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OzDistilling

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  1. Well here is my 20c worth :-) A column is only needed when you want to rectify the spirit. Some Gin distiller insist a column is essential most do not. A column can strip out some of the botanicals. Assuming you are using a good NGS as input, then a basic pot still with a Gin Head will work. A lot of Gin Distillers get very complicated with still configuration and design, claiming it is essential to their formulation. They key is experimentation. Produce what you can sell. Its that simple. Very small batches will give you consistency problems. But you dont want your entire working capital tied up in un-sold stock. In small startups, I find the still budget therefore size answers this question. This is down to personal taste and what you desire in the end. Some botanicals respond well to spirit maceration well before distillation, others do not. The general rule of thumb with gin is a gin head in the vapour path yields better results. Experiment, you will probably need both methods to produce your final design. eBay When you say Asia, can you be more specific? Its a big place. The alcohol laws in Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Thailand are utterly draconian for a distiller, but improving. This example is a common trend in Gin production where they are distilling all the botanicals separately and blending the individual spirits afterwards. Its a popular trend outside of Europe as the ROW often struggles to get batch after batch consistent quality with botanicals purchased. One order the junipers are plump, un-ripe, and carrying way too much moisture, the next are dry, dusty mouldy old bullets. in Asia, Thailand is one of the biggest suppliers of quality glass. Note when I say quality. Most of the glass from India and China I have found to be of very unpredictable quality. France is still the king of high end glass (SaverGlass) and Italy (BruniGroup) a close second. Glass always becomes an issue of the practical minimum buy, versus the cost of shipping. Remember a pallet contains about 600-800 bottles, so 1 pallett is often a good starting place. For a vintage reproduction check SaverGlass and Bruni. A custom mold, and minimum run costs can cripple a start-up. Look to a catalogue design, think outside the square with regard to ink, coatings, labels to give the effect you desire. The cheapest place I am finding for custom glass and molds at present in Eastern Europe (Romania, Poland, Czech Rep) In my opinion 90% of start-up distilleries fail because they fail to establish a distribution model. Great product, good back story, funky design and bottle, no customers. The second aspect I see is crap product. If it aint a great product, no amount of customers will buy it (well a second time LOL). Growing your own botanicals could be a great back story, as long as you don't become a farmer above being a distiller.
  2. I think your question comes from if you can use a Hydrometer to accurately determine alc/vol, if solids are present. Generally I feel not. 400mg of solids per 100ml of sample is not a lot of solids. I always, always distill every sample prior to hydrometry to be sure its 100% accurate. I have two small 1L glass stills setup in the lab for this purpose only. After a series of distillation and hydro tests, you will see a trend to develop when you can 'estimate' the alc/vol, before distillation, for a given recipe.
  3. Hi All, I am an Australian Distillery and Beverage Alcohol Consultant, with over 20 years in the Beverage Alcohol Industry, spanning every conceivable spirit across Europe, UK, Africa and SEA. I am a Professional Chemical Engineer, and Master Distiller, I lead the Consulting and Design Practise for OzDistilling. I have particular interest in Distillery Automation and Process Automation. OzDistilling (www.ozdistilling.com.au) are Australasia's leading beverage alcohol, spirits and distillation consultancy, spanning 20 years and dozens of projects throughout Asia Pacific. They provide a complete grain to bottle service, from product concept and prototyping through distillery design, production management and product distribution and marketing. They design and formulate products for some of the leading boutique and artisan distilleries in the region. Projects range from sub 1000 bottles to over 100,000 bottles per month.
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