Kindred Spirits

I would recommend filtering larger batches through granulated carbon, its a great way to polish your finished spirit

It looks like your filter isn't doing its job. Have you checked to see if your filter got damaged somehow?

Hello All! I started browsing distilling forums in 2012, caught the bug, and have been distilling ever since. Over the years I have gained a lot of love for the art and craft of distilling through the time spent on this forum, my own excursions into distilling, and reading technical texts on all aspects of the the subject. I built my first still while I was living in Costa Rica, and started making pineapple, mango, and tamarind brandies, along with rums. I am formally trained as a mechanical engineer, and have worked as a mechanical systems design engineer for 13 years now. My love for the craft has continued to grow over the years and I now have helped start a number of distilleries on a commercial scale. I learned that I have a knack for designing the distillery spaces to be functional, safe, and beautiful as well, along with creating some award-winning recipes for spirits. I appreciate the wide variety in the world of distilling. That variety applies to both the spirits which can be produced, and the people within the industry who are making them. I am looking to give back to the community, sharing some of the knowledge I have picked up along the way. The consulting group I have started is called "Kindred Spirits Distillery Consulting" and we work with people from all over the globe to help them reach their dreams of starting a distillery of their own. We have been operating since 2021 professionally and have helped design over 20 distilleries all around the world so far. I am familiar with all types of equipment and have helped setup nano-distilleries, all the way to 25,000+ sqft production spaces. Each location is its own puzzle to solve and it is amazing to be able to share what I have learned with others. If you have some time, check out our website to see the services we offer and reach out via the "schedule a consult" page so we can see how we can work together on making your distilling dreams a reality. Nice to formally meet you all. Steve Tomori Lead Consultant/Mechanical Engineer KindredSpiritsCSG.com

I typically recommend a rest in some stainless tanks with some head space for at least a week or two after a rough proof to 50%

Oh man such a shame, I had visited this distillery in the past. They had great products.

So you definitely will be be a lot lower than 4,000 a week. I would estimate maybe 250-300 gallons per run with cleaning. So on a 2 batch week you would be looking at around 500-600, and on a busy 4 run week you would be in the 1,000-1,200 range. That’s not too bad to deal with. I’m right in Wilmington NC, so if you ever need any help be sure to let me know. I’d love to help you get your distillery planned and can help with any issues you run into with your AHJ.

What size equipment do you have, I have the suspicion you might be overestimating the amount of water you will be putting down the drain, there should be very little for rinsing/cleaning. Are you doing direct steam injection for the distillation in the style of grappa or just using a jacketed piece of equipment?

That wastewater will be coming from what aspects of the process? All dumps from the still? Is that number just during the harvest time? 50,000-200,000 gallons a year is quite a bit of water to deal with but not impossible. What size equipment are you running to generate that much liquid waste.

Sounds like a fun project for sure! If you need any help with distillery design/permitting/anything else let me know. Steve Tomori Lead Consultant/Mechanical Engineer Steve@KindredSpiritsCSG.com KindredSpiritsCSG.com

The yeast/nutrient/enzymes should not have an effect on the haziness of your distilled product. Changes in water profile are the most typical cause of what you see in those pictures. I always recommend against using well water as the mineral and dissolved solids contents can change depending on the time of year and other factors. The other option could be a distillation issue. Have you changed the manner or cuts you make when distilling?

Sent you a PM

I can help you out with that if you would be interested. Shoot me a PM with the details.

A lot of the distilleries that I have seen go under are due to poor planning and even worse allotments of capital. Many new distilleries overburden themselves with expensive improperly sized and located pieces of equipment. This prevents future expansions in space as demand grows, or requires complete system additions such as new boilers and other things. The illustration I always use with clients is "you can put a master chef in a basic kitchen and he can make you a great meal, but even if you put the worst chef in the best kitchen possible, the result will never be good". The main thing is not starting out with a huge mountain of debt you will need to earn back. If you make a good product and dedicate some funds for marketing you can earn back your outlay in time. The main thing I also ask is what your definition of success is. Covering your expenses, making enough to support yourself and make some fine spirits, is definitely doable on smaller budget. Don't expect to win a war against some of the major brands out there. Consultants exist in every industry for a reason, they save time, money, and give you the ability to proceed with confidence. If you can open a tasting room/small bar, things get even better for being able to survive and thrive.

Since you guys are in NC I would recommend Trey over at Wilmington Box Company 910-538-4975 Steve

Do you have a dedicated room for it to contain the dust/noise? If not I would look into that for sure. Another thing to think about would be how would your AHJ feel about you milling on site? If you don't have a bunch of breweries in town, they tend to worry about the explosion hazard if not properly set up.

Sure thing, Happy to help.

Peter at Whalen Insurance has always done right by my clients and is usually very responsive. I would give him a shout. 413-586-1000

It's a tough business for sure, but a lot will depend on your definition of success, to define what your overall goals should be. By making some smart choices early on in regards to your location and equipment you can easily avoid making mistakes that can cost you time and money. The forums are a great resource, however each individual distillery has its own unique set of circumstances. If you need any help be sure to reach out.

I noticed you were in WNC, I'm over in Wilmington myself. How about we jump on a call next week. Its a lot easier to discuss over the phone.

Alex, that's good to know, I know its a standard for most plumbing in the US so its interesting to hear the side effects from it. Sounds like silicone is the better way to go.

An old trick from my HVAC days was to wrap gaskets with PTFE tape, I have done this for a few clients to help seal up some connections that just didn't want to seal with regular gaskets. PTFE is non-reactive so its safe to use.

Yeah no worries at all.

Sounds like you did put the proof in the abv spot, it happens to all of us. How many gallons of the low proof stuff do you have? If its multiple runs, I would probably just strip out however many batches you need to do with no cuts and then just redo the spirit run.

Its a bit harder to see without the ricks being full of barrels. Each barrel has access on one side, so there is a set of two barrels, then a small walkway (less than the length of a barrel), then more barrels. Each walkway allows you to reach into the ricks to access the bung, or allows you room to drill out a hole at the top of each barrel. Having the dimensions correct is key for ensuring each barrel can be pulled and worked on if needed. Here is a top view of the second set of ricks.

You can, they easily roll in from the front of the ricks. They can be lifted with a barrel lift or forklift to get up to the higher sections, the lowest level can be rolled in directly from the floor. I typically recommend developing a barrel "clock" for your ricks with empty barrels so you will know how to orient each barrel going into the ricks to get the bungs face up when they stop at their final location. Also once in place each barrel is reachable, so if you have a leak you can easily access the barrel. If you have leaks that develop you can either fix the leak in place if minor, or drain the barrel and pull and fix the leak once its out of the ricks. The same goes for dumping barrels, each barrel can be dumped "in place" and then be either pulled or refilled.