Organic Certification Requirements

[Berglund]

Hi all,

I'm just starting up and intend to certify my spirits as organic. I'm wondering if any of you have experience with this process and are willing to discuss what it takes to become certified organic (feel free to give your input in this forum as well). Specifically, I have questions about:

1. What do you use to clean equipment?
2. What's acceptable to use to increase or decrease mash pH?
3. To label as "organic", you need 95% of the ingredients, by weight or volume, to be organic. I'm assuming that when making gin, the botanicals would not need to be organic if the raw grain used to make the base spirit is organic. Is that a correct assumption?

I will appreciate any information you all can offer.

Thanks!

[dhdunbar]

Check out - https://ttb.gov/faqs/alcohol_faqs.shtml#oa.  You may have done so since you cite the 95% rule, but if you haven't, read through the information that TTB includes there.

Note that the Department of Agriculture is the agency to whom you must turn for answers.  

§ 5.71   Use of the term “organic.”

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(a) Use of the term “organic” is optional and is treated as “additional information on labels” under §5.33(f).

(b) Any use of the term “organic” on a distilled spirits label or in advertising of distilled spirits must comply with the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) National Organic Program rules, 7 CFR part 205, as interpreted by the USDA.

(c) This section applies to labels and advertising that use the term “organic” on and after October 21, 2002.

That is not much help, but it is the best I can do.  Beyond that, I know nothing.  

[admiralty]

Might check with Bainbridge Island :  http://www.bainbridgedistillers.com/

 

Keith is a good guy and may help get you on the path.