Jessica Jewell

You can try Aftek Filtration. Katherine Marchetti has been very helpful with meeting our needs. She can be reached at katherine@aftekfilters.com or 802-399-2472.

Synthetic. Natural cork has a tendency to break when a bottle is stored in the freezer, which is where some consumers like to store their clear spirits.

Below is a copy of the letter I sent to our Congresspeople for the State of Maine, both of which were more than happy to sign on as co-sponsors. Feel free to copy into correspondence to your representatives. I also attached the offical ADI letter in addition to this. To Whom it May Concern, I own and operate a small business in Maine which produces Twenty 2 Micro Distilled Vodka and Twenty 2 High Proof Spirit. I am writing on behalf of my full support for H.R. #777, and I am requesting that Representative Michaud become a co-sponsor of the bill. Attached you will find a brief explanation of what the bill is about and the impact the bill would have on the growing industry of artisan distillers across the country. To provide some perspective, if this bill had been enacted in 2010, our business would have saved over $xx,xxx in federal distillers excise tax. As you can imagine, this is quite a significant amount of money for any small business. This direct and immediate reduction of tax liability may then be used to further reinvest our business in turn strengthening the local and state economies. HR #777 is not an unprecedented action, as a similar federal excise tax reduction is already in place for both small brewers and small wineries around the country. Representative Michaud’s co-sponsorship will directly support a growing manufacturing industry in Maine, and throughout the country. If you have any questions in regards to benefits of this bill or the details of how it will affect our business, please do not hesitate to contract me. Thank you for your time and support. Sincerely,

I wanted to take minute to comment on this software. I have been using it since February and I cannot imagine going back to what life was like without it. There is a worksheet for just about any calculation you could ever have to perform in your distillery. I am sure I am still discovering the tip of the iceberg in terms of what this program can do, and I can't wait to fully explore its capabilities. The time and aggravation saved by not having to constantly look up tedious information from the gauging tables is priceless. Great product!

JarHead, I use a 200 gpd RO unit. Since I only work in 50 gallon batches, this capacity works well for me. As far as the ceramic filter for your water, I too would be a little concerned if I saw sediment in the discharge. Silly question, but are you sure your sediment is coming from your water source and not a carbon filter used somewhere in the process? Anything big enough to be visible should be removed from your filtration system before the RO, let alone the RO membranes themselves.

Our RO unit is relatively new, so we are not yet ready to change the filter or the membrane, however I am keeping a close eye on product clarity as my first indication. If we were to use non-RO water to dilute our vodka, the product will take on a hazy appearance depending on how high the original TDS is. This may be visible to the naked eye, or it may be subtle enough that you have to hold a flashlight next to the bottle to see it. My plan for now is to keep checking for this haziness to return, and when it does, check the water TDS to see where it is at, and then to change the RO components as needed. Hope this helps.

I have had good luck with my scale. I bought it directly from a company called Arlyn Scales, http://www.arlynscales.com/ I use one that has a 1000lb capacity and measures in increments of .2 lbs. They have a wide range of scales and should probably have something to meet your specifications.

The interview mainly goes over all of the information you supplied on your application paperwork. It would be very useful to have your application in front of you while you are on the phone to ensure your answers match up with what the TTB agent is expecting. You can also notify them of any small changes that may have occurred since your original filing. Most questions will be verifying your capacity, location, etc. For us there were a lot of questions similar to: "Are you aware you must keep records in accordance with CFR part 19.XXX?" Yes and No answers will cover most of the questions that aren't directly about the specifics of you planned operation.

I have recently bottled a couple batches of vodka only to find carbon settling out in the bottom of the bottles. At the time of bottling, and even after letting the bottles rest for a week, everything is crystal clear. The strange part is that when we transport bottles to make a delivery, carbon will settle out sometime during the trip. This doesn't seem to make any sense considering that during transportation there is extra vibration and warmer temperatures, both conditions which should cause most particulate matter to dissolve, not precipitate. Any thoughts on why this might be happening or how I can test for dissolved carbon in the shop?

I tried to purchase TTB approved hydrometers yesterday, only to find that "R" size can not easily be shipped because it is listed as a hazardous material. To have it shipped from one of the two companies I tried (Fisher Scientific and Cole Parmer), both places required a full blown account to be set up, which can take days to process. Does anyone have a reliable, hassle free lab equipment supply company that stocks TTB approved instruments they would be willing to recommend?

The TTB is very specific in detailing the requirements for padlocks that are used to secure distilled spirits tanks, but there is not a lot of detail around what the specifications are for door locks. I am looking for an acceptable locking door knob to use on the main entrances to our distilled spirits plant without having to use an additional padlock on the door. Does anyone have any recommendations or experiences to share on approved locks?