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nabtastic

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  1. nabtastic
    Thanks for the responses. I've already ordered the proof hydrometers (the one in the link actually) and was wondering about the gravity readings for mash - I will not be using it for density of distilled spirits. bluestar: I don't see NIST being mentioned from the TTB but coleparme said that it was traceable to NIST facility (though I suppose that doesn't mean the hydrometer itself is NIST calibrated..) oh, any thought on Anton-Paar's DMA 5000M v Rudolph Research's DM45?
  2. nabtastic
    I'm looking at Proof and specific gravity hydrometers from here http://www.coleparmer.com/Product/H_B_Durac_Plain_Form_Glass_Hydrometer_ASTM_125H_1_000_1_050_SG_0_0005/WU-08297-80 They conform to ASTM and are traceable to the NIST/A2LA manufacturing facility. Any reason why these wouldn't work? Below is an expert from the TTB: § 30.24 Specific gravity hydrometers. Return to Top (a) The specific gravity hydrometers furnished by proprietors to appropriate TTB officers shall conform to the standard specifications of the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) for such instruments. Such specific gravity hydrometers shall be of a precision grade, standardization temperature 60 °/60 °F., and provided in the following ranges and subdivisions: ( B ) A certificate of accuracy prepared by the instrument manufacturer for the instrument shall be furnished to the appropriate TTB officer.
  3. nabtastic
    ok I'm following you. Now, why do you know this information? I suddenly feel like I'm behind the times a bit.. lol actually I could see that being really useful in still designs
  4. nabtastic
    The DMA 5000M suggested use requires their "alcolyzer" to be used with liqueurs and is the only AP approved for tax reporting. The Mettler-toledo is cheaper but requires a bench still (in place of the AP alcolyzer) to control for solubles, currently waiting on word from RR.. I have no experience with any of these and am currently researching which to purchase as well. Would love to hear feedback from any actual users. MT offers two options the DM 45 and DM 50 both of which are cheaper and accurate enough (1x10^-5). I'd like some reviews on bench stills as well, but thehttp://www.pelletlab.com/distillation_equipment was recommended by a user in another post and thats only a $240...which is about $14,000 cheaper than the alcolyzer.
  5. nabtastic
    Maybe I misinterpreted something, but I was under the impression that the TTB requirement on mass flow meters was accurate to 0.1%. Have they made an exception for small/new distillers or was I reading that wrong? I ask because I haven't found anything that accurate yet. Just got off the phone with GPI and the most accurate they get is .5% ...which is probably close enough but still. Edit: wait, is mass flow used for vapor coming off of a continuous distillation? gah! BAM is a rabbit hole..
  6. nabtastic
    James, Not questioning your math abilities, but how did you come up with these numbers? My napkin just has a ring from condensation on my beer Thanks, NAB
  7. nabtastic
    Old Post but figured I should update.. not sure if anything has changed but would like to note that the DMA 4500 (and 4000) are not on the list. Straight from the TTB's mouth http://www.ttb.gov/pdf/2014-7-21-device-approval-guidlines.pdf Side note: I have been told that for distillates with solubles (liqueurs/cordials specifically) you need to distill and add distilled water to restore volume or you can use a calibration table to adjust for specific brix...anybody have recommendations on either? Thanks, NAB
  8. nabtastic
    what is the flow rate, or how many gallons/pounds can it handle?
  9. nabtastic
    Devious - so is that a single hearts run through your column? I sure would love to have a dephleg on my pot... I think the bulk of the OP's questions can only be answered on a still-by-still basis. IMHO distillation has far too many variables to ask if one option is always greater than the other..
  10. nabtastic
    Given that most of us are fairly small, I was hoping to get a discussion going regarding quality control of fermentable products. Do you measure the moisture content of grains and if so, how? How do you ensure a grain shipment is up to standards; i.e. contaminant free, pesticide free, etc? What other faults do you look for? We are small enough we buy from a local grain mill that supplies bakeries and restaurants so it's mostly visual inspection for grain size and the like..
  11. nabtastic
    http://distillers.tastylime.net/newSite/books/TAT4E/index.htm link to alcohol text book. this is written by Alltech and as far as I've read is mostly dedicated to fuel ethanol but the ideas and general practices are still the same. The authors make notice between fuel and beverage ethanol practices though.
