ny_spirits

Wondering how other distilleries are measuring the volume of tanks, barrels, etc. that contain bulk spirits, and with what degree of accuracy? Once the spirits are bottled, of course, volume is easy, but the difficulty for us comes after distillation but before bottling. We are trying to improve our record-keeping accuracy and would appreciate any tips. Thanks!

Update on the XPressfill - we had a very nice email from the current owners of the company explaining that they purchased the company a couple of years ago and completely redesigned the filler to work accurately. We are going to try out the new version and will certainly post our experience here, which I assume will be as positive as that of other users of the redesigned filler. In the meantime, I wanted to post this update to clarify that the model we had been using was NOT made by the current owners and is likely NOT representative of the current product line.

Based on recommendations here (thanks esp. to Marc and to Kent and Don from Dry Fly), we ordered the Enolmaster from St. Pats. Can't wait to see how it works! Marc, just wondering - do you use the filter attachment with the Enolmaster? Thanks again to all. This forum is a wonderful resource.

I know this has been discussed before, but I wanted to bring it up again - I hope no one minds. We are using the XPressfill 6-head filler, which as most of you know is terribly inaccurate. As a recall, some folks on these forums have had better luck with the Enolmaster, and I also was looking at a filler from Prospero (they advertise in the Distillers Directory). I wanted to check back in to see if anyone has any further comments on these, or any other, bottle fillers. We are desperate to get something affordable, accurate, easy to maintain and easy to use. We also need to be able to adjust fill for different bottles (375ml, 500ml and 750ml), and perhaps someday do 50ml bottles. Thanks very much!

When we ship fedex, we use Spirited Shipper packaging, which has the benefit of being pre-approved by fedex. However, it is not great for bottles that are not standard wine bottles, and it is expensive. So I am looking for alternatives. We mainly are shipping saverglass bottles - Neos 750ml and 375ml and Belissima 375ml. Any ideas regarding packaging alternatives would be greatly appreciated. I would even be willing to have something custom made, but I am not even sure where to go to get custom packing made. Thanks! Sarah Harvest Spirits

We would definitely be interested in a buyers co-op. We use Saverglass - mainly the Neos, which seems to be very popular! Sarah Crowell Harvest Spirits 3074 US Route 9 Valatie, NY 12184 518 261 1625 cell: 518 755-3137 email: srcrowell@gmail.com www.harvestspirits.com

I am wondering how other craft distilleries divide up the work. Would some of you be willing to share comments on either your personal situation or your thoughts on how things *should* be done (or both!)? I'd be particularly interested in what roles and responsibilities are taken on by distillery owner(s)and which are filled by employees. Also, in situations where there is more than one owner or partner, how are the responsibilities divided between partners? I know there is not one right answer and much is dependent on individual skills, but I think it would be really interesting to hear from a few of you as to what works for you (or what you think would work). Thanks!

The following is a press release announcing the formation of the New York Craft Distillers Guild. Stay tuned for more information! New York craft distillers met at the offices of the NEW YORK FARM BUREAU on April 21st to organize and launch the NEW YORK CRAFT DISTILLERS GUILD. The first Guild meeting was organized by the Hudson Valley Agri-Business Development Corporation. The location of the meeting at the offices of the NY FARM BUREAU is no accident. "We want to make the firm statement that spirits production in New York is an agricultural undertaking," says Todd Erling, Executive Director of HVADC, "distillers use agricultural products, and craft distilleries have the potential to create new markets for New York grown fruits and grain while also creating a new tax source for the State." New York has a long tradition of spirits production, dating back to colonial times. Prohibition killed off the distilled spirits industry in New York and it only recently returned. Changes in the State's Alcohol Beverage Control Law have made it possible in recent years for small distillers to develop and flourish. With twelve licensed craft distillers, New York now has the highest concentration of distilleries of any state east of the Mississippi. The twelve distilleries are: Castle Spirits (Monroe), Delaware Phoenix Distillery (Walton), Finger Lakes Distilling (Elmira), Harvest Spirits (Valatie), Hidden Marsh Distillery (Seneca Falls), Knapp Vineyards (Romulus), Lake Placid Spirits (Lake Placid), Long Island Spirits (Baiting Hollow), Spirits by Battistella (Ithaca), Swedish Hill Winery (Romulus), Tuthilltown Spirits (Gardiner), and Warwick Valley Winery and Distillery (Warwick). These distilleries produce a wide range of high quality hand-crafted spirits, ranging from fruit brandies to vodka to rum to bourbon. The number of distillers in New York is expected to double over the next five years, creating significant economic value for the state. According to Ralph Erenzo, owner of Tuthilltown Spirits in Gardiner, "A small distillery operating at the limit of production allowed by their license can generate up to $1 million in annual Excise and Sales Taxes to the State; not including the multiplier effect." In addition, craft distilleries hire locally, buy local raw materials, and draw tourism dollars to New York. The newly-formed New York Craft Distillers Guild will focus on advocating for regulations that are responsive to the needs of craft distilleries and on branding and promoting New York-made spirits.

