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MAQ 120 gallons


Waly

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1 minute ago, Waly said:

Hi 

The fermenters counts for a MAQ ( 120 gallons for my building) I havec4 fermenters of 52 gallons and two 26 gallons stills. The code official says I have 260 gallons. Someone can let me know about this. 

 

The 260 gallons sounds like for alcohol over 20% ABV in storage in a F-1 (industrial) space with sprinklers and a single fire hazard zone. Your fermenters should never enter into that 260 gallons, because they should never hold anything higher than 15% ABV or so. Your stills, are part of you open system production, and usually also don't count unless you choose to use them for storage of higher proof spirit. The 260 gallons will be referring to all of the vessels that will contain distilled spirit.

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Bluestar

My architect show is F-1 but the building code says is H-3 designation becausehe is confuse. Do you know if I can have the fermenters in the distillation room. I going to make rum only. Code asking for 2 hour rated assembly wall. 

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I believe that your AHJ is incorrect.  There is no MAQ if the ABV is less than 16%.  You will be classified as H-3 is you exceed 120 gallon of Ethanol that is in excess of 16% ABV.  What ABV are you achieving in your fermenters?

 

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33 minutes ago, Thatch said:

I believe that your AHJ is incorrect.  There is no MAQ if the ABV is less than 16%.  You will be classified as H-3 is you exceed 120 gallon of Ethanol that is in excess of 16% ABV.  What ABV are you achieving in your fermenters?

 

The ABV in the fermenters is going to be between 12% and 14% no more than that. 

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25 minutes ago, Waly said:

The ABV in the fermenters is going to be between 12% and 14% no more than that. 

Okay, than you should find a way to tell your AHJ very nicely that he might be incorrect.  In your situation the 16% is the main point that you need to have him understand.  Not being familiar with distilling he might think that your fermenters are full of high proof ethanol.  Keep in mind that he is the boss.  If he does not want to research this himself, you will likely need a written opinion for a consultant such as Scott Moore of Dalkita.  You will likely have to pay for his written opinion.  This is a link to the section of the Dalkita website that discusses MAQ.

https://www.dalkita.com/maqs-maximum-allowable-quantities/

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29 minutes ago, Foreshot said:

Does storage in a stainless steel container count against the MAQ? I know wood barrels are sometime one or the other, but the explanation on the Dalika page make it sound like any storage, despite the type of container, work towards the MAQ.

Yes, stainless, wooden barrels, tanks, poly totes, it all counts as long as the percentage is 16% or higher.  The only thing that does not count is spirits in bottles not exceeding 1.3 gallons so long as those spirits do not exceed 100 proof.  By the building code there is no "one or the other", the code is clear.  What your AHJ allows you to do is what is unclear.  

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On 2/3/2020 at 7:28 PM, Thatch said:

Okay, than you should find a way to tell your AHJ very nicely that he might be incorrect.  In your situation the 16% is the main point that you need to have him understand.  Not being familiar with distilling he might think that your fermenters are full of high proof ethanol.  Keep in mind that he is the boss.  If he does not want to research this himself, you will likely need a written opinion for a consultant such as Scott Moore of Dalkita.  You will likely have to pay for his written opinion.  This is a link to the section of the Dalkita website that discusses MAQ.

https://www.dalkita.com/maqs-maximum-allowable-quantities/

Thank you for the information 

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