MG Thermal Consulting

Good luck, Sean. I am working with a Frederick distillery in the process of firming up final purchasing and just sent out cooling systems to VA and DC, so you are in a really busy market! Mike Gronski 770-995-4066

Most inspectors will need "proof" of a competent installer who is verse in local codes which can really put you in a bind if ignored. If a new building construction- much, much more- including a PE's drawings, so there are many variables which dictate construction. Good luck, but try to get a referral from another distillery or brewery in the area, that may help.

You can reactivate the carbon by running boiling water through it.

Alex, Let me know if you need help on your chiller side, I have supplied cooling systems to many in the forum, including Paul's clients. www.mgthermalconsulting.com Regards, Mike

Normally, distillers use their mash transfer pump (diaph. type) to push the mash through. Centrifugals are not usually a good match. I would get my pump recommendation from where I purchase the exchanger, simple as that.

If you're on a tight budget, I have a couple rebuilt 3 HP chillers that can be used for you still condenser cooling, one is 460/3/60 and the other 230/3/60. Also a rebuilt 5 HP 230/3/60.

Works for the still but you will need chilled water for the mash cool. One of the manufacturers I get referrals from is setting up his continuous stills that way, uses a shell and tube heat exchanger for the mash which can be used with either city water or a closed loop cooling system.

good luck to you as well, if you have any questions about you cooling side of things give me a call/email. Have some new and rebuilt chillers available in 2 week lead times as well as drycoolers to run the cooling without refrigeration for the winter and then add a heat recovery chiller in the summer for a slick way to save on heating btus.

I recently received a call from a new distiller that purchased a chiller and reservoir tank to go along with fermenters and mash cooker from a equipment distributor. Problems arose when he tried to cool his mash run of 1000 gal with a 3 HP chiller and 1000 gal reservoir. A shortfall of many Btu's. He is able to reduce temperature of mash 34 degrees F in an hour (the easy part). For this run he will probably have to dump in a sizable amount of ice into his reservoir to get this run chilled. A 1000 Gal mash tun will usually need 15-20 ton chiller with a sizable reservoir larger than the volume of the mash run size and some cases 30 ton or larger chillers if any of the stills are running or if many fermenters are being temperature controlled. There are various methods to mitigate the size of the chiller somewhat (a size or two) by reclaiming heat from the hot return chilled water, but these have to be well thought out and planned for. For all new distillers, please find out what some of your associates are using for cooling size of mash tuns or contact me and I will pass along some names of distillers to discuss the type system I supplied them. I have new and reused chillers, drycoolers, heat exchangers and pumps that can be sized together for mash cooling, still cooling and temperature control of fermenters and I will consult for types of thermal solutions for distilleries. This forum is a great place to gather enough information to be not caught in a similar situation.

If you can estimate the Gal/day you used, I could check the system needed to chill with a closed loop. Mike

I have a large package chiller to be remanufactured, less than a year old, which is a multiple compressor scroll, 100 ton. Customer price will look like a 50 ton unit. It will be remanufactured with a different evaporator section and all new controls (PLC). If we know ahead of time, we can customize circuits and add pump. This figures to be gone next month, this would come close with a little room for all the cooling. Stumpy- you didn't say if the chiller system is included? Mike G 770-995-4066

Joe, I think I had given out budget pricing on a cooling system for the distillery but didn't wind up with the project. Treaty Oak, aways from you a bit, has a system I supplied, tho. Good luck and if you need something, give me a call. Mike

Where are you located? I am quoting the cooling system for a distillery at a resort being redone at VA Beach (it has been a bear for the consulting engineer on the job, tho). I think CA is going to be heading your way as well. I just quoted some systems out there and believe they can serve mixed drinks on-site, so I assume restaurants or bistros won't be far behind. Mike Gronski MG Thermal Consulting 770-995-4066

I do know another guy, does both brewing and distilling consulting, especially if you're in the NE US, he's out of downstate NY and has just finished up with a distillery up on the Hudson. Real close to NJ, NY and PA outfits looking for help. He works straight hourly cost. Of course, W.R. performs the function you speak of and I deal with their clients often.

