This is a sponsored news story with our Conference & Trade Show Gold Sponsor Specific Mechanical.What are the most popular types of equipment you sell to distillers these days?
Most of our customers are keen to start a barrel program but also want to produce spirits for immediate sale. A popular choice is a hybrid system that can offer the flexibility to produce both a clean and clear distillate, as well as a distillate with the appropriate amount of congeners to impart a desired flavour profile.
Your customers must have a wide range of budgets: can you estimate a price range for a small artisan distillery to equip itself?
Source: https://specificmechanical.com/
Depending on the business plan and equipment scope, the budget for a new start-up could be between $350,000 to $600,000. When we work with our customers on preparing a proposal, we want to understand the equipment budget and recommend a system that will functionally meet their needs within that budget.
Are there essential pieces of equipment or processes or needs that distillers overlook or underestimate, that Specific can help them with, based on its deep experience in alcohol production and start-up operations?
The recommended system is highly dependent on the customers’ planned production schedule; how many hours per day, how many days per week, and how many weeks per year do you want to work to achieve an estimated volume of production? With that starting schedule in mind, we can then plan for growth by ensuring both available time in the week and the system can produce those growth volumes needed in years three, five and beyond. Future planning is applicable to equipment for heating, cooling, milling, wash production, fermentation, distillation, proofing and packaging.
Can you explain some of the advantages of “buying Canadian” from a company like Specific that manufactures domestically?
When a customer decides to partner with us as their equipment manufacturer, they have typically done so because they understand the so-called “Total Cost of Ownership” value proposition. Opening a distillery is a life-changing experience. Entering into long-term partnerships is critical to our success as a company, and it’s the same for distilleries. We will provide you with a high-quality, efficient, Canadian-made system and we will be here to support you for the life of your business. Our commitment to our customers starts with the first phone call and continues through manufacture, delivery, installation, operation and expansion.
Is sustainability a focus for your customers and if so, how can Specific perhaps help them run more efficiently and more Earth friendly?
Sustainability and environmental stewardship are paramount. We design and manufacture our systems with efficiency in mind, aiming to minimize utility usage both within the system itself, but also within the distillery. The process of thermal exchange is significant in a distillery, so capturing and re-using both energy and utility is a huge part of our overall system design.
Another key point is the time spent at the distillery. A pot still that takes six hours to complete a vodka distillation, compared to another that takes twelve hours or more, can significantly reduce the overall carbon footprint allocated to a given volume of product