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Posted: 8/25/2020 2:26:34 PM EDT
Meadery: A production facility for mead
Mead: A wine made from honey TLDR: Grand opening was 6/25/2021 This is our website --------------- There didn't seem to be much interest in the Business & Investing subforum, but maybe some of you might appreciate what we are doing here. Yes, we are launching our own business during COVID; It's scary. This business will be Veteran (and Arfcommer) owned and operated in a heavily military area. We've leased commercial space in kind of a has-been but might be coming back location (the hot areas are extremely expensive!) in Colorado Springs, CO. We have 1400 sqft to work with, it'll be a tight squeeze but we hope to make a go of it. Right now we are waiting for the architects to come up with a plan (funny, did they forget we are paying them to provide us timely service?) but in the meantime, I've been doing some work on my own. Once demolition is complete we'll ALMOST be dealing with a grey shell. We're going to strip it down and then build it back to where we need it to be. This is about where we started. Notice the pile of trash that the adjacent tenant left in our unit. This building was built in 1984, and the drop ceiling was installed in 1992.  Attached FileWell, the first thing I did was attack the ceiling tiles with a broom handle. My broom was a casualty, unfortunately.  Attached FileYou can see there is some potential here. It's going to look completely different when we are done with it! |
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Posted: 8/25/2020 2:29:53 PM EDT
[#1]
Where will you be sourcing your honey?
Will you be doing cyser and metheglin? Sparkling mead? Since it takes a year to make, how will you store your maturing stock? |
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Posted: 8/25/2020 2:32:51 PM EDT
[#2]
Saw this and hoped for it being a brother near me.
Good luck and godspeed OP. |
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Posted: 8/25/2020 2:33:21 PM EDT
[#3]
And we kept going. The drop ceiling has got to go. We are replacing the lighting and the ducting, so why not remove it?
 Attached FileThe ceiling will be sprayed black  Attached FileIt looks so much bigger with the ceiling down. |
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Posted: 8/25/2020 2:35:09 PM EDT
[#4]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Where will you be sourcing your honey? Will you be doing cyser and metheglin? Spatkling mead? Since it takes a year to make, how will you store your maturing stock? Our honey will be sourced both locally and from a few distributors in the United States for stuff we can't get locally. We will be doing primarily pyment (grape) and melomel (fruit), with some cysers, metheglins, traditional, etc. We will have a small canning system and will be making some sparkling meads. It only takes us 2-4 months to make great mead. |
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Posted: 8/25/2020 2:37:33 PM EDT
[#5]
I removed 30 years of phone lines and security systems. I estimate I removed over a 1/2 mile of old cabling from the ceiling!
Here's my first little problem. This is what the ceiling looks like between my area and my neighbor (laundromat). I am going to have to hand-cut some thin pieces of 5/8 fire resistant drywall to fit this jagged area here. But once I do that, we'll have achieved really good sound isolation on both sides.  Attached File |
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Posted: 8/25/2020 2:39:40 PM EDT
[#6]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Saw this and hoped for it being a brother near me. Good luck and godspeed OP. Thanks for your interest! We'll have an online store, and will eventually be able to offer shipping. I might be able to make some low-key Arfcom related batches as well. (no beans) There's also a thread where I've posted some of my homebrew / test batches in the homebrew forum. Right here I do have a website up, but I'm not sure if I am allowed to post it since it's a business and that could be considered advertising. |
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Posted: 8/25/2020 9:49:18 PM EDT
[#7]
Found your site. When do think you'll start selling and shipping?
