M. Christensen Posted January 13, 2023 Share Posted January 13, 2023 Hello from Moroni Utah I don't run a Distillery but I have been interested in the aging or storing of alcoholic products. My background has been in raising commercial turkeys. Life happens, and I find myself with several LARGE, clean, insulated, and ventilated poultry barns that are now empty. About 38,000 square feet total space. These barns naturally maintain "cave" like, totally dark conditions all year around. Modern computers and fans optimize conditions and can help maintain a target temp/humidity. Would barns like this be helpful in aging alcohol? What type of company or establishment would be interested in storing with us? Where do I find out the regulations involved in getting set up? Thanks for entertaining this thought with me regards Kyle Christensen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jedd Haas Posted January 13, 2023 Share Posted January 13, 2023 It's possible these barns could be converted to barrel storage. It's more likely someone using them for that purpose would want to have temperature control turned off as temperature swings are part of the maturation process. You should probably start by looking for distilleries in your immediate area. If you can find one that is interested, they will likely be able to handle the regulatory compliance as a non-contiguous expansion of their distillery premises. You could also start your own distillery and offer storage service to others. Then it would be a matter of transferring barrels in bond. Visit ttb.gov to learn about all of the exciting regulations involved in this business. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustAndy Posted January 13, 2023 Share Posted January 13, 2023 Your state laws and zoning may have some impact. In Oregon, spirit storage & distilleries do not count by default as an agricultural usage for land permitting & zoning purposes and would require getting an exemption through local government. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Still_Holler Posted January 17, 2023 Share Posted January 17, 2023 On 1/13/2023 at 1:22 PM, JustAndy said: Your state laws and zoning may have some impact. In Oregon, spirit storage & distilleries do not count by default as an agricultural usage for land permitting & zoning purposes and would require getting an exemption through local government. Yes be wary of this you may lose your ag tax exempt tax classification. The Assessor hit me with this when I got my "Farm Distillery" liscence in WV and tried to classify my entire farm as a commercial property. I had to separate out an acre parcel as commercial to keep ag status on the rest of the farm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M. Christensen Posted January 20, 2023 Author Share Posted January 20, 2023 Thanks for the replies. Probably my biggest burning question is how do I find interested parties to store barrels in my barn? I don't know of any distilleries of any size near me. Do I just knock on the front door of Jack Daniels or some other alcohol establishment? How do I get connected with people who would have a need for this service? Again thanks for reading this Kyle Christensen Moroni, Utah Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SlickFloss Posted January 21, 2023 Share Posted January 21, 2023 If you can get it sanitized I can fill it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M. Christensen Posted February 22, 2023 Author Share Posted February 22, 2023 The barn has been pressure washed and scraped clean. To what level of sanitation does it need to be? The barns have dirt floors right now. I would like to do what it takes to get the barn full. Thanks for your reply Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SlickFloss Posted February 22, 2023 Share Posted February 22, 2023 It would need to be incredibly sanitary. Ethanol will grab ahold of any malodors and bacteria love to infect barrels. Legally it couldn’t have a dirt floor and practically it’s be difficult to manage inventory with a dirt floor. Polished concrete floor for palletized storage or single story rick or poured footings pad and floating pad for multi story ricks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M. Christensen Posted February 25, 2023 Author Share Posted February 25, 2023 Ok, I may have a zoning issue to deal with. I could steam or hot water wash the walls and ceiling maybe even a couple of times and/or apply a food grade surface. A polished cement floor is do-able. It just comes down to a numbers game if the revenue from storing the ethanol would pay for the improvements. Could you give me a ball park figure to consider? What other skills or equipment would I need to maintain a quality product? I have heard talk that I would need a fire suppression system? You are welcome to reply to my email. moroni770@icloud.com Thanks for your insights Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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