Mick H

I have this problem. At first I thought it was improper combustion from my propane boiler, but that was not the case. My best guess is that it is caused by the dust produced when I grind my corn.I started out milling my grain inside, but quickly moved it outside because of the mess. I only have this black residue on my roof, which is dark green metal, but it sure shows up. The good news is it cleans up easily

One thing you should keep in mind. You will be spending a lot of hours with your equipment in the months and years to come. Just because one system gets you across the finish line does not mean it is the best way to go. Using a easier and affordable system 2, 3 4 or 5 more hours a day might not make sense over the long haul. Mick H.

Dick You can make batches of 25 pounds of sugar or more in a 5 gal stock pot. Let it cool then mix with water and spirits in a larger container. You can easily reach your 40 gal goal this way. You mentioned alcohol fumes, do not heat your spirits. As far as water sugar ratio, you will have to experiment for your own recipe. Just so everyone knows, the reason for heating is to get the grittiness out of the granulated sugar, and to keep it from turning back into crystals. Mick H

Red wine barrels will turn your spirits a reddish color. I know this from experience. Used chardonnay barrels work very well, and complement Brandy spirits. Within a few weeks the Brandy will turn a light golden color. I also prefer French oak, but it is a matter of taste. Mick H.

You will overheat your glycol system, the reservoir is too small. I tried it. I took a liner from a 250 gal. dairy tank, soldered a grid of copper pipe,and lay it in bottom of tank. I then filled the tank with water and circulate glycol through the copper. Put a pump in the tank and run a loop through your condenser,returning water to the tank. I run a 300 gal stripping, a 140 gal. finish still, and cool my mash tank, all at the same time. The temp. will creep up over over 10 or 12 Hrs. but is manageable. Mick H

I was talking on the phone while typing. www.pinchguthollowdistillery.com Thanks Mick

Hello My name is Mick Heston,and I live in north-central West Virginia. I just recieved my DSP on Jan 19. I have been woking on building my distillery for abot three years now. I attended the ADI hands on distilling class in Dec. of 08. That class and these forums have been very helpful in getting started. I would really like to thank Bill Owens for helping me with my special needs, and for introducing me to people who kept me moving forward. I live in the Monongahela River Valley and will be making farm whiskeys and brandy, as I know them. I am already involved in agri-tourism- www.hestonfarm.com our distillery, which may not be on-line yet is- www.pinchgutdistillery.com I look forward to someday meeting you all. Mick Heston

I attended this workshop last Dec., and had a woderful experience. It would stand alone as a vacation, wonderful food, an insiders view of breweries, distilleries, and wineries, and a whiskey bar tour of San Fransisco. But more importantly the workshop was invaluble for the information I was able to pick up. I had struggled for a year to come up with a plan, with little sucess, but after my week in Califonia I had recipes, batch size, technique, and equipment size. I now have my permit applied for, my still and most of my equipment on hand, and my building under costuction. I would reccomend if you attend that you do time studies on every procedure, not just the running of the still. While your equipment will be different this will give you a baseline for comparrison. There will be a lot of knowledge there, so ask lots of questions. Good Luck Mick Heston WWW.HESTONFARM.COM D.B.A. Pinchgut Hollow Distillery