Scrounge

Is it me or are random posts getting archived to where you can't reply? Maybe some posts are moved into weird locations too?

Hey Jay. Congrats and hollar if you wanna talk shop. I'm up in the mountains near Sonora

Wow, I feel very lucky when I read some of the issues people have had with this kind of stuff. My locals grouped me in with "wineries and related businesses" . I'm zoned agriculture. I'm lucky to live in wine country, and that the local enforcement just lumped me in with them. Conditional use permits can get very expensive very quick, with no guarantee.

daveflinstone-you are fortunate, and you are funny.

Retail sales out of your tasting room in CA, I believe.

Yeah, what Mash said. If your contractor can't help you figure that out, chances are you shouldn't be paying him for that part of the job.

Mylar or silicone probably not even cheaper than metal. Pretty easy to cut anything out with a plasma cutter. Just need a cardboard cut out for jig with handheld or CNC off computer graphic like Dehner said.

Depends on your state laws. I have to sell to a distributer, I'm sure u do to, if not to your state, as I don't know of any state that can self distribute booze. If you can can I sure am envious! There is often rules about which licenses one person can hold too. I can't have a distillers license and a wholesaler s license as well here in my state. You could pull some funny buisness and get someone else to license a retail next to you, but the spirits would literally drive away to a wholesaler and then drive back to your next door, or something along those lines. I know of one place in my state that does this, but your gonna need some help, and atleast another person not in your buisness to pull a different permit. Speaking only from my understanding of my states rules. Best do some serious research if your buisness plan hinges on this idea

My county says I'm F1 and once it's in bottles or barrels its exempt. They said I don't need sprinklers until either 8k or 12k sq/ft . I forget since I'm nowhere near that. And I'm only allowed (again I forget exactly) 30 or 60 g open on the floor. I built new and they only made put a 2500g tank designated fire, and kept full at all times, but I am very rural, nowhere near city limits 2 miles out a dirt road, and the county isn't really messing with me at all once we got past an engineered septic and some well issues in the beginning.

Also with the hose u could create water hammer issues if u have low spots, sags, in the line easier to run pipe at slight angle and T in drip legs to condensate return. Not sayin u couldn't do it, just something to think about. With the complicated piping at the near boiler area your gonna be in pipe for sure anyway so it would just be your straight run out to the equipment that u could changeout with the hose. At least with my set up and what I'm familiar with.

Good luck on your journey! If you need to hollar at another CA distiller, I'm just finishing navigating the state, and should be making very soon. I'm up near Sonora, in the gold country.

Haha don't diss the insurance man. He never charged me for any of the great info he passed my way, or the recommendations for folks who could offer the help he couldn't. He's not a slimy dude, like others who I've encountered in the process of buying equipment and figuring this whole thing out. He is a wealth of knowledge in the area of valuing aging spirits, as well as insurance and bonding. Good guy- no BS

Jeez, you'd think ur third partner, who "started 6 hospitals", could through a dog a bone. Last I looked at the bills I keep getting for that last ER visit, he's probably doing OK.

Thanks for the responses. Shindig- that's just what I was looking for(I think!). Will give those a try.

Can anybody recommend a continuous duty pump for the dephleg and condenser water. One pump for both, or separate pumps each? I have a 100g still, and am gonna run a closed loop system from a 3000g tank. Thanks anybody for some thoughts.

Check with your local feed supplier. I get food grade 55g barrels for 16$ from mine. They had olives in them before but are super clean. They sell them for water catchment and feed storage.

Call TTB. I'm pretty sure they are in charge

Hey Steve, don't be scared of the TTB. I've found them to be very helpfull when I have a question. There is a lot to figure out, but if you read the laws on their website( over and over helps), its not as complicated as it first seams. The biggest set back was a mental one for me. Realizing that I wasn't just gonna fire up my still, and make some booze right away. There is a lot of hoops to jump through, but they are all totally doable. You can absolutely get licensed with a small still, u just need all your other ducks in a row. To be realistic, it can easily take a year or more to get it all taken care of. Consultants can speed it up immensely if you've got the $. Go to the TTB website and spend your free time reading and reading. If you get serious and need an affordable consultant to handle your federal permitt (they also make some awesome yet affordable equipment) hollar at me and I can refer you. They got me my permitt in 36 days. Now I sit and wait on the state. Haha. Hoops! And I'm jumping! Just like everybody else here had to do. Good luck to you!

Why not call him? He posted his #. Some peeps aren't devoted forum lurkers.

I used the total of expected hearts cut in a one run day to figure it out. Didn't have any problem. I think they are double checking those #s against your bond, to ensure it is sized correctly. Like skaalvenn said, doesn't matter what proof you have it at, there's the same amount of booze in there. No tax on water, Yet.

I third it. If you read there web-site and communicate as they say they prefer you do, then they are fine to business with. I've ordered a few tanks from them and needed quotes for shipping and such. We communicated through emails and had a perfectly normal transaction.

Lucky you. They're regulating me as food.

The grain will settle in the cone as fermentation slows. Packs itself in there and your clogged. Lautering? Well then, your in business!

Poly cone tank grain-in = a real good time !!

If you really wanna know you should get ahold of me!