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CBDCo

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Everything posted by CBDCo

  1. I use both certified hydrometers and we have a Rudolph Research densitometer. Both have rewarding qualities. The densitometer has a proofing calculator which is very helpful, our distillery management software has one as well. We leased our densitometer so it didn't tie up a lot of capital. I do think it is worth the expense.
  2. Yes. They also have a great tool to use for sales projections, determining mash bills, etc.
  3. It has a section that has a template of the application. Donald also has a wealth of knowledge of the process and "held my hand" the whole way. We had issues with our DSP but it was with the TTB, not with WS, I don't think we would have gotten ours if it wasn't for WS and Donald's help.
  4. We just got access to the production module and I have now been able to look at it and play around with it. It was very instrumental with us getting our DSP. Donald gave me a lot of guidance and helped us a ton.
  5. we're practically neighbors. Donald has been great, he helped us a lot with our application. We had issues with our DSP because of the turnover and lack of training at the TTB. I wasn't expecting the flood of sales calls when you get your DSP. Be prepared. I have visited a lot of distilleries last year and most of them use WS and have had nothing bad to say with Donald. Nor do I. It's like a bride getting cold feet before the wedding. ha.
  6. We received our DSP a month ago and just about to start the COLA process. We are currently using WS to help with our business plan, sales projection etc. I was recently contacted by Stillhouse and started looking at the information. I have some issues with WS and was thinking about switching before I start production in the next 10 months. Does anyone have any issues (good or bad) with either of these systems? I would be interested in hearing your thoughts. ** Update** Upon reading this again, I felt that I needed to give a little more background. We have been with WS for over a year and have had great support from the owner and staff. No program will ever be 100% perfect and I realize that. I have seen some other programs and it got me thinking. I have no plans to switch as of now, I'm just doing my research and make sure we find the right fit for us. Thanks Travis
  7. Which model? I had been looking at the RLTC-DW
  8. Hello, I am in the final process of ordering equipment and I am trying to decide on a good manual labeler, something that I could potentially but both labels (front and back) on at the same time. I had been looking at a Race labeler, but now I am not sure what I want. Any thoughts?
  9. What type of set up do you have? We are in a small town and there is a Culligan location somewhat close by. I want to use them so that if we needed servicing or parts, they are close by? Do you have a reserve water tank? I have known others who leave the water on overnight or for a few hours and fill an IBC tote so they had enough to proof since the water was slow. Thoughts? Thanks.
  10. Thanks, the site is back up and I spoke to a representative.
  11. I tried to log in to see the status on my DSP and the site appears to be down for the last few days. Does anyone know of another way to check the status? Thanks - Travis
  12. I assume this is the hand held unit. It is not TTB certified. We have decided to go with the full version unit. There is a craft model that is TTB certified. I have the model number somewhere. The customer service was great working with them
  13. This was an issue that may be specific to Texas. The TCEQ (Texas Commission on Environmental Quality) had certain regulations with what we could do with our cleaning water. Even though the chemicals are all food grade, pose no threat to the environment, and are heavily diluted with water and posed no threat at all. The TCEQ in its infinite wisdom wanted us to build our million dollar facility and store our water until we could send them a sample, and then and only then they would tell us what we could do with it. We were trying to use a retention pond and reuse the water for irrigation or dust control. The threat was there that we would have to have it hauled off and disposed of like hazardous chemicals if the chemical composition contained certain things ( I am not sure what it was, they did not say). Simply put, we did not want to invest in the project without knowing what exactly we were going to have to do with the waste water, so we decided to purchase a property in the city where we could use city water, and sewer. And as an added bonus we can use natural gas instead of propane. We wasted a lot of time spinning our wheels and money. Hopefully this is something that you will not have to deal with. Many in Texas have not done this, and face fines and other regulatory issues. It wasn't until one of our engineers brought this up, that we knew it would even be an issues. Many do not have this luxury and build not knowing what they would have to do. The problem (that I see) is that the state is lumping us with any type of alcoholic producing firm, waste from wine, contains grape skins and do pose other issues. We were going to store our spent grain and sell or give it away to farmers. You could build your building and run the risk of not having issues with the TCEQ, we did not since the TCEQ was already aware of our project and would most likely come for a "surprise" inspection. I don't have any further details, but today I heard from another attorney there was another distillery that was able to get around all the red tape, but he did not have any specifics. I hope this helps and would be more than happy to discuss it more if you have more questions.
  14. I had found a work around for the water issue, then we ran into waste water issues. We ended up purchasing another property within the city with municipal services and have been able to get started with demolition/ construction. Thanks for following up!
  15. CBDCo

