Bourbon Street Photography

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The drying house is no longer used by Heaven Hill. The watery porridge that is left over after the fermented grain mash is distilled has traditionally been used as a highly nutritious livestock feed. Some distilleries dry it to a course flour for easier packaging and transport. The sale of this product eliminates waste and can cover much of the cost of buying the original grain. Heaven Hill has decided to forego the expense and trouble of drying the 'slop' by giving it away for free to any farmer who brings their own tanker truck to fill. If there is an excess they give it to the Brown Forman Distillery (next door) who are happy to dry and sell it.
A single fermenter with a 123,000 gallon capacity. Fermentation is scheduled to run for 3-5 days, depending on the week's schedule. These tanks have a closed top and extend through the wall of the building.
The fermenter room. In these tanks the yeast is added to cooked mash to convert sugars into alcohol. A single strain of yeast is used for all their whiskey. Heaven Hill contracts an outside firm to culture their proprietary yeast strain and deliver it back to them in dry form.
Peering into a "slop" tank. The thick liquid is the by-product of whiskey distillation and is used as animal feed.
The drying house is no longer used by Heaven Hill. The watery porridge that is left over after the fermented grain mash is distilled has traditionally been used as a highly nutritious livestock feed. Some distilleries dry it to a course flour for easier packaging and transport. The sale of this product eliminates waste and can cover much of the cost of buying the original grain. Heaven Hill has decided to forego the expense and trouble of drying the 'slop' by giving it away for free to any farmer who brings their own tanker truck to fill. If there is an excess they give it to the Brown Forman Distillery (next door) who are happy to dry and sell it.
Grain storage silos.
Shift Supervisor Tony Skaggs shows off the large "slop" tanks. Slop is the spent distillers beer that has had the alcohol stripped from it by distillation. Heaven Hill gives it away to local farmers as a high protein animal feed. Grain silos in the background.
Mash Cooker - 14,000 gallon capacity. Water and grain are heated to just the right temperature to release the starches that will later be converted to alcohol.
Heaven Hill's spirit safes. After each of the two distillations the spirit passes through one of these ornate boxes where measurements are taken and quality is be checked. The Brown Forman distillery is located next door. In the Kentucky Bourbon industry it is traditional for competitors to help each other out whenever needed. It is not uncommon for these neighbors to distill for each other when one plant can't meet demand.
Grain storage silos.
Grain storage silos.
Grain storage silos.
See photo in original gallery.
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