fldme Posted February 23, 2014 Share Posted February 23, 2014 How many of you out there would be willing to pay a reasonable fee to a consultant that could make sure you start off on the right foot, or, if you have started and are finding fermentation etc is not going as expected? I imagine many would. But money is tough. What if a consultant was willing to work with you on price, offered payments etc, so that you could see the benefits before you paid the consultant in full. Giving you a degree of protection. And priced way better then most consultants out there. There is a lot of misinformation out there costing people a ton of money. I am posting this to test the waters, to gauge the interest level if you will. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shindig Posted February 23, 2014 Share Posted February 23, 2014 Sounds good to me! The one thing that is real hard is to learn at a reasonable cost. Some classes are more than $1,000 a day!! wow :0 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salishseaorganicliqueurs Posted February 23, 2014 Share Posted February 23, 2014 We've engaged two separate consultants in our start up process and they have been invaluable. A master distiller with 30+ years in the distilling and wine industry and an ex-TTB compliance officer. Both have earned what we've paid them ten times over. We would probably still be floundering without them. I also attended the SIPS craft distilling course put on by Rusty Figgins at Batch 206 in Seattle. It was around $1500 for the whole class and was another invaluable resource and I got to meet other people from all over the country who were also starting distilleries. There was even someone who was going to travel from as far away as France to come take the course but couldn't make it. http://www.sipsclass.org/default.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fldme Posted February 23, 2014 Author Share Posted February 23, 2014 Yea, lost of places are making a killing off of classes etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimeandTask Posted February 23, 2014 Share Posted February 23, 2014 There are a lot of great craft distillery focused consultants out there with wide ranges of prices and experiences. Each of us have our specialties. Sherman nailed it on the head with this post: http://adiforums.com/index.php?showtopic=4683 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1A Distilling Posted February 26, 2014 Share Posted February 26, 2014 Consultants can go any direction that you allow them to go unless they have to be in complete control. That is not my Distillery Consulting company. Some have set project costs, some will be very flexible and others are willing to work on specific details for you distillery. It really comes down to, how much information are you wanting to get out of a consultant. Prices do vary a great deal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dehner Distillery Posted March 2, 2014 Share Posted March 2, 2014 1A Distilling: I totally agree about everything. That is why I also do consulting work. I total love to help people out. But your right, when people come in an take up 10-20 hours a week at the distillery it starts to add up. I would think every distillery will get there fair share of people asking questions, so be prepared new distillerys. Especially with the increase growth rate and the Distillery market. Take care! www.redbootstills.com joe dehner Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corson Distilling Posted March 3, 2014 Share Posted March 3, 2014 I agree that for some distilleries, with sufficient budgets, consultants are worth it. But, these forums have been the best consultant I could have had in this process. 99% of the info you need can be found here, or on the TTB website. Best of luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Natrat Posted March 3, 2014 Share Posted March 3, 2014 With all due respect, Tory...99% of the info is NOT here. At best, there's 40%. To be sure a VERY IMPORTANT 40%, but after all my time in this (and the beer) industry I still learn something new and valuable every day. I figure I've learned about 30% of what there is to know...and I'm being generous. There is a great deal of specialized information that we consultants can bring to the table that can save a lot of money for a new distiller, or even the old hand...when something new is being developed. I think you'll find very few people who have used consultant services to be disappointed in what they receive for the money, and most consider it a good investment. It's a bit like having a competent luthier set up your guitar that you made...it will play THAT much better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1A Distilling Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 Natrat, nailed it again. 30% tops from this website. Don't get me wrong, there is some great information on here but thing being typed is much different than what happens in real life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Craft Distillery Resources Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 I could not agree more with what has been said above. There is so much misinformation out there, that a person, who does not know Distilling will find themselves with a million dollar mess on there hands. I have seen people dump mash after I got there and saw the shape the place was in, and there processes. And not all consultants are equal, I do this part time, I want to see people succeed. And they can't if I am raking them over the coals to get them straight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corson Distilling Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 Great points. The forums are a good jumping off point for finding other sources of info, and for meeting members of the distilling community, who are an amazing source of help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackheart Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 My 2 cents worth: knowing what I know now, had I re-prioritized a small portion of my start up capital to hire one or two consultants that I've come to know well, I think I would be in a better position with my endeavor than I am today. As for the caveat emptor of hiring consultants, any in-production distillery can suggest a few reliable and proven candidates. We certainly have our favorites. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
distillingcraft Posted July 6, 2018 Share Posted July 6, 2018 We just recently branched out and started a consultancy agency for craft distillers. We're pretty competitively priced but realize that there are still people (particularly startups) that'll get a little sticker shock. But we have our podcast, Distilling Craft, and are coming out with some more free resources for people wanting to start a distillery. Is anyone willing to offer some feedback when we get these free resources up? We are trying to keep the startup and newbie in mind and if anyone's been through that phase recently, we'd love your feedback. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluestar Posted July 6, 2018 Share Posted July 6, 2018 I do consulting also, with a sliding hourly rate, depending on size of facility. But I also consult as a scientist in other high-tech areas, and my rates for that are double or more. I try to be liberal with my knowledge on the forums, but often people's questions require the dedicated time and attention that they will need from a consultant. There are many good ones that post or lurk in the forums here. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Still_Holler Posted July 12, 2018 Share Posted July 12, 2018 Any recommendations for good consultant regarding compliance with TTB forms and regulations for a small distillery with limited budget? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silk City Distillers Posted July 12, 2018 Share Posted July 12, 2018 David Dunbar 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimeandTask Posted July 12, 2018 Share Posted July 12, 2018 Have you considered using a system like Whiskey Systems to do your TTB Reports and compliance as an alternative to hiring a consultant? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
indyspirits Posted July 12, 2018 Share Posted July 12, 2018 I worked with Dave pre DSP approval -- great resource. But post approval for periodic reporting Whiskey Systems makes my life so much simpler. Now only if they'd document and expose an API... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaguiler Posted July 16, 2018 Share Posted July 16, 2018 Does anyone have contact info for Mr. Dunbar that they can PM me ? I tried his email last week and did not hear back. I realize it is summer and many are on vacation, but I would like to reach out to him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaguiler Posted July 16, 2018 Share Posted July 16, 2018 Thanks everyone - Dave reached out to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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