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Showing content with the highest reputation since 03/28/2023 in all areas

  1. Congrats on your new role! That is awesome. Goodness....things I wish I knew earlier...is there a character limit on these posts?? haha. Making whiskey is the fun and romantic part about the business. Selling it is the hard part. It is a hell of a lot easier to scale a distillery than it is distillery sales. Understand your weaknesses and hire people that are better than you. People have been doing this for thousands of years. Good Lord, there aren't hardly any secrets so let people take pictures in your distillery! None of our brands, technicques, tactics, etc haven't been done before. "Unique" ideas you think you have don't make money; proper execution of a plan makes money. Learn how to say "no" and not feel bad about it. If it doesn't feel right for you or your business, use those 2 little letters together. Sometimes it's harder than it sounds. If it doesn't make sense, it proabaly doesn't make cents; and if it doesn't make cents, it doesn't make dollars. Make sure to take care of your house before you take care of someone else's. For God's sake, DON'T LET ANYONE EFF UP THE TTB REPORTING! It really isn't that hard, just +'s and -'s. Dot every i and cross every t as soon as an event happens. It's about attention to detail, not bookkeeping. Don't put it off and fall into the trap of "I'll get that later". The more PGs that go out the door, the bigger the magnifying glass. Make sure that when you delegate that responsibility, you trust, but verify. It's your butt on the line. Make sure there is redundancy in your system...not just the production equipment...people too. Cross-training is super important. If you lose a key person that is the only subject matter expert in your organization, how do you recover? A lesson that I am still learning: your time is your currency and you can't ever make any more of it. Spend it wisely. There are plenty of days you can find a reason to stay at the distillery until the wee hours of the morning. The truth is that the work will still be there when you get back in the morning but those hours won't be. Days go slow and years go fast. People talk about work-life balance and that is unbelieveably hard to find in a new distillery. Make sure you understand where that teeter-totter tips for you, your family, and your company. The point won't be the same for all 3 and it's up to you balance it. Most importantly, and you already know this, it's all about people. It took me far too long to realize that this business is ALL about relationships. I think that's enough for now. Probably time to go grab another glass of bourbon and prophesize a bit more! haha. Congrats again and great post! Making the post alone says a lot about you. Cheers!
    3 points
  2. This is NOT a paid post - I just wanted to let everyone know how much appreciate the way Larry and his team do business. We've used StillDragon equipment ever since we started production in 2016. While you can spend a lot more, we've produced the 2023 Best Small Batch Bourbon <5Yrs at San Francisco on their 4 plate columns mounted on a second-hand jacketed tank. Despite us being one of their smallest (and cheapest) customers they've stood by us with hand holding and advice every step of the way. We're what you might call a "High Maintenance" customer! We haven't even spent that much with them because we get most of our equipment off auction or used. They still make time to quote anything we need, sell us great quality for almost nothing compared to Vendome or Specific, and Larry knows as much about distilling as anyone I've ever met. On Saturday we were doing a mash and we ended up overloading the gearbox on our mash cooker/stripping still, which started shooting out smoking oil. Now Larry had only sold us the gearbox and seal assembly, so this was not a huge purchase, and the sale was 2+ years ago. I called Larry panicking around 11am on a SATURDAY, and he immediately sprang into action to help us figure out what was going on, how we could get this to limp through the mash, and how to get a replacement if needed, which he quoted within 30 minutes after making sure he had the replacement gearbox on the floor. He even provided a procedure for changing it out if we needed to. This overload was OUR FAULT (staff forgot to add Alpha-Amylase), but Larry never once suggested that we were on our own, this was too much trouble, or he'd get back to us Monday. He treated this like a warranty situation until we figured it out, and even then he offered us the parts for an incredibly reasonable replacement price with immediate shipping. If you want to work with a company that stands behind their customers, goes above and beyond, and genuinely makes you feel like you're not out there alone, buy their equipment. They're genuinely interested in long-term relationships with customers. If I'm buying new stuff - it's StillDragon 100%.
    3 points
  3. So I believe I was able to find a solution to the problem I was having. As I was comparing old (good) corks with new (bad) corks, I noticed the old ones felt a bit softer. So I purchased a durometer hardness tester and checked the actual hardness of the stoppers. The new stoppers were measurably harder/stiffer. After Tapi looked into it again they did confirm the material can have different density from the plant, and said we can specifically request a lower density stopper. So we had them run a new batch of lower density stoppers, and so far they seem to be working normally like they used to.
    3 points
  4. I doubt anyone would say anything unless you brought it up. Barrels don't have tri clamps so you're not likely using them in every application anyways. Tri clamps are cheap and terribly convenient and useful though, so I don't why you wouldn't want them in as many places as possible. Avoid a wild hose spaying 100p spirit all over your DSP once and it's payed for itself.
