It might be time to set up a distillery

[Badfellow]

Yup, a 500 gallon hybrid still from the Vendome works in old Kentucky. What is a hybrid still, you may ask? Well, it's the best of both worlds, combining a single pot copper still with the optional ability for column distillation. The bottom line is that it will distill any liquor under the sun, from pot still rums and whiskeys to ye auld neutral grain spirits of vodka, gin and the like.

The other upshot is that my home state just cut in half the taxes on craft brewing, distilling and wine production. Remarkably, it takes far less capital to establish a distillery than it does a brewery or winery. Also, malt, corn and other fermentables are both cheap and readily available in the Midwest.

Find an old cedar barn, gut the interior and turn it into barrel warehouse for 2-10 year aging. Maybe do a couple of gins oak aged for 8-12 months. Any thoughts?

[oettinger]

Find an old cedar barn, gut the interior and turn it into barrel warehouse for 2-10 year aging. Maybe do a couple of gins oak aged for 8-12 months. Any thoughts?

How much? Cost wise.
What do you do when you find out after all these years of aging that you actually did something wrong?

[Badfellow]

How much? Cost wise.
What do you do when you find out after all these years of aging that you actually did something wrong?

Good question. The way around that is not fucking up in the first place. Distilling isn't rocket science; but you have to pay close attention to what you're doing and care about quality control. Having a background in fermentation sciences doesn't hurt either.

How do you mean cost wise? The selling price of the liquor? Or the price to set up a distillery?

[oettinger]

How much? Cost wise.
What do you do when you find out after all these years of aging that you actually did something wrong?

Good question. The way around that is not fucking up in the first place. Distilling isn't rocket science; but you have to pay close attention to what you're doing and care about quality control. Having a background in fermentation sciences doesn't hurt either.

How do you mean cost wise? The selling price of the liquor? Or the price to set up a distillery?

The latter

[Badfellow]

Said and done, under $100k, not including operating costs. The distillery would also be putting out unaged liquor immediately to generate revenue.

[Nausea]

I'd be willIing to invest in this (money and/or labor) if the right talent is there. It's kind of a dream of mine.

[Badfellow]

...It's kind of a dream of mine.

Me too. I can only imagine loving to go into work every day. Even just being around the booze has a positive effect on my ions, like a cordless psychic charger. Looking into possibly getting a loan next week. This weekend I'll get drunk and write the business plan.

[oettinger]

Best customer: Yourself

We can`t sell this to the public but it`s still drinkable.

When I was a teenager my parents explicitly didn`t want me to become a brew-master. They heard horrendous stories about other`s children becoming alcoholics that way.

[Badfellow]

When I was a teenager my parents explicitly didn`t want me to become a brew-master. They heard horrendous stories about other`s children becoming alcoholics that way.

Yeah, and look what happened.

[Patchez]

Best customer: Yourself

We can`t sell this to the public but it`s still drinkable.

When I was a teenager my parents explicitly didn`t want me to become a brew-master. They heard horrendous stories about other`s children becoming alcoholics that way.

That worked out pretty well for them then didn't it?

[Patchez]

What approach to barrel aging will you take. The Beam style static approach and sort out the sweet spots in your warehouse or go with a Woodford style rotating barrel system, trying to weather them all as equally as possible?

Another question is will you be buying barrels? If so what type and how will you prep them?

Any plans for a cooperage as you expand?

[oettinger]

Any plans for a cooperage as you expand?

Same here

[Artful Drunktective]

Best customer: Yourself

We can`t sell this to the public but it`s still drinkable.

When I was a teenager my parents explicitly didn`t want me to become a brew-master. They heard horrendous stories about other`s children becoming alcoholics that way.

This is why there were no more little Oettz runnin' around

[Badfellow]

What approach to barrel aging will you take. The Beam style static approach and sort out the sweet spots in your warehouse or go with a Woodford style rotating barrel system, trying to weather them all as equally as possible?

Another question is will you be buying barrels? If so what type and how will you prep them?

Any plans for a cooperage as you expand?

Most excellent questions.

Currently looking into warehousing/barrel rotation methods for both bourbon and rum, and I've been in touch with certain a guy who works for Trace who's been helpful. But I'm also interested in Solera method where the angel's share is replaced with product from the previous year. This latter is done with some of the best dark rums on the planet.

There are also a few experimental methods which probably shouldn't be discussed in an open forum. I'd be happy to kick around some concepts with you on skype or the Drunk Dial Network.

The barrels will be sourced out of Missouri. A small percentage will be uncharred/in the white with the remainer medium toast. Maybe a few heavy char for specialty aging, and a few more sherry and port barrels for shits & giggles.

Ideally, a person would eventually want to hire a dedicated cooper, one of the old timers out of Missouri or Kentucky, then maybe start importing certain exotic woods from South America.

Just some ideas.

[Patchez]

I was hoping for some port and sherry finishes for these.

How does Buffalo Trace handle keeping track of the barrel rotation? Outside rows on either side moving inward till they meet then bounced to the outside row or a left to right movement till it's outside again?