Hypnopooper

In the process of setting up our distillery last year, we incorporated as "Big Thicket Distilling Co". That was registered with the stat on 1/17/2013. Last May we found out that another company registered "Big Thicket Brewery LLC" They registered with the state on 2/5/2013. We decided to ignore them, as they were making beer, we were making spirits, different products. Fast forward to the present, during our TTB application process, we were notified that the TTB considers the first applicant to be the owner of the name, and the TTB is requesting for us (Big Thicket Distilling Co) to either change our name or get approval from the brewing company. Problem is what first started off as a sure from the brewery, has turned into a we need to talk to partners before such an approval would be given. All be it, clearly we have the first dibs based on filing dates within our state. TTB is pulling a chicken shit move by simply stating that first come first serve and leaving it up to us to fight this out putting our permit in jeopardy even though the filing documents with TTB clearly show our incorporation dates and assuming the brewey had to produce similar documentation. Oh and brewery was co founded by lawyer, so he has much more ability to drag this out and keep this unresolved than we do. Any suggestion on what we should do next? I have a hunch that a cease and desist threat letter if you don't give permission will go far.

In the process of setting up our distillery last year, we incorporated as "Big Thicket Distilling Co". That was registered with the stat on 1/17/2013. Last May we found out that another company registered "Big Thicket Brewery LLC" They registered with the state on 2/5/2013. We decided to ignore them, as they were making beer, we were making spirits, different products. Fast forward to the present, during our TTB application process, we were notified that the TTB considers the first applicant to be the owner of the name, and the TTB is requesting for us (Big Thicket Distilling Co) to either change our name or get approval from the brewing company. Problem is what first started off as a sure from the brewery, has turned into a we need to talk to partners before such an approval would be given. All be it, clearly we have the first dibs based on filing dates within our state. TTB is pulling a chicken shit move by simply stating that first come first serve and leaving it up to us to fight this out putting our permit in jeopardy even though the filing documents with TTB clearly show our incorporation dates and assuming the brewey had to produce similar documentation. Oh and brewery was co founded by lawyer, so he has much more ability to drag this out and keep this unresolved than we do. Any suggestion on what we should do next? I have a hunch that a cease and desist threat letter if you don't give permission will go far.

We met with the TABC last week and just posted our 60 day sign on Thursday. We had filed our DSP paper work the day before the federal shutdown, so we are spending our time and energy on state, Montgomery County and City of Conroe.

Yellow Rose Distillery uses a Hoga with steam coil. Get in touch with Troy Smith troy@yellowrosedistilling.com. Yellow Rose won best in class in Denver last spring at the ADI conference.

We ordered 3 of the Letina ZR 620 tanks from St Pats for spirit storage. Got them in less than 7 days. They were crated well and emailed to let me know when they shipped. Customer service is a little to be desired as they appear to prefer email communications over voice. Overall not a terribly unpleasant transaction.

It might be enough for a remote tasting room or boutique resale location, check you state laws. I think you will find that 400 sq ft is well below adequate space that is needed for a safe and profitable distillery. We are in the TTB permitting process and our facility is 3200sq feet. We originally thought we were in too large of a space, but when you figure in the following that we were placing in the distillery, space fills up quickly. Tasting room (a good deal of profit depending on the restrictions in your state. We will be able to sell 3000 gallons for on premises consumption and (2) .750 bottles per month for off premises consumption) (2) 100 gallon stills (3) 250 gallon fermentation tanks Steam boiler RO process water tank bottling labeling office for record keeping pallets of bottles, grain, or NGS (if thats you thing). The space fills up pretty quickly.

Find a good boiler service company, and buy a used boiler. Boilers are a lot like cars, the first buyer pays a premium, while a good used one that has been well maintained should save you a good deal of money. I picked up a boiler last week from a company that sold me a 20 HP (837,000 BTU) Hurst vertical boiler, they they maintained yearly from new in 1999 until 2011 when it was pulled out of service. Including the blow down tank and boiler feed pump and tank it was about $8600. Additionally, by going with an older model I was able to save extra since I don't have to meet new Boiler low NOx requirements in Texas. He is refreshing the unit up this weekend with paint and and tuning the power flame before deliver in a week or 2, and will guarantee the unit free of any issues for the first year with no cost service & parts.

