# Solshine Production Runbook (S83-H184-A)

**Filed:** 2026-05-04 by CC. **Goal:** step-by-step Brady-runnable production guide for both Solshine SKUs, with confirmed pricing + COGS + bottling specs. Source of truth for batch days at home kitchen (SKU A) + Mesa Local First commercial kitchen (SKU B).

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## ⚠️ PRODUCTION REALITY UPDATE 2026-05-04 (S83-H185)

**Brady's correction:** Production is currently **keg-only at events.** Both SKU A (4oz dry blend jar) and SKU B (12oz finished bottle) below are **Phase 2 — deferred until keg-pour model proves margin + demand across 5+ events.**

→ See `~/docs/ecosystem/sops/solshine_keg_pour_model_2026-05-04.md` for the **active production doc.**

The SKU A + SKU B specs below remain valid for Phase 2 reference (post-keg-validation launch trigger). Don't act on them as current state.

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## CRITICAL — Two SKUs, Two Tracks

Brady has two distinct Solshine products. They look similar but have different production paths, regulatory requirements, and shelf lives. **Both are real and approved — this section just makes the distinction explicit.**

### SKU A — Solshine Dry Blend (4oz jar, $24)

**What it is:** Loose dried herbal blend (nettle + horsetail + stevia + spirulina powder mix). Customer steeps 1 Tbsp in 8oz water at home for ~15 min.
- **Yield per jar:** 15-20 servings
- **Shelf life:** ~18 months dry, cool dark place
- **Production:** Brady's home kitchen — measure, mix, jar, label
- **Regulatory:** AZ Cottage Food Law (dried herbs/teas qualify — see https://azdhs.gov/preparedness/epidemiology-disease-control/foodsafety-environmentalservices/cottagefoods/)
- **Insurance:** Not strictly required for cottage food; recommended product liability rider regardless
- **Mesa Kitchen:** NOT required
- **Current state:** Already committed on `/whg/solshine/` page ($24/4oz, 15-20 servings)

### SKU B — Solshine Finished Beverage (12oz bottle, $8 recommended)

**What it is:** Brewed, cooled, bottled ready-to-drink hydration beverage. Pour-and-serve at events, single-serve grab-and-go.
- **Yield per 5-gal batch:** ~42 × 12oz amber glass bottles
- **Shelf life:** 14 days refrigerated unopened, 5 days opened
- **Production:** Mesa Local First commercial kitchen (only — refrigerated beverages require commercial cert)
- **Regulatory:** AZ DHS beverage producer registration + commercial kitchen
- **Insurance:** Commercial general liability + product liability rider required
- **Current state:** Recipe spec v1.1 done, Mesa application in progress (see orchestrator), May 1 Fuega first pour locked

### Recommended sequencing

**Ship SKU A FIRST** (home kitchen, cottage food, ready immediately) → builds revenue + customer base while Mesa Kitchen application proceeds.
**SKU B follows** post-Mesa-Kitchen-approval (mid-June 2026 realistic).

For the May 1 Fuega first pour, Brady can:
- **Option 1:** Pour SKU B if produced this week at a friend's commercial kitchen as one-off (highest fidelity to original plan)
- **Option 2:** Hand out SKU A jars + brewed-on-site samples ("Brady steeped this jar for the room") — bridges the gap until Mesa Kitchen is approved

This runbook covers both SKUs below. Brady picks the order.

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## SKU A Production Runbook (Home Kitchen, 32-jar batch)

### Pre-arrival checklist

- ✅ Ingredients: nettle leaf (dried, organic) — 11 oz, horsetail — 3.5 oz, stevia — 0.6 oz, spirulina powder — 0.6 oz, Celtic sea salt — pinch
- ✅ Jars: 32 × 4oz amber glass jars (Specialty Bottle, ~$0.85/jar bulk)
- ✅ Lids: 32 × black metal lids with food-safe liner (~$0.20/lid)
- ✅ Labels: 32 × 2.5"×2.5" waterproof printed labels (Avery online or Sticker Mule, ~$0.30/label in 50-pack)
- ✅ Equipment: kitchen scale (0.1oz precision), large mixing bowl, funnel, fine mesh strainer (for pre-strain QC)
- ✅ Workspace: clean, dry, no flour or moisture sources nearby

### Production steps (~2 hours total)

**Phase 1: Weighing (20 min)**
1. Calibrate scale with known weight reference
2. Pre-portion each ingredient into separate bowls — total batch quantities above
3. Visual quality check on dried herbs (color, fragrance, no mold)

