee-Food-Color-Caramel-32-Ounce/dp/B007KZJZ8G/ref=sr_1_1 Amazon] (alternative [https://pantryful.com/products/durkee-caramel-food-color-32-oz Pantryful])<br />
|32 oz. (946 mL)<br />
|185mL<br />
|1<br />
|$17,95<br />
|€15,54<br />
|5,11L<br />
|511L<br />
|2,3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Food-grade vegetable glycerin<br />
|TODO [https://www.labshop.nl/glycerol-glycerine-995/?attribute_pa_volume=1-l Labshop]alternative: [https://www.werkenmetmerken.nl/nl/glycerine_99_5_foodgrade/p/20904 werkenmetmerken.nl] (€9 for 1L)<br />
|1L<br />
|150g (~150mL?)<br />
|1<br />
|€12,04<br />
|€12,04<br />
|6,66L<br />
|666L<br />
|2 cents<br />
|-<br />
|85% Phosphoric acid<br />
|TODO [https://www.labshop.nl/fosforzuur-85-nvp/ Labshop]<br />
|1L<br />
|43mL<br />
|1<br />
|€20,27<br />
|€20,27<br />
|23,26L<br />
|2326L<br />
|0,8 cents<br />
|-<br />
|North Mountain Wine tannin<br />
|([https://www.amazon.com/North-Mountain-Supply-WT-2oz-Tannin/dp/B0CYZ5YSXM/ref=sr_1_1 Amazon] (alternative different brand [https://brouwland.com/nl/eikenhouten-chips/195-tannine-vinoferm-tannorouge-20-g.html Brouwland])<br />
|56g<br />
|10g<br />
|1<br />
|$20,66<br />
|€17,89<br />
|2L<br />
|200L<br />
|3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Caffeine powder<br />
|TODO [https://voordeelkruiden.nl/cafeine-poeder/ Voordeelkruiden]If we want more: [https://woele.nl/product/cafeine-poeder-pharma-grade-250g/ Woele]<br />
|50g<br />
|9,65g<br />
|1<br />
|€2,60<br />
|€2,60<br />
|5,18L<br />
|518L<br />
|0,5 cents<br />
|-<br />
|5% vinegar<br />
|TODO Supermarket (Double check 5%!)<br />
|1L<br />
|10mL<br />
|1<br />
|€0,99<br />
|€0,99<br />
|100L<br />
|10kL<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Vanilla extract<br />
|TODO [https://producten.makro.nl/shop/pv/BTY-X742890/0032/0021/Nomu-Vanille-Extract-50-ml Makro.nl]<br />
|50mL<br />
|10mL<br />
|1<br />
|€15,19<br />
|€15,19<br />
|5L<br />
|500L<br />
|3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|'''Total flavor solution B'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|~ €70<br />
|2L<br />
|200 L<br />
|€0,11 when produced at scale<br />
€0,35 for first liter<br />
|}<br />
(1) The essential oils in solution A, quantities as under "Quantity necessary", together make 100mL of pre-solution. "Flavor solution A" then consists of 20 mL of pre-solution, diluted to 1L using alcohol. So for each mL of essential oil in the pre-solution, a fifth (0.2 mL) goes into a liter of the actual solution. So quantity times order amount is the amount of ingredients we have, divided by quantity necessary is the amount of 100mL pre-solution we can make with the order. We can make 5L of solution with that, so the formula is: (quantity * order amount * 5) / (quantity necessary). Since 1mL of solution A goes into a L of cola, 1L solution makes 1000L cola.<br />
<br />
(2) For solution B, the ingredients together make about 400mL of pre-solution. "Flavor solution B" then consists of those 400 mL, diluted to 1L using water. So the "quantity necessary" goes directly into 1L of "Flavor solution B". Since order amount is 1 for all of these, the formula is: quantity / (quantity necessary). Since 10mL of solution B goes into a L of cola, 1L solution makes 100L cola.<br />
<br />
== Expiry ==<br />
After the first batch I'll have a liter of solution A, which is almost fully alcohol, so I expect it not to expire at all. This bottle is good for a thousand liters of cola, which is probably enough for a lifetime.<br />
<br />
I'll also have 80 mL of pre-solution A, which I'll store separately. I also expect it not to expire, but to be sure, I could add alcohol to this as well, and label the bottle as such so I know exactly how much diluted pre-solution contains 20 mL of the original pre-solution.<br />
<br />
As for solution B, I'm not sure but I expect that will expire faster. The original ingredients probably don't expire if closed well? If I make 1L that's enough for 100 L of cola, which probably lasts a few months unless it's really popular.<br />
<br />
Knowing nothing at all about food safety I asked Claude for secondary advice. ("This is a cola syrup, isn't it?") They said the solution A mixture would remain ''safe'' indefinitely, but chemical degradation would affect aroma over the years; they advise to reduce air in the bottle, reduce repeated opening (freshening of the oxygen), reduce heat and reduce light exposure. With that, realistically expiry could be pushed well beyond 5 years. For solution B, they said microbial stability is also very good due to the phosphoric acid (1.0-1.5 pH). Again, chemical degradation is the limiting factor. Sealed, room temperature and out of light, Claude expects 12-18 months for peak flavor, and "probably safe well beyond that". It says the main thing to watch out for is sediment from the tannin, and flavor decreasing. Neither makes it unsafe. Commercial cola syrups like this one carry 6-12 month best-by dates, and it says our threshold for "still good" may be more forgiving.<br />
<br />
As for the original ingredient bottles, I should check if they are labeled with best-before dates and label them with the date I first opened them. Claude says the essential oils are most perishable; they will degrade in 6-12 months. For vanilla extract it's often commercially dated 2-4 years. All other things are either really easily purchaseable or very long-lived (5+ years).<br />
<br />
Conclusion:<br />
<br />
* Keep the bottles at room temperature (or colder), in the dark, and with little air headspace in the bottle.<br />
* For the solution A bottles, I'll mark them with their production date and "expected best before date" of 5 years.<br />
* For the solution B bottles, I'll mark them with their production date and "expected best before date" of 12 months.<br />
* For the original ingredient bottles, I'll store them the same way. I could consider making more pre-solution with alcohol for preservation.<br />
<br />
== Financial overview ==<br />
This is a hobby project, so it's OK if it costs money and isn't cost-effective. However, I wanted to get an overview for myself.<br />
<br />
Initial, one-time investment into tools is €125. The initial investments into ingredients for the first run is ~€200. With some margin, that means the first batch costs €350 and we can produce around 200 liters of cola from this. If it tastes great and is popular and people want to drink it instead of Coca-Cola, I could sell it at a cost price of €1,75 per liter.<br />
<br />
If we actually (expect to) make more than 200 liters, then for the next 200 liters I'd only need to purchase additional wine tannin. So for the first batch of 400 liters, at a cost of €350, it'd already be €0,88 per liter. So that's what the price becomes if it turns out to be quite popular. Eventually, if it's ''really'' popular it would cost €0,14 for the flavor solutions, plus some sugar and carbonated water.</div>Sjors Gielenhttps://hackerspacenijmegen.nl/index.php?title=Projects:Making_cola&diff=2973Projects:Making cola2026-03-31T22:33:47Z<p>Sjors Gielen: </p>
<hr />
<div>[[Bestand:Schermafbeelding 2026-03-25 om 11.02.33.png|miniatuur]]<br />
[[Bestand:Schermafbeelding 2026-03-25 om 11.02.10.png|miniatuur]]<br />
I (Sjors) recently saw this video by LabCoatz reverse engineering the Coca-Cola recipe using (among other techniques) a mass spectrometer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDkH3EbWTYc<br />
<br />
Now I'm a bit of a Coca-Cola addict, so I'm intrigued and want to reproduce it.<br />
<br />
Perhaps once we've done this we can also make [[wikipedia:Open-source_cola|other kinds of cola]], like Toyen Cola, which has its recipe on the back. We could even do a taste test!<br />
<br />
== Overview ==<br />
LabCoatz calls the end product of their recipe '''LabCola'''. One liter of LabCola is built off of four components:<br />
<br />
* around 100g sugar<br />
* 1mL of flavor solution A<br />
* 10 mL of flavor solution B<br />
* around 1 liter of carbonated water<br />
<br />
Flavor solution A is made by adding the following components together (~100mL), then taking 20 mL from that and diluting to 1L using 95% ethanol:<br />
<br />
* 45.8mL lemon oil (NOW)<br />
* 36.5mL lime oil (NOW)<br />
* 8mL tea tree oil (NOW, from Australian tea tree, Melaleuca Alternifolia)<br />
* 4.5mL cassia cinnamon oil (NOW)<br />
* 2.7mL nutmeg oil (aura cacia)<br />
* 1.2mL orange oil (unknown brand, regular sweet orange)<br />
* 0.7mL coriander seed oil (Edens Garden, coriandrum sativum)<br />
* 0.6mL fenchol (any version of alpha-fenchol should work)<br />
<br />
Flavor solution B is made by adding the following components together (~400mL), then diluting to 1L using water:<br />
<br />
* 185mL caramel color (Durkee)<br />
* 150 grams food-grade vegetable glycerin (Equate)<br />
* 43mL 85% phosphoric acid (Duda Energy)<br />
* 10 grams wine tannin (North Mountain)<br />
* 9.65 grams caffeine<br />
* 10mL 5% vinegar (any white vinegar?)<br />
* 10mL vanilla extract (or a solution containing 0.95 grams per liter of vanillin)<br />
<br />
It's important to note that this is '''not''' '''the Coca-Cola recipe''', which uses coca leaf extract. It is supposed to be quite close, though.<br />
<br />
== Tools ==<br />
<br />
* Mass scale<br />
** Max measurement is 150g, most precise measurement is 9.65g<br />
** possible source: Michiel may have one, Mats as well<br />
** possible source: €14,20 https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/precisie-weegschaal-0-01-gram-keukenweegschaal-digitaal-milligram-precisieweegschaal-pocket-weegschaal-sieraden-weegschaal/9300000031220365/<br />
** possible source: €29 https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/trendfield-precisie-weegschaal-0-001-gr-nauwkeurig-digitale-keukenweegschaal-inclusief-batterijen-zwart/9200000111011750/<br />
** possible source: €139,15 https://www.labshop.nl/schoolweegschaal-efs-500-2/<br />
* micropipette + tips<br />
** ideally an [https://www.merkala.nl/minipet-var-microliterpipet.html adjustable micropipette], but these are quite expensive (€100+)<br />
** fixed 100µL micropipette is cheaper, €25 https://www.merkala.nl/minipet-microliterpipet.html<br />
** could also get a few [https://www.kruidvat.nl/kruidvat-doseerspuit/p/2335439 doseerspuit] at Kruidvat, €2, precision should be somewhere between 0.1mL and 0.5mL<br />
** setje graduated pipettes €15,85 https://www.amazon.nl/pipetten-Graduated-Reinigingsborstel-Roerstaaf-Laboratorium/dp/B07V3VC7YZ<br />
* 50 mL graduated cilinder<br />
** €14,74 https://www.labshop.nl/maatcilinder-hoog-model-klasse-a-bruine-schaalverdeling/?attribute_pa_volume=10-ml<br />
* some 1L storage bottles<br />
** I'll produce 100 mL of pre-solution A, then dilute that into 1L of solution A and store the rest of the 80mL separately. Solution B is 1L at a time, so I'll need 3 storage bottles.<br />
** https://www.labshop.nl/labfles-glas-blank-gl45-blauw-simax/<br />
** €12,40 * 3 = €37,20<br />
* heat-resistant glassware for preparing the syrup (1L)<br />
** €9,23 https://www.labshop.nl/bekerglas-laag-model/<br />
** Ø 105mm, dus dekglaasje ~€16 https://www.labshop.nl/horlogeglas-10-stuks/ maar afdekken kan misschien ook wel met folie?<br />
* magnetic stirrer for mixing<br />
** €133,10 https://www.labshop.nl/mini-magnetische-roerder-rotilabo-m-3/<br />
** possible source: Michiel has one<br />
* 100mL volumetric flask to make the dilution steps easier<br />
** for pre-solution A<br />
** €22,63 https://www.labshop.nl/maatkolf/?attribute_pa_volume=100-ml-ns12-21-klasse-a<br />
* water carbonator / sodastream<br />
** Sjors has this at home<br />
* gloves / safety glasses<br />
** €8,75 https://www.werkenmetmerken.nl/nl/chemisch_bestendige_werkhandschoen/p/9489<br />
** but probably already present<br />
<br />
<br />
If we don't need to buy the mass scale nor magnetic stirrer, tools come out to approximately €125.<br />
<br />
== Ingedients ==<br />
{| class="wikitable"<br />
|+<br />
!Ingredient<br />
!Source link<br />
!Quantity<br />
!Quantity necessary<br />
!Order amount<br />
!Price per piece<br />
!Price total<br />
!Makes L solution<sup>12</sup><br />
!Makes L cola<br />
!Price per L cola<br />
|-<br />
|'''Overall'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Sugar<br />
|TODO Supermarket<br />
|<br />
|Around 100g<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Carbonated water<br />
|Self-made<br />
|<br />
|Around 1L<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|'''Flavor solution A'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Food-grade 95% alcohol<br />
|TODO [https://www.topdrinks.de/navimer-alcohol-pur-glas-1ltr Topdrinks.de]<br />
|1L<br />
|1L<br />
|1<br />
|€23,50<br />
|€23,50<br />
|1L<br />
|1 kL<br />
|2.35 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Lemon oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-lemon-1-fl-oz-30-ml/928 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-lemon-oil-30-ml Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|45.8mL<br />
|2<br />
|€7,01<br />
|€14,02<br />
|6,55L<br />
|6,55 kL<br />
|0,23 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Lime oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-lime-1-fl-oz-30-ml/930 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-essential-oils-lime Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|36.5mL<br />
|2<br />
|€12,47<br />
|€24,94<br />
|8,22L<br />
|8,22 kL<br />
|0,19 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Tea tree oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-tea-tree-1-fl-oz-30-ml/37827 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-tea-tree-oil-30-ml Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|8mL<br />
|1<br />
|€9,42<br />
|€9,42<br />
|18,75L<br />
|18,75 kL<br />
|0,05 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Cassia cinnamon oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-cinnamon-cassia-1-fl-oz-30-ml/915 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-cinnamon-cassia-oil-30-ml Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|4,5mL<br />
|1<br />
|€8,04<br />
|€8,04<br />
|33,33L<br />
|33,33 kL<br />
|0,03 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Aura Cacia Nutmeg oil<br />
|[https://www.amazon.com/Aura-Cacia-Essential-Nutmeg-Fluid/dp/B0007KO2ZM/ref=sr_1_1 Amazon] (alternatives different brands [https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-nutmeg-1-fl-oz-30-ml/941 iHerb], [https://www.berivita.com/etherische-olie/nootmuskaat-olie-zuiver-puur-10ml Berivita])<br />
|30mL<br />
|2.7mL<br />
|1<br />
|$19,89<br />
|€17,22<br />
|55,56L<br />
|55,56 kL<br />
|0,03 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Orange oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-orange-1-fl-oz-30-ml/953 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-orange-oil-30-ml?sqr=orange%20oil Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|1.2mL<br />
|1<br />
|€5,53<br />
|€5,53<br />
|125L<br />
|125 kL<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Edens Garden Coriander seed oil<br />
|[https://www.edensgarden.com/products/coriander-seed Edens Garden] (alternative [https://www.amazon.com/Edens-Garden-Coriander-Undiluted-Therapeutic/dp/B0046ZUW7G/ref=sr_1_4 Amazon], different brand [https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/koriander-olie-puur-biologisch-natuurlijk-5ml/9300000188330683/ bol.com])<br />
|5mL<br />
|0.7mL<br />
|1<br />
|$14,95<br />
|€13,33<br />
|35,71L<br />
|35,71 kL<br />
|0,06 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Alpha-Fenchol<br />
|[https://www.amazon.com/CCS-alpha-fenchol-Alcohol-Fragrance-Compound/dp/B075H1TF9T/ref=sr_1_2 Amazon] (alternative [https://pellwall.com/products/fenchol Pellwall] (UK), [https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/227211376456 eBay], [https://pevgrow.com/en/fenchol-arae.html pevgrow] (€27,90 incl shipping?), [https://terpenes-uk.co.uk/products/fenchol-natural terpenes] (£32 incl shipping)<br />
|30mL<br />
|0.6mL<br />
|1<br />
|$12,99<br />
|€11,25<br />
|42L<br />
|42 kL<br />
|0,02 cents<br />
|-<br />
|'''Total flavor solution A'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|~ €120<br />
|1L<br />
|1kL<br />
|€0,03 when produced at scale<br />
€0,12 for first liter<br />
|-<br />
|'''Flavor solution B'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Durkee caramel color<br />
|[https://www.amazon.com/Durkee-Food-Color-Caramel-32-Ounce/dp/B007KZJZ8G/ref=sr_1_1 Amazon] (alternative [https://pantryful.com/products/durkee-caramel-food-color-32-oz Pantryful])<br />
|32 oz. (946 mL)<br />
|185mL<br />
|1<br />
|$17,95<br />
|€15,54<br />
|5,11L<br />
|511L<br />
|2,3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Food-grade vegetable glycerin<br />
|TODO [https://www.labshop.nl/glycerol-glycerine-995/?attribute_pa_volume=1-l Labshop]alternative: [https://www.werkenmetmerken.nl/nl/glycerine_99_5_foodgrade/p/20904 werkenmetmerken.nl] (€9 for 1L)<br />
|1L<br />
|150g (~150mL?)<br />
|1<br />
|€12,04<br />
|€12,04<br />
|6,66L<br />
|666L<br />
|2 cents<br />
|-<br />
|85% Phosphoric acid<br />
|TODO [https://www.labshop.nl/fosforzuur-85-nvp/ Labshop]<br />
|1L<br />
|43mL<br />
|1<br />
|€20,27<br />
|€20,27<br />
|23,26L<br />
|2326L<br />
|0,8 cents<br />
|-<br />
|North Mountain Wine tannin<br />
|([https://www.amazon.com/North-Mountain-Supply-WT-2oz-Tannin/dp/B0CYZ5YSXM/ref=sr_1_1 Amazon] (alternative different brand [https://brouwland.com/nl/eikenhouten-chips/195-tannine-vinoferm-tannorouge-20-g.html Brouwland])<br />
|56g<br />
|10g<br />
|1<br />
|$20,66<br />
|€17,89<br />
|2L<br />
|200L<br />
|3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Caffeine powder<br />
|TODO [https://voordeelkruiden.nl/cafeine-poeder/ Voordeelkruiden]If we want more: [https://woele.nl/product/cafeine-poeder-pharma-grade-250g/ Woele]<br />
|50g<br />
|9,65g<br />
|1<br />
|€2,60<br />
|€2,60<br />
|5,18L<br />
|518L<br />
|0,5 cents<br />
|-<br />
|5% vinegar<br />
|TODO Supermarket (Double check 5%!)<br />
|1L<br />
|10mL<br />
|1<br />
|€0,99<br />
|€0,99<br />
|100L<br />
|10kL<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Vanilla extract<br />
|TODO [https://producten.makro.nl/shop/pv/BTY-X742890/0032/0021/Nomu-Vanille-Extract-50-ml Makro.nl]<br />
|50mL<br />
|10mL<br />
|1<br />
|€15,19<br />
|€15,19<br />
|5L<br />
|500L<br />
|3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|'''Total flavor solution B'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|~ €70<br />
|2L<br />
|200 L<br />
|€0,11 when produced at scale<br />
€0,35 for first liter<br />
|}<br />
(1) The essential oils in solution A, quantities as under "Quantity necessary", together make 100mL of pre-solution. "Flavor solution A" then consists of 20 mL of pre-solution, diluted to 1L using alcohol. So for each mL of essential oil in the pre-solution, a fifth (0.2 mL) goes into a liter of the actual solution. So quantity times order amount is the amount of ingredients we have, divided by quantity necessary is the amount of 100mL pre-solution we can make with the order. We can make 5L of solution with that, so the formula is: (quantity * order amount * 5) / (quantity necessary). Since 1mL of solution A goes into a L of cola, 1L solution makes 1000L cola.<br />
<br />
(2) For solution B, the ingredients together make about 400mL of pre-solution. "Flavor solution B" then consists of those 400 mL, diluted to 1L using water. So the "quantity necessary" goes directly into 1L of "Flavor solution B". Since order amount is 1 for all of these, the formula is: quantity / (quantity necessary). Since 10mL of solution B goes into a L of cola, 1L solution makes 100L cola.<br />
<br />
== Expiry ==<br />
After the first batch I'll have a liter of solution A, which is almost fully alcohol, so I expect it not to expire at all. This bottle is good for a thousand liters of cola, which is probably enough for a lifetime.<br />
<br />
I'll also have 80 mL of pre-solution A, which I'll store separately. I also expect it not to expire, but to be sure, I could add alcohol to this as well, and label the bottle as such so I know exactly how much diluted pre-solution contains 20 mL of the original pre-solution.<br />
<br />
As for solution B, I'm not sure but I expect that will expire faster. The original ingredients probably don't expire if closed well? If I make 1L that's enough for 100 L of cola, which probably lasts a few months unless it's really popular.<br />
<br />
Knowing nothing at all about food safety I asked Claude for secondary advice. ("This is a cola syrup, isn't it?") They said the solution A mixture would remain ''safe'' indefinitely, but chemical degradation would affect aroma over the years; they advise to reduce air in the bottle, reduce repeated opening (freshening of the oxygen), reduce heat and reduce light exposure. With that, realistically expiry could be pushed well beyond 5 years. For solution B, they said microbial stability is also very good due to the phosphoric acid (1.0-1.5 pH). Again, chemical degradation is the limiting factor. Sealed, room temperature and out of light, Claude expects 12-18 months for peak flavor, and "probably safe well beyond that". It says the main thing to watch out for is sediment from the tannin, and flavor decreasing. Neither makes it unsafe. Commercial cola syrups like this one carry 6-12 month best-by dates, and it says our threshold for "still good" may be more forgiving.<br />
<br />
As for the original ingredient bottles, I should check if they are labeled with best-before dates and label them with the date I first opened them. Claude says the essential oils are most perishable; they will degrade in 6-12 months. For vanilla extract it's often commercially dated 2-4 years. All other things are either really easily purchaseable or very long-lived (5+ years).<br />
<br />
Conclusion:<br />
<br />
* Keep the bottles at room temperature (or colder), in the dark, and with little air headspace in the bottle.<br />
* For the solution A bottles, I'll mark them with their production date and "expected best before date" of 5 years.<br />
* For the solution B bottles, I'll mark them with their production date and "expected best before date" of 12 months.<br />
* For the original ingredient bottles, I'll store them the same way. I could consider making more pre-solution with alcohol for preservation.<br />
<br />
== Financial overview ==<br />
This is a hobby project, so it's OK if it costs money and isn't cost-effective. However, I wanted to get an overview for myself.<br />
<br />
Initial, one-time investment into tools is €125. The initial investments into ingredients for the first run is ~€200. With some margin, that means the first batch costs €350 and we can produce around 200 liters of cola from this. If it tastes great and is popular and people want to drink it instead of Coca-Cola, I could sell it at a cost price of €1,75 per liter.<br />
<br />
If we actually (expect to) make more than 200 liters, then for the next 200 liters I'd only need to purchase additional wine tannin. So for the first batch of 400 liters, at a cost of €350, it'd already be €0,88 per liter. So that's what the price becomes if it turns out to be quite popular. Eventually, if it's ''really'' popular it would cost €0,14 for the flavor solutions, plus some sugar and carbonated water.</div>Sjors Gielenhttps://hackerspacenijmegen.nl/index.php?title=Projects:Making_cola&diff=2972Projects:Making cola2026-03-31T22:25:38Z<p>Sjors Gielen: Update after orders</p>
<hr />
<div>[[Bestand:Schermafbeelding 2026-03-25 om 11.02.33.png|miniatuur]]<br />
[[Bestand:Schermafbeelding 2026-03-25 om 11.02.10.png|miniatuur]]<br />
I (Sjors) recently saw this video by LabCoatz reverse engineering the Coca-Cola recipe using (among other techniques) a mass spectrometer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDkH3EbWTYc<br />
<br />
Now I'm a bit of a Coca-Cola addict, so I'm intrigued and want to reproduce it.<br />
<br />
Perhaps once we've done this we can also make [[wikipedia:Open-source_cola|other kinds of cola]], like Toyen Cola, which has its recipe on the back. We could even do a taste test!<br />
<br />
== Overview ==<br />
LabCoatz calls the end product of their recipe '''LabCola'''. One liter of LabCola is built off of four components:<br />
<br />
* around 100g sugar<br />
* 1mL of flavor solution A<br />
* 10 mL of flavor solution B<br />
* around 1 liter of carbonated water<br />
<br />
Flavor solution A is made by adding the following components together (~100mL), then taking 20 mL from that and diluting to 1L using 95% ethanol:<br />
<br />
* 45.8mL lemon oil (NOW)<br />
* 36.5mL lime oil (NOW)<br />
* 8mL tea tree oil (NOW, from Australian tea tree, Melaleuca Alternifolia)<br />
* 4.5mL cassia cinnamon oil (NOW)<br />
* 2.7mL nutmeg oil (aura cacia)<br />
* 1.2mL orange oil (unknown brand, regular sweet orange)<br />
* 0.7mL coriander seed oil (Edens Garden, coriandrum sativum)<br />
* 0.6mL fenchol (any version of alpha-fenchol should work)<br />
<br />
Flavor solution B is made by adding the following components together (~400mL), then diluting to 1L using water:<br />
<br />
* 185mL caramel color (Durkee)<br />
* 150 grams food-grade vegetable glycerin (Equate)<br />
* 43mL 85% phosphoric acid (Duda Energy)<br />
* 10 grams wine tannin (North Mountain)<br />
* 9.65 grams caffeine<br />
* 10mL 5% vinegar (any white vinegar?)<br />
* 10mL vanilla extract (or a solution containing 0.95 grams per liter of vanillin)<br />
<br />
It's important to note that this is '''not''' '''the Coca-Cola recipe''', which uses coca leaf extract. It is supposed to be quite close, though.<br />
<br />
== Tools ==<br />
<br />
* Mass scale<br />
** Max measurement is 150g, most precise measurement is 9.65g<br />
** possible source: Michiel may have one, Mats as well<br />
** possible source: €14,20 https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/precisie-weegschaal-0-01-gram-keukenweegschaal-digitaal-milligram-precisieweegschaal-pocket-weegschaal-sieraden-weegschaal/9300000031220365/<br />
** possible source: €29 https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/trendfield-precisie-weegschaal-0-001-gr-nauwkeurig-digitale-keukenweegschaal-inclusief-batterijen-zwart/9200000111011750/<br />
** possible source: €139,15 https://www.labshop.nl/schoolweegschaal-efs-500-2/<br />
* micropipette + tips<br />
** ideally an [https://www.merkala.nl/minipet-var-microliterpipet.html adjustable micropipette], but these are quite expensive (€100+)<br />
** fixed 100µL micropipette is cheaper, €25 https://www.merkala.nl/minipet-microliterpipet.html<br />
** could also get a few [https://www.kruidvat.nl/kruidvat-doseerspuit/p/2335439 doseerspuit] at Kruidvat, €2, precision should be somewhere between 0.1mL and 0.5mL<br />
** setje graduated pipettes €15,85 https://www.amazon.nl/pipetten-Graduated-Reinigingsborstel-Roerstaaf-Laboratorium/dp/B07V3VC7YZ<br />
* 50 mL graduated cilinder<br />
** €14,74 https://www.labshop.nl/maatcilinder-hoog-model-klasse-a-bruine-schaalverdeling/?attribute_pa_volume=10-ml<br />
* some 1L storage bottles<br />
** I'll produce 100 mL of pre-solution A, then dilute that into 1L of solution A and store the rest of the 80mL separately. Solution B is 1L at a time, so I'll need 3 storage bottles.<br />
** https://www.labshop.nl/labfles-glas-blank-gl45-blauw-simax/<br />
** €12,40 * 3 = €37,20<br />
* heat-resistant glassware for preparing the syrup (1L)<br />
** €9,23 https://www.labshop.nl/bekerglas-laag-model/<br />
** Ø 105mm, dus dekglaasje ~€16 https://www.labshop.nl/horlogeglas-10-stuks/ maar afdekken kan misschien ook wel met folie?<br />
* magnetic stirrer for mixing<br />
** €133,10 https://www.labshop.nl/mini-magnetische-roerder-rotilabo-m-3/<br />
** possible source: Michiel has one<br />
* 100mL volumetric flask to make the dilution steps easier<br />
** for pre-solution A<br />
** €22,63 https://www.labshop.nl/maatkolf/?attribute_pa_volume=100-ml-ns12-21-klasse-a<br />
* water carbonator / sodastream<br />
** Sjors has this at home<br />
* gloves / safety glasses<br />
** €8,75 https://www.werkenmetmerken.nl/nl/chemisch_bestendige_werkhandschoen/p/9489<br />
** but probably already present<br />
<br />
<br />
If we don't need to buy the mass scale nor magnetic stirrer, tools come out to approximately €125.<br />
<br />
== Ingedients ==<br />
{| class="wikitable"<br />
|+<br />
!Ingredient<br />
!Source link<br />
!Quantity<br />
!Quantity necessary<br />
!Order amount<br />
!Price per piece<br />
!Price total<br />
!Makes L solution<sup>12</sup><br />
!Makes L cola<br />
!Price per L cola<br />
|-<br />
|'''Overall'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Sugar<br />
|Supermarket<br />
|<br />
|Around 100g<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Carbonated water<br />
|Self-made<br />
|<br />
|Around 1L<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|'''Flavor solution A'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Food-grade 95% alcohol<br />
|[https://www.topdrinks.de/navimer-alcohol-pur-glas-1ltr Topdrinks.de]<br />
|1L<br />
|1L<br />
|1<br />
|€23,50<br />
|€23,50<br />
|1L<br />
|1 kL<br />
|2.35 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Lemon oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-lemon-1-fl-oz-30-ml/928 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-lemon-oil-30-ml Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|45.8mL<br />
|2<br />
|€7,01<br />
|€14,02<br />
|6,55L<br />
|6,55 kL<br />
|0,23 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Lime oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-lime-1-fl-oz-30-ml/930 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-essential-oils-lime Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|36.5mL<br />
|2<br />
|€12,47<br />
|€24,94<br />
|8,22L<br />
|8,22 kL<br />
|0,19 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Tea tree oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-tea-tree-1-fl-oz-30-ml/37827 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-tea-tree-oil-30-ml Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|8mL<br />
|1<br />
|€9,42<br />
|€9,42<br />
|18,75L<br />
|18,75 kL<br />
|0,05 cents<br />
|-<br />
|NOW Cassia cinnamon oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-cinnamon-cassia-1-fl-oz-30-ml/915 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-cinnamon-cassia-oil-30-ml Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|4,5mL<br />
|1<br />
|€8,04<br />
|€8,04<br />
|33,33L<br />
|33,33 kL<br />
|0,03 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Aura Cacia Nutmeg oil<br />
|[https://www.amazon.com/Aura-Cacia-Essential-Nutmeg-Fluid/dp/B0007KO2ZM/ref=sr_1_1 Amazon] (alternatives different brands [https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-nutmeg-1-fl-oz-30-ml/941 iHerb], [https://www.berivita.com/etherische-olie/nootmuskaat-olie-zuiver-puur-10ml Berivita])<br />
|30mL<br />
|2.7mL<br />
|1<br />
|$19,89<br />
|€17,22<br />
|55,56L<br />
|55,56 kL<br />
|0,03 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Orange oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-orange-1-fl-oz-30-ml/953 iHerb] (alternative [https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-orange-oil-30-ml?sqr=orange%20oil Bodystore])<br />
|30mL<br />
|1.2mL<br />
|1<br />
|€5,53<br />
|€5,53<br />
|125L<br />
|125 kL<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Edens Garden Coriander seed oil<br />
|[https://www.edensgarden.com/products/coriander-seed Edens Garden] (alternative [https://www.amazon.com/Edens-Garden-Coriander-Undiluted-Therapeutic/dp/B0046ZUW7G/ref=sr_1_4 Amazon], different brand [https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/koriander-olie-puur-biologisch-natuurlijk-5ml/9300000188330683/ bol.com])<br />
|5mL<br />
|0.7mL<br />
|1<br />
|$14,95<br />
|€13,33<br />
|35,71L<br />
|35,71 kL<br />
|0,06 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Alpha-Fenchol<br />
|[https://www.amazon.com/CCS-alpha-fenchol-Alcohol-Fragrance-Compound/dp/B075H1TF9T/ref=sr_1_2 Amazon] (alternative [https://pellwall.com/products/fenchol Pellwall] (UK), [https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/227211376456 eBay], [https://pevgrow.com/en/fenchol-arae.html pevgrow] (€27,90 incl shipping?), [https://terpenes-uk.co.uk/products/fenchol-natural terpenes] (£32 incl shipping)<br />
|30mL<br />
|0.6mL<br />
|1<br />
|$12,99<br />
|€11,25<br />
|42L<br />
|42 kL<br />
|0,02 cents<br />
|-<br />
|'''Total flavor solution A'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|~ €120<br />
|1L<br />
|1kL<br />
|€0,03 when produced at scale<br />
€0,12 for first liter<br />
|-<br />
|'''Flavor solution B'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Durkee caramel color<br />
|[https://pantryful.com/products/durkee-caramel-food-color-32-oz Pantryful]<br />
|32 oz. (946 mL)<br />
|185mL<br />
|1<br />
|$14 + shipping<br />
|~€12?<br />
|5,11L<br />
|511L<br />
|2,3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Food-grade vegetable glycerin<br />
|[https://www.labshop.nl/glycerol-glycerine-995/?attribute_pa_volume=1-l Labshop]alternative: [https://www.werkenmetmerken.nl/nl/glycerine_99_5_foodgrade/p/20904 werkenmetmerken.nl] (€9 for 1L)<br />
|1L<br />
|150g (~150mL?)<br />
|1<br />
|€12,04<br />
|€12,04<br />
|6,66L<br />
|666L<br />
|2 cents<br />
|-<br />
|85% Phosphoric acid<br />
|[https://www.labshop.nl/fosforzuur-85-nvp/ Labshop]<br />
|1L<br />
|43mL<br />
|1<br />
|€20,27<br />
|€20,27<br />
|23,26L<br />
|2326L<br />
|0,8 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Wine tannin<br />
|[https://brouwland.com/nl/eikenhouten-chips/195-tannine-vinoferm-tannorouge-20-g.html Brouwland]<br />
|20g<br />
|10g<br />
|1<br />
|€5,99<br />
|€5,99<br />
|2L<br />
|200L<br />
|3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Caffeine powder<br />
|[https://voordeelkruiden.nl/cafeine-poeder/ Voordeelkruiden]If we want more: [https://woele.nl/product/cafeine-poeder-pharma-grade-250g/ Woele]<br />
|50g<br />
|9,65g<br />
|1<br />
|€2,60<br />
|€2,60<br />
|5,18L<br />
|518L<br />
|0,5 cents<br />
|-<br />
|5% vinegar<br />
|Supermarket<br />
(Double check 5%!)<br />
|1L<br />
|10mL<br />
|1<br />
|€0,99<br />
|€0,99<br />
|100L<br />
|10kL<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Vanilla extract<br />
|[https://producten.makro.nl/shop/pv/BTY-X742890/0032/0021/Nomu-Vanille-Extract-50-ml Makro.nl]<br />
|50mL<br />
|10mL<br />
|1<br />
|€15,19<br />
|€15,19<br />
|5L<br />
|500L<br />
|3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|'''Total flavor solution B'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|~ €70<br />
|2L<br />
|200 L<br />
|€0,11 when produced at scale<br />
€0,35 for first liter<br />
|}<br />
(1) The essential oils in solution A, quantities as under "Quantity necessary", together make 100mL of pre-solution. "Flavor solution A" then consists of 20 mL of pre-solution, diluted to 1L using alcohol. So for each mL of essential oil in the pre-solution, a fifth (0.2 mL) goes into a liter of the actual solution. So quantity times order amount is the amount of ingredients we have, divided by quantity necessary is the amount of 100mL pre-solution we can make with the order. We can make 5L of solution with that, so the formula is: (quantity * order amount * 5) / (quantity necessary). Since 1mL of solution A goes into a L of cola, 1L solution makes 1000L cola.<br />
<br />
(2) For solution B, the ingredients together make about 400mL of pre-solution. "Flavor solution B" then consists of those 400 mL, diluted to 1L using water. So the "quantity necessary" goes directly into 1L of "Flavor solution B". Since order amount is 1 for all of these, the formula is: quantity / (quantity necessary). Since 10mL of solution B goes into a L of cola, 1L solution makes 100L cola.<br />
<br />
== Expiry ==<br />
After the first batch I'll have a liter of solution A, which is almost fully alcohol, so I expect it not to expire at all. This bottle is good for a thousand liters of cola, which is probably enough for a lifetime.<br />
<br />
I'll also have 80 mL of pre-solution A, which I'll store separately. I also expect it not to expire, but to be sure, I could add alcohol to this as well, and label the bottle as such so I know exactly how much diluted pre-solution contains 20 mL of the original pre-solution.<br />
<br />
As for solution B, I'm not sure but I expect that will expire faster. The original ingredients probably don't expire if closed well? If I make 1L that's enough for 100 L of cola, which probably lasts a few months unless it's really popular.<br />
<br />
Knowing nothing at all about food safety I asked Claude for secondary advice. ("This is a cola syrup, isn't it?") They said the solution A mixture would remain ''safe'' indefinitely, but chemical degradation would affect aroma over the years; they advise to reduce air in the bottle, reduce repeated opening (freshening of the oxygen), reduce heat and reduce light exposure. With that, realistically expiry could be pushed well beyond 5 years. For solution B, they said microbial stability is also very good due to the phosphoric acid (1.0-1.5 pH). Again, chemical degradation is the limiting factor. Sealed, room temperature and out of light, Claude expects 12-18 months for peak flavor, and "probably safe well beyond that". It says the main thing to watch out for is sediment from the tannin, and flavor decreasing. Neither makes it unsafe. Commercial cola syrups like this one carry 6-12 month best-by dates, and it says our threshold for "still good" may be more forgiving.<br />
<br />
As for the original ingredient bottles, I should check if they are labeled with best-before dates and label them with the date I first opened them. Claude says the essential oils are most perishable; they will degrade in 6-12 months. For vanilla extract it's often commercially dated 2-4 years. All other things are either really easily purchaseable or very long-lived (5+ years).<br />
<br />
Conclusion:<br />
<br />
* Keep the bottles at room temperature (or colder), in the dark, and with little air headspace in the bottle.<br />
* For the solution A bottles, I'll mark them with their production date and "expected best before date" of 5 years.<br />
* For the solution B bottles, I'll mark them with their production date and "expected best before date" of 12 months.<br />
* For the original ingredient bottles, I'll store them the same way. I could consider making more pre-solution with alcohol for preservation.<br />
<br />
== Financial overview ==<br />
This is a hobby project, so it's OK if it costs money and isn't cost-effective. However, I wanted to get an overview for myself.<br />
<br />
Initial, one-time investment into tools is €125. The initial investments into ingredients for the first run is ~€200. With some margin, that means the first batch costs €350 and we can produce around 200 liters of cola from this. If it tastes great and is popular and people want to drink it instead of Coca-Cola, I could sell it at a cost price of €1,75 per liter.<br />
<br />
If we actually (expect to) make more than 200 liters, then for the next 200 liters I'd only need to purchase additional wine tannin. So for the first batch of 400 liters, at a cost of €350, it'd already be €0,88 per liter. So that's what the price becomes if it turns out to be quite popular. Eventually, if it's ''really'' popular it would cost €0,14 for the flavor solutions, plus some sugar and carbonated water.</div>Sjors Gielenhttps://hackerspacenijmegen.nl/index.php?title=Projects:Making_cola&diff=2971Projects:Making cola2026-03-31T20:13:43Z<p>Sjors Gielen: </p>
<hr />
<div>[[Bestand:Schermafbeelding 2026-03-25 om 11.02.33.png|miniatuur]]<br />
[[Bestand:Schermafbeelding 2026-03-25 om 11.02.10.png|miniatuur]]<br />
I (Sjors) recently saw this video by LabCoatz reverse engineering the Coca-Cola recipe using (among other techniques) a mass spectrometer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDkH3EbWTYc<br />
<br />
Now I'm a bit of a Coca-Cola addict, so I'm intrigued and want to reproduce it.<br />
<br />
Perhaps once we've done this we can also make [[wikipedia:Open-source_cola|other kinds of cola]], like Toyen Cola, which has its recipe on the back. We could even do a taste test!<br />
<br />
== Overview ==<br />
LabCoatz calls the end product of their recipe '''LabCola'''. One liter of LabCola is built off of four components:<br />
<br />
* around 100g sugar<br />
* 1mL of flavor solution A<br />
* 10 mL of flavor solution B<br />
* around 1 liter of carbonated water<br />
<br />
