davdear

Wow- that's it! Thank you. I think a place called Waypoint in Connecticut has 2.

Has anyone ever seen a still like this? It's almost completely round- haven't seen many like this. I'm trying to figure out who the maker is. Thanks.

I don't know if anyone here will know about CT liquor law but I'm wondering what licenses/permits (federal and state) you would need if you are selling vodka or gin produced, bottled and shipped by a distillery in another state. Do you still need the DSP from the TTB? In CT the only permit that comes close is a Permit to Manufacture Spirits but that is not what is really happening, so I'm not sure that is what you need. I think it might be possible to have a CT based company and spirit brand, pay a New York State Distillery to make it, bottle it and ship it to stores, distributors, restaurants and bars. The question is does it require a different combination of permits than the norm? Thanks for watching!

So MG you really think to crash cool 90 gallons of cracked/ground corn mash in 1-2 hours is possible with only a 2 HP chiller? I guess you would need a reservoir for sure- maybe 300 gal? How about stripping the 90 gallons of fermented corn mash in a pot still with 6" condenser- also possible with 2HP? I think I did some calculation and it required like 30,000 btu/hours so it seemed like you would need bigger.

Silk City now that I have gotten into the chiller side more I'm getting some recommendations to use a 10 ton (or 10hp or 100,000 btu per hour- same thing???) chiller for a 100 gallon pot still with 6" shotgun condenser but it sounds like you are using a smaller chiller and tank for a larger still- and it works! What size still are you running once per day and how did you determine the size chiller?

Regarding supply and delivery yeah includes both. Around here they split it so independents can come in and offer you a lower price for supply but then jack it up 3 months later when you stopped looking at your bill! $6-$12 is less than I was expecting for electric. The control panel, elements, etc. are costly but so is a boiler, which I don't have pricing on yet.

My math must be off because my estimated electric costs are not matching up with some of the calculations I'm seeing here: I have a 100 gallon baine marie stripping still with 2- 15,000 watt (15kW) elements which take it from room temp to boil in 1 hour= 30 kW h + 2 hours holding temp with only 1 element= 30 kW h so total for 3 hour run= 60 kW h 60 kW h x $0.12 kW h (electric rate) = $7.20 for a stripping run with electric heaters. Does that look right because it seems reasonable?

I've scoured these forums but I can't find info on this- could be it's really a dumb question, but I need to ask. Why do you need a process boiler to heat your steam jacketed still instead of using a powerful home gas powered steam boiler like a 221K BTU Crown? Is it too weak, dangerous, or just plain wrong? I'm opening in a very small space with a small 100 gallon still and 100 gallon mash tun. The building has city natural gas and 200amp 3 phase electric service. Initially, because of the gas, I was thinking steam. But I found information about the equipment was hard to find. Then I spoke to someone who said electric was the way to go, and changed my mind. Less hassle with equipment, fire code, etc. Electric is easy but not free. About $4K for the hardware per unit then $0.12per kwh to run it. Hmmm...I started thinking about the steam again and this question of using a home heating steam boiler- Can it work?

dhdunbar You definitely know the Federal Laws well- Thank You for the knowledgeable, helpful answer!

Just curious: since you have to list all your equipment in your application what do you do if you get new equipment, or get rid of something you had at the beginning?

Hey Skaalvenn sounds like you have the perfect set-up to me! What boiler did you get to run those stills? Make, model, size? I imagine it was a pretty big investment. Thanks, David

Glenlyon I thought the liquor store was the main channel. Do you know what percentage sales is tasting room sales/online sales/liquor stores? Also, selling to bars and restaurants must be a big part of it, right? We don't have much experience selling online- I mean none. I think I bought a bottle of wine online once- that was it. Is everyone selling online?

Some things you have to take with a grain of salt. Also, I haven't figured out had to make my still pour out 8 year old bourbon during my spirit run! I think at this particular location there is a lot of interest in bourbon and some believe that Tito's is so dominant in vodka you can't beat it. I remember working on the Absolut account back in the 80's making motorized liquor displays to sell it. You remember Absolut, right? It came from Sweden....

Thanks! Doesn't sound so bad.

Hey everyone thank you for all the help and good advice. Most of it I understand and it makes sense. The town is small but the state has 3.5M so I do want to spread out. I have already had some conversations with local liquor stores and some are really helpful. One person said "Don't worry about making anything but whiskey/bourbon that's the only thing that sells." Thanks!!!

I know creating a good business plan is important, with good research, accurate numbers, etc. I understand if you know what products you are going to make and how much, you can calculate the equipment/materials/ space required and in turn, the costs associated. But how do you calculate or predict how much you will sell??? What strategy do you use to make a very educated guess instead of a hopeful guess? If I could see something missing in the market it would be easier but in my town of 28,000 there are 6 liquor stores and just over the town line a liquor superstore. Most stores have 6 feet of whiskey, 6 feet of Tequila, etc. In other words plenty of choices! Any good tips for getting a more accurate prediction of the demand you can expect for your product? Thanks!

I saw a post on the forum somewhere but can't find it. It mentioned someone who started in a small place, got the federal permit, then moved to a bigger place and transferred/amended the permit to the new location. In this case it sounded like it was planned that way. Whether you have to move because you must or if you planned to is it difficult to amend or transfer the federal permit? How is it done? Thanks!

Wow- Congratulations on your success!!! You must be making something delicious. 30% growth a year is fantastic and who really needs a house?!?! Your point regarding space is well taken and not the first time I've heard it. I going to have to think on this. Meanwhile I've talked to Planning & Zoning, State Liquor Control, The fire marshal and the the conversation always ends with "The person you really need to call is..."

Thanks glisade all good advice

I have a 2 person operation and we are considering starting small by agreeing to a 5 year lease for a tiny 800sq ft space where we will make whiskey, gin, vodka and hopefully be able to move around 600 cases per year by the 2nd year. We found a space (leasing is the only option) and it's basically a 1 story garage/box with 11' ceilings, city water, gas, sewer and electric. Question is how do you know a space is viable before signing the lease? How do you know that it will meet all the federal, state and city requirements when it's difficult to find out now exactly what those requirements are??? I don't even know where to start! I realize this question is really too big to answer but I apreciate you folks taking the time to read it. So many knowledgeable and helpful people here.

Hi Southernhighlander I just called the number I saw on your website but it didn't go through. I had some questions so let me know what is the best way to reach you. Thanks and Happy New Year!

I have seen many corn whiskey recipes that use cracked corn but it seems like most distillers are grinding their corn to flour with a hammer mill and using it that way. Is this because it would be too difficult to cook a large batch of cracked corn mash and stir it off the bottom properly? Or maybe you just get more out of the corn when it is flour? It seems commercial equipment is not built to handle cracked corn mash. If you have any knowledge about this I would love to hear it. Thanks!

I'm interested in talking with someone about getting a license in Connecticut, maybe a lawyer or consultant who knows the laws and maybe could even help with Federal. Did a search on "Connecticut" but seems there is not a lot going on in my state. Thanks in advance.

Thanks folks, for the helpful advice. I don't see a downside to an LLC and like you said you can have S-Corp taxation. This is the part where I get a little unsure so I will listen to your other advice and talk to my CPA

Thanks Pour- I like the screen name!!! I'm a Nutmegger- in CT.