I got all kinds of questions regarding a rickhouse

[GARPAX]

 My business partners and i are putting the finishing touches on our business plan and i'm just trying to figure out this whole rickhouse debacle. Is there a company that sells plans i could just give my contractor? is there a company that manufactures a barrel elevator as a sold unit or if this is something i'd have to contact a local elevator/lift company for. I'm trying to avoid having a second forklift as this will be a separate location from the distillery or a pump in/out in place scenario which then i would still have to come up with a solution to lift an empty barrel up high along with air compressor, pump etc.. I would love any advice on design for something in the ballpark of 500 barrels to get us through the first few years and maybe some pros/cons of bunks vs putting everything on barrel racks and stacking vs prefab metal erector set stlye that look like a pallet shelving. and getting a forklift, concrete floors etc. other than the money. we all seem to be on the same page as far as wanting to access barrels with ease for sampling and watching for leaks and were avoiding the palletized on end method. but yet again i could be swayed. I just want to get some diversity in the barrels so i feel like height change is necessary. Were in central missouri so I will have some good temp flux over all and maybe im overthinking the height factor. All opinions/criticisms welcome as i'm coming from the wine and cellared spirits industry and rickhouses are not my forte and im always up for an education. Also if anyone has any relatively local distilleries with small/medium rickhouses I should go see that isn't a shed from home depot or a 20,000 barrel complex. Thanks in advance!

[jocko]

I'd get a used forklift at auction.  Most straightforward.  We use barrel racks.  At our scale, we find it pretty easy.  We can move 2-4 barrels around with a pallet jack, and we can stack easily for density.

 

Going used is easiest way IMHO. 

[Kindred Spirits]

I can help design a custom rick system for your space. I have a number of clients using a custom design, and they all love the accessibility of the barrels vs standard stacking methods.

Typically the cost of the ricks is less than what you would pay for those stacking racks too.

[JNorris]

Have you looked at K-RAX: https://www.kraxbarrelstorage.com/

[Bolverk]

1 hour ago, JNorris said:

Have you looked at K-RAX: https://www.kraxbarrelstorage.com/

Thanks for that link, those 6 bbl portable racks are nice

[Golden Beaver Distillery]

We use used connex containers. 20' will hold 54 barrels 2 x 3 rows.  Double that for 40'.

You will need a second forklift but used containers are 2-4K depending on condition and the area market.

Cheap way to start storing barrels and the metal container helps in heat cycling.

[SlickFloss]

Depending on your scale scope and goals you probably don't need an actual rickhouse. A Rickhouse is IP owned by the Busick family of KY on their method of constructing barrel storage warehouse that allow multiple floors of vertical storage in a safe manner that meets all parameters for standards of identity. They are functional and purposefully designed when it comes to stability, establishment of microclimates, ventilation, and process flow. Most people but barrels in a warehouse or a barn and they are fine. Some people get creative and store in all type of wild and fun ways, like Conex Boxes, in Caves, In hillsides, on floating barges. None of these are "rickhouses" but they're all really great functional ways to age spirits and subject them to terroir, so different way to skin same cat.

Actual Rickhouses are very expensive and they are also somewhat "fussy". They like to be full and don't like waiting for you to fill them so best to have most of the inventory ready to go in when yu build. Can always put ricks inside of a structure or racking of another type or anything, but then technically not a rickhouse,.

Buzick will take your cold call and will sub out to your contractors if thats the route you want to go, or they will build your whole thing out. We got our built out by them because it helped with the zoning issues we were having. Rickhouse in most cases would require a variance, most people don't build them so never bother to get variances for their alternative solutions. 

If you think an actual rickhouse is something for you feel free to shoot me a PM ill shoot you straight on it or just call them, we have a five story Rickhouse built by Buzick and we love it and currently its actually full. Lots of alternatives.