FijiSpirits

I’m vaguely remembering an old trick used to kill algae in ponds. Something like copper or some such...

I’ve used VFDs for a lot of things. They can be pretty amazing for the 3-phase motors. As for connection you’ll just have to read the manual on settings and connections. While the connections are easy, the programming can be a bit more involved. Use the nameplate data on the motor itself to program the VFD. Most VFD also have a soft start feature which is a huge help for starting a bigger motor on a smaller circuit or a smaller generator. It also means you don’t have to massively oversized the VFD due to the starting amp draw on many motors. I had a 3hp single phase machine that my genny wouldn’t start due to start up current draw. But the 7hp machine with the VFD and soft start programmed was zero problems to start or run under heavy loads using the same genny.

The beauty of different regions is that we use our local ingredients and supply sources to build products that others would be hard pressed to reproduce. I just happen to have tropical resources like cacao around me so I took advantage. my suggestion is that folks look to their local resources and produce something unique to your area. That’s really what micro distilling is about. if you want commercial success look to what you have to work with in your local “box” and stop trying to think “outside the box”. The box can be a good place if you use to your advantage. if you do not have time for experimentation then you are missing the very best part of distilling.

I worked on chocolate liqueur for about three months. Discovered a few things and finally got a recipie that tastes like a lovely dark chocolate. Specifically our regional cacao bean flavors. in the end the recipie was neither simple nor cheap to produce but it was really yummy.

I’d be against a web based app myself. I really hate them as they depend on web access and that can be problematic sometimes and some places. Also the web apps I have used before verbally sucked and were slow and annoying. mark me down for an iPad os based version tho. I’ve looked at the options for running it on iPad and it basically boils down to needing another computer. alternatively another setup wouldn’t be bad if I could get it to run on something like a $100 raspberry pi ARM based Linux. Wine depends on an x86 base so it’s no good just now. If you go to a single board computer that’s x86 then the price triples for a setup. personally I’m trying to simplify my computing setups and eliminate my laptop for just an iPad. So far using alcodens and playing decent games are my only limitations. With its small form factor one can run a raspberry pi from an iPad and have it still be very portable. Together and with a battery bank, the whole setup would still weigh less than a laptop. Further you could use the PI as a control computer for your distillery systems and monitors.

It’s sounds kinda normal to me actually. I run 16 plates but turn off the reflux during stripping and my low wines average around 40 abv, with takeoffs ranging from 80% at beginning to 10% at end. I think what may be happening is the small amount of reflux works for a bit then the still just overpowers it and sends everything thru. In these situations it may be helpful to watch your boiler temp to see where you are rather than your output ABV or column temps my $.02.

maybe needs some more contrast between text and background. It kinda washes out b

I do raw sugar washes mostly. What jumps out at me is the PH of 4.2. It seems high to me (I normally finish around 3.5) and In conjunction with the ferment temps and relatively quick finish time (take me about 5-8 days to finish and keep temps at those levels) maybe you are not quite dry yet? has activity stopped at that point? What does your hydrometer tell you?

I’ve been using a beaker of ice water to chill the measuring flask and pycnometer. It sounds cheesy but if you go too low in temp just warm it in you hand and swirl it around to mix until temp stabilizes. Then measure real quick before condensation occurs At small volumes it doesn’t take much time. Id love to find a source of a cheap chiller tho. I could also use it for cooling water on the lab still and for vacuum distillations. I had thought about using one of those electronic chiller coils and just pumping coolant (alcohol/water) or water thru it to make my own setup. A power supply and 570 watt chiller runs around $300usd delivered from AliExpress. Then just use a Coleman cooler for a reservoir and a small pump and temperature controller for the chiller and you are golden.

We have been using a big fan to move air around. It’s good for 3-5c usually

Thanks! we got some LS in last week so I’ll try it this week when we start some new ferments. My temps have been wandering into 32-34c territory so we’ll see how she goes.

I collect at 25-30c everyday all day for years. Why is it “widely” accepted otherwise? Never seemed to be a problem for me this far. (I’m in the tropics so all my processes are at elevated temps) If my ambient temps will warm the distillate above 20c why would I cool it during distillation if I wasn’t having product condensing problems? the only reason I could see for this would be for gauging the spirits. To manage I just use temperature corrections most of the time. Someone please educate me! Why is it widely accepted to collect at 15-20c? I’m not trying to be a dick. I have not heard of this before but I’m largely self educated in distilling.

As a former business consultant I think you’ve accurately framed the marketing question and in doing so, given yourself the answer! Lol I really don’t think there is a fixed number answer. On the low end, some guerrilla marketing can be cheap and super effective (like glenlyons sandwich boards) On the high end mass media can be super expensive and moderately effective. By way of “answering” the question, I strongly feel that craft booze is 80% marketing, story and presentation. With this in mind spending more money on marketing and less on product development should generate sales. A wise old business guy guy once told me “once your company has a successful product, all you really need to do is stay relevant by releasing one new product a year.” thats my tack on our operation. Maybe some of that is useful for yours.

