Geoman

Hi there,

Where are you located, is this boiler rated with low NOx for Southern California?

Sincerely

We are interested in this boiler, but have few questions:

Is it still available?

You mention that you bought it a month ago, but how old is it?

Sincerely

22 hours ago, Jedd Haas said:

The answer to both questions is yes.

https://www.ttb.gov/ponl-help/distilled-spirits-plant-application-preview

Thanks Jedd Haas

Hello all, happy new year.  

We are a starting distillery in southern California area, planning to open in a small space where every square foot matters.  We are planning to have a tasting room, our business plan rely on having a tasting room.  However, due to space limitation we are looking into ways that we can have a tasting room but still use this space for other reasons when the tasting room is not open to public.  My main question is: are there any regulations, particularly TTB concerning bonded and non bonded areas, or local regulation that goes against this?  Second question does tasting room need to be completely enclosed or separated from production area, again a TTB regulation?

Sincerely

On 7/5/2021 at 6:41 AM, McClintockDistilling said:

So some background, we have been using these bottles from the same supplier for 5 years with no problem and I have never seen this issue in my history of 10 years of distilled spirits production with any glass. We use compressed air to blow out bottles before fill and we are using a timed pump filler to fill. 

Hard to get a picture of it but it looks like condensate marks or stretch marks in the glass itself. I dumped it and tried wiping away the residue on the outside and inside and it doesn't come up. In the same pallet of glass this issue only appeared in the 100 proof tincture spirit we produce and the 80 proof vodka that went into the same bottles didn't have this issue. I am stumped honestly. Does anyone have any idea what this is?

Good morning,

Have you ever find the cause of these marks on your bottles?  I'm wondering if it is some oil residue on some of your bottles?

Sincerely

Hello,

Is the labeling machine still available?  what brand and model is it?

We are interested, and wanted to know how much will it cost to package and ship to California.

Thanks 

On 4/28/2017 at 4:05 PM, 3d0g said:

This one was a bit of a head scratcher for me too. How much is the TTB looking for? I just submitted the bank statements as requested. 

Same here, how much do we need to show in our bank statement.  Who is to say whether 100K or 150 K is enough?  Doe TTB ask for detailed financial sheet in the application?

On 3/26/2020 at 7:25 AM, Southernhighlander said:

There is also the option of macerating in the pot.  The best option depends a lot on whether it is going to be a dedicated gin still or a multi purpose still.  However in my opinion, a stand alone gin basket close to the final condenser is the best option.

 

Thanks Paul,

Is this an option we can have with your line of equipment?  Also, lets say I buy a 200 gallons still and plan on macerating the botanical at first.  however, after some time I decide that is is best if I move into stand alone basket, can it be added?

Gin basket location, best equipment   

I’m asking about the advantage and disadvantage of two different gin baskets designs. 

One is a gin basket that is designed to be stand alone with drain/return line to the still boiler.  The other is a gin basket that is located on top of the actual still column, in which case condensates from the basket will fall back to the still through the column itself.  Any one has experience with ether or and can give their feedback on which design is better?

Cheers

Hi,

are these equipment still available. I'm interested but want to discuss the price.  can we PM or exchange phone numbers?

Thanks

38 minutes ago, IanMcCarthy said:

Geoman,

1) It is going to take much more than 30 pounds of fruit to make brandy. Of course, smaller scale makes distillation more difficult, because the space between heads and tails is so compact. Even the smallest test batches of fruit I do start with 500# - regardless of your still size. 

2) Sugar. Good fruit brandy is just fruit, no added sugar. You need to concentrate the flavor of a huge amount of fruit to get something aromatic. in the case of your 30# peach v 7# white sugar, you are getting much more fermentable sugar from the sugar than the peach. That is going to dilute your fruit flavor. Also, when you don't use sugar, you won't need water. It will start gloop-y, but the fruit will break itself down during fermentation.

3) Fruit quality. Don't use rotten or moldy fruit. Crap in, crap out. This is going to increase the chance of spoilage in a big way - you can't see all the mold spores, and you won't be able to remove them. 

4) Temp control - gold star for that. 

5) Agitation - You might consider opening your fermentation vessel and punching down the fruit at least once a day. Solids will rise to the top, which will slow down your fermentation, but also increase the possibility of spoilage. Keep it all wet and well-mixed.