Flavor solution A is made by adding the following components together (~100mL), then taking 20 mL from that and diluting to 1L using 95% ethanol:<br />
<br />
* 45.8mL lemon oil (NOW)<br />
* 36.5mL lime oil (NOW)<br />
* 8mL tea tree oil (NOW, from Australian tea tree, Melaleuca Alternifolia)<br />
* 4.5mL cassia cinnamon oil (NOW)<br />
* 2.7mL nutmeg oil (aura cacia)<br />
* 1.2mL orange oil (unknown brand, regular sweet orange)<br />
* 0.7mL coriander seed oil (Edens Garden, coriandrum sativum)<br />
* 0.6mL fenchol (any version of alpha-fenchol should work)<br />
<br />
Flavor solution B is made by adding the following components together (~400mL), then diluting to 1L using water:<br />
<br />
* 185mL caramel color (Durkee)<br />
* 150 grams food-grade vegetable glycerin (Equate)<br />
* 43mL 85% phosphoric acid (Duda Energy)<br />
* 10 grams wine tannin (North Mountain)<br />
* 9.65 grams caffeine<br />
* 10mL 5% vinegar (any white vinegar?)<br />
* 10mL vanilla extract (or a solution containing 0.95 grams per liter of vanillin)<br />
<br />
It's important to note that this is '''not''' '''the Coca-Cola recipe''', which uses coca leaf extract. It is supposed to be quite close, though.<br />
<br />
== Tools ==<br />
<br />
* Mass scale<br />
** Max measurement is 150g, most precise measurement is 9.65g<br />
** possible source: Michiel may have one, Mats as well<br />
** possible source: €14,20 https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/precisie-weegschaal-0-01-gram-keukenweegschaal-digitaal-milligram-precisieweegschaal-pocket-weegschaal-sieraden-weegschaal/9300000031220365/<br />
** possible source: €29 https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/trendfield-precisie-weegschaal-0-001-gr-nauwkeurig-digitale-keukenweegschaal-inclusief-batterijen-zwart/9200000111011750/<br />
** possible source: €139,15 https://www.labshop.nl/schoolweegschaal-efs-500-2/<br />
* micropipette + tips<br />
** ideally an [https://www.merkala.nl/minipet-var-microliterpipet.html adjustable micropipette], but these are quite expensive (€100+)<br />
** fixed 100µL micropipette is cheaper, €25 https://www.merkala.nl/minipet-microliterpipet.html<br />
** could also get a few [https://www.kruidvat.nl/kruidvat-doseerspuit/p/2335439 doseerspuit] at Kruidvat, €2, precision should be somewhere between 0.1mL and 0.5mL<br />
** setje graduated pipettes €15,85 https://www.amazon.nl/pipetten-Graduated-Reinigingsborstel-Roerstaaf-Laboratorium/dp/B07V3VC7YZ<br />
* 50 mL graduated cilinder<br />
** €14,74 https://www.labshop.nl/maatcilinder-hoog-model-klasse-a-bruine-schaalverdeling/?attribute_pa_volume=10-ml<br />
* some 1L storage bottles<br />
** I'll produce 100 mL of pre-solution A, then dilute that into 1L of solution A and store the rest of the 80mL separately. Solution B is 1L at a time, so I'll need 3 storage bottles.<br />
** https://www.labshop.nl/labfles-glas-blank-gl45-blauw-simax/<br />
** €12,40 * 3 = €37,20<br />
* heat-resistant glassware for preparing the syrup (1L)<br />
** €9,23 https://www.labshop.nl/bekerglas-laag-model/<br />
** Ø 105mm, dus dekglaasje ~€16 https://www.labshop.nl/horlogeglas-10-stuks/ maar afdekken kan misschien ook wel met folie?<br />
* magnetic stirrer for mixing<br />
** €133,10 https://www.labshop.nl/mini-magnetische-roerder-rotilabo-m-3/<br />
** possible source: Michiel has one<br />
* 100mL volumetric flask to make the dilution steps easier<br />
** for pre-solution A<br />
** €22,63 https://www.labshop.nl/maatkolf/?attribute_pa_volume=100-ml-ns12-21-klasse-a<br />
* water carbonator / sodastream<br />
** Sjors has this at home<br />
* gloves / safety glasses<br />
** €8,75 https://www.werkenmetmerken.nl/nl/chemisch_bestendige_werkhandschoen/p/9489<br />
** but probably already present<br />
<br />
<br />
If we don't need to buy the mass scale nor magnetic stirrer, tools come out to approximately €125.<br />
<br />
== Ingedients ==<br />
{| class="wikitable"<br />
|+<br />
!Ingredient<br />
!Source link<br />
!Quantity<br />
!Quantity necessary<br />
!Order amount<br />
!Price per piece<br />
!Price total<br />
!Makes L solution<sup>12</sup><br />
!Makes L cola<br />
!Price per L cola<br />
|-<br />
|'''Overall'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Sugar<br />
|Supermarket<br />
|<br />
|Around 100g<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Carbonated water<br />
|Self-made<br />
|<br />
|Around 1L<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|'''Flavor solution A'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Food-grade 95% alcohol<br />
|[https://www.topdrinks.de/navimer-alcohol-pur-glas-1ltr Topdrinks.de]<br />
|1L<br />
|1L<br />
|1<br />
|€23,50<br />
|€23,50<br />
|1L<br />
|1 kL<br />
|2.35 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Lemon oil<br />
|[https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-lemon-oil-30-ml Bodystore]<br />
|30mL<br />
|45.8mL<br />
|2<br />
|€7,59<br />
|€15,18<br />
|6,55L<br />
|6,55 kL<br />
|0,23 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Lime oil<br />
|[https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-essential-oils-lime Bodystore] niet op voorraad, wel bij [https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-lime-1-fl-oz-30-ml/930 iHerb] €12,47 voor 30mL)<br />
|30mL<br />
|36.5mL<br />
|2<br />
|€7,99<br />
|€15,98<br />
|8,22L<br />
|8,22 kL<br />
|0,19 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Tea tree oil<br />
|[https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-tea-tree-oil-30-ml Bodystore]<br />
|30mL<br />
|8mL<br />
|1<br />
|€9,99<br />
|€9,99<br />
|18,75L<br />
|18,75 kL<br />
|0,05 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Cassia cinnamon oil<br />
|[https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-cinnamon-cassia-oil-30-ml Bodystore]<br />
|30mL<br />
|4,5mL<br />
|1<br />
|€8,90<br />
|€8,90<br />
|33,33L<br />
|33,33 kL<br />
|0,03 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Nutmeg oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-nutmeg-1-fl-oz-30-ml/941 iHerb]of uit NL, maar ander merk: [https://www.berivita.com/etherische-olie/nootmuskaat-olie-zuiver-puur-10ml Berivita] (€5,95 voor 10mL)<br />
|30mL<br />
|2.7mL<br />
|1<br />
|€13,97<br />
|€13,97<br />
|55,56L<br />
|55,56 kL<br />
|0,03 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Orange oil<br />
|[https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-orange-oil-30-ml?sqr=orange%20oil Bodystore]<br />
|30mL<br />
|1.2mL<br />
|1<br />
|€4,99<br />
|€4,99<br />
|125L<br />
|125 kL<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Coriander oil<br />
|[https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/koriander-olie-puur-biologisch-natuurlijk-5ml/9300000188330683/ bol.com]<br />
|5mL<br />
|0.7mL<br />
|1<br />
|€20,95<br />
|€20,95<br />
|35,71L<br />
|35,71 kL<br />
|0,06 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Fenchol<br />
|[https://pellwall.com/products/fenchol Pellwall] (UK)<br />
lijken een orderstop te hebben?<br />
alternatief: [https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/227211376456 eBay] of [https://pevgrow.com/en/fenchol-arae.html pevgrow] (€27,90 incl shipping?) of [https://terpenes-uk.co.uk/products/fenchol-natural terpenes] (£32 incl shipping)<br />
|5g (~5mL?)<br />
|0.6mL<br />
|1<br />
|£7 + shipping<br />
|~€8 ?<br />
|42L<br />
|42 kL<br />
|0,02 cents<br />
|-<br />
|'''Total flavor solution A'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|~ €120<br />
|1L<br />
|1kL<br />
|€0,03 when produced at scale<br />
€0,12 for first liter<br />
|-<br />
|'''Flavor solution B'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Durkee caramel color<br />
|[https://pantryful.com/products/durkee-caramel-food-color-32-oz Pantryful]<br />
|32 oz. (946 mL)<br />
|185mL<br />
|1<br />
|$14 + shipping<br />
|~€12?<br />
|5,11L<br />
|511L<br />
|2,3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Food-grade vegetable glycerin<br />
|[https://www.labshop.nl/glycerol-glycerine-995/?attribute_pa_volume=1-l Labshop]alternative: [https://www.werkenmetmerken.nl/nl/glycerine_99_5_foodgrade/p/20904 werkenmetmerken.nl] (€9 for 1L)<br />
|1L<br />
|150g (~150mL?)<br />
|1<br />
|€12,04<br />
|€12,04<br />
|6,66L<br />
|666L<br />
|2 cents<br />
|-<br />
|85% Phosphoric acid<br />
|[https://www.labshop.nl/fosforzuur-85-nvp/ Labshop]<br />
|1L<br />
|43mL<br />
|1<br />
|€20,27<br />
|€20,27<br />
|23,26L<br />
|2326L<br />
|0,8 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Wine tannin<br />
|[https://brouwland.com/nl/eikenhouten-chips/195-tannine-vinoferm-tannorouge-20-g.html Brouwland]<br />
|20g<br />
|10g<br />
|1<br />
|€5,99<br />
|€5,99<br />
|2L<br />
|200L<br />
|3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Caffeine powder<br />
|[https://voordeelkruiden.nl/cafeine-poeder/ Voordeelkruiden]If we want more: [https://woele.nl/product/cafeine-poeder-pharma-grade-250g/ Woele]<br />
|50g<br />
|9,65g<br />
|1<br />
|€2,60<br />
|€2,60<br />
|5,18L<br />
|518L<br />
|0,5 cents<br />
|-<br />
|5% vinegar<br />
|Supermarket<br />
(Double check 5%!)<br />
|1L<br />
|10mL<br />
|1<br />
|€0,99<br />
|€0,99<br />
|100L<br />
|10kL<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Vanilla extract<br />
|[https://producten.makro.nl/shop/pv/BTY-X742890/0032/0021/Nomu-Vanille-Extract-50-ml Makro.nl]<br />
|50mL<br />
|10mL<br />
|1<br />
|€15,19<br />
|€15,19<br />
|5L<br />
|500L<br />
|3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|'''Total flavor solution B'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|~ €70<br />
|2L<br />
|200 L<br />
|€0,11 when produced at scale<br />
€0,35 for first liter<br />
|}<br />
(1) The essential oils in solution A, quantities as under "Quantity necessary", together make 100mL of pre-solution. "Flavor solution A" then consists of 20 mL of pre-solution, diluted to 1L using alcohol. So for each mL of essential oil in the pre-solution, a fifth (0.2 mL) goes into a liter of the actual solution. So quantity times order amount is the amount of ingredients we have, divided by quantity necessary is the amount of 100mL pre-solution we can make with the order. We can make 5L of solution with that, so the formula is: (quantity * order amount * 5) / (quantity necessary). Since 1mL of solution A goes into a L of cola, 1L solution makes 1000L cola.<br />
<br />
(2) For solution B, the ingredients together make about 400mL of pre-solution. "Flavor solution B" then consists of those 400 mL, diluted to 1L using water. So the "quantity necessary" goes directly into 1L of "Flavor solution B". Since order amount is 1 for all of these, the formula is: quantity / (quantity necessary). Since 10mL of solution B goes into a L of cola, 1L solution makes 100L cola.<br />
<br />
== Expiry ==<br />
After the first batch I'll have a liter of solution A, which is almost fully alcohol, so I expect it not to expire at all. This bottle is good for a thousand liters of cola, which is probably enough for a lifetime.<br />
<br />
I'll also have 80 mL of pre-solution A, which I'll store separately. I also expect it not to expire, but to be sure, I could add alcohol to this as well, and label the bottle as such so I know exactly how much diluted pre-solution contains 20 mL of the original pre-solution.<br />
<br />
As for solution B, I'm not sure but I expect that will expire faster. The original ingredients probably don't expire if closed well? If I make 1L that's enough for 100 L of cola, which probably lasts a few months unless it's really popular.<br />
<br />
Knowing nothing at all about food safety I asked Claude for secondary advice. ("This is a cola syrup, isn't it?") They said the solution A mixture would remain ''safe'' indefinitely, but chemical degradation would affect aroma over the years; they advise to reduce air in the bottle, reduce repeated opening (freshening of the oxygen), reduce heat and reduce light exposure. With that, realistically expiry could be pushed well beyond 5 years. For solution B, they said microbial stability is also very good due to the phosphoric acid (1.0-1.5 pH). Again, chemical degradation is the limiting factor. Sealed, room temperature and out of light, Claude expects 12-18 months for peak flavor, and "probably safe well beyond that". It says the main thing to watch out for is sediment from the tannin, and flavor decreasing. Neither makes it unsafe. Commercial cola syrups like this one carry 6-12 month best-by dates, and it says our threshold for "still good" may be more forgiving.<br />
<br />
As for the original ingredient bottles, I should check if they are labeled with best-before dates and label them with the date I first opened them. Claude says the essential oils are most perishable; they will degrade in 6-12 months. For vanilla extract it's often commercially dated 2-4 years. All other things are either really easily purchaseable or very long-lived (5+ years).<br />
<br />
Conclusion:<br />
<br />
* Keep the bottles at room temperature (or colder), in the dark, and with little air headspace in the bottle.<br />
* For the solution A bottles, I'll mark them with their production date and "expected best before date" of 5 years.<br />
* For the solution B bottles, I'll mark them with their production date and "expected best before date" of 12 months.<br />
* For the original ingredient bottles, I'll store them the same way. I could consider making more pre-solution with alcohol for preservation.<br />
<br />
== Financial overview ==<br />
This is a hobby project, so it's OK if it costs money and isn't cost-effective. However, I wanted to get an overview for myself.<br />
<br />
Initial, one-time investment into tools is €125. The initial investments into ingredients for the first run is ~€200. With some margin, that means the first batch costs €350 and we can produce around 200 liters of cola from this. If it tastes great and is popular and people want to drink it instead of Coca-Cola, I could sell it at a cost price of €1,75 per liter.<br />
<br />
If we actually (expect to) make more than 200 liters, then for the next 200 liters I'd only need to purchase additional wine tannin. So for the first batch of 400 liters, at a cost of €350, it'd already be €0,88 per liter. So that's what the price becomes if it turns out to be quite popular. Eventually, if it's ''really'' popular it would cost €0,14 for the flavor solutions, plus some sugar and carbonated water.</div>Sjors Gielenhttps://hackerspacenijmegen.nl/index.php?title=Projects:Making_cola&diff=2969Projects:Making cola2026-03-31T19:42:07Z<p>Sjors Gielen: /* Overview */</p>
<hr />
<div>[[Bestand:Schermafbeelding 2026-03-25 om 11.02.33.png|miniatuur]]<br />
[[Bestand:Schermafbeelding 2026-03-25 om 11.02.10.png|miniatuur]]<br />
I (Sjors) recently saw this video by LabCoatz reverse engineering the Coca-Cola recipe using (among other techniques) a mass spectrometer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDkH3EbWTYc<br />
<br />
Now I'm a bit of a Coca-Cola addict, so I'm intrigued and want to reproduce it.<br />
<br />
Perhaps once we've done this we can also make [[wikipedia:Open-source_cola|other kinds of cola]], like Toyen Cola, which has its recipe on the back. We could even do a taste test!<br />
<br />
== Overview ==<br />
LabCoatz calls the end product of their recipe '''LabCola'''. One liter of LabCola is built off of four components:<br />
<br />
* around 100g sugar<br />
* 1mL of flavor solution A<br />
* 10 mL of flavor solution B<br />
* around 1 liter of carbonated water<br />
<br />
Flavor solution A is made by adding the following components together (~100mL), then taking 20 mL from that and diluting to 1L using 95% ethanol:<br />
<br />
* 45.8mL lemon oil<br />
* 36.5mL lime oil<br />
* 8mL tea tree oil (from Australian tea tree, Melaleuca Alternifolia)<br />
* 4.5mL cassia cinnamon oil<br />
* 2.7mL nutmeg oil<br />
* 1.2mL orange oil (regular sweet orange)<br />
* 0.7mL coriander seed oil (coriandrum sativum, Edens Garden)<br />
* 0.6mL fenchol (any version of alpha-fenchol should work)<br />
<br />
Flavor solution B is made by adding the following components together (~400mL), then diluting to 1L using water:<br />
<br />
* 185mL Durkee caramel color<br />
* 150 grams food-grade vegetable glycerin<br />
* 43mL 85% phosphoric acid<br />
* 10 grams wine tannin<br />
* 9.65 grams caffeine<br />
* 10mL 5% vinegar<br />
* 10mL vanilla extract (or a solution containing 0.95 grams per liter of vanillin)<br />
<br />
It's important to note that this is '''not''' '''the Coca-Cola recipe''', which uses coca leaf extract. It is supposed to be quite close, though.<br />
<br />
== Tools ==<br />
<br />
* Mass scale<br />
** Max measurement is 150g, most precise measurement is 9.65g<br />
** possible source: Michiel may have one, Mats as well<br />
** possible source: €14,20 https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/precisie-weegschaal-0-01-gram-keukenweegschaal-digitaal-milligram-precisieweegschaal-pocket-weegschaal-sieraden-weegschaal/9300000031220365/<br />
** possible source: €29 https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/trendfield-precisie-weegschaal-0-001-gr-nauwkeurig-digitale-keukenweegschaal-inclusief-batterijen-zwart/9200000111011750/<br />
** possible source: €139,15 https://www.labshop.nl/schoolweegschaal-efs-500-2/<br />
* micropipette + tips<br />
** ideally an [https://www.merkala.nl/minipet-var-microliterpipet.html adjustable micropipette], but these are quite expensive (€100+)<br />
** fixed 100µL micropipette is cheaper, €25 https://www.merkala.nl/minipet-microliterpipet.html<br />
** could also get a few [https://www.kruidvat.nl/kruidvat-doseerspuit/p/2335439 doseerspuit] at Kruidvat, €2, precision should be somewhere between 0.1mL and 0.5mL<br />
** setje graduated pipettes €15,85 https://www.amazon.nl/pipetten-Graduated-Reinigingsborstel-Roerstaaf-Laboratorium/dp/B07V3VC7YZ<br />
* 50 mL graduated cilinder<br />
** €14,74 https://www.labshop.nl/maatcilinder-hoog-model-klasse-a-bruine-schaalverdeling/?attribute_pa_volume=10-ml<br />
* some 1L storage bottles<br />
** I'll produce 100 mL of pre-solution A, then dilute that into 1L of solution A and store the rest of the 80mL separately. Solution B is 1L at a time, so I'll need 3 storage bottles.<br />
** https://www.labshop.nl/labfles-glas-blank-gl45-blauw-simax/<br />
** €12,40 * 3 = €37,20<br />
* heat-resistant glassware for preparing the syrup (1L)<br />
** €9,23 https://www.labshop.nl/bekerglas-laag-model/<br />
** Ø 105mm, dus dekglaasje ~€16 https://www.labshop.nl/horlogeglas-10-stuks/ maar afdekken kan misschien ook wel met folie?<br />
* magnetic stirrer for mixing<br />
** €133,10 https://www.labshop.nl/mini-magnetische-roerder-rotilabo-m-3/<br />
** possible source: Michiel has one<br />
* 100mL volumetric flask to make the dilution steps easier<br />
** for pre-solution A<br />
** €22,63 https://www.labshop.nl/maatkolf/?attribute_pa_volume=100-ml-ns12-21-klasse-a<br />
* water carbonator / sodastream<br />
** Sjors has this at home<br />
* gloves / safety glasses<br />
** €8,75 https://www.werkenmetmerken.nl/nl/chemisch_bestendige_werkhandschoen/p/9489<br />
** but probably already present<br />
<br />
<br />
If we don't need to buy the mass scale nor magnetic stirrer, tools come out to approximately €125.<br />
<br />
== Ingedients ==<br />
{| class="wikitable"<br />
|+<br />
!Ingredient<br />
!Source link<br />
!Quantity<br />
!Quantity necessary<br />
!Order amount<br />
!Price per piece<br />
!Price total<br />
!Makes L solution<sup>12</sup><br />
!Makes L cola<br />
!Price per L cola<br />
|-<br />
|'''Overall'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Sugar<br />
|Supermarket<br />
|<br />
|Around 100g<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Carbonated water<br />
|Self-made<br />
|<br />
|Around 1L<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|'''Flavor solution A'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Food-grade 95% alcohol<br />
|[https://www.topdrinks.de/navimer-alcohol-pur-glas-1ltr Topdrinks.de]<br />
|1L<br />
|1L<br />
|1<br />
|€23,50<br />
|€23,50<br />
|1L<br />
|1 kL<br />
|2.35 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Lemon oil<br />
|[https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-lemon-oil-30-ml Bodystore]<br />
|30mL<br />
|45.8mL<br />
|2<br />
|€7,59<br />
|€15,18<br />
|6,55L<br />
|6,55 kL<br />
|0,23 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Lime oil<br />
|[https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-essential-oils-lime Bodystore] niet op voorraad, wel bij [https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-lime-1-fl-oz-30-ml/930 iHerb] €12,47 voor 30mL)<br />
|30mL<br />
|36.5mL<br />
|2<br />
|€7,99<br />
|€15,98<br />
|8,22L<br />
|8,22 kL<br />
|0,19 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Tea tree oil<br />
|[https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-tea-tree-oil-30-ml Bodystore]<br />
|30mL<br />
|8mL<br />
|1<br />
|€9,99<br />
|€9,99<br />
|18,75L<br />
|18,75 kL<br />
|0,05 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Cassia cinnamon oil<br />
|[https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-cinnamon-cassia-oil-30-ml Bodystore]<br />
|30mL<br />
|4,5mL<br />
|1<br />
|€8,90<br />
|€8,90<br />
|33,33L<br />
|33,33 kL<br />
|0,03 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Nutmeg oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-nutmeg-1-fl-oz-30-ml/941 iHerb]of uit NL, maar ander merk: [https://www.berivita.com/etherische-olie/nootmuskaat-olie-zuiver-puur-10ml Berivita] (€5,95 voor 10mL)<br />
|30mL<br />
|2.7mL<br />
|1<br />
|€13,97<br />
|€13,97<br />
|55,56L<br />
|55,56 kL<br />
|0,03 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Orange oil<br />
|[https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-orange-oil-30-ml?sqr=orange%20oil Bodystore]<br />
|30mL<br />
|1.2mL<br />
|1<br />
|€4,99<br />
|€4,99<br />
|125L<br />
|125 kL<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Coriander oil<br />
|[https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/koriander-olie-puur-biologisch-natuurlijk-5ml/9300000188330683/ bol.com]<br />
|5mL<br />
|0.7mL<br />
|1<br />
|€20,95<br />
|€20,95<br />
|35,71L<br />
|35,71 kL<br />
|0,06 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Fenchol<br />
|[https://pellwall.com/products/fenchol Pellwall] (UK)<br />
lijken een orderstop te hebben?<br />
alternatief: [https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/227211376456 eBay] of [https://pevgrow.com/en/fenchol-arae.html pevgrow] (€27,90 incl shipping?) of [https://terpenes-uk.co.uk/products/fenchol-natural terpenes] (£32 incl shipping)<br />
|5g (~5mL?)<br />
|0.6mL<br />
|1<br />
|£7 + shipping<br />
|~€8 ?<br />
|42L<br />
|42 kL<br />
|0,02 cents<br />
|-<br />
|'''Total flavor solution A'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|~ €120<br />
|1L<br />
|1kL<br />
|€0,03 when produced at scale<br />
€0,12 for first liter<br />
|-<br />
|'''Flavor solution B'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Durkee caramel color<br />
|[https://pantryful.com/products/durkee-caramel-food-color-32-oz Pantryful]<br />
|32 oz. (946 mL)<br />
|185mL<br />
|1<br />
|$14 + shipping<br />
|~€12?<br />
|5,11L<br />
|511L<br />
|2,3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Food-grade vegetable glycerin<br />
|[https://www.labshop.nl/glycerol-glycerine-995/?attribute_pa_volume=1-l Labshop]alternative: [https://www.werkenmetmerken.nl/nl/glycerine_99_5_foodgrade/p/20904 werkenmetmerken.nl] (€9 for 1L)<br />
|1L<br />
|150g (~150mL?)<br />
|1<br />
|€12,04<br />
|€12,04<br />
|6,66L<br />
|666L<br />
|2 cents<br />
|-<br />
|85% Phosphoric acid<br />
|[https://www.labshop.nl/fosforzuur-85-nvp/ Labshop]<br />
|1L<br />
|43mL<br />
|1<br />
|€20,27<br />
|€20,27<br />
|23,26L<br />
|2326L<br />
|0,8 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Wine tannin<br />
|[https://brouwland.com/nl/eikenhouten-chips/195-tannine-vinoferm-tannorouge-20-g.html Brouwland]<br />
|20g<br />
|10g<br />
|1<br />
|€5,99<br />
|€5,99<br />
|2L<br />
|200L<br />
|3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Caffeine powder<br />
|[https://voordeelkruiden.nl/cafeine-poeder/ Voordeelkruiden]If we want more: [https://woele.nl/product/cafeine-poeder-pharma-grade-250g/ Woele]<br />
|50g<br />
|9,65g<br />
|1<br />
|€2,60<br />
|€2,60<br />
|5,18L<br />
|518L<br />
|0,5 cents<br />
|-<br />
|5% vinegar<br />
|Supermarket<br />
(Double check 5%!)<br />
|1L<br />
|10mL<br />
|1<br />
|€0,99<br />
|€0,99<br />
|100L<br />
|10kL<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Vanilla extract<br />
|[https://producten.makro.nl/shop/pv/BTY-X742890/0032/0021/Nomu-Vanille-Extract-50-ml Makro.nl]<br />
|50mL<br />
|10mL<br />
|1<br />
|€15,19<br />
|€15,19<br />
|5L<br />
|500L<br />
|3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|'''Total flavor solution B'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|~ €70<br />
|2L<br />
|200 L<br />
|€0,11 when produced at scale<br />
€0,35 for first liter<br />
|}<br />
(1) The essential oils in solution A, quantities as under "Quantity necessary", together make 100mL of pre-solution. "Flavor solution A" then consists of 20 mL of pre-solution, diluted to 1L using alcohol. So for each mL of essential oil in the pre-solution, a fifth (0.2 mL) goes into a liter of the actual solution. So quantity times order amount is the amount of ingredients we have, divided by quantity necessary is the amount of 100mL pre-solution we can make with the order. We can make 5L of solution with that, so the formula is: (quantity * order amount * 5) / (quantity necessary). Since 1mL of solution A goes into a L of cola, 1L solution makes 1000L cola.<br />
<br />
(2) For solution B, the ingredients together make about 400mL of pre-solution. "Flavor solution B" then consists of those 400 mL, diluted to 1L using water. So the "quantity necessary" goes directly into 1L of "Flavor solution B". Since order amount is 1 for all of these, the formula is: quantity / (quantity necessary). Since 10mL of solution B goes into a L of cola, 1L solution makes 100L cola.<br />
<br />
== Expiry ==<br />
After the first batch I'll have a liter of solution A, which is almost fully alcohol, so I expect it not to expire at all. This bottle is good for a thousand liters of cola, which is probably enough for a lifetime.<br />
<br />
I'll also have 80 mL of pre-solution A, which I'll store separately. I also expect it not to expire, but to be sure, I could add alcohol to this as well, and label the bottle as such so I know exactly how much diluted pre-solution contains 20 mL of the original pre-solution.<br />
<br />
As for solution B, I'm not sure but I expect that will expire faster. The original ingredients probably don't expire if closed well? If I make 1L that's enough for 100 L of cola, which probably lasts a few months unless it's really popular.<br />
<br />
Knowing nothing at all about food safety I asked Claude for secondary advice. ("This is a cola syrup, isn't it?") They said the solution A mixture would remain ''safe'' indefinitely, but chemical degradation would affect aroma over the years; they advise to reduce air in the bottle, reduce repeated opening (freshening of the oxygen), reduce heat and reduce light exposure. With that, realistically expiry could be pushed well beyond 5 years. For solution B, they said microbial stability is also very good due to the phosphoric acid (1.0-1.5 pH). Again, chemical degradation is the limiting factor. Sealed, room temperature and out of light, Claude expects 12-18 months for peak flavor, and "probably safe well beyond that". It says the main thing to watch out for is sediment from the tannin, and flavor decreasing. Neither makes it unsafe. Commercial cola syrups like this one carry 6-12 month best-by dates, and it says our threshold for "still good" may be more forgiving.<br />
<br />
As for the original ingredient bottles, I should check if they are labeled with best-before dates and label them with the date I first opened them. Claude says the essential oils are most perishable; they will degrade in 6-12 months. For vanilla extract it's often commercially dated 2-4 years. All other things are either really easily purchaseable or very long-lived (5+ years).<br />
<br />
Conclusion:<br />
<br />
* Keep the bottles at room temperature (or colder), in the dark, and with little air headspace in the bottle.<br />
* For the solution A bottles, I'll mark them with their production date and "expected best before date" of 5 years.<br />
* For the solution B bottles, I'll mark them with their production date and "expected best before date" of 12 months.<br />
* For the original ingredient bottles, I'll store them the same way. I could consider making more pre-solution with alcohol for preservation.<br />
<br />
== Financial overview ==<br />
This is a hobby project, so it's OK if it costs money and isn't cost-effective. However, I wanted to get an overview for myself.<br />
<br />
Initial, one-time investment into tools is €125. The initial investments into ingredients for the first run is ~€200. With some margin, that means the first batch costs €350 and we can produce around 200 liters of cola from this. If it tastes great and is popular and people want to drink it instead of Coca-Cola, I could sell it at a cost price of €1,75 per liter.<br />
<br />
If we actually (expect to) make more than 200 liters, then for the next 200 liters I'd only need to purchase additional wine tannin. So for the first batch of 400 liters, at a cost of €350, it'd already be €0,88 per liter. So that's what the price becomes if it turns out to be quite popular. Eventually, if it's ''really'' popular it would cost €0,14 for the flavor solutions, plus some sugar and carbonated water.</div>Sjors Gielenhttps://hackerspacenijmegen.nl/index.php?title=Projects:Making_cola&diff=2968Projects:Making cola2026-03-31T16:31:29Z<p>Sjors Gielen: /* Ingedients */</p>
<hr />
<div>[[Bestand:Schermafbeelding 2026-03-25 om 11.02.33.png|miniatuur]]<br />
[[Bestand:Schermafbeelding 2026-03-25 om 11.02.10.png|miniatuur]]<br />
I (Sjors) recently saw this video by LabCoatz reverse engineering the Coca-Cola recipe using (among other techniques) a mass spectrometer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDkH3EbWTYc<br />
<br />
Now I'm a bit of a Coca-Cola addict, so I'm intrigued and want to reproduce it.<br />
<br />
Perhaps once we've done this we can also make [[wikipedia:Open-source_cola|other kinds of cola]], like Toyen Cola, which has its recipe on the back. We could even do a taste test!<br />
<br />
== Overview ==<br />
LabCoatz calls the end product of their recipe '''LabCola'''. One liter of LabCola is built off of four components:<br />
<br />
* around 100g sugar<br />
* 1mL of flavor solution A<br />
* 10 mL of flavor solution B<br />
* around 1 liter of carbonated water<br />
<br />
Flavor solution A is made by adding the following components together (~100mL), then taking 20 mL from that and diluting to 1L using 95% ethanol:<br />
<br />
* 45.8mL lemon oil<br />
* 36.5mL lime oil<br />
* 8mL tea tree oil (from Australian tea tree, Melaleuca Alternifolia)<br />
* 4.5mL cassia cinnamon oil<br />
* 2.7mL nutmeg oil<br />
* 1.2mL orange oil (regular sweet orange)<br />
* 0.7mL coriander oil<br />
* 0.6mL fenchol (any version of alpha-fenchol should work)<br />
<br />
Flavor solution B is made by adding the following components together (~400mL), then diluting to 1L using water:<br />
<br />
* 185mL Durkee caramel color<br />
* 150 grams food-grade vegetable glycerin<br />
* 43mL 85% phosphoric acid<br />
* 10 grams wine tannin<br />
* 9.65 grams caffeine<br />
* 10mL 5% vinegar<br />
* 10mL vanilla extract (or a solution containing 0.95 grams per liter of vanillin)<br />
<br />
It's important to note that this is '''not''' '''the Coca-Cola recipe''', which uses coca leaf extract. It is supposed to be quite close, though.<br />
<br />
== Tools ==<br />
<br />
* Mass scale<br />
** Max measurement is 150g, most precise measurement is 9.65g<br />
** possible source: Michiel may have one, Mats as well<br />
** possible source: €14,20 https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/precisie-weegschaal-0-01-gram-keukenweegschaal-digitaal-milligram-precisieweegschaal-pocket-weegschaal-sieraden-weegschaal/9300000031220365/<br />
** possible source: €29 https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/trendfield-precisie-weegschaal-0-001-gr-nauwkeurig-digitale-keukenweegschaal-inclusief-batterijen-zwart/9200000111011750/<br />
** possible source: €139,15 https://www.labshop.nl/schoolweegschaal-efs-500-2/<br />
* micropipette + tips<br />
** ideally an [https://www.merkala.nl/minipet-var-microliterpipet.html adjustable micropipette], but these are quite expensive (€100+)<br />
** fixed 100µL micropipette is cheaper, €25 https://www.merkala.nl/minipet-microliterpipet.html<br />
** could also get a few [https://www.kruidvat.nl/kruidvat-doseerspuit/p/2335439 doseerspuit] at Kruidvat, €2, precision should be somewhere between 0.1mL and 0.5mL<br />
** setje graduated pipettes €15,85 https://www.amazon.nl/pipetten-Graduated-Reinigingsborstel-Roerstaaf-Laboratorium/dp/B07V3VC7YZ<br />
* 50 mL graduated cilinder<br />
** €14,74 https://www.labshop.nl/maatcilinder-hoog-model-klasse-a-bruine-schaalverdeling/?attribute_pa_volume=10-ml<br />
* some 1L storage bottles<br />
** I'll produce 100 mL of pre-solution A, then dilute that into 1L of solution A and store the rest of the 80mL separately. Solution B is 1L at a time, so I'll need 3 storage bottles.<br />
** https://www.labshop.nl/labfles-glas-blank-gl45-blauw-simax/<br />
** €12,40 * 3 = €37,20<br />
* heat-resistant glassware for preparing the syrup (1L)<br />
** €9,23 https://www.labshop.nl/bekerglas-laag-model/<br />
** Ø 105mm, dus dekglaasje ~€16 https://www.labshop.nl/horlogeglas-10-stuks/ maar afdekken kan misschien ook wel met folie?<br />
* magnetic stirrer for mixing<br />
** €133,10 https://www.labshop.nl/mini-magnetische-roerder-rotilabo-m-3/<br />
** possible source: Michiel has one<br />
* 100mL volumetric flask to make the dilution steps easier<br />
** for pre-solution A<br />
** €22,63 https://www.labshop.nl/maatkolf/?attribute_pa_volume=100-ml-ns12-21-klasse-a<br />
* water carbonator / sodastream<br />
** Sjors has this at home<br />
* gloves / safety glasses<br />
** €8,75 https://www.werkenmetmerken.nl/nl/chemisch_bestendige_werkhandschoen/p/9489<br />
** but probably already present<br />
<br />
<br />
If we don't need to buy the mass scale nor magnetic stirrer, tools come out to approximately €125.<br />
<br />
== Ingedients ==<br />
{| class="wikitable"<br />
|+<br />
!Ingredient<br />
!Source link<br />
!Quantity<br />
!Quantity necessary<br />
!Order amount<br />
!Price per piece<br />
!Price total<br />
!Makes L solution<sup>12</sup><br />
!Makes L cola<br />
!Price per L cola<br />
|-<br />
|'''Overall'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Sugar<br />
|Supermarket<br />
|<br />
|Around 100g<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Carbonated water<br />
|Self-made<br />
|<br />
|Around 1L<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|'''Flavor solution A'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Food-grade 95% alcohol<br />
|[https://www.topdrinks.de/navimer-alcohol-pur-glas-1ltr Topdrinks.de]<br />
|1L<br />
|1L<br />
|1<br />
|€23,50<br />
|€23,50<br />
|1L<br />
|1 kL<br />
|2.35 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Lemon oil<br />
|[https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-lemon-oil-30-ml Bodystore]<br />
|30mL<br />
|45.8mL<br />
|2<br />
|€7,59<br />
|€15,18<br />
|6,55L<br />
|6,55 kL<br />
|0,23 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Lime oil<br />
|[https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-essential-oils-lime Bodystore] niet op voorraad, wel bij [https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-lime-1-fl-oz-30-ml/930 iHerb] €12,47 voor 30mL)<br />
|30mL<br />
|36.5mL<br />
|2<br />
|€7,99<br />
|€15,98<br />
|8,22L<br />
|8,22 kL<br />
|0,19 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Tea tree oil<br />
|[https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-tea-tree-oil-30-ml Bodystore]<br />
|30mL<br />
|8mL<br />
|1<br />
|€9,99<br />
|€9,99<br />
|18,75L<br />
|18,75 kL<br />
|0,05 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Cassia cinnamon oil<br />
|[https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-cinnamon-cassia-oil-30-ml Bodystore]<br />
|30mL<br />
|4,5mL<br />
|1<br />
|€8,90<br />
|€8,90<br />
|33,33L<br />
|33,33 kL<br />
|0,03 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Nutmeg oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-nutmeg-1-fl-oz-30-ml/941 iHerb]of uit NL, maar ander merk: [https://www.berivita.com/etherische-olie/nootmuskaat-olie-zuiver-puur-10ml Berivita] (€5,95 voor 10mL)<br />
|30mL<br />
|2.7mL<br />
|1<br />
|€13,97<br />
|€13,97<br />
|55,56L<br />
|55,56 kL<br />
|0,03 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Orange oil<br />
|[https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-orange-oil-30-ml?sqr=orange%20oil Bodystore]<br />
|30mL<br />
|1.2mL<br />
|1<br />
|€4,99<br />
|€4,99<br />
|125L<br />
|125 kL<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Coriander oil<br />
|[https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/koriander-olie-puur-biologisch-natuurlijk-5ml/9300000188330683/ bol.com]<br />
|5mL<br />
|0.7mL<br />
|1<br />
|€20,95<br />
|€20,95<br />
|35,71L<br />
|35,71 kL<br />
|0,06 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Fenchol<br />
|[https://pellwall.com/products/fenchol Pellwall] (UK)<br />
lijken een orderstop te hebben?<br />
alternatief: [https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/227211376456 eBay] of [https://pevgrow.com/en/fenchol-arae.html pevgrow] (€27,90 incl shipping?) of [https://terpenes-uk.co.uk/products/fenchol-natural terpenes] (£32 incl shipping)<br />
|5g (~5mL?)<br />
|0.6mL<br />
|1<br />
|£7 + shipping<br />
|~€8 ?<br />
|42L<br />
|42 kL<br />
|0,02 cents<br />
|-<br />
|'''Total flavor solution A'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|~ €120<br />
|1L<br />
|1kL<br />
|€0,03 when produced at scale<br />
€0,12 for first liter<br />
|-<br />
|'''Flavor solution B'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Durkee caramel color<br />
|[https://pantryful.com/products/durkee-caramel-food-color-32-oz Pantryful]<br />
|32 oz. (946 mL)<br />
|185mL<br />
|1<br />
|$14 + shipping<br />
|~€12?<br />
|5,11L<br />
|511L<br />
|2,3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Food-grade vegetable glycerin<br />
|[https://www.labshop.nl/glycerol-glycerine-995/?attribute_pa_volume=1-l Labshop]alternative: [https://www.werkenmetmerken.nl/nl/glycerine_99_5_foodgrade/p/20904 werkenmetmerken.nl] (€9 for 1L)<br />
|1L<br />
|150g (~150mL?)<br />
|1<br />
|€12,04<br />
|€12,04<br />
|6,66L<br />
|666L<br />
|2 cents<br />
|-<br />
|85% Phosphoric acid<br />
|[https://www.labshop.nl/fosforzuur-85-nvp/ Labshop]<br />
|1L<br />
|43mL<br />
|1<br />
|€20,27<br />
|€20,27<br />
|23,26L<br />
|2326L<br />
|0,8 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Wine tannin<br />
|[https://brouwland.com/nl/eikenhouten-chips/195-tannine-vinoferm-tannorouge-20-g.html Brouwland]<br />
|20g<br />
|10g<br />
|1<br />
|€5,99<br />
|€5,99<br />
|2L<br />
|200L<br />
|3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Caffeine powder<br />
|[https://voordeelkruiden.nl/cafeine-poeder/ Voordeelkruiden]If we want more: [https://woele.nl/product/cafeine-poeder-pharma-grade-250g/ Woele]<br />
|50g<br />
|9,65g<br />
|1<br />
|€2,60<br />
|€2,60<br />
|5,18L<br />
|518L<br />
|0,5 cents<br />
|-<br />
|5% vinegar<br />
|Supermarket<br />
(Double check 5%!)<br />
|1L<br />
|10mL<br />
|1<br />
|€0,99<br />
|€0,99<br />
|100L<br />
|10kL<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Vanilla extract<br />
|[https://producten.makro.nl/shop/pv/BTY-X742890/0032/0021/Nomu-Vanille-Extract-50-ml Makro.nl]<br />
|50mL<br />
|10mL<br />
|1<br />
|€15,19<br />
|€15,19<br />
|5L<br />
|500L<br />
|3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|'''Total flavor solution B'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|~ €70<br />
|2L<br />
|200 L<br />
|€0,11 when produced at scale<br />
€0,35 for first liter<br />
|}<br />