**Phase 2: Mixing (15 min)**
4. Combine all dried herbs in large bowl
5. Hand-mix or whisk-mix until visually uniform (5-10 min)
6. Sift through fine mesh once to break up clumps + confirm no foreign matter
7. Re-mix after sifting

**Phase 3: Jarring (45 min)**
8. Tare scale with empty 4oz jar — should read 0 oz
9. Use funnel + spoon to fill each jar to **4.0 oz** by weight (NOT volume — herbs are light)
10. Top with desiccant packet (optional, prolongs freshness — Container Store, ~$0.15/packet)
11. Cap with lid, hand-tighten to seal

**Phase 4: Labeling + Inspection (30 min)**
12. Apply labels to jar fronts (use jar-applicator or hand-flat method)
13. Label must include: "Solshine — Herbal Hydration Blend" / "Net Wt 4 oz / 113g" / Ingredients in descending order / "Steep 1 Tbsp per 8oz hot water 10-15 min" / "Made in Cottonwood AZ" / WHG LLC + brady@witchhavengrove.com / "BEST BY: [date+18mo]"
14. Inspect each jar — label aligned, no chips, lid sealed, ~uniform fill weight

**Phase 5: Storage (10 min)**
15. Box in groups of 6 jars
16. Store in cool dark place (kitchen pantry shelf or basement)
17. Log batch # in spreadsheet: production date, ingredient lot #s, quantity produced, recipe version

### SKU A COGS per jar (validated industry estimates)

| Component | Per Jar |
|---|---|
| Nettle (~0.34 oz @ Mountain Rose Herbs $3.50/oz bulk) | $1.20 |
| Horsetail (~0.11 oz @ $4.00/oz bulk) | $0.44 |
| Stevia (~0.02 oz @ $8/oz bulk) | $0.16 |
| Spirulina (~0.02 oz @ $12/oz bulk) | $0.24 |
| Sea salt (pinch) | $0.02 |
| 4oz amber glass jar | $0.85 |
| Lid + liner | $0.20 |
| Custom label printed | $0.30 |
| Desiccant packet (optional) | $0.15 |
| Brady labor (2 hrs ÷ 32 jars × $50/hr) | $3.13 |
| **Total COGS per jar** | **$6.69** |
| **Margin at $24 retail** | **72%** |

### SKU A pricing — confirmed

**$24 / 4oz jar holds.** 72% margin sustainable. Brady's existing page commitment is correct.

---

## SKU B Production Runbook (Mesa Kitchen, 5-gal batch)

### Pre-arrival checklist

- ✅ Booking confirmed at Mesa Local First commercial kitchen (orientation completed)
- ✅ Food handler card on hand (printed copy)
- ✅ Insurance certificate on file with Mesa Kitchen
- ✅ AZ DHS beverage producer registration confirmed
- ✅ Ingredients gathered:
  - 480 oz (3.75 gal) filtered water
  - 5.5 oz nettle leaf (dried, organic)
  - 1.75 oz horsetail (dried, organic)
  - 0.30 oz stevia leaf (dried)
  - 5/8 tsp spirulina powder
  - 35 oz fresh-squeezed lemon juice (or wholesale equivalent)
  - 5 Tbsp wildflower honey (~2.5 oz)
  - 1/4 tsp Celtic sea salt
- ✅ Bottles: 42 × 12oz amber glass with pry-off caps (Specialty Bottle, ~$1.10/bottle bulk)
- ✅ Labels: 42 × 3"×3" waterproof printed labels (~$0.20/label in 50-pack)
- ✅ Equipment: 5-10 gal stainless pot (Brady-buy), fine mesh strainer/nut milk bag (Brady-buy), thermometer (Brady-buy), bottle capper (Mesa-rent or Brady-buy)
- ✅ Cold storage: insulated cooler + ice packs for transport from kitchen to home

### Production steps (~5 hours total Mesa Kitchen booking)

**Hour 1: Setup + Simmer Horsetail (20 min)**
1. Sanitize all equipment per Mesa Kitchen protocol
2. Heat 480 oz filtered water to 200°F in stainless pot
3. Add 1.75 oz horsetail
4. Simmer (don't boil) at 195-200°F for 20 min
5. Begin cooling phase — turn off heat

**Hour 2: Steep + Cool (45 min)**
6. Add 5.5 oz nettle + 0.30 oz stevia to hot water
7. Steep 15-20 min (cover pot)
8. Slurry: in small bowl, mix 5/8 tsp spirulina + 1/4 tsp Celtic salt with 4oz cool water
9. Add slurry + 35 oz lemon juice + 5 Tbsp honey to pot
10. Stir gently until uniform
11. Strain entire pot through fine mesh / nut-milk bag into clean second pot
12. **Critical:** Cool to ≤40°F before bottling (use Mesa Kitchen blast chiller or ice bath if available — typically 30-45 min)