Hewn, I agree, however, our business plan is to move to a 6" or an 8" column as spirit sales increase and distillation time becomes a bigger factor on the 2 separate stills. These are perfect for starting off within a budget and being able to upgrade pieces at a time. Since we are utilizing a large chiller with a 400 gallon cooling reservoir, the 4" deplhegmater should be able to handle the load easily. In time, In time.

These are great so far. We received 2 units on July 31. Our order was placed on May 2. Overall workmanship looks great. It cost an addition $1200 ground transfer from LAX port to Houston and for federal import fee's. I was a little disappointed in the paint job done on the motors, but I they should be fully functional. I'll replace the motors at another time if needed. These are 125 Gallon (100 Gallon with headspace) units. Each are steam jacketed and insulated to focus the steam on the internal liquids. They cam with motors and are rated at 15PSI. I added a 4"-6" concentric reducer to attach a hillbilly column to it. We havent ran it yet as we are still waiting on DSP and our process steam boiler to power them with. Here is a pic with the column attached minus the motor.

Got to take a look at Distillery Solutions while visiting Dancing Pines in Colorado a couple of weeks ago. It looks like a stellar tool. Kristian was not on site so we were not able to get an under the hood look though.

Looking for assistance here. I am specifically stuck on this question on our application: "With respect to the operations of a warehouseman for Beverage use, give the total amount of bulk wine gallons that can be stored" I understand that this is based upon what we are bonded for, but, if I don't have the bond yet, how am I supposed to give a specific number for this question in the application process? Can someone point me in the right direction here?

Since I am basically building the still with mix and match components, that makes me the still provider. For now we are going to be using a 4 and 6 plate hillbilly stills, with a desire to move to a 6" column in the future. I don't think hillbilly has any details like boiler size requirements especially since I had commissioned the work for the distilling tanks myself. I am now thinking more along the lines of a Sussman ES-135 to ES-180. The ES-180 can provide the needed 300K BTU and 600lbs/hr steam to run to stills simultaneously, but I'm thinking I could save some money and go with the ES-135 and stagger my still usage by not starting the second until the first is up to temperature. Any Thoughts?

I am getting two distilling tanks delivered next week. Each tank is capable of distilling 100 gallons each at a time. The tanks are insulated and steam jacketed for 15PSI steam. We will be using a 4 inch plated column, but eventually will move to 6" plated columns. I am looking at electric steam generators/boilers. Specifically the Sussman ES-30 or the Electric Mr.Steam CU750 Steam Generator. I want to power 2 stills at the same time. We will also be mashing on the grain in these same tanks. Can anyone tell me if these 2 can power my stills? Currently I am eyeing 2 steam generators. The specs for each are as follows: Sussman ES-30 = 30KW, 3.06Bhp, 90.4 Steam Lbs/Hr, 208 3phase, 84 Amps Mr. Steam CU750 = 18KW, 1.84 Bhp, 54.2 Steam Lbs/Hr, 208 3 phase, 50 Amps My distilling tank design is also attached. new-474L1.pdf