  12. nabtastic
    I've never used a dephlegmator so this is purely a question: I thought the purpose of a dephleg was to compress the cuts? I've read where people have ran it hard in the beginning and then scaled it back to produce a lot of reflux for the "heads" portion. I'm completely unaware of how this works in practice though - seeing as I don't have one.
  13. nabtastic
    IMHO stillage (backset) is taken from the first distillation and is added to mash ton after liquifaction. a-amylase prefers a slightly higher pH than beta, so sour mashing before the starches have been chopped up into dextrines should result in a bit lower total yield. Ideally you will add the backset before the addition of malted barley or b-amylase enzymes but after sufficient time for liquifaction. The idea is to increase protein/nitrogen levels and to create an environment preferred by yeast but inhibits bacterial contamination.. my 2 cents. The only real concern is that Lacto likes the lower pH as well so quick and sufficient pitch time/rate is needed. I've sweet mashed and sour mashed and prefer sour, but I also can't boil out my mash prior to Sacc. due to the equipment I have. seems to be a lot more reliable for me.
  14. nabtastic
    Conner, thats a beautiful still - where'd did you find it?? honestly, you don't need to distill grain-in for bourbon, just make sure your wash is on point! I have a feeling retrofitting that would be a pain in the ass. NAB
  15. nabtastic
    Hey, Can you say what style spirits they are looking for and what capacity they are looking to produce? Thanks, NAB
  16. nabtastic
    whiskeytango http://adiforums.com/index.php?showtopic=5173 think you might have to copy n paste but its a current forum
  17. nabtastic
    Seeing as we are mostly all new companies and budgets are constrained, I do believe that partial ownership (stocks) and/or bonuses should be able to make up the difference in pay. I definitely wouldn't want to give someone as much control as the OP if (s)he wasn't worth more than $15 - especially since minimum wage is flirting with $10 soon. That being said, prior experience is huge - formal education (siebel, ABG, BS in fermentation or the like) is important too. Over all though I think Teton hit it on the nose. I'm not a believe these days, but there is a passage in the Bible that says something to the effect of "pay a man what he's worth." I think that is something most business owners and managers have forgotten. It's not just your products and your people that is competing with other companies. NAB
  18. nabtastic
    Apparently this is a very heated topic among distillers and enthusiasts.. If I may offer my 2 cents, and this is not fact but theory rather... I get the impression that dunder it's more or less a freak enjoyment of nature than a controlled experience. I'd also caution against the use of C. Sacchrobutyricum for us whiskey producers just because it's cousin C. butyricum is what can make your whiskey smell like vomit (because it's the same acid). C. Sacchrobutyricum is present in dunder because it's present in decaying sugar fields. For those of you with access to fresh pressed cane, maybe use that as your starter culture instead of a pure C.S. culture? I'd imagine the same sort of dunder pit could be used for any sugar source provided the bacteria came from the field, i.e. wild ferm your pressed juices and the like for "dunder" and controlled ferm to take over the "dunder." I'd definitely want to keep this in a control room so as to avoid contaminating current batches in the case that it produces swamp juice..
  19. nabtastic
    Listing manual has moved to: http://com.ohio.gov/documents/LIQR_Listing-Manual.pdf We are not listed in Ohio, but it appears that (strictly from above manual) that they "strongly" prefer 6-case packs. Also, they require the supplier (us) to pay shipping and do not pay us until the product leaves their warehouse on its way to a retail point.. plus $50 per sales rep for registration (biennial), $50 per brand registration, and $300 annual registration. As far as I can tell, the tax / mark up fees are just ridiculous to determine and depends on your ability to do multi-layer math problems...so yeah. Seventh Son hit it on the nose when he said nobody knows what the actual mark ups are. Good luck.
  20. nabtastic
    Just when you think you know how to make rum....then boom. mind blown.
  21. nabtastic
    is there an update on that link? it seems to no longer be working. thanks, Noah
  22. nabtastic
    This is like LinkedIn for industry reps lol
  23. nabtastic
    good lord thats a lot of sheep
  24. nabtastic
    Is the condenser over-kill or did you run the numbers to find a minimum?
  25. nabtastic
    Pete, are you drying your spent grain or do you have enough livestock for (basically) immediate consumption? I'm designing a solar kiln to dry grains since we are in an urban environment..thoughts?
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