coop

The nose knows all things good and bad. I trust nothing that I have not smelled first. Coop

Thanks Todd, that was the way I was reading the TTB export papers. Just trying to be sure. Coop

Just wondering if any one here has exported spirits to other countries. Looking in to Korea. If so what did you have to go through to do this and in the case of Korea, did you have to pay excise tax to TTB? Coop

I think the one thing you should be asking yourself is how many of the major distilleries and the larger micro distilleries in the US use anything but steam. For sure not because they think it is better, just cheaper in the long run. Heat is Heat, Coop

Breckenridge Distilleries "Killer Bourbon" is in fact a blended bourbon. I think they purchased there bourbon from 4 roses. They have not been in business long enough to be selling there own bourbon yet as was noted in a tastings of Colorado Bourbons in the Indulge in Denver magazine for December/January 2011. Quot "In fairness, and being totally open about the facts, we must disclose that Breckenridge Bourbon's first batch was not completely produced in Colorado like the others. The whiskey was distilled back east and brought to Breckenridge to be blended and bottled". I think that there is only 2 all Colorado bourbons on the market at this time, one from Peachstreet Distillery and my own Colorado Gold Distillery. Coop

Some day someone will make me an offer that I cannot refuse. I deep down inside think that at my age that some day it will happen. Coop

Colorado Gold has been making and selling a straight bourbon whiskey, available since April 2010, and corn whiskey for almost 4 years. We make it all the time, but also have to have other things to sell. So we keep a supply of Gin, Vodka, a Grape Brandy and two types of Agave Spirits. You need to have cash flow to make what you really want to make, Bourbon First but you need to keep the doors open. Coop

My whole hardly apologies for the delay in not responding much sooner. I finely contacted the local Farm Administration to check out the quality of the last batch of corn I got in. Per bushel weight was moderately low which in turn made available starches LOW. We brought in a different strain of corn and thing got back to normal. But I now have much better sterilization program which I know also helped. Again, sorry for not being a good member of the forum. Coop

Try local state and fed farm agencies. Coop

That is why our tasting room is separated by walls and doors and not a part of the "Bonded Area" which we had to clearly define in a drawing that had to be submitted to the TTB. Coop

That is why I said if aging is required not "stored". Tarsyn brought up the two year question, he was asking about a high quality whiskey and a scotch whiskey also a bourbon. So for those products I think that aging would be required. Coop

I think that depending on what you are aging in the barrels, no matter if it matures faster, the TTB requirements are, if it says 2 years that means two years, not one year in a smaller barrel. Taking short cuts in agings will not meet there requirements. So if you are going to make a product that requires some kind of aging in oak for a certain period of time why take short cuts? Using smaller barrels will not get your product to market any quicker. Coop

I myself am a retired building contractor. After 46 years I have heard it all and under every condition imaginable, but the ladies should always be treated with respect. Thanks for your indulgence in an old mans way. Coop

Language is a skill I think you should work on. There are many ladies that use this forum and one should be respectful. Coop

Boy do I feel sorry for all you folks in Washington State. What a bummer with the voted changes in liquor control. If I am reading it right it seams to me that most of you will not be able to sell anything for several months. If so what a boondoggle for you all. Unless the ones that have sales to other states have enough sales to hold them over, looks like a real tough road to go down. Best of luck to you all. Coop

Well, just to be scientifically accurate, one could do very high plate repeated distillations on a top quality fractionating still, and eventually should be able to get something as pure as you would get from activated charcoal filtration, so long as the contaminating material is not a strong azeotrope with ethanol and water. Most are not. And it would certainly not be a cost effective way of doing this. But perhaps what you heard is what I heard when I was having my discussions about classifications of GNS as base spirits for redistilled gin, because I thought I had heard the same thing somewhere along the line. Yet Denver's point is still nominally correct: unless they test or inquire, how will they know? Without a required formulation, they would not know that you did not charcoal filter, unless you are doing vodka only and your DSP application does not include filtration in the process description? And I fear if they did inquire it would just come down to this: if you did filter, they would leave you alone, but if you did not and there was any reason to suspect you did not meet the requirement, they could just say you didn't meet it. Hmmm...

Bluestar I am not even sure that you could get to 100% with distillation process only. Rubbing alcohol the highest I have ever seen is 99.9%. But to get that I think they have to add something to our type alcohol which gathers up all the other leftovers and then it is remove by a chemical process. Activated carbon will not improve proof of alcohol, it just removes other things. I have never seen a rise in proof even after 6 passes through activated carbon. As a distiller you are expected to have some knowledge of the requirements. If you are going to do something different they you have to ask permission. They expect you to call them if you have or need clarification. Also they can and will say more than Hmmmm. They can fine you, require that you recall all of your product. Known as a "product recall", and suspend your license all of these are bad.

I know what you are talking about. I think we all had a discussion a while back on questions about ttb rules. You never seam to get the same answer twice in a row as you can never speak to the same person. Like label approvals, one says its ok and the next person wants changes made. I would like to stop by next time I am in Denver. Coop

Well I hate to be the one to burst your bubble but David and Denver you are both wrong. I just got off the phone with the labeling and formulations department of the TTB and indeed you must have treated the alcohol that has been distilled to 190 proof with some kind of charcoal in order for it to be called Vodka! which would render the alcohol tasteless, orderless, colorless. The TTB agent then referred me to a Mr. Neil Pennington who is in charge of all spirits testings at the TTB and he confirmed what I was told by the other agent. I then ask him the question of, that distilling of any alcohol to 95% is enough to meet the requirement of being without distinctive character, aroma, taste, or color, and his reply was no. The only way was to distill to 100% as at 95% there is always carryover of organics in the alcohol. The best chance you can get is by distilling the alcohol from corn as it has the fewest organic carry overs but some is still there. The only statement I made that was in error was that you must use activated charcoal as there are other charcoals that will work, but that activated is the most cost effective way to meet the requirement, end of story. Po Ba to me for telling someone what was the most inexpensive way. Aloha and Merry Christmas to you all. Coop

Vodka=" Neutral spirits distilled or treated after distillation with charcoal or other materials so as to be without distinctive character, aroma, taste or color is what it says. " without distinctive character, aroma, taste or color". As far as I know only activated charcoal is the only way to make it meet this requirement. Any thing else would be sure to add color, aroma or taste to the spirits. You make yours your way and I will make mine my way, Aloha, Coop

To be called Vodka, you do need to make at least one pass through activated carbon. Do it before or after cutting to 80 proof, but you must do it. Coop

You will find out that the world of business and government runs on IBM systems and not MAC. You will need to get a computer that has either Internet explorer or fire fox. The systems IBM and Mac talk to each other but in different ways. We were never able to get any thing done till my partner switched. No problems since. Coop

And cheaper also.Coop

At the last 4 events I was at, Aspen, Vail, Durango and Grand Junction I heard from suppliers, liquor store owners and bar owners. 1, that they could not get any more product. 2, it was sold and production moved back east. 3 there were problems with production and they lost 2 years worth of whiskey? Any one know anything about this? Coop

I have barreled it both at 40% abv and at 80% abv. I think that the higher ABV the alcohol moves in and out of the oak faster giving a much darker color quicker but when cut taste the same as the one put up at 40% abv. But what do I know? Customers love both. Coop

The smaller you grind of course the longer it will take to settle out. You will never get a clear liquid but a milky yellowish liquid that has some very small particulates in it. Scooping the cap off I would not do. It is kept on top by the gasses from the fermentation. These will settle out within a couple hours after fermentation ends. We never get everything out but as grain swells when wet and will be larger and heavier. We get about 90% to 95% of the grain to settle out. Coop