http://balconesdistilling.com/email/2013-07-17-Distillery.html Balcones Breaks Ground on New Distillery (July 17, 2013) Waco, TX—After many months of searching for the right partners, Balcones Distilling is breaking ground on what will be one of the most innovative and significant craft whisky distilleries in the world. Custom-built equipment designed by the head distiller, Chip Tate, will allow the distillery to grow distribution to reach markets across the world. Currently operating out of a 2000 square foot converted welding shop, Balcones will be installing a new distillery in a 1923 landmark Waco building just five blocks from the current production site. Originally built as a fireproof storage building, the 65,000 square foot structure is only one a few to have survived the 1953 tornado that gutted Waco's city center. "This vault of a building is a jewel that has been preserved from Waco's heyday. Now, we hope it will be a part of downtown's rebirth. It's exciting to be able to help transform part of Waco's history into a part of it's future," said Chip Tate, President and Head Distiller. Greg Allen heads the new investor group who together with Austin-based Michael Rockafellow are making the expansion possible. Mark Allen, Paul Allen, Rob McLaughlin, Noell Michaels and Pat Donehue are also part of the new team. "Balcones has been fortunate enough to have a number of investment partners interested in working with us. But we've held out for partners that share our commitment to quality over quick return and who are interested in growing a business that we can pass on to our children. Many investors see that approach as old-fashioned, but we've taken time to find a group we're proud to call partners," said Tate. "For the first time ever, we will be able to dictate our production levels based on what we want to make rather than how much we can make," says Tate. Demand for Balcones' whiskies have quadrupled over the last year making it difficult to find bottles on the shelf. "It's a wonderful problem to have, having so much enthusiasm for what we make. At the same time, it's frustrating for us as well as consumers that it is so hard to find Balcones in stores. We'll never compromise quality for quantity, but this expansion will allow us to grow both. It will also be exciting to be able to try our hand at a few new recipes." Half of the equipment for the expansion will be built in-house by the distillers while the larger stills and tanks will be built by fourth generation still makers, Forsyths of Scotland. The Balcones team hopes to have the new distillery running by early 2015 with additional production increases in the current distillery coming online by end of summer 2013. The eventual build out will allow for 6 sets of stills similar in size to those used by artisan distilleries in Scotland. "The new investment in Balcones' future coincides with our fifth anniversary," say Tate. "We have a special collection of individual casks that will be released over the course of the year in celebration. It's wonderful to know that we will finally have the production capacity to not only get bottles of our standard line back on shelves, but also continue to produce more special release and experimental casks like these." About Balcones Distilling Within the US craft whisky industry, Balcones has become synonymous with expertise, innovation and precision, having produced some of the most highly acclaimed artisanal whiskies to come out of the US over the last five years since it's founding in 2008. Chip and his crew built Balcones from scratch. From metal sheeting and copper, to old stainless steel vessels bought on eBay, the team of three built the Texan distillery from the bottom up. Since then, Balcones has gone on to the first distillery to have been awarded Whisky Magazine's Icons of Whisky - Craft Whiskey Distillery of the Year as well as Wizards of Whisky's Global Distillery of the Year and US Craft Distillery of the Year awards, all in 2012. To date, Balcones has collected over five-dozen medals and awards for their range of spirits.

Double post. Admin please delete this thread.

Rum wash is beneficial for agricultural uses find farmers and plant nurseries. Grain is often disposed of by creating a relationship with local pig and cattle farmers for feed purposes.

Titos' used to provide distillery tours before moving to their newest location but they claim that they no longer offer them due to insurance costs. I have heard from one other distillery in the Austin area that Tito's is not quite as hand-made as is used to be. He refused to elaborate any further, to not speak ill of the brand. I just read several weeks ago that they just inked a deal with United Airlines to be their exclusive vodka served in flight. As for the success of Bert Butler and the 5th Generation Distillery, I raise my glass and hope to aspire at least to 1/10 of those sales numbers. Salud!

SB 905 has been signed by Gov. Perry. On site sales will begin on 9/1/2013.

Looks like SB 905 passed in the Texas House yesterday. Gov. Perry will have to veto the bill in order to keep this from happening. If he ignores the bill or signs it, new law takes place on 9/1/2013.

My research revealed the followings hoses: http://nelsonjameson.com/Protector-Suction-38-Discharge-Hose-PSD--p8628.html or http://www.gwkent.com/goodyear-vintner-hose-with-tc-hose-adaptor.html

Of course, it is Texas so unless you own a fire-arms business out of state, Gov. Perry may still need to be reminded there are current Texas owned business's in his state that could still use a little less state regulations. In all honesty, I happened to meet Gov. Perry when I visited Garrison Brothers Distillery in Hye Tx last summer (while i was doing some home work). He was taking the tour. It does appear that Perry and Dan Garrison were once neighbors and are still friendly. Perry stated that if a bill came to his desk to help distilleries in TX he would sign it. https://www.box.com/s/9dhykali2kz278pmu8e2

Yes, it hopefully will happen this year. http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=83R&Bill=SB905

Can you also send me details on your new chillers?

Interested. Please forward me model details, pricing and pics when you get them. Thanks.

Also interested. Ditto for model details. Also where is this item located?