iStill NextGen

[Odin]

Building two more iStills 5000. Yes, 5000 liter net capacity. 1,300 galons that is.

https://istillblog.com/2018/09/07/two-new-istills-5000/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

Regards, Odin.

[Odin]

Its so busy here, that we confiscated the iStill University Hall for assembly ...

https://istillblog.com/2018/09/10/the-h ... niversity/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

Regards, Odin.

[Max_Vino]

......

[Max_Vino]

And we designed a new innovation: indirect heaters. Here is a picture of an i2000 we are building. It has 3 screw in holes to accomodate the new indirect heating system. This is a picture taken before the acid bath, so welds look a bit dirty still.

Congratulations on your success, Odin. Can you post a engineering drawing so we can see what your talking about ?

Cheers,
Max

[Odin]

Thanks.

Here are some pics on the iStill Mini's column cooler we are currently producing in huge numbers.

Regards, Odin.

[emptyglass]

My guess is you cut down on drinking too Odin (dont ask me why I think that way )

Well done

Good to see the istill is kicking goals too

[Odin]

Yep, we are kicking our goals all right, Empty! Building 200 stills this year and aiming at 300 for next year. Sizes of 100, 500, 2000, and 5000 liter. We now also have an iStill Mini, which is 6 liter net capacity product development still. I introduced it a few months ago, expecting to sell like one a week. Guess what? We sold 50 in 3 weeks ...

Apart from building stills, we also have the iStill University, where we give courses on distilling. Already thirteen 4-day workshops planned for 2019. Third pilar of what we do is product development. We help lots of craft distillers with recipe development. Gin, whiskey, rum, brandy, vodka ... and some more exotic stuff. Fourth company related to the brand is our own distillery. We don't produce for consumers, but we do more and more contract distilling, b2b. So much so that we are into continuous whiskey production from now onwards. And we are upgrading to three 5,000 liter stills in the next month or so. Fermentation and mashing capacity to match. The last project I am (currently) working on is setting up a distribution network for craft distillers, because I think that is the next big hurdle in our industry. This means visiting a lot of distilleries, lots of presentations, phone calls, contracts and participations we put in place. Very interesting, but also very capital intensive.

If I look back at my "career" in distilling, I must say that my role in the company has changed tremendously. From an anal focus on bullshit stories and how to demystify them and the hundreds of runs it took to get there, towards developing theories that better (at least to me) explained how distillation works. From designing recipes towards designing machines to help produce those recipes. From a one man operation, where I did most myself, to a company with dozens of employees. Quite the ride, selling the new stainless steel paradigm as well as automation and robotization in what's basically the most traditional industry around.

I have mostly lost my interest in the act of distilling itsself. I could probably work on that all day here, but I find distilling quite boring. It's the new recipes that always got me excited to start with. Must say that after designing hundreds of drinks for parties all around the world ... the fun in designing yet another drink has diminished too. Unless it is something exotic I have never done before. Training, doing the 4-day workshops was fun but also very tiring. The jet lag of flying from Australia to Canada then to the USA, then back to the Netherlands ... only to be on a flight back to London only a few days later was almost killing me. I now cherry pick and basically only go where new markets need to be opened up. In markets we are already established, I can now rely on another trainer that does a great job at teaching our students.

What I greatly enjoy (and more and more it seems) is innovating and inventing. Whether it is a new technology to make our stills work better or a plan to help craft distillers with distribution challenges, change (or helping change the industry) gets the juices going. That and the care for my teams: I want to hear people work together, in a culture that is positive and inspiring and including. As we grow, more and more I learn that it takes a lot of my time and energy to foster and nurture that culture. But boy does it pay off! Like a well-oiled machine with additional benefits like we never have to look for new staff. Instead, they heard about us and want to be part of the story. Passion creates more passion and attracts more intrinsically motivated people, that solve their own problems and don't dodge.

What I also learned, over the years, is how to delegate. That was very difficult in the past. But getting sick really helped me. I had to, all of a sudden, right? Not a choice, but a reality. And I found out, being better again, that everything still worked great. That gave me the confidence to delegate more. And it was only by delegating more, that my companies were able to grow further, faster, better.

Distilling in the shed is no longer there. I don't post a lot on this forum (or other forums for that matter), because as my knowledge base grew, I learned that me wanting to share did not automatically translate to others being interested in what I had to say. Oh, well, there was interest, but more than interest, my insights would cause uproar and confrontation. I don't blame you, I blame myself. Homedistillers probably shouldn't be interested in filling rates, boiler surface area qoeffficients, vapor speeds, cooling calculations and how flavors can be made, concentrated and selected. Well, there used to be a time when they were. I remember talks on many innovative topics in the past. But the forum has changed, and I have probably changed even more.

