Drone Posted March 23, 2018 Share Posted March 23, 2018 Howdy, Been working as a distiller for over a year. I have that goof ball story of dropped out of college to risk it all going to work for a start up distillery. It has been a wild ride full of excitement and horror. Employee number 3 ? So far I have learned so much but I still feel no matter how much I learn it only prompted more questions. My master distiller was a professional chemist for 12 years and a water engineer for 3 I think. I am truly blessed as he is a great resource when I have questions. We debate over everything and anything production related. I am very proud of the two awards our alcohol has won so far. ?? I am still coming for someone's gold tho. I have a final question at 24 when I started last year am I the youngest independent distiller? I do the whole process from milling to ageing. Been doing it for over a year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southernhighlander Posted March 23, 2018 Share Posted March 23, 2018 Your story is pretty cool but there is a girl who has you beat. One of my customer's granddoughter is his master distiller. She was 16 when she started and now she is 17 or 18 and she is still going strong. They are in SD. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drone Posted March 24, 2018 Author Share Posted March 24, 2018 Oh that is just cheating ? she cannot drink her own product. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silk City Distillers Posted March 24, 2018 Share Posted March 24, 2018 My 5 year old daughter is a regular in the distillery. Was a proud papa when she could name grain by sight. She picked a dress yesterday, because it had wheat embroidered on it. Pretty sure she'll beat the pants off any of you guys by the time she is 12. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MGL Posted March 24, 2018 Share Posted March 24, 2018 What is the requirement to call someone an master distiller as opposed to head distiller? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silk City Distillers Posted March 24, 2018 Share Posted March 24, 2018 I believe you need to be dead be considered a master distiller. A posthumously awarded title, one determined by industry peers and not by self-aggrandisement. If you put it on your business card two days after opening a distillery, it is really just a code-word for douchebag. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MGL Posted March 24, 2018 Share Posted March 24, 2018 4 hours ago, Silk City Distillers said: If you put it on your business card within 10 years after opening a distillery, it is really just a code-word for douchebag. Fixed it for ya. Its normal for it to takes 12 or more years of full time dedication to become a master plumber electrician or carpenter. Why dose our line of work abuse the title? If this were a electrician board most people would be apprentices with only a couple journeymen and maybe one or two actual masters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southernhighlander Posted March 24, 2018 Share Posted March 24, 2018 I said his master distiller not "a master distiller" I should have probably said his head distiller. She is a very sweet girl, I certainly wouldn't want anyone to call her a douchebag. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southernhighlander Posted March 24, 2018 Share Posted March 24, 2018 This has nothing to do with the young girl who is head distiller in SD, but it should be considered that some people are much more adept at certain things and learn them much faster than others. If I have a fabricator that has 3 years experience but does a much better job all around, than another fabricator that has 20 years experience, I am certainly going to pay the the one who does the better job more and I will advance them faster. I had a 23 year old that I advanced to supervisor in one of my former businesses, which placed him in charge of 4 people that were all older than him and 2 of them had a great deal more experience. One of the older more experienced guys got mad and quiet, but the kid did an outstanding job as supervisor for years after that. He still works for me. As far as ability to do a job, I never completely judge anyone by age and experience. I judge them more by what they can do and by their leadership abilities. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hudson bay distillers Posted March 25, 2018 Share Posted March 25, 2018 welcome drone keep up the hard work . there are some very successful people on this forum from vendors , manufacturers , distillers , and flavor creators lots of talented minds to bounce ideas off . good luck to you . Paul thats good forward thinking, age doesn't mean shit , the only thing age proves is that you didn't die yet . mgl the apprenticeship program sure must be different where you live here in 5 years if you work hard you can have your journeyman electrician and your red seal ticket . i dont think any trade here takes 12 years . not saying there isnt people out there that it took them 12 years , but ...well ya know . tim 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TuftedTurtle Posted March 27, 2018 Share Posted March 27, 2018 Hey Patrick, Youngest distiller in craft distilling? Maybe not. I just hired a guy to by my assistant distillery and he's 24 too. I guess it depends when your birthday is. I'm one of the owners/distiller at Hye Rum about an hour north of San Antonio. You should stop by sometime, or heck, maybe I'll come to SA. Cheers, James 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenlyon Posted March 27, 2018 Share Posted March 27, 2018 My daughter is 21 and with a firm eye on running me off the premises as soon as possible! 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rum Posted April 3, 2018 Share Posted April 3, 2018 My 19 year old son has been distilling professionally since he graduated high school a year ago. He and my three other even younger sons have all been hanging around and helping at the distillery since I started over a decade ago. So yeah, there are some young guys professionally distilling. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B&Co Posted May 12, 2018 Share Posted May 12, 2018 Speaking of young talented distillers: we are in the early stages of Texas based Distillery project, and will be looking for a young up-in/comer to execute our one-of-kind vision. We would love to start a dialogue if you know someone we should be talking to. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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