    2 points
  5. Search 1.5" tri clamp butterfly valve internal seal, along with the brand name. Call TCW they are good at answering questions and will find you the right hose.
    2 points
  6. That's the one! Aaron added some awesome equipment to the lot. Cooker, heat exchanger, and centri-sifter look awesome. Not going to lie....thought about buying it back but when I mentioned it to the war department (my wife 😜), I was met with a resounding "eff-you!" 🤣
    2 points
  7. Trying again to post a sketch of my continuous stripping still
    2 points
  8. The Primera AP550 is the one to use: https://www.primera.com/ap550-flat-surface-label-applicator-config.html Sometimes Primera even offers reconditioned units for those who need to economize, but you just need to get on a call list when they become available. Good luck!
    2 points
  9. I have used RangeMe to get into the AAFES system (AAFES requires it). RangeMe is an absolute fucking scam of the worst order. The VA somehow allowed them to be the gatekeeper for veteran-related/certified businesses and the bullshit they pull is absolutely shameful. They want thousands of dollars to 'accommodate' 'introductions' to buyers. Fuck that. That's what your distributor does (when you lean on them). RangeMe is zero value added. They will collect your sensitive personal and business data. You will be absolutely hounded with calls and emails for the privilege. If I wasn't clear before, i am now: I hope they all die in a fire, and whoever empowered these assholes to do what they do for veteran businesses should do so as well.
    2 points
  10. Hey Paul, you didn't post our still's baby picture! It finally cleared customs and is now on a boat from the mainland. Hoping to have it on the premises next week!
    1 point
  11. We have Mori presses being used for herbal extraction, and even grain pressing. They're probably quite a bit larger and more expensive than the home fruit presses you're using, so will depend on your scale.
    1 point
  12. The folks at TCW equipment can fix you up with some breather tubes for dumping barrels
    1 point
  13. Pete, I hope you can post some pics of this evolution of your column system.
    1 point
  14. Thats a great looking setup Mike. I ended up making my own, sharing my setup.to inspire others.
    1 point
  15. Now that I'm getting things up and running one of my first issues has been grain separation. My main still is 105 Gal so I'm a bit too small to spend the big bucks on a centrical separator or screw press but too big for just a small pot with a false bottom. Here is what I've put together! I started out with a 275 Gal IBC tote. I got it for $90 since there was already a small hole in the top. I cut the cage down one level all the way around and then down another two on the side without the drain. I also cut a hole in the top to access the inside. Once I had that done I went around the tote drilling holes and zip tying the tote to the cage to keep it secure. Once it was secure I took a multitool and cut out the top and side using the rail as a guide. My son cleaned it out and I waited on the mesh to arrive I ordered 4 ft x 5 ft #6 Stainless Steel Mesh from TWP Inc for about $180 after shipping. I rolled the edge on the drain side around the top bar and zip tied it into place. After rolling it out, I cut tabs every 6 or so inches to help with bending. Once it was bent into place, I secured the other end to the opening and tried to make a nice curve. Everything was secured with zip ties. Next was testing it out. This was a single malt of Red Wheat so it was an easier starting test. Will be testing it with a corn mash here soon. My son and I pumped everything from the still right onto the mesh and the grain separated great! Used a shovel to flip the grain around as the squeegee wasn't working the best. The system easily held 200 lbs and could do more if someone was scooping out the spent grain as it was going. After the first run I sadded a few additions. I added an attached discharge hose so I don't have to worry about the hose coming out if unattended. I changed from a hose to some steel pipe for the drain and added an attached washdown hose for afterwards. The last upgrade I'll need to make is to cut a small hatch on the drain side so that I can get in there with a shop vac. IBC totes have those two wells on either side of the drain and some liquid gets stuck there. Overall it has been a success and only cost me $300. I'll see how it does with some bourbon next week!
    1 point
  16. That's what we do, Fill 3 bulk bins per mash and have same set up by mash minus the mill.
    1 point
  17. Hello fellow ADI members I`ve been lurking the forum for some time and now decided to finally join to share my experience and to get in touch with distillers worldwide. About me: Been running distillery since 2016, currently working with 250 liter column and main products are different berry infusions, gin and vodka. In this whole journey been through it all - from building the distillery in abandoned house, digging through all of the licensing paperwork, valuable lesson why it is bad idea to start business with friends and so on. Currently all is streamlined and running well so for the last year I`ve been helping the new enthusiasts with starting their dream of distillery, so if anyone has any questions about do`s and dont`s feel free to contact me. Although I`m operating from Latvia and do not know the legislation in US, the basics of setting up are basically the same worldwide. Also if someone is thinking about opening up distillery in Europe - we have some of the cheapest licensing costs here. Have a nice day, drop a line and keep on burning that stove
    1 point
  18. I recently found some cypress wood fermenters for sale and am looking for feedback regarding their use before we consider buying them. I have never fermented in anything other than glass or stainless. Thank you for any help.
