Shindig

I was thinking of taking the Letina M730 mixing tank and adding an immersion element. Plan was to add hot water form a tankless water heater then raising the temp to 180dg for the corn (bourbon mash bill). Would the motor hold up ? Would the element be remotely efficient? Trying to create something for around $4,000 and all electric. http://www.stpats.com/2014Letina/145813_StPATRICKS_M7300A10_ver1.pdf http://www.bubbasbarrels.com/6-kw-immersion-heater-w-thermostat

Where is the rum distillery going? Offering rum specific classes??

Dehner Thanks for sharing ! You seem to be one of the only peolpe that share exactly how you do things.

Dehner What volume of grain mash? Doesn't the water cool off too much after hitting the vessel and grain to maintain 180dg? It would be great to use this method!

Are you interested in opening a distillery in Northern Michigan? We are on the lookout for a few more owners/investors to band together to make something great. We have a great option with a low rent lease and all the paperwork ready to submit for the DSP. What we need is a little more capital and a lot of passion for the industry !

I use a VERY ($$) high grade of molasses and haven't even had to adjust the PH much. DAP, FermK and commercially available yeast and have had great results!

Did they screenprint it too?

I can't belive 50% are shutting down at this point. If they were where the hell is all the used equipment for sale !!! Haha I agree that some will be closing but if you compare us to the brewing industry then only time will tell if there is a true big bubble. In our town 2-3 breweries and atleast one winery open each year and they are all doing well , who would have thought. We do live in a major tourist town that brings in a ton of money and that may be part of the equation. I will also say my partner opened a brewey 8 months ago (with other people )in a shithole part of our state and with less than $100k. They just bought another building and have paid off ALL of their equipment and are planning a 1 million expansion next year! All I can say is I have seen the liqour industry grow and grow even after people have called a bubble. Some do it on a shoe string but have the passion and make it BIG! don't loose heart everyone . Cheers and happy holidays ?

HedgeBird How did the Letina tank work out for you? Which model # did you order?

rtshfd What kind of rate did you get? What percent of the equipment are they willing to finance ?

The biggest thing for me is what needs to be included in the drawing. I have put measurements all doors and windows placement of equipment and labeled the bonded in non-minded areas. I just want to make sure I'm not missing something before submitting. Thank you everyone for your comments and suggestions

Dehner So you add the 1-2 cups of mollases before distilling for the flavor profile? Do you let the yeast settle and rack before going in the still or just pump the whole tank over to the still?

Left turn - Great setup! Thanks for the visual

LeftTurn- Can you send a pic of your setup ?

Dehner- Its funny I keep hearing two different stories on agitation. Some say the ferment should not be agitated at all after fermentation starts and others say it should. I thought that the active fermentation caused the tank to self agitate. Now that is with 300 gallons or more. I would think the small home style batches might not be getting much heat or agitation because of their size. Very confused. I have also noticed motors on some large fermentation tanks of 500 gallons or more at some distilleries but most do not have motors on the tanks.

I am trying to get a realistic idea of what time and effort will be needed for accounting and paperwork for a 1500 case/yr startup . There are only 2 of us (with fulltime jobs on the side and only so many hours in the day. We know our production times and have our first product worked out but have no clue on what paperwork / office time we need to budget our time for.What paperwork is needed daily/weekly and how much time is needed to complete it all?

Does anyone know about the direct relationship on the size of the pot to the size/diameter of the column on a hybrid still? I am wondering about a 4-6 plate column. If you had a 100 gallon pot what diameter column would be the most efficient? Can you put a 12inch diameter column on a 100 gallon pot ?

Did these sell?

Can anyone give me an idea of what is needed for the DSP premises diagram? I heard we need to submit one with the paperwork.

I am trying to figure out if it is worth the time, money and man hours to go to these spirit shows and contests. I am guessing that most of the people that go to these shows are industry people and not the average customer. I have asked friends if they would buy a product because they have won an award and most don't even care. I am wondering if money is better spend on advertising vs going to these contests and spirit events. There are only so many hours in the day....... Thoughts?

Has anyone used Advanced Label?

any recommendations for a good label company? We need a little help with design too.

Troy After you pump it into a container how do you draw the water out?

does anyone have a recommendation for a good business credit card ? Low rates? Good rewards?

They are ALL hard to come by. Used doesn't necessarily mean cheaper. It may be quicker to order new then to wait for one of these brand stills to show up on the used market in that size. Most of the big boys are only 10-14 months out! Haha Good luck.