6) Pits - get em outa there. You might thinking about adding back a small percentage when you get proficient, but when you are starting out there are source  of cyanide that you don't want to worry about. 

Agitation and funky fruit are the reasons for the ugly fermentation, but consider your base recipe - and try to just use fruit. I have some books in German I can recommend if you speak it, but in English "distilling fruit brandy"  by Josef Pischl is a good, if not perfect, starting place. Happy distilling!

Thanks, that is detailed.  Any instructions on crushing fruits? Also boiling, are you for boiling or not?

ps. I do have distilling fruit brandy book you mentioned.

thanks

Howdi every one,

I'm a beginner, building my experience by experimenting one recipe at a time.  last I did is a peach brandy, and it turned bad.  Here is what I did:

1. Got 30 pounds of very ripe peach and or nectarines;  
2. wash them in a tub using tap water;
3. Pet them and remove obvious bad spots and mold;
4. put them through a food processor to crush and liquefy them;  
5. Did NOT separate cores from juice, put them in a food grade plastic container;  
6.  they were liquidy, but not juice, they were rather like a mushed fruits;  
7. Added about 3 gallons of water with about 7 pounds of white table sugar dissolved in it;  
8. added one cup of hydrated EC8111 yeast;
9. put in temp controlled environment, set at 67 F;
10. did not oxygenate, thinking that food processor must have done the job; and 
11. fermentation actually took of the next day in a steady speed.

after 10 days, I opened the bucket to check on my peach wine,  and I see bad news.  

there is a thick white and pink crust from all the nectarines, which may sound normal.  but I scooped some of it.  It smells moldy, and taste vinegary and bitter.  see a picture.

so, what wrong did I do?

is it the water added with sugar? if so, why adding juice is OK?

is it not mixing the surface of the fermentation each day?

see a picture of what I scooped.

Howdi,

On commercial scale, what are the pros and cons of keeping skin in fruit brandies, particularly apple brandy?  Why spend money to buy fruit press/ filter?

Thanks in advance

On 6/24/2019 at 10:13 AM, Southernhighlander said:

That's a really high flow rate for such a small still.  Your question is not that simple.  A lot more info is needed to give you a proper answer.  What is the temperature of the coolant leaving the condenser? What is the temp of the condensate leaving the parrot?  Please post a picture or a link to a picture of your still as well as the specs and dimensions of your condenser.

Paul,

Are there write ups/ charts on coolant in/out temp, still size, and coolant flow rate?

how do we get to know these stuff?  Can you share some articles/ studies or research about this subject?

1 hour ago, dhdunbar said:

Any grape brandy not aged in an oak container must be labeled "immature brandy."  Acceleration, even if it works, is not an acceptable alternative under TTB's rules.  Note that I'm the neutral messenger here.  I don't take a position that one is better than the other;  I just say that there are legal consequences to not aging grape brandy in an oak container for two years or more.

 

5.22(d)(1) ... . Fruit brandy, derived from grapes, shall be designated as “grape brandy” or “brandy”, except that in the case of brandy (other than neutral brandy, pomace brandy, marc brandy, grappa brandy, Pisco, Pisco Perú, or Pisco Chileno) distilled from the fermented juice, mash, or wine of grapes, or the residue thereof, which has been stored in oak containers for less than 2 years, the statement of class and type shall be immediately preceded, in the same size and kind of type, by the word “immature”.

 

 

I was not asking in particular for grapes brandy. In fact I’m not planing to make any grapes brandy, I’m putting down a plan for a distillery. I’m just asking to understand the process and if these equipment are being sold out in the market. 

Hello,

I have been looking for articles or books on stainless steel accelerated maturation of rum and brandy, did not find any. Can any one recommend a book or an article?

also what are your thoughts on traditional barrels aging Vs accelerated maturation results? Is the accelerated maturation good and acceptable way to speed up productivity??

39 minutes ago, Foreshot said:

In distilling you'll find that yeast selection is a little different than beer. The differences between yeasts in distilling are more subtle than beer and some effects aren't immediately apparent. It may take a few years to know if a yeast works out or not.

The second thing is that there's a number of distilleries that only use generic bread yeast for everything. Or they only produce one type of product (e.g. "Moonshine"). You'll find that attitude is due to the moonshining culture. Use what works and is cheap. Add in the illegality and not many people nor companies shared info or catered to us. This is changing drastically, but it's still just the beginning of the change.  

