MG Thermal Consulting

Hello and good luck!

I lived in Charlotte for a bit (my favorite place was the Cajun Queen downtown).

I work out of NE Atlanta and hope to have some equipment in down here soon, but if I can help you out on your chillers or carbon filters for spirit filtering along with the activated carbon media, let me know.

Mike Gronski

MG Thermal consulting

770-995-4066

According to the manufacturer I am working with on activated carbon absorbers, the "contact time" is very important in the selection and type granule as well as the colder temperature to "activate" the carbon.

The cost of the absorber columns I suppose is how much is required to be absorbed. It's all dependent on each distiller product assessment.

What size absorber/filter did you get a price on Crazyhorse? PM me and I will try to compare.

Mike

The company I work with has different size particles it offers as standard.

A lot of this depends on contact time.

I can price out 50 Lb. bags.

I can also calculate and supply the carbon filter assembly, if required.

Mike Gronski

770-995-4066

Good luck to you!

I just shipped a chiller system up the Hudson in NY to a combination brewery/distillery.

Let me know when you get to the point of looking at cooling loads.

Mike

Depends on the flow of water you need, maybe 5-15 GPM and whatever pressure drop is through piping an def, somewhere around 35 Psig oughta do it. I'd get a TEFC motor on it.

Hey Roger,

If you haven't sourced out your carbon filter, give me a shout.

Mike

Good Luck to you!

Great bunch here to get answers from.

I offer the water/glycol cooling systems plus a new item, activated carbon filter assemblies!

Looking forward to following your progress here.

Mike Gronski

MG Thermal Consulting Co.

On the water/glycol cooling, it depends what the client wants, if they purchase the chiller from me, I don't charge on the consulting end, but if it's for visit and to look over the system for a cooling issue, then it's more on the consulting end which I do charge for, how much depends on travel.

Welcome,

I lived in Charlotte a while back and remember driving around the area on sales trips.

Should you need any chilled water/glycol systems when you expand, please keep me in mind.

I fellow I used to work with there is with a refrigeration contractor in the area, should you need a contractor. He is a great guy and super clever at installations for chilled water systems having to lay them out for the company we worked for.

Mike Gronski

MG Thermal Consulting

I have made an agreement with a carbon filtering company to produce carbon chill filtration assemblies for my clients.

As some of you know, I offer water/glycol chillers for the "chill" part of the process and will now be able to Match sizing and calculate carbon requirement and custom assemblies to fill clients needs.

I am looking forward to discussing this product with you all.

Mike Gronski

Using ethanol would mean anywhere there's piping going anywhere a spark can happen, you will need explosion proof rating for all electrical.

Huge expense adder.

My Bro who lives in Binghamton usually skipes me and we watch together, both good and bad Bills! Watkins wasn't the same after he was hurt, same as a lot of rookies who have a hard time with the beatings of a long season.

I had season tickets during the 90's superbowl runs and there wasn't anything that was close to that excitement (and the agony either, ugh!). Haven't been to a game since '99

Same for me, Sabres after the Bills season was done..."No Goal!" rants up there with the "Music City Backwards Pass".

Well, at least the Bills coach will have plenty to say next year!!

Good luck to you on the start-up! (A few guys are opening up in the Lehigh Valley, have to talked to them?)

Thanks for the thumbs up Mike!

Just went over the plans with the mechanical installing a new system in downtown, Buffalo's historic district.

I lived in the burbs of Buffalo for many years and I'm sure glad the downtown area is being revitalized.

The distillery will be practically next door to Shea's playhouse, another historic building, and hopes to draw the theatre crowd for tastings.

I think it's going to be a record year for openings!

Sorry to hear that.

I hope you don't have any trouble with you local gov'ment, I know Atlanta is a toughie, from what I've heard from a couple of the fellows I'm working with.

The local scene is picking up somewhat with Old 4th opening up and American Spirits waiting for stills to arrive mid-year. Another fellow in Atlanta is coming along as well, name slips my mind, think he's in Mid'town.

I've got pictures from the last system over in CT, if you want me to send them over (they bought one of Trident's mash coolers).

Good luck on your progress.

Mike

Depends how you match up the chiller to it for the entire cooling load, but certainly more than the volume of the mash.

The long and short of it for chiller design as far as energy efficiency is to use the highest temperature tolerable which lets you use lower HP/ton of refrigeration cooling.

I have seen installs where the distillery uses 25F glycol to start the mash cool and lets the chiller lose ground until it winds up at over 70F.

This is a very wasteful concept because it costs you nearly twice the energy to make 25F glycol as 50F water (or glycol).

I try to use the most energy efficient concepts in designing systems along with down to earth explanations that is appreciated by clients.

I would say somewhere around $15K for chiller, piping, poly reservoir tank (if you intend on mash cooling) and process pump.

Does not include wiring or labor, around 3 days for piping and not too much extra on wiring since electricians will be there for the other equipment (unless this is an add on).

Does this help?

I have a reconditioned 230/3/60 3HP chiller that you could supply condenser closed loop cooling that would match up to this size still.

PM me if you need price and spec sheet.

More of a problem in cities, historical districts especially, where you can't locate chillers outdoors and can't discharge hot refrigerant condenser air easily if chiller placed indoors. Usually means going to a split chiller, costing more in piping and installation.

I know of guys who had to move entirely because a town "changed their minds" on whether to allow a distillery in town.

Mike, Hi!

Mike here too, I work with cooling systems and can answer questions and offer equipment solutions for your distillery.

Just touched base with another Cali outfit opening up, so good luck to you, too!

Welcome Larry! I deal with the other side (chilled water/glycol) of things.

Maybe we'll bump into each other sometime.

Mike

A friend has a new Evapco cooling tower, new and unused at a jobsite in GA that was incorrectly ordered that for any of you out there using cooling towers is available for immediate shipment at about an $8,000 savings from the new price. It would cool 276 GPM water from 98 to 86F at 78 F Wet bulb.

Photo file too large to send.

Mike G.

MG thermal

770-995-4066

Exactly my recommendation, with additional caution for the maximum flow drawn out out of the well (I like to put a filter package in if I have any additional exchangers involved- have one like that now where the guy is using old milkhouse reservoir with booster cooling from his low temp chiller & isolation exchanger).

5 to 8 HP should do it, depending where you're located and if you're using chilled water for the fermenters as well.

Minimum 500 to 600 gallon reservoir, larger if you intend on multiple mash cools per day.

Wouldn't a customer want a closed loop if all he had was 65F water to cool both mash and still condenser, especially on a cooling jacket?