Eric

i'm not saying it is a joke - at all, i apologize if i made it seem that i thought so. I agree completely. I appreciate caution and I agree, doing things right is absolutely required. Again, not an expert, seek your own advice, i'm just trying to work this out. As you said - several have blown up. I'm not sure how how a sprinkler, in itself, is going to prevent a still from exploding. from what i've read, again might be wrong, most explosions occur because of over pressure of vessels or vapor cloud ignition. Vapor cloud explosions require vapor - this is might be a concern around the still. Do you turn sprinklers on when you detect vapor?? or do you use fans to change air? Overpressure, from what i can tell, of a still has nothing to do with a sprinkler system. This is about making sure the still relieves pressure to a safe location before it gets too high and limiting the amount of heat at the boiler. vapor explosions from what i've read require limiting releases of vapor\spills and controlling ignition sources (area class). Sprinkers could be used for vapor suppression = but i'm not sure that anyone uses them this way with their gas detectors - otherwise sprinkers seem better for fires not explosions or vapor cloud explosions. Air change outs around the still, limiting the amount of release around the still, keeping ignition sources and static hazards down\eliminated, properly designed relief on a still, and being very careful around NGS.... I guess the point was - it seems like lower proof liquids are closer to combustibles than flammables and seem like they would not provide the vapor required for an explosion or sustained fire. thanks again for bringing up safety.

Don't hold me to these numbers or logic, i'm not an expert, rely on a fire engineer - just venting... I can't believe those sprinkler requirements. That's an insane amount of water. I don't understand the logic.... ethanol isn't flammable below 100 proof (50%). Anything under 50% shouldn't count towards fire risk. Do they have breweries count the 5% in their beer??? Whiskey generally is stored at 125 proof or 65%.... if i spray the top of a fire with a little water it'll dilute the whiskey to 50% pretty quick.... A fire on the ground the same thing - 65% alcohol when burned will burn at most 10% by volume... if you put just a little water in it .2 gallons per gallon its below 50%.... . If there is a fire from a spill it will be a flash fire then be out.... the sprinklers will be too late anyways. its better to focus on fire control Barrels are moist - i wouldn't imagine that they would start on fire from a flash fire - its got to be more sustained to catch the wood on fire. The math doesn't add up for the hazard. I can see a sprinkler for the area around the still. But the idea that you need that much water for barrels or other areas seems more than a little excessive..... How do they imagine these fires will start and last long enough to burn through a barrel??? It seems like a good fire protection plan and minimizing the quantity of high proof spirits that can be spilled in one accident or the rate you pump it to keep it to a manageable level... along with (electrical classification, strict no smoking policies, minimal storage of NGS) would be sufficient. Not saying your fire engineer is wrong - but did they do any math to help you solve your problem at all??? None of this may matter to zoning people.... any experience making these arguments to the fire marshal?

Or find somebody who will take it as a product or feedstock...

Not an expert.... so please reserch this.... http://www.micro-blaze.com/site/faqs/ You might be able to let bugs eat it..

I've been looking for properties near Houston for the distillery. My question is what zoning should I look for? Does it have to be industrial? thanks!

I'm not yet in operation so take this for what it's worth. I would be concerned with metal compatibility and cleaning times from removing hardness.

Thank you all! very helpful

Do you find that you need a fork truck when just starting out? Any tips for finding a safe low cost way to move barrels and other materials? Bottles, GNS for gin, grain, finished product (distributors require pallets?), do you need a truck dock? thanks!

Stumpy's, Thank you!

What is "enough" product for a first shipment? 100 cases? 200? When do distributors pay for product? Trying to get a idea of cash flow needs. Thank you!

This may sound like a very basic question, but once the distributor picks up the product... When do you get paid? 90 days? When product sells on retail selves? What's typical? I'm trying to get an idea how much i will need to get for working capital.

Howdy Y'all! New from Iowa but living in the great state of Texas! I'm new to craft distilling, but I've had a good amount of book learning on the subject. Want to move from books to making it happen. I'm interested in new flavors and interesting twists. Thanks y'all!