Any plans to make dry varieties? |
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Posted: 8/25/2020 11:01:17 PM EDT
[#8]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Found your site. When do think you'll start selling and shipping? Any plans to make dry varieties? We're hoping to start selling at the end of this year. I don't do much with dry mead, usually is a slow seller. BUT... I could certainly try, and see how it goes. The driest one I made recently was made with red grapes- it's very dry and wine-like with a nice minerality to it. |
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Posted: 8/27/2020 11:18:38 PM EDT
[#9]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I removed 30 years of phone lines and security systems. I estimate I removed over a 1/2 mile of old cabling from the ceiling! Here's my first little problem. This is what the ceiling looks like between my area and my neighbor (laundromat). I am going to have to hand-cut some thin pieces of 5/8 fire resistant drywall to fit this jagged area here. But once I do that, we'll have achieved really good sound isolation on both sides. https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/144375/20200813_141601_jpg-1562034.JPG A rotary saw will make fast cuts in drywall, but crazy dusty even with a shop vac going. Make a template out of cardboard to mark the drywall with then cut. |
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Posted: 8/28/2020 12:00:14 AM EDT
[#10]
Quote HistoryQuoted: We're hoping to start selling at the end of this year. I don't do much with dry mead, usually is a slow seller. BUT... I could certainly try, and see how it goes. The driest one I made recently was made with red grapes- it's very dry and wine-like with a nice minerality to it. Very cool. Please do bump this thread when you start. I'll order some. I've had a few meads, and did try to make my own with some cherries added to it. It was terrible. Tasted like robitussin.  I've noticed that in the craft brew area, brute style beers are taking off. I've even experimented with amylase enzyme in a couple of my own brews and made some kegs that disappeared in record time with friends. I think people are becoming tired of the overly thick and too common IPAs and looking for something different. The same holds true at a cidery that I used to go to frequently back in VA. They started making ciders that taste like what you can find in the grocery store. Then they transitioned to a much dryer style and their business exploded. My favorite is actually a pepper flavored dry cider that they sell. It has a bit of an earthy flavor and the slightest heat. I had another occasion to try several ciders, meads, and cysers back in June at Winchester Cider Works. At least to me, the dryer flavors went down a lot faster. |
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Posted: 8/28/2020 6:10:00 AM EDT
[#11]
A few thoughts from a commercial GC
If you are aiming for sound isolation you need to add on another layer or 3 of 5/8 drywall. That will not help with any vibration coming from the slab. Our SOP beside massage tenants is dense pack cellulose in the 6” wall plus 2-3 layers of 5/8 rock After cutting the top jagged piece of drywall you will likely need to seal it with a head of wall sealant like 3m fd150 Open ceilings are great, but check and see how much insulation is at the roof deck and if you have enough heat /cool capacity with the existing hvac based upon your loads. In Atlanta we can normally spray foam the roof deck then put on a intumescent barrier to meet fire code to make the existing system work. I know nothing about local your codes but if you have any general questions feel free to IM me or post here. On the plans, make sure to ask the arch / engineer to keep in mind you are not made of money and anything they can value engineer or omit to bring to your attention for discussion. They can be bad about using canned templates/notes that can spec stuff that adds unnecessary $$$$ For an example , hvac plans on a recent job said demo all ductwork and replace with new plus adding on a bunch of stuff to the unit not normally used on a small strip mall space like yours. Plans will be revised To reuse 80% of the ductwork / remove other stuff saving the customer over $20k Ask your subs/GC for any value engineering thoughts they might have as well. I’m not saying do it cheap and halfass for you architects & engineers out there but to value engineer. Same job, for example they wanted to clean and reuse old t12 lights but I steered them to LED flat panels. Eventually they would have figured out old fluorescents won’t pass a comcheck and needed the led,s but I saved them time and made sure the budget was appropriate on the front end. Congratulations! |
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Posted: 8/28/2020 1:28:22 PM EDT
[#12]