This conversation has left the common sense area long ago. Lol. The system being discussed must cost well in excess of $15k! 1: dust is not intrinsically explosive. Only when spreadninto the air and creating a specific air/fuel ratio does it become explosive. Reduce or increase the air fuel ratio and the hazard is greatly reduced. 2: fire/explosions require three things FUEL, AIR, and SOURCE OF IGNITION remove one and again the hazard is reduced 3. A typical wood dust removal system using a 4” rigid pipe (aluminum or steel dryer vent or stove pipe is good and allows grounding ) will pull around 1550 cfm at low low psi and is 2hp that should be adequate for any grinder under about 7-8hp. Let’s think about this logically wood dust is probably hazardous too right? 4: the motor system on the vacuum I link below is typically a TEFC totally enclosed fan cooled motor. With a little attention to your electrical connections you could easily seal off the motor and power supply from being a source of ignition Central Machinery 2 HP Industrial 5 Micron Dust Collector https://www.amazon.com/dp/B006ZBAGWA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_eAsSDbEETH0V5 Ill admit I’m not an expert on grain dust and further I’m certainly not responsible for what goes on in your distillery. But then again I’m not selling anything either

What are you trying to comply with? ATEX for the distillery area or reducing explosion hazard due to dust? the vacuum itself is the hazard reduction for dust explosions. As for ATEX in distillery it would seem to be easier to remove grain processing from the distillery area thus eliminating ATEX compliance on motors and electrical. I’m not an expert on ATEX compliance. Fiji has no rules for this so we are left to common sense when implementing safety measures.

I like the basic concept for my operation. Our ferments take more like 7-8 days so we don’t lose temperature control, so maybe two fermenters would be needed. I feel like even with 4-5 day ferments you’d want a second smaller “safety” fermenter to use for lag times and those times when you want to clean the main fermenter and restart the batch. Maybe instead of a fermenter large enough to do 4-5 distillations the second would be only large enough to do 2 distillations and would be alternated every three days with the larger. The added “safety” factors of cleaning and lag time security would mean your ferments were dry most of the time and would mean that if the ferment in one tank needed time to catch up or be cleaned that you wouldn’t have to shut down for 4 days to do it.

I used to own a wood shop. We picked up one of the 2hp dust extractors for cheap at harbor freight. Works pretty good and dumps the dust into a removable plastic bag via cyclonic action. Might work well for milling operations if kept clean and moisture free.

We may be interested in the lot. What is the input power requirement? how many hoses? how can I email you?

I believe this must be located somewhere either in Vanuatu or Indonesia. you far easterners confuse me.

I want to play with alcodens. Have to get the pc set up for it tho. For tax tax purposes here in Fiji everything between 15-57% is taxed the same amount per liter. Due to the difficulty we have with proofing most of it is done by calculations and tasting. As imperfect as that may be it is good enough for our purposes right now. Moving forward to export we have other plans. I agree that resting product is beneficial to stabilizing product. I would love to play with some ultrasonic or other procedures to shorten the time to stability.

Well. Heres the weird part. Alcohol didn’t need proofed for the process and it was bulk spirits that had been manufactured months prior. It it makes sense to me on both counts so I’ll assume that’s what was happening. Now that you mention the volume change thing, they make a pretty big deal of it round here and are sure to subtract 5% from all blending calculations for that reaction. Ill have have to do an experiment where I take the 93% down to 25% and see what the actual reduction in final volume is. Anyone do this? 5%?

Is it a sign that I can’t find information on this?

One of the processes That was done before I started at this distillery was they would blend the water and alcohol together and let it “blend” for 3-4 days before moving forward with follow on steps. I’ve not heard of this before nor have I done it. I do note that my spirit will oxidize and change for a week or two before it settles down, which has vexed me, but I’ve not noticed a difference attributable to blending time. Maybe it’s happening and I don’t know it. Ive not seen the difference between the following : 1- let spirit sit for a week then blend 2- blend spirit and let sit for a week. So question is... is there value to mixing to proof and letting it “blend” for a few days before bottling? What’s the Science?

The reason I think they may be different is that the fermentation temps are notably higher on the LS. My experience with proper ec1118 here in Fiji at ambient temps says that sugar washes that go over 29-30 start having off flavors. Below 28 they seem fine but that puts me into seasonal use at best. If if I could use 1118 year round it costs half what the LS costs so I can and will do that. I need a neutral yeast yeast that makes clean spirit at 29-32c for the in between seasons or maybe even summer. Im kinda hoping someone can share actual hot weather experience with LS. Because if it is really ec1118 then it’s redundant and over priced. If it can do what 1118 does but at higher temps then I have a winner.

I’m definitely interested. Other peoples issues are great ways to learn!! Basically the trade off will be more speed fro less purity. If you can live with the slightly lower purity you should gain speed. There is no arguing that more packing provides more rectification. But that rectification comes at the cost of speed in the same column size. Have you looked at Still dragons Procaps? They are very efficient and very fast. I think you’d need about 16 tho. I run perf plates and procaps and the procaps are my preference for their larger operating range while still have speed. I’ve been spending more time working on my ferments to clean them up and maximize what I can do with them. Then on my stripping runs I will water the spirit down to less than 30% with clean filtered water. These three are critical things if you aren’t doing them, and they can make far more difference together than an extra 2-3% ABV on the strip (especially the ferment). I could take off 95-96% on my 11 plate if I really wanted but the flow rate would drive me batty and when I have done it, the difference in taste is so minimal that its not even worth it. I’m certain others have had different experiences. My sugar washes used to be all over the place so I’m not a good metric take that for what it’s worth, there are others with far more experience than I that’ll chime in.