Jump to content

winchester

Members
  • Posts

    11
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Profile Information

  • Gender
    Male
  • Location
    Victoria, BC Canada

winchester's Achievements

Contributor

Contributor (2/3)

0

Reputation

  1. Agree with smoogdog that EC 1118 is a good rum yeast, fairly neutral, suitable for clean, white rums. I also like it as a "first" yeast for a new recipe as it tends not to interfere if that makes sense.
  2. Welcome Rosie, Please keep us posted on your compliance adventures. Whether California or Michigan or New York or here in British Columbia, we all have our cast of officialdom characters to deal with.
  3. Welcome, Alex. It was a trip to Ireland many years ago that introduced me to the pleasures of whiskey, and turned me from a winemaker into a distiller. Slainte! Ken
  4. Welcome from a Brooklyn boy who now finds himself distilling in Victoria, British Columbia!
  5. Pair brandy with strong flavors... bittersweet chocolate is good. Many chefs suggest salty foods like strong cheeses or scallops. Don't combine too many flavors or it will be a hodgepodge. The Empress Hotel here in Victoria created a beautiful house-made gravlax with my gin, but brandy would be too strong...
  6. Bottles are a pain... I've been sourcing wine & spirit bottles for many years and it never gets easier. My favorite spirit bottles are Saver (French) and Bruni (Italian). They get pricier every year and the suppliers don't really like to deal with anything smaller than a full container. Chinese bottles are promising but I've found quality control to be an issue. Although printed (silkscreened) bottles are tempting, for a small producer I'd recommend buying stock flint bottles from someone like Richards Packaging or Demptos and doing a really great paper label (laminated). These can be clear to imitate silkscreen. Don't get me started on corks... Cheers, Ken
  7. Hi Jill, Two options... you could check out Benchmate labelers, made in Australia. They certainly work well for tapered labels; it's the square part that's troublesome. http://www.cellartek.com/BottlingPack-GreatEng.htm The other way to go would be to have the bottle screened (printed) rather than applied separately. This is often done for spirits (Grey Goose, Van Gogh, etc). It's more expensive than a paper label but you also save bottling time. Ken
  8. If you don't already have a Washington Craft Distillers Association, you should rally the troops and create one. In my experience government doesn't want to speak to individuals but rather industry groups. Washington State has already made some good progress, and a healthy relationship between industry & government will further your aims. Good luck, Ken
  9. Blackjack, If you have 3-phase power, go with electric. If you go with gas you could get propane rather than natural gas. The spirit doesn’t care. My personal favorite is direct-fired—ie wood—as with most of the small stills in Europe. But it’s not for everyone. Wood is free here in BC, so I’ve never paid a cent for power, but it requires a bit more fussing, just like a wood stove vs. electric heat. I’d also recommend you look at one larger still, say 200 litres or larger, rather than two small stills. The stills you mention—100 litres and 50 litres—are pretty small. Good luck and happy distilling…
  10. Do you need Distilling help? My wines & spirits have been singled out by the New York Times, served at the James Beard Awards in New York, and described as "complex, elegant and cellar-worthy" by Wine Spectator. I'm an award-winning artisan distiller on Vancouver Island, and creator of Victoria Gin, called "the best in North America." I'm looking for new opportunities, especially in the Pacific Northwest or California. Have studied at UC Davis, Michigan State, and Bruichladdich in Scotland. Familiar with all aspects of distilling from ingredients to bottle. Contact Ken Winchester: winchester.ken@gmail.com, 250-686-3997.
  11. Hello all, I've recently left Winchester Cellars and Victoria Gin to pursue other distilling opportunities. If you're in need of distilling help, please contact me. Also see my posting under Jobs. Cheers, Ken Winchester winchester.ken@gmail.com
×
×
  • Create New...