Stumpy's

Hi Bill,

We have plenty of grain available. I just followed up to your email.

Thanks,

Adam

Sale pending 8/19

Is this equipment still for sale? Interested in the lot. Please email adam.stumpf@stumpysspirits (dot) com if so.

Thanks,

Adam

We are selling our trusty bucket elevator. It works perfectly, just changing our setup a bit. We originally used it to feed our grist into the mash tun and then re-purposed it to feed our grain cleaner. Moving to a bin/auger system so no longer have use for the elevator.

-On wheels

-Approx 9' discharge height.

-Currently has 208V 3 phase motor but I can switch it out to single phase if you would like.

-Can move a big volume of grain in a short period of time.

$2,000 OR BEST OFFER

Please reply, PM, or email adam.stumpf@stumpysspirits (dot) com for more info.

Hi There. Could you please send pics of your bottles to adam.stumpf@stumpysspirits dot com? 

Thanks,

Adam

Hi Mike,

Sorry, I don't think we are going to have enough rye to sell this year. However, we are going to plant a lot more this fall so should have some for sale next June.

Thanks,

Adam

Hey Gary,

Welcome to the site. I'm sure you will find it as useful as we did. If you are ever in the St. Louis area, please feel free to hop right across the river and give us a visit in Columbia, IL!

Cheers!

Adam

I just ordered a double sized mash tun w/ 2 double sized fermenters as opposed to a MT and 4 ferms sized the same as the still. Like you, we are under-staffed. Generally a 1 man show, 2 if my brother gets bored! Seems to make sense for a future expansion and time...cook twice per week and run the still 5 days per week (strip/spirit). We HOPE to get our equipment soon. I'll let you know how it goes!

9 minutes ago, Tom Lenerz said:

Things are not identical, but extremely similar. Strictly taking one product, our third vintage versus our fourth vintage of brandy. Same varietal, same type of barrels, roughly the same aging period, same distillation proof, same barrel proof, same cutting and filter process. The biggest differences were that we transitioned from natural to synthetic cork and we moved our bottling line from a moderately climate controlled room to a very well climate controlled room with low humidity. 

For comparison many of the spirits we bottled before the move (all in synthetic besides the one brandy) had varying levels of condensation, with the 3rd vintage of our brandy being the most noticeable. After the move we have not seen the issue at all (yet). We store all our spirits in our climate controlled warehouse, where it comes back to our store. We do all of our own trucking to and from our warehouse so they don't spend long outside of these types of environments.We have an automated rotary filler so our bottling batches are fairly large typically and the issue seems to be either present or not present for the entire bottling run. At this point I'm still quite convinced it is the rooms humidity during bottling, as we bottled our 3rd vintage in July and it was awfully humid out, but I'm always looking to improve my knowledge base.

We use all synthetic shanks with wood tops (Tapi). We noticed condensation a day after bringing it up to our tasting room. Haven't had a chance to do my chilled experiment yet...hopefully soon!

We have an issue once and awhile with condensation in bottle necks...vodka, bourbon, whiskey....all proofs from 60 to 90 (temp correct w/ calibrated hydrometer and thermometer). I've read a few posts regarding the topic but don't really see any solutions. We typically proof down and let any given spirit rest for a number of days prior to bottling and still see condensation. We also rinse with whatever spirit we are filling.

Watching a storm build outside popped a thought into my head. Does anyone chill their spirit prior to or during filling? I'm thinking that this might help with pressure fluctuations in the head-space of the bottle and help safeguard against condensation???? Just a thought. I might throw a little vodka in the fridge and then dump it into a bottle to see if we still get it. Just curious if there are any other methods out there.

The only other thing I am worried about is fill level fluctuation since we use a gravity filler. My fill level (which is currently calibrated to 750ml) might see a slight tick up as temp rises, liquid in the bottle slightly expands and compresses the air in the head space. Maybe it won't be too noticeable because of being nearly 1/2 water. ....thinking with the keyboard and rambling now. Fire away!

50 minutes ago, indyspirits said:

Im up for a control software / hardware thread so I can bitch about my solenoid valve controlled deph.

Control thread for sure! We're getting ready to install a BCS-462 for fermentation temperature control! Still not sure it is the best option....but the price and functionality are where we need them to be!

Hey and congrats and starting up! I recently had the same questions as you. Check out the CFR links below. Shawn from Hoochware helped me out with this. If you are looking for a management and reporting software, he is the best bang for the buck!! IMHO

Main Section for package markings:  
 
http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/retrieveECFR?gp=1&SID=9ea5fa30cf5df299ac14914f6ebe103f&h=L&mc=true&n=sp27.1.19.s&r=SUBPART&ty=HTML#sg27.1.19_1479.sg61

Specifications for marks:

http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/retrieveECFR?gp=1&SID=9ea5fa30cf5df299ac14914f6ebe103f&h=L&mc=true&n=sp27.1.19.s&r=SUBPART&ty=HTML#se27.1.19_1483

1 hour ago, HedgeBird said:

https://www.hoochware.com/

Has anyone given these guys a try yet?