That is a nail, and you hit it on the head.  Huge difference between asking a question about beer brewing/home brewing, and asking a question about distilling. 

Howdi y'all,

I'm a beginner in distilling long time beer brewer. in beer, we used to be very particular about what yeast to use.  based on the target profile, taste, and so on.  how is it in distilling for yeast choice?  do you long timers and experienced guys, do you  use different yeast for different product, like yeast for whiskey, another for rum, and another for different brandies?

I'm using bred yest so far, for rum and brandies, I'm getting not so successful. any guidance? , any good books on this subject?

1 hour ago, CountySeat said:

Depending on what kind of still you are running, there is a risk of scorching. 

It is a 26 gallons small direct fire. Are you saying the risk is scorching the remaining sugar or suspending yeast??

my main concern is, will this mostly have fussel alcohol and aldehyde because it was a sluggish fermentation?

Hi to all,

I guess the question I have, have not been discussed. granted in a commercial setting you need to attenuate your wash to get the most bang for your buck.  But for me I'm wondering what is the draw down for distilling a not completely attenuated wash?

100% cane sugar wash. OG=1.094, bread yeast, stuck at 1.036 (7.6% alcohol).   What is the disadvantage in running it as is? beside the cost Vs yield, can I get some neutral ethanol from it.   

Thanks

On 3/15/2018 at 10:51 AM, bluefish_dist said:

I don't do washes that are exclusively sugar, but do sugar based washes.   

Sugar washes do need something for buffering.  Calcium carbonate works.  You are correct that rum gets some of its buffering from the molasses.   I find with my water if I add citric and cc at equal parts by volume it will get my ph close for pitching.   This allows you to add a lot of cc for buffering if needed.  Ph will drop and even crash if you are not careful.  I pitch at 5.2-5.4 and try and hold it to low 4's when fermenting.  

I also now pitch at higher rates than recommended along with slightly higher nutrient additions.   I am above the top recommended rates for both yeast and nutrients.   I took a couple ferments from 1.01 to .997 by simply adding a little more yeast.   Other ferments needed both more yeast and nutrients.   Really depends on water and mash bill.   My vodka has some grain in it and it uses 1/2-1/3 of what I add to the higher content sugar washes.   It also finishes in 3 days   

Mixing/degassing has been reported to help, but it sounds like you are already doing that.   Personally I have found the right mixes to get full attenuation, but it was a combination of correct ph, for both pitch and fermentation, the right amount of yeast and nutrients.   

 

Hi, new to distilling, but long time home brewer.  However, I'm having hard time understanding the buffering solution here.  my third sugar wash has been fermenting for 15 days and still at 1.064 (OG=1.094).  as a brewer i used calcium chloride in my mash to drop PH and counter balance the water hardness (AKA residual alkalinity), in here I feel that it is used to maintain PH as a buffer while lemon juice is used to drop initial PH.    

can any one explain the role of Calcium Chloride, not in chemistry lesson way, but just in how to add it? just drop it in the wash? can I add it on the 15th day?

Can I ad DAP now as well will this help my situation?

Thanks

On 3/14/2019 at 7:29 AM, jbdavenport1 said:

Trying to develop your pro forma and financials for the business plan? Trying estimate traffic to tasting room, or sales numbers?

If you're stuck, perhaps I can help. 20+ years in finance and investing. Have taught finance at the graduate level. Published in finance. Have started and run multiple businesses, including our own distillery. 

Can help you from scratch or check numbers and provide guidance just where you need it.

 

Let me know how I can help.

How can I communicate with you directly?  need to know what will you charge for consultation.

On 3/19/2019 at 6:16 AM, kleclerc77 said:

In our case, the process could have made the glycol too hot to return to the chiller without damaging it. It stresses out the chilling apparatus if returning at a high temp. That's why we have a huge water reservoir that cools our process, and a glycol chiller that chills that water reservoir.

Similar to standard beer brewing, they knock the boiling wort with chilled water first, then pass it to glycol.  that should keep glycol chillers safer, but don't see how can such practice fit to any still condenser and or dephlegmator!!

Hi all,

I am new to the subject, and I am in the planing stage of starting a distillery, here in hot southern California. Tap water is hot, normally 70 to 80F, scarce, and costly to run for all cooling needs without any chilling mechanism.  my question is, why can't distillers use glycol system for all cooling needs, condenser, dephlegmator, fermentation, and mash.  Any reason?