(1) The essential oils in solution A, quantities as under "Quantity necessary", together make 100mL of pre-solution. "Flavor solution A" then consists of 20 mL of pre-solution, diluted to 1L using alcohol. So for each mL of essential oil in the pre-solution, a fifth (0.2 mL) goes into a liter of the actual solution. So quantity times order amount is the amount of ingredients we have, divided by quantity necessary is the amount of 100mL pre-solution we can make with the order. We can make 5L of solution with that, so the formula is: (quantity * order amount * 5) / (quantity necessary). Since 1mL of solution A goes into a L of cola, 1L solution makes 1000L cola.<br />
<br />
(2) For solution B, the ingredients together make about 400mL of pre-solution. "Flavor solution B" then consists of those 400 mL, diluted to 1L using water. So the "quantity necessary" goes directly into 1L of "Flavor solution B". Since order amount is 1 for all of these, the formula is: quantity / (quantity necessary). Since 10mL of solution B goes into a L of cola, 1L solution makes 100L cola.<br />
<br />
== Expiry ==<br />
After the first batch I'll have a liter of solution A, which is almost fully alcohol, so I expect it not to expire at all. This bottle is good for a thousand liters of cola, which is probably enough for a lifetime.<br />
<br />
I'll also have 80 mL of pre-solution A, which I'll store separately. I also expect it not to expire, but to be sure, I could add alcohol to this as well, and label the bottle as such so I know exactly how much diluted pre-solution contains 20 mL of the original pre-solution.<br />
<br />
As for solution B, I'm not sure but I expect that will expire faster. The original ingredients probably don't expire if closed well? If I make 1L that's enough for 100 L of cola, which probably lasts a few months unless it's really popular.<br />
<br />
Knowing nothing at all about food safety I asked Claude for secondary advice. ("This is a cola syrup, isn't it?") They said the solution A mixture would remain ''safe'' indefinitely, but chemical degradation would affect aroma over the years; they advise to reduce air in the bottle, reduce repeated opening (freshening of the oxygen), reduce heat and reduce light exposure. With that, realistically expiry could be pushed well beyond 5 years. For solution B, they said microbial stability is also very good due to the phosphoric acid (1.0-1.5 pH). Again, chemical degradation is the limiting factor. Sealed, room temperature and out of light, Claude expects 12-18 months for peak flavor, and "probably safe well beyond that". It says the main thing to watch out for is sediment from the tannin, and flavor decreasing. Neither makes it unsafe. Commercial cola syrups like this one carry 6-12 month best-by dates, and it says our threshold for "still good" may be more forgiving.<br />
<br />
As for the original ingredient bottles, I should check if they are labeled with best-before dates and label them with the date I first opened them. Claude says the essential oils are most perishable; they will degrade in 6-12 months. For vanilla extract it's often commercially dated 2-4 years. All other things are either really easily purchaseable or very long-lived (5+ years).<br />
<br />
Conclusion:<br />
<br />
* Keep the bottles at room temperature (or colder), in the dark, and with little air headspace in the bottle.<br />
* For the solution A bottles, I'll mark them with their production date and "expected best before date" of 5 years.<br />
* For the solution B bottles, I'll mark them with their production date and "expected best before date" of 12 months.<br />
* For the original ingredient bottles, I'll store them the same way. I could consider making more pre-solution with alcohol for preservation.<br />
<br />
== Financial overview ==<br />
This is a hobby project, so it's OK if it costs money and isn't cost-effective. However, I wanted to get an overview for myself.<br />
<br />
Initial, one-time investment into tools is €125. The initial investments into ingredients for the first run is ~€200. With some margin, that means the first batch costs €350 and we can produce around 200 liters of cola from this. If it tastes great and is popular and people want to drink it instead of Coca-Cola, I could sell it at a cost price of €1,75 per liter.<br />
<br />
If we actually (expect to) make more than 200 liters, then for the next 200 liters I'd only need to purchase additional wine tannin. So for the first batch of 400 liters, at a cost of €350, it'd already be €0,88 per liter. So that's what the price becomes if it turns out to be quite popular. Eventually, if it's ''really'' popular it would cost €0,14 for the flavor solutions, plus some sugar and carbonated water.</div>Sjors Gielenhttps://hackerspacenijmegen.nl/index.php?title=Projects:Making_cola&diff=2967Projects:Making cola2026-03-31T15:41:08Z<p>Sjors Gielen: /* Ingedients */</p>
<hr />
<div>[[Bestand:Schermafbeelding 2026-03-25 om 11.02.33.png|miniatuur]]<br />
[[Bestand:Schermafbeelding 2026-03-25 om 11.02.10.png|miniatuur]]<br />
I (Sjors) recently saw this video by LabCoatz reverse engineering the Coca-Cola recipe using (among other techniques) a mass spectrometer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDkH3EbWTYc<br />
<br />
Now I'm a bit of a Coca-Cola addict, so I'm intrigued and want to reproduce it.<br />
<br />
Perhaps once we've done this we can also make [[wikipedia:Open-source_cola|other kinds of cola]], like Toyen Cola, which has its recipe on the back. We could even do a taste test!<br />
<br />
== Overview ==<br />
LabCoatz calls the end product of their recipe '''LabCola'''. One liter of LabCola is built off of four components:<br />
<br />
* around 100g sugar<br />
* 1mL of flavor solution A<br />
* 10 mL of flavor solution B<br />
* around 1 liter of carbonated water<br />
<br />
Flavor solution A is made by adding the following components together (~100mL), then taking 20 mL from that and diluting to 1L using 95% ethanol:<br />
<br />
* 45.8mL lemon oil<br />
* 36.5mL lime oil<br />
* 8mL tea tree oil (from Australian tea tree, Melaleuca Alternifolia)<br />
* 4.5mL cassia cinnamon oil<br />
* 2.7mL nutmeg oil<br />
* 1.2mL orange oil (regular sweet orange)<br />
* 0.7mL coriander oil<br />
* 0.6mL fenchol (any version of alpha-fenchol should work)<br />
<br />
Flavor solution B is made by adding the following components together (~400mL), then diluting to 1L using water:<br />
<br />
* 185mL Durkee caramel color<br />
* 150 grams food-grade vegetable glycerin<br />
* 43mL 85% phosphoric acid<br />
* 10 grams wine tannin<br />
* 9.65 grams caffeine<br />
* 10mL 5% vinegar<br />
* 10mL vanilla extract (or a solution containing 0.95 grams per liter of vanillin)<br />
<br />
It's important to note that this is '''not''' '''the Coca-Cola recipe''', which uses coca leaf extract. It is supposed to be quite close, though.<br />
<br />
== Tools ==<br />
<br />
* Mass scale<br />
** Max measurement is 150g, most precise measurement is 9.65g<br />
** possible source: Michiel may have one, Mats as well<br />
** possible source: €14,20 https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/precisie-weegschaal-0-01-gram-keukenweegschaal-digitaal-milligram-precisieweegschaal-pocket-weegschaal-sieraden-weegschaal/9300000031220365/<br />
** possible source: €29 https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/trendfield-precisie-weegschaal-0-001-gr-nauwkeurig-digitale-keukenweegschaal-inclusief-batterijen-zwart/9200000111011750/<br />
** possible source: €139,15 https://www.labshop.nl/schoolweegschaal-efs-500-2/<br />
* micropipette + tips<br />
** ideally an [https://www.merkala.nl/minipet-var-microliterpipet.html adjustable micropipette], but these are quite expensive (€100+)<br />
** fixed 100µL micropipette is cheaper, €25 https://www.merkala.nl/minipet-microliterpipet.html<br />
** could also get a few [https://www.kruidvat.nl/kruidvat-doseerspuit/p/2335439 doseerspuit] at Kruidvat, €2, precision should be somewhere between 0.1mL and 0.5mL<br />
** setje graduated pipettes €15,85 https://www.amazon.nl/pipetten-Graduated-Reinigingsborstel-Roerstaaf-Laboratorium/dp/B07V3VC7YZ<br />
* 50 mL graduated cilinder<br />
** €14,74 https://www.labshop.nl/maatcilinder-hoog-model-klasse-a-bruine-schaalverdeling/?attribute_pa_volume=10-ml<br />
* some 1L storage bottles<br />
** I'll produce 100 mL of pre-solution A, then dilute that into 1L of solution A and store the rest of the 80mL separately. Solution B is 1L at a time, so I'll need 3 storage bottles.<br />
** https://www.labshop.nl/labfles-glas-blank-gl45-blauw-simax/<br />
** €12,40 * 3 = €37,20<br />
* heat-resistant glassware for preparing the syrup (1L)<br />
** €9,23 https://www.labshop.nl/bekerglas-laag-model/<br />
** Ø 105mm, dus dekglaasje ~€16 https://www.labshop.nl/horlogeglas-10-stuks/ maar afdekken kan misschien ook wel met folie?<br />
* magnetic stirrer for mixing<br />
** €133,10 https://www.labshop.nl/mini-magnetische-roerder-rotilabo-m-3/<br />
** possible source: Michiel has one<br />
* 100mL volumetric flask to make the dilution steps easier<br />
** for pre-solution A<br />
** €22,63 https://www.labshop.nl/maatkolf/?attribute_pa_volume=100-ml-ns12-21-klasse-a<br />
* water carbonator / sodastream<br />
** Sjors has this at home<br />
* gloves / safety glasses<br />
** €8,75 https://www.werkenmetmerken.nl/nl/chemisch_bestendige_werkhandschoen/p/9489<br />
** but probably already present<br />
<br />
<br />
If we don't need to buy the mass scale nor magnetic stirrer, tools come out to approximately €125.<br />
<br />
== Ingedients ==<br />
{| class="wikitable"<br />
|+<br />
!Ingredient<br />
!Source link<br />
!Quantity<br />
!Quantity necessary<br />
!Order amount<br />
!Price per piece<br />
!Price total<br />
!Makes L solution<sup>12</sup><br />
!Makes L cola<br />
!Price per L cola<br />
|-<br />
|'''Overall'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Sugar<br />
|Supermarket<br />
|<br />
|Around 100g<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Carbonated water<br />
|Self-made<br />
|<br />
|Around 1L<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|'''Flavor solution A'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Food-grade 95% alcohol<br />
|[https://www.topdrinks.de/navimer-alcohol-pur-glas-1ltr Topdrinks.de]<br />
|1L<br />
|1L<br />
|1<br />
|€23,50<br />
|€23,50<br />
|1L<br />
|1 kL<br />
|2.35 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Lemon oil<br />
|[https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-lemon-oil-30-ml Bodystore]<br />
|30mL<br />
|45.8mL<br />
|2<br />
|€7,59<br />
|€15,18<br />
|6,55L<br />
|6,55 kL<br />
|0,23 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Lime oil<br />
|[https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-essential-oils-lime Bodystore]<br />
|30mL<br />
|36.5mL<br />
|2<br />
|€7,99<br />
|€15,98<br />
|8,22L<br />
|8,22 kL<br />
|0,19 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Tea tree oil<br />
|[https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-tea-tree-oil-30-ml Bodystore]<br />
|30mL<br />
|8mL<br />
|1<br />
|€9,99<br />
|€9,99<br />
|18,75L<br />
|18,75 kL<br />
|0,05 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Cassia cinnamon oil<br />
|[https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-cinnamon-cassia-oil-30-ml Bodystore]<br />
|30mL<br />
|4,5mL<br />
|1<br />
|€8,90<br />
|€8,90<br />
|33,33L<br />
|33,33 kL<br />
|0,03 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Nutmeg oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-nutmeg-1-fl-oz-30-ml/941 iHerb]of uit NL, maar ander merk: [https://www.berivita.com/etherische-olie/nootmuskaat-olie-zuiver-puur-10ml Berivita] (€5,95 voor 10mL)<br />
|30mL<br />
|2.7mL<br />
|1<br />
|€13,97<br />
|€13,97<br />
|55,56L<br />
|55,56 kL<br />
|0,03 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Orange oil<br />
|[https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-orange-oil-30-ml?sqr=orange%20oil Bodystore]<br />
|30mL<br />
|1.2mL<br />
|1<br />
|€4,99<br />
|€4,99<br />
|125L<br />
|125 kL<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Coriander oil<br />
|[https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/koriander-olie-puur-biologisch-natuurlijk-5ml/9300000188330683/ bol.com]<br />
|5mL<br />
|0.7mL<br />
|1<br />
|€20,95<br />
|€20,95<br />
|35,71L<br />
|35,71 kL<br />
|0,06 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Fenchol<br />
|[https://pellwall.com/products/fenchol Pellwall] (UK)<br />
lijken een orderstop te hebben?<br />
alternatief: [https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/227211376456 eBay] of [https://pevgrow.com/en/fenchol-arae.html pevgrow] (€27,90 incl shipping?) of [https://terpenes-uk.co.uk/products/fenchol-natural terpenes] (£32 incl shipping)<br />
|5g (~5mL?)<br />
|0.6mL<br />
|1<br />
|£7 + shipping<br />
|~€8 ?<br />
|42L<br />
|42 kL<br />
|0,02 cents<br />
|-<br />
|'''Total flavor solution A'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|~ €120<br />
|1L<br />
|1kL<br />
|€0,03 when produced at scale<br />
€0,12 for first liter<br />
|-<br />
|'''Flavor solution B'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Durkee caramel color<br />
|[https://pantryful.com/products/durkee-caramel-food-color-32-oz Pantryful]<br />
|32 oz. (946 mL)<br />
|185mL<br />
|1<br />
|$14 + shipping<br />
|~€12?<br />
|5,11L<br />
|511L<br />
|2,3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Food-grade vegetable glycerin<br />
|[https://www.labshop.nl/glycerol-glycerine-995/?attribute_pa_volume=1-l Labshop]alternative: [https://www.werkenmetmerken.nl/nl/glycerine_99_5_foodgrade/p/20904 werkenmetmerken.nl] (€9 for 1L)<br />
|1L<br />
|150g (~150mL?)<br />
|1<br />
|€12,04<br />
|€12,04<br />
|6,66L<br />
|666L<br />
|2 cents<br />
|-<br />
|85% Phosphoric acid<br />
|[https://www.labshop.nl/fosforzuur-85-nvp/ Labshop]<br />
|1L<br />
|43mL<br />
|1<br />
|€20,27<br />
|€20,27<br />
|23,26L<br />
|2326L<br />
|0,8 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Wine tannin<br />
|[https://brouwland.com/nl/eikenhouten-chips/195-tannine-vinoferm-tannorouge-20-g.html Brouwland]<br />
|20g<br />
|10g<br />
|1<br />
|€5,99<br />
|€5,99<br />
|2L<br />
|200L<br />
|3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Caffeine powder<br />
|[https://voordeelkruiden.nl/cafeine-poeder/ Voordeelkruiden]If we want more: [https://woele.nl/product/cafeine-poeder-pharma-grade-250g/ Woele]<br />
|50g<br />
|9,65g<br />
|1<br />
|€2,60<br />
|€2,60<br />
|5,18L<br />
|518L<br />
|0,5 cents<br />
|-<br />
|5% vinegar<br />
|Supermarket<br />
(Double check 5%!)<br />
|1L<br />
|10mL<br />
|1<br />
|€0,99<br />
|€0,99<br />
|100L<br />
|10kL<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Vanilla extract<br />
|[https://producten.makro.nl/shop/pv/BTY-X742890/0032/0021/Nomu-Vanille-Extract-50-ml Makro.nl]<br />
|50mL<br />
|10mL<br />
|1<br />
|€15,19<br />
|€15,19<br />
|5L<br />
|500L<br />
|3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|'''Total flavor solution B'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|~ €70<br />
|2L<br />
|200 L<br />
|€0,11 when produced at scale<br />
€0,35 for first liter<br />
|}<br />
(1) The essential oils in solution A, quantities as under "Quantity necessary", together make 100mL of pre-solution. "Flavor solution A" then consists of 20 mL of pre-solution, diluted to 1L using alcohol. So for each mL of essential oil in the pre-solution, a fifth (0.2 mL) goes into a liter of the actual solution. So quantity times order amount is the amount of ingredients we have, divided by quantity necessary is the amount of 100mL pre-solution we can make with the order. We can make 5L of solution with that, so the formula is: (quantity * order amount * 5) / (quantity necessary). Since 1mL of solution A goes into a L of cola, 1L solution makes 1000L cola.<br />
<br />
(2) For solution B, the ingredients together make about 400mL of pre-solution. "Flavor solution B" then consists of those 400 mL, diluted to 1L using water. So the "quantity necessary" goes directly into 1L of "Flavor solution B". Since order amount is 1 for all of these, the formula is: quantity / (quantity necessary). Since 10mL of solution B goes into a L of cola, 1L solution makes 100L cola.<br />
<br />
== Expiry ==<br />
After the first batch I'll have a liter of solution A, which is almost fully alcohol, so I expect it not to expire at all. This bottle is good for a thousand liters of cola, which is probably enough for a lifetime.<br />
<br />
I'll also have 80 mL of pre-solution A, which I'll store separately. I also expect it not to expire, but to be sure, I could add alcohol to this as well, and label the bottle as such so I know exactly how much diluted pre-solution contains 20 mL of the original pre-solution.<br />
<br />
As for solution B, I'm not sure but I expect that will expire faster. The original ingredients probably don't expire if closed well? If I make 1L that's enough for 100 L of cola, which probably lasts a few months unless it's really popular.<br />
<br />
Knowing nothing at all about food safety I asked Claude for secondary advice. ("This is a cola syrup, isn't it?") They said the solution A mixture would remain ''safe'' indefinitely, but chemical degradation would affect aroma over the years; they advise to reduce air in the bottle, reduce repeated opening (freshening of the oxygen), reduce heat and reduce light exposure. With that, realistically expiry could be pushed well beyond 5 years. For solution B, they said microbial stability is also very good due to the phosphoric acid (1.0-1.5 pH). Again, chemical degradation is the limiting factor. Sealed, room temperature and out of light, Claude expects 12-18 months for peak flavor, and "probably safe well beyond that". It says the main thing to watch out for is sediment from the tannin, and flavor decreasing. Neither makes it unsafe. Commercial cola syrups like this one carry 6-12 month best-by dates, and it says our threshold for "still good" may be more forgiving.<br />
<br />
As for the original ingredient bottles, I should check if they are labeled with best-before dates and label them with the date I first opened them. Claude says the essential oils are most perishable; they will degrade in 6-12 months. For vanilla extract it's often commercially dated 2-4 years. All other things are either really easily purchaseable or very long-lived (5+ years).<br />
<br />
Conclusion:<br />
<br />
* Keep the bottles at room temperature (or colder), in the dark, and with little air headspace in the bottle.<br />
* For the solution A bottles, I'll mark them with their production date and "expected best before date" of 5 years.<br />
* For the solution B bottles, I'll mark them with their production date and "expected best before date" of 12 months.<br />
* For the original ingredient bottles, I'll store them the same way. I could consider making more pre-solution with alcohol for preservation.<br />
<br />
== Financial overview ==<br />
This is a hobby project, so it's OK if it costs money and isn't cost-effective. However, I wanted to get an overview for myself.<br />
<br />
Initial, one-time investment into tools is €125. The initial investments into ingredients for the first run is ~€200. With some margin, that means the first batch costs €350 and we can produce around 200 liters of cola from this. If it tastes great and is popular and people want to drink it instead of Coca-Cola, I could sell it at a cost price of €1,75 per liter.<br />
<br />
If we actually (expect to) make more than 200 liters, then for the next 200 liters I'd only need to purchase additional wine tannin. So for the first batch of 400 liters, at a cost of €350, it'd already be €0,88 per liter. So that's what the price becomes if it turns out to be quite popular. Eventually, if it's ''really'' popular it would cost €0,14 for the flavor solutions, plus some sugar and carbonated water.</div>Sjors Gielenhttps://hackerspacenijmegen.nl/index.php?title=Netwerk&diff=2966Netwerk2026-03-28T16:50:57Z<p>Sjors Gielen: /* pfsense */</p>
<hr />
<div>Deze pagina omschrijft de netwerkinfrastructuur aan de Winkelsteegseweg.<br />
<br />
=Overview=<br />
<br />
[[Bestand:Netwerkinfra.png|x137px]]<br />
<br />
Dit plaatje is verouderd (dit was de setup aan de Villanovastraat). Tegenwoordig is het:<br />
<---Odido (5G)---| Odido router |<---eth--->| pfsense |<---eth--->| Netgear GS728TP |<---eth--->| Aruba APs... |<br />
<br />
=TODO=<br />
<br />
*Backup configs<br />
*Note passwords somewhere outside of this wiki<br />
*Spacenet<br />
<br />
=VLANs=<br />
<br />
*1 (of untagged) - management<br />
**dhcp-server op pfsense<br />
**10.138.1.0/24<br />
***10.138.1.1 pfsense<br />
***10.138.1.2 switch (dhcp, static assignment)<br />
*1336 - Park Winkelsteeg<br />
**dhcp-server op pfsense<br />
**10.138.65.0/24<br />
***10.138.65.1 pfsense<br />
*1337 - hsn<br />
**dhcp-server op pfsense<br />
**10.138.66.0/24<br />
***10.138.66.1 pfsense<br />
<br />
=Netgear GS728TP=<br />
<br />
*DHCP op untagged - krijgt static assignment 192.168.1.2 van pfsense<br />
*No IP on all other VLANs<br />
<br />
==Ports==<br />
<br />
*1 --> pfsense<br />
**vlan 1 (untagged)<br />
**vlan 1336<br />
**vlan 1337<br />
*2 --> accesspoint in de ruimte met de wc<br />
**vlan 1 (untagged)<br />
**vlan 1336<br />
**vlan 1337<br />
*3 --> accesspoint in de ruimte met de keuken<br />
**vlan 1 (untagged)<br />
**vlan 1336<br />
**vlan 1337<br />
*4 --> accesspoint Diana 1<br />
**vlan 1 (untagged)<br />
**vlan 1336<br />
**vlan 1337<br />
*5 --> accesspoint Diana 2<br />
**vlan 1 (untagged)<br />
**vlan 1336<br />
**vlan 1337<br />
<br />
=pfsense=<br />
In het serverhok staat een HP Z220 met daarop VMware ESXi, hostname "lastdrager". Op ESXi draait een VM genaamd "pfsense".<br />
<br />
Let op: als deze server bij booten niet doorstart en 6 piepjes geeft, dan komt dat doordat er een beeldscherm aangesloten moet zijn. DVI -> HDMI werkte daarvoor niet, DVI -> VGA wel.<br />
<br />
In de server zit een PCI-netwerkkaart die wordt gepassthrought naar de pfsense VM.<br />
*dhcp servers:<br />
**let erop dat je de pool start/end moet invullen, anders is de pool size 0 en krijg je geen leases<br />
**mgmt 10.138.1.0/24 (vanaf .10)<br />
**winkelsteeg 10.138.65.0/24 (vanaf .10)<br />
**hsn 10.138.66.0/24 (vanaf .10)<br />
<br />
==Ports==<br />
<br />
*eth0 wan --> Odido-router<br />
**dhcp client<br />
*eth1 lan --> netgear port 1 trunkport<br />
**vlan 1 (untagged, management, dhcp-server)<br />
**vlan 1336 (dhcp-server)<br />
**vlan 1337 (dhcp-server)<br />
*eth2<br />
**vlan 1 (untagged, management, dhcp-server)<br />
**vlan 1336 (dhcp-server)<br />
**vlan 1337 (dhcp-server)<br />
*eth3<br />
**vlan 1 (untagged, management, dhcp-server)<br />
**vlan 1336 (dhcp-server)<br />
**vlan 1337 (dhcp-server)<br />
*eth4<br />
**vlan 1 (untagged, management, dhcp-server)<br />
**vlan 1336 (dhcp-server)<br />
**vlan 1337 (dhcp-server)<br />
<br />
=Aruba Accesspoints=<br />
<br />
==Setup==<br />
<br />
*kies een poortje, zet in de tabel hierboven, hang AP eraan<br />
*default AP config is untagged management, dus AP krijgt automatisch een lease in het management subnet<br />
*AP vindt automatisch de huidige instant controller en trekt config daaruit</div>Sjors Gielenhttps://hackerspacenijmegen.nl/index.php?title=Netwerk&diff=2965Netwerk2026-03-28T16:50:27Z<p>Sjors Gielen: </p>
<hr />
<div>Deze pagina omschrijft de netwerkinfrastructuur aan de Winkelsteegseweg.<br />
<br />
=Overview=<br />
<br />
[[Bestand:Netwerkinfra.png|x137px]]<br />
<br />
Dit plaatje is verouderd (dit was de setup aan de Villanovastraat). Tegenwoordig is het:<br />
<---Odido (5G)---| Odido router |<---eth--->| pfsense |<---eth--->| Netgear GS728TP |<---eth--->| Aruba APs... |<br />
<br />
=TODO=<br />
<br />
*Backup configs<br />
*Note passwords somewhere outside of this wiki<br />
*Spacenet<br />
<br />
=VLANs=<br />
<br />
*1 (of untagged) - management<br />
**dhcp-server op pfsense<br />
**10.138.1.0/24<br />
***10.138.1.1 pfsense<br />
***10.138.1.2 switch (dhcp, static assignment)<br />
*1336 - Park Winkelsteeg<br />
**dhcp-server op pfsense<br />
**10.138.65.0/24<br />
***10.138.65.1 pfsense<br />
*1337 - hsn<br />
**dhcp-server op pfsense<br />
**10.138.66.0/24<br />
***10.138.66.1 pfsense<br />
<br />
=Netgear GS728TP=<br />
<br />
*DHCP op untagged - krijgt static assignment 192.168.1.2 van pfsense<br />
*No IP on all other VLANs<br />
<br />
==Ports==<br />
<br />
*1 --> pfsense<br />
**vlan 1 (untagged)<br />
**vlan 1336<br />
**vlan 1337<br />
*2 --> accesspoint in de ruimte met de wc<br />
**vlan 1 (untagged)<br />
**vlan 1336<br />
**vlan 1337<br />
*3 --> accesspoint in de ruimte met de keuken<br />
**vlan 1 (untagged)<br />
**vlan 1336<br />
**vlan 1337<br />
*4 --> accesspoint Diana 1<br />
**vlan 1 (untagged)<br />
**vlan 1336<br />
**vlan 1337<br />
*5 --> accesspoint Diana 2<br />
**vlan 1 (untagged)<br />
**vlan 1336<br />
**vlan 1337<br />
<br />
=pfsense=<br />
In het serverhok staat een HP Z220 met daarop VMware ESXi, hostname "lastdrager". Op ESXi draait een VM genaamd "pfsense".<br />
<br />
Let op: als deze server bij booten niet doorstart en 6 piepjes geeft, dan komt dat doordat er een beeldscherm aangesloten moet zijn. DVI -> HDMI werkte daarvoor niet, DVI -> VGA wel.<br />
<br />
In de server zit een PCI-netwerkkaart die wordt gepassthrought naar de pfsense VM.<br />
*dhcp servers:<br />
**let erop dat je de pool start/end moet invullen, anders is de pool size 0 en krijg je geen leases<br />
**mgmt 10.138.1.0/24 (vanaf .10)<br />
**winkelsteeg 10.138.65.0/24 (vanaf .10)<br />
**hsn 10.138.66.0/24 (vanaf .10)<br />
*in de config tree: service -> gui -> listen-address "10.138.1.1" zodat ie alleen bereikbaar is via management vlan<br />
<br />
==Ports==<br />
<br />
*eth0 wan --> Odido-router<br />
**dhcp client<br />
*eth1 lan --> netgear port 1 trunkport<br />
**vlan 1 (untagged, management, dhcp-server)<br />
**vlan 1336 (dhcp-server)<br />
**vlan 1337 (dhcp-server)<br />
*eth2<br />
**vlan 1 (untagged, management, dhcp-server)<br />
**vlan 1336 (dhcp-server)<br />
**vlan 1337 (dhcp-server)<br />
*eth3<br />
**vlan 1 (untagged, management, dhcp-server)<br />
**vlan 1336 (dhcp-server)<br />
**vlan 1337 (dhcp-server)<br />
*eth4<br />
**vlan 1 (untagged, management, dhcp-server)<br />
**vlan 1336 (dhcp-server)<br />
**vlan 1337 (dhcp-server)<br />
<br />
=Aruba Accesspoints=<br />
<br />
==Setup==<br />
<br />
*kies een poortje, zet in de tabel hierboven, hang AP eraan<br />
*default AP config is untagged management, dus AP krijgt automatisch een lease in het management subnet<br />
*AP vindt automatisch de huidige instant controller en trekt config daaruit</div>Sjors Gielenhttps://hackerspacenijmegen.nl/index.php?title=Netwerk&diff=2964Netwerk2026-03-28T14:40:35Z<p>Sjors Gielen: </p>
<hr />
<div>Deze pagina omschrijft de netwerkinfrastructuur aan de Winkelsteegseweg.<br />
<br />
=Overview=<br />
<br />
[[Bestand:Netwerkinfra.png|x137px]]<br />
<br />
Dit plaatje is verouderd (dit was de setup aan de Villanovastraat). Tegenwoordig is het:<br />
<---Odido (5G)---| Odido router |<---eth--->| pfsense |<---eth--->| Netgear GS728TP |<---eth--->| Aruba APs... |<br />
<br />
=TODO=<br />
<br />
*Backup configs<br />
*Note passwords somewhere outside of this wiki<br />
*Spacenet<br />
<br />
=VLANs=<br />
<br />
*1 (of untagged) - management<br />
**dhcp-server op pfsense<br />
**10.138.1.0/24<br />
***10.138.1.1 pfsense<br />
***10.138.1.2 switch (dhcp, static assignment)<br />
*1336 - Park Winkelsteeg<br />
**dhcp-server op pfsense<br />
**10.138.65.0/24<br />
***10.138.65.1 pfsense<br />
*1337 - hsn<br />
**dhcp-server op pfsense<br />
**10.138.66.0/24<br />
***10.138.66.1 pfsense<br />
<br />
=Netgear GS728TP=<br />
<br />
*DHCP op untagged - krijgt static assignment 192.168.1.2 van pfsense<br />
*No IP on all other VLANs<br />
<br />
==Ports==<br />
<br />
*1 --> pfsense<br />
**vlan 1 (untagged)<br />
**vlan 1336<br />
**vlan 1337<br />
*2 --> accesspoint in de ruimte met de wc<br />
**vlan 1 (untagged)<br />
**vlan 1336<br />
**vlan 1337<br />
*3 --> accesspoint in de ruimte met de keuken<br />
**vlan 1 (untagged)<br />
**vlan 1336<br />
**vlan 1337<br />
*4 --> accesspoint Diana 1<br />
**vlan 1 (untagged)<br />
**vlan 1336<br />
**vlan 1337<br />
*5 --> accesspoint Diana 2<br />
**vlan 1 (untagged)<br />
**vlan 1336<br />
**vlan 1337<br />
<br />
=pfsense=<br />
In het serverhok staat een HP Z220 met daarop VMware ESXi, hostname "lastdrager". Op ESXi draait een VM genaamd "pfsense".<br />
<br />
Let op: als deze server bij booten niet doorstart en 6 piepjes geeft, dan komt dat doordat er een beeldscherm aangesloten moet zijn. DVI -> HDMI werkte daarvoor niet, DVI -> VGA wel.<br />
<br />
In de server zit een PCI-netwerkkaart die wordt gepassthrought naar de pfsense VM.<br />
*dhcp servers:<br />
**let erop dat je de pool start/end moet invullen, anders is de pool size 0 en krijg je geen leases<br />
**mgmt 10.138.1.0/24 (vanaf .10)<br />
**winkelsteeg 10.138.65.0/24 (vanaf .10)<br />
**hsn 10.138.66.0/24 (vanaf .10)<br />
*in de config tree: service -> gui -> listen-address "10.138.1.1" zodat ie alleen bereikbaar is via management vlan<br />
<br />
==Ports==<br />
<br />
*eth0 wan --> Odido-router<br />
**dhcp client<br />
*eth1 lan --> netgear port 1 trunkport<br />
**vlan 1 (untagged, management, dhcp-server)<br />
**vlan 1336 (dhcp-server)<br />
**vlan 1337 (dhcp-server)<br />
*eth2<br />
**vlan 1 (untagged, management, dhcp-server)<br />
**vlan 1336 (dhcp-server)<br />
**vlan 1337 (dhcp-server)<br />
*eth3<br />
**vlan 1 (untagged, management, dhcp-server)<br />
**vlan 1336 (dhcp-server)<br />
**vlan 1337 (dhcp-server)<br />
*eth4<br />
**vlan 1 (untagged, management, dhcp-server)<br />
**vlan 1336 (dhcp-server)<br />
**vlan 1337 (dhcp-server)<br />
<br />
== Firewall ==<br />
Reject traffic from guest VLANs (winkelsteeg) to management VLAN:<br />
<br />
* Firewall/NAT -> Firewall/NAT Groups -> create "management" group, then Actions -> Config and set network "10.138.64.0/24" and save<br />
* Firewall Policies -> Add ruleset "GUEST_NET_LOCAL":<br />
** Description "Guest to router"<br />
** Default action DROP<br />
** add rule 1 "allow DNS" action Accept protocol TCP+UDP destination port 53<br />
** add rule 2 "allow DHCP" action Accept protocol UDP destination port 67<br />
** go to Interfaces and add switch0.1336 direction local, and switch0.1337 direction local<br />
* Firewall Policies -> Add ruleset "GUEST_NET_IN"<br />
** Description "From guest nets"<br />
** Default action ACCEPT<br />
** add rule 1 "drop guestnet to mgmt" action Drop protocol All protocols destination network group Management subnet<br />
** go to Interfaces and add switch0.1336 direction In, and switch0.1337 direction In<br />
<br />
Now, hosts on guest nets can use DHCP and DNS, but nothing else on the router; also, they can't access the management subnet at all.<br />
<br />
=Aruba Accesspoints=<br />
<br />
==Setup==<br />
<br />
*kies een poortje, zet in de tabel hierboven, hang AP eraan<br />
*default AP config is untagged management, dus AP krijgt automatisch een lease in het management subnet<br />
*AP vindt automatisch de huidige instant controller en trekt config daaruit<br />
<br />
==Individuele settings==<br />
Op de controller zijn alle APs online. Maak een nieuw wired network genaamd "passthrough" met:<br />
<br />
*Primary usage employee<br />
*PoE enabled<br />
*Admin status Up<br />
*Mode Access<br />
*Client IP Network Assigned<br />
*Access VLAN 1336 (villanova)<br />
*VLAN Assignment Rule "If AP-Name equals AP233 assign VLAN 1337" (AP233 is de accesspoint waar de netwerkkabel naar ons atelier doorheen lust)<br />
<br />
Stel "passthrough" in op alle wired poortjes behalve 0/0 (die blijft op default_wired_port_profile).</div>Sjors Gielenhttps://hackerspacenijmegen.nl/index.php?title=Netwerk&diff=2963Netwerk2026-03-28T14:05:37Z<p>Sjors Gielen: /* pfsense */</p>
<hr />
<div>Deze pagina omschrijft de netwerkinfrastructuur aan de Winkelsteegseweg.<br />
<br />
=Overview=<br />
<br />
[[Bestand:Netwerkinfra.png|x137px]]<br />
<br />
Dit plaatje is verouderd (dit was de setup aan de Villanovastraat). Tegenwoordig is het:<br />
<---Odido (5G)---| Odido router |<---eth--->| pfsense |<---eth--->| Netgear GS728TP |<---eth--->| Aruba APs... |<br />
<br />
=TODO=<br />
<br />
*Backup configs<br />
*Note passwords somewhere outside of this wiki<br />
*Spacenet<br />
<br />
=VLANs=<br />
<br />
*1 (of untagged) - management<br />
**dhcp-server op pfsense<br />
**10.138.1.0/24<br />
***10.138.1.1 pfsense<br />
***10.138.1.2 switch<br />
*1336 - Park Winkelsteeg<br />
**dhcp-server op pfsense<br />
**10.138.65.0/24<br />
***10.138.65.1 pfsense<br />
*1337 - hsn<br />
**dhcp-server op pfsense<br />
**10.138.66.0/24<br />
***10.138.66.1 pfsense<br />
<br />
=Netgear GS728TP=<br />
<br />
*Fixed to 10.138.1.2, untagged<br />
*No IP on all other VLANs<br />
<br />
==Ports==<br />
<br />
*1 --> pfsense<br />
**vlan 1 (untagged)<br />
**vlan 1336<br />
**vlan 1337<br />
*2 --> accesspoint in de ruimte met de wc<br />
**vlan 1 (untagged)<br />
**vlan 1336<br />
**vlan 1337<br />
*3 --> accesspoint in de ruimte met de keuken<br />
**vlan 1 (untagged)<br />
**vlan 1336<br />
**vlan 1337<br />
*4 --> accesspoint Diana 1<br />
**vlan 1 (untagged)<br />
**vlan 1336<br />
**vlan 1337<br />
*5 --> accesspoint Diana 2<br />
**vlan 1 (untagged)<br />
**vlan 1336<br />
**vlan 1337<br />
<br />
=pfsense=<br />
In het serverhok staat een HP Z220 met daarop VMware ESXi, hostname "lastdrager". Op ESXi draait een VM genaamd "pfsense".<br />
<br />
Let op: als deze server bij booten niet doorstart en 6 piepjes geeft, dan komt dat doordat er een beeldscherm aangesloten moet zijn. DVI -> HDMI werkte daarvoor niet, DVI -> VGA wel.<br />
<br />
In de server zit een PCI-netwerkkaart die wordt gepassthrought naar de pfsense VM.<br />
*dhcp servers:<br />
**let erop dat je de pool start/end moet invullen, anders is de pool size 0 en krijg je geen leases<br />
**mgmt 10.138.1.0/24 (vanaf .10)<br />
**winkelsteeg 10.138.65.0/24 (vanaf .10)<br />
**hsn 10.138.66.0/24 (vanaf .10)<br />
*in de config tree: service -> gui -> listen-address "10.138.1.1" zodat ie alleen bereikbaar is via management vlan<br />
<br />
==Ports==<br />
<br />
*eth0 wan --> Odido-router<br />
**dhcp client<br />
*eth1 lan --> netgear port 1 trunkport<br />
**vlan 1 (untagged, management, dhcp-server)<br />
**vlan 1336 (dhcp-server)<br />
**vlan 1337 (dhcp-server)<br />
*eth2<br />
**vlan 1 (untagged, management, dhcp-server)<br />
**vlan 1336 (dhcp-server)<br />
**vlan 1337 (dhcp-server)<br />
*eth3<br />
**vlan 1 (untagged, management, dhcp-server)<br />
**vlan 1336 (dhcp-server)<br />
**vlan 1337 (dhcp-server)<br />
*eth4<br />
**vlan 1 (untagged, management, dhcp-server)<br />
**vlan 1336 (dhcp-server)<br />
**vlan 1337 (dhcp-server)<br />
<br />
== Firewall ==<br />
Reject traffic from guest VLANs (winkelsteeg) to management VLAN:<br />
<br />
* Firewall/NAT -> Firewall/NAT Groups -> create "management" group, then Actions -> Config and set network "10.138.64.0/24" and save<br />
* Firewall Policies -> Add ruleset "GUEST_NET_LOCAL":<br />
** Description "Guest to router"<br />
** Default action DROP<br />
** add rule 1 "allow DNS" action Accept protocol TCP+UDP destination port 53<br />
** add rule 2 "allow DHCP" action Accept protocol UDP destination port 67<br />
** go to Interfaces and add switch0.1336 direction local, and switch0.1337 direction local<br />
* Firewall Policies -> Add ruleset "GUEST_NET_IN"<br />
** Description "From guest nets"<br />
** Default action ACCEPT<br />
** add rule 1 "drop guestnet to mgmt" action Drop protocol All protocols destination network group Management subnet<br />
** go to Interfaces and add switch0.1336 direction In, and switch0.1337 direction In<br />
<br />
Now, hosts on guest nets can use DHCP and DNS, but nothing else on the router; also, they can't access the management subnet at all.<br />
<br />
=Aruba Accesspoints=<br />
<br />
==Setup==<br />
<br />
*kies een poortje, zet in de tabel hierboven, hang AP eraan<br />
*default AP config is untagged management, dus AP krijgt automatisch een lease in het management subnet<br />
*AP vindt automatisch de huidige instant controller en trekt config daaruit<br />
<br />
==Individuele settings==<br />
Op de controller zijn alle APs online. Maak een nieuw wired network genaamd "passthrough" met:<br />
<br />
*Primary usage employee<br />
*PoE enabled<br />
*Admin status Up<br />
*Mode Access<br />
*Client IP Network Assigned<br />
*Access VLAN 1336 (villanova)<br />
*VLAN Assignment Rule "If AP-Name equals AP233 assign VLAN 1337" (AP233 is de accesspoint waar de netwerkkabel naar ons atelier doorheen lust)<br />
<br />
Stel "passthrough" in op alle wired poortjes behalve 0/0 (die blijft op default_wired_port_profile).</div>Sjors Gielenhttps://hackerspacenijmegen.nl/index.php?title=Netwerk&diff=2962Netwerk2026-03-28T14:04:59Z<p>Sjors Gielen: </p>
<hr />
<div>Deze pagina omschrijft de netwerkinfrastructuur aan de Winkelsteegseweg.<br />
<br />
=Overview=<br />
<br />
[[Bestand:Netwerkinfra.png|x137px]]<br />
<br />
Dit plaatje is verouderd (dit was de setup aan de Villanovastraat). Tegenwoordig is het:<br />
<---Odido (5G)---| Odido router |<---eth--->| pfsense |<---eth--->| Netgear GS728TP |<---eth--->| Aruba APs... |<br />
<br />
=TODO=<br />
<br />
*Backup configs<br />
*Note passwords somewhere outside of this wiki<br />
*Spacenet<br />
<br />
=VLANs=<br />
<br />
*1 (of untagged) - management<br />
**dhcp-server op pfsense<br />
**10.138.1.0/24<br />
***10.138.1.1 pfsense<br />
***10.138.1.2 switch<br />
*1336 - Park Winkelsteeg<br />
**dhcp-server op pfsense<br />
**10.138.65.0/24<br />
***10.138.65.1 pfsense<br />
*1337 - hsn<br />
**dhcp-server op pfsense<br />
**10.138.66.0/24<br />
***10.138.66.1 pfsense<br />
<br />
=Netgear GS728TP=<br />
<br />
*Fixed to 10.138.1.2, untagged<br />
*No IP on all other VLANs<br />
<br />
==Ports==<br />
<br />
*1 --> pfsense<br />
**vlan 1 (untagged)<br />
**vlan 1336<br />
**vlan 1337<br />
*2 --> accesspoint in de ruimte met de wc<br />
**vlan 1 (untagged)<br />
**vlan 1336<br />
**vlan 1337<br />
*3 --> accesspoint in de ruimte met de keuken<br />
**vlan 1 (untagged)<br />
**vlan 1336<br />
**vlan 1337<br />
*4 --> accesspoint Diana 1<br />
**vlan 1 (untagged)<br />
**vlan 1336<br />
**vlan 1337<br />
*5 --> accesspoint Diana 2<br />
**vlan 1 (untagged)<br />
**vlan 1336<br />
**vlan 1337<br />
<br />
=pfsense=<br />
In het serverhok staat een HP Z220 met daarop VMware ESXi, hostname "lastdrager". Op ESXi draait een VM genaamd "pfsense".<br />
<br />
In de server zit een PCI-netwerkkaart die wordt gepassthrought naar de pfsense VM.<br />
*dhcp servers:<br />
**let erop dat je de pool start/end moet invullen, anders is de pool size 0 en krijg je geen leases<br />
**mgmt 10.138.1.0/24 (vanaf .10)<br />
**winkelsteeg 10.138.65.0/24 (vanaf .10)<br />
**hsn 10.138.66.0/24 (vanaf .10)<br />
*in de config tree: service -> gui -> listen-address "10.138.1.1" zodat ie alleen bereikbaar is via management vlan<br />
<br />
==Ports==<br />
<br />
*eth0 wan --> Odido-router<br />
**dhcp client<br />
*eth1 lan --> netgear port 1 trunkport<br />
**vlan 1 (untagged, management, dhcp-server)<br />
**vlan 1336 (dhcp-server)<br />
**vlan 1337 (dhcp-server)<br />
*eth2<br />
**vlan 1 (untagged, management, dhcp-server)<br />
**vlan 1336 (dhcp-server)<br />
**vlan 1337 (dhcp-server)<br />
*eth3<br />
**vlan 1 (untagged, management, dhcp-server)<br />
**vlan 1336 (dhcp-server)<br />
**vlan 1337 (dhcp-server)<br />
*eth4<br />
**vlan 1 (untagged, management, dhcp-server)<br />
**vlan 1336 (dhcp-server)<br />
**vlan 1337 (dhcp-server)<br />
<br />
== Firewall ==<br />
Reject traffic from guest VLANs (winkelsteeg) to management VLAN:<br />
<br />
* Firewall/NAT -> Firewall/NAT Groups -> create "management" group, then Actions -> Config and set network "10.138.64.0/24" and save<br />
* Firewall Policies -> Add ruleset "GUEST_NET_LOCAL":<br />
** Description "Guest to router"<br />
** Default action DROP<br />
** add rule 1 "allow DNS" action Accept protocol TCP+UDP destination port 53<br />
** add rule 2 "allow DHCP" action Accept protocol UDP destination port 67<br />
** go to Interfaces and add switch0.1336 direction local, and switch0.1337 direction local<br />
* Firewall Policies -> Add ruleset "GUEST_NET_IN"<br />
** Description "From guest nets"<br />
** Default action ACCEPT<br />
** add rule 1 "drop guestnet to mgmt" action Drop protocol All protocols destination network group Management subnet<br />
** go to Interfaces and add switch0.1336 direction In, and switch0.1337 direction In<br />
<br />
Now, hosts on guest nets can use DHCP and DNS, but nothing else on the router; also, they can't access the management subnet at all.<br />