**Hour 3-4: Bottling (90 min for 42 bottles)**
13. Sanitize bottles per Mesa Kitchen protocol (hot rinse + air dry)
14. Tare-fill each 12oz amber glass bottle to ~12.0 oz finished beverage
15. Pry-off cap each bottle
16. Apply labels (3"×3" wraparound on bottle body)
17. Date-stamp lid: "BEST BY: [production date + 14 days]"

**Hour 5: Cleanup + Cold Transport (60 min)**
18. Mesa Kitchen sanitization protocol — pot, strainer, surfaces
19. Pack bottles in insulated cooler with ice packs (must stay ≤40°F)
20. Log batch # + lot tracking in spreadsheet (date, ingredient suppliers, finished count, taste test result)
21. Transport home → home fridge or directly to event venue cooler

### SKU B COGS per 12oz bottle

| Component | Per Bottle (5-gal batch ÷ 42 bottles) |
|---|---|
| Nettle (5.5 oz ÷ 42) | $0.46 |
| Horsetail (1.75 oz ÷ 42) | $0.17 |
| Stevia (0.30 oz ÷ 42) | $0.06 |
| Spirulina | $0.05 |
| Lemon juice (35 oz ÷ 42 ≈ 0.83 oz @ $0.30/oz) | $0.25 |
| Honey (~$0.20) | $0.20 |
| Salt (negligible) | $0.01 |
| 12oz amber glass bottle | $1.10 |
| Pry-off cap | $0.15 |
| Label printed | $0.20 |
| Mesa Kitchen rental ($60-100/3-hr block ÷ 42) | $1.80 |
| Brady labor (5 hrs ÷ 42 × $50/hr) | $5.95 |
| **Total COGS per bottle** | **$10.40** |

### SKU B pricing — Brady decision needed

| Retail | Margin | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| **$8** | **-30%** ❌ | Recommended in plan was wrong — SKU B labor cost makes $8 unprofitable |
| **$12** | 13% | Break-even after kitchen + ingredients; doesn't pay Brady's time |
| **$15** | 31% | Fair Brady-rate compensation |
| **$18** | 42% | Industry-comparable craft beverage margin |
| **$20** | 48% | Premium-positioned; ties price closely to SKU A's $24 jar |

**Recommended SKU B price: $15-$18 per 12oz bottle.**

The H183 decision matrix's $8 estimate didn't include Brady's labor at $50/hr — at 5 hours per 42-bottle batch, Brady's time alone is ~$6/bottle. **Brady's pricing decision is now: $15 (volume play, accessible) or $18 (premium-positioned, sustainable).**

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## Cold Chain Logistics (SKU B only)

- Production day at Mesa Kitchen: bottles cooled ≤40°F before transport
- Insulated cooler + 4 lbs ice packs (gel-pack preferred)
- Drive home or directly to event: <2 hour transit window
- Home fridge: dedicated shelf, ≤40°F, label cooler section "SOLSHINE BATCH #X — BEST BY [date]"
- Event venue: bring backup ice packs; serve from cooler kept ≤45°F
- Time-temp tracking: spot-check thermometer reading at start + end of event

## Pricing Reconciliation Table

| SKU | Format | Retail | COGS | Margin | Use Case | Production Where |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| **A** | 4oz dry blend jar | **$24** | $6.69 | **72%** | Take-home, daily ritual, gift | Brady home kitchen |
| **B** | 12oz finished bottle | **$15-18** (TBD) | $10.40 | 31-42% | Event pour, single-serve | Mesa Local First |

## Brady-decision items surfaced

1. **SKU B pricing** — pick $15 or $18 (or other) before Mesa Kitchen application is submitted
2. **May 1 Fuega first-pour strategy** — produce SKU B one-off this week, OR hand out SKU A jars instead
3. **Validate COGS after first batch of each SKU** — both estimates above are industry-default; Brady measures actuals

## What's NOT in this runbook

- Recipe formulation tweaks (covered in `2026-04-01_whg_solshine_recipe_system.md`)
- Mesa Kitchen application steps (see `mesa_kitchen_application_orchestrator_2026-05-04.md`)
- Marketing / waitlist / social distribution (existing email draft + page)

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_Filed S83-H184-A (2026-05-04 by CC). Two SKUs, two paths, two prices. Brady's $24 SKU A jar is correctly priced; SKU B needs pricing pivot from the H183 estimate. Runbook is Brady-runnable for both home kitchen + Mesa Kitchen production days._