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Classick

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Posts posted by Classick

    Grappa

    in Technique

    Posted

    2 hours ago, jocko said:

    Thanks for that!  This is what I'm thinking I'll need if I want to make it regularly.  Shoveling it out took 2 people 4 hours.

    I believe it. during grappa season I don't even bother going to the gym (I mean not that I would during any other season but still)

    I can run through two half ton macrobins of pomace a day. between using a snow shovel to shovel into the still, and shoveling off of the platform. that's two tons of shoveling a day. 

    My gun show looks cracking at the end of the year 😆

    Grappa

    in Technique

    Posted

    I've been making grappa for the last 18 years, it's definitely a labor of love.

    I wish I had a solution for you, but I think my still is configured differently. I only have a 3" discharge port, however can take the entire top off and we also have a colander like platform onto which I shovel the pomace, so when the run is done, I lift the entire thing out with a forklift.

    it's hot, and messy, and I have to use wide ratchet straps to keep the skins from spilling over,but it works for me.

    If it's possible for you to construct such an apparatus for your setup, that's what I would recommend. and if you're building one, I recommend putting sides on it to make it a cylinder to trap the skins as you lift out so that it doesn't mushroom top and spill everywhere... 

    here's a video of how I do it, but I suppose that's only going to be so useful. (pardon the quality, was shot with my security camera 😆)

    https://youtu.be/FazPMoMi7cY?si=_hBCXD57jHi4-nRQ

    best of luck, feel free to DM with any questions if I can be of assistance.

    Ideas for Emptying barrels

    in Technique

    Posted

    9 minutes ago, SlickFloss said:

    Hey man fuck yeah looks great! You just sit that on top of a steel tote or are you using it on a fork over a tote? I always hate leaving it on the forks because its just gross but just my own shit obviously tons of people on IG are doing fork dumps. We ended up getting a big barrel dumper but we still use our original a ton.

    Thanks!

    Both! I spec'd it so that it will fit over the top port of a 350 gal tote, OR conveniently, over an open-top 55 gal drum (for smaller barrels), or if i need to leave them on the forks for some reason I can do tha too.

    here's the sieve to catch the char bitsPXL_20221002_012722954.thumb.jpg.fd23982f7b3687c24d3c2c6c52c4b616.jpg

    Ideas for Emptying barrels

    in Technique

    Posted

    On 8/13/2021 at 6:37 PM, Classick said:

    This will likely be my method too, I'm thinking of making a device that will receive forklift forks, that has upsidedown castors that the barrel will sit on so I can lift the barrel off the rack, it will rest on the rollers, I'll put the snorkel in, lift the barrel over our receiving tank then rotate the barrel to empty. That's the plan anyway.

     

    welp... finally got around to building my caster rack. clearly this wasnt the top of my todo list lol, 5 years later... works pretty well for 30 gal to 60 gal barrels. also sits comfortable on top of an open head 55 gal drum, or more importantly on the top of my 350 gal stainless steel totes.


    not pictured: the metal sieve that will sit directly under the barrel opening to catch the char bits.

    51oMxjAW6jL._AC_SL1000_.jpg

    Ideas for Emptying barrels

    in Technique

    Posted

    On 4/19/2017 at 8:32 AM, Blackheart said:

    We always use gravity to empty barrels in situ when possible.  We bring the tanks up to the barrels on rack (assuming they're stacked high enough), slide in a long silicone hose, stick one end in the receiving tank,  prime it, and drain the barrel using gravity.  When we get to the dregs, the barrel is easier to handle and we can remove it from the rack, put it on forklift tines, and roll it back over the receiving tank.  We then put a strainer over the bung hole and catch the coarse char as the last of the barrel empties. 

    This will likely be my method too, I'm thinking of making a device that will receive forklift forks, that has upsidedown castors that the barrel will sit on so I can lift the barrel off the rack, it will rest on the rollers, I'll put the snorkel in, lift the barrel over our receiving tank then rotate the barrel to empty. That's the plan anyway.

     

    Collecting Hearts

    in Technique

    Posted

    4 hours ago, SlickFloss said:

    you will get lots of turqoise flakes and even some sky blue distillate the more and more you run fruit ferments, and also (which was really surprising to me) on a lot of redistillations. As youve commented, the blue tends to pull out in the water, so at beginning of run when people push water out of still that was sitting in there and then later in the run when proof is dropping. Really just means the copper in your still is doing its job, and we just need to keep cleaning up after it. Did you try stumpys rec?

