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Falling Rock

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Everything posted by Falling Rock

  1. Falling Rock
    I will say that after 30+ years of being in the international "cut throat" business world, the feeling among craft distillers has taken me off guard. I find them very giving. I would say it stems from the mentality of the distillers. I think most craft distillers see themselves as artists! That may bode bad for their business, it makes them great people.
  2. Falling Rock
    I like tours. And a good/interesting/fun tour will sell me a bottle. I used to hate to hear, "Have a story." Now I see it as a challenge. Have a story. I doesn't have to be a family, historical, heart wrenching story, but something to keep the tour audience interested while you show the process to those that want to know the process. I won't have a tour without a tasting. I'll have a tasting without a tour for those that don't want the tour. I also see it like the car sales approach. For most, the more time they invest in being there, the more likely they are to buy.
  3. Falling Rock
    Some states have rules about Hangers...
  4. Falling Rock
    You had better taste some scorched liquor before you deem this a desirable idea. I have some scorched grain base liquor, and have saved them for blending...a little can go a long way. I wouldn't want it in every batch.
  5. Falling Rock
    YES! An old remedy for this was called a "Slobber Box." A Thumper without being precharged.
  6. Falling Rock
    Most sites have calculators as does your equipment manufacturer. https://www.stilldragon.org/calc.html
  7. Falling Rock
    200 liters at 35,000watts with agitation would be approx 28min to first vapor by my calculations and very or too fast, more likely to scorch. Approx 17,500watts will get you to 93C in an hour.
  8. Falling Rock
    Stilldragon offers the agitators as options...I assume would be hard to beat. Also, I would foresee more elements at lower wattage being an advantage. This would also allow for finer temp control by simply turning elements on or off.
  9. Falling Rock
    I have used Stranahan's as an example before...they have knee walls around the stills and blending tanks, vents sucking air at floor level and just above the tanks.
  10. Falling Rock
    I have always wondered what the Warning Points were?
  11. Falling Rock
    Welcome...I like your choice of guard dog also...
  12. Falling Rock
    I like this...or Liked It...I checked the box.
  13. Falling Rock
    Boiler, steam jacket...you vent it where you need to.
  14. Falling Rock
    Here are some purpose built concrete fermentation tanks... Or a rum ferment in concrete!
  15. Falling Rock
    My bringing up rupture disks was that they are cheap. There are lots of cheap rupture disks that fit a standard triclamp...very cheap. Then use pipe to get to floor. Now, look at common materials you can make your own. We used to use aluminum or copper foil...there are charts that tell you the rupture values for the thickness...makes it almost free. Sandwich a piece of copper foil in between two tri clamp gaskets and done. Remember, they're not supposed to be under pressure daily...just in case of an event!
  16. Falling Rock
    I have been to a couple of places it smelled like the crapped in their tanks. But I think the morale is, "don't crap in your fermenter, wood or metal." What's the consensus on cement fermenters? Although I knew ancients stored wine in cement cisterns, I just saw an article about modern breweries using them.
  17. Falling Rock
    In the idea of keeping it sanitary and or tri clamp. I have seen 2" (increased volume) caps with rupture disks very cheap. You buy the disk that ruptures at the pressure you desire. Even ebay, has them a low as $8 for a SS316 2" x 5 PSI version, $19 for a 3" x 5 PSI version. Looks that you can have them from 1" to 4" that fit atop any tri clamp. Looks to be more "professional than a brass water heater valve hanging on a $XX still. I know low pressure house boilers were set with aluminum foil as a rupture disk. I have also seen water temp booster that had a teflon disk in a fixture similar to a tri clamp. Or let's go low tech...a big natural cork, stopper...at least it would get your attention when it hit the ceiling.
  18. Falling Rock
    In Washington, I assume you would have to have a dif license for an offsite tasting room. Wouldn't it become a bar? In some states you would have to buy your own liquor from a wholesaler or the state. Then you may not be able to sell only your product.
  19. Falling Rock
    The level of experience of the individual will play a great role here. The other day, here on ADI, some on asked for a startup budget and the conversation got nasty. Anyone, asking blindly, does not have the experience to start a company on a shoe string. Another poster said it could be done for $28k. That was also not a good reply. While individual "A" may have a going concern and paying his bills on a $28k bankroll, we've all seen "B" fail with a million dollar bankroll. The experience level of someone who asks such questions in an open forum, would currently be a "B".
  20. Falling Rock
    You can create a sample without distilling...mash your recipe, extended cook it if deemed necessary and produce the sample, just never ferment or distill it.
  21. Falling Rock
    Something like this http://adiforums.com/index.php?showtopic=6300&hl=
  22. Falling Rock
    Just a common joke around ADI. At one of the conventions they had a guy set to speak on, "How I Started a Distillery for $100K". He started by saying, he had accidentally lied...not yet open and he was at $160! And your asking people who have sweated it out to walk you through the process. Your question will be taken as too vague. Now just set back and one of the consultants will be by to help.
  23. Falling Rock
    Get a $100K, burn thru it and get another...
  24. Falling Rock
    Having owned other businesses, it is all deja vu'.. Taxes, filings, employees...all the same. I also have been dealing with Feds (FAA) for last twenty years, so TTB is just another department. They really can help you and most respond to being asked for help.
  25. Falling Rock
    I worry most about the "unforeseen." Get sideways with some city/county/state official and boom, $20grand.
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