Quote HistoryQuoted: A few thoughts from a commercial GC If you are aiming for sound isolation you need to add on another layer or 3 of 5/8 drywall. That will not help with any vibration coming from the slab. Our SOP beside massage tenants is dense pack cellulose in the 6” wall plus 2-3 layers of 5/8 rock After cutting the top jagged piece of drywall you will likely need to seal it with a head of wall sealant like 3m fd150 Open ceilings are great, but check and see how much insulation is at the roof deck and if you have enough heat /cool capacity with the existing hvac based upon your loads. In Atlanta we can normally spray foam the roof deck then put on a intumescent barrier to meet fire code to make the existing system work. I know nothing about local your codes but if you have any general questions feel free to IM me or post here. On the plans, make sure to ask the arch / engineer to keep in mind you are not made of money and anything they can value engineer or omit to bring to your attention for discussion. They can be bad about using canned templates/notes that can spec stuff that adds unnecessary $$$$ For an example , hvac plans on a recent job said demo all ductwork and replace with new plus adding on a bunch of stuff to the unit not normally used on a small strip mall space like yours. Plans will be revised To reuse 80% of the ductwork / remove other stuff saving the customer over $20k Ask your subs/GC for any value engineering thoughts they might have as well. I’m not saying do it cheap and halfass for you architects & engineers out there but to value engineer. Same job, for example they wanted to clean and reuse old t12 lights but I steered them to LED flat panels. Eventually they would have figured out old fluorescents won’t pass a comcheck and needed the led,s but I saved them time and made sure the budget was appropriate on the front end. Congratulations! This is good stuff, thank you! So a little bit more about the separating wall, it's hard to know exactly but I believe it's a double wall with a small air gap. Today I went over and stuffed some mineral wool insulation in the few remaining open gaps and the sound from the laundromat entirely disappeared. The walls appear to be 5/8" firecode drywall covered with 1/4" sheet of drywall that goes up only 8'. So we may be doing another sheet of 1/4" to flatten it out, but I have to imagine 1/4" is a pain in the butt to work with. I also have almost 2 cases of green glue, which is a sound-absorbing viscoelastic polymer glue that I was going to use to glue the small oddly shaped pieces of drywall against the ceiling. Fortunately for us, the old RTU is dead, the landlord is buying a brand new one. The old ducting is nasty and we were going to do spiral ducting anyway. I believe we have the 2" insulation on the roof. We are actually much more concerned about cold temps than warm, given the climate. It rarely gets up to 90 degrees here in Colorado Springs, the meadery is going to be at 6,400', only about 300 feet lower than my house. I also got the landlord to agree to redo the bathroom at his cost in a manner that meets current ADA laws / code. |
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Posted: 8/28/2020 1:37:56 PM EDT
[#13]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Very cool. Please do bump this thread when you start. I'll order some. I've had a few meads, and did try to make my own with some cherries added to it. It was terrible. Tasted like robitussin. I've noticed that in the craft brew area, brute style beers are taking off. I've even experimented with amylase enzyme in a couple of my own brews and made some kegs that disappeared in record time with friends. I think people are becoming tired of the overly thick and too common IPAs and looking for something different. The same holds true at a cidery that I used to go to frequently back in VA. They started making ciders that taste like what you can find in the grocery store. Then they transitioned to a much dryer style and their business exploded. My favorite is actually a pepper flavored dry cider that they sell. It has a bit of an earthy flavor and the slightest heat. I had another occasion to try several ciders, meads, and cysers back in June at Winchester Cider Works. At least to me, the dryer flavors went down a lot faster. Yeah some of the brut beers are really good. That's an excellent point. I will be making session meads and I would love to emulate the taste and feel of a brut IPA in mead form. It would be easy enough to get the sweetness and acidity right, and mead takes to hops really well. I am wondering if I use a little blonde belgian candy sugar if I could get some beer-ish flavors from that? I can't use any grains though and everything will be gluten free. A lot of places are doing super sweet session meads and I don't really see the appeal. You can only drink so much "beetus" before you're just done. A light, 5% mead that's been dry-hopped with a 1.008 final gravity could be a big seller. |
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Posted: 8/28/2020 1:49:47 PM EDT
[#14]
Holy shit. My buddy and I just drew up a business plan for our own meadery! Please PM as I would love to talk you you about any problems you had and any suggestions!
