opening a legal distillery in the U.S.

[pintoshine]

Put me down as a customer. I will figure out how to move it around Even If I have to come from kentucky and visit. I collect one thing, master distiller signed, limited edition or boxed bottles of alcohol. Can you hook me up?

[Uncle Jesse]

Put me down as a customer. I will figure out how to move it around Even If I have to come from kentucky and visit. I collect one thing, master distiller signed, limited edition or boxed bottles of alcohol. Can you hook me up?

if we ever get to that point i'll be sure to let you know. i do plan to do hand bottling and some sort of hand numbering or something along those lines.

[Uncle Jesse]

http://www.ttb.gov/industry_circulars/i ... -27-02.pdf

pre-cola product evaluation needs for various spirits and cordials.

http://www.ttb.gov/procedures/index.shtml#BM74_1

reciprocal priveleges for Jordan and Iceland.

http://72.14.253.104/search?q=cache:dxa ... =firefox-a

'charcoal filtered' amended and defined.

[Uncle Jesse]

http://www.ttb.gov/foia/Table_1.pdf

temperature conversion tables for determination of exact proof of distilled spirits.

[Uncle Jesse]

still waiting for city approval on the plans we submitted. once we get that we can start modifying the warehouse and we can file our federal paperwork.

- I found a used scale for use in the determination of spirit volume produced. it's used but it's NTEP approved up to 1,000 pounds. I will need a smaller scale as well, I believe. any container of spirits over 10 u.s. gallons is to be weighed to .5 lbs or better. any container under 10 u.s. gallons needs to be weighed in ounces or hundredths of a pound. I found a scale which will do 20th of a pound, which is more accurate than ounces so it should work.

- two of my hydrometers arrived broken, have gotten replacements ordered.

- I do not fall under the weights and measures folks because as a distillery I am not retailing to the public. Since the scales are used for the determination of revenue for the IRS, I am getting NTEP approved, calibrated scales.

- I spoke to a local winery and they are interested in working with me at some point, if I get the organic certification. They can provide me pumace for grappa, or wines for brandies, and contacts for contract work.

- spoke to a local orchard and they can provide "seconds" on peaches during the summer. "seconds" are peaches unfit for retail sale due to brusing etc.

- Getting ahold of the state Board of Health. Since I will not have any retail customers I do not fall under the county Board of Health. Have contacted them to find out what I will need for sinks, etc.

- Looking into water filters. at the moment a good reverse osmosis system seems above our budget. I will probably settle for a decent filter instead.

- got a bunch of desks for the distillery and have started setting things up. Also set up the office with a desk, a chair (finally) and am configuring computers.

- Still haven't received my NIST approved thermometer, gotta call those jokers.

- Found out that a 10 barrel food-grade plastic container which is truck-mountable costs about a dollar a gallon. This is good news since it will give me a way to transport wine, beer and fruit juice to the distillery. I want to do contract work for wineries and any brewery which wants to make a spirit, and I need to find someone to press fruit juices for me.

- as far as buying a fruit press, forget it. the cheapest workable model which will pass local government scrutiny is $25,000. That doesn't include the room to house it which has to be build to current sanitary standards. IE, sinks, washable floors and walls, and so on. I will try to find a winery or juice company to press juices for me when I want to make fruit-based spirits.

more as I think about it, this is basically a brain dump.

[partsbill]

still waiting for city approval on the plans we submitted. once we get that we can start modifying the warehouse and we can file our federal paperwork.

- I found a used scale for use in the determination of spirit volume produced. it's used but it's NTEP approved up to 1,000 pounds. I will need a smaller scale as well, I believe. any container of spirits over 10 u.s. gallons is to be weighed to .5 lbs or better. any container under 10 u.s. gallons needs to be weighed in ounces or hundredths of a pound. I found a scale which will do 20th of a pound, which is more accurate than ounces so it should work.

- two of my hydrometers arrived broken, have gotten replacements ordered.

- I do not fall under the weights and measures folks because as a distillery I am not retailing to the public. Since the scales are used for the determination of revenue for the IRS, I am getting NTEP approved, calibrated scales.

- I spoke to a local winery and they are interested in working with me at some point, if I get the organic certification. They can provide me pumace for grappa, or wines for brandies, and contacts for contract work.

- spoke to a local orchard and they can provide "seconds" on peaches during the summer. "seconds" are peaches unfit for retail sale due to brusing etc.

- Getting ahold of the state Board of Health. Since I will not have any retail customers I do not fall under the county Board of Health. Have contacted them to find out what I will need for sinks, etc.

- Looking into water filters. at the moment a good reverse osmosis system seems above our budget. I will probably settle for a decent filter instead.

- got a bunch of desks for the distillery and have started setting things up. Also set up the office with a desk, a chair (finally) and am configuring computers.

