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sailorman9

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Everything posted by sailorman9

  1. 1040 to a pallet, they are not in boxes. I am open to selling a few pallets.
  2. Selling 9 pallets of Bamboo 750. $.75/bottle I'll throw in a couple thousand capsules to sweeten the pot. Bottle Specifications.doc
  3. Does anyone know how to be exempt from bond requirements under the PATH Act?
  4. Would PTFE work for a hot vapor for a control valve on a still?
  5. 1.5 in Tri-clamp. Thanks, I'll take a look at that.
  6. I'm setting up a storage tank for 185 proof Rum. Seeking a valve that won't impart a plastic taste due to the plastic seat. I have tried Nylon and EPDM so far, Yuck! I bought a used valve that is all Stainless Steel, but it has a bit of pitting and thus it drips. Would like to find another like this, but I can't find anything like that. Anyone have ideas?
  7. Most of my distillery is used SS dairy equipment that has been modified for my purposes. This place buys cheese factories and sells the parts: http://www.ullmers-dairyequipment.com/
  8. A place near to me is: http://www.ullmers-dairyequipment.com/ I've gotten great deals on Stainless: 100 gal dual walled SS tank - $200, 200 gal SS Zero horizontal $225. Granted these tanks were not perfect and needed modification.
  9. I disagree. Get the smallest still and plan to make more runs if necessary; you can buy bigger equipment when needed. Quality and consistency is important. Throw everything else into marketing!
  10. I'm afraid to market liqueur's, even though that's what I make. I applied for labelling though Specialty Spirits. My spirits are marketed as Rum.
  11. Is there a standard in this industry of shipping to other states? I'm thinking of building into the pallet price, the cost of shipping to the outlying states to keep the cost relatively stable throughout the country. Does any one have experience with this? Are there any other factors relating to this?
  12. Is there a standard in this industry of shipping to other states? I'm thinking of building into the pallet price, the cost of shipping to the outlying states to keep the cost relatively stable throughout the country. Does any one have experience with this? Are there any other factors relating to this?
  13. First of all, I'd like to say that it's my belief that we are all in this together. Competition between us small producers should help us all; just look at the micro-brewery industry. The spirit of this forum is so we can compete against the large and established distilleries. As consumers start to ask more and more for micro products, many will ask what else is out there. That's why I strongly encourage other start-ups in Wisconsin. Competition can be a good thing. The North Woods Distillery has been in business for almost 3 years, but is likely still one of the smallest players in the state. I can tell you what doesn't work: using a website and facebook as primary marketing tools. Facebook is more about creating brand loyalty among established customers, but does little to get new customers. My problems include a bottle that is too tall, a weak brand identity, and ineffective marketing. Recent marketing has included billboards, Groupon promotions, sales meetings with the distributor, a new label and press releases. Sales and interest seems to have risen recently, but it's too early to tell what is working. I've been reluctant to expand my territory, since I really don't have my marketing act together yet. Many new changes are in the works for this year including: brand ambassadors, increased tasting room promotions and quality of tours, more sales meetings with the distributor, and a new bottle and brand for out of state sales.
  14. Try Brick Packaging http://www.brickpackaging.com/product/276/1495_Per_Case/228/31x60_MATTE_BLACK_Bar_Top__1495/
  15. Retailer's are paid to give products preferential shelf space and more of it. Who usually pays: is it the manufacturer or the distributor?
  16. I've been working on this same problem for years. Except my goal is to run the whole system via a smart phone. I use a pulse width modulator instead of a rheostat, much less wasted energy. The "valve salesmen" always think they have the system, but I believe a system like this doesn't exist. I envision a group of solenoid valves each attached to a preset needle valve. All solenoids open = full water; one solenoid = just a trickle. Email me and we can chat. Bluestar is right, you have to know your system.
  17. I've used them on POS for facebook with limited success. QR codes need to be used right, pointing to your website may not work, if the user has to search your site for the information. I now have a QR code on my POS that points to a specific page on my mobile web site. When I promote in an area, I create a google map of my accounts so I can find my way around. Then I create a QR code of the map and stick them on poles signs and otherwise deface public property in that area. I'm always experimenting with something. I find that the technology is too new to work effectively, at least in Northern Wisconsin...it seems you have to be smarter than your phone. I believe that eventually we will be using them all the time.