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Posted: 8/31/2020 10:42:07 AM EDT
[#15]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Holy shit. My buddy and I just drew up a business plan for our own meadery! Please PM as I would love to talk you you about any problems you had and any suggestions! My advice would be to walk away.  But seriously it's a pain in the butt to start a business, lol. I'll send you a PM. |
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Posted: 9/2/2020 12:05:36 AM EDT
[#16]
I’m in the springs! This is awesome! You up north? Or more out east yet the airport?
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Posted: 9/2/2020 11:20:18 AM EDT
[#17]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I’m in the springs! This is awesome! You up north? Or more out east yet the airport? I'll send you a PM with the future address. We are in the "middle" of the city if that makes sense. EDIT: 3355 N Academy BLVD |
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Posted: 9/4/2020 10:46:53 AM EDT
[#18]
I know hard liquor is nearly impossible to distribute from a small craft business, but what hurdles is there to ship mead?
I'd gladly buy some, but being way over here in Tennessee, it would be difficult for me to swing by and grab a pack.
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Posted: 9/4/2020 12:26:29 PM EDT
[#19]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I know hard liquor is nearly impossible to distribute from a small craft business, but what hurdles is there to ship mead? I'd gladly buy some, but being way over here in Tennessee, it would be difficult for me to swing by and grab a pack. So we'll be partnering with a company called Vinoshipper that handles the licensing and legal stuff. They also handle orders with an online store, payments, shipping, and tracking. Fantastic business model and they aren't too outrageously expensive for what they do. The only thing WE had to do is put our labels through the TTB approval process. This can lead to some confusion because they make you put stuff like "made with natural flavors" on the label if you add things like raspberries or vanilla beans after primary fermentation. I hope to be able to put a real statement of composition on the label so people know what the actual ingredients are. Thanks for your post! Edit: if anyone has an idea for Arfcom themed mead I'd definitely give it a listen. It can't be too overt or obvious, but that's part of the fun. Maybe call it five fifty-six or something. |
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Posted: 9/14/2020 1:15:34 PM EDT
[#20]
Bump so we don't archive.
Architects seem to be taking a month to draw up some relatively simple plans. Communication has been poor at best. Our GC took a new job without informing his company, which left us in the lurch for about a week. Also, the RTU is supposed to be replaced but the owners are balking at the 10k replacement cost. |
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Posted: 9/14/2020 9:16:58 PM EDT
[#21]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Bump so we don't archive. Architects seem to be taking a month to draw up some relatively simple plans. Communication has been poor at best. Our GC took a new job without informing his company, which left us in the lurch for about a week. Also, the RTU is supposed to be replaced but the owners are balking at the 10k replacement cost. What does the lease say about the RTU? I have seen leases that cap tenant repairs to $250-$500 per repair with a LL kicking in the additional $$ up to replacing the unit if it’s still functional but at end of life if they are trying to kick the can down the road. I brought Architecture and engineering in-house because of extended delays for plans and the unnecessary fluff they sometimes inject into plans adding unnecessary costs so I understand your pain. Mostly it’s recycled templates they don’t pay attention to. |
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Posted: 9/14/2020 10:16:28 PM EDT
[#22]
Quote HistoryQuoted: So we'll be partnering with a company called Vinoshipper that handles the licensing and legal stuff. They also handle orders with an online store, payments, shipping, and tracking. Fantastic business model and they aren't too outrageously expensive for what they do. The only thing WE had to do is put our labels through the TTB approval process. This can lead to some confusion because they make you put stuff like "made with natural flavors" on the label if you add things like raspberries or vanilla beans after primary fermentation. I hope to be able to put a real statement of composition on the label so people know what the actual ingredients are. Thanks for your post! Edit: if anyone has an idea for Arfcom themed mead I'd definitely give it a listen. It can't be too overt or obvious, but that's part of the fun. Maybe call it five fifty-six or something. 87 Blend |