I foresee a future where my wife will join in on more and more of my international travels. The kids are getting to that age that they are leaving the nest or at least where they know how to walk the dog and make some spagetti or burgers. I foresee a time, where I will build a small little still for myself, put it back in the shed, and start making some rye bread whiskey and vodka again. But first there is - as always - some more work to be finished, decisions to be made.

Looking back, my journey into distilling has been an amazing experience. Coming back from running one of our first stills against a Holstein 20 times more expensive and basically beating the crap out of it ... to me selling our first stills on that occasion ... and then going back to the missus and saying that the positive news is that we have a business model and we already have 7 orders for our designs ... and that the negative news is may we please sell the house to free up the funds to start producing them? She said yes without blinking an eye. I left my 150k a year change management job, only to find myself being part of a now slowly changing industry. Never regretted the decision and neither has she. If you live to do what you are passionate about, life is very, very rewarding. Even without that little still currently sitting in my shed, helping me make something good & tasteful.

Regards, Odin.

[Bushman]

Wow, love these stories. Odin do you remember Heritage Distillery I took you there in Gig Harbor? He has expanded to several new locations and is looking for investors in his company. I haven’t done anything yet but considering it as he is a very smart person and has a great business plan.

[Odin]

Hi Bushman,

Yeah, great location! They basically use my gin recipe, btw. If you are interested in franchising, may I suggest you take a look at Portfolio Distilling as well?

Regards, Odin.

[Odin]

Customer of ours is now available at KLM - Royal Dutch Airlines.

https://istillblog.com/2018/11/09/dutch ... -takes-of/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

Regards, Odin.

[Odin]

Shipping 14 more of our iStills Mini, our product development stills, around the world!

Regards, Odin.

[emptyglass]

Well done Odin. Glad to hear your happy with how things have progressed. Your Istill is apparently doing good things for you, I'm happy to hear your kicking some goals.

You have my respect sir.

Teaching kids to fend for themselves is a big task for any parent. I think I respect you more for achieving that than any stilling shenanigans, lol

I will admit I had reservations on your designs but I'm glad to see you never let the doubters like me get in the way and kept on getting on with the task of making a good product.

Well done mate

Please look me up the next time you take that long flight down under. I'd be pleased to share a drink or 3 with you.

[Big Stogie]

I am intrigued by these stills I love the way they look and the promise of what they can do. Odin, Is there some white papers on how they function or more info out there?

[Odin]

Hi Big,

If you go to the website you can find my 33 questions on taste rich distilling booklet. Its a free download.

Regards. Odin.

[Odin]

Empty, here's a phrase I find both inspirational and applicable. It basically summarizes (to me) the journey I (and my companies) have been on:

“The unfolding of the truth, as an old story has it, passes through three phases. First it is ridiculed. Then it is violently opposed. And finally, it is accepted as being self evident.”

Each phase is there, in everything I did and do in the distilling industry, craft and (before that) amateur. I remember starting to share my first ideas and being ridiculed and then violently opposed. As mentioned before, we now train over 200 distillers per year in those theories. And the feedback we get from our students is that it is completely logical and makes perfect sense. Who would have thought that? I didn't with all the push back I got in the beginning.

Same with our stills. Laughter at first. Threats and smearing campaigns later. And global market acceptance is where we are at right now.

The above phrase helps me regulate my responses to what's happening to each and every initiative I undertake. If nobody laughs or gets angry, it probably don't matter much. But if it does, while all I am doing is following our base goal and guiding north star "Distilling made easy" with my innovations, we may be on to something. The phrase helps me come to terms with all the negativity that has been thrown in my direction. Instead of hurting, like it once did, it now only makes our believe in what we do, in what we pursue bigger.

Its never standard, my job. It is often fighting uphill battles. But I guess, given my character and personality, it couldn't be any other way. There were reasons why I studied business administration and especially why I mastered in change management. I switched from change management to the distilling industry fully some 6 years ago, but I guess I never stopped thinking or acting like a change manager.

Regards, Odin.

[Odin]

Things are pretty sweet here. Last day of another 4-day workshop, here at iStill, is taking place. Another group of 13 distillers trained in the noble arts of distillation.

And we just shipped a batch of 4,000 bottles of gin to Hong Kong. Designed by a Chinese customer, templated and produced by us. First batch will hit Hong Kong by airplane. They were in a hurry, since every bottle has already been sold. Next batch will be ready soon and go by ship. Third batch planned for early January. A big and promissing market.