<br />
=Aruba Accesspoints=<br />
<br />
==Setup==<br />
<br />
*kies een poortje, zet in de tabel hierboven, hang AP eraan<br />
*default AP config is untagged management, dus AP krijgt automatisch een lease in het management subnet<br />
*AP vindt automatisch de huidige instant controller en trekt config daaruit<br />
<br />
==Individuele settings==<br />
Op de controller zijn alle APs online. Maak een nieuw wired network genaamd "passthrough" met:<br />
<br />
*Primary usage employee<br />
*PoE enabled<br />
*Admin status Up<br />
*Mode Access<br />
*Client IP Network Assigned<br />
*Access VLAN 1336 (villanova)<br />
*VLAN Assignment Rule "If AP-Name equals AP233 assign VLAN 1337" (AP233 is de accesspoint waar de netwerkkabel naar ons atelier doorheen lust)<br />
<br />
Stel "passthrough" in op alle wired poortjes behalve 0/0 (die blijft op default_wired_port_profile).</div>Sjors Gielenhttps://hackerspacenijmegen.nl/index.php?title=Netwerk&diff=2961Netwerk2026-03-28T13:13:55Z<p>Sjors Gielen: </p>
<hr />
<div>Deze pagina omschrijft de netwerkinfrastructuur aan de Winkelsteegseweg.<br />
<br />
=Overview=<br />
<br />
[[Bestand:Netwerkinfra.png|x137px]]<br />
<br />
Dit plaatje is verouderd (dit was de setup aan de Villanovastraat). Tegenwoordig is het:<br />
<---Odido (5G)---| Odido router |<---eth--->| pfsense |<---eth--->| Netgear GS728TP |<---eth--->| Aruba APs... |<br />
<br />
=TODO=<br />
<br />
*Backup configs<br />
*Note passwords somewhere outside of this wiki<br />
*Spacenet<br />
<br />
=VLANs=<br />
<br />
*1 (of untagged) - management<br />
**dhcp-server op pfsense<br />
**10.138.1.0/24<br />
***10.138.1.1 pfsense<br />
***10.138.1.2 switch<br />
*1336 - Park Winkelsteeg<br />
**dhcp-server op pfsense<br />
**10.138.65.0/24<br />
***10.138.65.1 pfsense<br />
*1337 - hsn<br />
**dhcp-server op pfsense<br />
**10.138.66.0/24<br />
***10.138.66.1 pfsense<br />
<br />
=Netgear GS728TP=<br />
<br />
*Fixed to 10.138.1.2, untagged<br />
*No IP on all other VLANs<br />
<br />
==Ports==<br />
<br />
*1 --> pfsense<br />
**vlan 1 (untagged)<br />
**vlan 1336<br />
**vlan 1337<br />
*2 --> accesspoint in de ruimte met de wc<br />
**vlan 1 (untagged)<br />
**vlan 1336<br />
**vlan 1337<br />
*3 --> accesspoint in de ruimte met de keuken<br />
**vlan 1 (untagged)<br />
**vlan 1336<br />
**vlan 1337<br />
*4 --> accesspoint Diana 1<br />
**vlan 1 (untagged)<br />
**vlan 1336<br />
**vlan 1337<br />
*5 --> accesspoint Diana 2<br />
**vlan 1 (untagged)<br />
**vlan 1336<br />
**vlan 1337<br />
<br />
=pfsense=<br />
<br />
*dhcp servers:<br />
**let erop dat je de pool start/end moet invullen, anders is de pool size 0 en krijg je geen leases<br />
**mgmt 10.138.1.0/24 (vanaf .10)<br />
**winkelsteeg 10.138.65.0/24 (vanaf .10)<br />
**hsn 10.138.66.0/24 (vanaf .10)<br />
*in de config tree: service -> gui -> listen-address "10.138.1.1" zodat ie alleen bereikbaar is via management vlan<br />
<br />
==Ports==<br />
<br />
*eth0 wan --> Odido-router<br />
**dhcp client<br />
*eth1 lan --> netgear port 1 trunkport<br />
**vlan 1 (untagged, management, dhcp-server)<br />
**vlan 1336 (dhcp-server)<br />
**vlan 1337 (dhcp-server)<br />
*eth2<br />
**vlan 1 (untagged, management, dhcp-server)<br />
**vlan 1336 (dhcp-server)<br />
**vlan 1337 (dhcp-server)<br />
*eth3<br />
**vlan 1 (untagged, management, dhcp-server)<br />
**vlan 1336 (dhcp-server)<br />
**vlan 1337 (dhcp-server)<br />
*eth4<br />
**vlan 1 (untagged, management, dhcp-server)<br />
**vlan 1336 (dhcp-server)<br />
**vlan 1337 (dhcp-server)<br />
<br />
== Firewall ==<br />
Reject traffic from guest VLANs (winkelsteeg) to management VLAN:<br />
<br />
* Firewall/NAT -> Firewall/NAT Groups -> create "management" group, then Actions -> Config and set network "10.138.64.0/24" and save<br />
* Firewall Policies -> Add ruleset "GUEST_NET_LOCAL":<br />
** Description "Guest to router"<br />
** Default action DROP<br />
** add rule 1 "allow DNS" action Accept protocol TCP+UDP destination port 53<br />
** add rule 2 "allow DHCP" action Accept protocol UDP destination port 67<br />
** go to Interfaces and add switch0.1336 direction local, and switch0.1337 direction local<br />
* Firewall Policies -> Add ruleset "GUEST_NET_IN"<br />
** Description "From guest nets"<br />
** Default action ACCEPT<br />
** add rule 1 "drop guestnet to mgmt" action Drop protocol All protocols destination network group Management subnet<br />
** go to Interfaces and add switch0.1336 direction In, and switch0.1337 direction In<br />
<br />
Now, hosts on guest nets can use DHCP and DNS, but nothing else on the router; also, they can't access the management subnet at all.<br />
<br />
=Aruba Accesspoints=<br />
<br />
==Setup==<br />
<br />
*kies een poortje, zet in de tabel hierboven, hang AP eraan<br />
*default AP config is untagged management, dus AP krijgt automatisch een lease in het management subnet<br />
*AP vindt automatisch de huidige instant controller en trekt config daaruit<br />
<br />
==Individuele settings==<br />
Op de controller zijn alle APs online. Maak een nieuw wired network genaamd "passthrough" met:<br />
<br />
*Primary usage employee<br />
*PoE enabled<br />
*Admin status Up<br />
*Mode Access<br />
*Client IP Network Assigned<br />
*Access VLAN 1336 (villanova)<br />
*VLAN Assignment Rule "If AP-Name equals AP233 assign VLAN 1337" (AP233 is de accesspoint waar de netwerkkabel naar ons atelier doorheen lust)<br />
<br />
Stel "passthrough" in op alle wired poortjes behalve 0/0 (die blijft op default_wired_port_profile).</div>Sjors Gielenhttps://hackerspacenijmegen.nl/index.php?title=Projects:Making_cola&diff=2960Projects:Making cola2026-03-25T16:13:06Z<p>Sjors Gielen: /* Tools */</p>
<hr />
<div>[[Bestand:Schermafbeelding 2026-03-25 om 11.02.33.png|miniatuur]]<br />
[[Bestand:Schermafbeelding 2026-03-25 om 11.02.10.png|miniatuur]]<br />
I (Sjors) recently saw this video by LabCoatz reverse engineering the Coca-Cola recipe using (among other techniques) a mass spectrometer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDkH3EbWTYc<br />
<br />
Now I'm a bit of a Coca-Cola addict, so I'm intrigued and want to reproduce it.<br />
<br />
Perhaps once we've done this we can also make [[wikipedia:Open-source_cola|other kinds of cola]], like Toyen Cola, which has its recipe on the back. We could even do a taste test!<br />
<br />
== Overview ==<br />
LabCoatz calls the end product of their recipe '''LabCola'''. One liter of LabCola is built off of four components:<br />
<br />
* around 100g sugar<br />
* 1mL of flavor solution A<br />
* 10 mL of flavor solution B<br />
* around 1 liter of carbonated water<br />
<br />
Flavor solution A is made by adding the following components together (~100mL), then taking 20 mL from that and diluting to 1L using 95% ethanol:<br />
<br />
* 45.8mL lemon oil<br />
* 36.5mL lime oil<br />
* 8mL tea tree oil (from Australian tea tree, Melaleuca Alternifolia)<br />
* 4.5mL cassia cinnamon oil<br />
* 2.7mL nutmeg oil<br />
* 1.2mL orange oil (regular sweet orange)<br />
* 0.7mL coriander oil<br />
* 0.6mL fenchol (any version of alpha-fenchol should work)<br />
<br />
Flavor solution B is made by adding the following components together (~400mL), then diluting to 1L using water:<br />
<br />
* 185mL Durkee caramel color<br />
* 150 grams food-grade vegetable glycerin<br />
* 43mL 85% phosphoric acid<br />
* 10 grams wine tannin<br />
* 9.65 grams caffeine<br />
* 10mL 5% vinegar<br />
* 10mL vanilla extract (or a solution containing 0.95 grams per liter of vanillin)<br />
<br />
It's important to note that this is '''not''' '''the Coca-Cola recipe''', which uses coca leaf extract. It is supposed to be quite close, though.<br />
<br />
== Tools ==<br />
<br />
* Mass scale<br />
** Max measurement is 150g, most precise measurement is 9.65g<br />
** possible source: Michiel may have one, Mats as well<br />
** possible source: €14,20 https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/precisie-weegschaal-0-01-gram-keukenweegschaal-digitaal-milligram-precisieweegschaal-pocket-weegschaal-sieraden-weegschaal/9300000031220365/<br />
** possible source: €29 https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/trendfield-precisie-weegschaal-0-001-gr-nauwkeurig-digitale-keukenweegschaal-inclusief-batterijen-zwart/9200000111011750/<br />
** possible source: €139,15 https://www.labshop.nl/schoolweegschaal-efs-500-2/<br />
* micropipette + tips<br />
** ideally an [https://www.merkala.nl/minipet-var-microliterpipet.html adjustable micropipette], but these are quite expensive (€100+)<br />
** fixed 100µL micropipette is cheaper, €25 https://www.merkala.nl/minipet-microliterpipet.html<br />
** could also get a few [https://www.kruidvat.nl/kruidvat-doseerspuit/p/2335439 doseerspuit] at Kruidvat, €2, precision should be somewhere between 0.1mL and 0.5mL<br />
** setje graduated pipettes €15,85 https://www.amazon.nl/pipetten-Graduated-Reinigingsborstel-Roerstaaf-Laboratorium/dp/B07V3VC7YZ<br />
* 50 mL graduated cilinder<br />
** €14,74 https://www.labshop.nl/maatcilinder-hoog-model-klasse-a-bruine-schaalverdeling/?attribute_pa_volume=10-ml<br />
* some 1L storage bottles<br />
** I'll produce 100 mL of pre-solution A, then dilute that into 1L of solution A and store the rest of the 80mL separately. Solution B is 1L at a time, so I'll need 3 storage bottles.<br />
** https://www.labshop.nl/labfles-glas-blank-gl45-blauw-simax/<br />
** €12,40 * 3 = €37,20<br />
* heat-resistant glassware for preparing the syrup (1L)<br />
** €9,23 https://www.labshop.nl/bekerglas-laag-model/<br />
** Ø 105mm, dus dekglaasje ~€16 https://www.labshop.nl/horlogeglas-10-stuks/ maar afdekken kan misschien ook wel met folie?<br />
* magnetic stirrer for mixing<br />
** €133,10 https://www.labshop.nl/mini-magnetische-roerder-rotilabo-m-3/<br />
** possible source: Michiel has one<br />
* 100mL volumetric flask to make the dilution steps easier<br />
** for pre-solution A<br />
** €22,63 https://www.labshop.nl/maatkolf/?attribute_pa_volume=100-ml-ns12-21-klasse-a<br />
* water carbonator / sodastream<br />
** Sjors has this at home<br />
* gloves / safety glasses<br />
** €8,75 https://www.werkenmetmerken.nl/nl/chemisch_bestendige_werkhandschoen/p/9489<br />
** but probably already present<br />
<br />
<br />
If we don't need to buy the mass scale nor magnetic stirrer, tools come out to approximately €125.<br />
<br />
== Ingedients ==<br />
{| class="wikitable"<br />
|+<br />
!Ingredient<br />
!Source link<br />
!Quantity<br />
!Quantity necessary<br />
!Order amount<br />
!Price per piece<br />
!Price total<br />
!Makes L solution<sup>12</sup><br />
!Makes L cola<br />
!Price per L cola<br />
|-<br />
|'''Overall'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Sugar<br />
|Supermarket<br />
|<br />
|Around 100g<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Carbonated water<br />
|Self-made<br />
|<br />
|Around 1L<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|'''Flavor solution A'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Food-grade 95% alcohol<br />
|[https://www.topdrinks.de/navimer-alcohol-pur-glas-1ltr Topdrinks.de]<br />
|1L<br />
|1L<br />
|1<br />
|€23,50<br />
|€23,50<br />
|1L<br />
|1 kL<br />
|2.35 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Lemon oil<br />
|[https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-lemon-oil-30-ml Bodystore]<br />
|30mL<br />
|45.8mL<br />
|2<br />
|€7,59<br />
|€15,18<br />
|6,55L<br />
|6,55 kL<br />
|0,23 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Lime oil<br />
|[https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-essential-oils-lime Bodystore]<br />
|30mL<br />
|36.5mL<br />
|2<br />
|€7,99<br />
|€15,98<br />
|8,22L<br />
|8,22 kL<br />
|0,19 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Tea tree oil<br />
|[https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-tea-tree-oil-30-ml Bodystore]<br />
|30mL<br />
|8mL<br />
|1<br />
|€9,99<br />
|€9,99<br />
|18,75L<br />
|18,75 kL<br />
|0,05 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Cassia cinnamon oil<br />
|[https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-cinnamon-cassia-oil-30-ml Bodystore]<br />
|30mL<br />
|4,5mL<br />
|1<br />
|€8,90<br />
|€8,90<br />
|33,33L<br />
|33,33 kL<br />
|0,03 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Nutmeg oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-nutmeg-1-fl-oz-30-ml/941 iHerb]<br />
|30mL<br />
|2.7mL<br />
|1<br />
|€13,97<br />
|€13,97<br />
|55,56L<br />
|55,56 kL<br />
|0,03 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Orange oil<br />
|[https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-orange-oil-30-ml?sqr=orange%20oil Bodystore]<br />
|30mL<br />
|1.2mL<br />
|1<br />
|€4,99<br />
|€4,99<br />
|125L<br />
|125 kL<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Coriander oil<br />
|[https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/koriander-olie-puur-biologisch-natuurlijk-5ml/9300000188330683/ bol.com]<br />
|5mL<br />
|0.7mL<br />
|1<br />
|€20,95<br />
|€20,95<br />
|35,71L<br />
|35,71 kL<br />
|0,06 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Fenchol<br />
|[https://pellwall.com/products/fenchol Pellwall] (UK)<br />
lijken een orderstop te hebben?<br />
alternatief: [https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/227211376456 eBay] of [https://pevgrow.com/en/fenchol-arae.html pevgrow] (€27,90 incl shipping?) of [https://terpenes-uk.co.uk/products/fenchol-natural terpenes] (£32 incl shipping)<br />
|5g (~5mL?)<br />
|0.6mL<br />
|1<br />
|£7 + shipping<br />
|~€8 ?<br />
|42L<br />
|42 kL<br />
|0,02 cents<br />
|-<br />
|'''Total flavor solution A'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|~ €120<br />
|1L<br />
|1kL<br />
|€0,03 when produced at scale<br />
€0,12 for first liter<br />
|-<br />
|'''Flavor solution B'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Durkee caramel color<br />
|[https://pantryful.com/products/durkee-caramel-food-color-32-oz Pantryful]<br />
|32 oz. (946 mL)<br />
|185mL<br />
|1<br />
|$14 + shipping<br />
|~€12?<br />
|5,11L<br />
|511L<br />
|2,3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Food-grade vegetable glycerin<br />
|[https://www.labshop.nl/glycerol-glycerine-995/?attribute_pa_volume=1-l Labshop]alternative: [https://www.werkenmetmerken.nl/nl/glycerine_99_5_foodgrade/p/20904 werkenmetmerken.nl] (€9 for 1L)<br />
|1L<br />
|150g (~150mL?)<br />
|1<br />
|€12,04<br />
|€12,04<br />
|6,66L<br />
|666L<br />
|2 cents<br />
|-<br />
|85% Phosphoric acid<br />
|[https://www.labshop.nl/fosforzuur-85-nvp/ Labshop]<br />
|1L<br />
|43mL<br />
|1<br />
|€20,27<br />
|€20,27<br />
|23,26L<br />
|2326L<br />
|0,8 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Wine tannin<br />
|[https://brouwland.com/nl/eikenhouten-chips/195-tannine-vinoferm-tannorouge-20-g.html Brouwland]<br />
|20g<br />
|10g<br />
|1<br />
|€5,99<br />
|€5,99<br />
|2L<br />
|200L<br />
|3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Caffeine powder<br />
|[https://voordeelkruiden.nl/cafeine-poeder/ Voordeelkruiden]If we want more: [https://woele.nl/product/cafeine-poeder-pharma-grade-250g/ Woele]<br />
|50g<br />
|9,65g<br />
|1<br />
|€2,60<br />
|€2,60<br />
|5,18L<br />
|518L<br />
|0,5 cents<br />
|-<br />
|5% vinegar<br />
|Supermarket<br />
(Double check 5%!)<br />
|1L<br />
|10mL<br />
|1<br />
|€0,99<br />
|€0,99<br />
|100L<br />
|10kL<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Vanilla extract<br />
|[https://producten.makro.nl/shop/pv/BTY-X742890/0032/0021/Nomu-Vanille-Extract-50-ml Makro.nl]<br />
|50mL<br />
|10mL<br />
|1<br />
|€15,19<br />
|€15,19<br />
|5L<br />
|500L<br />
|3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|'''Total flavor solution B'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|~ €70<br />
|2L<br />
|200 L<br />
|€0,11 when produced at scale<br />
€0,35 for first liter<br />
|}<br />
(1) The essential oils in solution A, quantities as under "Quantity necessary", together make 100mL of pre-solution. "Flavor solution A" then consists of 20 mL of pre-solution, diluted to 1L using alcohol. So for each mL of essential oil in the pre-solution, a fifth (0.2 mL) goes into a liter of the actual solution. So quantity times order amount is the amount of ingredients we have, divided by quantity necessary is the amount of 100mL pre-solution we can make with the order. We can make 5L of solution with that, so the formula is: (quantity * order amount * 5) / (quantity necessary). Since 1mL of solution A goes into a L of cola, 1L solution makes 1000L cola.<br />
<br />
(2) For solution B, the ingredients together make about 400mL of pre-solution. "Flavor solution B" then consists of those 400 mL, diluted to 1L using water. So the "quantity necessary" goes directly into 1L of "Flavor solution B". Since order amount is 1 for all of these, the formula is: quantity / (quantity necessary). Since 10mL of solution B goes into a L of cola, 1L solution makes 100L cola.<br />
<br />
== Expiry ==<br />
After the first batch I'll have a liter of solution A, which is almost fully alcohol, so I expect it not to expire at all. This bottle is good for a thousand liters of cola, which is probably enough for a lifetime.<br />
<br />
I'll also have 80 mL of pre-solution A, which I'll store separately. I also expect it not to expire, but to be sure, I could add alcohol to this as well, and label the bottle as such so I know exactly how much diluted pre-solution contains 20 mL of the original pre-solution.<br />
<br />
As for solution B, I'm not sure but I expect that will expire faster. The original ingredients probably don't expire if closed well? If I make 1L that's enough for 100 L of cola, which probably lasts a few months unless it's really popular.<br />
<br />
Knowing nothing at all about food safety I asked Claude for secondary advice. ("This is a cola syrup, isn't it?") They said the solution A mixture would remain ''safe'' indefinitely, but chemical degradation would affect aroma over the years; they advise to reduce air in the bottle, reduce repeated opening (freshening of the oxygen), reduce heat and reduce light exposure. With that, realistically expiry could be pushed well beyond 5 years. For solution B, they said microbial stability is also very good due to the phosphoric acid (1.0-1.5 pH). Again, chemical degradation is the limiting factor. Sealed, room temperature and out of light, Claude expects 12-18 months for peak flavor, and "probably safe well beyond that". It says the main thing to watch out for is sediment from the tannin, and flavor decreasing. Neither makes it unsafe. Commercial cola syrups like this one carry 6-12 month best-by dates, and it says our threshold for "still good" may be more forgiving.<br />
<br />
As for the original ingredient bottles, I should check if they are labeled with best-before dates and label them with the date I first opened them. Claude says the essential oils are most perishable; they will degrade in 6-12 months. For vanilla extract it's often commercially dated 2-4 years. All other things are either really easily purchaseable or very long-lived (5+ years).<br />
<br />
Conclusion:<br />
<br />
* Keep the bottles at room temperature (or colder), in the dark, and with little air headspace in the bottle.<br />
* For the solution A bottles, I'll mark them with their production date and "expected best before date" of 5 years.<br />
* For the solution B bottles, I'll mark them with their production date and "expected best before date" of 12 months.<br />
* For the original ingredient bottles, I'll store them the same way. I could consider making more pre-solution with alcohol for preservation.<br />
<br />
== Financial overview ==<br />
This is a hobby project, so it's OK if it costs money and isn't cost-effective. However, I wanted to get an overview for myself.<br />
<br />
Initial, one-time investment into tools is €125. The initial investments into ingredients for the first run is ~€200. With some margin, that means the first batch costs €350 and we can produce around 200 liters of cola from this. If it tastes great and is popular and people want to drink it instead of Coca-Cola, I could sell it at a cost price of €1,75 per liter.<br />
<br />
If we actually (expect to) make more than 200 liters, then for the next 200 liters I'd only need to purchase additional wine tannin. So for the first batch of 400 liters, at a cost of €350, it'd already be €0,88 per liter. So that's what the price becomes if it turns out to be quite popular. Eventually, if it's ''really'' popular it would cost €0,14 for the flavor solutions, plus some sugar and carbonated water.</div>Sjors Gielenhttps://hackerspacenijmegen.nl/index.php?title=Projects:Making_cola&diff=2959Projects:Making cola2026-03-25T16:11:16Z<p>Sjors Gielen: /* Ingedients */</p>
<hr />
<div>[[Bestand:Schermafbeelding 2026-03-25 om 11.02.33.png|miniatuur]]<br />
[[Bestand:Schermafbeelding 2026-03-25 om 11.02.10.png|miniatuur]]<br />
I (Sjors) recently saw this video by LabCoatz reverse engineering the Coca-Cola recipe using (among other techniques) a mass spectrometer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDkH3EbWTYc<br />
<br />
Now I'm a bit of a Coca-Cola addict, so I'm intrigued and want to reproduce it.<br />
<br />
Perhaps once we've done this we can also make [[wikipedia:Open-source_cola|other kinds of cola]], like Toyen Cola, which has its recipe on the back. We could even do a taste test!<br />
<br />
== Overview ==<br />
LabCoatz calls the end product of their recipe '''LabCola'''. One liter of LabCola is built off of four components:<br />
<br />
* around 100g sugar<br />
* 1mL of flavor solution A<br />
* 10 mL of flavor solution B<br />
* around 1 liter of carbonated water<br />
<br />
Flavor solution A is made by adding the following components together (~100mL), then taking 20 mL from that and diluting to 1L using 95% ethanol:<br />
<br />
* 45.8mL lemon oil<br />
* 36.5mL lime oil<br />
* 8mL tea tree oil (from Australian tea tree, Melaleuca Alternifolia)<br />
* 4.5mL cassia cinnamon oil<br />
* 2.7mL nutmeg oil<br />
* 1.2mL orange oil (regular sweet orange)<br />
* 0.7mL coriander oil<br />
* 0.6mL fenchol (any version of alpha-fenchol should work)<br />
<br />
Flavor solution B is made by adding the following components together (~400mL), then diluting to 1L using water:<br />
<br />
* 185mL Durkee caramel color<br />
* 150 grams food-grade vegetable glycerin<br />
* 43mL 85% phosphoric acid<br />
* 10 grams wine tannin<br />
* 9.65 grams caffeine<br />
* 10mL 5% vinegar<br />
* 10mL vanilla extract (or a solution containing 0.95 grams per liter of vanillin)<br />
<br />
It's important to note that this is '''not''' '''the Coca-Cola recipe''', which uses coca leaf extract. It is supposed to be quite close, though.<br />
<br />
== Tools ==<br />
<br />
* Mass scale<br />
** Max measurement is 150g, most precise measurement is 9.65g<br />
** possible source: Michiel may have one, Mats as well<br />
** possible source: €14,20 https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/precisie-weegschaal-0-01-gram-keukenweegschaal-digitaal-milligram-precisieweegschaal-pocket-weegschaal-sieraden-weegschaal/9300000031220365/<br />
** possible source: €29 https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/trendfield-precisie-weegschaal-0-001-gr-nauwkeurig-digitale-keukenweegschaal-inclusief-batterijen-zwart/9200000111011750/<br />
** possible source: €139,15 https://www.labshop.nl/schoolweegschaal-efs-500-2/<br />
* micropipette + tips<br />
** ideally an [https://www.merkala.nl/minipet-var-microliterpipet.html adjustable micropipette], but these are quite expensive (€100+)<br />
** fixed 100µL micropipette is cheaper, €25 https://www.merkala.nl/minipet-microliterpipet.html<br />
** could also get a few [https://www.kruidvat.nl/kruidvat-doseerspuit/p/2335439 doseerspuit] at Kruidvat, €2, precision should be somewhere between 0.1mL and 0.5mL<br />
** setje graduated pipettes €15,85 https://www.amazon.nl/pipetten-Graduated-Reinigingsborstel-Roerstaaf-Laboratorium/dp/B07V3VC7YZ<br />
* 50 mL graduated cilinder<br />
** €14,74 https://www.labshop.nl/maatcilinder-hoog-model-klasse-a-bruine-schaalverdeling/?attribute_pa_volume=10-ml<br />
* some 1L storage bottles<br />
** I'll produce 100 mL of pre-solution A, then dilute that into 1L of solution A and store the rest of the 80mL separately. Solution B is 1L at a time, so I'll need 3 storage bottles.<br />
** https://www.labshop.nl/labfles-glas-blank-gl45-blauw-simax/<br />
** €12,40 * 3 = €37,20<br />
* heat-resistant glassware for preparing the syrup (1L)<br />
** €9,23 https://www.labshop.nl/bekerglas-laag-model/<br />
** Ø 105mm, dus dekglaasje ~€16 https://www.labshop.nl/horlogeglas-10-stuks/ maar afdekken kan misschien ook wel met folie?<br />
* magnetic stirrer for mixing<br />
** €133,10 https://www.labshop.nl/mini-magnetische-roerder-rotilabo-m-3/<br />
** possible source: Michiel has one<br />
* 100mL volumetric flask to make the dilution steps easier<br />
** for pre-solution A<br />
** €22,63 https://www.labshop.nl/maatkolf/?attribute_pa_volume=100-ml-ns12-21-klasse-a<br />
* water carbonator / sodastream<br />
** Sjors has this at home<br />
<br />
<br />
If we don't need to buy the mass scale nor magnetic stirrer, tools come out to approximately €125.<br />
<br />
== Ingedients ==<br />
{| class="wikitable"<br />
|+<br />
!Ingredient<br />
!Source link<br />
!Quantity<br />
!Quantity necessary<br />
!Order amount<br />
!Price per piece<br />
!Price total<br />
!Makes L solution<sup>12</sup><br />
!Makes L cola<br />
!Price per L cola<br />
|-<br />
|'''Overall'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Sugar<br />
|Supermarket<br />
|<br />
|Around 100g<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Carbonated water<br />
|Self-made<br />
|<br />
|Around 1L<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|'''Flavor solution A'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Food-grade 95% alcohol<br />
|[https://www.topdrinks.de/navimer-alcohol-pur-glas-1ltr Topdrinks.de]<br />
|1L<br />
|1L<br />
|1<br />
|€23,50<br />
|€23,50<br />
|1L<br />
|1 kL<br />
|2.35 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Lemon oil<br />
|[https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-lemon-oil-30-ml Bodystore]<br />
|30mL<br />
|45.8mL<br />
|2<br />
|€7,59<br />
|€15,18<br />
|6,55L<br />
|6,55 kL<br />
|0,23 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Lime oil<br />
|[https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-essential-oils-lime Bodystore]<br />
|30mL<br />
|36.5mL<br />
|2<br />
|€7,99<br />
|€15,98<br />
|8,22L<br />
|8,22 kL<br />
|0,19 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Tea tree oil<br />
|[https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-tea-tree-oil-30-ml Bodystore]<br />
|30mL<br />
|8mL<br />
|1<br />
|€9,99<br />
|€9,99<br />
|18,75L<br />
|18,75 kL<br />
|0,05 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Cassia cinnamon oil<br />
|[https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-cinnamon-cassia-oil-30-ml Bodystore]<br />
|30mL<br />
|4,5mL<br />
|1<br />
|€8,90<br />
|€8,90<br />
|33,33L<br />
|33,33 kL<br />
|0,03 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Nutmeg oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-nutmeg-1-fl-oz-30-ml/941 iHerb]<br />
|30mL<br />
|2.7mL<br />
|1<br />
|€13,97<br />
|€13,97<br />
|55,56L<br />
|55,56 kL<br />
|0,03 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Orange oil<br />
|[https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-orange-oil-30-ml?sqr=orange%20oil Bodystore]<br />
|30mL<br />
|1.2mL<br />
|1<br />
|€4,99<br />
|€4,99<br />
|125L<br />
|125 kL<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Coriander oil<br />
|[https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/koriander-olie-puur-biologisch-natuurlijk-5ml/9300000188330683/ bol.com]<br />
|5mL<br />
|0.7mL<br />
|1<br />
|€20,95<br />
|€20,95<br />
|35,71L<br />
|35,71 kL<br />
|0,06 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Fenchol<br />
|[https://pellwall.com/products/fenchol Pellwall] (UK)<br />
lijken een orderstop te hebben?<br />
alternatief: [https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/227211376456 eBay] of [https://pevgrow.com/en/fenchol-arae.html pevgrow] (€27,90 incl shipping?) of [https://terpenes-uk.co.uk/products/fenchol-natural terpenes] (£32 incl shipping)<br />
|5g (~5mL?)<br />
|0.6mL<br />
|1<br />
|£7 + shipping<br />
|~€8 ?<br />
|42L<br />
|42 kL<br />
|0,02 cents<br />
|-<br />
|'''Total flavor solution A'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|~ €120<br />
|1L<br />
|1kL<br />
|€0,03 when produced at scale<br />
€0,12 for first liter<br />
|-<br />
|'''Flavor solution B'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Durkee caramel color<br />
|[https://pantryful.com/products/durkee-caramel-food-color-32-oz Pantryful]<br />
|32 oz. (946 mL)<br />
|185mL<br />
|1<br />
|$14 + shipping<br />
|~€12?<br />
|5,11L<br />
|511L<br />
|2,3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Food-grade vegetable glycerin<br />
|[https://www.labshop.nl/glycerol-glycerine-995/?attribute_pa_volume=1-l Labshop]alternative: [https://www.werkenmetmerken.nl/nl/glycerine_99_5_foodgrade/p/20904 werkenmetmerken.nl] (€9 for 1L)<br />
|1L<br />
|150g (~150mL?)<br />
|1<br />
|€12,04<br />
|€12,04<br />
|6,66L<br />
|666L<br />
|2 cents<br />
|-<br />
|85% Phosphoric acid<br />
|[https://www.labshop.nl/fosforzuur-85-nvp/ Labshop]<br />
|1L<br />
|43mL<br />
|1<br />
|€20,27<br />
|€20,27<br />
|23,26L<br />
|2326L<br />
|0,8 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Wine tannin<br />
|[https://brouwland.com/nl/eikenhouten-chips/195-tannine-vinoferm-tannorouge-20-g.html Brouwland]<br />
|20g<br />
|10g<br />
|1<br />
|€5,99<br />
|€5,99<br />
|2L<br />
|200L<br />
|3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Caffeine powder<br />
|[https://voordeelkruiden.nl/cafeine-poeder/ Voordeelkruiden]If we want more: [https://woele.nl/product/cafeine-poeder-pharma-grade-250g/ Woele]<br />
|50g<br />
|9,65g<br />
|1<br />
|€2,60<br />
|€2,60<br />
|5,18L<br />
|518L<br />
|0,5 cents<br />
|-<br />
|5% vinegar<br />
|Supermarket<br />
(Double check 5%!)<br />
|1L<br />
|10mL<br />
|1<br />
|€0,99<br />
|€0,99<br />
|100L<br />
|10kL<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Vanilla extract<br />
|[https://producten.makro.nl/shop/pv/BTY-X742890/0032/0021/Nomu-Vanille-Extract-50-ml Makro.nl]<br />
|50mL<br />
|10mL<br />
|1<br />
|€15,19<br />
|€15,19<br />
|5L<br />
|500L<br />
|3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|'''Total flavor solution B'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|~ €70<br />
|2L<br />
|200 L<br />
|€0,11 when produced at scale<br />
€0,35 for first liter<br />
|}<br />
(1) The essential oils in solution A, quantities as under "Quantity necessary", together make 100mL of pre-solution. "Flavor solution A" then consists of 20 mL of pre-solution, diluted to 1L using alcohol. So for each mL of essential oil in the pre-solution, a fifth (0.2 mL) goes into a liter of the actual solution. So quantity times order amount is the amount of ingredients we have, divided by quantity necessary is the amount of 100mL pre-solution we can make with the order. We can make 5L of solution with that, so the formula is: (quantity * order amount * 5) / (quantity necessary). Since 1mL of solution A goes into a L of cola, 1L solution makes 1000L cola.<br />
<br />
(2) For solution B, the ingredients together make about 400mL of pre-solution. "Flavor solution B" then consists of those 400 mL, diluted to 1L using water. So the "quantity necessary" goes directly into 1L of "Flavor solution B". Since order amount is 1 for all of these, the formula is: quantity / (quantity necessary). Since 10mL of solution B goes into a L of cola, 1L solution makes 100L cola.<br />
<br />
== Expiry ==<br />
After the first batch I'll have a liter of solution A, which is almost fully alcohol, so I expect it not to expire at all. This bottle is good for a thousand liters of cola, which is probably enough for a lifetime.<br />
<br />
I'll also have 80 mL of pre-solution A, which I'll store separately. I also expect it not to expire, but to be sure, I could add alcohol to this as well, and label the bottle as such so I know exactly how much diluted pre-solution contains 20 mL of the original pre-solution.<br />
<br />
As for solution B, I'm not sure but I expect that will expire faster. The original ingredients probably don't expire if closed well? If I make 1L that's enough for 100 L of cola, which probably lasts a few months unless it's really popular.<br />
<br />
Knowing nothing at all about food safety I asked Claude for secondary advice. ("This is a cola syrup, isn't it?") They said the solution A mixture would remain ''safe'' indefinitely, but chemical degradation would affect aroma over the years; they advise to reduce air in the bottle, reduce repeated opening (freshening of the oxygen), reduce heat and reduce light exposure. With that, realistically expiry could be pushed well beyond 5 years. For solution B, they said microbial stability is also very good due to the phosphoric acid (1.0-1.5 pH). Again, chemical degradation is the limiting factor. Sealed, room temperature and out of light, Claude expects 12-18 months for peak flavor, and "probably safe well beyond that". It says the main thing to watch out for is sediment from the tannin, and flavor decreasing. Neither makes it unsafe. Commercial cola syrups like this one carry 6-12 month best-by dates, and it says our threshold for "still good" may be more forgiving.<br />
<br />
As for the original ingredient bottles, I should check if they are labeled with best-before dates and label them with the date I first opened them. Claude says the essential oils are most perishable; they will degrade in 6-12 months. For vanilla extract it's often commercially dated 2-4 years. All other things are either really easily purchaseable or very long-lived (5+ years).<br />
<br />
Conclusion:<br />
<br />
* Keep the bottles at room temperature (or colder), in the dark, and with little air headspace in the bottle.<br />
* For the solution A bottles, I'll mark them with their production date and "expected best before date" of 5 years.<br />
* For the solution B bottles, I'll mark them with their production date and "expected best before date" of 12 months.<br />
* For the original ingredient bottles, I'll store them the same way. I could consider making more pre-solution with alcohol for preservation.<br />
<br />
== Financial overview ==<br />
This is a hobby project, so it's OK if it costs money and isn't cost-effective. However, I wanted to get an overview for myself.<br />
<br />
Initial, one-time investment into tools is €125. The initial investments into ingredients for the first run is ~€200. With some margin, that means the first batch costs €350 and we can produce around 200 liters of cola from this. If it tastes great and is popular and people want to drink it instead of Coca-Cola, I could sell it at a cost price of €1,75 per liter.<br />
<br />
If we actually (expect to) make more than 200 liters, then for the next 200 liters I'd only need to purchase additional wine tannin. So for the first batch of 400 liters, at a cost of €350, it'd already be €0,88 per liter. So that's what the price becomes if it turns out to be quite popular. Eventually, if it's ''really'' popular it would cost €0,14 for the flavor solutions, plus some sugar and carbonated water.</div>Sjors Gielenhttps://hackerspacenijmegen.nl/index.php?title=Projects:Making_cola&diff=2958Projects:Making cola2026-03-25T14:18:32Z<p>Sjors Gielen: /* Ingedients */</p>
<hr />
<div>[[Bestand:Schermafbeelding 2026-03-25 om 11.02.33.png|miniatuur]]<br />
[[Bestand:Schermafbeelding 2026-03-25 om 11.02.10.png|miniatuur]]<br />
I (Sjors) recently saw this video by LabCoatz reverse engineering the Coca-Cola recipe using (among other techniques) a mass spectrometer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDkH3EbWTYc<br />
<br />
Now I'm a bit of a Coca-Cola addict, so I'm intrigued and want to reproduce it.<br />
<br />
Perhaps once we've done this we can also make [[wikipedia:Open-source_cola|other kinds of cola]], like Toyen Cola, which has its recipe on the back. We could even do a taste test!<br />
<br />
== Overview ==<br />
LabCoatz calls the end product of their recipe '''LabCola'''. One liter of LabCola is built off of four components:<br />
<br />
* around 100g sugar<br />
* 1mL of flavor solution A<br />
* 10 mL of flavor solution B<br />
* around 1 liter of carbonated water<br />
<br />
Flavor solution A is made by adding the following components together (~100mL), then taking 20 mL from that and diluting to 1L using 95% ethanol:<br />
<br />
* 45.8mL lemon oil<br />
* 36.5mL lime oil<br />
* 8mL tea tree oil (from Australian tea tree, Melaleuca Alternifolia)<br />
* 4.5mL cassia cinnamon oil<br />
* 2.7mL nutmeg oil<br />
* 1.2mL orange oil (regular sweet orange)<br />
* 0.7mL coriander oil<br />
* 0.6mL fenchol (any version of alpha-fenchol should work)<br />
<br />
Flavor solution B is made by adding the following components together (~400mL), then diluting to 1L using water:<br />
<br />
* 185mL Durkee caramel color<br />
* 150 grams food-grade vegetable glycerin<br />
* 43mL 85% phosphoric acid<br />
* 10 grams wine tannin<br />
* 9.65 grams caffeine<br />
* 10mL 5% vinegar<br />
* 10mL vanilla extract (or a solution containing 0.95 grams per liter of vanillin)<br />
<br />
It's important to note that this is '''not''' '''the Coca-Cola recipe''', which uses coca leaf extract. It is supposed to be quite close, though.<br />
<br />
== Tools ==<br />
<br />
* Mass scale<br />
** Max measurement is 150g, most precise measurement is 9.65g<br />
** possible source: Michiel may have one, Mats as well<br />
** possible source: €14,20 https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/precisie-weegschaal-0-01-gram-keukenweegschaal-digitaal-milligram-precisieweegschaal-pocket-weegschaal-sieraden-weegschaal/9300000031220365/<br />
** possible source: €29 https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/trendfield-precisie-weegschaal-0-001-gr-nauwkeurig-digitale-keukenweegschaal-inclusief-batterijen-zwart/9200000111011750/<br />
** possible source: €139,15 https://www.labshop.nl/schoolweegschaal-efs-500-2/<br />
* micropipette + tips<br />
** ideally an [https://www.merkala.nl/minipet-var-microliterpipet.html adjustable micropipette], but these are quite expensive (€100+)<br />
** fixed 100µL micropipette is cheaper, €25 https://www.merkala.nl/minipet-microliterpipet.html<br />
** could also get a few [https://www.kruidvat.nl/kruidvat-doseerspuit/p/2335439 doseerspuit] at Kruidvat, €2, precision should be somewhere between 0.1mL and 0.5mL<br />
** setje graduated pipettes €15,85 https://www.amazon.nl/pipetten-Graduated-Reinigingsborstel-Roerstaaf-Laboratorium/dp/B07V3VC7YZ<br />
* 50 mL graduated cilinder<br />
** €14,74 https://www.labshop.nl/maatcilinder-hoog-model-klasse-a-bruine-schaalverdeling/?attribute_pa_volume=10-ml<br />
* some 1L storage bottles<br />
** I'll produce 100 mL of pre-solution A, then dilute that into 1L of solution A and store the rest of the 80mL separately. Solution B is 1L at a time, so I'll need 3 storage bottles.<br />
** https://www.labshop.nl/labfles-glas-blank-gl45-blauw-simax/<br />
** €12,40 * 3 = €37,20<br />
* heat-resistant glassware for preparing the syrup (1L)<br />
** €9,23 https://www.labshop.nl/bekerglas-laag-model/<br />
** Ø 105mm, dus dekglaasje ~€16 https://www.labshop.nl/horlogeglas-10-stuks/ maar afdekken kan misschien ook wel met folie?<br />
* magnetic stirrer for mixing<br />
** €133,10 https://www.labshop.nl/mini-magnetische-roerder-rotilabo-m-3/<br />
** possible source: Michiel has one<br />
* 100mL volumetric flask to make the dilution steps easier<br />
** for pre-solution A<br />
** €22,63 https://www.labshop.nl/maatkolf/?attribute_pa_volume=100-ml-ns12-21-klasse-a<br />
* water carbonator / sodastream<br />
** Sjors has this at home<br />
<br />
<br />
If we don't need to buy the mass scale nor magnetic stirrer, tools come out to approximately €125.<br />
<br />
== Ingedients ==<br />
{| class="wikitable"<br />
|+<br />
!Ingredient<br />
!Source link<br />
!Quantity<br />
!Quantity necessary<br />
!Order amount<br />
!Price per piece<br />
!Price total<br />
!Makes L solution<sup>12</sup><br />
!Makes L cola<br />
!Price per L cola<br />
|-<br />
|'''Overall'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Sugar<br />
