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Attn distilleries with multiple stills operating at once.


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Hi there,

Was hoping to pick your brains about how you were able to arrange the operation of multiple stills concurrently, the output of which may exceed the allowed 90 gallons of flammable liquids in an F1 rated occupancy building.

We are in the process of planning our expansion, and are trying to wrap our heads around how it would be possible to have 2 to 5 stills operating in the same space.

Any chance folks would be willing to upload pics of their setup, and offer how you navigated the fire code/occupancy limits

As always, much obliged.

D.

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Where's 90 gal come from?

Code states max open containers of Class 1B or 1C liquids is 60 gal (sprinklered) and 30 gal (non-sprinklered) per control area. So set your process to dump the spirit receivers to closed containers prior to reaching the limits, or build separate control areas. 

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yes,  sorry. i got confused.  we're currently in non sprinklered, which is 30gal, but the new building is sprinklered. 

i guess maybe when we started 19 years ago,  therr weren't many resources for "closed systems".

ive seen pictures if some distilleries though that appear to be using 350 - 550 gal ss tanks that somehow qualify as closed? 

can anyone confirm this,  maybe send a link or a picture ? maybe we're thinking too conservatively about  this

 

thanks much 

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Anything over 240 closed 1B / 1C in a sprinklered control area, regardless of container type (barrels excepted, of course), would be H3. Not sure of a way around that. Pretty much any fire AHJ will know the MAQ rules.

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37 minutes ago, JustAndy said:

You really can't rely on pictures of what other people are doing, I've visited probably 75 craft distilleries and only seen maybe 10 that were near to compliant with their MAQs. 

haha true that. just helps with the brainstorming is all

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  • 3 weeks later...

Duh, Of coarse they are there to protect.

My point is there is no set standard set by the city or the states. There are code books but the ones who sign off on the permits are not the same.

There is a reason I am where I am. Because across the street is a different town and they had a distillery classified one level above Nuclear Waste, and I am not joking. My city said something like "I have know idea what the heck they are thinking over there". 

On another note, We have a massive safety program our selves. "codes keep us safe" more like "We keep us safe". Like I want to blow my self up.......SIGN ME UP.....knock on wood..

Some cities are great to work with, some you will go broke tring to meet all the demands... Same goes for states, Iowa is awesome, Minnesota is an insane pain in the aspirin.

Just saying.

Take care, and good luck. 

 

 

 

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  • 1 month later...

Maybe it's silly to state this, but wash/beer is not a Class IC flammable liquid.  I'm saying this, because you mentioned 350-550 gallon tanks, which sound more like fermenters to me.  If you are talking distillate, it's easy to stay under the 60g MAQ if you are running single pass on anything 500 gallons or under (assuming sprinklers).

 

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