daveflintstone

Can anyone recommend a reputable bonding company for a DSP bond in California?

Thanks!!!

hey, how 'bout a forum search?

For those of you hand applying labels, any experience with clear labels? I'm told fingerprints are a real problem when hand applying clear labels. Does anyone have pointers for avoiding fingerprints on your hand applied clear labels?

Have you seen this one http://www.durfo.com/eng/durfo_strip_eng.asp

"Warning! This is a US GOVT Bonded Facility. Premised under 24 hr video surveillance. Trespassing without the presence of a registered official is strictly prohibited."

That is so much better than my NO PARKING sign.

I was denied my bond repeatedly. I finally just paid the minimum $11,000 in a cash bond to get my permit through.

I didn't stop my search for a bond, and finally found one through a local agent for Liberty Mutual via their subsidiary Ohio Casualty (those insurance companies are practically incestuous). I started with little assets and a blip on my credit. I believe they look at your credit, not so much your assets since you fill in your own financial info on the application and we know how that goes sometimes. A simple application was required. If a company is asking for extensive background paperwork, find a different one. I do highly recommend finding a broker who represents Liberty Mutual.

I found doing a superseding bond quite straight forward, just like my original cash bond, and received a refund from TTB of my $11,000 promptly.

Porter: you are required to have the bond in place for your permit application. You can get your bond anytime you want to pay for it. You can get one and then never open a DSP, the sureties and the TTB don't care. If you're not a felon and haven't previously been denied an alcohol permit, I don't know what sort of "background check" you're talking about.

In regards to equipment being in place before permit approval, I found this not to be the case. Also, I have been told by others that it was not an issue either. As long as your floor plans and equipment list are complete in your application, it shouldn't be an issue. These are paper pushers, not secret agents.

I think there are two different conversations going on here.

The original post is about manufacturers/distributors charging a distillery for samples of empty bottles.

The replies are talking about distilleries charging for samples of their distilled product.

That said, I have refused to follow up with any bottle distributor who wanted to charge for samples. There are plenty who want my business. I will pay a plating fee for samples of screen printed bottles.

If you're pleased with your website design, post here with a recommendation for the designer. A link to your site would be helpful too. How much did it cost and how long did it take?

Got that covered. I am moving back to Japan this July to start my teaching job and to live for the rest of my life. It is there that I have researched the laws and the market and it is there that I will open a small distillery. I would prefer to stay in the US but sadly, I am more free in Japan than I am in the US and the worst part is, I know it and no amount of BS propaganda can change that.

bye

fyi, labeling a square bottle is a pain in the ass.

Hawaii allows direct to retailer. Bit of a bummer flying around to different islands though.

How much is the software?

What's the TLC needed?

I wonder why Norit recommends powdered carbon for spirits? They tell me in a batch process, powdered is the way to go. In fact, there online recommender thingy only indicates powdered.

I used some samples in a lab setting with a filter flask, and it works good. I think filtering with granulated for small test quantities would be difficult.

Does the scale up to 300-500 gallon batches using a plate and frame filter not work well? note--I have never used a plate and frame filter.

It seems to me that simply dumping in the measured amount of powdered carbon, circulating/agitating it, then filtering the carbon out would be easy. Then again, I haven't done it yet.

Am I missing something?

Will, great answer. However, the numbers stated I am already aware of. And the mention of what the TTB defines are understood. Good explaination on your part though.

But the question still is unanswered. What is customary to do be done with the rest of the wash below the 95% mark?

Is it always added to the next wash, or what?

Along that line, if a reflux column has 7 plates, and each plate is considered a "distillation point", then can it be said the end product of a single spirit run through has been "distilled 7 times"? Or is there a true TTB definition of what "distilled" means? I have a valid reason for asking this, please bare with me.

If you have a "valid reason for asking this", why don't you state your reason? Better yet, why don't you read some books on distilling; it seems you have precious little knowledge of the subject. I'm not being snooty; I was at your stage not too long ago and perplexed by the process. A simple distilling book will clear up much for you. Also, once again I say if there's a question for the TTB (after you understand the distilling process), call and ask them. They like to help.

The TTB doesn't care how small or large your business is as long as you file the forms and pay your taxes.

Why don't you call them and ask? They are there to answer your questions. and take your money after you start.

The GE Merlin RO is very low priced, ~$350. Too good to be true? That's what I want to know. The salesman informed me that as long as the water pressure is high enough (>60psi, a $250 booster pump is available if not) it is perfect for producing batches of blending water, 700 gallons per day. You could use two and get 1400 gpd! I would put a softener before the RO due to high TDS and hard water (are those the same thing?).

Any experience with the Merlin? Otherwise I'm looking at a Titan 1000gpd with water softener at $4200. Be nice to save some money, but not at the expense of perfect water.

I understand the advantage of chill filtering, but I'm not sure of the most effective way of chilling the spirit. Does someone make a spirit specific chiller for this process?

Ok, thanks for the informed info. It seems I can use an RO system without softening first. I'm going to try the GE Merlin, since it's rather inexpensive, and 700 gallons a day is plenty for me.

I've got hard water, up to 16 grains per gallon. The RO system recommends softening water more than 9 grains per gallon; without softening the filters will have to be replaced more often.

The question is, is the hard water, with all the attendant natural minerals, better for using for vodka dilution? Or should I just soften it to RO specs? Alcohol producers seem to dwell upon their fresh, clean water from natural springs or creeks or rivers or moon rocks or whatever. I wouldn't mind paying for extra filters if the water hardness made the product better.

thoughts?

ckrogstad always has the best posts.

What kind of capping machine are you using, and what type of cap do you put on your bottles?

There seems to be a multitude of choices.

I want to use a metal cap, but I'm unsure of what I need to put it on the bottle.

Opinion: Besides an unknown (sir) name in any market used to brand a product comes off arrogant.

Mark

I must say I disagree with you entirely, completely, and any other word that means a big whole bunch. I've never heard anyone else say anything similar. To me it seems the ultimate in taking pride in and standing behind one's work. Also, I don't see the difference in using one's surname or given name in that context. Your comment is peculiar, to say the least.

Oh, I have a good bond story.

I'm having trouble getting a bond. I've been turned down by two sureties so far. I'm applying for a $40,000 unit bond.

The trouble is 7 open collections on my credit report, all of which are 5 and 6 year old parking tickets. My state (Hawaii) contracted with a Texas collection service last year to collect unpaid fines, and all of my previous paid tickets somehow ended up on the list. Neither the state nor the agency is interested in correcting the matter, they just want me to pay them again. Even if I acquiesced and paid them again, they would not be removed but show as paid collections, which the sureties said is also a no go. It's a lovely way to be screwed over by two incompetent organizations simultaneously.

I'm not sure what I'll do, but may end up paying the minimum bond in cash and worry about overproduction later. This is the last item remaining before I can submit my TTB application .

Before I was a distiller, I worked in the pixel mines. I did all of the graphic work on the Wormwood Society site, my own Marteau Absinthe web site and did the labels and wooden boxes for Marteau, as well as Pacific Distillery's Pacifique and Voyager Gin labels. I'm also experienced with labeling compliance issues.

While I'm too busy these days to do a whole branding project, I could fit in a label here and there. Although my portfolio site is woefully out-of-date, there are some examples of what I've done in the dim past.

Alembic Design

Still have any of those Utero 5000's around? Christmas is coming...

I've seen a couple mentions on here, but I think it's worth reviewing: have you worked with a label designer you were especially pleased with and would like to recommend? How did they meet/exceed your expectations? I'm sure the designers would appreciate the recommendation.