|Supermarket<br />
|<br />
|Around 100g<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Carbonated water<br />
|Self-made<br />
|<br />
|Around 1L<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|'''Flavor solution A'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Food-grade 95% alcohol<br />
|[https://www.topdrinks.de/navimer-alcohol-pur-glas-1ltr Topdrinks.de]<br />
|1L<br />
|1L<br />
|1<br />
|€23,50<br />
|€23,50<br />
|1L<br />
|1 kL<br />
|2.35 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Lemon oil<br />
|[https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-lemon-oil-30-ml Bodystore]<br />
|30mL<br />
|45.8mL<br />
|2<br />
|€7,59<br />
|€15,18<br />
|6,55L<br />
|6,55 kL<br />
|0,23 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Lime oil<br />
|[https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-essential-oils-lime Bodystore]<br />
|30mL<br />
|36.5mL<br />
|2<br />
|€7,99<br />
|€15,98<br />
|8,22L<br />
|8,22 kL<br />
|0,19 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Tea tree oil<br />
|[https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-tea-tree-oil-30-ml Bodystore]<br />
|30mL<br />
|8mL<br />
|1<br />
|€9,99<br />
|€9,99<br />
|18,75L<br />
|18,75 kL<br />
|0,05 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Cassia cinnamon oil<br />
|[https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-cinnamon-cassia-oil-30-ml Bodystore]<br />
|30mL<br />
|4,5mL<br />
|1<br />
|€8,90<br />
|€8,90<br />
|33,33L<br />
|33,33 kL<br />
|0,03 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Nutmeg oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-nutmeg-1-fl-oz-30-ml/941 iHerb]<br />
|30mL<br />
|2.7mL<br />
|1<br />
|€13,97<br />
|€13,97<br />
|55,56L<br />
|55,56 kL<br />
|0,03 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Orange oil<br />
|[https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-orange-oil-30-ml?sqr=orange%20oil Bodystore]<br />
|30mL<br />
|1.2mL<br />
|1<br />
|€4,99<br />
|€4,99<br />
|125L<br />
|125 kL<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Coriander oil<br />
|[https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/koriander-olie-puur-biologisch-natuurlijk-5ml/9300000188330683/ bol.com]<br />
|5mL<br />
|0.7mL<br />
|1<br />
|€20,95<br />
|€20,95<br />
|35,71L<br />
|35,71 kL<br />
|0,06 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Fenchol<br />
|[https://pellwall.com/products/fenchol Pellwall] (UK)<br />
lijken een orderstop te hebben?<br />
alternatief: [https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/227211376456 eBay] of [https://pevgrow.com/en/fenchol-arae.html pevgrow] (€27,90 incl shipping?) of [https://terpenes-uk.co.uk/products/fenchol-natural terpenes] (£32 incl shipping)<br />
|5g (~5mL?)<br />
|0.6mL<br />
|1<br />
|£7 + shipping<br />
|~€8 ?<br />
|42L<br />
|42 kL<br />
|0,02 cents<br />
|-<br />
|'''Total flavor solution A'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|~ €120<br />
|1L<br />
|1kL<br />
|€0,03 when produced at scale<br />
€0,12 for first liter<br />
|-<br />
|'''Flavor solution B'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Durkee caramel color<br />
|[https://pantryful.com/products/durkee-caramel-food-color-32-oz Pantryful]<br />
|32 oz. (946 mL)<br />
|185mL<br />
|1<br />
|$14 + shipping<br />
|~€12?<br />
|5,11L<br />
|511L<br />
|2,3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Food-grade vegetable glycerin<br />
|[https://www.labshop.nl/glycerol-glycerine-995/?attribute_pa_volume=1-l Labshop]<br />
|1L<br />
|150g (~150mL?)<br />
|1<br />
|€12,04<br />
|€12,04<br />
|6,66L<br />
|666L<br />
|2 cents<br />
|-<br />
|85% Phosphoric acid<br />
|[https://www.labshop.nl/fosforzuur-85-nvp/ Labshop]<br />
|1L<br />
|43mL<br />
|1<br />
|€20,27<br />
|€20,27<br />
|23,26L<br />
|2326L<br />
|0,8 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Wine tannin<br />
|[https://brouwland.com/nl/eikenhouten-chips/195-tannine-vinoferm-tannorouge-20-g.html Brouwland]<br />
|20g<br />
|10g<br />
|1<br />
|€5,99<br />
|€5,99<br />
|2L<br />
|200L<br />
|3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Caffeine powder<br />
|[https://voordeelkruiden.nl/cafeine-poeder/ Voordeelkruiden]If we want more: [https://woele.nl/product/cafeine-poeder-pharma-grade-250g/ Woele]<br />
|50g<br />
|9,65g<br />
|1<br />
|€2,60<br />
|€2,60<br />
|5,18L<br />
|518L<br />
|0,5 cents<br />
|-<br />
|5% vinegar<br />
|Supermarket<br />
(Double check 5%!)<br />
|1L<br />
|10mL<br />
|1<br />
|€0,99<br />
|€0,99<br />
|100L<br />
|10kL<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Vanilla extract<br />
|[https://producten.makro.nl/shop/pv/BTY-X742890/0032/0021/Nomu-Vanille-Extract-50-ml Makro.nl]<br />
|50mL<br />
|10mL<br />
|1<br />
|€15,19<br />
|€15,19<br />
|5L<br />
|500L<br />
|3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|'''Total flavor solution B'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|~ €70<br />
|2L<br />
|200 L<br />
|€0,11 when produced at scale<br />
€0,35 for first liter<br />
|}<br />
(1) The essential oils in solution A, quantities as under "Quantity necessary", together make 100mL of pre-solution. "Flavor solution A" then consists of 20 mL of pre-solution, diluted to 1L using alcohol. So for each mL of essential oil in the pre-solution, a fifth (0.2 mL) goes into a liter of the actual solution. So quantity times order amount is the amount of ingredients we have, divided by quantity necessary is the amount of 100mL pre-solution we can make with the order. We can make 5L of solution with that, so the formula is: (quantity * order amount * 5) / (quantity necessary). Since 1mL of solution A goes into a L of cola, 1L solution makes 1000L cola.<br />
<br />
(2) For solution B, the ingredients together make about 400mL of pre-solution. "Flavor solution B" then consists of those 400 mL, diluted to 1L using water. So the "quantity necessary" goes directly into 1L of "Flavor solution B". Since order amount is 1 for all of these, the formula is: quantity / (quantity necessary). Since 10mL of solution B goes into a L of cola, 1L solution makes 100L cola.<br />
<br />
== Expiry ==<br />
After the first batch I'll have a liter of solution A, which is almost fully alcohol, so I expect it not to expire at all. This bottle is good for a thousand liters of cola, which is probably enough for a lifetime.<br />
<br />
I'll also have 80 mL of pre-solution A, which I'll store separately. I also expect it not to expire, but to be sure, I could add alcohol to this as well, and label the bottle as such so I know exactly how much diluted pre-solution contains 20 mL of the original pre-solution.<br />
<br />
As for solution B, I'm not sure but I expect that will expire faster. The original ingredients probably don't expire if closed well? If I make 1L that's enough for 100 L of cola, which probably lasts a few months unless it's really popular.<br />
<br />
Knowing nothing at all about food safety I asked Claude for secondary advice. ("This is a cola syrup, isn't it?") They said the solution A mixture would remain ''safe'' indefinitely, but chemical degradation would affect aroma over the years; they advise to reduce air in the bottle, reduce repeated opening (freshening of the oxygen), reduce heat and reduce light exposure. With that, realistically expiry could be pushed well beyond 5 years. For solution B, they said microbial stability is also very good due to the phosphoric acid (1.0-1.5 pH). Again, chemical degradation is the limiting factor. Sealed, room temperature and out of light, Claude expects 12-18 months for peak flavor, and "probably safe well beyond that". It says the main thing to watch out for is sediment from the tannin, and flavor decreasing. Neither makes it unsafe. Commercial cola syrups like this one carry 6-12 month best-by dates, and it says our threshold for "still good" may be more forgiving.<br />
<br />
As for the original ingredient bottles, I should check if they are labeled with best-before dates and label them with the date I first opened them. Claude says the essential oils are most perishable; they will degrade in 6-12 months. For vanilla extract it's often commercially dated 2-4 years. All other things are either really easily purchaseable or very long-lived (5+ years).<br />
<br />
Conclusion:<br />
<br />
* Keep the bottles at room temperature (or colder), in the dark, and with little air headspace in the bottle.<br />
* For the solution A bottles, I'll mark them with their production date and "expected best before date" of 5 years.<br />
* For the solution B bottles, I'll mark them with their production date and "expected best before date" of 12 months.<br />
* For the original ingredient bottles, I'll store them the same way. I could consider making more pre-solution with alcohol for preservation.<br />
<br />
== Financial overview ==<br />
This is a hobby project, so it's OK if it costs money and isn't cost-effective. However, I wanted to get an overview for myself.<br />
<br />
Initial, one-time investment into tools is €125. The initial investments into ingredients for the first run is ~€200. With some margin, that means the first batch costs €350 and we can produce around 200 liters of cola from this. If it tastes great and is popular and people want to drink it instead of Coca-Cola, I could sell it at a cost price of €1,75 per liter.<br />
<br />
If we actually (expect to) make more than 200 liters, then for the next 200 liters I'd only need to purchase additional wine tannin. So for the first batch of 400 liters, at a cost of €350, it'd already be €0,88 per liter. So that's what the price becomes if it turns out to be quite popular. Eventually, if it's ''really'' popular it would cost €0,14 for the flavor solutions, plus some sugar and carbonated water.</div>Sjors Gielenhttps://hackerspacenijmegen.nl/index.php?title=Projects:Making_cola&diff=2957Projects:Making cola2026-03-25T14:10:18Z<p>Sjors Gielen: /* Ingedients */</p>
<hr />
<div>[[Bestand:Schermafbeelding 2026-03-25 om 11.02.33.png|miniatuur]]<br />
[[Bestand:Schermafbeelding 2026-03-25 om 11.02.10.png|miniatuur]]<br />
I (Sjors) recently saw this video by LabCoatz reverse engineering the Coca-Cola recipe using (among other techniques) a mass spectrometer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDkH3EbWTYc<br />
<br />
Now I'm a bit of a Coca-Cola addict, so I'm intrigued and want to reproduce it.<br />
<br />
Perhaps once we've done this we can also make [[wikipedia:Open-source_cola|other kinds of cola]], like Toyen Cola, which has its recipe on the back. We could even do a taste test!<br />
<br />
== Overview ==<br />
LabCoatz calls the end product of their recipe '''LabCola'''. One liter of LabCola is built off of four components:<br />
<br />
* around 100g sugar<br />
* 1mL of flavor solution A<br />
* 10 mL of flavor solution B<br />
* around 1 liter of carbonated water<br />
<br />
Flavor solution A is made by adding the following components together (~100mL), then taking 20 mL from that and diluting to 1L using 95% ethanol:<br />
<br />
* 45.8mL lemon oil<br />
* 36.5mL lime oil<br />
* 8mL tea tree oil (from Australian tea tree, Melaleuca Alternifolia)<br />
* 4.5mL cassia cinnamon oil<br />
* 2.7mL nutmeg oil<br />
* 1.2mL orange oil (regular sweet orange)<br />
* 0.7mL coriander oil<br />
* 0.6mL fenchol (any version of alpha-fenchol should work)<br />
<br />
Flavor solution B is made by adding the following components together (~400mL), then diluting to 1L using water:<br />
<br />
* 185mL Durkee caramel color<br />
* 150 grams food-grade vegetable glycerin<br />
* 43mL 85% phosphoric acid<br />
* 10 grams wine tannin<br />
* 9.65 grams caffeine<br />
* 10mL 5% vinegar<br />
* 10mL vanilla extract (or a solution containing 0.95 grams per liter of vanillin)<br />
<br />
It's important to note that this is '''not''' '''the Coca-Cola recipe''', which uses coca leaf extract. It is supposed to be quite close, though.<br />
<br />
== Tools ==<br />
<br />
* Mass scale<br />
** Max measurement is 150g, most precise measurement is 9.65g<br />
** possible source: Michiel may have one, Mats as well<br />
** possible source: €14,20 https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/precisie-weegschaal-0-01-gram-keukenweegschaal-digitaal-milligram-precisieweegschaal-pocket-weegschaal-sieraden-weegschaal/9300000031220365/<br />
** possible source: €29 https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/trendfield-precisie-weegschaal-0-001-gr-nauwkeurig-digitale-keukenweegschaal-inclusief-batterijen-zwart/9200000111011750/<br />
** possible source: €139,15 https://www.labshop.nl/schoolweegschaal-efs-500-2/<br />
* micropipette + tips<br />
** ideally an [https://www.merkala.nl/minipet-var-microliterpipet.html adjustable micropipette], but these are quite expensive (€100+)<br />
** fixed 100µL micropipette is cheaper, €25 https://www.merkala.nl/minipet-microliterpipet.html<br />
** could also get a few [https://www.kruidvat.nl/kruidvat-doseerspuit/p/2335439 doseerspuit] at Kruidvat, €2, precision should be somewhere between 0.1mL and 0.5mL<br />
** setje graduated pipettes €15,85 https://www.amazon.nl/pipetten-Graduated-Reinigingsborstel-Roerstaaf-Laboratorium/dp/B07V3VC7YZ<br />
* 50 mL graduated cilinder<br />
** €14,74 https://www.labshop.nl/maatcilinder-hoog-model-klasse-a-bruine-schaalverdeling/?attribute_pa_volume=10-ml<br />
* some 1L storage bottles<br />
** I'll produce 100 mL of pre-solution A, then dilute that into 1L of solution A and store the rest of the 80mL separately. Solution B is 1L at a time, so I'll need 3 storage bottles.<br />
** https://www.labshop.nl/labfles-glas-blank-gl45-blauw-simax/<br />
** €12,40 * 3 = €37,20<br />
* heat-resistant glassware for preparing the syrup (1L)<br />
** €9,23 https://www.labshop.nl/bekerglas-laag-model/<br />
** Ø 105mm, dus dekglaasje ~€16 https://www.labshop.nl/horlogeglas-10-stuks/ maar afdekken kan misschien ook wel met folie?<br />
* magnetic stirrer for mixing<br />
** €133,10 https://www.labshop.nl/mini-magnetische-roerder-rotilabo-m-3/<br />
** possible source: Michiel has one<br />
* 100mL volumetric flask to make the dilution steps easier<br />
** for pre-solution A<br />
** €22,63 https://www.labshop.nl/maatkolf/?attribute_pa_volume=100-ml-ns12-21-klasse-a<br />
* water carbonator / sodastream<br />
** Sjors has this at home<br />
<br />
<br />
If we don't need to buy the mass scale nor magnetic stirrer, tools come out to approximately €125.<br />
<br />
== Ingedients ==<br />
{| class="wikitable"<br />
|+<br />
!Ingredient<br />
!Source link<br />
!Quantity<br />
!Quantity necessary<br />
!Order amount<br />
!Price per piece<br />
!Price total<br />
!Makes L solution<sup>12</sup><br />
!Makes L cola<br />
!Price per L cola<br />
|-<br />
|'''Overall'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Sugar<br />
|Supermarket<br />
|<br />
|Around 100g<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Carbonated water<br />
|Self-made<br />
|<br />
|Around 1L<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|'''Flavor solution A'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Food-grade 95% alcohol<br />
|[https://www.topdrinks.de/navimer-alcohol-pur-glas-1ltr Topdrinks.de]<br />
|1L<br />
|1L<br />
|1<br />
|€23,50<br />
|€23,50<br />
|1L<br />
|1 kL<br />
|2.35 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Lemon oil<br />
|[https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-lemon-oil-30-ml Bodystore]<br />
|30mL<br />
|45.8mL<br />
|2<br />
|€7,59<br />
|€15,18<br />
|6,55L<br />
|6,55 kL<br />
|0,23 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Lime oil<br />
|[https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-essential-oils-lime Bodystore]<br />
|30mL<br />
|36.5mL<br />
|2<br />
|€7,99<br />
|€15,98<br />
|8,22L<br />
|8,22 kL<br />
|0,19 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Tea tree oil<br />
|[https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-tea-tree-oil-30-ml Bodystore]<br />
|30mL<br />
|8mL<br />
|1<br />
|€9,99<br />
|€9,99<br />
|18,75L<br />
|18,75 kL<br />
|0,05 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Cassia cinnamon oil<br />
|[https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-cinnamon-cassia-oil-30-ml Bodystore]<br />
|30mL<br />
|4,5mL<br />
|1<br />
|€8,90<br />
|€8,90<br />
|33,33L<br />
|33,33 kL<br />
|0,03 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Nutmeg oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-nutmeg-1-fl-oz-30-ml/941 iHerb]<br />
|30mL<br />
|2.7mL<br />
|1<br />
|€13,97<br />
|€13,97<br />
|55,56L<br />
|55,56 kL<br />
|0,03 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Orange oil<br />
|[https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-orange-oil-30-ml?sqr=orange%20oil Bodystore]<br />
|30mL<br />
|1.2mL<br />
|1<br />
|€4,99<br />
|€4,99<br />
|125L<br />
|125 kL<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Coriander oil<br />
|[https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/koriander-olie-puur-biologisch-natuurlijk-5ml/9300000188330683/ bol.com]<br />
|5mL<br />
|0.7mL<br />
|1<br />
|€20,95<br />
|€20,95<br />
|35,71L<br />
|35,71 kL<br />
|0,06 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Fenchol<br />
|[https://pellwall.com/products/fenchol Pellwall] (UK)<br />
lijken een orderstop te hebben?<br />
alternatief: [https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/227211376456 eBay] of [https://pevgrow.com/en/fenchol-arae.html pevgrow] of [https://terpenes-uk.co.uk/products/fenchol-natural terpenes] (£32 incl shipping)<br />
|5g (~5mL?)<br />
|0.6mL<br />
|1<br />
|£7 + shipping<br />
|~€8 ?<br />
|42L<br />
|42 kL<br />
|0,02 cents<br />
|-<br />
|'''Total flavor solution A'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|~ €120<br />
|1L<br />
|1kL<br />
|€0,03 when produced at scale<br />
€0,12 for first liter<br />
|-<br />
|'''Flavor solution B'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Durkee caramel color<br />
|[https://pantryful.com/products/durkee-caramel-food-color-32-oz Pantryful]<br />
|32 oz. (946 mL)<br />
|185mL<br />
|1<br />
|$14 + shipping<br />
|~€12?<br />
|5,11L<br />
|511L<br />
|2,3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Food-grade vegetable glycerin<br />
|[https://www.labshop.nl/glycerol-glycerine-995/?attribute_pa_volume=1-l Labshop]<br />
|1L<br />
|150g (~150mL?)<br />
|1<br />
|€12,04<br />
|€12,04<br />
|6,66L<br />
|666L<br />
|2 cents<br />
|-<br />
|85% Phosphoric acid<br />
|[https://www.labshop.nl/fosforzuur-85-nvp/ Labshop]<br />
|1L<br />
|43mL<br />
|1<br />
|€20,27<br />
|€20,27<br />
|23,26L<br />
|2326L<br />
|0,8 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Wine tannin<br />
|[https://brouwland.com/nl/eikenhouten-chips/195-tannine-vinoferm-tannorouge-20-g.html Brouwland]<br />
|20g<br />
|10g<br />
|1<br />
|€5,99<br />
|€5,99<br />
|2L<br />
|200L<br />
|3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Caffeine powder<br />
|[https://voordeelkruiden.nl/cafeine-poeder/ Voordeelkruiden]If we want more: [https://woele.nl/product/cafeine-poeder-pharma-grade-250g/ Woele]<br />
|50g<br />
|9,65g<br />
|1<br />
|€2,60<br />
|€2,60<br />
|5,18L<br />
|518L<br />
|0,5 cents<br />
|-<br />
|5% vinegar<br />
|Supermarket<br />
(Double check 5%!)<br />
|1L<br />
|10mL<br />
|1<br />
|€0,99<br />
|€0,99<br />
|100L<br />
|10kL<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Vanilla extract<br />
|[https://producten.makro.nl/shop/pv/BTY-X742890/0032/0021/Nomu-Vanille-Extract-50-ml Makro.nl]<br />
|50mL<br />
|10mL<br />
|1<br />
|€15,19<br />
|€15,19<br />
|5L<br />
|500L<br />
|3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|'''Total flavor solution B'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|~ €70<br />
|2L<br />
|200 L<br />
|€0,11 when produced at scale<br />
€0,35 for first liter<br />
|}<br />
(1) The essential oils in solution A, quantities as under "Quantity necessary", together make 100mL of pre-solution. "Flavor solution A" then consists of 20 mL of pre-solution, diluted to 1L using alcohol. So for each mL of essential oil in the pre-solution, a fifth (0.2 mL) goes into a liter of the actual solution. So quantity times order amount is the amount of ingredients we have, divided by quantity necessary is the amount of 100mL pre-solution we can make with the order. We can make 5L of solution with that, so the formula is: (quantity * order amount * 5) / (quantity necessary). Since 1mL of solution A goes into a L of cola, 1L solution makes 1000L cola.<br />
<br />
(2) For solution B, the ingredients together make about 400mL of pre-solution. "Flavor solution B" then consists of those 400 mL, diluted to 1L using water. So the "quantity necessary" goes directly into 1L of "Flavor solution B". Since order amount is 1 for all of these, the formula is: quantity / (quantity necessary). Since 10mL of solution B goes into a L of cola, 1L solution makes 100L cola.<br />
<br />
== Expiry ==<br />
After the first batch I'll have a liter of solution A, which is almost fully alcohol, so I expect it not to expire at all. This bottle is good for a thousand liters of cola, which is probably enough for a lifetime.<br />
<br />
I'll also have 80 mL of pre-solution A, which I'll store separately. I also expect it not to expire, but to be sure, I could add alcohol to this as well, and label the bottle as such so I know exactly how much diluted pre-solution contains 20 mL of the original pre-solution.<br />
<br />
As for solution B, I'm not sure but I expect that will expire faster. The original ingredients probably don't expire if closed well? If I make 1L that's enough for 100 L of cola, which probably lasts a few months unless it's really popular.<br />
<br />
Knowing nothing at all about food safety I asked Claude for secondary advice. ("This is a cola syrup, isn't it?") They said the solution A mixture would remain ''safe'' indefinitely, but chemical degradation would affect aroma over the years; they advise to reduce air in the bottle, reduce repeated opening (freshening of the oxygen), reduce heat and reduce light exposure. With that, realistically expiry could be pushed well beyond 5 years. For solution B, they said microbial stability is also very good due to the phosphoric acid (1.0-1.5 pH). Again, chemical degradation is the limiting factor. Sealed, room temperature and out of light, Claude expects 12-18 months for peak flavor, and "probably safe well beyond that". It says the main thing to watch out for is sediment from the tannin, and flavor decreasing. Neither makes it unsafe. Commercial cola syrups like this one carry 6-12 month best-by dates, and it says our threshold for "still good" may be more forgiving.<br />
<br />
As for the original ingredient bottles, I should check if they are labeled with best-before dates and label them with the date I first opened them. Claude says the essential oils are most perishable; they will degrade in 6-12 months. For vanilla extract it's often commercially dated 2-4 years. All other things are either really easily purchaseable or very long-lived (5+ years).<br />
<br />
Conclusion:<br />
<br />
* Keep the bottles at room temperature (or colder), in the dark, and with little air headspace in the bottle.<br />
* For the solution A bottles, I'll mark them with their production date and "expected best before date" of 5 years.<br />
* For the solution B bottles, I'll mark them with their production date and "expected best before date" of 12 months.<br />
* For the original ingredient bottles, I'll store them the same way. I could consider making more pre-solution with alcohol for preservation.<br />
<br />
== Financial overview ==<br />
This is a hobby project, so it's OK if it costs money and isn't cost-effective. However, I wanted to get an overview for myself.<br />
<br />
Initial, one-time investment into tools is €125. The initial investments into ingredients for the first run is ~€200. With some margin, that means the first batch costs €350 and we can produce around 200 liters of cola from this. If it tastes great and is popular and people want to drink it instead of Coca-Cola, I could sell it at a cost price of €1,75 per liter.<br />
<br />
If we actually (expect to) make more than 200 liters, then for the next 200 liters I'd only need to purchase additional wine tannin. So for the first batch of 400 liters, at a cost of €350, it'd already be €0,88 per liter. So that's what the price becomes if it turns out to be quite popular. Eventually, if it's ''really'' popular it would cost €0,14 for the flavor solutions, plus some sugar and carbonated water.</div>Sjors Gielenhttps://hackerspacenijmegen.nl/index.php?title=Projects:Making_cola&diff=2956Projects:Making cola2026-03-25T13:55:17Z<p>Sjors Gielen: /* Tools */</p>
<hr />
<div>[[Bestand:Schermafbeelding 2026-03-25 om 11.02.33.png|miniatuur]]<br />
[[Bestand:Schermafbeelding 2026-03-25 om 11.02.10.png|miniatuur]]<br />
I (Sjors) recently saw this video by LabCoatz reverse engineering the Coca-Cola recipe using (among other techniques) a mass spectrometer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDkH3EbWTYc<br />
<br />
Now I'm a bit of a Coca-Cola addict, so I'm intrigued and want to reproduce it.<br />
<br />
Perhaps once we've done this we can also make [[wikipedia:Open-source_cola|other kinds of cola]], like Toyen Cola, which has its recipe on the back. We could even do a taste test!<br />
<br />
== Overview ==<br />
LabCoatz calls the end product of their recipe '''LabCola'''. One liter of LabCola is built off of four components:<br />
<br />
* around 100g sugar<br />
* 1mL of flavor solution A<br />
* 10 mL of flavor solution B<br />
* around 1 liter of carbonated water<br />
<br />
Flavor solution A is made by adding the following components together (~100mL), then taking 20 mL from that and diluting to 1L using 95% ethanol:<br />
<br />
* 45.8mL lemon oil<br />
* 36.5mL lime oil<br />
* 8mL tea tree oil (from Australian tea tree, Melaleuca Alternifolia)<br />
* 4.5mL cassia cinnamon oil<br />
* 2.7mL nutmeg oil<br />
* 1.2mL orange oil (regular sweet orange)<br />
* 0.7mL coriander oil<br />
* 0.6mL fenchol (any version of alpha-fenchol should work)<br />
<br />
Flavor solution B is made by adding the following components together (~400mL), then diluting to 1L using water:<br />
<br />
* 185mL Durkee caramel color<br />
* 150 grams food-grade vegetable glycerin<br />
* 43mL 85% phosphoric acid<br />
* 10 grams wine tannin<br />
* 9.65 grams caffeine<br />
* 10mL 5% vinegar<br />
* 10mL vanilla extract (or a solution containing 0.95 grams per liter of vanillin)<br />
<br />
It's important to note that this is '''not''' '''the Coca-Cola recipe''', which uses coca leaf extract. It is supposed to be quite close, though.<br />
<br />
== Tools ==<br />
<br />
* Mass scale<br />
** Max measurement is 150g, most precise measurement is 9.65g<br />
** possible source: Michiel may have one, Mats as well<br />
** possible source: €14,20 https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/precisie-weegschaal-0-01-gram-keukenweegschaal-digitaal-milligram-precisieweegschaal-pocket-weegschaal-sieraden-weegschaal/9300000031220365/<br />
** possible source: €29 https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/trendfield-precisie-weegschaal-0-001-gr-nauwkeurig-digitale-keukenweegschaal-inclusief-batterijen-zwart/9200000111011750/<br />
** possible source: €139,15 https://www.labshop.nl/schoolweegschaal-efs-500-2/<br />
* micropipette + tips<br />
** ideally an [https://www.merkala.nl/minipet-var-microliterpipet.html adjustable micropipette], but these are quite expensive (€100+)<br />
** fixed 100µL micropipette is cheaper, €25 https://www.merkala.nl/minipet-microliterpipet.html<br />
** could also get a few [https://www.kruidvat.nl/kruidvat-doseerspuit/p/2335439 doseerspuit] at Kruidvat, €2, precision should be somewhere between 0.1mL and 0.5mL<br />
** setje graduated pipettes €15,85 https://www.amazon.nl/pipetten-Graduated-Reinigingsborstel-Roerstaaf-Laboratorium/dp/B07V3VC7YZ<br />
* 50 mL graduated cilinder<br />
** €14,74 https://www.labshop.nl/maatcilinder-hoog-model-klasse-a-bruine-schaalverdeling/?attribute_pa_volume=10-ml<br />
* some 1L storage bottles<br />
** I'll produce 100 mL of pre-solution A, then dilute that into 1L of solution A and store the rest of the 80mL separately. Solution B is 1L at a time, so I'll need 3 storage bottles.<br />
** https://www.labshop.nl/labfles-glas-blank-gl45-blauw-simax/<br />
** €12,40 * 3 = €37,20<br />
* heat-resistant glassware for preparing the syrup (1L)<br />
** €9,23 https://www.labshop.nl/bekerglas-laag-model/<br />
** Ø 105mm, dus dekglaasje ~€16 https://www.labshop.nl/horlogeglas-10-stuks/ maar afdekken kan misschien ook wel met folie?<br />
* magnetic stirrer for mixing<br />
** €133,10 https://www.labshop.nl/mini-magnetische-roerder-rotilabo-m-3/<br />
** possible source: Michiel has one<br />
* 100mL volumetric flask to make the dilution steps easier<br />
** for pre-solution A<br />
** €22,63 https://www.labshop.nl/maatkolf/?attribute_pa_volume=100-ml-ns12-21-klasse-a<br />
* water carbonator / sodastream<br />
** Sjors has this at home<br />
<br />
<br />
If we don't need to buy the mass scale nor magnetic stirrer, tools come out to approximately €125.<br />
<br />
== Ingedients ==<br />
{| class="wikitable"<br />
|+<br />
!Ingredient<br />
!Source link<br />
!Quantity<br />
!Quantity necessary<br />
!Order amount<br />
!Price per piece<br />
!Price total<br />
!Makes L solution<sup>12</sup><br />
!Makes L cola<br />
!Price per L cola<br />
|-<br />
|'''Overall'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Sugar<br />
|Supermarket<br />
|<br />
|Around 100g<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Carbonated water<br />
|Self-made<br />
|<br />
|Around 1L<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|'''Flavor solution A'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Food-grade 95% alcohol<br />
|[https://www.topdrinks.de/navimer-alcohol-pur-glas-1ltr Topdrinks.de]<br />
|1L<br />
|1L<br />
|1<br />
|€23,50<br />
|€23,50<br />
|1L<br />
|1 kL<br />
|2.35 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Lemon oil<br />
|[https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-lemon-oil-30-ml Bodystore]<br />
|30mL<br />
|45.8mL<br />
|2<br />
|€7,59<br />
|€15,18<br />
|6,55L<br />
|6,55 kL<br />
|0,23 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Lime oil<br />
|[https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-essential-oils-lime Bodystore]<br />
|30mL<br />
|36.5mL<br />
|2<br />
|€7,99<br />
|€15,98<br />
|8,22L<br />
|8,22 kL<br />
|0,19 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Tea tree oil<br />
|[https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-tea-tree-oil-30-ml Bodystore]<br />
|30mL<br />
|8mL<br />
|1<br />
|€9,99<br />
|€9,99<br />
|18,75L<br />
|18,75 kL<br />
|0,05 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Cassia cinnamon oil<br />
|[https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-cinnamon-cassia-oil-30-ml Bodystore]<br />
|30mL<br />
|4,5mL<br />
|1<br />
|€8,90<br />
|€8,90<br />
|33,33L<br />
|33,33 kL<br />
|0,03 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Nutmeg oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-nutmeg-1-fl-oz-30-ml/941 iHerb]<br />
|30mL<br />
|2.7mL<br />
|1<br />
|€13,97<br />
|€13,97<br />
|55,56L<br />
|55,56 kL<br />
|0,03 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Orange oil<br />
|[https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-orange-oil-30-ml?sqr=orange%20oil Bodystore]<br />
|30mL<br />
|1.2mL<br />
|1<br />
|€4,99<br />
|€4,99<br />
|125L<br />
|125 kL<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Coriander oil<br />
|[https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/koriander-olie-puur-biologisch-natuurlijk-5ml/9300000188330683/ bol.com]<br />
|5mL<br />
|0.7mL<br />
|1<br />
|€20,95<br />
|€20,95<br />
|35,71L<br />
|35,71 kL<br />
|0,06 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Fenchol<br />
|[https://pellwall.com/products/fenchol Pellwall] (UK)<br />
lijken een orderstop te hebben?<br />
alternatief: [https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/227211376456 eBay] of [https://pevgrow.com/en/fenchol-arae.html pevgrow]<br />
|5g (~5mL?)<br />
|0.6mL<br />
|1<br />
|£7 + shipping<br />
|~€8 ?<br />
|42L<br />
|42 kL<br />
|0,02 cents<br />
|-<br />
|'''Total flavor solution A'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|~ €120<br />
|1L<br />
|1kL<br />
|€0,03 when produced at scale<br />
€0,12 for first liter<br />
|-<br />
|'''Flavor solution B'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Durkee caramel color<br />
|[https://pantryful.com/products/durkee-caramel-food-color-32-oz Pantryful]<br />
|32 oz. (946 mL)<br />
|185mL<br />
|1<br />
|$14 + shipping<br />
|~€12?<br />
|5,11L<br />
|511L<br />
|2,3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Food-grade vegetable glycerin<br />
|[https://www.labshop.nl/glycerol-glycerine-995/?attribute_pa_volume=1-l Labshop]<br />
|1L<br />
|150g (~150mL?)<br />
|1<br />
|€12,04<br />
|€12,04<br />
|6,66L<br />
|666L<br />
|2 cents<br />
|-<br />
|85% Phosphoric acid<br />
|[https://www.labshop.nl/fosforzuur-85-nvp/ Labshop]<br />
|1L<br />
|43mL<br />
|1<br />
|€20,27<br />
|€20,27<br />
|23,26L<br />
|2326L<br />
|0,8 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Wine tannin<br />
|[https://brouwland.com/nl/eikenhouten-chips/195-tannine-vinoferm-tannorouge-20-g.html Brouwland]<br />
|20g<br />
|10g<br />
|1<br />
|€5,99<br />
|€5,99<br />
|2L<br />
|200L<br />
|3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Caffeine powder<br />
|[https://voordeelkruiden.nl/cafeine-poeder/ Voordeelkruiden]If we want more: [https://woele.nl/product/cafeine-poeder-pharma-grade-250g/ Woele]<br />
|50g<br />
|9,65g<br />
|1<br />
|€2,60<br />
|€2,60<br />
|5,18L<br />
|518L<br />
|0,5 cents<br />
|-<br />
|5% vinegar<br />
|Supermarket<br />
(Double check 5%!)<br />
|1L<br />
|10mL<br />
|1<br />
|€0,99<br />
|€0,99<br />
|100L<br />
|10kL<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Vanilla extract<br />
|[https://producten.makro.nl/shop/pv/BTY-X742890/0032/0021/Nomu-Vanille-Extract-50-ml Makro.nl]<br />
|50mL<br />
|10mL<br />
|1<br />
|€15,19<br />
|€15,19<br />
|5L<br />
|500L<br />
|3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|'''Total flavor solution B'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|~ €70<br />
|2L<br />
|200 L<br />
|€0,11 when produced at scale<br />
€0,35 for first liter<br />
|}<br />
(1) The essential oils in solution A, quantities as under "Quantity necessary", together make 100mL of pre-solution. "Flavor solution A" then consists of 20 mL of pre-solution, diluted to 1L using alcohol. So for each mL of essential oil in the pre-solution, a fifth (0.2 mL) goes into a liter of the actual solution. So quantity times order amount is the amount of ingredients we have, divided by quantity necessary is the amount of 100mL pre-solution we can make with the order. We can make 5L of solution with that, so the formula is: (quantity * order amount * 5) / (quantity necessary). Since 1mL of solution A goes into a L of cola, 1L solution makes 1000L cola.<br />
<br />
(2) For solution B, the ingredients together make about 400mL of pre-solution. "Flavor solution B" then consists of those 400 mL, diluted to 1L using water. So the "quantity necessary" goes directly into 1L of "Flavor solution B". Since order amount is 1 for all of these, the formula is: quantity / (quantity necessary). Since 10mL of solution B goes into a L of cola, 1L solution makes 100L cola.<br />
<br />
== Expiry ==<br />
After the first batch I'll have a liter of solution A, which is almost fully alcohol, so I expect it not to expire at all. This bottle is good for a thousand liters of cola, which is probably enough for a lifetime.<br />
<br />
I'll also have 80 mL of pre-solution A, which I'll store separately. I also expect it not to expire, but to be sure, I could add alcohol to this as well, and label the bottle as such so I know exactly how much diluted pre-solution contains 20 mL of the original pre-solution.<br />
<br />
As for solution B, I'm not sure but I expect that will expire faster. The original ingredients probably don't expire if closed well? If I make 1L that's enough for 100 L of cola, which probably lasts a few months unless it's really popular.<br />
<br />
Knowing nothing at all about food safety I asked Claude for secondary advice. ("This is a cola syrup, isn't it?") They said the solution A mixture would remain ''safe'' indefinitely, but chemical degradation would affect aroma over the years; they advise to reduce air in the bottle, reduce repeated opening (freshening of the oxygen), reduce heat and reduce light exposure. With that, realistically expiry could be pushed well beyond 5 years. For solution B, they said microbial stability is also very good due to the phosphoric acid (1.0-1.5 pH). Again, chemical degradation is the limiting factor. Sealed, room temperature and out of light, Claude expects 12-18 months for peak flavor, and "probably safe well beyond that". It says the main thing to watch out for is sediment from the tannin, and flavor decreasing. Neither makes it unsafe. Commercial cola syrups like this one carry 6-12 month best-by dates, and it says our threshold for "still good" may be more forgiving.<br />
<br />
As for the original ingredient bottles, I should check if they are labeled with best-before dates and label them with the date I first opened them. Claude says the essential oils are most perishable; they will degrade in 6-12 months. For vanilla extract it's often commercially dated 2-4 years. All other things are either really easily purchaseable or very long-lived (5+ years).<br />
<br />
Conclusion:<br />
<br />
* Keep the bottles at room temperature (or colder), in the dark, and with little air headspace in the bottle.<br />
* For the solution A bottles, I'll mark them with their production date and "expected best before date" of 5 years.<br />
* For the solution B bottles, I'll mark them with their production date and "expected best before date" of 12 months.<br />
* For the original ingredient bottles, I'll store them the same way. I could consider making more pre-solution with alcohol for preservation.<br />
<br />
== Financial overview ==<br />
This is a hobby project, so it's OK if it costs money and isn't cost-effective. However, I wanted to get an overview for myself.<br />
<br />
Initial, one-time investment into tools is €125. The initial investments into ingredients for the first run is ~€200. With some margin, that means the first batch costs €350 and we can produce around 200 liters of cola from this. If it tastes great and is popular and people want to drink it instead of Coca-Cola, I could sell it at a cost price of €1,75 per liter.<br />
<br />
If we actually (expect to) make more than 200 liters, then for the next 200 liters I'd only need to purchase additional wine tannin. So for the first batch of 400 liters, at a cost of €350, it'd already be €0,88 per liter. So that's what the price becomes if it turns out to be quite popular. Eventually, if it's ''really'' popular it would cost €0,14 for the flavor solutions, plus some sugar and carbonated water.</div>Sjors Gielenhttps://hackerspacenijmegen.nl/index.php?title=Projects:Making_cola&diff=2955Projects:Making cola2026-03-25T13:53:56Z<p>Sjors Gielen: </p>
<hr />
<div>[[Bestand:Schermafbeelding 2026-03-25 om 11.02.33.png|miniatuur]]<br />
[[Bestand:Schermafbeelding 2026-03-25 om 11.02.10.png|miniatuur]]<br />
I (Sjors) recently saw this video by LabCoatz reverse engineering the Coca-Cola recipe using (among other techniques) a mass spectrometer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDkH3EbWTYc<br />
<br />
Now I'm a bit of a Coca-Cola addict, so I'm intrigued and want to reproduce it.<br />
<br />
Perhaps once we've done this we can also make [[wikipedia:Open-source_cola|other kinds of cola]], like Toyen Cola, which has its recipe on the back. We could even do a taste test!<br />
<br />
== Overview ==<br />
LabCoatz calls the end product of their recipe '''LabCola'''. One liter of LabCola is built off of four components:<br />
<br />
* around 100g sugar<br />
* 1mL of flavor solution A<br />
* 10 mL of flavor solution B<br />
* around 1 liter of carbonated water<br />
<br />
Flavor solution A is made by adding the following components together (~100mL), then taking 20 mL from that and diluting to 1L using 95% ethanol:<br />
<br />
* 45.8mL lemon oil<br />