    Stills

    We ordered an Artisan. There are a lot of manufactures are there, you need to determine your needs and then anticipate what your long-term goals are and then find the right fit. One thing that was important to me was customer service. Knowing your sales rep and being able to go them for help and guidance is awesome. The company I went with uses others in the distilling industry as their sales reps. Mine told me the good, bad and the ugly and ultimately helped me choose the right system for us. People are going to throw out the brand they like (as I did, mildly) but at the end of the day it is a gut feeling, and whatever you are your team feel it is the best for you, that is what you need to go with. Hope this helps.
  16. Hello, We are far a long in the planning process for our distillery which will be located in South Texas. I started my DSP application, still has been ordered, and boiler was just about to be ordered. Here is a little background about our project. We are located in Beeville TX, a small town located in the coastal bend of Texas. We purchased a 3.5 acre tract of land outside the city limits thinking that we would be able to escape the bureaucracy of the city building inspector etc. The distillery site is located outside of city services, so we knew that we were going to have to drill a well and to install a septic system. A couple of weeks ago, our civil engineer tells us that if we plan to use a well, it would have to be a public water utility. This means we would have to have all the equipment that a municipality would have including a water operator. We were aware that we would have to have the water tested and use RO for our proofing water. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) stipulates that if we plan on serving more than 25 people every sixty days, we would have become a public water utility and are not able to allow our waste water to drain into our septic system. They stipulate that we either have to store it in an underground tank and have it hauled away as if it were a hazardous chemical. Those of us in the industry know that the chemicals are all food grade and that they are heavily diluted with water and pose no problem to the environment. My question is this, has anyone run into this type of issue with the TCEQ or state equivalent? If so, how were you able to get this issue solved? I have had to hire a lawyer who understands all the state regulations and if we have to treat the water as a hazardous chemical, this could be a deal-breaker for us and we would then be forced to sell the property and move to the city. Any advice or help would be much appreciated. Thanks Travis
  17. They have a new business start up tool that helps you determine price points, distillery needs etc. Once we get started there is another module that will help you with TTB. They have a consulting component as well, Donald, the owner of the company has met with us several times to help us in the various stages of development. Frankly, we want to make sure we are making the best possible decisions while in the start up process, we feel it is worth the money
  18. We are currently in the process of starting up. We signed on with Whiskey Resources to help us with start up and DSP application and will continue to use their services after we are in production. It literally lays out what our costs will be per PG etc. Plus after we put all of our information in each quarter, it will populate our TTB reports as well as the DSP. Totally worth the money. Yes, it can be pricey, but much better than paying back taxes to the government.
  19. I don't think you should take the liability and risk something catastrophic from happening. Plus, do you really want to place that kind of gamble on your livelihood? If something goes wrong with the still (other than explosion) there is no one to call to fix the problems, there is no warranty for defective parts etc. Yes, it would make for a great story but I don't think having a showpiece for your distillery and a story are worth the risk. I would buy a still from a reputable manufacturer is the way to go, there is a reason they are so expensive.
  20. What is your opinion on using this computerized equipment (other than price)? I just came back from an intensive distilling course where we learned the basics by using hydrometers. They are obviously the tried and true method. Has anyone had any issues with the machines? We are determining if we need to budget one or just stick to the basic hydrometer. Thoughts? Horror stories? Thanks Travis
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