    1 point
  19. Proceed as usual. Likely there will be no issues.
    1 point
  20. If a production designer or actor or producer wants your brand in a movie or TV show it will happen, in our experience usually without you paying anyone. Not saying these guys aren't legit, but, when we were contacted by them a few days ago and told him we've been in movies without paying....he was pretty excited to get off the phone with me.
    1 point
  21. I picked up a factory refurbished Pimera labeler for flat bottles. Unfortunately I have not used it yet to give you feedback but it seems well made. https://www.primera.com/ap550-flat-surface-label-applicator-886.html
    1 point
  22. Square bottles can be tough to label, I have tried getting a flat semi-auto labelers to work work for clients in the past, however there was too much fluctuation in the label placement on the bottle. Depending on your amount of cases you are looking to might be better off just hand labeling your batches until your demand grows. Otherwise I would try a race labeler style applicator: https://www.crusystems.com/labelers/flat-surface-square-label-applicator-large-1
    1 point
  23. Sensient came through for us. They've got regular old fashioned caramel coloring, as well as new natural alternatives that will not trigger proposition 65 warnings. If people don't know, there's a legal issue in California that requires a warning label if you have certain chemicals in your product that carry more than an allowable amount. The chemical is: "4-methylimidazole (4-MeI), an impurity and potential carcinogen created during the manufacturing of caramel coloring, in various soft drinks. Because 4-MeI is a potential carcinogen, and identified as such under California’s Proposition 65 law, any food or beverage sold in the state that exposes consumers to more than 29 micrograms of 4-MeI per day is supposed to carry the Proposition 65 warning." Apparently Coke and Pepsi contain a lot of this because there's a lot of caramel coloring in sodas. Much less in our product, but finding a local lab to analyze for 4-Mel has been challenging. The alternative coloring agents from Sensient don't have quite the effect of caramel coloring and aren't as stable, so there's still more research for me to do. I'll let you know what I find out.
    1 point
  24. Consider oxidation/reaction of pinene as well. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Α-Pinene In the atmosphere α-pinene undergoes reactions with ozone, the hydroxyl radical or the NO3 radical,[9][full citation needed] leading to low-volatility species which partly condense on existing aerosols, thereby generating secondary organic aerosols. This has been shown in numerous laboratory experiments for the mono- and sesquiterpenes.[10][11] Products of α-pinene which have been identified explicitly are pinonaldehyde, norpinonaldehyde, pinic acid, pinonic acid and pinalic acid. Given that you indicate that the flavor profile is still (mostly) correct, it sounds more like you are seeing pinene react and form low-volatility compounds. Interesting that there is so much research on just how efficient this oxidation reaction is: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-021-21172-w Reduce exposure to air, reduce exposure to light, reduce splashing, pouring, pumping, mixing. Essentially, do everything to reduce exposure to air, mixing in a way that introduces air, reduce the time sitting in tanks (that are not purged with inert gasses like nitrogen), purge bottles with nitrogen, keep tanks and liquid cool to prevent evaporation, store bottles cool (only a temporary measure), etc.
    1 point
  25. Video greetings for the Independence Day of the United States of America from military musicians of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
    1 point
  26. Love it Tim, its these types of things I feel us small distillers on a small budget do well, taking a little creativity and making something useful that others can put into place. Reminds me of my diy bottle rinser! Thanks for sharing and best of luck with your distillery!
    1 point
  27. 1 point
  28. I looked into them and other online sellers, and the answer, like everything, is it depends. Running our numbers, we needed to sell close to 100 bottles per month through them just to make up the monthly fees, and that's assuming I can sell that many bottles without investing a dollar or minute of my time. Maybe that can happen, but with the struggles we've had to sell through our regular channels, I don't buy it. I think online sales through a platform like this can work, but they require a pretty serious time and cash investment to make them work.
    1 point
  29. We use Excel to keep track of the cases produced, then MS Word to do a mail merge to print that information on Avery labels. Send me a note, and I'll share. Sean
    1 point
  30. We are a veteran owned distillery and we successfully got our products in the local CGX stores. BUT the AAFES is a nightmare for us. Yes, the Rangeme site is a pain and they are always seeking ways to take money from you and tell you that they can help build awareness and therefore sales (which is a stretch). Now, the buyers for the AAFES tell me that they will look at any brand but they lean on the National and larger Regional brands mostly. What ever happened to giving a Vet a break? BTW, the AAFES still has not accepted our products.