* 36.5mL lime oil<br />
* 8mL tea tree oil (from Australian tea tree, Melaleuca Alternifolia)<br />
* 4.5mL cassia cinnamon oil<br />
* 2.7mL nutmeg oil<br />
* 1.2mL orange oil (regular sweet orange)<br />
* 0.7mL coriander oil<br />
* 0.6mL fenchol (any version of alpha-fenchol should work)<br />
<br />
Flavor solution B is made by adding the following components together (~400mL), then diluting to 1L using water:<br />
<br />
* 185mL Durkee caramel color<br />
* 150 grams food-grade vegetable glycerin<br />
* 43mL 85% phosphoric acid<br />
* 10 grams wine tannin<br />
* 9.65 grams caffeine<br />
* 10mL 5% vinegar<br />
* 10mL vanilla extract (or a solution containing 0.95 grams per liter of vanillin)<br />
<br />
It's important to note that this is '''not''' '''the Coca-Cola recipe''', which uses coca leaf extract. It is supposed to be quite close, though.<br />
<br />
== Tools ==<br />
<br />
* Mass scale<br />
** Max measurement is 150g, most precise measurement is 9.65g<br />
** possible source: Michiel may have one, Mats as well<br />
** possible source: €14,20 https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/precisie-weegschaal-0-01-gram-keukenweegschaal-digitaal-milligram-precisieweegschaal-pocket-weegschaal-sieraden-weegschaal/9300000031220365/<br />
** possible source: €29 https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/trendfield-precisie-weegschaal-0-001-gr-nauwkeurig-digitale-keukenweegschaal-inclusief-batterijen-zwart/9200000111011750/<br />
** possible source: €139,15 https://www.labshop.nl/schoolweegschaal-efs-500-2/<br />
* micropipette + tips<br />
** ideally an [https://www.merkala.nl/minipet-var-microliterpipet.html adjustable micropipette], but these are quite expensive (€100+)<br />
** fixed 100µL micropipette is cheaper, €25 https://www.merkala.nl/minipet-microliterpipet.html<br />
** could also get a few [https://www.kruidvat.nl/kruidvat-doseerspuit/p/2335439 doseerspuit] at Kruidvat, €2, precision should be somewhere between 0.1mL and 0.5mL<br />
* 50 mL graduated cilinder<br />
** €14,74 https://www.labshop.nl/maatcilinder-hoog-model-klasse-a-bruine-schaalverdeling/?attribute_pa_volume=10-ml<br />
* some 1L storage bottles<br />
** I'll produce 100 mL of pre-solution A, then dilute that into 1L of solution A and store the rest of the 80mL separately. Solution B is 1L at a time, so I'll need 3 storage bottles.<br />
** https://www.labshop.nl/labfles-glas-blank-gl45-blauw-simax/<br />
** €12,40 * 3 = €37,20<br />
* heat-resistant glassware for preparing the syrup (1L)<br />
** €9,23 https://www.labshop.nl/bekerglas-laag-model/<br />
** Ø 105mm, dus dekglaasje ~€16 https://www.labshop.nl/horlogeglas-10-stuks/ maar afdekken kan misschien ook wel met folie?<br />
* magnetic stirrer for mixing<br />
** €133,10 https://www.labshop.nl/mini-magnetische-roerder-rotilabo-m-3/<br />
** possible source: Michiel has one<br />
* 100mL volumetric flask to make the dilution steps easier<br />
** for pre-solution A<br />
** €22,63 https://www.labshop.nl/maatkolf/?attribute_pa_volume=100-ml-ns12-21-klasse-a<br />
* water carbonator / sodastream<br />
** Sjors has this at home<br />
<br />
<br />
If we don't need to buy the mass scale nor magnetic stirrer, tools come out to approximately €125.<br />
<br />
== Ingedients ==<br />
{| class="wikitable"<br />
|+<br />
!Ingredient<br />
!Source link<br />
!Quantity<br />
!Quantity necessary<br />
!Order amount<br />
!Price per piece<br />
!Price total<br />
!Makes L solution<sup>12</sup><br />
!Makes L cola<br />
!Price per L cola<br />
|-<br />
|'''Overall'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Sugar<br />
|Supermarket<br />
|<br />
|Around 100g<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Carbonated water<br />
|Self-made<br />
|<br />
|Around 1L<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|'''Flavor solution A'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Food-grade 95% alcohol<br />
|[https://www.topdrinks.de/navimer-alcohol-pur-glas-1ltr Topdrinks.de]<br />
|1L<br />
|1L<br />
|1<br />
|€23,50<br />
|€23,50<br />
|1L<br />
|1 kL<br />
|2.35 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Lemon oil<br />
|[https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-lemon-oil-30-ml Bodystore]<br />
|30mL<br />
|45.8mL<br />
|2<br />
|€7,59<br />
|€15,18<br />
|6,55L<br />
|6,55 kL<br />
|0,23 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Lime oil<br />
|[https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-essential-oils-lime Bodystore]<br />
|30mL<br />
|36.5mL<br />
|2<br />
|€7,99<br />
|€15,98<br />
|8,22L<br />
|8,22 kL<br />
|0,19 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Tea tree oil<br />
|[https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-tea-tree-oil-30-ml Bodystore]<br />
|30mL<br />
|8mL<br />
|1<br />
|€9,99<br />
|€9,99<br />
|18,75L<br />
|18,75 kL<br />
|0,05 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Cassia cinnamon oil<br />
|[https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-cinnamon-cassia-oil-30-ml Bodystore]<br />
|30mL<br />
|4,5mL<br />
|1<br />
|€8,90<br />
|€8,90<br />
|33,33L<br />
|33,33 kL<br />
|0,03 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Nutmeg oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-nutmeg-1-fl-oz-30-ml/941 iHerb]<br />
|30mL<br />
|2.7mL<br />
|1<br />
|€13,97<br />
|€13,97<br />
|55,56L<br />
|55,56 kL<br />
|0,03 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Orange oil<br />
|[https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-orange-oil-30-ml?sqr=orange%20oil Bodystore]<br />
|30mL<br />
|1.2mL<br />
|1<br />
|€4,99<br />
|€4,99<br />
|125L<br />
|125 kL<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Coriander oil<br />
|[https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/koriander-olie-puur-biologisch-natuurlijk-5ml/9300000188330683/ bol.com]<br />
|5mL<br />
|0.7mL<br />
|1<br />
|€20,95<br />
|€20,95<br />
|35,71L<br />
|35,71 kL<br />
|0,06 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Fenchol<br />
|[https://pellwall.com/products/fenchol Pellwall] (UK)<br />
lijken een orderstop te hebben?<br />
alternatief: [https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/227211376456 eBay] of [https://pevgrow.com/en/fenchol-arae.html pevgrow]<br />
|5g (~5mL?)<br />
|0.6mL<br />
|1<br />
|£7 + shipping<br />
|~€8 ?<br />
|42L<br />
|42 kL<br />
|0,02 cents<br />
|-<br />
|'''Total flavor solution A'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|~ €120<br />
|1L<br />
|1kL<br />
|€0,03 when produced at scale<br />
€0,12 for first liter<br />
|-<br />
|'''Flavor solution B'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Durkee caramel color<br />
|[https://pantryful.com/products/durkee-caramel-food-color-32-oz Pantryful]<br />
|32 oz. (946 mL)<br />
|185mL<br />
|1<br />
|$14 + shipping<br />
|~€12?<br />
|5,11L<br />
|511L<br />
|2,3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Food-grade vegetable glycerin<br />
|[https://www.labshop.nl/glycerol-glycerine-995/?attribute_pa_volume=1-l Labshop]<br />
|1L<br />
|150g (~150mL?)<br />
|1<br />
|€12,04<br />
|€12,04<br />
|6,66L<br />
|666L<br />
|2 cents<br />
|-<br />
|85% Phosphoric acid<br />
|[https://www.labshop.nl/fosforzuur-85-nvp/ Labshop]<br />
|1L<br />
|43mL<br />
|1<br />
|€20,27<br />
|€20,27<br />
|23,26L<br />
|2326L<br />
|0,8 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Wine tannin<br />
|[https://brouwland.com/nl/eikenhouten-chips/195-tannine-vinoferm-tannorouge-20-g.html Brouwland]<br />
|20g<br />
|10g<br />
|1<br />
|€5,99<br />
|€5,99<br />
|2L<br />
|200L<br />
|3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Caffeine powder<br />
|[https://voordeelkruiden.nl/cafeine-poeder/ Voordeelkruiden]If we want more: [https://woele.nl/product/cafeine-poeder-pharma-grade-250g/ Woele]<br />
|50g<br />
|9,65g<br />
|1<br />
|€2,60<br />
|€2,60<br />
|5,18L<br />
|518L<br />
|0,5 cents<br />
|-<br />
|5% vinegar<br />
|Supermarket<br />
(Double check 5%!)<br />
|1L<br />
|10mL<br />
|1<br />
|€0,99<br />
|€0,99<br />
|100L<br />
|10kL<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Vanilla extract<br />
|[https://producten.makro.nl/shop/pv/BTY-X742890/0032/0021/Nomu-Vanille-Extract-50-ml Makro.nl]<br />
|50mL<br />
|10mL<br />
|1<br />
|€15,19<br />
|€15,19<br />
|5L<br />
|500L<br />
|3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|'''Total flavor solution B'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|~ €70<br />
|2L<br />
|200 L<br />
|€0,11 when produced at scale<br />
€0,35 for first liter<br />
|}<br />
(1) The essential oils in solution A, quantities as under "Quantity necessary", together make 100mL of pre-solution. "Flavor solution A" then consists of 20 mL of pre-solution, diluted to 1L using alcohol. So for each mL of essential oil in the pre-solution, a fifth (0.2 mL) goes into a liter of the actual solution. So quantity times order amount is the amount of ingredients we have, divided by quantity necessary is the amount of 100mL pre-solution we can make with the order. We can make 5L of solution with that, so the formula is: (quantity * order amount * 5) / (quantity necessary). Since 1mL of solution A goes into a L of cola, 1L solution makes 1000L cola.<br />
<br />
(2) For solution B, the ingredients together make about 400mL of pre-solution. "Flavor solution B" then consists of those 400 mL, diluted to 1L using water. So the "quantity necessary" goes directly into 1L of "Flavor solution B". Since order amount is 1 for all of these, the formula is: quantity / (quantity necessary). Since 10mL of solution B goes into a L of cola, 1L solution makes 100L cola.<br />
<br />
== Expiry ==<br />
After the first batch I'll have a liter of solution A, which is almost fully alcohol, so I expect it not to expire at all. This bottle is good for a thousand liters of cola, which is probably enough for a lifetime.<br />
<br />
I'll also have 80 mL of pre-solution A, which I'll store separately. I also expect it not to expire, but to be sure, I could add alcohol to this as well, and label the bottle as such so I know exactly how much diluted pre-solution contains 20 mL of the original pre-solution.<br />
<br />
As for solution B, I'm not sure but I expect that will expire faster. The original ingredients probably don't expire if closed well? If I make 1L that's enough for 100 L of cola, which probably lasts a few months unless it's really popular.<br />
<br />
Knowing nothing at all about food safety I asked Claude for secondary advice. ("This is a cola syrup, isn't it?") They said the solution A mixture would remain ''safe'' indefinitely, but chemical degradation would affect aroma over the years; they advise to reduce air in the bottle, reduce repeated opening (freshening of the oxygen), reduce heat and reduce light exposure. With that, realistically expiry could be pushed well beyond 5 years. For solution B, they said microbial stability is also very good due to the phosphoric acid (1.0-1.5 pH). Again, chemical degradation is the limiting factor. Sealed, room temperature and out of light, Claude expects 12-18 months for peak flavor, and "probably safe well beyond that". It says the main thing to watch out for is sediment from the tannin, and flavor decreasing. Neither makes it unsafe. Commercial cola syrups like this one carry 6-12 month best-by dates, and it says our threshold for "still good" may be more forgiving.<br />
<br />
As for the original ingredient bottles, I should check if they are labeled with best-before dates and label them with the date I first opened them. Claude says the essential oils are most perishable; they will degrade in 6-12 months. For vanilla extract it's often commercially dated 2-4 years. All other things are either really easily purchaseable or very long-lived (5+ years).<br />
<br />
Conclusion:<br />
<br />
* Keep the bottles at room temperature (or colder), in the dark, and with little air headspace in the bottle.<br />
* For the solution A bottles, I'll mark them with their production date and "expected best before date" of 5 years.<br />
* For the solution B bottles, I'll mark them with their production date and "expected best before date" of 12 months.<br />
* For the original ingredient bottles, I'll store them the same way. I could consider making more pre-solution with alcohol for preservation.<br />
<br />
== Financial overview ==<br />
This is a hobby project, so it's OK if it costs money and isn't cost-effective. However, I wanted to get an overview for myself.<br />
<br />
Initial, one-time investment into tools is €125. The initial investments into ingredients for the first run is ~€200. With some margin, that means the first batch costs €350 and we can produce around 200 liters of cola from this. If it tastes great and is popular and people want to drink it instead of Coca-Cola, I could sell it at a cost price of €1,75 per liter.<br />
<br />
If we actually (expect to) make more than 200 liters, then for the next 200 liters I'd only need to purchase additional wine tannin. So for the first batch of 400 liters, at a cost of €350, it'd already be €0,88 per liter. So that's what the price becomes if it turns out to be quite popular. Eventually, if it's ''really'' popular it would cost €0,14 for the flavor solutions, plus some sugar and carbonated water.</div>Sjors Gielenhttps://hackerspacenijmegen.nl/index.php?title=Projects:Making_cola&diff=2954Projects:Making cola2026-03-25T13:19:18Z<p>Sjors Gielen: /* Ingedients */</p>
<hr />
<div>[[Bestand:Schermafbeelding 2026-03-25 om 11.02.33.png|miniatuur]]<br />
[[Bestand:Schermafbeelding 2026-03-25 om 11.02.10.png|miniatuur]]<br />
I (Sjors) recently saw this video by LabCoatz reverse engineering the Coca-Cola recipe using (among other techniques) a mass spectrometer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDkH3EbWTYc<br />
<br />
Now I'm a bit of a Coca-Cola addict, so I'm intrigued and want to reproduce it.<br />
<br />
Perhaps once we've done this we can also make [[wikipedia:Open-source_cola|other kinds of cola]], like Toyen Cola, which has its recipe on the back. We could even do a taste test!<br />
<br />
== Overview ==<br />
LabCoatz calls the end product of their recipe '''LabCola'''. One liter of LabCola is built off of four components:<br />
<br />
* around 100g sugar<br />
* 1mL of flavor solution A<br />
* 10 mL of flavor solution B<br />
* around 1 liter of carbonated water<br />
<br />
Flavor solution A is made by adding the following components together (~100mL), then taking 20 mL from that and diluting to 1L using 95% ethanol:<br />
<br />
* 45.8mL lemon oil<br />
* 36.5mL lime oil<br />
* 8mL tea tree oil (from Australian tea tree, Melaleuca Alternifolia)<br />
* 4.5mL cassia cinnamon oil<br />
* 2.7mL nutmeg oil<br />
* 1.2mL orange oil (regular sweet orange)<br />
* 0.7mL coriander oil<br />
* 0.6mL fenchol (any version of alpha-fenchol should work)<br />
<br />
Flavor solution B is made by adding the following components together (~400mL), then diluting to 1L using water:<br />
<br />
* 185mL Durkee caramel color<br />
* 150 grams food-grade vegetable glycerin<br />
* 43mL 85% phosphoric acid<br />
* 10 grams wine tannin<br />
* 9.65 grams caffeine<br />
* 10mL 5% vinegar<br />
* 10mL vanilla extract (or a solution containing 0.95 grams per liter of vanillin)<br />
<br />
It's important to note that this is '''not''' '''the Coca-Cola recipe''', which uses coca leaf extract. It is supposed to be quite close, though.<br />
<br />
== Tools ==<br />
<br />
* Mass scale<br />
** Max measurement is 150g, most precise measurement is 9.65g<br />
** possible source: Michiel may have one, Mats as well<br />
** possible source: €14,20 https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/precisie-weegschaal-0-01-gram-keukenweegschaal-digitaal-milligram-precisieweegschaal-pocket-weegschaal-sieraden-weegschaal/9300000031220365/<br />
** possible source: €139,15 https://www.labshop.nl/schoolweegschaal-efs-500-2/<br />
* micropipette + tips<br />
** ideally an [https://www.merkala.nl/minipet-var-microliterpipet.html adjustable micropipette], but these are quite expensive (€100+)<br />
** fixed 100µL micropipette is cheaper, €25 https://www.merkala.nl/minipet-microliterpipet.html<br />
** could also get a few [https://www.kruidvat.nl/kruidvat-doseerspuit/p/2335439 doseerspuit] at Kruidvat, €2, precision should be somewhere between 0.1mL and 0.5mL<br />
* 50 mL graduated cilinder<br />
** €14,74 https://www.labshop.nl/maatcilinder-hoog-model-klasse-a-bruine-schaalverdeling/?attribute_pa_volume=10-ml<br />
* some 1L storage bottles<br />
** I'll produce 100 mL of pre-solution A, then dilute that into 1L of solution A and store the rest of the 80mL separately. Solution B is 1L at a time, so I'll need 3 storage bottles.<br />
** https://www.labshop.nl/labfles-glas-blank-gl45-blauw-simax/<br />
** €12,40 * 3 = €37,20<br />
* heat-resistant glassware for preparing the syrup (1L)<br />
** €9,23 https://www.labshop.nl/bekerglas-laag-model/<br />
** Ø 105mm, dus dekglaasje ~€16 https://www.labshop.nl/horlogeglas-10-stuks/ maar afdekken kan misschien ook wel met folie?<br />
* magnetic stirrer for mixing<br />
** €133,10 https://www.labshop.nl/mini-magnetische-roerder-rotilabo-m-3/<br />
** possible source: Michiel has one<br />
* 100mL volumetric flask to make the dilution steps easier<br />
** for pre-solution A<br />
** €22,63 https://www.labshop.nl/maatkolf/?attribute_pa_volume=100-ml-ns12-21-klasse-a<br />
* water carbonator / sodastream<br />
** Sjors has this at home<br />
<br />
<br />
If we don't need to buy the mass scale nor magnetic stirrer, tools come out to approximately €125.<br />
<br />
== Ingedients ==<br />
{| class="wikitable"<br />
|+<br />
!Ingredient<br />
!Source link<br />
!Quantity<br />
!Quantity necessary<br />
!Order amount<br />
!Price per piece<br />
!Price total<br />
!Makes L solution<sup>12</sup><br />
!Makes L cola<br />
!Price per L cola<br />
|-<br />
|'''Overall'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Sugar<br />
|Supermarket<br />
|<br />
|Around 100g<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Carbonated water<br />
|Self-made<br />
|<br />
|Around 1L<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|'''Flavor solution A'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Food-grade 95% alcohol<br />
|[https://www.topdrinks.de/navimer-alcohol-pur-glas-1ltr Topdrinks.de]<br />
|1L<br />
|1L<br />
|1<br />
|€23,50<br />
|€23,50<br />
|1L<br />
|1 kL<br />
|2.35 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Lemon oil<br />
|[https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-lemon-oil-30-ml Bodystore]<br />
|30mL<br />
|45.8mL<br />
|2<br />
|€7,59<br />
|€15,18<br />
|6,55L<br />
|6,55 kL<br />
|0,23 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Lime oil<br />
|[https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-essential-oils-lime Bodystore]<br />
|30mL<br />
|36.5mL<br />
|2<br />
|€7,99<br />
|€15,98<br />
|8,22L<br />
|8,22 kL<br />
|0,19 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Tea tree oil<br />
|[https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-tea-tree-oil-30-ml Bodystore]<br />
|30mL<br />
|8mL<br />
|1<br />
|€9,99<br />
|€9,99<br />
|18,75L<br />
|18,75 kL<br />
|0,05 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Cassia cinnamon oil<br />
|[https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-cinnamon-cassia-oil-30-ml Bodystore]<br />
|30mL<br />
|4,5mL<br />
|1<br />
|€8,90<br />
|€8,90<br />
|33,33L<br />
|33,33 kL<br />
|0,03 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Nutmeg oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-nutmeg-1-fl-oz-30-ml/941 iHerb]<br />
|30mL<br />
|2.7mL<br />
|1<br />
|€13,97<br />
|€13,97<br />
|55,56L<br />
|55,56 kL<br />
|0,03 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Orange oil<br />
|[https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-orange-oil-30-ml?sqr=orange%20oil Bodystore]<br />
|30mL<br />
|1.2mL<br />
|1<br />
|€4,99<br />
|€4,99<br />
|125L<br />
|125 kL<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Coriander oil<br />
|[https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/koriander-olie-puur-biologisch-natuurlijk-5ml/9300000188330683/ bol.com]<br />
|5mL<br />
|0.7mL<br />
|1<br />
|€20,95<br />
|€20,95<br />
|35,71L<br />
|35,71 kL<br />
|0,06 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Fenchol<br />
|[https://pellwall.com/products/fenchol Pellwall] (UK)<br />
lijken een orderstop te hebben?<br />
alternatief: [https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/227211376456 eBay] of [https://pevgrow.com/en/fenchol-arae.html pevgrow]<br />
|5g (~5mL?)<br />
|0.6mL<br />
|1<br />
|£7 + shipping<br />
|~€8 ?<br />
|42L<br />
|42 kL<br />
|0,02 cents<br />
|-<br />
|'''Total flavor solution A'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|~ €120<br />
|1L<br />
|1kL<br />
|€0,03 when produced at scale<br />
€0,12 for first liter<br />
|-<br />
|'''Flavor solution B'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Durkee caramel color<br />
|[https://pantryful.com/products/durkee-caramel-food-color-32-oz Pantryful]<br />
|32 oz. (946 mL)<br />
|185mL<br />
|1<br />
|$14 + shipping<br />
|~€12?<br />
|5,11L<br />
|511L<br />
|2,3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Food-grade vegetable glycerin<br />
|[https://www.labshop.nl/glycerol-glycerine-995/?attribute_pa_volume=1-l Labshop]<br />
|1L<br />
|150g (~150mL?)<br />
|1<br />
|€12,04<br />
|€12,04<br />
|6,66L<br />
|666L<br />
|2 cents<br />
|-<br />
|85% Phosphoric acid<br />
|[https://www.labshop.nl/fosforzuur-85-nvp/ Labshop]<br />
|1L<br />
|43mL<br />
|1<br />
|€20,27<br />
|€20,27<br />
|23,26L<br />
|2326L<br />
|0,8 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Wine tannin<br />
|[https://brouwland.com/nl/eikenhouten-chips/195-tannine-vinoferm-tannorouge-20-g.html Brouwland]<br />
|20g<br />
|10g<br />
|1<br />
|€5,99<br />
|€5,99<br />
|2L<br />
|200L<br />
|3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Caffeine powder<br />
|[https://voordeelkruiden.nl/cafeine-poeder/ Voordeelkruiden]If we want more: [https://woele.nl/product/cafeine-poeder-pharma-grade-250g/ Woele]<br />
|50g<br />
|9,65g<br />
|1<br />
|€2,60<br />
|€2,60<br />
|5,18L<br />
|518L<br />
|0,5 cents<br />
|-<br />
|5% vinegar<br />
|Supermarket<br />
(Double check 5%!)<br />
|1L<br />
|10mL<br />
|1<br />
|€0,99<br />
|€0,99<br />
|100L<br />
|10kL<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Vanilla extract<br />
|[https://producten.makro.nl/shop/pv/BTY-X742890/0032/0021/Nomu-Vanille-Extract-50-ml Makro.nl]<br />
|50mL<br />
|10mL<br />
|1<br />
|€15,19<br />
|€15,19<br />
|5L<br />
|500L<br />
|3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|'''Total flavor solution B'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|~ €70<br />
|2L<br />
|200 L<br />
|€0,11 when produced at scale<br />
€0,35 for first liter<br />
|}<br />
(1) The essential oils in solution A, quantities as under "Quantity necessary", together make 100mL of pre-solution. "Flavor solution A" then consists of 20 mL of pre-solution, diluted to 1L using alcohol. So for each mL of essential oil in the pre-solution, a fifth (0.2 mL) goes into a liter of the actual solution. So quantity times order amount is the amount of ingredients we have, divided by quantity necessary is the amount of 100mL pre-solution we can make with the order. We can make 5L of solution with that, so the formula is: (quantity * order amount * 5) / (quantity necessary). Since 1mL of solution A goes into a L of cola, 1L solution makes 1000L cola.<br />
<br />
(2) For solution B, the ingredients together make about 400mL of pre-solution. "Flavor solution B" then consists of those 400 mL, diluted to 1L using water. So the "quantity necessary" goes directly into 1L of "Flavor solution B". Since order amount is 1 for all of these, the formula is: quantity / (quantity necessary). Since 10mL of solution B goes into a L of cola, 1L solution makes 100L cola.<br />
<br />
== Expiry ==<br />
After the first batch I'll have a liter of solution A, which is almost fully alcohol, so I expect it not to expire at all. This bottle is good for a thousand liters of cola, which is probably enough for a lifetime.<br />
<br />
I'll also have 80 mL of pre-solution A, which I'll store separately. I also expect it not to expire, but to be sure, I could add alcohol to this as well, and label the bottle as such so I know exactly how much diluted pre-solution contains 20 mL of the original pre-solution.<br />
<br />
As for solution B, I'm not sure but I expect that will expire faster. The original ingredients probably don't expire if closed well? If I make 1L that's enough for 100 L of cola, which probably lasts a few months unless it's really popular.<br />
<br />
Knowing nothing at all about food safety I asked Claude for secondary advice. ("This is a cola syrup, isn't it?") They said the solution A mixture would remain ''safe'' indefinitely, but chemical degradation would affect aroma over the years; they advise to reduce air in the bottle, reduce repeated opening (freshening of the oxygen), reduce heat and reduce light exposure. With that, realistically expiry could be pushed well beyond 5 years. For solution B, they said microbial stability is also very good due to the phosphoric acid (1.0-1.5 pH). Again, chemical degradation is the limiting factor. Sealed, room temperature and out of light, Claude expects 12-18 months for peak flavor, and "probably safe well beyond that". It says the main thing to watch out for is sediment from the tannin, and flavor decreasing. Neither makes it unsafe. Commercial cola syrups like this one carry 6-12 month best-by dates, and it says our threshold for "still good" may be more forgiving.<br />
<br />
As for the original ingredient bottles, I should check if they are labeled with best-before dates and label them with the date I first opened them. Claude says the essential oils are most perishable; they will degrade in 6-12 months. For vanilla extract it's often commercially dated 2-4 years. All other things are either really easily purchaseable or very long-lived (5+ years).<br />
<br />
Conclusion:<br />
<br />
* Keep the bottles at room temperature (or colder), in the dark, and with little air headspace in the bottle.<br />
* For the solution A bottles, I'll mark them with their production date and "expected best before date" of 5 years.<br />
* For the solution B bottles, I'll mark them with their production date and "expected best before date" of 12 months.<br />
* For the original ingredient bottles, I'll store them the same way. I could consider making more pre-solution with alcohol for preservation.<br />
<br />
== Financial overview ==<br />
This is a hobby project, so it's OK if it costs money and isn't cost-effective. However, I wanted to get an overview for myself.<br />
<br />
Initial, one-time investment into tools is €125. The initial investments into ingredients for the first run is ~€200. With some margin, that means the first batch costs €350 and we can produce around 200 liters of cola from this. If it tastes great and is popular and people want to drink it instead of Coca-Cola, I could sell it at a cost price of €1,75 per liter.<br />
<br />
If we actually (expect to) make more than 200 liters, then for the next 200 liters I'd only need to purchase additional wine tannin. So for the first batch of 400 liters, at a cost of €350, it'd already be €0,88 per liter. So that's what the price becomes if it turns out to be quite popular. Eventually, if it's ''really'' popular it would cost €0,14 for the flavor solutions, plus some sugar and carbonated water.</div>Sjors Gielenhttps://hackerspacenijmegen.nl/index.php?title=Projects:Making_cola&diff=2953Projects:Making cola2026-03-25T13:06:10Z<p>Sjors Gielen: /* Ingedients */</p>
<hr />
<div>[[Bestand:Schermafbeelding 2026-03-25 om 11.02.33.png|miniatuur]]<br />
[[Bestand:Schermafbeelding 2026-03-25 om 11.02.10.png|miniatuur]]<br />
I (Sjors) recently saw this video by LabCoatz reverse engineering the Coca-Cola recipe using (among other techniques) a mass spectrometer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDkH3EbWTYc<br />
<br />
Now I'm a bit of a Coca-Cola addict, so I'm intrigued and want to reproduce it.<br />
<br />
Perhaps once we've done this we can also make [[wikipedia:Open-source_cola|other kinds of cola]], like Toyen Cola, which has its recipe on the back. We could even do a taste test!<br />
<br />
== Overview ==<br />
LabCoatz calls the end product of their recipe '''LabCola'''. One liter of LabCola is built off of four components:<br />
<br />
* around 100g sugar<br />
* 1mL of flavor solution A<br />
* 10 mL of flavor solution B<br />
* around 1 liter of carbonated water<br />
<br />
Flavor solution A is made by adding the following components together (~100mL), then taking 20 mL from that and diluting to 1L using 95% ethanol:<br />
<br />
* 45.8mL lemon oil<br />
* 36.5mL lime oil<br />
* 8mL tea tree oil (from Australian tea tree, Melaleuca Alternifolia)<br />
* 4.5mL cassia cinnamon oil<br />
* 2.7mL nutmeg oil<br />
* 1.2mL orange oil (regular sweet orange)<br />
* 0.7mL coriander oil<br />
* 0.6mL fenchol (any version of alpha-fenchol should work)<br />
<br />
Flavor solution B is made by adding the following components together (~400mL), then diluting to 1L using water:<br />
<br />
* 185mL Durkee caramel color<br />
* 150 grams food-grade vegetable glycerin<br />
* 43mL 85% phosphoric acid<br />
* 10 grams wine tannin<br />
* 9.65 grams caffeine<br />
* 10mL 5% vinegar<br />
* 10mL vanilla extract (or a solution containing 0.95 grams per liter of vanillin)<br />
<br />
It's important to note that this is '''not''' '''the Coca-Cola recipe''', which uses coca leaf extract. It is supposed to be quite close, though.<br />
<br />
== Tools ==<br />
<br />
* Mass scale<br />
** Max measurement is 150g, most precise measurement is 9.65g<br />
** possible source: Michiel may have one, Mats as well<br />
** possible source: €14,20 https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/precisie-weegschaal-0-01-gram-keukenweegschaal-digitaal-milligram-precisieweegschaal-pocket-weegschaal-sieraden-weegschaal/9300000031220365/<br />
** possible source: €139,15 https://www.labshop.nl/schoolweegschaal-efs-500-2/<br />
* micropipette + tips<br />
** ideally an [https://www.merkala.nl/minipet-var-microliterpipet.html adjustable micropipette], but these are quite expensive (€100+)<br />
** fixed 100µL micropipette is cheaper, €25 https://www.merkala.nl/minipet-microliterpipet.html<br />
** could also get a few [https://www.kruidvat.nl/kruidvat-doseerspuit/p/2335439 doseerspuit] at Kruidvat, €2, precision should be somewhere between 0.1mL and 0.5mL<br />
* 50 mL graduated cilinder<br />
** €14,74 https://www.labshop.nl/maatcilinder-hoog-model-klasse-a-bruine-schaalverdeling/?attribute_pa_volume=10-ml<br />
* some 1L storage bottles<br />
** I'll produce 100 mL of pre-solution A, then dilute that into 1L of solution A and store the rest of the 80mL separately. Solution B is 1L at a time, so I'll need 3 storage bottles.<br />
** https://www.labshop.nl/labfles-glas-blank-gl45-blauw-simax/<br />
** €12,40 * 3 = €37,20<br />
* heat-resistant glassware for preparing the syrup (1L)<br />
** €9,23 https://www.labshop.nl/bekerglas-laag-model/<br />
** Ø 105mm, dus dekglaasje ~€16 https://www.labshop.nl/horlogeglas-10-stuks/ maar afdekken kan misschien ook wel met folie?<br />
* magnetic stirrer for mixing<br />
** €133,10 https://www.labshop.nl/mini-magnetische-roerder-rotilabo-m-3/<br />
** possible source: Michiel has one<br />
* 100mL volumetric flask to make the dilution steps easier<br />
** for pre-solution A<br />
** €22,63 https://www.labshop.nl/maatkolf/?attribute_pa_volume=100-ml-ns12-21-klasse-a<br />
* water carbonator / sodastream<br />
** Sjors has this at home<br />
<br />
<br />
If we don't need to buy the mass scale nor magnetic stirrer, tools come out to approximately €125.<br />
<br />
== Ingedients ==<br />
{| class="wikitable"<br />
|+<br />
!Ingredient<br />
!Source link<br />
!Quantity<br />
!Quantity necessary<br />
!Order amount<br />
!Price per piece<br />
!Price total<br />
!Makes L solution<sup>12</sup><br />
!Makes L cola<br />
!Price per L cola<br />
|-<br />
|'''Overall'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Sugar<br />
|Supermarket<br />
|<br />
|Around 100g<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Carbonated water<br />
|Self-made<br />
|<br />
|Around 1L<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|'''Flavor solution A'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Food-grade 95% alcohol<br />
|[https://www.topdrinks.de/navimer-alcohol-pur-glas-1ltr Topdrinks.de]<br />
|1L<br />
|1L<br />
|1<br />
|€23,50<br />
|€23,50<br />
|1L<br />
|1 kL<br />
|2.35 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Lemon oil<br />
|[https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-lemon-oil-30-ml Bodystore]<br />
|30mL<br />
|45.8mL<br />
|2<br />
|€7,59<br />
|€15,18<br />
|6,55L<br />
|6,55 kL<br />
|0,23 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Lime oil<br />
|[https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-essential-oils-lime Bodystore]<br />
|30mL<br />
|36.5mL<br />
|2<br />
|€7,99<br />
|€15,98<br />
|8,22L<br />
|8,22 kL<br />
|0,19 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Tea tree oil<br />
|[https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-tea-tree-oil-30-ml Bodystore]<br />
|30mL<br />
|8mL<br />
|1<br />
|€9,99<br />
|€9,99<br />
|18,75L<br />
|18,75 kL<br />
|0,05 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Cassia cinnamon oil<br />
|[https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-cinnamon-cassia-oil-30-ml Bodystore]<br />
|30mL<br />
|4,5mL<br />
|1<br />
|€8,90<br />
|€8,90<br />
|33,33L<br />
|33,33 kL<br />
|0,03 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Nutmeg oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-nutmeg-1-fl-oz-30-ml/941 iHerb]<br />
|30mL<br />
|2.7mL<br />
|1<br />
|€13,97<br />
|€13,97<br />
|55,56L<br />
|55,56 kL<br />
|0,03 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Orange oil<br />
|[https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-orange-oil-30-ml?sqr=orange%20oil Bodystore]<br />
|30mL<br />
|1.2mL<br />
|1<br />
|€4,99<br />
|€4,99<br />
|125L<br />
|125 kL<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Coriander oil<br />
|[https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/koriander-olie-puur-biologisch-natuurlijk-5ml/9300000188330683/ bol.com]<br />
|5mL<br />
|0.7mL<br />
|1<br />
|€20,95<br />
|€20,95<br />
|35,71L<br />
|35,71 kL<br />
|0,06 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Fenchol<br />
|[https://pellwall.com/products/fenchol Pellwall] (UK)<br />
lijken een orderstop te hebben?<br />
alternatief: [https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/227211376456 eBay]<br />
|5g (~5mL?)<br />
|0.6mL<br />
|1<br />
|£7 + shipping<br />
|~€8 ?<br />
|42L<br />
|42 kL<br />
|0,02 cents<br />
|-<br />
|'''Total flavor solution A'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|~ €120<br />
|1L<br />
|1kL<br />
|€0,03 when produced at scale<br />
€0,12 for first liter<br />
|-<br />
|'''Flavor solution B'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Durkee caramel color<br />
|[https://pantryful.com/products/durkee-caramel-food-color-32-oz Pantryful]<br />
|32 oz. (946 mL)<br />
|185mL<br />
|1<br />
|$14 + shipping<br />
|~€12?<br />
|5,11L<br />
|511L<br />
|2,3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Food-grade vegetable glycerin<br />
|[https://www.labshop.nl/glycerol-glycerine-995/?attribute_pa_volume=1-l Labshop]<br />
|1L<br />
|150g (~150mL?)<br />
|1<br />
|€12,04<br />
|€12,04<br />
|6,66L<br />
|666L<br />
|2 cents<br />
|-<br />
|85% Phosphoric acid<br />
|[https://www.labshop.nl/fosforzuur-85-nvp/ Labshop]<br />
|1L<br />
|43mL<br />
|1<br />
|€20,27<br />
|€20,27<br />
|23,26L<br />
|2326L<br />
|0,8 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Wine tannin<br />
|[https://brouwland.com/nl/eikenhouten-chips/195-tannine-vinoferm-tannorouge-20-g.html Brouwland]<br />
|20g<br />
|10g<br />
|1<br />
|€5,99<br />
|€5,99<br />
|2L<br />
|200L<br />
|3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Caffeine powder<br />
|[https://voordeelkruiden.nl/cafeine-poeder/ Voordeelkruiden]If we want more: [https://woele.nl/product/cafeine-poeder-pharma-grade-250g/ Woele]<br />
|50g<br />
|9,65g<br />
|1<br />
|€2,60<br />
|€2,60<br />
|5,18L<br />
|518L<br />
|0,5 cents<br />
|-<br />
|5% vinegar<br />
|Supermarket<br />
(Double check 5%!)<br />
|1L<br />
|10mL<br />
|1<br />
|€0,99<br />
|€0,99<br />
|100L<br />
|10kL<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Vanilla extract<br />
|[https://producten.makro.nl/shop/pv/BTY-X742890/0032/0021/Nomu-Vanille-Extract-50-ml Makro.nl]<br />
|50mL<br />
|10mL<br />
|1<br />
|€15,19<br />
|€15,19<br />
|5L<br />
|500L<br />
|3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|'''Total flavor solution B'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|~ €70<br />
|2L<br />
|200 L<br />
|€0,11 when produced at scale<br />
€0,35 for first liter<br />
|}<br />
(1) The essential oils in solution A, quantities as under "Quantity necessary", together make 100mL of pre-solution. "Flavor solution A" then consists of 20 mL of pre-solution, diluted to 1L using alcohol. So for each mL of essential oil in the pre-solution, a fifth (0.2 mL) goes into a liter of the actual solution. So quantity times order amount is the amount of ingredients we have, divided by quantity necessary is the amount of 100mL pre-solution we can make with the order. We can make 5L of solution with that, so the formula is: (quantity * order amount * 5) / (quantity necessary). Since 1mL of solution A goes into a L of cola, 1L solution makes 1000L cola.<br />
<br />
(2) For solution B, the ingredients together make about 400mL of pre-solution. "Flavor solution B" then consists of those 400 mL, diluted to 1L using water. So the "quantity necessary" goes directly into 1L of "Flavor solution B". Since order amount is 1 for all of these, the formula is: quantity / (quantity necessary). Since 10mL of solution B goes into a L of cola, 1L solution makes 100L cola.<br />
<br />
== Expiry ==<br />
After the first batch I'll have a liter of solution A, which is almost fully alcohol, so I expect it not to expire at all. This bottle is good for a thousand liters of cola, which is probably enough for a lifetime.<br />
<br />
I'll also have 80 mL of pre-solution A, which I'll store separately. I also expect it not to expire, but to be sure, I could add alcohol to this as well, and label the bottle as such so I know exactly how much diluted pre-solution contains 20 mL of the original pre-solution.<br />
<br />
As for solution B, I'm not sure but I expect that will expire faster. The original ingredients probably don't expire if closed well? If I make 1L that's enough for 100 L of cola, which probably lasts a few months unless it's really popular.<br />
<br />
Knowing nothing at all about food safety I asked Claude for secondary advice. ("This is a cola syrup, isn't it?") They said the solution A mixture would remain ''safe'' indefinitely, but chemical degradation would affect aroma over the years; they advise to reduce air in the bottle, reduce repeated opening (freshening of the oxygen), reduce heat and reduce light exposure. With that, realistically expiry could be pushed well beyond 5 years. For solution B, they said microbial stability is also very good due to the phosphoric acid (1.0-1.5 pH). Again, chemical degradation is the limiting factor. Sealed, room temperature and out of light, Claude expects 12-18 months for peak flavor, and "probably safe well beyond that". It says the main thing to watch out for is sediment from the tannin, and flavor decreasing. Neither makes it unsafe. Commercial cola syrups like this one carry 6-12 month best-by dates, and it says our threshold for "still good" may be more forgiving.<br />
<br />
As for the original ingredient bottles, I should check if they are labeled with best-before dates and label them with the date I first opened them. Claude says the essential oils are most perishable; they will degrade in 6-12 months. For vanilla extract it's often commercially dated 2-4 years. All other things are either really easily purchaseable or very long-lived (5+ years).<br />
<br />
Conclusion:<br />
<br />
* Keep the bottles at room temperature (or colder), in the dark, and with little air headspace in the bottle.<br />