- Still haven't received my NIST approved thermometer, gotta call those jokers.

- Found out that a 10 barrel food-grade plastic container which is truck-mountable costs about a dollar a gallon. This is good news since it will give me a way to transport wine, beer and fruit juice to the distillery. I want to do contract work for wineries and any brewery which wants to make a spirit, and I need to find someone to press fruit juices for me.

- as far as buying a fruit press, forget it. the cheapest workable model which will pass local government scrutiny is $25,000. That doesn't include the room to house it which has to be build to current sanitary standards. IE, sinks, washable floors and walls, and so on. I will try to find a winery or juice company to press juices for me when I want to make fruit-based spirits.

more as I think about it, this is basically a brain dump.

I've enjoyed reading about your adventures in start-up distillery.

Seems like an awful lot of stuff.

Why?(in 50 words or less)

[goose eye]

uncle jesse id get a refractometer to.
peach is a hard scent to hold even usein all juice

[Husker]

Old hydrometer:

Don't know if this one meets current NIST specifications (would be VERY surprised if it did), but this is a hell of a nice look at history.

http://cgi.ebay.com/1877-Whiskey-Copper ... dZViewItem" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

[Ole]

Congrats, UJ.

This is a really helpful site you have here. I wish you all the best in your endeavors.

Matt

[mtnwalker2]

Going legit? Sounds like the Duke boys, and a sheriff will be out of a job.

Seriously, hearty congrats! You will have the first several thousand bottles already sold, just to the members here, who want to compare their attempts with the masters. You continue to give us incentive.

I and others would love to know what still you have decided upon, if you don't mind shareing.

My heartfelt best wishes.

[Virginia Gentleman]

Nice job Uncle Jesse! Just caught this thread. You and Chemist may be the only 2 folks on here who are working in the industry. Can't wait to hear more about how it goes.

One question I'm surprised no one has asked yet: who built your still? I know there are commercial providers out there and even the Col. makes some large ones for commercial use (or show).

And of course pictures at some point would be sweet as well.

Vodka might be an option for early revenues as well, while the good stuff ages.

Best of luck!

[Bujapat]

There is a new distillery here in Belgium that produces the first "belgian whisky".
To get some money while the stuff was aging, they sold on the net what I can call "virtual bottles", whitch each buyer will receive 3 years after... , with great success!

Here is the link to their site, all is explained... Much better than I'd do it...
http://www.belgianwhisky.com/start.php?lang=en&rub=7

[Virginia Gentleman]

Smart idea, Bujapat. Just like buying barrel shares of good scotch & whiskey.

There's a local distiller here in Virginia that started several years ago, and they had to buy a still and put it on site before they could get their license just as Jesse did. Apparently they found an old, abandoned 2000 gallon copper still on a hillside nearby and bought it from the land owner for the price of the scrap copper. Built in the 1930s.

http://www.imbibemagazine.com/feat_3.html

[hornedrhodent]

="Uncle Jesse"

- got a bunch of desks for the distillery and have started setting things up. Also set up the office with a desk, a chair (finally) and am configuring computers.

Unfortunately I think you'll need them more than the still!

[Uncle Jesse]

I ordered the Revenoor 300 gallon still. I have a 10 bbl (310 gallon) stainless steel fermenter and a bohemian brewery structure (mash and lauter tuns). also got the boiler to produce the steam. The still should be ready in the next few weeks. Since I learned on a 10 gallon Revenoor this shouldn't be a huge learning curve for me. If I am successful I'll want to add other types of stills including a traditional pot still in the future.

As far as selling online, I'd love to but I am not sure I could pull that off. California is a "3 tier" state which means I cannot be a producer and a retailer. I have to sell to large distributors who sell to the liquor stores and bars.

I'll try to post some pics of my equipment

[Big J]

="Uncle Jesse"
As far as selling online, I'd love to but I am not sure I could pull that off. California is a "3 tier" state which means I cannot be a producer and a retailer. I have to sell to large distributors who sell to the liquor stores and bars.

St. George's Spirits, in their emails, refers to a 'distillery store.' Maybe ask them how they pull it off.

Cheers,
J

[Uncle Jesse]

No still yet. Here are some photos of my current equipment. As you can see the Bohemian is probably overkill but it will give me the flexibility to create any mash I can think of off the top of my head.

10 barrel stainless steel fermenter:



boiler for making steam:



my brand new, made to order grain mill:



mash tun side of the Bohemian brew setup.



couple of pics of the top half of the mash tun, internally:




controls for the works:



the lauter tun side of the Bohemian:



view of how the controls are situated.



Note the box with the note written to me by Jere, the founder and original owner of Revenoor. It's something I keep close and I constantly use it to remind myself of it's simple wisdom.