I have worked on a couple in ag areas or areas where a hole deep enough to bury a glycol or water storage tank. One uses a chiller with second loop exchanger to take the water from the underground concrete cistern colder for the mash cooling and summer use (TN/KY border distillery). The other uses a underground fiberglass tank that pumps the glycol mix underground to a dry air/glycol cooler which can chill the glycol colder and at night (S. MO in the mountains). The MO distillery has been using their new add-on cooling for a year and the TN distillery hasn't completed construction as yet, but will be up and running before years end. In most cases in the far North, the most economical way to go is a drycooler where a backup chiller may only be needed in summer. I am finishing one project that an ambient hybrid cooler will plan to run only 2-3 months for primary mash cooling and finished with Great Lakes water, but will provide most all still requirements. The mash cooling also reclaims heat for the next batch of mash, saving on boiler btu's since the city (Great Lakes) water is still cold, even in summer. I would like to talk to you about your design as I may have some products that would work well with your geothermal design. Regards, Mike Gronski www.mgthermalconsulting.com

One of the vendors I use out of courtesy to me, has begun remanufacturing chillers for use in the Beer and Distillery markets. One of the first will be completed in December, a 100 ton chiller with scroll compressors and circulating pump. One year parts warranty and a buy-in for a 3 year parts warranty. To finish the system they will also provide a poly reservoir, insulated and with necessary fittings to mate up with the chiller in the field. Once used, these chillers are remanufactured using the company's PLC controller which can be programmed to be used with a customer's automation system, too. As units become available, they will be placed on my website if they aren't sold in a couple weeks. If anyone is in need of large remanufactured cooling systems, drop me a line with a request, and will respond when a likely candidate is found. Regards, Mike G

Cooling a wash can be done by pumping through a external plate exchanger plus either city water or a closed loop chiller (I can send photos of the chiller system commonly used for your size loads). Mike G MG Thermal www.mgthermalconsulting.com

I have a 3 HP reconditioned chiller for sale which would be able to supply chilled water for this as well as mash cooling for an even larger mash tun. voltage is 230/3/60. Chiller is the basic Rite-Temp as seen on my website. Mike G 770-995-4066

Good luck on your opening. If you need any cooling equipment, big or small, give me a shout. Mike Gronski, 770-995-4066. www.MGthermalconsulting,com

I knew a guy that worked for a company down in FL and they distilled reclaim refrigerant and they used wood, he was kept pretty busy cutting wood and running the still! Hey Jake, haven't heard from you in a while- moving from coast to coast, eh? Mike

Please let me know if your buyer needs a chiller for either mash cooling, still cooling or both. I have new and reconditioned chillers available. Mike Gronski MG Thermal Consulting 770-995-4066

I'd talk to Colin Coan over at Dutch's Spirits over by the Hudson, they have bought another distillery that is doing large volumes and I believe they are looking for clients. Mike Gronski MG Thermal

...Just got out the 90's here outside Atlanta, glad that the sticky summer is almost over (from a transplanted Northerner). Mike G

Good luck to you! I used to live in Charlotte for work for a bit. I just quoted a cooling system to a distillery starting up near Raleigh, getting busier in NC. Mike Gronski MG Thermal Consulting

Welcome, I'm from Corning and lived for many years in Buffalo and traveled North country often. Recently supplied Niagara Distilling their chiller system (if you go back far enough on their facebook page you can see it hooked up to the indoor water reservoir tank. Years ago I supplied a small chiller for the apple orchard business up by you for their cold filtering the apple jack they were cooking I miss the area living outside Atlanta now (especially now!). Give me a call if you are ready to put together some budgets for your cooling. Mike Gronski 770-995-4066