coop

I was just wondering for those of us who are distilling on a striping run would you rather have a less amount of alcohol of a higher proof or a larger amount of a lesser proof? Or does it not matter at all? Coop

Thanks will do the same thing. Coop

I was just wondering how others are controlling fruit fly's? I have had an increased amount over the last few weeks. Does any one know if the blue colored fly traps relay work? Thanks, coop

It took me 3 months for production to exceed sales. It has taken us seven months to reach exceed our first sales projections. Coop

A couple things Chuck. What is the name of your distillery? And what all do you make? The other thing is the TTB has more to say than just how you label something. If you are making whiskey they dictate what portions of your mash bill will be corn, they dictate what kind of a barrel you use and a minimum of how long you will keep it in the barrel. They dictate to you just what you need to do, to call it "Bourbon" or Whiskey. Also just wondering how many formulas you have submitted to the TTB for their approval? Coop

Colorado Gold LLC also supports this tax scale. Tom Cooper

We have been approached in a similar way. If some one wants us to GIVE them cases of Liquor it is the same as buyer beware. Coop

We now have 142 registered members and I was just wondering does any one know how many of us actual members, cook our mash, distill our products, bottle and are selling product? We are one of them, Coop

Well it is not a tower but a tank, and we cool it by refrigeration with a cooling unit about the size of the ones in a home type freezer. Simple but real efficient. I am a believer in the saying KISS, keep it simple stupid. http://adiforums.com/style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif

Check with the TTB as they license every one. Coop

Brett things out here in Colorado is much different than other places. For one thing we are allowed to sell and distribute our own products. We have a retail store along with free tastings here. I have been in business for myself for the last 30 years and a business is a business. Good planing can not be overstated. I also am not alone, my wife runs the store and my partner does all the wholesaling and his wife does the books. I just run the production end of the deal. I am convinced that good work ethics is one of the most important things. If I need to come in at say 4am to start a run then I do that, if I need to work past 4pm I do that also. No one needs to wait on me. Doug my partner and friend does all the real foot work. Starting in April he has now gotten us over 60 accounts and just today we found a small distributor that will work with us and not take us to the cleaners and will take just about all the product I can make working one shift a day about 5 to 6 days a week. No amount of schooling will take the place of hard work. My wife thinks I am a little crazy, I am but as long as I know this it is OK. Leonardo DeVience, not spelled right, was thought of as being crazy also. As for experience I am self taught as this is not rocket science, we are using more complex equipment but the process is the same as was done by the Egyptians. Coop

Bob I added about 14" of rubber tubing to the return line and it does touch the very bottom but just a little and we have no problem with missing the agitator as it is way off to the side. They suggested to us to fill the plates with water just before starting the run but since I am getting about 194 to 196 on my rectifying run I seen no reason for doing that. The condensate does not build up in the first column like it does in the second column but all the column is wet, but all four plates on the second one fill up and bubble like crazy. If you would like I can send you a photo tomorrow. Coop

Hello to you all, I am looking for some holiday boxes that would hold a bottle of our spirits along with two or four glasses. Has any one seen or know where we might get some? Thanks, Coop

We here at Colorado Gold started selling product 6 months after starting construction. If you consider not being paid for our work, time and effort only last month were we able to pay all our bills without putting in any more money. We will no doubt pay ourselves nothing for another six months then and only then we may start paying ourselves a salary if we are lucky. It will take years to pay back our original investment. Coop

We at Colorado Gold Distillery used "Pioneer General Insurance Company" and we went through our local insurance agent. Coop

\ Please post as we have had the same problems. Coop

Well Ken I just made a rectifying run with my modifications to the still. It worked, no build up at all. It was only a 200L run to make my gin and their was absolutely no build up of alcohol in the second column. What you need to do is take a piece of high temp hose and put it on to the drain back pipe inside the still. The one from the second column only. The hose is to be long enough so that the end is always in the liquid and not higher than the liquid in the still. Since the pipe is below liquid level then no vapor can cause the second column to back up. Worked great. Made the 200L run in three hours. Coop

Well Bob I just made a rectifying run with my modifications to the still. It worked, no build up at all. It was only a 200L run to make my gin and their was absolutely no build up of alcohol in the second column. What you need to do is take a piece of high temp hose and put it on to the drain back pipe inside the still. The one from the second column only. The hose is to be long enough so that the end is always in the liquid and not higher than the liquid in the still. Since the pipe is below liquid level then no vapor can cause the second column to back up. Worked great. Made the 200L run in three hours. Coop

I was just wondering how many of us are using the Baverian/Holstien stills? I have some operating questions to ask others using this equipment. Ours is a 300L 16 plate still. Thanks, Coop

Bill a Mexican supplier is Vitro Glass http://www.vitro.com/vitro_packaging/ingle...5_3418_3656.htm. We just purchased 1500 bottles from them. Very easy to work with and prompt delivery at a very very reasonable price. Coop

Here in Colorado we use a mash from three different kinds of grain. according to the numbers assigned to each type of grain the most we could expect is about 7% abv. We have a 300L still but I work in gallons as federal taxes are in proof gallons. So we put in about 80 gallons in our still and we cut off tails at 35% abv. On the stripping run we are getting out about 5.5 to 6 gallons of alcohol. We save this untill we have about 70 gallons then re-distill to about 95% to 96% abv. Out of the 70 gallons we get around 44 gallons at 95% to 96% abv. Hope this helps. Coop

Another word of advise on septic systems. I have been a builder for 42 years. Septic systems no mater where you are is a controlled system. Micro organism's within the tank is what keeps them working properly. You need to be real careful what you dump into them. If for instance you dump an amount of alcohol in it it will kill the bacteria and quit working. The same goes with pesticides. You may have to monthly put into the system some of the bugs needed to keep it working. Coop

What product are you using for your caustic cleaning? The brand B/H recommended are no longer in business. Thanks Coop

Just wondering what every one is using to clean and re-guvating their copper on the inside? coop

We are looking at buying glass from Vitro Packaging. It is made in Mexico and yes the glass is not as clear and as flawless as say Saver Glass. But sometime next year they are going to be able to make a very clear Flint bottles. They are building a new plant is what I was told. Coop