Does anyone here have experience with the TTB (Federal Alcohol Board)?

Fukushima amber 5.o brew!

I was at a local brewery/cidery this afternoon and what I assume was a state or county official was informing them that they had to register with the FDA as a food producer.

You don't think that the FDA has anything to do with it, good luck with that thought.

You think that alcohol isn't food grade or the bottles or cans have to be sterile or the bottle tops or the process equipment not maintained in a clean environment? Even bottle caps have to be manufactured in a sterile environment. Get caught manufacturing something in a contaminated environment and see what happens. Selling alcohol, the movement of alcohol, inventory of alcohol and revenue collection/enforcement is done by TTB. Food processing, even medical products, anything going into the human body is enforced by the FDA.

Now I get it!!

Interesting, the class I just took said if it was over 7% abv then FDA was not a requirement. You made some great points, better to double check than be sorry later! Thanks for the heads up!! Better to double check now than be sorry after production starts.

Last Edited by Southern OR on 03/19/2018 11:39 PM

Good to know. We will just register there as well. What's a bit more paperwork at this point?

It's amazing to hear all the hoops you have to jump through. Good for you for going for it. Wish you the best with your venture.

Not trying to be a pain in the ass. This is why I mentioned that you might want to go to a toll blender/manufacturer at first. I am not privy to what your marketing plan is but, you may find that your initial regulatory requirements to ramp up could seem almost unaffordable. I have been involved with manufacturing at a number of food processing facilities, both solid and liquid foods or consumable liquids. There was a guy not too far from me who started a micro brewery. He had several hundred grand in his process equipment. He had a good product but between the note on the equipment and the government regulations he had to deal with, he ended up selling his business to a larger distillery. He wasn't making much.

From a business standpoint, you should not operate from debt to get your business up and running.

Welp, here is my recipe:

5 gallons of Organic apple juice

3 lbs. white granulated sugar

1 packet of Montrachet yeast

Pour all of the above into a 5 gallon carboy. Attach airlock for 60 days.

Transfer to bottling bucket and bottle into 1/2 gallon mason jars.

Let stand for 60 days.

The most amazing champagne you've ever had.

The longer you stretch the days in the recipe, the better it gets.

Had some 3 year old that I aged in oak a few weeks ago, unreal. Cannot even drink grape wine now.

Once you transfer a batch into the bottling bucket, dump new apple juice and sugar into dirty carboy. Each batch gets better and better yeast. Right now I am ranging the 14% ABV!!!

Forgot to add, do not put this in wine bottles, they will blow their cork. Mason jars will release pressure at a certain point but will create enough pressure to make champagne.

Prairie city?

Nice! Good Luck God Bless and Good Fortune's to you and your new company!!!!

Thanks! Fingers crossed we can jump the hurdles.

You have offered solid advice. I guess the good point of this long process is we have been able to pay as we go. No local producers here for Cider. Wines by the mega gallons, micro brews by the barrel, but nothing for cider.

Thanks! I'm going to try this at home - not for sale. I've just about had enough of the paperwork to last me two lifetimes.

Medford

I always have about 25 gallons in rotation. From parties to moochers, to presents, it goes so fast.

Oh and, the mason jars are a MUST. Use Ball 1/2 gallon jars. Do not use the killing chemicals like wineries do.

Pretty good turn over. Like I stated in some prior posts, we are on our 3rd generation of home producing. Thanks for sharing.

Are you f*n serious? The only alcohol distributed is from the cia fbi nsa and all of the letter people. I thought you knew better

GP here. What will it be called?

Running Moonshine in the Siskiyou's??

No sulfites used here, I get migraines from them.

That is why we are working on making it legal. Have to have approval from all government agencies. Can't sell it legally if it doesn't pass muster. It's just not worth the risk, although I always have wished I could have been one of those drivers of the moonshine cars - that sounds like a blast!

Last Edited by Southern OR on 03/20/2018 12:17 AM

Sapphire's Cider

No, but funny you ask. We know families that did it that way for many generations. We want to do it legally.

haha you're hilarious.

I thought it was a valid question. We have people from all over that may have experienced this before. I have actually gotten some good advice.

My cousin is a bartender at the Blurr in GP, we will be hitting him up once we are approved. lol, not sure if they will "get that fancy".