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Showing content with the highest reputation on 06/26/2017 in all areas

  1. I bought five 1,000 gallon fermenters and a 1,000 gallon mash cooker from Corson Distilling. I've known them for the better part of 2 years now, since my first conversations with them, having equipment built, and using the equipment for about a year. I previously posted a review, which was taken down by the forum moderators at Corson's request. After my review, I received calls from several people who have had negative experiences with Corson, from receiving defective equipment late to putting down large payments and receiving nothing at all. Several of those people shared that they are filing lawsuits against Corson. Though Corson threatened me with legal action after my first review, there is nothing illegal about sharing my experience in a factual and dispassionate way. And I feel obligated to share my experience to help other distillers avoid the same difficulties. Thanks to ADI's changed forum rules, I hope that this review will remain available for people to see. 1. Delivery Delays Our equipment was delivered late, after much work on my part to encourage its completion. Well into the process I went to Boise in person because their communication made me worried they weren't making progress, to find they were essentially beginning work as I arrived. We ended up receiving the equipment several months after the delivery window, and only with an immense amount of followup on my part to ensure they got it done. 2. Design and Build Quality When we received the equipment, by and large the quality appeared to be good. There were a fair number of missing or incorrect parts, but they were very good about sending out replacements. Once we got the equipment on line, we found that there to be some design flaws on the mash/lauter tun. It was missing a sparge arm, the removable false bottom didn't fit in the tank, and actually broke during the first run, and the design of the rakes, motor and gearbox was inadequately powered to rake even a very small grain bed. The propellers for grain-in mashes also weren't able to keep the contents of the tank moving. Josh Corson and one of their technicians came out and fixed the false bottom, shored up the motor mounts, installed a sparge arm, and did some other minor fixes. After that, over numerous months, we worked with them to get a new gearbox, and to try and get a stronger motor. They did send some parts, but after a year of followup the lautering setup still doesn't work, and I ended up having to modify the propellers myself to get the agitator to work for grain-in mashes. There have been a few problems with the fermenters as well. First, though the design specifications were supposed to have 30% true headspace on top of a 1,000 gallon volume, they do not. Additionally, one of the fermenters developed a jacket leak. It turns out that when the tanks were originally built, Corson did not spot weld about 25% of the dimples on the cooling dimple jackets. So at the specified operating pressure of 15psi, the tanks have blown numerous spot welds, and developed a couple of leaks that we've identified so far. 3. Customer Service The biggest stress for me of this whole experience has been Corson's customer service. They respond to reasonable concerns and questions with anger, insults, and blaming the customer. The best way I can describe the experience is as gaslighting - they've made me feel crazy. We've gone through numerous account managers, who seem to leave as quickly as they come. But all along the way I've been blamed and belittled and made to feel insane for just asking them to build the equipment to specification and fulfill the warranty. When I presented the leaking jacket problem to them a couple months ago, they said I was free to send the tank back to them at my expense, and they would decide whether or not they would cover it under warranty. That of course would be much more expensive than just having it fixed on site. At that point I decided to post my review of them on the forum, after which they threatened me with a lawsuit and said they would no longer be honoring my warranty. I've subsequently fixed the leaking jacket and the propellers myself. In summary, I cannot recommend Corson Distilling. They did produce equipment for us, which we use every day, and I was initially pleased to be able to partner with a small American startup manufacturer. And they certainly made a good faith effort at the beginning to follow through and make things right. But the design issues, and most importantly the customer service, have made the experience overall a very negative one. I would welcome other people who have worked with them to share their experiences, positive or negative. Thanks, Joel Vikre Duluth Minnesota
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  2. It'll be the death of me Southernhighlander, but fun while it lasts! There's nothing better than a good cigar and spirit pairing IMHO. Cheers!
    1 point
  3. Larry Sputnik, Man that cigar whiskey glass thing you got goin on, is cool as shit. It looks like you are a guy who enjoys the finer things.
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  4. Home distilling is legal in the state of MO. MO law plainly states that a person 21 years of age shall not be required to have a licence to distill spirits for his or her own personal consumption. An individual 21 years of age or older can make up to 100 gallons off distilled spirits per year in MO. Many people are home distilling here in MO. County Sheriffs here enforce state law and the Sheriff in my county does not have a problem with home distilling. Nor does the Prosecutor. I have spoken with the state ATC agent for our area and he and his agency have no problem with home distillers, as long as they fallow state law. The MO state Alcohol Tobacco Control (ATC) enforces state law. So John is distilling in his back yard and Nosy Nancy next door calls the Sheriff. The Sheriff checks it out and John is fallowing state law, so there's no problem as far as he is concerned. Nosy Nancy does not like that answer and so she calls the MO state Alcohol Tobacco Control. They have no problem with it, so Nancy calls the TTB. The TTB directs her to the MO state ATC who have no problem with it. So in effect, home distilling is legal here in MO. It's no different than the 29 states that have legalized cannabis. The feds are not busting pot shops and dispensaries in states where it is legal, so it is in effect legal in those states. The states Attorney General tried to stop the legalization of cannabis in AZ because it was illegal under federal law, and it went to court. Basically the judge said, precedent has been set by many other states and he denied the States Attorney general the ability to stop the legalization on the grounds that it was illegal under federal law. Since the founding, the states have assertied, at many different points in our history, that nullification was absolutely constitutional. Both Thomas Jefferson and James Madison believed in the rights of states to nullify federal law. since the 1990s, states have in effect nullified federal Marijuana laws. As far as I know the feds have not charged anyone in MO who is fallowing state law concerning home distilling. MO has in effect nullified federal law concerning home distilling But really, WhiskeyTango what business is it of yours or DaveFlintstones what Turbo does? Nobody likes a Nosy Nancy Anyway, last I heard, a Bill may soon be passed that will legalize home distilling at the federal level. That same Bill will lower your liquor taxes. Sounds like a good thing to me. What do you think? https://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/constitution/item/24598-with-marijuana-votes-tenth-amendment-wins-big
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  5. Turbo, I'm sorry if the comments made after me put mine into the wrong context. I simply wanted to know more about you. It's not my business to know any of those other questions regarding your licensure. With that said, I hope to engage in some insightful conversations with you throughout this forum. Thanks for joining. I look forward to your posts. Joe
    1 point
  6. Around me, roughly: Natural Gas - $12.00 for 1 million btu Fuel Oil - $20.00 for 1 million btu Electric - $60.00 for 1 million btu
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  7. Same here. I have one direct element still and one baine marie.
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  8. I fire with heating oil.
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  9. The only reason I can understand going electric fired boiler is that you don't have to buy each piece of equipment as electric, which in itself saves a ton of money. If I purchased 3 electric stills and an electric mash tun, I'd need 4 control panels (which are not cheap) to run them, plus the cost of electric heated stills is typically greater than a steam jacket, and your options for electric stills/tuns are pretty limited as well. I'm just confused as to why not go natural gas. If it's simply not available, or ridiculously expensive I can understand that totally.
    1 point
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