  18. The "Big Boys" use different label approval techniques than the "micro's". They submit hundreds of label designs for approval. There is a link on the TTB site, I can't find it right now. It shows all the label approvals, note the dates and label numbers. I've found that if you start out with 5 labels that you would be happy with and make 30 variations on each one that you will net 60 - 75 approvals (some of the approvals are sent 2 minutes apart; is that even time to open the attachment?). Don't even bother trying to fix the rejections, just use one of the approvals. This is the fastest way to an approval. Each submission takes 3.5 to 4 minutes, so just figure that it's going to take 8 - 10 hours to submit the 150 labels. I've also tried the Full appeal process as an experiment. They sat on it for 90 days and stated that they needed another 90. After the initial 180 days, they still needed more time to review. They called me and I stated that I wanted to come out to Washington and present my case to a federal judge. I had the label approval right around 270 days.
  19. I have 3 distributors that have all signed virtually the same contract. There is no buy out clause, either party can opt out of the contract with a 30 day notice. Two of them get 28% mark-up and one gets 30%. One of the one's that finally signed at 28% wanted to be able to mark-up whatever the market would bear; since I had never heard of that I refused. Other provisions have them making there own POS, running sampling programs (which none of them do), give me reports (very hard to decipher) and projections (haven't got one yet). I'm not happy with their performance and am at my wit's end on what to do about it, other than expand my territories to include the whole state of Wisconsin (get 2 or more distributors in the Southern part of the state). The two distributors that get 28% came to me seeking to carry my flavored rum. The first distributor that I had picked up my brand, I think, in an attempt to sit on the product and drive me out of business. Then they dropped me after 6 months (no contract). My second distributor (which I still with); first tried to buy me out, then encouraged me to expand and then stopped ordering; but I held in there. Then they tried to get me to sign and exclusive contract with them so they would own the distribution rights for all my current and future brands. When I said that they could have that drawn up and I would have an attorney look it over, they decided that we didn't really need a contract. That's when I had a contract drawn up with a focus on Wisconsin liquor laws. I really don't think I have the right contract; I think the distributor's are mad, but felt they had to sign for their territories so no one else could. They had recently lost Rum Chatta and felt they needed something to fill that niche. Any advise anyone could provide would be greatly appreciated.
  20. ADI self policing organization could be called ADJUST.
  21. When I correct a label, they find something else they don't like; that's a correction every week for a couple months. Why bother with corrections?
  22. Try Resumitting the label. I have found that by submitting 100+ labels for one spirit, over several days, creates the best results; this way you will have more than one agent looking at them. Also when you submit so many the agent get's frustrated and starts approving them every 2 minutes. In my view, 2 minutes is not enough time to even review the label. It takes me about 4 minutes to electronically submit a label. I use a spread sheet to track submissions and which label variation that they correspond to. Submit some labels that you know will pass, so you can get the product to market if you are forced to start the long appeal process. Submit the rest of the labels in variations of the way you want to get passed. I'm creating a line of flavored Rum that are less than 80 proof. I'm getting label approvals like the big companies are getting: No statement of composition, Rum on the label, same flavor name in SOC as on the fanciful name (although I'm not listing the word Rum as part of the faniciful name in box 7). The TTB will argue that the law protects the consumer, so they know what they are getting (it should not be miss leading). However, the TTB has approved so many labels the wrong way that if one follows the law, as written, it will miss lead the consumer. Spend a half of a day making variations on your label; create at least 50 variations and submit each one twice. Submit the first 50 first then the copies. Create accurate records using a spreadsheet: Date, your company submision ID, Label file name, TTB Number (fill in that column as you go) and approval status (to be filled in as applications are approved, corrections, and rejections). It's also effective to apply for labels on 2 or more different spirits over this several day submission process. You will get an email for every label submitted and every time it changes status. Creating a new email folder to handle these is helpful. Don't take my word for it: do a search of label approvals in your class. By reviewing the approvals, you will get an idea on the shear numbers of labels that the big companies submit. This must be why many companies hire lawyers to get labels approved. Good luck!
  23. Through expirimentation I learned that a temperature of 20 F is too cold. I ran a dark rum (aged on heavily toasted oak for 1 week) through the carbon. At first it cleaned it up and taking out all the dark color (the exothermic reaction produced enough heat to let the carbon do its work). When the heat had disipated and the spirit ran through at the room's temperature of 20 degrees F, the spirit exited the filter with the dark color.
  24. If anyone is interested I found the answer...the answer is that it is a Specialty Spirit. "Rum with _____ Flavoring"
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