et1883

also interested in photo if available.

re-reading that too and open to giving up my science badge. I see "Dark for 7 weeks" retained 58.7% color; light for 7 weeks, only 48.9% of color retained. But then the verb changed, so "color retention...decreased to" 93.5% (from 100%?) meaning only 6.5% loss(?) at -4C, while retained 95.4% at-75C. We don't have a freezer at -75C if that was the article's recommendation. A -4 C we could perhaps recommend (25 degrees F, plus or minus). I wonder why the article's authors jumped from -4C to -75C (-103 F). Neither of those temps seem to be normal food service/industry standards, though they could be. "Below 40 F" and "below 0 F" I could see as more normal standards. The color in the dark was kept by 58.7% after 7 weeks, while 48.9% in the light. Color retention was significantly decreased to 93.5% and 93.8% at 4°C and −20°C, respectively, after 7 weeks, while 95.40% at −75°C. Or did they mean "color loss...decreased" to 93.5%? Our experiments shows no discernible visible change of color from a multi-berry gin infusion held roughly at 18 C/65 degrees F over 8 weeks, but then our lab area is mostly in the dark. We haven't applied for COLA yet, so thinking to at least add "Keep in the dark!"

in the dark and the cold, sounds like a freezer vodka/gin/spirit.

Interested for a blending project. Send me a note, Stumpy's? Forum says you can't receive msgs (?). Thanks.

we're good. we reduced the % of botanical load and combined with 0.5 micron filtration. We were OK on proof, but had more botanicals than required for we wanted to achieve.

This would be helpful with an informed notional example of a $100 retail product, with experienced comments on price to 1. wholesale outlet direct (closed bottle, they sell to retail); 2. wholesaler/distributor who sells to off-premise (closed bottle, they sell in turn to retail); 3. bars (for their open bottle, by the drink, on-premise) and 4. specialty liquor stores (closed bottle, sell to retail). Add bulk export for a bonus. More points for difference between "mark up" and "margin." Building up from "Cost" doesn't allow much for profit; Building down a price from the at-distillery-tasting-room price to these other price categories seems more sensible. On the #1, #2 category, do you all sell at MSRP * 0.4? So your tasting room bottle is $100, but to wholesaler is $40? What about #2 category, #3, #4? And yes, "pricing is an art and a science" Regards to all and Happy New Year! Don't sell too low!

best of luck, Adam! Have you picked a site in AB yet?

well, no production data privacy in FL, is there! No matter how you look at it, that's a ton of spirits. Thanks for the useful link!

Karl, one notable Seattle area distillery started with $192K USD, and a $350k loan. That range was confirmed to us by another well known Wash State distillery, by one in Virginia, Chicago and Ohio and a few others under NDA. Ballpark #s, for sure, and your mileage may vary, of course. Glenlyon's comments are spot on. Others I know in the lower mainland of BC started for more/less than the $ figures above, and produce consistently followed products. We of course love the inspiration we see and do our best to put out the best possible. No small group can compete on price, there's no mfg scale of economy. Depending if you are LLC, S-corp, C-corp, you may rethink investors, as 51 % of something beats 100% of nothing. Many we have seen and talked with doubled capacity each 12-18 months. Again, ballpark, and not a promise of course. Best of luck with your plans!

we eventually learned this after a dozen phone calls to criveller's 'tech support,' not that it's in the manual by any stretch of the imagination. However, once dialed in and calibrated, it holds pretty well. also insider tip: remember to put the top metal lid on, to minimize evaporation and thus loss of proof. :-) Next challenge on that gear: there is always 1-2 bottles worth in the bottom, left over that do not feed into the filler tubes -- because it's meant for wine (??) and they expect debris (?). We end up tipping the machine to one side and a bit forwards, lifting and supporting the 2 left legs, e.g., with a 2x4, or two 2x4s, so it all enters the filler tubes. then there's always half a bottle left over that we harvest from the cleanout/discharge nozzles which face directly down. a bit kludge like, or as criveller said, well, what do you expect? they had no suggestion on how to fully empty the reservoir. cheers!

was that also self-reported or data from public (?) companies?

