Distillery Operations: How to Run a Small Distillery

This work covers all aspects of distilling operations from fermentation to bottling. It is written by a licensed distiller who started his own distillery and then operated it successfully for almost twenty years. The book’s focus is on the actual mechanical, biological and chemical aspects of operating a distillery as well as the regulatory requirements associated with being in such a highly regulated business. The book is not highly technical but is written on a professional level as a peer to peer work for other distillers. Alcohol aficionado’s who want to learn how alcohol is actually fermented, distilled, rectified and bottled will also learn a great deal from the text. While there is a great deal of text and explanation of the processes involved, much of the work is explained in tables that show the results of various operations, like just how big a still do you need to produce 100 gallons of alcohol a day; and how much corn do you really have to purchase to make that 100 gallons, down to how many yeast do you need to ferment it and how much energy do you need to apply in order to distill it. The book provides a good survey of the processes necessary to produce quality beverage grade alcohol on a commercial but still artisanal scale. The later parts of the work are devoted to the author’s experiences and conclusions about the distilling business.