The New York Distillers Guild organizational meeting is confirmed and will be held on April 21st from 10am to 2pm at the New York Farm Bureau office - 159 Wolf Road, Albany, NY 12205. To rsvp, for more information, or to suggest agenda items, please email or call: Sarah Stern Crowell, AICP Project Manager Hudson Valley AgriBusiness Development Corporation 4303 US Route 9 Hudson, New York 12534 scrowell@hvadc.org 518-828-4718 518-828-0901 fax

Finally got an answer on the heads and other garbage alcohol - I was told the ttb doesn't care how it is destroyed (methods I mentioned were burning it off, using it in farm tractors, and using it to clean) - just keep records and send a letter on our letterhead with the monthly reports indicating how much was destroyed and the method used. Regarding tails - I've been moving them to our storage account, but keeping them in processing and reporting them as unfinished spirits sure makes more sense.

Still working on it - but I will post here when I figure it all out...

Update: We just shipped out 2 cases - at ljust under $20 a case it isn't cheap but it sure beats driving 2.5 hours into NYC! Packaging was a pain, but a friend who ships wine (he owns a liquor store) just introduced me to a great product that is fedex approved for shipping wine and spirits - we'll try it next time - www.spiritedshipper.com.

George, Have you tried ebay? Last year we bought 55lbs for about $50 plus $30 shipping. The quality is good. The seller ("thirdmillenium" is his user name) is still active on ebay but has since doubled his price. Still, at $110 for 55 lbs, its sill much less that $800 for 40lbs. But I don't know how the price compares with Coop's supplier. Hope that helps a little!

One last question for Coop (and anyone else who has shipped via fedex) - how do you package? I need to ship a case of vodka - we have custom wine boxes with dividers, and I was simply going to wrap the bottles in newspaper - does that sound sufficient? How do you package for shipping? Thanks!

We are considering purchasing a stripping still to save distillation time. Our current still is 400 liters, and works well for 2nd and 3rd distillations but is not terribly efficient for the initial distillation of fermented product (at about 10% ABV). Our only concern is whether it will change the quality of the finished product. Its hard to imagine it would, but then again, it would be an expensive mistake to make... Any thoughts?

Coop - Do you ship to liquor stores and bars, or just retail?

Could you share the brewer's log to give us somethign to start with?

All good advice. I'd just like to add that it would be a good idea to hire someone to design your label who is familiar with ttb rules - they are quite specific in terms of minimum font size, content, etc.

Now that I have determined it is legal to ship distillled spirits via Fed Ex to other licensees, we are considering doing some distribution using FedEx. Has anyone else done this? If so, who pays shipping - do we pay, or do we pass the cost along to the liquor store/restaurant? Thoughts, anyone? Thanks much!

Update: I am still trying to get my money back, and have reported them to the better business bureau, the internet crime complaint center, and paypal. Unfortunately, I paypal gives you only 45 days to report a problem with a seller and A&J strung me along for a couple of months. ADI should certainly remove this company from the resource list.

We have just added a new product, and for the first time we are using applied labels instead of printed bottles. I am already dreading the label application, and was wondering how others apply labels - by hand or using a labeler? It appears we can get a table-top labeler for about $1500-$2000 - would it be a worthwhile investment? And if so, are there particular brands that are better than others? I did see a used Green Machine available for under $1000.... Thanks!

We are also looking for gift packaging - I'd love to know what suppliers do custom gift boxes at a reasonable price. (If there are any) Thanks!

We are located on an apple orchard and make our vodka from apples. We love the results and wouldn't do it differently, but it is much more expensive than starting with NGS. If you are looking into fruit spirits, you may want to consider brandy, which takes fewer distillations than vodka (thus less energy use).

I am just curious - of those with working distilleries, how many have been able to quit their day jobs? We are still all working other jobs - a challenge, to say the least!