Jump to content

Workshop at Cornell


Ken

Recommended Posts

Not sure if this was posted elsewhere but I would imagine that seating is limited so for those in the North East........

http://www.nysaes.cornell.edu/hp/events/detail.php?id=95

Artisan Distilling Workshop at Geneva Experiment Station

December 05, 2008 - December 06, 2008 | 08:00 AM–05:30 PM

Place: New York State Agricultural Experiment Station, Geneva Food Research Laboratory, Room 251 (Conference Room, 2nd floor)

Food Science Homepage

Details:

You are cordially invited to attend:

Artisan Distilling Workshop at Geneva Experiment Station

a cooperation of:

Cornell University Department of Food Science and Technology

New York State Agricultural Experiment Station, Geneva

and

Christian CARL Ing. GmbH Göppingen, Germany

SPEAKERS:

Prof. Kris Berglund, Alexander Plank, Nicolas Haase

LOCATION:

New York State Agricultural Experiment Station, Geneva

Food Research Laboratory, Room 251 (Conference Room, 2nd floor)

PRICE:

$295 – Training session will include handouts, morning refreshments and lunches for both days, and dinner Friday at a local Geneva restaurant (location to be determined).

Register online for this course

Geneva Lodging Options

Link to comment
Share on other sites

In advance I want to say, please excuse my venting.

I went to the 'workshop' last year at the Cornell Ag Lab in Geneva, as did a few other folks in this forum. Last year it was only Alexander Plank and Nicolas Haase of Christian CARL stills and only a one day seminar. They had just come from doing the two day workshop in Michigan with Kris Berglund. I was not impressed.

Personally, I thought it was a waste of time and more of an advertising seminar for Christian CARL stills. The seminar was so basic that I you could learn much more from the few books on distilling out there. The three day advanced hard cider workshop right after the distilling one was so great, and covered so much advanced and technical information, that the distilling one left a bad taste in my mouth. Cornell calls it a workshop, but there was no hands on anything. We had lectures all day with a break to see the still processing some hard cider into spirits, and that wasn't very useful. The person making the cuts didn't know what they were doing. I got the twelve samples of the cuts they made from the whole run and the ones they saved were first heads and just barely into the heart. Then they threw away the best part. I still have the samples and they are a great teaching tool, which is why they separated out so many cuts, but I am still amazed at what was actually kept, and what was discarded.

Alex and Nick are nice guys, but they work for a still company and that comes first for them. I hung out with them after the workshop, gave them lifts to the hotel, but... I asked questions during the course they wouldn't answer, saying they would cover the info later. Then at the end of the day they said email them for the info. After many tries, phone calls, etc. they blew me off and never answered a few simple questions. I assume because I already had two, small, direct fired stills. What is really weird is that I called and emailed Nick several times after that to try and get quotes on one of their stills and equipment, and he never bothered to give me a quote. Probably because I was interested in a stripped down, simple hybrid still, and not a huge, fancy, expensive system. I've run into both at events since, they've been friendly, and promised to get me info, quotes, etc.; but nothing ever materialized.

I guess a two day seminar, with Kris Berglund, would be better. His online book has a lot of good info, I've read it several times over the past year, but like his book, the course will probably focus on his area of specialty, plum and fruit brandy.

Others here may have different opinions and I would love to hear them. One thing about the course was the networking. I got as many phone numbers and email addresses as possible and have been in touch with about half the group since then. (Cornell emailed me a complete list of names and addresses, and it was useless. They had more than half the names, addresses, etc. mixed up.)

My advice is that if you are a total newbie, live within a few hour drive and don't mind dropping the cash for the expenses of travel, seminar, food, and hotel, then go for it. For me, with a nine hour drive each way, hotel, etc. it was money that would have been better spent on handing it over to some experienced artisanal distiller for a day of learning to distill one-on-one.

Once I have my place up and running I will give hands-on workshops on direct fired and steam pot still distilling, with several types of stills. And anyone who wants can arrange private lessons on distilling as well.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks Ken and Jonathan,

I did sign up for the course, but I appreciate the insight from Jonathan. Hopefully, Cornell will act on your feedback from last year.

I am a total newb, and my farm is 45 minutes drive from Geneva, so additional expenses will not be a factor.

I'm sure I will get some useful information from the seminar and if nothing else, the opportunity to network will be valuable.

Thanks again for this information.

Brett

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm interested in who plans on attending the workshop. If you're attending the event, can you reply to this thread? Maybe with a quick explanation of your background and where you're located. Brett has a great point about using a workshop like this to network with people. As someone with very little experience I am considering attending for exposure and networking. I have done a fair deal of reading but I want to start sitting down and talking to people. I'm in debate of going because the beginning of December is when my final exams kick in. If there is a good crew of people from the northeast going I might sign up to make the trip.