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Posted: 9/15/2020 4:43:57 PM EDT
[#23]
Quote HistoryQuoted: What does the lease say about the RTU? I have seen leases that cap tenant repairs to $250-$500 per repair with a LL kicking in the additional $$ up to replacing the unit if it’s still functional but at end of life if they are trying to kick the can down the road. I brought Architecture and engineering in-house because of extended delays for plans and the unnecessary fluff they sometimes inject into plans adding unnecessary costs so I understand your pain. Mostly it’s recycled templates they don’t pay attention to. The lease says we are responsible for maintaining the RTU. It doesn't say anything about completely replacing it. I hate to say "If you don't replace this, I'm getting a lawyer" but it may come to that. I don't think they have a legal leg to stand on, since it never worked to begin with. Also, it's already dropped below freezing for 3 days here, so we will need heat soon. |
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Posted: 9/15/2020 5:57:09 PM EDT
[#24]
Quote HistoryQuoted: The lease says we are responsible for maintaining the RTU. It doesn't say anything about completely replacing it. I hate to say "If you don't replace this, I'm getting a lawyer" but it may come to that. I don't think they have a legal leg to stand on, since it never worked to begin with. Also, it's already dropped below freezing for 3 days here, so we will need heat soon. Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: What does the lease say about the RTU? I have seen leases that cap tenant repairs to $250-$500 per repair with a LL kicking in the additional $$ up to replacing the unit if it’s still functional but at end of life if they are trying to kick the can down the road. I brought Architecture and engineering in-house because of extended delays for plans and the unnecessary fluff they sometimes inject into plans adding unnecessary costs so I understand your pain. Mostly it’s recycled templates they don’t pay attention to. The lease says we are responsible for maintaining the RTU. It doesn't say anything about completely replacing it. I hate to say "If you don't replace this, I'm getting a lawyer" but it may come to that. I don't think they have a legal leg to stand on, since it never worked to begin with. Also, it's already dropped below freezing for 3 days here, so we will need heat soon. the lease should say either as-is, provide x,y,z in good working order or a combination of both. Commercial leases are a completely different animal than residential. In a as-is lease for example the only thing the LL is responsible for is the roof and making sure the building is structurally sound. |
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Posted: 9/15/2020 6:31:15 PM EDT
[#25]
As a Veteran-owned business, check out these guys for their offerings...
https://www.hootenyoung.com/ |
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Posted: 10/6/2020 2:25:45 PM EDT
[#26]
Minor update time.
The (new) architects have been working for about a week now, and they are working with the city to try and speed things through as quickly as possible. We still haven't gotten our money back from the first company. Also, the ownership finally caved and are replacing the RTU. I hope they will be able to do so in the next MONTH before it starts dipping below freezing at night. |
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Posted: 10/6/2020 11:28:10 PM EDT
[#27]
Looking forward to visiting and trying some of your mead in the future.
Big fan of fruity melomels and bochetomels....aged bochets too !! Good luck on your endeavor !! |
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Posted: 10/7/2020 10:00:54 AM EDT
[#28]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Looking forward to visiting and trying some of your mead in the future. Big fan of fruity melomels and bochetomels....aged bochets too !! Good luck on your endeavor !! I've only done one bochet, but will surely do more. It's an interesting product for sure, which fruits do you think compliment the carmelized honey the best? Right now I have about 200 lbs of fruit in 2 different freezers in my basement, sadly waiting for the ability to put them to good use. 110 lbs of Cotton Candy Grapes 90 lbs of Candy Snap grapes and Candy Heart Grapes I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of Wisconsin cranberries in Costco, but I also know that I am running out of freezer space, and it's been hard to find freezers for sale right now (thanks COVID!) I made a killer mead that I called "Winter Cranberry", it was a mead with Wisconsin cranberries, apple juice, allspice, and cinnamon. But I'd also like to try Cran-Raz as well. |
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Posted: 10/20/2020 11:08:40 AM EDT
[#29]
Wisconsin Cranberries are here! I just bought 18 lbs, only because I am running out of freezer space. But I'd really like 120+ lbs of cranberries.