    Im not sure if that last comment was directed to me, since im not the OP that stumpy was replying to, but it does make some sense as sometimes i run well beyond tails if i just happen to be busy or have my head down in some paperwork at the end of my runs.  At some point im just running steam/water for a few min at the very end.

    As for stumpy's advice, my still doesn't have a dephleg or "plates" in the traditional sense, but for my application, i believe SOP for shuttling down a run would get us to similar conditions. 👍

    Collecting Hearts

    in Technique

    Posted

    On 2/8/2021 at 4:20 PM, SlickFloss said:

    turqoise floaties aren't fatty acids to my knowledge. Sounds like you need to clean your still.

    My best guess was that there was also some copper sulfate (if i recall correctly we were running some peach wine and the person we got it from didnt mention they'd added sulfur. mixed in with the waxyish little bits

    Of course we ran steam afterwards, naturally, but the easiest way to protect against them, at least on our alambic, is just not to distill lower than 130 when running anything fruit based.

    Its not anything I was concerned about, and hasn't happened since

    SDS for WHO Recipe Sanitizer

    in Hand Sanitizer Production

    Posted

    Just putting this question out to the masses.

    Has anyone made an Safety Data Sheet for the WHO recipe sanitizer?

    We're delivering to our local fire/police/EMS.. and for the first shipment i just gave them our standard ethanol 50%-90% SDS, but technically this hand sanitizer is UN1987 Alcohol Not Otherwise Specified (NOS), and i dont have an SDS for that.

    I've got one from Pharmco for 200 proof IPA, for 200 proof SDA-3C and SDA-40B... which im sure i could use also as those are the most conservative instructions for HAZMAT.. but I was just curious.

     

    Anyone have a spreadsheet or CSV version of Table 4

    in Federal Gov't

    Posted

    awesome. thanks.. helped me correct a few of my own mistakes on my OCR efforts. 1s and 7s and 6s and 8s look fairly similar in that font.

    Fun fact... when we started our distillery in 1998, we some how had the only copy of the gauging manual in print form, at least that was known to ATF (TTB didnt exist at the time to my knowledge, i was 15)

    I had to photo copy and then scan and OCR from the gauging manual

    Choosing a denaturant for hand sanitizer.

    in Hand Sanitizer Production

    Posted

    On 3/23/2020 at 8:18 AM, dhdunbar said:

    27 CFR 21.141:  image.png.5a84964c24b1f706ec481e6e12687518.png

    But, why mess with SDA?  It saves the taxes, but if my fingers and toes get it correct, the tax on 160 proof sanitizer is 0.03375 cents and ounce.  Thus, the tax on a 10 ounce bottle is $0.34.  Now, I'm notoriously bad at getting decimal places misplaced, but I've got to figure that, although I have no idea of the cost of chemicals,  the cost of making 1, 3-A, etc., when you throw in the labor to boot, is going to eat into or surpass the tax due if you don't denature.  Youy might even save money by payikng the tax.  Plus, you are able to meet the local quicker..

    Would not hand sanitizer be considering an external pharmaceutical?  I got a line on some SDA-40B... which was i thought an approved formula for hand sanitizer (im wading through all of these threads to find the page that said which formula's we're allowed to use)

    Formula 40B is basically the Bitrex and the tert-butanol if i recall correctly

    image.png.2c534f308abf679cebff7187b58d5a4b.png

     

    EDIT

    per the FDA Download

    image.png.95322eca61a64ec2a13bd1785f5e04ed.png

    Hand Sanitizer from GNS

    in Hand Sanitizer Production

    Posted

    45 minutes ago, Madspeed said:

    My day job is supplying packaging materials to manufacturers all over the place. I have access to a few suppliers that have availability of various sized containers and closures that will work. What sizes are you guys seaking? I assume an 8 oz clear PET with white or black sprayer and perhaps a 16 oz as well?  Are most of you guys producing liquid or gel sanitizers?

    Im not sure PET makes a difference between HDPE, but we're using the latter currently in 8oz capacity and with 24-210 neck/fine most sprayer cap

    Thanks much for checking

    Hand Sanitizer from GNS

    in Hand Sanitizer Production

    Posted

    Our idea is to offer 5 gallon closed head jugs with dispensing pumps... then maybe 10-20 8oz bottles that they can then refill.. cuts down on the bottle usage we have to deliver to each location.

     

    assuming we can find anymore of those things at all. sigh

    anyone had luck signing up on DISCUS's form to be linked with vendors?

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