So, if you're signed up to attend, please drop us a line on this thread. Thanks!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm sorry to hear that you did not have a good experience with the seminar and Christian CARL. I agree that the seminars put on by the still manufacturers are basic intro courses. They appear to be designed as an intro to those thinking about getting into the business as opposed to those already doing it. There is some good networking to be done, but still, if you are not a beginner or interested in seeing the Christian CARL equipment it probably isn't going to be for you. There is better networking at the ADI conferences. I would personally like to see an advanced course for those with some experience already.

I am surprised to hear of your experiences with Nick and Alexander though. One of the main reasons that I went with CC was because of them. Both have gone above and beyond in helping me get my distillery launched. They have provided information and knowledge about topics well beyond the scope of what a still manufacturer would normally be expected to do. In fact, they both flew down to Florida to setup my still! The factory was quite busy and did not have time to tag all of the parts for end user assembly. Instead of leaving me trying to figure it out for myself they took the time to fly down here and do it themselves. It's nice to see one of the owners of the company put on his work gloves and very competently put a still together.

The lack of responsiveness that you received may have to do with the fact that Nick seems to get a large number of calls these days. I would guess that most are not real prospects yet request complete detailed proposals. I'm not saying that everyone shouldn't get the most attention possible (and I would be angry if I did not get responses), but it must be difficult for them to try and keep up and prioritize. I would be upset if they had not followed through with me before the sale but I have to say that I am extremely happy with how they have followed through after getting my money. They are good guys to work with and stand behind their product. I do not give out recommendations very lightly or often as it reflects on me if they don't live up to it. I strongly recommend these guys.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I attended the course last year and I found it useful, but it is a basic, one-day course. It's good to meet other people who have the same dream as you, of having your own little micro-distillery. I didn't have lots of interactions with the CC people, but they were the only one's to ever return my calls/emails.

This course looks like a two day course, which may help address some of Jonathan's issues.

But regardless, if you think you'll come out of the course a Master Distiller, you'll probably be disappointed.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm interested in who plans on attending the workshop. If you're attending the event, can you reply to this thread? Maybe with a quick explanation of your background and where you're located. Brett has a great point about using a workshop like this to network with people. As someone with very little experience I am considering attending for exposure and networking. I have done a fair deal of reading but I want to start sitting down and talking to people. I'm in debate of going because the beginning of December is when my final exams kick in. If there is a good crew of people from the northeast going I might sign up to make the trip.

So, if you're signed up to attend, please drop us a line on this thread. Thanks!

Hi Brett,

I have signed up and appreciate the feedback from everyone that has attended. I have low expectations going in, but if I learn a single thing that saves me the price of admission, I'll consider it worth while.

I'm in the Cobleskill, NY area part of the week. This is close to two hours for me and the timing is right to meet more people and pick up any last minute pointers before we finish building out our space.

As far as background:

We don't have much yet but it is a start and I add to it every year....

I spend four days a week working in Manhattan (hate it, but it pays the bills until I get the last kid off to college), the other three days is spent on our growing little farm wanabe.

Over the last two years, we have planted 4 acres of english and french cider varieties of apples and two acres of hybrid grapes. We will add a row or two of both every year, though i know nothing of grapes and have made plenty of mistakes already.

We have our building permit and local planning approval for a farm distillery is complete.

We have paid for our new 32 by 28 foot Morton pole barn. Construction expected to complete in November.

We have a 90 gallon and 10 gallon alembic pot still. I grew up on a farm in Pennsylvania where we learned a little about distilling but I have no formal training and my education was many years ago and filled with old wives tales. Our primary interest is making apple brandy.

So far, everything is taking a bit longer than i would have liked, but every month I seem to make a little progress.!

regards,

Ken

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Brett,

I have signed up and appreciate the feedback from everyone that has attended. I have low expectations going in, but if I learn a single thing that saves me the price of admission, I'll consider it worth while.

I'm in the Cobleskill, NY area part of the week. This is close to two hours for me and the timing is right to meet more people and pick up any last minute pointers before we finish building out our space.

As far as background:

We don't have much yet but it is a start and I add to it every year....

I spend four days a week working in Manhattan (hate it, but it pays the bills until I get the last kid off to college), the other three days is spent on our growing little farm wanabe.

Over the last two years, we have planted 4 acres of english and french cider varieties of apples and two acres of hybrid grapes. We will add a row or two of both every year, though i know nothing of grapes and have made plenty of mistakes already.

We have our building permit and local planning approval for a farm distillery is complete.

We have paid for our new 32 by 28 foot Morton pole barn. Construction expected to complete in November.

We have a 90 gallon and 10 gallon alembic pot still. I grew up on a farm in Pennsylvania where we learned a little about distilling but I have no formal training and my education was many years ago and filled with old wives tales. Our primary interest is making apple brandy.

So far, everything is taking a bit longer than i would have liked, but every month I seem to make a little progress.!

regards,

Ken

Hi Ken,

I enjoyed learning about your background and your efforts to this point in setting up a distillery. I found it encouraging.

I'm looking forward to meeting you at the course in Geneva this December.

Brett

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest sensei

I would like to attend a seminar to learn more, but with the economy tanking, I don't want to just wizz my money away and nothing valuable in return.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...