I have to freeze them because I am not ready to start producing commercial batches yet. There is a shortage of freezers right now, believe it or not. |
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Posted: 10/31/2020 1:04:03 AM EDT
[#30]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I've only done one bochet, but will surely do more. It's an interesting product for sure, which fruits do you think compliment the carmelized honey the best? I aged my first one on oak, vanilla, and cocoa nibs. It didn't get as dry (1.040 @ 13%) as I wanted because I was experimenting with 71b instead of 1118 and didn't bother to move it to a secondary yeast when it was done -- the pH drop from the blackened honey was enough to affect the expected numbers, even with some potassium bicarbonate buffering and TOSNA. It's like a port, but caramel/chocolate/vanilla, now. I've blended with an overdry raspberry one, which seems to go well. As does a bloodorange. Have you seen the 2017 AHA/NHC tech presentation on them? That's where I first tried one, and was inspired. |
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Posted: 11/6/2020 1:19:24 PM EDT
[#31]
So we are almost done with the Architect, but he wants to charge us to fix his mistake. He put the tasting room at the rear of the building, and the production area at the front with all the windows.
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Posted: 11/6/2020 6:19:02 PM EDT
[#32]
He should have provided a preliminary floor plan for you to sign off on before proceeding with permitting drawings.
At least that’s how it works with everyone I use. |
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Posted: 11/7/2020 7:48:07 PM EDT
[#33]
What’s the best way to get you my address? Im?
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Posted: 11/8/2020 3:32:03 PM EDT
[#34]
Quote HistoryQuoted: What’s the best way to get you my address? Im? Yeah, that should work! Here's the semi-final drawings with the front and back walls switched. So just imagine the top of the page is the front entrance haha.  Attached FileHonestly dealing with the architect is kind of a pain, we've mentioned little mistakes me made several times and he just kind of ignores important details. Like having two electrical boxes, or orienting the entire building backwards. |
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Posted: 11/8/2020 5:02:58 PM EDT
[#35]
You could probably argue your way out of putting in a drinking fountain in FYI.
You would just have to provide a glass of water at no charge if requested. |
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Posted: 11/9/2020 10:58:21 AM EDT
[#36]
Quote HistoryQuoted: You could probably argue your way out of putting in a drinking fountain in FYI. You would just have to provide a glass of water at no charge if requested. We tried that argument, the architect refused to submit plans without one. Said we could file a variance if we wanted to. But I do thank you for commenting, I did some research trying to figure out if it would be required. Also, you must speak architect because most people wouldn't have noticed that item on the plans! |
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Posted: 11/24/2020 12:52:07 PM EDT
[#37]
I don't want to sound like a downer, but starting your own business is hard! The amount of unknown costs that keep on popping up is a little bit discouraging. We'll be desperate for business (paying customers) by the time we open. I suppose that's true of a lot of businesses.
Right now our plans are going through MEP and then hopefully next week they go to the city for approval / denial. I've found a few deals on things I need for the meadery on "Black Friday" type sales, so I've saved myself a couple hundred bucks. ----- Also, my sister had an in-law relative laser-cut my logo out of aluminum, it's pretty badass. It's going to go right in the middle of the bar. I may have to modify it just a little bit to get exactly what I need, but it's gonna be awesome. Here's my idea- glue it to 1/2 baltic birch plywood for structural support and a mounting surface. That way, I can mount it to be about 2" off the wall, andit's going to be back-lit with color-changing LED lights. I'll see if I can get a pic up in this thread. |
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Posted: 11/24/2020 3:06:00 PM EDT
[#38]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I don't want to sound like a downer, but starting your own business is hard! The amount of unknown costs that keep on popping up is a little bit discouraging. We'll be desperate for business (paying customers) by the time we open. I suppose that's true of a lot of businesses. ... That's what I've heard about all brewery-type business. probably all small business in general that has a premises. Ever read this book? Moreso entertaining, but touches on the practical aspects of monetizing https://smile.amazon.com/How-NOT-start-Brewery-Business-ebook/dp/B0848VRW18 |
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Posted: 11/24/2020 6:52:57 PM EDT
[#39]
Commercial work is definitely expensive and if you don't know what you are doing there are a lot of holes no one seems to tell you about.
