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MikeW

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Everything posted by MikeW

  1. Who do you guys use for controls for controlling the temperature in your Fermenters? Mike
  2. Take a look at this. http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2015/03/13/has-looming-bourbon-shortage-arrived/?intcmp=obmod_ffo&intcmp=obnetwork
  3. If you are looking for a cooling consultant, you can't do much better than MG Thermal, who responded to your post! Mike
  4. Is the DMA-35 certified by the TTB?
  5. Oh yeah, the tanks are underground, so the temp never changes.
  6. I have 56 degree water stored in tanks from wells. How much water at 56 degrees will I use through a 200 ft. tube in tube mash cooler to cool 1000 gallons of mash from 200 degrees to 80 degrees.? And what is the optimum speed to run it? Obviously there will be a couple of stops along the way, but for arguments sake is there anyone out there who can help me prove to my partner and myself that I have enough? The heated water is going to go through heat exchangers to preheat boiler and mash water. Mike
  7. 24 hours - no response.... I guess that tells me something.
  8. Sorry, if I missed a previous thread but, is anyone using in-line Steam Injection with a Jet Cooker to cook corn? Just curious. And if you are, how is it working for you?
  9. Looks like the Snap 40 is accurate to .2% at $1200+/- and the Snap 50 to .1% at $3500+/-. Are these ok with the TTB? Can you check gravity of a fermenting mash with them as well as proof spirits?
  10. Mother Murphy's Flavors call Al Murphy 615-330-1925 Tell him the guys at Collier and McKeel said hello
  11. What are the Aussie rules on White Whiskey and Whiskey aged under 3 years?
  12. I have been told that after the TTB made some software changes in December that there were some fields added to the application on line. If you don't fill in those fields, you're application is listed as "incomplete". It's worth checking.
  13. Coop, Where the heck do you get 53 gallon barrels for $115?
  14. Thanks for the advice. It is always appreciated.
  15. I failed to mention, that we have a chiller that was handling everything we have, PLUS 8, 20 barrel fermenters that are no longer there. So we have a lot of extra chiller capacity. Also, someone may want to know, the condenser is made of copper. Other than capacity of the chiller, are there other problems?
  16. Is anyone using Glycol straight from a chiller to cool a still's condenser? We are within 4 weeks of installing a 500 gallon still and have glycol plumbed across the ceiling directly past the place where the condenser will be. It would be very simple to plumb it straight into the condenser and out the top, back into the loop. It is chilled to 31 F. I know there must be a downside.
  17. You know, I do apoligize, I kinda got carried away there and posted a rather long post in a thread where it didn't belong. I guess, my fingers got excited. This is an important thread. Sorry.
  18. In Tennessee, there is no "three-tier system" spelled out in the law, but the practical effect of the body of law, creates a three-tier system. My guess is that is the case in a lot of states, and possibly the US Code. Alcohol laws have been written, rewritten and amended so many times that unless you live with your head in the law book they are very hard to understand. At least ours are. Now, nobody asked me, but, as a 5 term member of a state legislature and now a professional lobbyist (who happens to be in the process of building a distillery) if you really want to change some laws here is some advice: 1) you don't have to have a lobbyist, but you are better off with one. You are in the business of making spirits, a lobbyist is in the business of taking care of your business at the Capitol. Things take a long time to get done at the Capitol, but when they happen they happen fast and not always with a lot of notice. You might not be there when it happens and your opponent's lobbyist will be. By all means, have a professional write your legislation. A friendly legislator will probably have staff do it. If you don't have a lobbyist be prepared to spend a lot of time running to the Capitol. Whether you have a lobbyist or not, the group must give someone permission to sign off on amendments, changes and compromises and that person must be available and show up at all hearings/meetings/discussions. You can't vote on everything. 2) Be prepared for incremental progress and compromise. There is an old saying in lobbying: "the perfect can be the enemy of the good". In other words, refusing to accept any progress until the three tier system is abolished will prevent you from getting improved laws. My guess is that we are going to be waiting along time to get rid of the 3TS, but there are other things that would help us here. If you get less than you want this year, the legislature meets next year. Come back again. 3) If you don't know your State Rep and State Senator you are stupid. Have you invited them to your distillery? Did you go to his open meeting at the courthouse? Did you contribute $100 to his last campaign? And don't give me that stuff about he is a Republican and you're not (or the other way around) This isn't about national healthcare or a Supreme Court nominee. He is IN and is probably going to stay in, and he represents your distillery. Ask and he'll probably help you. If he won't, feel free to oppose him in the next election, but the chances of beating an incumbent are slim. You're better off making friends and taking any help he can give. If he is just opposed to drinking, give him a break and ask him to introduce you to some of his colleagues and to not be against you. There's more than one way to skin a cat and there are different levels of opposition. 4) There is strength in numbers. Get everyone together and go to the Capitol. Go see your personal legislators and then see everyone on the committee that is hearing the legislation. Have written talking points so that everyone is delivering the same message. Have a one page written summary for the legislator. They are busy. Distilleries aren't the only thing they are thinking about. If you give them a book, they won't read it. Go every year, whether you have a bill to lobby or not. Think about hosting a distiller's reception. 5) Meet the staff person in charge of the legislation. They can be a lot of help, more than the legislator most of the time. Be very nice to the secretary. You want your calls on the call list. 6) Know the lobbying laws inside and out. Generally, as a business person you can't get in much trouble. But be careful. Find out if it is legal for you to give little gifts, like shot glasses, coasters or bottles of your product. DO NOT, ever say, "this is in consideration for your vote." That is a bribe, and people have gone to jail for less. Say, "this is to show our appreciation for your service to our state." If gifts are illegal don't give them. 7) Don't threaten. "We will remember in November" will probably be counter productive. Saying, "if you don't do this we will be against you" will just hack them off. 8) If they tell you yes, but vote no, go back and ask why. Be polite, but don't let them get away with that. "I'll do all I can for you" or "I'll be there" is not a yes. It's a dodge. If they say something like that, ask if that means yes. When they say yes, write it down or mark your sheet so that he can see that you are putting him in the "yes" column. Always remember that "No" is the second best answer. At least you know and can count him. If he says maybe, you have to go back again and again. You can change state law but you have to be persistent, organized, and prepared for a long frustrating process. And let's not get into a discussion of how the system needs reform. Of course it does, but the system we have is the system we have. Trying to reform the system will just keep you from working on your industry's laws and regulations. If you ever want to hear the story of how we passed the new Tennessee distillery law, let me know.
  19. Couldn't agree more, you do have to wade through the results, and you do have to rank them and choose the winner, and there are some pretty common and bad submissions, but we were very happy with our results, and we got submissions from a lot more folks than just one guy that we had to pay whether we liked his work or not. I encourage you to take a look and if it works for you, then give it a shot.
  20. By the way, I love your Baby Bourbon. If my Tennessee Whiskey turns our so well, I will be very proud. How do you get by without having an age statement on the bottle?

  21. Ralph,

    We actually passed the bill last year. I'm a former member of the Tennessee House, and now a lobbyist by profession, so I had an advantage. Several folks pitiched in, including the guys at Corsair Artisan. Andrew Webber from Corsair will be at Louisville this week.

    Our bill was termed the "craft distiller bill" but we didn't put any restrictions on what a...

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