    1 point
  31. 5.150 refers to liqueurs specifically. It does not specify any minimum alcohol content. You can definitely find liqueurs with an ABV below 30%. For example, Aperol is 11% ABV. 5.151 refers to flavored spirits, which is a different category. Within the text it states: "“Flavored spirits” are distilled spirits that are spirits conforming to one of the standards of identity set forth in §§ 5.142 through 5.148." Not that the range given does not include 5.150.
    1 point
  32. Hello I'm Chris new on here... Looking to learn and exchange ideas.. Thanks
    1 point
  33. Below is one of our barrel dumps. If anyone needs a barrel dump just let us know. 417-778-6908 ask for Paul.
    1 point
  34. https://morebeerpro.com/products/speidel-plastic-storage-300-793-gal-1.html They come in several sizes up to 132g. The one pictured is 79.
    1 point
  35. Mount it to a pallet. Forget wheels & such, they make it less stable. You can then move it around with a pallet jack or forklift. You can also make your own pallet-like thing. Put a 2x4 on edge and it will be just enough for a pallet jack to get underneath. We made our own for our larger tanks so we can move them around and weigh everything easily. We used a thick 2'x4' piece of plywood and 2x4s to make it.
    1 point
  36. Unless you have a lot of citrus, anise or other high oil botanicals, it's the fact that you are using a lot of crushed juniper. Juniper is high in oils (unless you get the sad overly dried stuff, which then throw it away!), and a three day maceration with a lot of crushed juniper will give you that cloudiness. I underline the three areas that contributed to it. As Dismal stated, chill filtering could get rid of it, but you will be altering the flavor. You need to change your recipe and SOP so it doesn't happen in the future. You could dial back the juniper, don't crush it, and shorten the maceration time, and I bet you might even like the flavor better. Edit to add: If you are concerned about the batch you just made not matching the flavor of future batches (which it won't, especially if you chill filter it), you could do a one-off "Limited edition" where you keep it cloudy and macerate colorful botanicals in it, such as butterfly pea flower to make it a nice sky blue (which cloudy would look pretty cool with, also obviously submit any changes to ttb). Just an idea.
    1 point
  37. Lol this thread, I can't. This is the best advice on distilling I've ever heard. You deserve the thumbs up.
    1 point
  38. A couple of the stills that we have built in the last few weeks.
    1 point
  39. Sorry didn’t want to make it feel like a stay in your lane type thing I’m just trying to save you the literal hours of heart ache and burns…. Big issue is the batch not moving and the fixed nature of a recirc line. All grist put into the kettle will be chased away by the flow of the recirc and all that flour will press together into clumps, if you’re at temp it will gelatinize the outsides completely water impermeable and you can find flour I shit you not on the other side of your strip. you could splurge for a grist hydrator but I’ve never really found one I’ve liked, always end up taking them out. you could plumb your recirc line to cause flow in the tank and weld a paddle baffle into the tank but you’d want a mother fucker of a pump
    1 point
  40. There's a few very helpful oxidizing reactions for pesky "SO2" in between your double distillations: Calcium oxide is used, it will react with SO32−- in wine to precipitate out as CaSO3 in your kettle -or- Activated Carbon is effective as always, SO2 can and will be absorbed and oxidized by AC in presence of O2 and H2O. -or- H2O2 is used to oxidize SO32− to SO42in which case it leaves with your stillage instead of hopping over into your collections tank Addressing SO2 in it dissolved form SO32− is the most convenient but flavor detrimental option. Good luck
    1 point
  41. flavor pure water tastes irregular try actual D I water
    1 point
  42. Amaro By Brad Thomas Larson
    1 point
  43. Check out the book "Amaro" by Brad Parsons. Pretty good place to start
    1 point
  44. You dont need to pay a premium for fermaid-k, just make your own from (basically) deactivated yeast, vitamin b complex, DAP, and a bit of mag sulphate.
    1 point
  45. urea is a precursor to ethyl carbamate, a known carcinogen. you can boil bakers yeast (as the homedistiller forum suggest, yeast hulls don't provide nitrogen but thats also not the point of using hulls) for amino acids. DAP is also better than urea because it has a N base (diammonium) and P (phosphate), the two macros that you'll likely be deficient in. You need to ensure that all of the nutrients (or at least the DAP addition) is metabolized before the finish of fermentation because residual N will affect flavor. This is one of the reasons why you add at the beginning of fermentation or after 1/3 of the sugars have been depleted. For my current use, I add it at the start of fermentation and after 12-16 hrs depending on ferment speed and lag time - but I'm doing fresh pressed sugarcane (agricole-style) which is an entirely different beast than most of y'all
    1 point
  46. Buddy, you need to find another post to troll.
    1 point
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