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Posted: 11/24/2020 8:28:18 PM EDT
[#40]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Commercial work is definitely expensive and if you don't know what you are doing there are a lot of holes no one seems to tell you about. Haha. So true. I was telling my friend about all the rules we had to comply with. He laughed and said you just have to pass the inspection (he owns a meadery in a big liberal city). |
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Posted: 12/7/2020 1:33:20 PM EDT
[#41]
So I entered 4 fairly random batches of mead into one of the larger international mead competitions. There were 147 total entries. Anywho, my 4 entries all scored well with no defects. One of them won a silver medal, one won a gold, advanced to BOS round but did not place there. It's still encouraging to read the comments, which were mostly positive. None of my batches have been made with competition in mind.
An example of this, if you filter your mead you'll generally get a higher appearance score. Sometimes 1 or 2 points can separate the winners from the non-placers. If I had filtered or otherwise aged/racked one of my meads a second time, it would have probably been in contention for a medal in that category. |
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Posted: 12/7/2020 3:09:46 PM EDT
[#42]
Are you allowed to use chitosan/kieselsol in commercial meads? That's my nuclear option for clearing anything that I want super clear, super fast.
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Posted: 12/7/2020 3:14:50 PM EDT
[#43]
Cool that your meads did well at a competition! Any updates on the business?
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Posted: 12/7/2020 7:48:38 PM EDT
[#44]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Are you allowed to use chitosan/kieselsol in commercial meads? That's my nuclear option for clearing anything that I want super clear, super fast. Quote HistoryQuoted: Are you allowed to use chitosan/kieselsol in commercial meads? That's my nuclear option for clearing anything that I want super clear, super fast. I use KC sometimes. I think you CAN use it in commercial meads, but I've actually never heard of someone doing it. It is worth investigating. One of the problems I've ran into lately is that I'll have so many batches going, that I don't have a vessel empty that I can transfer into. That's becoming less of a problem lately, but plagued me earlier this year when I was bottled 2-3 batches a month. Quoted: Cool that your meads did well at a competition! Any updates on the business? Still waiting on city approval for construction to begin. I am going to start working on the federal application again. |
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Posted: 12/15/2020 1:58:55 PM EDT
[#45]
MEP and Architectural plans submitted to the city 12/9/2020
Federal Winery License submitted 12/15/2020 Now to work on the State License, Manufacturing License, Health Department License, etc... |
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Posted: 12/15/2020 4:25:14 PM EDT
[#46]
Once you get a shippable product, I'm game to be the first one to throw some money at you. Been on a mead kick lately and have been running out of things to try locally.
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Posted: 12/15/2020 4:45:26 PM EDT
[#47]
Tagscribing for when I possibly PCS to Carson this summer...
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Posted: 12/15/2020 4:59:10 PM EDT
[#48]
Nice to see things coming along for you!
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Posted: 12/23/2020 12:44:43 PM EDT
[#49]
Might want to partner up with a local apiary ??
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Posted: 12/23/2020 1:02:58 PM EDT
[#50]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Might want to partner up with a local apiary ?? We are always looking. So far working with Beeyond the Hive and Lockhart Honey farms in addition to some regional suppliers. Know someone? We will be using 60 lb buckets and we need about 130 lbs of honey per barrel. Thanks for everyone who is following along. Sorry I don't have a ton to show right now. It's mostly paperwork, licenses, and spreadsheets at the moment. |
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