* For the solution A bottles, I'll mark them with their production date and "expected best before date" of 5 years.<br />
* For the solution B bottles, I'll mark them with their production date and "expected best before date" of 12 months.<br />
* For the original ingredient bottles, I'll store them the same way. I could consider making more pre-solution with alcohol for preservation.<br />
<br />
== Financial overview ==<br />
This is a hobby project, so it's OK if it costs money and isn't cost-effective. However, I wanted to get an overview for myself.<br />
<br />
Initial, one-time investment into tools is €125. The initial investments into ingredients for the first run is ~€200. With some margin, that means the first batch costs €350 and we can produce around 200 liters of cola from this. If it tastes great and is popular and people want to drink it instead of Coca-Cola, I could sell it at a cost price of €1,75 per liter.<br />
<br />
If we actually (expect to) make more than 200 liters, then for the next 200 liters I'd only need to purchase additional wine tannin. So for the first batch of 400 liters, at a cost of €350, it'd already be €0,88 per liter. So that's what the price becomes if it turns out to be quite popular. Eventually, if it's ''really'' popular it would cost €0,14 for the flavor solutions, plus some sugar and carbonated water.</div>Sjors Gielenhttps://hackerspacenijmegen.nl/index.php?title=Projects:Making_cola&diff=2952Projects:Making cola2026-03-25T12:41:06Z<p>Sjors Gielen: /* Tools */</p>
<hr />
<div>[[Bestand:Schermafbeelding 2026-03-25 om 11.02.33.png|miniatuur]]<br />
[[Bestand:Schermafbeelding 2026-03-25 om 11.02.10.png|miniatuur]]<br />
I (Sjors) recently saw this video by LabCoatz reverse engineering the Coca-Cola recipe using (among other techniques) a mass spectrometer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDkH3EbWTYc<br />
<br />
Now I'm a bit of a Coca-Cola addict, so I'm intrigued and want to reproduce it.<br />
<br />
Perhaps once we've done this we can also make [[wikipedia:Open-source_cola|other kinds of cola]], like Toyen Cola, which has its recipe on the back. We could even do a taste test!<br />
<br />
== Overview ==<br />
LabCoatz calls the end product of their recipe '''LabCola'''. One liter of LabCola is built off of four components:<br />
<br />
* around 100g sugar<br />
* 1mL of flavor solution A<br />
* 10 mL of flavor solution B<br />
* around 1 liter of carbonated water<br />
<br />
Flavor solution A is made by adding the following components together (~100mL), then taking 20 mL from that and diluting to 1L using 95% ethanol:<br />
<br />
* 45.8mL lemon oil<br />
* 36.5mL lime oil<br />
* 8mL tea tree oil (from Australian tea tree, Melaleuca Alternifolia)<br />
* 4.5mL cassia cinnamon oil<br />
* 2.7mL nutmeg oil<br />
* 1.2mL orange oil (regular sweet orange)<br />
* 0.7mL coriander oil<br />
* 0.6mL fenchol (any version of alpha-fenchol should work)<br />
<br />
Flavor solution B is made by adding the following components together (~400mL), then diluting to 1L using water:<br />
<br />
* 185mL Durkee caramel color<br />
* 150 grams food-grade vegetable glycerin<br />
* 43mL 85% phosphoric acid<br />
* 10 grams wine tannin<br />
* 9.65 grams caffeine<br />
* 10mL 5% vinegar<br />
* 10mL vanilla extract (or a solution containing 0.95 grams per liter of vanillin)<br />
<br />
It's important to note that this is '''not''' '''the Coca-Cola recipe''', which uses coca leaf extract. It is supposed to be quite close, though.<br />
<br />
== Tools ==<br />
<br />
* Mass scale<br />
** Max measurement is 150g, most precise measurement is 9.65g<br />
** possible source: Michiel may have one, Mats as well<br />
** possible source: €14,20 https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/precisie-weegschaal-0-01-gram-keukenweegschaal-digitaal-milligram-precisieweegschaal-pocket-weegschaal-sieraden-weegschaal/9300000031220365/<br />
** possible source: €139,15 https://www.labshop.nl/schoolweegschaal-efs-500-2/<br />
* micropipette + tips<br />
** ideally an [https://www.merkala.nl/minipet-var-microliterpipet.html adjustable micropipette], but these are quite expensive (€100+)<br />
** fixed 100µL micropipette is cheaper, €25 https://www.merkala.nl/minipet-microliterpipet.html<br />
** could also get a few [https://www.kruidvat.nl/kruidvat-doseerspuit/p/2335439 doseerspuit] at Kruidvat, €2, precision should be somewhere between 0.1mL and 0.5mL<br />
* 50 mL graduated cilinder<br />
** €14,74 https://www.labshop.nl/maatcilinder-hoog-model-klasse-a-bruine-schaalverdeling/?attribute_pa_volume=10-ml<br />
* some 1L storage bottles<br />
** I'll produce 100 mL of pre-solution A, then dilute that into 1L of solution A and store the rest of the 80mL separately. Solution B is 1L at a time, so I'll need 3 storage bottles.<br />
** https://www.labshop.nl/labfles-glas-blank-gl45-blauw-simax/<br />
** €12,40 * 3 = €37,20<br />
* heat-resistant glassware for preparing the syrup (1L)<br />
** €9,23 https://www.labshop.nl/bekerglas-laag-model/<br />
** Ø 105mm, dus dekglaasje ~€16 https://www.labshop.nl/horlogeglas-10-stuks/ maar afdekken kan misschien ook wel met folie?<br />
* magnetic stirrer for mixing<br />
** €133,10 https://www.labshop.nl/mini-magnetische-roerder-rotilabo-m-3/<br />
** possible source: Michiel has one<br />
* 100mL volumetric flask to make the dilution steps easier<br />
** for pre-solution A<br />
** €22,63 https://www.labshop.nl/maatkolf/?attribute_pa_volume=100-ml-ns12-21-klasse-a<br />
* water carbonator / sodastream<br />
** Sjors has this at home<br />
<br />
<br />
If we don't need to buy the mass scale nor magnetic stirrer, tools come out to approximately €125.<br />
<br />
== Ingedients ==<br />
{| class="wikitable"<br />
|+<br />
!Ingredient<br />
!Source link<br />
!Quantity<br />
!Quantity necessary<br />
!Order amount<br />
!Price per piece<br />
!Price total<br />
!Makes L solution<sup>12</sup><br />
!Makes L cola<br />
!Price per L cola<br />
|-<br />
|'''Overall'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Sugar<br />
|Supermarket<br />
|<br />
|Around 100g<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Carbonated water<br />
|Self-made<br />
|<br />
|Around 1L<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|'''Flavor solution A'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Food-grade 95% alcohol<br />
|[https://www.topdrinks.de/navimer-alcohol-pur-glas-1ltr Topdrinks.de]<br />
|1L<br />
|1L<br />
|1<br />
|€23,50<br />
|€23,50<br />
|1L<br />
|1 kL<br />
|2.35 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Lemon oil<br />
|[https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-lemon-oil-30-ml Bodystore]<br />
|30mL<br />
|45.8mL<br />
|2<br />
|€7,59<br />
|€15,18<br />
|6,55L<br />
|6,55 kL<br />
|0,23 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Lime oil<br />
|[https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-essential-oils-lime Bodystore]<br />
|30mL<br />
|36.5mL<br />
|2<br />
|€7,99<br />
|€15,98<br />
|8,22L<br />
|8,22 kL<br />
|0,19 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Tea tree oil<br />
|[https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-tea-tree-oil-30-ml Bodystore]<br />
|30mL<br />
|8mL<br />
|1<br />
|€9,99<br />
|€9,99<br />
|18,75L<br />
|18,75 kL<br />
|0,05 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Cassia cinnamon oil<br />
|[https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-cinnamon-cassia-oil-30-ml Bodystore]<br />
|30mL<br />
|4,5mL<br />
|1<br />
|€8,90<br />
|€8,90<br />
|33,33L<br />
|33,33 kL<br />
|0,03 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Nutmeg oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-nutmeg-1-fl-oz-30-ml/941 iHerb]<br />
|30mL<br />
|2.7mL<br />
|1<br />
|€13,97<br />
|€13,97<br />
|55,56L<br />
|55,56 kL<br />
|0,03 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Orange oil<br />
|[https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-orange-oil-30-ml?sqr=orange%20oil Bodystore]<br />
|30mL<br />
|1.2mL<br />
|1<br />
|€4,99<br />
|€4,99<br />
|125L<br />
|125 kL<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Coriander oil<br />
|[https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/koriander-olie-puur-biologisch-natuurlijk-5ml/9300000188330683/ bol.com]<br />
|5mL<br />
|0.7mL<br />
|1<br />
|€20,95<br />
|€20,95<br />
|35,71L<br />
|35,71 kL<br />
|0,06 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Fenchol<br />
|[https://pellwall.com/products/fenchol Pellwall] (UK)<br />
|5g (~5mL?)<br />
|0.6mL<br />
|1<br />
|£7 + shipping<br />
|~€8 ?<br />
|42L<br />
|42 kL<br />
|0,02 cents<br />
|-<br />
|'''Total flavor solution A'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|~ €120<br />
|1L<br />
|1kL<br />
|€0,03 when produced at scale<br />
€0,12 for first liter<br />
|-<br />
|'''Flavor solution B'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Durkee caramel color<br />
|[https://pantryful.com/products/durkee-caramel-food-color-32-oz Pantryful]<br />
|32 oz. (946 mL)<br />
|185mL<br />
|1<br />
|$14 + shipping<br />
|~€12?<br />
|5,11L<br />
|511L<br />
|2,3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Food-grade vegetable glycerin<br />
|[https://www.labshop.nl/glycerol-glycerine-995/?attribute_pa_volume=1-l Labshop]<br />
|1L<br />
|150g (~150mL?)<br />
|1<br />
|€12,04<br />
|€12,04<br />
|6,66L<br />
|666L<br />
|2 cents<br />
|-<br />
|85% Phosphoric acid<br />
|[https://www.labshop.nl/fosforzuur-85-nvp/ Labshop]<br />
|1L<br />
|43mL<br />
|1<br />
|€20,27<br />
|€20,27<br />
|23,26L<br />
|2326L<br />
|0,8 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Wine tannin<br />
|[https://brouwland.com/nl/eikenhouten-chips/195-tannine-vinoferm-tannorouge-20-g.html Brouwland]<br />
|20g<br />
|10g<br />
|1<br />
|€5,99<br />
|€5,99<br />
|2L<br />
|200L<br />
|3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Caffeine powder<br />
|[https://voordeelkruiden.nl/cafeine-poeder/ Voordeelkruiden]If we want more: [https://woele.nl/product/cafeine-poeder-pharma-grade-250g/ Woele]<br />
|50g<br />
|9,65g<br />
|1<br />
|€2,60<br />
|€2,60<br />
|5,18L<br />
|518L<br />
|0,5 cents<br />
|-<br />
|5% vinegar<br />
|Supermarket<br />
(Double check 5%!)<br />
|1L<br />
|10mL<br />
|1<br />
|€0,99<br />
|€0,99<br />
|100L<br />
|10kL<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Vanilla extract<br />
|[https://producten.makro.nl/shop/pv/BTY-X742890/0032/0021/Nomu-Vanille-Extract-50-ml Makro.nl]<br />
|50mL<br />
|10mL<br />
|1<br />
|€15,19<br />
|€15,19<br />
|5L<br />
|500L<br />
|3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|'''Total flavor solution B'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|~ €70<br />
|2L<br />
|200 L<br />
|€0,11 when produced at scale<br />
€0,35 for first liter<br />
|}<br />
(1) The essential oils in solution A, quantities as under "Quantity necessary", together make 100mL of pre-solution. "Flavor solution A" then consists of 20 mL of pre-solution, diluted to 1L using alcohol. So for each mL of essential oil in the pre-solution, a fifth (0.2 mL) goes into a liter of the actual solution. So quantity times order amount is the amount of ingredients we have, divided by quantity necessary is the amount of 100mL pre-solution we can make with the order. We can make 5L of solution with that, so the formula is: (quantity * order amount * 5) / (quantity necessary). Since 1mL of solution A goes into a L of cola, 1L solution makes 1000L cola.<br />
<br />
(2) For solution B, the ingredients together make about 400mL of pre-solution. "Flavor solution B" then consists of those 400 mL, diluted to 1L using water. So the "quantity necessary" goes directly into 1L of "Flavor solution B". Since order amount is 1 for all of these, the formula is: quantity / (quantity necessary). Since 10mL of solution B goes into a L of cola, 1L solution makes 100L cola.<br />
<br />
== Expiry ==<br />
After the first batch I'll have a liter of solution A, which is almost fully alcohol, so I expect it not to expire at all. This bottle is good for a thousand liters of cola, which is probably enough for a lifetime.<br />
<br />
I'll also have 80 mL of pre-solution A, which I'll store separately. I also expect it not to expire, but to be sure, I could add alcohol to this as well, and label the bottle as such so I know exactly how much diluted pre-solution contains 20 mL of the original pre-solution.<br />
<br />
As for solution B, I'm not sure but I expect that will expire faster. The original ingredients probably don't expire if closed well? If I make 1L that's enough for 100 L of cola, which probably lasts a few months unless it's really popular.<br />
<br />
Knowing nothing at all about food safety I asked Claude for secondary advice. ("This is a cola syrup, isn't it?") They said the solution A mixture would remain ''safe'' indefinitely, but chemical degradation would affect aroma over the years; they advise to reduce air in the bottle, reduce repeated opening (freshening of the oxygen), reduce heat and reduce light exposure. With that, realistically expiry could be pushed well beyond 5 years. For solution B, they said microbial stability is also very good due to the phosphoric acid (1.0-1.5 pH). Again, chemical degradation is the limiting factor. Sealed, room temperature and out of light, Claude expects 12-18 months for peak flavor, and "probably safe well beyond that". It says the main thing to watch out for is sediment from the tannin, and flavor decreasing. Neither makes it unsafe. Commercial cola syrups like this one carry 6-12 month best-by dates, and it says our threshold for "still good" may be more forgiving.<br />
<br />
As for the original ingredient bottles, I should check if they are labeled with best-before dates and label them with the date I first opened them. Claude says the essential oils are most perishable; they will degrade in 6-12 months. For vanilla extract it's often commercially dated 2-4 years. All other things are either really easily purchaseable or very long-lived (5+ years).<br />
<br />
Conclusion:<br />
<br />
* Keep the bottles at room temperature (or colder), in the dark, and with little air headspace in the bottle.<br />
* For the solution A bottles, I'll mark them with their production date and "expected best before date" of 5 years.<br />
* For the solution B bottles, I'll mark them with their production date and "expected best before date" of 12 months.<br />
* For the original ingredient bottles, I'll store them the same way. I could consider making more pre-solution with alcohol for preservation.<br />
<br />
== Financial overview ==<br />
This is a hobby project, so it's OK if it costs money and isn't cost-effective. However, I wanted to get an overview for myself.<br />
<br />
Initial, one-time investment into tools is €125. The initial investments into ingredients for the first run is ~€200. With some margin, that means the first batch costs €350 and we can produce around 200 liters of cola from this. If it tastes great and is popular and people want to drink it instead of Coca-Cola, I could sell it at a cost price of €1,75 per liter.<br />
<br />
If we actually (expect to) make more than 200 liters, then for the next 200 liters I'd only need to purchase additional wine tannin. So for the first batch of 400 liters, at a cost of €350, it'd already be €0,88 per liter. So that's what the price becomes if it turns out to be quite popular. Eventually, if it's ''really'' popular it would cost €0,14 for the flavor solutions, plus some sugar and carbonated water.</div>Sjors Gielenhttps://hackerspacenijmegen.nl/index.php?title=Projects:Making_cola&diff=2951Projects:Making cola2026-03-25T12:11:52Z<p>Sjors Gielen: /* Financial overview */</p>
<hr />
<div>[[Bestand:Schermafbeelding 2026-03-25 om 11.02.33.png|miniatuur]]<br />
[[Bestand:Schermafbeelding 2026-03-25 om 11.02.10.png|miniatuur]]<br />
I (Sjors) recently saw this video by LabCoatz reverse engineering the Coca-Cola recipe using (among other techniques) a mass spectrometer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDkH3EbWTYc<br />
<br />
Now I'm a bit of a Coca-Cola addict, so I'm intrigued and want to reproduce it.<br />
<br />
Perhaps once we've done this we can also make [[wikipedia:Open-source_cola|other kinds of cola]], like Toyen Cola, which has its recipe on the back. We could even do a taste test!<br />
<br />
== Overview ==<br />
LabCoatz calls the end product of their recipe '''LabCola'''. One liter of LabCola is built off of four components:<br />
<br />
* around 100g sugar<br />
* 1mL of flavor solution A<br />
* 10 mL of flavor solution B<br />
* around 1 liter of carbonated water<br />
<br />
Flavor solution A is made by adding the following components together (~100mL), then taking 20 mL from that and diluting to 1L using 95% ethanol:<br />
<br />
* 45.8mL lemon oil<br />
* 36.5mL lime oil<br />
* 8mL tea tree oil (from Australian tea tree, Melaleuca Alternifolia)<br />
* 4.5mL cassia cinnamon oil<br />
* 2.7mL nutmeg oil<br />
* 1.2mL orange oil (regular sweet orange)<br />
* 0.7mL coriander oil<br />
* 0.6mL fenchol (any version of alpha-fenchol should work)<br />
<br />
Flavor solution B is made by adding the following components together (~400mL), then diluting to 1L using water:<br />
<br />
* 185mL Durkee caramel color<br />
* 150 grams food-grade vegetable glycerin<br />
* 43mL 85% phosphoric acid<br />
* 10 grams wine tannin<br />
* 9.65 grams caffeine<br />
* 10mL 5% vinegar<br />
* 10mL vanilla extract (or a solution containing 0.95 grams per liter of vanillin)<br />
<br />
It's important to note that this is '''not''' '''the Coca-Cola recipe''', which uses coca leaf extract. It is supposed to be quite close, though.<br />
<br />
== Tools ==<br />
<br />
* Mass scale<br />
** Max measurement is 150g, most precise measurement is 9.65g<br />
** possible source: Michiel may have one, Mats as well<br />
** possible source: €14,20 https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/precisie-weegschaal-0-01-gram-keukenweegschaal-digitaal-milligram-precisieweegschaal-pocket-weegschaal-sieraden-weegschaal/9300000031220365/<br />
** possible source: €139,15 https://www.labshop.nl/schoolweegschaal-efs-500-2/<br />
* micropipette + tips<br />
** ideally an [https://www.merkala.nl/minipet-var-microliterpipet.html adjustable micropipette], but these are quite expensive (€100+)<br />
** fixed 100µL micropipette is cheaper, €25 https://www.merkala.nl/minipet-microliterpipet.html<br />
* 50 mL graduated cilinder<br />
** €14,74 https://www.labshop.nl/maatcilinder-hoog-model-klasse-a-bruine-schaalverdeling/?attribute_pa_volume=10-ml<br />
* some 1L storage bottles<br />
** I'll produce 100 mL of pre-solution A, then dilute that into 1L of solution A and store the rest of the 80mL separately. Solution B is 1L at a time, so I'll need 3 storage bottles.<br />
** https://www.labshop.nl/labfles-glas-blank-gl45-blauw-simax/<br />
** €12,40 * 3 = €37,20<br />
* heat-resistant glassware for preparing the syrup (1L)<br />
** €9,23 https://www.labshop.nl/bekerglas-laag-model/<br />
** Ø 105mm, dus dekglaasje ~€16 https://www.labshop.nl/horlogeglas-10-stuks/ maar afdekken kan misschien ook wel met folie?<br />
* magnetic stirrer for mixing<br />
** €133,10 https://www.labshop.nl/mini-magnetische-roerder-rotilabo-m-3/<br />
** possible source: Michiel has one<br />
* 100mL volumetric flask to make the dilution steps easier<br />
** for pre-solution A<br />
** €22,63 https://www.labshop.nl/maatkolf/?attribute_pa_volume=100-ml-ns12-21-klasse-a<br />
* water carbonator / sodastream<br />
** Sjors has this at home<br />
<br />
<br />
If we don't need to buy the mass scale nor magnetic stirrer, tools come out to approximately €125.<br />
<br />
== Ingedients ==<br />
{| class="wikitable"<br />
|+<br />
!Ingredient<br />
!Source link<br />
!Quantity<br />
!Quantity necessary<br />
!Order amount<br />
!Price per piece<br />
!Price total<br />
!Makes L solution<sup>12</sup><br />
!Makes L cola<br />
!Price per L cola<br />
|-<br />
|'''Overall'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Sugar<br />
|Supermarket<br />
|<br />
|Around 100g<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Carbonated water<br />
|Self-made<br />
|<br />
|Around 1L<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|'''Flavor solution A'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Food-grade 95% alcohol<br />
|[https://www.topdrinks.de/navimer-alcohol-pur-glas-1ltr Topdrinks.de]<br />
|1L<br />
|1L<br />
|1<br />
|€23,50<br />
|€23,50<br />
|1L<br />
|1 kL<br />
|2.35 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Lemon oil<br />
|[https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-lemon-oil-30-ml Bodystore]<br />
|30mL<br />
|45.8mL<br />
|2<br />
|€7,59<br />
|€15,18<br />
|6,55L<br />
|6,55 kL<br />
|0,23 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Lime oil<br />
|[https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-essential-oils-lime Bodystore]<br />
|30mL<br />
|36.5mL<br />
|2<br />
|€7,99<br />
|€15,98<br />
|8,22L<br />
|8,22 kL<br />
|0,19 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Tea tree oil<br />
|[https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-tea-tree-oil-30-ml Bodystore]<br />
|30mL<br />
|8mL<br />
|1<br />
|€9,99<br />
|€9,99<br />
|18,75L<br />
|18,75 kL<br />
|0,05 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Cassia cinnamon oil<br />
|[https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-cinnamon-cassia-oil-30-ml Bodystore]<br />
|30mL<br />
|4,5mL<br />
|1<br />
|€8,90<br />
|€8,90<br />
|33,33L<br />
|33,33 kL<br />
|0,03 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Nutmeg oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-nutmeg-1-fl-oz-30-ml/941 iHerb]<br />
|30mL<br />
|2.7mL<br />
|1<br />
|€13,97<br />
|€13,97<br />
|55,56L<br />
|55,56 kL<br />
|0,03 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Orange oil<br />
|[https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-orange-oil-30-ml?sqr=orange%20oil Bodystore]<br />
|30mL<br />
|1.2mL<br />
|1<br />
|€4,99<br />
|€4,99<br />
|125L<br />
|125 kL<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Coriander oil<br />
|[https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/koriander-olie-puur-biologisch-natuurlijk-5ml/9300000188330683/ bol.com]<br />
|5mL<br />
|0.7mL<br />
|1<br />
|€20,95<br />
|€20,95<br />
|35,71L<br />
|35,71 kL<br />
|0,06 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Fenchol<br />
|[https://pellwall.com/products/fenchol Pellwall] (UK)<br />
|5g (~5mL?)<br />
|0.6mL<br />
|1<br />
|£7 + shipping<br />
|~€8 ?<br />
|42L<br />
|42 kL<br />
|0,02 cents<br />
|-<br />
|'''Total flavor solution A'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|~ €120<br />
|1L<br />
|1kL<br />
|€0,03 when produced at scale<br />
€0,12 for first liter<br />
|-<br />
|'''Flavor solution B'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Durkee caramel color<br />
|[https://pantryful.com/products/durkee-caramel-food-color-32-oz Pantryful]<br />
|32 oz. (946 mL)<br />
|185mL<br />
|1<br />
|$14 + shipping<br />
|~€12?<br />
|5,11L<br />
|511L<br />
|2,3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Food-grade vegetable glycerin<br />
|[https://www.labshop.nl/glycerol-glycerine-995/?attribute_pa_volume=1-l Labshop]<br />
|1L<br />
|150g (~150mL?)<br />
|1<br />
|€12,04<br />
|€12,04<br />
|6,66L<br />
|666L<br />
|2 cents<br />
|-<br />
|85% Phosphoric acid<br />
|[https://www.labshop.nl/fosforzuur-85-nvp/ Labshop]<br />
|1L<br />
|43mL<br />
|1<br />
|€20,27<br />
|€20,27<br />
|23,26L<br />
|2326L<br />
|0,8 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Wine tannin<br />
|[https://brouwland.com/nl/eikenhouten-chips/195-tannine-vinoferm-tannorouge-20-g.html Brouwland]<br />
|20g<br />
|10g<br />
|1<br />
|€5,99<br />
|€5,99<br />
|2L<br />
|200L<br />
|3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Caffeine powder<br />
|[https://voordeelkruiden.nl/cafeine-poeder/ Voordeelkruiden]If we want more: [https://woele.nl/product/cafeine-poeder-pharma-grade-250g/ Woele]<br />
|50g<br />
|9,65g<br />
|1<br />
|€2,60<br />
|€2,60<br />
|5,18L<br />
|518L<br />
|0,5 cents<br />
|-<br />
|5% vinegar<br />
|Supermarket<br />
(Double check 5%!)<br />
|1L<br />
|10mL<br />
|1<br />
|€0,99<br />
|€0,99<br />
|100L<br />
|10kL<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Vanilla extract<br />
|[https://producten.makro.nl/shop/pv/BTY-X742890/0032/0021/Nomu-Vanille-Extract-50-ml Makro.nl]<br />
|50mL<br />
|10mL<br />
|1<br />
|€15,19<br />
|€15,19<br />
|5L<br />
|500L<br />
|3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|'''Total flavor solution B'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|~ €70<br />
|2L<br />
|200 L<br />
|€0,11 when produced at scale<br />
€0,35 for first liter<br />
|}<br />
(1) The essential oils in solution A, quantities as under "Quantity necessary", together make 100mL of pre-solution. "Flavor solution A" then consists of 20 mL of pre-solution, diluted to 1L using alcohol. So for each mL of essential oil in the pre-solution, a fifth (0.2 mL) goes into a liter of the actual solution. So quantity times order amount is the amount of ingredients we have, divided by quantity necessary is the amount of 100mL pre-solution we can make with the order. We can make 5L of solution with that, so the formula is: (quantity * order amount * 5) / (quantity necessary). Since 1mL of solution A goes into a L of cola, 1L solution makes 1000L cola.<br />
<br />
(2) For solution B, the ingredients together make about 400mL of pre-solution. "Flavor solution B" then consists of those 400 mL, diluted to 1L using water. So the "quantity necessary" goes directly into 1L of "Flavor solution B". Since order amount is 1 for all of these, the formula is: quantity / (quantity necessary). Since 10mL of solution B goes into a L of cola, 1L solution makes 100L cola.<br />
<br />
== Expiry ==<br />
After the first batch I'll have a liter of solution A, which is almost fully alcohol, so I expect it not to expire at all. This bottle is good for a thousand liters of cola, which is probably enough for a lifetime.<br />
<br />
I'll also have 80 mL of pre-solution A, which I'll store separately. I also expect it not to expire, but to be sure, I could add alcohol to this as well, and label the bottle as such so I know exactly how much diluted pre-solution contains 20 mL of the original pre-solution.<br />
<br />
As for solution B, I'm not sure but I expect that will expire faster. The original ingredients probably don't expire if closed well? If I make 1L that's enough for 100 L of cola, which probably lasts a few months unless it's really popular.<br />
<br />
Knowing nothing at all about food safety I asked Claude for secondary advice. ("This is a cola syrup, isn't it?") They said the solution A mixture would remain ''safe'' indefinitely, but chemical degradation would affect aroma over the years; they advise to reduce air in the bottle, reduce repeated opening (freshening of the oxygen), reduce heat and reduce light exposure. With that, realistically expiry could be pushed well beyond 5 years. For solution B, they said microbial stability is also very good due to the phosphoric acid (1.0-1.5 pH). Again, chemical degradation is the limiting factor. Sealed, room temperature and out of light, Claude expects 12-18 months for peak flavor, and "probably safe well beyond that". It says the main thing to watch out for is sediment from the tannin, and flavor decreasing. Neither makes it unsafe. Commercial cola syrups like this one carry 6-12 month best-by dates, and it says our threshold for "still good" may be more forgiving.<br />
<br />
As for the original ingredient bottles, I should check if they are labeled with best-before dates and label them with the date I first opened them. Claude says the essential oils are most perishable; they will degrade in 6-12 months. For vanilla extract it's often commercially dated 2-4 years. All other things are either really easily purchaseable or very long-lived (5+ years).<br />
<br />
Conclusion:<br />
<br />
* Keep the bottles at room temperature (or colder), in the dark, and with little air headspace in the bottle.<br />
* For the solution A bottles, I'll mark them with their production date and "expected best before date" of 5 years.<br />
* For the solution B bottles, I'll mark them with their production date and "expected best before date" of 12 months.<br />
* For the original ingredient bottles, I'll store them the same way. I could consider making more pre-solution with alcohol for preservation.<br />
<br />
== Financial overview ==<br />
This is a hobby project, so it's OK if it costs money and isn't cost-effective. However, I wanted to get an overview for myself.<br />
<br />
Initial, one-time investment into tools is €125. The initial investments into ingredients for the first run is ~€200. With some margin, that means the first batch costs €350 and we can produce around 200 liters of cola from this. If it tastes great and is popular and people want to drink it instead of Coca-Cola, I could sell it at a cost price of €1,75 per liter.<br />
<br />
If we actually (expect to) make more than 200 liters, then for the next 200 liters I'd only need to purchase additional wine tannin. So for the first batch of 400 liters, at a cost of €350, it'd already be €0,88 per liter. So that's what the price becomes if it turns out to be quite popular. Eventually, if it's ''really'' popular it would cost €0,14 for the flavor solutions, plus some sugar and carbonated water.</div>Sjors Gielenhttps://hackerspacenijmegen.nl/index.php?title=Projects:Making_cola&diff=2950Projects:Making cola2026-03-25T12:08:02Z<p>Sjors Gielen: </p>
<hr />
<div>[[Bestand:Schermafbeelding 2026-03-25 om 11.02.33.png|miniatuur]]<br />
[[Bestand:Schermafbeelding 2026-03-25 om 11.02.10.png|miniatuur]]<br />
I (Sjors) recently saw this video by LabCoatz reverse engineering the Coca-Cola recipe using (among other techniques) a mass spectrometer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDkH3EbWTYc<br />
<br />
Now I'm a bit of a Coca-Cola addict, so I'm intrigued and want to reproduce it.<br />
<br />
Perhaps once we've done this we can also make [[wikipedia:Open-source_cola|other kinds of cola]], like Toyen Cola, which has its recipe on the back. We could even do a taste test!<br />
<br />
== Overview ==<br />
LabCoatz calls the end product of their recipe '''LabCola'''. One liter of LabCola is built off of four components:<br />
<br />
* around 100g sugar<br />
* 1mL of flavor solution A<br />
* 10 mL of flavor solution B<br />
* around 1 liter of carbonated water<br />
<br />
Flavor solution A is made by adding the following components together (~100mL), then taking 20 mL from that and diluting to 1L using 95% ethanol:<br />
<br />
* 45.8mL lemon oil<br />
* 36.5mL lime oil<br />
* 8mL tea tree oil (from Australian tea tree, Melaleuca Alternifolia)<br />
* 4.5mL cassia cinnamon oil<br />
* 2.7mL nutmeg oil<br />
* 1.2mL orange oil (regular sweet orange)<br />
* 0.7mL coriander oil<br />
* 0.6mL fenchol (any version of alpha-fenchol should work)<br />
<br />
Flavor solution B is made by adding the following components together (~400mL), then diluting to 1L using water:<br />
<br />
* 185mL Durkee caramel color<br />
* 150 grams food-grade vegetable glycerin<br />
* 43mL 85% phosphoric acid<br />
* 10 grams wine tannin<br />
* 9.65 grams caffeine<br />
* 10mL 5% vinegar<br />
* 10mL vanilla extract (or a solution containing 0.95 grams per liter of vanillin)<br />
<br />
It's important to note that this is '''not''' '''the Coca-Cola recipe''', which uses coca leaf extract. It is supposed to be quite close, though.<br />
<br />
== Tools ==<br />
<br />
* Mass scale<br />
** Max measurement is 150g, most precise measurement is 9.65g<br />
** possible source: Michiel may have one, Mats as well<br />
** possible source: €14,20 https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/precisie-weegschaal-0-01-gram-keukenweegschaal-digitaal-milligram-precisieweegschaal-pocket-weegschaal-sieraden-weegschaal/9300000031220365/<br />
** possible source: €139,15 https://www.labshop.nl/schoolweegschaal-efs-500-2/<br />
* micropipette + tips<br />
** ideally an [https://www.merkala.nl/minipet-var-microliterpipet.html adjustable micropipette], but these are quite expensive (€100+)<br />
** fixed 100µL micropipette is cheaper, €25 https://www.merkala.nl/minipet-microliterpipet.html<br />
* 50 mL graduated cilinder<br />
** €14,74 https://www.labshop.nl/maatcilinder-hoog-model-klasse-a-bruine-schaalverdeling/?attribute_pa_volume=10-ml<br />
* some 1L storage bottles<br />
** I'll produce 100 mL of pre-solution A, then dilute that into 1L of solution A and store the rest of the 80mL separately. Solution B is 1L at a time, so I'll need 3 storage bottles.<br />
** https://www.labshop.nl/labfles-glas-blank-gl45-blauw-simax/<br />
** €12,40 * 3 = €37,20<br />
* heat-resistant glassware for preparing the syrup (1L)<br />
** €9,23 https://www.labshop.nl/bekerglas-laag-model/<br />
** Ø 105mm, dus dekglaasje ~€16 https://www.labshop.nl/horlogeglas-10-stuks/ maar afdekken kan misschien ook wel met folie?<br />
* magnetic stirrer for mixing<br />
** €133,10 https://www.labshop.nl/mini-magnetische-roerder-rotilabo-m-3/<br />
** possible source: Michiel has one<br />
* 100mL volumetric flask to make the dilution steps easier<br />
** for pre-solution A<br />
** €22,63 https://www.labshop.nl/maatkolf/?attribute_pa_volume=100-ml-ns12-21-klasse-a<br />
* water carbonator / sodastream<br />
** Sjors has this at home<br />
<br />
<br />
If we don't need to buy the mass scale nor magnetic stirrer, tools come out to approximately €125.<br />
<br />
== Ingedients ==<br />
{| class="wikitable"<br />
|+<br />
!Ingredient<br />
!Source link<br />
!Quantity<br />
!Quantity necessary<br />
!Order amount<br />
!Price per piece<br />
!Price total<br />
!Makes L solution<sup>12</sup><br />
!Makes L cola<br />
!Price per L cola<br />
|-<br />
|'''Overall'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Sugar<br />
|Supermarket<br />
|<br />
|Around 100g<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Carbonated water<br />
|Self-made<br />
|<br />
|Around 1L<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|'''Flavor solution A'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Food-grade 95% alcohol<br />
|[https://www.topdrinks.de/navimer-alcohol-pur-glas-1ltr Topdrinks.de]<br />
|1L<br />
|1L<br />
|1<br />
|€23,50<br />
|€23,50<br />
|1L<br />
|1 kL<br />
|2.35 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Lemon oil<br />
|[https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-lemon-oil-30-ml Bodystore]<br />
|30mL<br />
|45.8mL<br />
|2<br />
|€7,59<br />
|€15,18<br />
|6,55L<br />
|6,55 kL<br />
|0,23 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Lime oil<br />
|[https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-essential-oils-lime Bodystore]<br />
|30mL<br />
|36.5mL<br />
|2<br />
|€7,99<br />
|€15,98<br />
|8,22L<br />
|8,22 kL<br />
|0,19 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Tea tree oil<br />
|[https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-tea-tree-oil-30-ml Bodystore]<br />
|30mL<br />
|8mL<br />
|1<br />
|€9,99<br />
|€9,99<br />
|18,75L<br />
|18,75 kL<br />
|0,05 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Cassia cinnamon oil<br />
|[https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-cinnamon-cassia-oil-30-ml Bodystore]<br />
|30mL<br />
|4,5mL<br />
|1<br />
|€8,90<br />
|€8,90<br />
|33,33L<br />
|33,33 kL<br />
|0,03 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Nutmeg oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-nutmeg-1-fl-oz-30-ml/941 iHerb]<br />
|30mL<br />
|2.7mL<br />
|1<br />
|€13,97<br />
|€13,97<br />
|55,56L<br />
|55,56 kL<br />
|0,03 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Orange oil<br />
|[https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-orange-oil-30-ml?sqr=orange%20oil Bodystore]<br />
|30mL<br />
|1.2mL<br />
|1<br />
|€4,99<br />
|€4,99<br />
|125L<br />
|125 kL<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Coriander oil<br />
|[https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/koriander-olie-puur-biologisch-natuurlijk-5ml/9300000188330683/ bol.com]<br />
|5mL<br />
|0.7mL<br />
|1<br />
|€20,95<br />
|€20,95<br />
|35,71L<br />
|35,71 kL<br />
|0,06 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Fenchol<br />
|[https://pellwall.com/products/fenchol Pellwall] (UK)<br />
|5g (~5mL?)<br />
|0.6mL<br />
|1<br />
|£7 + shipping<br />
|~€8 ?<br />
|42L<br />
|42 kL<br />
|0,02 cents<br />
|-<br />
|'''Total flavor solution A'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|~ €120<br />
|1L<br />
|1kL<br />
|€0,03 when produced at scale<br />
€0,12 for first liter<br />
|-<br />
|'''Flavor solution B'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Durkee caramel color<br />
|[https://pantryful.com/products/durkee-caramel-food-color-32-oz Pantryful]<br />
|32 oz. (946 mL)<br />
|185mL<br />
|1<br />
|$14 + shipping<br />
|~€12?<br />
|5,11L<br />
|511L<br />
|2,3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Food-grade vegetable glycerin<br />
|[https://www.labshop.nl/glycerol-glycerine-995/?attribute_pa_volume=1-l Labshop]<br />
|1L<br />
|150g (~150mL?)<br />
|1<br />
|€12,04<br />
|€12,04<br />
|6,66L<br />
|666L<br />
|2 cents<br />
|-<br />
|85% Phosphoric acid<br />
|[https://www.labshop.nl/fosforzuur-85-nvp/ Labshop]<br />
|1L<br />
|43mL<br />
|1<br />
|€20,27<br />
|€20,27<br />
|23,26L<br />
|2326L<br />
|0,8 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Wine tannin<br />
|[https://brouwland.com/nl/eikenhouten-chips/195-tannine-vinoferm-tannorouge-20-g.html Brouwland]<br />
|20g<br />
|10g<br />
|1<br />
|€5,99<br />
|€5,99<br />
|2L<br />
|200L<br />
|3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Caffeine powder<br />
|[https://voordeelkruiden.nl/cafeine-poeder/ Voordeelkruiden]If we want more: [https://woele.nl/product/cafeine-poeder-pharma-grade-250g/ Woele]<br />
|50g<br />
|9,65g<br />
|1<br />
|€2,60<br />
|€2,60<br />
|5,18L<br />
|518L<br />
|0,5 cents<br />
|-<br />
|5% vinegar<br />
|Supermarket<br />
(Double check 5%!)<br />
|1L<br />
|10mL<br />
|1<br />
|€0,99<br />
|€0,99<br />
|100L<br />
|10kL<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Vanilla extract<br />
|[https://producten.makro.nl/shop/pv/BTY-X742890/0032/0021/Nomu-Vanille-Extract-50-ml Makro.nl]<br />
|50mL<br />
|10mL<br />
|1<br />
|€15,19<br />
|€15,19<br />
|5L<br />
|500L<br />
|3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|'''Total flavor solution B'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|~ €70<br />
|2L<br />
|200 L<br />
|€0,11 when produced at scale<br />
€0,35 for first liter<br />
|}<br />
(1) The essential oils in solution A, quantities as under "Quantity necessary", together make 100mL of pre-solution. "Flavor solution A" then consists of 20 mL of pre-solution, diluted to 1L using alcohol. So for each mL of essential oil in the pre-solution, a fifth (0.2 mL) goes into a liter of the actual solution. So quantity times order amount is the amount of ingredients we have, divided by quantity necessary is the amount of 100mL pre-solution we can make with the order. We can make 5L of solution with that, so the formula is: (quantity * order amount * 5) / (quantity necessary). Since 1mL of solution A goes into a L of cola, 1L solution makes 1000L cola.<br />
<br />
(2) For solution B, the ingredients together make about 400mL of pre-solution. "Flavor solution B" then consists of those 400 mL, diluted to 1L using water. So the "quantity necessary" goes directly into 1L of "Flavor solution B". Since order amount is 1 for all of these, the formula is: quantity / (quantity necessary). Since 10mL of solution B goes into a L of cola, 1L solution makes 100L cola.<br />
<br />
== Expiry ==<br />
After the first batch I'll have a liter of solution A, which is almost fully alcohol, so I expect it not to expire at all. This bottle is good for a thousand liters of cola, which is probably enough for a lifetime.<br />
<br />
I'll also have 80 mL of pre-solution A, which I'll store separately. I also expect it not to expire, but to be sure, I could add alcohol to this as well, and label the bottle as such so I know exactly how much diluted pre-solution contains 20 mL of the original pre-solution.<br />
<br />
As for solution B, I'm not sure but I expect that will expire faster. The original ingredients probably don't expire if closed well? If I make 1L that's enough for 100 L of cola, which probably lasts a few months unless it's really popular.<br />