Hi Stumpy - we have some 5- and 1-micron bags on the way. Which supplier are you using? Links welcome or referrals. Thanks!

yet without the larger financial risk there's not as much fear! :-) also with some 15 years abroad, export seems such a natural option to pursue. a colleague of mine used to escort his company's "piano shipment" each month to the warehouse when it arrived in the islamic country he lived in, so it would not leak. I'm sure the local country wondered why they wanted a piano each month.

best of luck Strangebrew, hope you have a smooth and easy process from lease/purchase to build out and production/sales/export. It's a long road with no shortage of adventures along the way! Give a shout if you want to pose questions or sound out ideas.

your $35-retail bottle wholesales to the liquor store at $25; the bar/restaurant would expend effort going to the liquor store to obtain the bottle, so you do in fact provide value to the bar/restaurant at $30/bottle. the bar/restaurant still saves $5 for not having to go to the liquor store when they run out, and you've delivered to them. The "up charge" sounds fair. Oops, now I see the age on this discussion -- how did the cold calling go, and what was your final decision? Did you keep that price differential? Always interested in theory and real world practice of pricing choices! Cheers!

compare the TDS of your current water, and set aside a bottle of just the water. if "it's the water" as Olympia beer commercial used to say about water from Tumwater, WA, you would see the same substance. if not, then it's possibly what sullivan's cove says, above. good luck!

that's a great video, btw, and nice articulation of what's happening.

Glenlyon, agree that natural product focus is on the market, and we can not forget that this is an agricultural product after all! our slight clouds disappear with a single- or double bottle shake, and are otherwise clear, but let it sit (and who lets whisky just sit???!) and the minor cloud wisps can show up again.

How do you present that feature to the less-informed-consumers who may not know that the haze/flocc is harmless and/or composed of flavor elements? The mainstream products are, well, what they are, but also clear (or transparent) to a fault. part of distilling is education, do you add that to labels or advert to pre-advise consumers?

FedEx called to leave a voice mail that we are squared away - now waiting for FedEx to deliver the mandatory items. #soon

the fedex chart: https://www.fedex.com/content/dam/fedex/us-united-states/Small-Business-Center/images/2020/Q1/Wine_Shipping_Flowchart25JUL2019_1963350926.pdf (see right side, as Roger has said, above).

we're on steps 11 or 14 as above. "legal dept" is working on it though, they told me (!). The "speed of business" and "the world on time" seem foreign concepts. Maybe their attorneys are all on the Cast Away island with Tom Hanks. FedEx is like Samuel Beckett's "Waiting for Godot." Perhaps tomorrow. Perhaps tomorrow. :-) Hoping for the best, for us and each of you as well!

FedEx is still sitting on their thumbs, 2 months after starting to 'set up an account for spirits.' DHL, however is squared away for int'l shipments as is a local ground carrier for regional shipments. Agree with bluestar, the risks are considerable, and we continue to wait for FedEx, who used to be "the world on time." :-) Any alternatives to FedEx or recommendations?

FedEx rep for us is in Arkansas (???!) but we are north of Seattle. She calls at 0500, not knowing there are time zones in America. After 2 weeks, we got that straight. But she only has voice mail. "Too busy," she said. We have her email, and I have asked for weeks for help expediting this. We have engaged FedEx Customer Advocate, and also @FedExHelp on Twitter -- all useless. it's been 6 weeks since we started a routine process to cert a DSP to ship alcohol. How hard can it be for FedEx?? With a copy of our DSP and state permits, they still asked for what they already had, without taking action. UPS didn't know if they ship spirits, and went away. Hoping you have good luck soon, Patio29Dadio!

Thanks, glisade! Gravity and time can be effective!