What’s a distillery without stills? These are these first thing you’ll need to procure before you can get your distillery up and running. Decide whether it would be better to run with one or two small stills or invest in a large one that can handle a high rate of output. Along with a trustworthy still, you’ll require additional equipment like a boiler, mash tun and storage tanks, just to name a few.  Good stills are not cheap. Top-of-the-line varieties often go for between $50,000—250,000, which will constitute a big portion of your startup money.  Look into whether it’s possible to get some of your equipment secondhand. Be sure to verify that everything is in good working order before you commit to buying, though. Running a distillery isn't as simple as just churning out liquor. It will be important to think over the little considerations, as well, such as where your water will be coming from, how often supply orders should be placed to maintain productivity and what if any services will need to be subcontracted. These might not seem like major concerns, but the way you go about handling them can make or break a young business.  It may also be necessary to meet with your city's alcoholic beverage commission to get a rundown on the most up-to-date liquor laws.  Don't be discouraged if it all seems a little overwhelming at first. In many ways, learning the ins and outs of owning a business is a work in progress. Each time you face a difficult task or unexpected obstacle, you'll be better equipped to deal with it in the future. Before you can jump right into the brewing process, you’ll need to contract with a supplier who can provide you with the various things you’ll need to brew your signature liquors. This will include things like yeast, grains, fruits, spices and raw alcohol spirits. Take your time selecting high-quality ingredients that are consistent with your distilling philosophy.  Take advantage of local co-ops and markets that grow organic grains and produce. Liquors sourced with local ingredients are a big hit with alcohol enthusiasts and may prove to be a beneficial selling point.  Give your proprietary recipes a test run with friends, family and other connoisseurs before putting them into production. While specialty aged liquors are the most sought-after, they unfortunately take months or years to take on their potent, complex flavors. If you’re planning on distilling fine aged liquors, focus on cranking out “white” spirits in the early stages, such as vodka, gin or white whiskey, as these don’t require as much fermentation. This is a good way to get your product into people’s hands and make enough profit to keep the business afloat while your more refined batches have a chance to properly season.  Darker liquors like scotch, rum and brandy are aged in wooden barrels, which is where they get their deep color and flavor.  Offering a range of liquors is typically no more costly, and can potentially increase your profit margin by appealing to many different tastes. It’s unlikely that your distillery will become a commercial success overnight. It may take years or even decades to establish a reputation that will put you on the map. If you’re truly passionate about what you’re doing, though, don’t give up. As your practical skills and understanding of the many facets of distilling liquors grow, so will your business. Expect to put in the most work during the first few months while you’re still getting off the ground.

Summary: Purchase stills and other distilling equipment. Plot out the practical details of your operations. Find a source for your distilling ingredients. Start by making non-aged liquors. Work hard and be patient.


Before calculating your grade, you will need to figure out if your teacher is using a point system or a weighted grade system. With a point system, everything you do in the class will be worth a certain number of points. Look for a point score on your assignments or simply ask your teacher to determine if this is how you are being graded. Look at your syllabus, add the numbers listed on completed assignments, or ask your teacher to determine the total number of points available. If you are just trying to find out what your grade is at the moment, add together only the points for assignments you have completed so far. If you want to guess the grade you will end with in the class, you will need to ask your teacher for the total number of points that can be earned in the class. Next, add up all of the points that you earned on your assignments. You can get these numbers from the assignments themselves (if your teacher listed your point score) or you can get them by asking your teacher for your scores. If you are trying to guess what grade you will end up with, you will have to guess how well you will score on future assignments in order to calculate your final grade. You can guess these numbers by choosing a number of points similar to the percentages you have been getting or you can choose a higher number of points (to see what would happen if you study harder) or a lower number of points (to see what would happen if you studied less). Now, take the total number of points that you earned and divide that number by the number of total earned points. You can use the points only for assignments so far or you can use the number of points for the entire class. It depends on the information available to you and your reasons for calculating your grade. An example of this equation would look like this: Sam has completed ten assignments and one test. Altogether, these assignments were worth 200 points. Sam added together their scores and found that they had earned 175 points. Sam calculates the grade (175/200=.87) to find a score of 87% for their class grade.

Summary: Determine if you are on a point system. Determine the total number of earned points. Determine the total number of points you earned. Determine your percentage.


If you are concerned that your chicken is egg bound, there are several signs you can look for. In addition to noticing that she hasn't laid any eggs, there are other symptoms of the condition. For example, you can pay close attention to her appetite.  If your hen has not eaten any food or shown any interest in her feed for a day, she could be egg bound. An egg bound hen will likely not drink any water. When you are observing her eating habits, pay attention to whether or not she defecates. An egg bound hen will sometimes have trouble relieving herself. Egg binding is extremely uncomfortable for chickens. The physical pain can cause her to act differently than normal. If your chicken seems apathetic or depressed, that is a sign that she might be egg bound.   There are other behavioral signs to look for. Take notice if she goes in and out of her nest repeatedly. Remember that hens will sometimes take a break from laying for other reasons, such as an intense heat wave. That is why it is important to look for multiple behavioral and physical symptoms when monitoring your hen. Your chicken might look different than normal if she is egg bound. For example, her face and comb might appear pale. She might also walk differently. Egg bound chickens often waddle, similar to penguins.  Your chicken will appear like she is trying to lay an egg. Abdominal straining is a symptom of being egg bound, along with a hard abdomen. Pay attention to your hen's feces. Egg bound hens will often have watery diarrhea.
Summary: Monitor her appetite. Observe her behavior. Look for physical signs.