<br />
Knowing nothing at all about food safety I asked Claude for secondary advice. ("This is a cola syrup, isn't it?") They said the solution A mixture would remain ''safe'' indefinitely, but chemical degradation would affect aroma over the years; they advise to reduce air in the bottle, reduce repeated opening (freshening of the oxygen), reduce heat and reduce light exposure. With that, realistically expiry could be pushed well beyond 5 years. For solution B, they said microbial stability is also very good due to the phosphoric acid (1.0-1.5 pH). Again, chemical degradation is the limiting factor. Sealed, room temperature and out of light, Claude expects 12-18 months for peak flavor, and "probably safe well beyond that". It says the main thing to watch out for is sediment from the tannin, and flavor decreasing. Neither makes it unsafe. Commercial cola syrups like this one carry 6-12 month best-by dates, and it says our threshold for "still good" may be more forgiving.<br />
<br />
As for the original ingredient bottles, I should check if they are labeled with best-before dates and label them with the date I first opened them. Claude says the essential oils are most perishable; they will degrade in 6-12 months. For vanilla extract it's often commercially dated 2-4 years. All other things are either really easily purchaseable or very long-lived (5+ years).<br />
<br />
Conclusion:<br />
<br />
* Keep the bottles at room temperature (or colder), in the dark, and with little air headspace in the bottle.<br />
* For the solution A bottles, I'll mark them with their production date and "expected best before date" of 5 years.<br />
* For the solution B bottles, I'll mark them with their production date and "expected best before date" of 12 months.<br />
* For the original ingredient bottles, I'll store them the same way. I could consider making more pre-solution with alcohol for preservation.<br />
<br />
== Financial overview ==<br />
This is a hobby project, so it's OK if it costs money and isn't cost-effective. However, I wanted to get an overview for myself.<br />
<br />
Initial, one-time investment into tools is €125. The initial investments into ingredients for the first run is ~€200. With some margin, that means the first batch costs €350 and we can produce around 200 liters of cola from this. If it tastes great and is popular and people want to drink it instead of Coca-Cola, I could sell it at a cost price of €1,75 per liter.</div>Sjors Gielenhttps://hackerspacenijmegen.nl/index.php?title=Projects:Making_cola&diff=2949Projects:Making cola2026-03-25T11:38:54Z<p>Sjors Gielen: /* Tools */</p>
<hr />
<div>[[Bestand:Schermafbeelding 2026-03-25 om 11.02.33.png|miniatuur]]<br />
[[Bestand:Schermafbeelding 2026-03-25 om 11.02.10.png|miniatuur]]<br />
I (Sjors) recently saw this video by LabCoatz reverse engineering the Coca-Cola recipe using (among other techniques) a mass spectrometer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDkH3EbWTYc<br />
<br />
Now I'm a bit of a Coca-Cola addict, so I'm intrigued and want to reproduce it.<br />
<br />
Perhaps once we've done this we can also make [[wikipedia:Open-source_cola|other kinds of cola]], like Toyen Cola, which has its recipe on the back. We could even do a taste test!<br />
<br />
== Overview ==<br />
LabCoatz calls the end product of their recipe '''LabCola'''. One liter of LabCola is built off of four components:<br />
<br />
* around 100g sugar<br />
* 1mL of flavor solution A<br />
* 10 mL of flavor solution B<br />
* around 1 liter of carbonated water<br />
<br />
Flavor solution A is made by adding the following components together (~100mL), then taking 20 mL from that and diluting to 1L using 95% ethanol:<br />
<br />
* 45.8mL lemon oil<br />
* 36.5mL lime oil<br />
* 8mL tea tree oil (from Australian tea tree, Melaleuca Alternifolia)<br />
* 4.5mL cassia cinnamon oil<br />
* 2.7mL nutmeg oil<br />
* 1.2mL orange oil (regular sweet orange)<br />
* 0.7mL coriander oil<br />
* 0.6mL fenchol (any version of alpha-fenchol should work)<br />
<br />
Flavor solution B is made by adding the following components together (~400mL), then diluting to 1L using water:<br />
<br />
* 185mL Durkee caramel color<br />
* 150 grams food-grade vegetable glycerin<br />
* 43mL 85% phosphoric acid<br />
* 10 grams wine tannin<br />
* 9.65 grams caffeine<br />
* 10mL 5% vinegar<br />
* 10mL vanilla extract (or a solution containing 0.95 grams per liter of vanillin)<br />
<br />
It's important to note that this is not '''the Coca-Cola recipe''', which uses coca leaf extract. It is supposed to be quite close, though.<br />
<br />
== Tools ==<br />
<br />
* Mass scale<br />
** Max measurement is 150g, most precise measurement is 9.65g<br />
** possible source: Michiel may have one, Mats as well<br />
** possible source: €14,20 https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/precisie-weegschaal-0-01-gram-keukenweegschaal-digitaal-milligram-precisieweegschaal-pocket-weegschaal-sieraden-weegschaal/9300000031220365/<br />
** possible source: €139,15 https://www.labshop.nl/schoolweegschaal-efs-500-2/<br />
* micropipette + tips<br />
** ideally an [https://www.merkala.nl/minipet-var-microliterpipet.html adjustable micropipette], but these are quite expensive (€100+)<br />
** fixed 100µL micropipette is cheaper, €25 https://www.merkala.nl/minipet-microliterpipet.html<br />
* 50 mL graduated cilinder<br />
** €14,74 https://www.labshop.nl/maatcilinder-hoog-model-klasse-a-bruine-schaalverdeling/?attribute_pa_volume=10-ml<br />
* some 1L storage bottles<br />
** solution A is normally produced 5L at a time, solution B normally 1L at a time, so six?<br />
** https://www.labshop.nl/labfles-glas-blank-gl45-blauw-simax/<br />
** €12,40 * 6 = €74,40<br />
* heat-resistant glassware for preparing the syrup (1L)<br />
** €9,23 https://www.labshop.nl/bekerglas-laag-model/<br />
** Ø 105mm, dus dekglaasje ~€16 https://www.labshop.nl/horlogeglas-10-stuks/ maar afdekken kan misschien ook wel met folie?<br />
* magnetic stirrer for mixing<br />
** €133,10 https://www.labshop.nl/mini-magnetische-roerder-rotilabo-m-3/<br />
** possible source: Michiel has one<br />
* 1L volumetric flask to make the dilution steps easier<br />
** €39,87 https://www.labshop.nl/maatkolf/?attribute_pa_volume=25-ml-ns12-21-klasse-a<br />
* water carbonator / sodastream<br />
** Sjors has this at home<br />
<br />
<br />
If we don't need to buy the mass scale nor magnetic stirrer, tools come out to approximately €180.<br />
<br />
== Ingedients ==<br />
{| class="wikitable"<br />
|+<br />
!Ingredient<br />
!Source link<br />
!Quantity<br />
!Quantity necessary<br />
!Order amount<br />
!Price per piece<br />
!Price total<br />
!Makes L solution<sup>12</sup><br />
!Makes L cola<br />
!Price per L cola<br />
|-<br />
|'''Overall'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Sugar<br />
|Supermarket<br />
|<br />
|Around 100g<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Carbonated water<br />
|Self-made<br />
|<br />
|Around 1L<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|'''Flavor solution A'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Food-grade 95% alcohol<br />
|[https://www.topdrinks.de/navimer-alcohol-pur-glas-1ltr Topdrinks.de]<br />
|1L<br />
|1L<br />
|1<br />
|€23,50<br />
|€23,50<br />
|1L<br />
|1 kL<br />
|2.35 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Lemon oil<br />
|[https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-lemon-oil-30-ml Bodystore]<br />
|30mL<br />
|45.8mL<br />
|2<br />
|€7,59<br />
|€15,18<br />
|6,55L<br />
|6,55 kL<br />
|0,23 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Lime oil<br />
|[https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-essential-oils-lime Bodystore]<br />
|30mL<br />
|36.5mL<br />
|2<br />
|€7,99<br />
|€15,98<br />
|8,22L<br />
|8,22 kL<br />
|0,19 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Tea tree oil<br />
|[https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-tea-tree-oil-30-ml Bodystore]<br />
|30mL<br />
|8mL<br />
|1<br />
|€9,99<br />
|€9,99<br />
|18,75L<br />
|18,75 kL<br />
|0,05 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Cassia cinnamon oil<br />
|[https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-cinnamon-cassia-oil-30-ml Bodystore]<br />
|30mL<br />
|4,5mL<br />
|1<br />
|€8,90<br />
|€8,90<br />
|33,33L<br />
|33,33 kL<br />
|0,03 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Nutmeg oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-nutmeg-1-fl-oz-30-ml/941 iHerb]<br />
|30mL<br />
|2.7mL<br />
|1<br />
|€13,97<br />
|€13,97<br />
|55,56L<br />
|55,56 kL<br />
|0,03 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Orange oil<br />
|[https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-orange-oil-30-ml?sqr=orange%20oil Bodystore]<br />
|30mL<br />
|1.2mL<br />
|1<br />
|€4,99<br />
|€4,99<br />
|125L<br />
|125 kL<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Coriander oil<br />
|[https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/koriander-olie-puur-biologisch-natuurlijk-5ml/9300000188330683/ bol.com]<br />
|5mL<br />
|0.7mL<br />
|1<br />
|€20,95<br />
|€20,95<br />
|35,71L<br />
|35,71 kL<br />
|0,06 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Fenchol<br />
|[https://pellwall.com/products/fenchol Pellwall] (UK)<br />
|5g (~5mL?)<br />
|0.6mL<br />
|1<br />
|£7 + shipping<br />
|~€8 ?<br />
|42L<br />
|42 kL<br />
|0,02 cents<br />
|-<br />
|'''Total flavor solution A'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|~ €120<br />
|1L<br />
|1kL<br />
|€0,03 when produced at scale<br />
€0,12 for first liter<br />
|-<br />
|'''Flavor solution B'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Durkee caramel color<br />
|[https://pantryful.com/products/durkee-caramel-food-color-32-oz Pantryful]<br />
|32 oz. (946 mL)<br />
|185mL<br />
|1<br />
|$14 + shipping<br />
|~€12?<br />
|5,11L<br />
|511L<br />
|2,3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Food-grade vegetable glycerin<br />
|[https://www.labshop.nl/glycerol-glycerine-995/?attribute_pa_volume=1-l Labshop]<br />
|1L<br />
|150g (~150mL?)<br />
|1<br />
|€12,04<br />
|€12,04<br />
|6,66L<br />
|666L<br />
|2 cents<br />
|-<br />
|85% Phosphoric acid<br />
|[https://www.labshop.nl/fosforzuur-85-nvp/ Labshop]<br />
|1L<br />
|43mL<br />
|1<br />
|€20,27<br />
|€20,27<br />
|23,26L<br />
|2326L<br />
|0,8 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Wine tannin<br />
|[https://brouwland.com/nl/eikenhouten-chips/195-tannine-vinoferm-tannorouge-20-g.html Brouwland]<br />
|20g<br />
|10g<br />
|1<br />
|€5,99<br />
|€5,99<br />
|2L<br />
|200L<br />
|3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Caffeine powder<br />
|[https://voordeelkruiden.nl/cafeine-poeder/ Voordeelkruiden]If we want more: [https://woele.nl/product/cafeine-poeder-pharma-grade-250g/ Woele]<br />
|50g<br />
|9,65g<br />
|1<br />
|€2,60<br />
|€2,60<br />
|5,18L<br />
|518L<br />
|0,5 cents<br />
|-<br />
|5% vinegar<br />
|Supermarket<br />
(Double check 5%!)<br />
|1L<br />
|10mL<br />
|1<br />
|€0,99<br />
|€0,99<br />
|100L<br />
|10kL<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Vanilla extract<br />
|[https://producten.makro.nl/shop/pv/BTY-X742890/0032/0021/Nomu-Vanille-Extract-50-ml Makro.nl]<br />
|50mL<br />
|10mL<br />
|1<br />
|€15,19<br />
|€15,19<br />
|5L<br />
|500L<br />
|3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|'''Total flavor solution B'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|~ €70<br />
|2L<br />
|200 L<br />
|€0,11 when produced at scale<br />
€0,35 for first liter<br />
|}<br />
(1) The essential oils in solution A, quantities as under "Quantity necessary", together make 100mL of pre-solution. "Flavor solution A" then consists of 20 mL of pre-solution, diluted to 1L using alcohol. So for each mL of essential oil in the pre-solution, a fifth (0.2 mL) goes into a liter of the actual solution. So quantity times order amount is the amount of ingredients we have, divided by quantity necessary is the amount of 100mL pre-solution we can make with the order. We can make 5L of solution with that, so the formula is: (quantity * order amount * 5) / (quantity necessary). Since 1mL of solution A goes into a L of cola, 1L solution makes 1000L cola.<br />
<br />
(2) For solution B, the ingredients together make about 400mL of pre-solution. "Flavor solution B" then consists of those 400 mL, diluted to 1L using water. So the "quantity necessary" goes directly into 1L of "Flavor solution B". Since order amount is 1 for all of these, the formula is: quantity / (quantity necessary). Since 10mL of solution B goes into a L of cola, 1L solution makes 100L cola.</div>Sjors Gielenhttps://hackerspacenijmegen.nl/index.php?title=Projects:Making_cola&diff=2948Projects:Making cola2026-03-25T11:37:53Z<p>Sjors Gielen: /* Ingedients */</p>
<hr />
<div>[[Bestand:Schermafbeelding 2026-03-25 om 11.02.33.png|miniatuur]]<br />
[[Bestand:Schermafbeelding 2026-03-25 om 11.02.10.png|miniatuur]]<br />
I (Sjors) recently saw this video by LabCoatz reverse engineering the Coca-Cola recipe using (among other techniques) a mass spectrometer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDkH3EbWTYc<br />
<br />
Now I'm a bit of a Coca-Cola addict, so I'm intrigued and want to reproduce it.<br />
<br />
Perhaps once we've done this we can also make [[wikipedia:Open-source_cola|other kinds of cola]], like Toyen Cola, which has its recipe on the back. We could even do a taste test!<br />
<br />
== Overview ==<br />
LabCoatz calls the end product of their recipe '''LabCola'''. One liter of LabCola is built off of four components:<br />
<br />
* around 100g sugar<br />
* 1mL of flavor solution A<br />
* 10 mL of flavor solution B<br />
* around 1 liter of carbonated water<br />
<br />
Flavor solution A is made by adding the following components together (~100mL), then taking 20 mL from that and diluting to 1L using 95% ethanol:<br />
<br />
* 45.8mL lemon oil<br />
* 36.5mL lime oil<br />
* 8mL tea tree oil (from Australian tea tree, Melaleuca Alternifolia)<br />
* 4.5mL cassia cinnamon oil<br />
* 2.7mL nutmeg oil<br />
* 1.2mL orange oil (regular sweet orange)<br />
* 0.7mL coriander oil<br />
* 0.6mL fenchol (any version of alpha-fenchol should work)<br />
<br />
Flavor solution B is made by adding the following components together (~400mL), then diluting to 1L using water:<br />
<br />
* 185mL Durkee caramel color<br />
* 150 grams food-grade vegetable glycerin<br />
* 43mL 85% phosphoric acid<br />
* 10 grams wine tannin<br />
* 9.65 grams caffeine<br />
* 10mL 5% vinegar<br />
* 10mL vanilla extract (or a solution containing 0.95 grams per liter of vanillin)<br />
<br />
It's important to note that this is not '''the Coca-Cola recipe''', which uses coca leaf extract. It is supposed to be quite close, though.<br />
<br />
== Tools ==<br />
<br />
* Mass scale<br />
** Max measurement is 150g, most precise measurement is 9.65g<br />
** possible source: Michiel may have one, Mats as well<br />
** possible source: €14,20 https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/precisie-weegschaal-0-01-gram-keukenweegschaal-digitaal-milligram-precisieweegschaal-pocket-weegschaal-sieraden-weegschaal/9300000031220365/<br />
** possible source: €139,15 https://www.labshop.nl/schoolweegschaal-efs-500-2/<br />
* micropipette + tips<br />
** ideally an [https://www.merkala.nl/minipet-var-microliterpipet.html adjustable micropipette], but these are quite expensive (€100+)<br />
** fixed 100µL micropipette is cheaper, €25 https://www.merkala.nl/minipet-microliterpipet.html<br />
* 50 mL graduated cilinder<br />
** €14,74 https://www.labshop.nl/maatcilinder-hoog-model-klasse-a-bruine-schaalverdeling/?attribute_pa_volume=10-ml<br />
* some 1L storage bottles<br />
** solution A is normally produced 5L at a time, solution B normally 1L at a time, so six?<br />
** https://www.labshop.nl/labfles-glas-blank-gl45-blauw-simax/<br />
** €12,40 * 6 = €74,40<br />
* heat-resistant glassware for preparing the syrup (1L)<br />
** €9,23 https://www.labshop.nl/bekerglas-laag-model/<br />
** Ø 105mm, dus dekglaasje ~€16 https://www.labshop.nl/horlogeglas-10-stuks/ maar afdekken kan misschien ook wel met folie?<br />
* magnetic stirrer for mixing<br />
** €133,10 https://www.labshop.nl/mini-magnetische-roerder-rotilabo-m-3/<br />
** possible source: Michiel has one<br />
* 1L volumetric flask to make the dilution steps easier<br />
** €39,87 https://www.labshop.nl/maatkolf/?attribute_pa_volume=25-ml-ns12-21-klasse-a<br />
* water carbonator / sodastream<br />
** Sjors has this at home<br />
<br />
== Ingedients ==<br />
{| class="wikitable"<br />
|+<br />
!Ingredient<br />
!Source link<br />
!Quantity<br />
!Quantity necessary<br />
!Order amount<br />
!Price per piece<br />
!Price total<br />
!Makes L solution<sup>12</sup><br />
!Makes L cola<br />
!Price per L cola<br />
|-<br />
|'''Overall'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Sugar<br />
|Supermarket<br />
|<br />
|Around 100g<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Carbonated water<br />
|Self-made<br />
|<br />
|Around 1L<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|'''Flavor solution A'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Food-grade 95% alcohol<br />
|[https://www.topdrinks.de/navimer-alcohol-pur-glas-1ltr Topdrinks.de]<br />
|1L<br />
|1L<br />
|1<br />
|€23,50<br />
|€23,50<br />
|1L<br />
|1 kL<br />
|2.35 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Lemon oil<br />
|[https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-lemon-oil-30-ml Bodystore]<br />
|30mL<br />
|45.8mL<br />
|2<br />
|€7,59<br />
|€15,18<br />
|6,55L<br />
|6,55 kL<br />
|0,23 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Lime oil<br />
|[https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-essential-oils-lime Bodystore]<br />
|30mL<br />
|36.5mL<br />
|2<br />
|€7,99<br />
|€15,98<br />
|8,22L<br />
|8,22 kL<br />
|0,19 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Tea tree oil<br />
|[https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-tea-tree-oil-30-ml Bodystore]<br />
|30mL<br />
|8mL<br />
|1<br />
|€9,99<br />
|€9,99<br />
|18,75L<br />
|18,75 kL<br />
|0,05 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Cassia cinnamon oil<br />
|[https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-cinnamon-cassia-oil-30-ml Bodystore]<br />
|30mL<br />
|4,5mL<br />
|1<br />
|€8,90<br />
|€8,90<br />
|33,33L<br />
|33,33 kL<br />
|0,03 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Nutmeg oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-nutmeg-1-fl-oz-30-ml/941 iHerb]<br />
|30mL<br />
|2.7mL<br />
|1<br />
|€13,97<br />
|€13,97<br />
|55,56L<br />
|55,56 kL<br />
|0,03 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Orange oil<br />
|[https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-orange-oil-30-ml?sqr=orange%20oil Bodystore]<br />
|30mL<br />
|1.2mL<br />
|1<br />
|€4,99<br />
|€4,99<br />
|125L<br />
|125 kL<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Coriander oil<br />
|[https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/koriander-olie-puur-biologisch-natuurlijk-5ml/9300000188330683/ bol.com]<br />
|5mL<br />
|0.7mL<br />
|1<br />
|€20,95<br />
|€20,95<br />
|35,71L<br />
|35,71 kL<br />
|0,06 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Fenchol<br />
|[https://pellwall.com/products/fenchol Pellwall] (UK)<br />
|5g (~5mL?)<br />
|0.6mL<br />
|1<br />
|£7 + shipping<br />
|~€8 ?<br />
|42L<br />
|42 kL<br />
|0,02 cents<br />
|-<br />
|'''Total flavor solution A'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|~ €120<br />
|1L<br />
|1kL<br />
|€0,03 when produced at scale<br />
€0,12 for first liter<br />
|-<br />
|'''Flavor solution B'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Durkee caramel color<br />
|[https://pantryful.com/products/durkee-caramel-food-color-32-oz Pantryful]<br />
|32 oz. (946 mL)<br />
|185mL<br />
|1<br />
|$14 + shipping<br />
|~€12?<br />
|5,11L<br />
|511L<br />
|2,3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Food-grade vegetable glycerin<br />
|[https://www.labshop.nl/glycerol-glycerine-995/?attribute_pa_volume=1-l Labshop]<br />
|1L<br />
|150g (~150mL?)<br />
|1<br />
|€12,04<br />
|€12,04<br />
|6,66L<br />
|666L<br />
|2 cents<br />
|-<br />
|85% Phosphoric acid<br />
|[https://www.labshop.nl/fosforzuur-85-nvp/ Labshop]<br />
|1L<br />
|43mL<br />
|1<br />
|€20,27<br />
|€20,27<br />
|23,26L<br />
|2326L<br />
|0,8 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Wine tannin<br />
|[https://brouwland.com/nl/eikenhouten-chips/195-tannine-vinoferm-tannorouge-20-g.html Brouwland]<br />
|20g<br />
|10g<br />
|1<br />
|€5,99<br />
|€5,99<br />
|2L<br />
|200L<br />
|3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Caffeine powder<br />
|[https://voordeelkruiden.nl/cafeine-poeder/ Voordeelkruiden]If we want more: [https://woele.nl/product/cafeine-poeder-pharma-grade-250g/ Woele]<br />
|50g<br />
|9,65g<br />
|1<br />
|€2,60<br />
|€2,60<br />
|5,18L<br />
|518L<br />
|0,5 cents<br />
|-<br />
|5% vinegar<br />
|Supermarket<br />
(Double check 5%!)<br />
|1L<br />
|10mL<br />
|1<br />
|€0,99<br />
|€0,99<br />
|100L<br />
|10kL<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Vanilla extract<br />
|[https://producten.makro.nl/shop/pv/BTY-X742890/0032/0021/Nomu-Vanille-Extract-50-ml Makro.nl]<br />
|50mL<br />
|10mL<br />
|1<br />
|€15,19<br />
|€15,19<br />
|5L<br />
|500L<br />
|3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|'''Total flavor solution B'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|~ €70<br />
|2L<br />
|200 L<br />
|€0,11 when produced at scale<br />
€0,35 for first liter<br />
|}<br />
(1) The essential oils in solution A, quantities as under "Quantity necessary", together make 100mL of pre-solution. "Flavor solution A" then consists of 20 mL of pre-solution, diluted to 1L using alcohol. So for each mL of essential oil in the pre-solution, a fifth (0.2 mL) goes into a liter of the actual solution. So quantity times order amount is the amount of ingredients we have, divided by quantity necessary is the amount of 100mL pre-solution we can make with the order. We can make 5L of solution with that, so the formula is: (quantity * order amount * 5) / (quantity necessary). Since 1mL of solution A goes into a L of cola, 1L solution makes 1000L cola.<br />
<br />
(2) For solution B, the ingredients together make about 400mL of pre-solution. "Flavor solution B" then consists of those 400 mL, diluted to 1L using water. So the "quantity necessary" goes directly into 1L of "Flavor solution B". Since order amount is 1 for all of these, the formula is: quantity / (quantity necessary). Since 10mL of solution B goes into a L of cola, 1L solution makes 100L cola.</div>Sjors Gielenhttps://hackerspacenijmegen.nl/index.php?title=Projects:Making_cola&diff=2947Projects:Making cola2026-03-25T11:36:57Z<p>Sjors Gielen: </p>
<hr />
<div>[[Bestand:Schermafbeelding 2026-03-25 om 11.02.33.png|miniatuur]]<br />
[[Bestand:Schermafbeelding 2026-03-25 om 11.02.10.png|miniatuur]]<br />
I (Sjors) recently saw this video by LabCoatz reverse engineering the Coca-Cola recipe using (among other techniques) a mass spectrometer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDkH3EbWTYc<br />
<br />
Now I'm a bit of a Coca-Cola addict, so I'm intrigued and want to reproduce it.<br />
<br />
Perhaps once we've done this we can also make [[wikipedia:Open-source_cola|other kinds of cola]], like Toyen Cola, which has its recipe on the back. We could even do a taste test!<br />
<br />
== Overview ==<br />
LabCoatz calls the end product of their recipe '''LabCola'''. One liter of LabCola is built off of four components:<br />
<br />
* around 100g sugar<br />
* 1mL of flavor solution A<br />
* 10 mL of flavor solution B<br />
* around 1 liter of carbonated water<br />
<br />
Flavor solution A is made by adding the following components together (~100mL), then taking 20 mL from that and diluting to 1L using 95% ethanol:<br />
<br />
* 45.8mL lemon oil<br />
* 36.5mL lime oil<br />
* 8mL tea tree oil (from Australian tea tree, Melaleuca Alternifolia)<br />
* 4.5mL cassia cinnamon oil<br />
* 2.7mL nutmeg oil<br />
* 1.2mL orange oil (regular sweet orange)<br />
* 0.7mL coriander oil<br />
* 0.6mL fenchol (any version of alpha-fenchol should work)<br />
<br />
Flavor solution B is made by adding the following components together (~400mL), then diluting to 1L using water:<br />
<br />
* 185mL Durkee caramel color<br />
* 150 grams food-grade vegetable glycerin<br />
* 43mL 85% phosphoric acid<br />
* 10 grams wine tannin<br />
* 9.65 grams caffeine<br />
* 10mL 5% vinegar<br />
* 10mL vanilla extract (or a solution containing 0.95 grams per liter of vanillin)<br />
<br />
It's important to note that this is not '''the Coca-Cola recipe''', which uses coca leaf extract. It is supposed to be quite close, though.<br />
<br />
== Tools ==<br />
<br />
* Mass scale<br />
** Max measurement is 150g, most precise measurement is 9.65g<br />
** possible source: Michiel may have one, Mats as well<br />
** possible source: €14,20 https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/precisie-weegschaal-0-01-gram-keukenweegschaal-digitaal-milligram-precisieweegschaal-pocket-weegschaal-sieraden-weegschaal/9300000031220365/<br />
** possible source: €139,15 https://www.labshop.nl/schoolweegschaal-efs-500-2/<br />
* micropipette + tips<br />
** ideally an [https://www.merkala.nl/minipet-var-microliterpipet.html adjustable micropipette], but these are quite expensive (€100+)<br />
** fixed 100µL micropipette is cheaper, €25 https://www.merkala.nl/minipet-microliterpipet.html<br />
* 50 mL graduated cilinder<br />
** €14,74 https://www.labshop.nl/maatcilinder-hoog-model-klasse-a-bruine-schaalverdeling/?attribute_pa_volume=10-ml<br />
* some 1L storage bottles<br />
** solution A is normally produced 5L at a time, solution B normally 1L at a time, so six?<br />
** https://www.labshop.nl/labfles-glas-blank-gl45-blauw-simax/<br />
** €12,40 * 6 = €74,40<br />
* heat-resistant glassware for preparing the syrup (1L)<br />
** €9,23 https://www.labshop.nl/bekerglas-laag-model/<br />
** Ø 105mm, dus dekglaasje ~€16 https://www.labshop.nl/horlogeglas-10-stuks/ maar afdekken kan misschien ook wel met folie?<br />
* magnetic stirrer for mixing<br />
** €133,10 https://www.labshop.nl/mini-magnetische-roerder-rotilabo-m-3/<br />
** possible source: Michiel has one<br />
* 1L volumetric flask to make the dilution steps easier<br />
** €39,87 https://www.labshop.nl/maatkolf/?attribute_pa_volume=25-ml-ns12-21-klasse-a<br />
* water carbonator / sodastream<br />
** Sjors has this at home<br />
<br />
== Ingedients ==<br />
{| class="wikitable"<br />
|+<br />
!Ingredient<br />
!Source link<br />
!Quantity<br />
!Quantity necessary<br />
!Order amount<br />
!Price per piece<br />
!Price total<br />
!Makes L solution<sup>12</sup><br />
!Makes L cola<br />
!Price per L cola<br />
|-<br />
|'''Overall'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Sugar<br />
|Supermarket<br />
|<br />
|Around 100g<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Carbonated water<br />
|Self-made<br />
|<br />
|Around 1L<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|'''Flavor solution A'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Food-grade 95% alcohol<br />
|[https://www.topdrinks.de/navimer-alcohol-pur-glas-1ltr Link]<br />
|1L<br />
|1L<br />
|1<br />
|€23,50<br />
|€23,50<br />
|1L<br />
|1 kL<br />
|2.35 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Lemon oil<br />
|[https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-lemon-oil-30-ml Link]<br />
|30mL<br />
|45.8mL<br />
|2<br />
|€7,59<br />
|€15,18<br />
|6,55L<br />
|6,55 kL<br />
|0,23 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Lime oil<br />
|[https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-essential-oils-lime Link]<br />
|30mL<br />
|36.5mL<br />
|2<br />
|€7,99<br />
|€15,98<br />
|8,22L<br />
|8,22 kL<br />
|0,19 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Tea tree oil<br />
|[https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-tea-tree-oil-30-ml Link]<br />
|30mL<br />
|8mL<br />
|1<br />
|€9,99<br />
|€9,99<br />
|18,75L<br />
|18,75 kL<br />
|0,05 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Cassia cinnamon oil<br />
|[https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-cinnamon-cassia-oil-30-ml Link]<br />
|30mL<br />
|4,5mL<br />
|1<br />
|€8,90<br />
|€8,90<br />
|33,33L<br />
|33,33 kL<br />
|0,03 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Nutmeg oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-nutmeg-1-fl-oz-30-ml/941 iHerb]<br />
|30mL<br />
|2.7mL<br />
|1<br />
|€13,97<br />
|€13,97<br />
|55,56L<br />
|55,56 kL<br />
|0,03 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Orange oil<br />
|[https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-orange-oil-30-ml?sqr=orange%20oil Bodystore]<br />
|30mL<br />
|1.2mL<br />
|1<br />
|€4,99<br />
|€4,99<br />
|125L<br />
|125 kL<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Coriander oil<br />
|[https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/koriander-olie-puur-biologisch-natuurlijk-5ml/9300000188330683/ bol.com]<br />
|5mL<br />
|0.7mL<br />
|1<br />
|€20,95<br />
|€20,95<br />
|35,71L<br />
|35,71 kL<br />
|0,06 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Fenchol<br />
|[https://pellwall.com/products/fenchol Pellwall] (UK)<br />
|5g (~5mL?)<br />
|0.6mL<br />
|1<br />
|£7 + shipping<br />
|~€8 ?<br />
|42L<br />
|42 kL<br />
|0,02 cents<br />
|-<br />
|'''Total flavor solution A'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|~ €120<br />
|1L<br />
|1kL<br />
|€0,03 when produced at scale<br />
€0,12 for first liter<br />
|-<br />
|'''Flavor solution B'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Durkee caramel color<br />
|[https://pantryful.com/products/durkee-caramel-food-color-32-oz Pantryful]<br />
|32 oz. (946 mL)<br />
|185mL<br />
|1<br />
|$14 + shipping<br />
|~€12?<br />
|5,11L<br />
|511L<br />
|2,3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Food-grade vegetable glycerin<br />
|[https://www.labshop.nl/glycerol-glycerine-995/?attribute_pa_volume=1-l Labshop]<br />
|1L<br />
|150g (~150mL?)<br />
|1<br />
|€12,04<br />
|€12,04<br />
|6,66L<br />
|666L<br />
|2 cents<br />
|-<br />
|85% Phosphoric acid<br />
|[https://www.labshop.nl/fosforzuur-85-nvp/ Labshop]<br />
|1L<br />
|43mL<br />
|1<br />
|€20,27<br />
|€20,27<br />
|23,26L<br />
|2326L<br />
|0,8 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Wine tannin<br />
|[https://brouwland.com/nl/eikenhouten-chips/195-tannine-vinoferm-tannorouge-20-g.html Brouwland]<br />
|20g<br />
|10g<br />
|1<br />
|€5,99<br />
|€5,99<br />
|2L<br />
|200L<br />
|3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Caffeine powder<br />
|[https://voordeelkruiden.nl/cafeine-poeder/ Voordeelkruiden]If we want more: [https://woele.nl/product/cafeine-poeder-pharma-grade-250g/ Woele]<br />
|50g<br />
|9,65g<br />
|1<br />
|€2,60<br />
|€2,60<br />
|5,18L<br />
|518L<br />
|0,5 cents<br />
|-<br />
|5% vinegar<br />
|Supermarket<br />
(Double check 5%!)<br />
|1L<br />
|10mL<br />
|1<br />
|€0,99<br />
|€0,99<br />
|100L<br />
|10kL<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Vanilla extract<br />
|[https://producten.makro.nl/shop/pv/BTY-X742890/0032/0021/Nomu-Vanille-Extract-50-ml Makro.nl]<br />
|50mL<br />
|10mL<br />
|1<br />
|€15,19<br />
|€15,19<br />
|5L<br />
|500L<br />
|3 cents<br />
|-<br />
|'''Total flavor solution B'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|~ €70<br />
|2L<br />
|200 L<br />
|€0,11 when produced at scale<br />
€0,35 for first liter<br />
|}<br />
(1) The essential oils in solution A, quantities as under "Quantity necessary", together make 100mL of pre-solution. "Flavor solution A" then consists of 20 mL of pre-solution, diluted to 1L using alcohol. So for each mL of essential oil in the pre-solution, a fifth (0.2 mL) goes into a liter of the actual solution. So quantity times order amount is the amount of ingredients we have, divided by quantity necessary is the amount of 100mL pre-solution we can make with the order. We can make 5L of solution with that, so the formula is: (quantity * order amount * 5) / (quantity necessary). Since 1mL of solution A goes into a L of cola, 1L solution makes 1000L cola.<br />
<br />
(2) For solution B, the ingredients together make about 400mL of pre-solution. "Flavor solution B" then consists of those 400 mL, diluted to 1L using water. So the "quantity necessary" goes directly into 1L of "Flavor solution B". Since order amount is 1 for all of these, the formula is: quantity / (quantity necessary). Since 10mL of solution B goes into a L of cola, 1L solution makes 100L cola.</div>Sjors Gielenhttps://hackerspacenijmegen.nl/index.php?title=Projects:Making_cola&diff=2946Projects:Making cola2026-03-25T11:21:21Z<p>Sjors Gielen: </p>
<hr />
<div>[[Bestand:Schermafbeelding 2026-03-25 om 11.02.33.png|miniatuur]]<br />
[[Bestand:Schermafbeelding 2026-03-25 om 11.02.10.png|miniatuur]]<br />
I (Sjors) recently saw this video by LabCoatz reverse engineering the Coca-Cola recipe using (among other techniques) a mass spectrometer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDkH3EbWTYc<br />
<br />
Now I'm a bit of a Coca-Cola addict, so I'm intrigued and want to reproduce it.<br />
<br />
Perhaps once we've done this we can also make [[wikipedia:Open-source_cola|other kinds of cola]], like Toyen Cola, which has its recipe on the back. We could even do a taste test!<br />
<br />
== Overview ==<br />
LabCoatz calls the end product of their recipe '''LabCola'''. One liter of LabCola is built off of four components:<br />
<br />
* around 100g sugar<br />
* 1mL of flavor solution A<br />
* 10 mL of flavor solution B<br />
* around 1 liter of carbonated water<br />
<br />
Flavor solution A is made by adding the following components together (~100mL), then taking 20 mL from that and diluting to 1L using 95% ethanol:<br />
<br />
* 45.8mL lemon oil<br />
* 36.5mL lime oil<br />
* 8mL tea tree oil (from Australian tea tree, Melaleuca Alternifolia)<br />
* 4.5mL cassia cinnamon oil<br />
* 2.7mL nutmeg oil<br />
* 1.2mL orange oil (regular sweet orange)<br />
* 0.7mL coriander oil<br />
* 0.6mL fenchol (any version of alpha-fenchol should work)<br />
<br />
Flavor solution B is made by adding the following components together (~400mL), then diluting to 1L using water:<br />
<br />
* 185mL Durkee caramel color<br />
* 150 grams food-grade vegetable glycerin<br />
* 43mL 85% phosphoric acid<br />
* 10 grams wine tannin<br />
* 9.65 grams caffeine<br />
* 10mL 5% vinegar<br />
* 10mL vanilla extract (or a solution containing 0.95 grams per liter of vanillin)<br />
<br />
It's important to note that this is not '''the Coca-Cola recipe''', which uses coca leaf extract. It is supposed to be quite close, though.<br />
<br />
== Tools ==<br />
<br />
* Mass scale<br />
** Max measurement is 150g, most precise measurement is 9.65g<br />
** possible source: Michiel may have one, Mats as well<br />
** possible source: €14,20 https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/precisie-weegschaal-0-01-gram-keukenweegschaal-digitaal-milligram-precisieweegschaal-pocket-weegschaal-sieraden-weegschaal/9300000031220365/<br />
** possible source: €139,15 https://www.labshop.nl/schoolweegschaal-efs-500-2/<br />
* micropipette + tips<br />
** ideally an [https://www.merkala.nl/minipet-var-microliterpipet.html adjustable micropipette], but these are quite expensive (€100+)<br />
** fixed 100µL micropipette is cheaper, €25 https://www.merkala.nl/minipet-microliterpipet.html<br />
* 50 mL graduated cilinder<br />
** €14,74 https://www.labshop.nl/maatcilinder-hoog-model-klasse-a-bruine-schaalverdeling/?attribute_pa_volume=10-ml<br />
* some 1L storage bottles<br />
** solution A is normally produced 5L at a time, solution B normally 1L at a time, so six?<br />
** https://www.labshop.nl/labfles-glas-blank-gl45-blauw-simax/<br />
** €12,40 * 6 = €74,40<br />
* heat-resistant glassware for preparing the syrup (1L)<br />
** €9,23 https://www.labshop.nl/bekerglas-laag-model/<br />
** Ø 105mm, dus dekglaasje ~€16 https://www.labshop.nl/horlogeglas-10-stuks/ maar afdekken kan misschien ook wel met folie?<br />
* magnetic stirrer for mixing<br />
** €133,10 https://www.labshop.nl/mini-magnetische-roerder-rotilabo-m-3/<br />
** possible source: Michiel has one<br />
* 1L volumetric flask to make the dilution steps easier<br />
** €39,87 https://www.labshop.nl/maatkolf/?attribute_pa_volume=25-ml-ns12-21-klasse-a<br />
* water carbonator / sodastream<br />
** Sjors has this at home<br />
<br />
== Ingedients ==<br />
{| class="wikitable"<br />
|+<br />
!Ingredient<br />
!Source link<br />
!Quantity<br />
!Quantity necessary<br />
!Order amount<br />
!Price per piece<br />
!Price total<br />
!Makes L solution<sup>1</sup><br />
!Makes L cola<br />
!Price per L cola<br />
|-<br />
|'''Overall'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Sugar<br />
|Supermarket<br />
|<br />
|Around 100g<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Carbonated water<br />
|Self-made<br />
|<br />
|Around 1L<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|'''Flavor solution A'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
|Food-grade 95% alcohol<br />
|[https://www.topdrinks.de/navimer-alcohol-pur-glas-1ltr Link]<br />
|1L<br />
|1L<br />
|1<br />
|€23,50<br />
|€23,50<br />
|1L<br />
|1 kL<br />
|2.35 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Lemon oil<br />
|[https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-lemon-oil-30-ml Link]<br />
|30mL<br />
|45.8mL<br />
|2<br />
|€7,59<br />
|€15,18<br />
|6,55L<br />
|6,55 kL<br />
|0,23 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Lime oil<br />
|[https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-essential-oils-lime Link]<br />
|30mL<br />
|36.5mL<br />
|2<br />
|€7,99<br />
|€15,98<br />
|8,22L<br />
|8,22 kL<br />
|0,19 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Tea tree oil<br />
|[https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-tea-tree-oil-30-ml Link]<br />
|30mL<br />
|8mL<br />
|1<br />
|€9,99<br />
|€9,99<br />
|18,75L<br />
|18,75 kL<br />
|0,05 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Cassia cinnamon oil<br />
|[https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-cinnamon-cassia-oil-30-ml Link]<br />
|30mL<br />
|4,5mL<br />
|1<br />
|€8,90<br />
|€8,90<br />
|33,33L<br />
|33,33 kL<br />
|0,03 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Nutmeg oil<br />
|[https://nl.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-essential-oils-nutmeg-1-fl-oz-30-ml/941 iHerb]<br />
|30mL<br />
|2.7mL<br />
|1<br />
|€13,97<br />
|€13,97<br />
|55,56L<br />
|55,56 kL<br />
|0,03 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Orange oil<br />
|[https://www.bodystore.nl/now-foods-100-pure-orange-oil-30-ml?sqr=orange%20oil Bodystore]<br />
|30mL<br />
|1.2mL<br />
|1<br />
|€4,99<br />
|€4,99<br />
|125L<br />
|125 kL<br />
|<0,01 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Coriander oil<br />
|[https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/koriander-olie-puur-biologisch-natuurlijk-5ml/9300000188330683/ bol.com]<br />
|5mL<br />
|0.7mL<br />
|1<br />
|€20,95<br />
|€20,95<br />
|35,71L<br />
|35,71 kL<br />
|0,06 cents<br />
|-<br />
|Fenchol<br />
|[https://pellwall.com/products/fenchol Pellwall] (UK)<br />
|5g (~5mL?)<br />
|0.6mL<br />
|1<br />
|£7 + shipping<br />
|~€8 ?<br />
|42L<br />
|42 kL<br />
|0,02 cents<br />
|-<br />
|'''Total flavor solution A'''<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|<br />
|~ €120<br />
|1L<br />
|1kL<br />
|€0,03 when produced at scale<br />
€0,12 for first liter<br />
|}<br />
(1) The essential oils in solution A, quantities as under "Quantity necessary", together make 100mL of pre-solution. "Flavor solution A" then consists of 20 mL of pre-solution, diluted to 1L using alcohol. So for each mL of essential oil in the pre-solution, a fifth (0.2 mL) goes into a liter of the actual solution. So quantity times order amount is the amount of ingredients we have, divided by quantity necessary is the amount of 100mL pre-solution we can make with the order. We can make 5L of solution with that, so the formula is: (quantity * order amount * 5) / (quantity necessary). Since 1mL of solution A goes into a L of cola, 1L solution makes 1000L cola.</div>Sjors Gielen