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Cutty

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  1. A proper Lab still setup should have a thermometer that measures the still head temp. Once your still head hits 100oC you have distilled all of the alcohol out of the pot. You surging problem can also be fixed by adding boiling stones to the pot. A glass still has no surfaces to nucleate vapor bubbles, so your pot super heats and then flashes into vapor that you see as a surge, the flash cools the pot down which you observe as suck-back, you just need to add something with a rough surface so vapor bubbles can easily form. You can buy proper boiling stones online, or just use some pebbles or small bits of ceramic. PS. An electric heating setup is much easier and safer to operate.
  2. Hi, Does anyone have a couple extra pallets of the Bruni Aspect Bottle they would be willing to sell? I am looking for 1-2 pallets asap. Please feel free to message me. Thanks!
  3. Brad, You are dehydrating the sugar by cooking all of the water out, you'll need to add water to the pot first then distill to ~100oC to collect all of the alcohol. Add enough water to get back to exactly the amount of liqueur you put in your still (i.e. add 750.0ml of product, then dilute your distillate to 750.0ml), and then determine the proof. You can dilute to another volume, but you will need to back calculate how much alcohol came from your original sample. Hope that helps. -Ian
  4. Licensing costs for manufacturing are immaterial compared to the other costs associated with starting in California. You can safely budget around $1k for the actual ABC permit in California, and as mentioned the Fed license dose not have a fee.
  5. I believe the sour mashing benefit you are refering to is the addition of sour mash to the subsequent bactch. Not necessarily a soured mash. The difference being sour mash uses previously fermented wash/mash that has a lower pH due to the production of CO2 and acids, by the yeast during fermentation, and possibly from lactic acid formation due to lactobacillis (if present). The benefit of adding sour mash is that it quickly reduces the pH of the mash, inhibiting the growth of many (not all) bacterial strains, while at the same time making the mash more suitable for yeast growth. This, combined with rapid cooling of the mash, and oxygentation, allows the yeast to out compete the bacteria that lead to a soured mash. The soured mash mentioned in this thread sounds a lot more like bacterial infection than the desired pH reduction of fermentation. I second Sherman's recommendations, try pitching the yeast with a more sanitary mash, by sterilizing the mash after malt introduction, or use enzymes in place of malt.
  6. Thanks! A TTB agent told me there were no requirements for corrugated packaging outside of 27CFR 5.41, which I believe is a section relating to individual bottle packaging (decorated boxes) not corrugated cases. Thanks again for directing me to the appropriate section!
  7. From a safety standpoint 75-80% is a little better than 95% (flash point = 17oC @90% increased to ~20-21oC @ 75-80%), and you get some benefit from vapor pressure reduction (~20% lower, ~56torr @ 95% to ~45torr @ 75-80%), but your flash point is still below ambient temperature (assuming 25oC) until you get the EtOH concentrations below about 50% (24oC @ 50%, Vap.Pressure ~ 36torr). Hope this helps.
  8. I have seen some producers list their DSP number on their corrugated cases. Is this necessary? I do not see any requirements for this under 27 CFR sec. 5.41. If this is not a requirement why do some porducers chose to list their DSP number, what are the pros/cons of this?
  9. Filed my Fed permit on Aug 28th, 2012 approved Dec 26th, 2012 took close to 4 months, nearly 2 months before they even looked at my application, and this is with me calling/emailing about 1-2 per week (politely checking on the progress). Only one correction was needed in the whole process, the Insurance broker missed a signature on my Bond, I had it corrected and back to the TTB within 3 days. The Feds are really swamped. I wouldn't expect quick turnarounds right now.
  10. You can use a SS tube (say 2-4") with sanitary fittings welded to the ends, get some sanitary caps and weld on swagelok fittings (straights, 90's, or a tee if you want to monitor pressure) to the caps, get an appropriate screen mesh for the carbon particle size you are using, and use a pump to move the vodka through the carbon bed. The pump allows you to play with your residence time (time vodka is in contact with the filtration media) and pressure. I bought everything from McMaster for far cheaper than buying a pro system.
  11. Doesn't section 23363.1 of the CABCA mean that tastings are allowed to be conducted on the DSP premises? 23363.1. Distilled spirits manufacturers, product tastings. (a) A distilled spirits manufacturer’s license authorizes the licensee to conduct tastings of distilled spirits produced or bottled by, or produced or bottled for, the licensee, on or off the licensee’s premises. Distilled spirits tastings may be conducted by the licensee off the licensee’s premises only for an event sponsored by a nonprofit organization and only if persons attending the event are affiliated with the sponsor. No distilled spirits shall be sold or solicited for sale in that portion of the premises where the distilled spirits tasting is being conducted. Notwithstanding Section 25600, the licensee may provide distilled spirits without charge for any tastings conducted pursuant to this section.
  12. PeteB, My 2cents. I would not use a UV sterilizer for this application. The high intensity UV light is an effective sanitizer because many organic compounds have strong absorptions in the UV spectrum. The absorption of UV light causes some of the bonds in these compounds to stretch and become susceptible to decomposition or reaction. When it comes to bacteria in your water supply this is very useful because it disrupts and decomposes many of the organic molecules the bacteria are composed of, this is the same reason too much UV exposure from the sun, or tanning beds, damages skin and DNA. If you use a UV light on your wort (i.e. organic soup) you would likely decompose some of the chemicals in the wort reducing their concentration, in addition free radicals can be formed from the decompositions, which can then react with other chemicals in the wort creating off flavors. All this said the UV degradation effect, I just described, may be minimal and imperceptible to the final spirit, but I would consider it a potential problem to be aware of. Seems to me a better approach would be to modify the temperature of your runoff by sending it to a heated, or chilled, storage tank (e.g. jacketed fermentor) until the runoff is finished and then adjust to the proper pitching temperature. Cheers, Ian
  13. Rum, I second Mr Morgan's opinion. Sodium Hydroxide "Caustic" is a very dangerous chemical, especially for the eyes. I am the safety director for a research company and we have had to rush an individual to the ER for a single drop of diluted caustic in the eye. He was in extreme pain for a few hours but luckily he retained his sight. This is a chemical that should be handed with care at room temperature let alone hot. That being said it is a very effective organic cleaner. Read an MSDS for Sodium Hydroxide carefully and be sure to wear good safety glasses when working with it. Good Luck, Ian
  14. Bbiehl, Your production level is very subjective and should be based on an evaluation of your anticipated market, and how much product you believe you can sell within that market. Once you have established that you can size your equipment appropriately. Best of Luck, Ian
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