Rickdiculous

I hate to burst your bubble Jamesbednar, but borosilicate glass lab stills of sizes greater than that, have been around for a long time. I still think it will be cool to see the final design in production, but Corning beat you to first. I saw one first hand at a company in Michigan who's column was at least 16 feet of glass. They weren't involved in making spirits but distillation was a big part of their manufacturing.

"DISCUS members (including the two companies you mention) will support this because of that fact." Just Curious Guy, do you know of any that do support this outside of the craft distillers now in DISCUS? Because I would wonder why they would want to help out the competition who see $1,000,000 as a huge number, when the big guys see that as chump change. They probably spill a Million bucks in whiskey on the floor every year. They merely need to produce 100-200 barrels extra to create that number and they do that every hour. As Craft distillers are eating up market share, that is far more significant than any tax savings they will realize. If the impending whiskey shortage is truly coming, they may have an incentive to help us out, but I don't see the up side to this for them, financial or philosophical. So when you say "Will Support" is that opinion or do you know they are supporting it?

If you stencil is metal, I would suggest a 1/8 metal water jet cut stencil if it isn't and burn the mark on with a propane torch. Looks pretty classy like the big boys.

If you have any issue with people using the same bottle being mistaken for each other, go spend ten minutes in a your local liquor store. The bulk of Craft distillers are using basically the same bottle. The two most used are the bottle used by Templeton Rye and dozens of other brands. The other one is the tall straight bottle with a long neck. In the end the label will do the talking for you. Don't get me wrong, I wish I had the money to make a bottle like Dry Fly or Pritchard's, but I don't have that kind of capital at start up. I am investing my time and a much smaller some in well designed labels (I'm going with screened bottles from Universal Packaging). When I reach a level of success then a custom bottle will be in my future. Hell Few Spirits has some of the best looking labels around in my opinion and they use a stock O-I bottle. Does the label make that ordinary bottle stand out on the shelf? You be the judge. Go with your gut, go with a bottle you like, be original in your design, and best of luck. P.S. How many custom beer bottles do you see? There are almost ten times as many of those guys as there are craft distillers.

You do not need a still to obtain a DSP. You can apply as a warehouseman and processor and store and bottle and sell etc. Then upgrade your DSP to a distiller in the future when you are ready to distill or can afford the gear for the actual operation. However, buying the 5 gallon gets it done in one shot. 27 CFR 19.72 (a) Establishment. A person who wishes to establish a distilled spirits plant must intend to conduct operations as a distiller, as a warehouseman, or both. A person cannot establish a distilled spirts plant solely for the processing of spirits.

Just curious if any of you have used a consulting firm such as Jim McCoy's outfit or Robert Lehrman PLLC? If so can you message me. I am looking to find out the general cost of what they did for you and how well you think it went? Thanks, Rick

Try these guys. http://www.barrelbroker.com They mostly do wine barrels, but I believe they buy up a truckload of bourbon barrels every once in awhile. They are also good for barrel racks. Rick

The big question is what is your Starch Content? You can use any Corn and it will usually have about 75% starch. The different varieties of corn will give you different flavor profiles, but within the ballpark of common corn spirits. No 2 dent is the most common and often the cheapest. That said any free grain which is a loss to something else is as good as it gets money wise. If you are looking to sell it to a distiller you will have to give them a competitive price, but that seems likely as this is a secondary use. People are using all kinds of Corn from Blue to Popcorn so it is feasible.

I am beginning to negotiate with a local farmer who is willing to turn some of his acreage over to organic and grow specific grains for me. He is asking if I can use it straight from the combine or if I need him to run it through a seed cleaner. For those of you growing your own grain or working with local farmers what are your thoughts and what are doing in regards to this? Thanks, Rick

Don't know if this is new or not, I just saw it and didn't see it on the new content board. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/17/pappy-van-winkle-stolen_n_4114677.html

Just wanted to drop a quick note so those of you who followed my blog and wanted to see it back up, it is now available again. I reposted all of the previous blog posts and added a new one. I will add the last two days of the internship over the weekend. As well as a few posts about where I am at now in the process. it is visible at rickdiculousdistiller.blogspot.com. You can also follow the current progress on my start up distillery in Minnesota (Isanti Spirits LLC) on Facebook at www.facebook.com/IsantiSpiritsLlc. For those of you who came on the board recently, I was one of the ADI Michael Jackson Scholarship recipients and I did the first 2 month distilling internship offered as a part of the Michigan State University Distilling program. It was a great experience and I hope you find the blog interesting. Thanks, Rick Schneider

How tall is it?

Please attach Diagrams.

Whatever you think you are going to use, it may seem like a lot to you in comparison to what you use for your bathrooms. But big department stores will probably flush more water down the toilets of their restrooms in any given day than you will use making whiskey. Don't be afraid of this number. Given your calculations with a reasonable addition for unforeseen water and margin of error you should give them a comfortable number. Your issue of solids is where you make get some blow back. Some municipalities will let you put your stillage down the drain others with a prescribed amount of dilution. Where I am in Minnesota, my county asked me how much water I would use and when I told them around 4000 Gallons/ 15000L a week and possibly double that as production increases they smiled and said not to worry. Their concerns are in the neighborhood of 1,000,000 million gallons a day. We have a lot of farms in our county and their pivots take huge amounts of water to run. We also have a Bio Diesel plant which is distilling massive quantities a day. You are a drop in their bucket. This doesn't really answer your question, but I sounds like you are concerned about how your municipality will react. Just thought this might be encouraging. Rick

Where is the bottle made?

