Day 31:  Today was pretty slow as most days have gone.  It was decided we would wait to do the cleaning loops until monday.  The contract distillations we are working on next week are for a client who is coming to see it happen.  Ari thought they might want to see all of the process they can.  So, we will get the mash going all the way to the fermentation stage, and then run the cleaning loops for them.  Jake from them lab came over as he will spend the next week working on this project with us.  He and I spent the bulk of the morning cleaning up the area for the clients visit.

I did get to spend some time talking with Kris about all of the changes he helped to enact in Michigan to support and help Craft Distillers have an easier go of it.  In Michigan any distiller producing less than 60,000 gallons is listed as a small distiller.  They are allowed to sell tastings, bottles, and mixed drinks out of their tasting rooms.  If any of you are interested in the law you can find the Michigan law here:

http://www.legislature.mi.gov/(S(sheyewr05dstuw45ystxe0be))/documents/publications/MPLA/2008/PA2008/2008%20pgs%200901-0950%20PA%20217-232.pdf

We discussed strategies for approaching the legislature and effected parties to get them on your side.  People he suggested to involve included:
Minnesota's Farm Bureau
Finding an a Senator who has an Agricultural interest to sponsor the bill.  In Minnesota I think I will approach the sponsor of the bill which recently reduced the Craft distiller fee from $30K to $1K
Minnesota office of MADD (let them know what you are doing in hopes they will not object to it.)
Any of the associations which involve distributors, bar owners, and liquor store owners.

I am looking forward to taking what we discussed and pounding the pavement to make Minnesota's law a favorable one for our industry.

In a Murphy's law type of moment, Ari, Jake, and I drove around to find a cord for a 208 3 phase pump motor they would like to use for the smaller stills and the beast.  We called true value hardware and was told they had it.  Got there and they didn't.  Called Home Depot, got a recommendation for Total Electric Motors and luckily it was right near True Value (or so we were told).  We looked all around, found another electrical business which told us where to look.  We went there and found they had moved last month.  Called them at their new location and told them what we were after and got directions.  When we got there they told us they didn't have it either.  Got the name of another Electrical place and directions.  Guess where it was, right behind the True Value.  Funning thing was when we got there, they had moved the month before and hadn't changed their address online.  Called them again only to find they were 10 miles across town.  Made the decision we had spent too much of the afternoon for something low on the list of priorities.

The day ended with a few beers with Kris and Ari at Paul Revere's.  Had some good laughs and headed home.