I've been doing beta testing with HoochWare and am incredibly impressed! I met Shawn (the owner/designer/developer/brains) just as he was getting started on this project and have nothing but respect for both him and the software. I was about to pull the trigger on DS....after doing the beta testing, there is no way that I will be using anything but HoochWare in our distillery.The software is incredibly versatile, easy to use, and a powerful tool. It does everything from handling incoming raw ingredients with a Purchase Order system and recipe design to sending product out the door with a distributor portal...and everything in between. HoochWare even saves your TTB reports to your pay.gov account so all you have to do is verify and click submit....literally a couple of clicks and your monthly reporting is done! Shawn has some incredible ideas for additional features and reporting that he is adding. I really feel like HoochWare has way more functionality at a fraction of the cost of other options on the market.

6 minutes ago, bluestar said:

Where is the craft malt house?

It is up in Michigan. 

59 minutes ago, bluestar said:

Figured it was yellow hard dent, but is it feed or food (low or high starch)? Also, presume the barley is unmalted, have you had any of it malted anywhere, in or out of Illinois? Or can we send a sample to our maltster for evaluation?

Hey bluestar. 

It is feed/field corn w/ germ in. The barley is currently unmalted. We are working with a craft malt house and hope to have about 4,000 lb malted in the next month or so. We will also be malting a portion down here....all of those will be specialty malts that are smoke dried though!

I have 5 used Armstrong WS heat exchangers available. They are 2 pass shell and tube designed for steam on the shell side and liquid on the tube side. Some surface rust but a wire wheel and a fresh coat of paint will make them look new. We are using one as an instant hot water heater when we have our boiler running. 

$400 each or $1,800 if you buy all 5. Willing to consider reasonable offers.

We are clearing out 2015 soft red winter wheat and 6 row barley to make room for the 2016 harvest. Make an offer if interested! We can sell grain straight out of the bin, cleaned, or milled!

Scalawag,

We did advertise a little. Mostly on Facebook, local newspapers, and road signs. We had a lot of traffic from the banners we put out on the highway, alone. We also had an article on a larger food publications blog which helped pull some visitors from the Missouri side of the river. We didn't do any specials...just satisfied pent-up demand from months of hype building!

We planned to do tours every hour on the hour but I ended up doing them continuously from about 3-8pm with only a long enough break to scarf down a sandwich. Huffy2k's self-guided tours are a great idea. I had no voice by the end of the night from trying to speak over large groups...some of the tour groups were as large as 30 people.

Cocktails were a big $ driver for us that night....probably accounted for a little less than half of our total revenue. Maybe even doing like Huffy2k suggested and have some pre-made drinks in large coolers could be a nice little profit center for you....and easy to maintain & refill!

Hi,

I'm very interested in a few of your bins. Would you please be able to email me your direct contact info and where you are located? adam.stumpf @ stumpysspirits.com 

Thanks!

Adam

TOKEN SYSTEM FOR DRINKS FOR A FLAT $5!!!!

We were expecting around 500 people and ended up going through over 1,000 arm bands. Needless to say, we weren't prepared. We were ringing drinks out at the register for $5+tax. Miserable....especially when we realized our internet wasn't fast enough to upload our register sales and our security footage to the cloud...had to unplug our cameras half way through the night just to get sales to go through our POS system! We did a second event and sold drink tokens for a flat $5 out front and then people just presented a token at the bar for a drink. SOOOOOOO MUCH FASTER! Also, make sure you have plenty of good help around, especially bar tenders. Also, disposable is good. We ordered a bunch of plastic cups with our logo on them. People loved them and they could take them home or toss them in the trash...regardless, we didn't have to wash glasses which saved a ton of time. You definitely want some food and music too. That got people to stick around a lot longer. We partnered with a local not for profit that sold Chick Fil A sandwiches. Looking back, we raised a lot of money for a great cause, but it would have been nice for consumers to have more options....food truck(s) maybe?!?! 

Anyway, just my $0.02 from a little "podunk" town in southern IL!

Good luck!

Adam

I believe most false bottoms for beer are 3/32". That usually does a pretty good job with a 0.035" gap on a roller mill. If you are running through a hammer mill, maybe 1/16"???

Anytime. Feel free to come down when you have a minute. I pretty much live here so feel free to give me a shout when you have a couple of hours open up (as if that really happens, right?!). Our number is 618-281-7733.

Schedules are a bit up in the air right now because we are running with only 1 still until we get our new system installed in June. I usually have a stripping run going a couple days per week and a spirit run every other week or so....just depends what we are making!

Hey JimJam! Welcome! Glad to see a fellow Illinoisan. We are in Columbia, Illinois...just about 20 minutes outside of St. Louis so we can't be far from you. Feel free to swing by sometime!! I always love talking about booze!

Adam

Owner & Distiller

Stumpy's Spirits

Columbia, Illinois

This July I will have approximately 300 PG of blueberry distillate available for sale. As long as I know in advance, I can distill to whatever proof you desire, anywhere from 80-190+ proof. $25 per proof gallon, First come, first serve. FOB Columbia, Illinois 62236.

Thanks,

Adam

Hi All,

Does anyone know of a good source for a hammer mill with a blower that we can hook up directly to our mash tun at a reasonable price? We currently use corn, wheat, barley, and rye. I think I'm looking for something in the neighborhood of 2,000 lb/hr. Any suggestions?

Thanks,

Adam