Contract distilling is fun to do. Especially the bigger batches, where effort to output ratio's are better. We'll roll iStill Contract Distilling out over the rest of the world in 2019.

Regards, Odin.

[Bushman]

It’s been a great journey for you, Emptyglass, and other members that came on the forum at about the same time as I did. You all have been successful and it has been fun for me to follow the journey. Seeing the stills you guys build has been unbelievable yet you guys take the time and share your knowledge

[BoisBlancBoy]

It’s been a great journey for you, Emptyglass, and other members that came on the forum at about the same time as I did. You all have been successful and it has been fun for me to follow the journey. Seeing the stills you guys build has been unbelievable yet you guys take the time and share your knowledge

I have to agree a lot with what you said. Now I haven’t been here as long or nearly as active but knowing some of the things you guys have accomplished is very amazing. It’s great to be able to “watch” the progress along with the amount of information and experience you have shared. Just another reason this forum is so great.

[Odin]

Thanks.

[Odin]

Currently designing a new 5000 liter / 1300 gallon still. Net boiler capacity. About to be introduced in a few weeks. Already building the first 3 as we speak, so that we can smoothly transition from introduction to delivery. The unit will be fully automated and robotized, can strip and finish (or finish in just one run), and can also mash and ferment. It'll make anything from whiskey, rum, brandy and gin to vodka and gns. Production numbers: up to 200 liters / 53 gallon per hour. It comes with my run procedures (power, cut points, etc.) for around 20 different distilled spirits. It will have automated mash programs for both bourbon and single malt whisky. And there are automated fermentation programs from anything from brandy to rum, vodka, whisky, and such. And an accelerated aging program for each spirit too, since it can be used for that as well. Every step of the alcohol production process (mash, ferment, distill, age) allows of course for full manual control and/or programming. Every step has an optional 30 additional slots for the craft distiller to design and save their own run procedures with different cut points, etc. Oh, it also has wifi, so that we can upload new firmware functionality or check up on your recipes/runs if you feel like that helps.

Pics in about two weeks.

Regards, Odin.

[warp1]

Sounds awesome Odin!

[MichiganCornhusker]

Very happy to see your continued success and growth!
Impressive stuff, Odin.

[Odin]

Thanks Mich!

And here is another update. We are introducing next generation mashing equipment. Sizes? 5000 and 2000 liters. 1300 and 550 gallons in the US of A.

Fully automated, non-shearing agitator design, automated mash programs for bourbon and single malt whisky, indirect heaters, insulation, two big manholes, flush boiler design, skid, 0.1 degree temp control, heating and cooling.

Hope you like the design. Building the first ones as we speak.

Regards, Odin.

[Odin]

Next innovation we are going to release is a nextgen fermenter. With total control over alcohol and flavor production processes. Beginning of next week ...

Regards, Odin.

[bluefish_dist]

Odin,
I have always read your posts as you were one of the few who would provide the science behind what you posted. Your thoughts on vapor speed and plate counts for neutrals have been invaluable. Some day I might make one of you courses. Until then, please continue pushing us forward.

[Odin]

Thanks Fish. We are pushing ... believe me. Some new innovations coming out next few weeks that'll change craft distilling some more. Hope to see you on one of our courses soon, mate.

Odin.

[Odin]

Here is another major innovation: our new line of fermenters. 2000 and 5000 liters in size. That's 1300 and 550 gallon. The units give total control over alcohol production and ester production, AKA flavor profiles:

https://istillblog.com/2018/12/07/innov ... made-easy/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

Regards, Odin.

[Odin]

Very proud not to just build the amazing iStills, but also that we have an amazing educational facility that helps train over 200 distillers per year. The iStill University gives workshops in Europe, in the US, in Australia, and in India. Students rate our workshops with a 9.7, and tell us we are simply the best workshop in the craft distilling industry. Very proud of that, because buying a car and learning to drive a car are two different things ... yet both are needed to become an excellent driver. Metaphorically speaking.

Anyhow, here is some of the feedback we get from our students:

https://istillblog.com/2018/12/12/wanna ... ou-can-be/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

Regards, Odin.

[Odin]

Here are some pictures of a new unit we are working on. 12 inch column and 12 inch cooler. The picture of the column, that's just the riser section. Collection system and column cooler is not yet on it. The column cooler has 170 (!) cooling tubes. We used and welded a total of 14 six meter (>18 feet) = 64 meters of cooling tube. That's around 200 feet ...

Regards, Odin.

[Odin]

And on the other side of the spectrum is our 1.5 gallon product development still, the iStill Mini.

Here's the introduction of gen II, with lots of improvements:

https://istillblog.com/2018/12/17/new-i ... laced-now/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

Regards, Odin.