[AfricaUnite]

Who makes that fermenter in the first pic? Looks like a ganemede tank.

[Uncle Jesse]

Who makes that fermenter in the first pic? Looks like a ganemede tank.

no idea, i bought it used!

[possum]

Wow.
That mash rig looks great.
I bet you could make some great stuff with that fermenter and mash unit.

Are you licensed for beer or wine? I guess that it is easier (and less expensive) to get certified for spirits alone instead of spirit and beer/wine.

Do you plan on using heads and tails for fuel to keep losses down?
The proffit may or may not be worthwhile depending on the paperwork and the free market value for fuel.

[Uncle Jesse]

i won't be licensed for beer or for wine. i don't think i could get licensed for them, to be honest. wineries get a special dispensation for making brandies but that's because the wine lobby is strong here in the U.S.

heads and tails will be used as feints and those which aren't will be saved for occasional runs of "the kings own cask" type spirits. i will be using gas to power the boiler so there's really no way i can re-use my waste products. i'll simply try to be wise with them. obviously with the kind of cuts i take i'll have a higher percentage of heads and tails than most commercial distilleries and i'll have to learn to be wise using them.

[partsbill]

[quote="Uncle Jesse"]
i will be using gas to power the boiler so there's really no way i can re-use my waste products. i'll simply try to be wise with them. quote]

Will you be turning your spent mash into cattle feed as the ethanol producers do?

[goose eye]

what your labels gonna look like.

[Ricky]

saw a show last nite on ngc called ultimate factorys. they were talking about moonshine. a family went legit in virginia making theyre family recipe. the name of the spirit was virginia lightning. all they made was moonshine marketed as less than 30 days old. dont know what there volume was but they appeared to do quite a bit. might be worth investigating and picking up some tips. i dought that your markets would overlap anytime soon. although i definantly wish you all the luck in the world. i guarentee that the first i here of your stuff getting within 150 miles of my house i will have me a bottle. again uncle jesse i wish you luck!

[Virginia Gentleman]

Great pics, thanks for sharing all the details. At least the rest of us can dream and live vicariously through your distilling adventure. That's some cool equipment you got, can't wait to see the Revenoor still. You got the best toys here!

Hey Ricky, that distillery in Va. is called Belmont Farms and they're right up the road from here. Wish I got that channel, I read about the show on their web site. Check it out: http://virginiamoonshine.com/vaLightning.html. They did a lot of work locally to be able to sell their product on site, think they even pushed for legislation to make that happen. Wine makers here have faced the same problems. Of course, Va. law on all that is different from Ca.

[Samogon]

No still yet. Here are some photos of my current equipment. As you can see the Bohemian is probably overkill but it will give me the flexibility to create any mash I can think of off the top of my head.

mash tun side of the Bohemian brew setup.

couple of pics of the top half of the mash tun, internally:

the lauter tun side of the Bohemian:

Judging by the screen shown in your 'mash tun', it looks like a mash/lauter tun, with both operations being done in one vessel. The bottom half of the tank should be your hot liquor for sparging, and the 'lauter tun' in your picture is the brew kettle, in fact it is labeled as such on the control panel. I'm not sure what you'll do with the kettle in liquor production, I s'pose you might want to boil something to sterilize it before fermentation sometime. Maybe you can sell it off separately, but it'd be shame to break up the system. Or you could cut the top off and use it as a hot tub!

Are you going to try and keep the grain solids in the fermenter, as in, say, the UJSM? I'd guess you'd need a solids capable pump, like a positive displacement or something. And then pump it back to the mash/lauter to strain out the grains before pumping to the still?

Once you had such a pump, you could mash in the brew kettle and just lauter in the mash/lauter. This would let you actually heat the mash without adding water, if you wanted to do a non-infusion mash program.

Looking forward to your still pics - I, too enjoy 'living vicariously' through your startup.

[stillvodka]

the USA is so,sooo big, massive market , endless opportunities, I do truly hope you do well UJ.

I would love to by a bottle of what you are going to produce in your still.

[junkyard dawg]

Nice looking equipment there. I can't wait to taste some myself... thanks for this thread UJ, It's a good one. Best of luck.

[stillvodka]

Wonder how it's all going?

[Uncle Jesse]

I've been working on the business plan end of things recently. The idea right now is a rum and a moonshine at first, some of which will be aged. In a few years I would hope to have a Tennessee-style whiskey available made with the best casks I can buy.

Should have city approval this month, the architect was asleep at the switch and I finally made some headway 2 weeks ago. After that I need some build-out and I will file the federal paperwork. I'm trying to meet local farmers, talking to local community development groups, tracking down materials and getting my equipment in line. I have found 310 gallon food-grade plastic fermenters for $500 or so each so I will start with a few of these until I can afford something nicer.

I have also been cleaning the copper a bit