MikeR

I'm looking to do a small release of a single barrel bourbon next year for our 10th anniversary next fall and want a decanter style bottle. Looking for 120 - 150 bottles total, so hoping someone has a few cases of something interesting sitting in their warehouse that needs a new home. Open to all options at this point, will design the label and closure around the bottle. Thanks!

SOLD

FOR SALE: 200mm x 200mm 20 plate filter Used 200mm x 200mm plate filter with Noryl plates. Accommodates 20 plates when in use and I have 26 plates total so you will have a few extra. 1/2HP pump, 110v ac. I installed 1.5" tri-clamp connections for the pump input and output. Pressure gauge is not working but would be easy to replace if desired. Works well, just not needed any longer. Italian Made so all the nuts/bolts/fittings are metric. I will also include 46 Pall K100 400x400 filter pads. I cut these into quarters to use on the plates and never had any issues with that. 46 sheets will give you 9 uses of the filter before you need more filter pads. Paid $800 for it at an auction and looking to get $600 for it.

I would try adding some Gluco-Amylase before you pump into the fermenters if you can. With that much malt you should have no trouble getting the starches converted to sugars, but perhaps you are not breaking them down enough for the yeast. That and adding something with Beta-Glucanase will help thin things out a bit and allow the yeast more access to the sugars. We start at a similar SG and I expect to get 1.004 or below in three days.

Doing production planning for next year and I realize I have some additional capacity in my equipment that might be helping someone else fill barrels and bottles. If you are looking for some additional production capacity or are looking for someone to put some spirit in barrels for you while you are starting up reach out and let me know. Here is a breakdown of my major equipment so you can see if we would be a fit for your needs: 500gal steam injection mash tun with cooling coil 4 x 300gal stainless open top fermenters 250 gal Vendome hybrid still with 4 plate column, dephlegmator, and gin basket send a PM or email to mike@paintedstave.com

We had issues early on with foaming in the fermenters and with slow stripping runs for Rye. We started by adding Beta-Glucanase to the mash in two steps, once during heat up when the Rye is gelatinizing at about 135f for an hour (milled to course flour and Alpha Amalyase added) and again after it has been cooled to 80f and is about to be pumped to fermenters (same time we add Gluco Amalyases). We do a higher cook temperature rest at 170f for 30 min for the corn we add (25%) and then take it up to 190f for half an hour to make sure any other nasties are held at bay, then malt is added during the cooling time at about 160f and another rest. Without the BG it was a lot thicker and we had more foaming and mashes that didn't finish where we wanted them. With the BG the foaming went down, we ferment much drier, and heat-up in the still was greatly improved. In the still, we do find that on occasion we have a rye run that will move very slowly. Typically this is because there is some scorching at the bottom of the pot (doesn't take much). To counter this we heat up the rye a bit slower than we do with Bourbon or Corn whiskey. Doesn't work every time, but we went from issues with every other rye run to 1 in 8. Super low tech way to help with foaming in the fermenter, spray PAM around the insides a few inches below the top. It helps break the foam while it rising and has saved me lots of time cleaning up in the morning.

We use filters from Graver Technologies for Enolmaster. They are about $28 each from our supplier (Harrington Plastics) and we use them a few times, stored in alcohol between uses, depending on the product. https://www.gravertech.com/product-lines/liquid-process-filters/pleated-filters/pmc-series/ We use the PMC 1-10P2S (1 mic) mostly but they come in .5mic if you need more than that.

Depending on the desired product and the low wines proof, we will add water to them to be able to run the spirit and stay below 160p for whiskey. I find that low wines about 60p require me to adjust the run speed and dephlemator/condenser water flow rates to keep below 160p at the start of the run. It is just easier and faster for me to dilute the low wines to 50p and run as expected.

If you are distilling a true finished beer that has been brewed and/or fermented with hops you will not be allowed to call it whiskey in the USA. It will have to be approved as a Distilled Spirits Specialty and you will be required to put a statement on the bottle that says something along the lines of "spirits Distilled from Barley and Hops". Of course there are examples of products made this way that call themselves whiskey, but they were either approved by the TTB in error or the producer is just not being truthful in their formula and COLA. For it to be called Malt Whiskey Flavored with Hops or Hop Flavored Malt Whiskey it would have to meet the TTB definition for Whiskey first (mashed from grain only, distilled under 160p, aged in new charred oak at under 125p) before the hops are added. Adding hops into the mash, ferment, still, or barrel (unless after it has already been aged for the desired period) will push it into DSS and require the appropriate class and type statement. I know this because I have been through this multiple times. It is frustrating but at least the TTB has started consistently applying the rules.