Sorry Bluestar, Sarcasm never comes across correctly on forums. Rick

Austontatious, You are absolutely incorrect about the use of the term "Master" as it applies to unions. There are years of experience and training, along with very specific qualification tests any union master "anything" must go through. They start as apprentices, usually a two-five year process. While working as an apprentice they begin to work on the skills necessary to qualify as a Journeyman. They work as a Journeyman until they qualify for the the master title. 8 States actually have specific classifications, requirements and certifications independent of unions. As an example I will put this up, which is a qualification summary outlining those state rules. Apprentice Plumbers According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, apprentice plumbers might begin their careers as plumber’s helpers, but most enter an apprenticeship program offered by a business or trade union. Although the requirements vary, apprentices must typically be 18 years of age or older. The program might also require apprentices to be high school graduates or hold an equivalent diploma. The applicant might need to pass a basic mathematics test and drug screening. Some apprenticeship programs also require basic computer skills. Journeyman Plumbers The experience requirements for a journeyman plumber’s license vary by state, but the bureau reports that apprenticeships can last from two to five years. After obtaining the prerequisite experience, plumbers may apply for a journeyman’s license. Most states and some cities require an aspiring journeyman plumber to pass a test to demonstrate knowledge of local codes as well as general plumbing knowledge. The applicant might have to provide documentation proving previous work experience. Master Plumbers After working as a journeyman plumber for the time required by the licensing state, you can apply for a master plumber’s license. The application process typically involves passing an examination. The testing state might require documentation of work experience as a journeyman plumber before the applicant is allowed to take the exam. On the Job Apprentices must perform all work under the direct supervision of a journeyman or master plumber. After obtaining the proper license, a journeyman plumber may work independently. Master plumbers can become plumbing contractors or start their own plumbing businesses. Although apprentices and journeymen learn how to read blueprints for new construction, a master plumber might be creating the blueprints for the plumbing to be installed. ON this issue of Master Distiller, by your definition anyone using a pressure pot, diamond sugar, corn meal, and red star/fleischman's yeast from the grocery store to cook up liquor on the stove is a master distiller. Saying you're a master distiller just because you know how to distill, is like saying you are a gold medal runner simply because you can put one foot in front of the other faster than walking. I don't trust anyone who calls themselves a master. The distinction of Master is one bestowed upon someone by recognized masters for years of dedicated work and achievement. This is not going to happen in this industry, as Americans will tell you, "I can say whatever I want." This discussion from beginning to end is about this very idea.

I just spent three months working with a very accommodating County Board who after I came forward with my desire to build a distillery on my AG/Residential property, they formulated a Rural Retail Tourism ordinance to allow many different types of businesses to operate on Ag properties. I spent a an afternoon with our Zoning commissioner to determine all the things I need to do to conform with their conditional use permit. I began asking about the existing Pole Shed as a starting point. The county was fine with it. When I called my rep for the TTB in Minnesota, he discussed the fact that the law doesn't allow a Distillery to operate on a property with a residence. This was echoed by the Home office help line in D.C. They told me they wouldn't permit a distillery in this situation. Then gave me two options: 1) Plat the land to separate the buildings (ie, draw an imaginary line which exists on paper in a county office) which would legally separate the buildings from the residence. 2) If the county wouldn't do it, I could submit a request for permission to use the existing building, accompanied by a site plan and explanation of the separation (Physical) and hope to get the use approved before my application. This was last wednesday. They tried to make it clear, my application would go much easier if I got the plat done. Luckily I have 15.5 acres in a long rectangle so this shouldn't cause any problems. Also my neighbors and the board are all excited to see this happen. So I am going that route and setting my timeline back 2 months to accommodate planning commission and County board meeting schedules. Just my experience. So maybe we need the ADI or ACDA to push for removal of this portion of law or redefine it so people with separate buildings don't have to deal with this anymore.

Fantastic news for Chip and our industry. Well deserved congratulations.

https://www.facebook...santiSpiritsLlc Don't know why that first link doesn't work, but it seems to work here.

I"m still around. I just don't have a lot of time for this forum right now. I have been moving to a 15 acre hobby farm with some outbuildings to build my distillery in. Spending lots of time and waiting for county ordinance changes. Thankfully I put a lot of time in before buying the property so I wouldn't get stuck without any options. Also, my kids are now involved with all kinds of summer activities, so that is eating my free time to read this and post this stuff. You can follow my project at : https://www.facebook.com/IsantiSpiritsLlc It is slow going as the county process is on a specific schedule and each thing follows the other. July 17th should be the final chapter in the county process. Then on to financing, getting equipment, applying for the DSP and getting all the whiskey I made at MSU during my internship and a few other visits.

I am planning on making one, when my DSP comes through early next year. Just thought I would put that up here as no one seems to be rushing to post.

Or you can Google Centrifugal Separators. There are a number of companies who make these. However they may be too big or expensive for your needs.

You want concrete, with lots of floor drains or the ability to put them in reasonably. If you have the opportunity to build one, make the floors slope to the drains. Water is a constant on the floors in this business. Get some good squeegee's, safety is a must and you have to be able to remove the water quickly. Rick

Also, if you have pictures of the still, you may want to try and contact the manufacturer directly and see what they can tell you about it. Now granted they may have a bias against the used stuff, but I think you can get some good information from them.