My Memories of Kinsey Distilling

[Bourbon Geek]

1. 12 Wood Fermenting tubs 2" wood staves, iron hooped with iron coils, inside, capacity each 8,935 1/2 gallons 55 1/2 gal per inch Nos. 1 to 12

I most likely will never be able to find out the total out put per day that the Old Dsp- Pa-12 could do but these tank capacities give you an Idea of what Mr Kinsey had going when Continental Distilling bought the whole Plant in 1940 at auction.

Dave, I can give you an idea of the throughput of the distillery based on the auction description that you have provided and making a few assumptions that would have been appropriate for alcohol production in the 1930's ...

It seems like the batch size was probably 250 bushels. The maximum output at 3 day fermentations and 365 day operations would have been about 1,800,000 proof gallons per year. More likely, they operated half 3 and half 4 day fermentations so they could do two turns of the fermenters per week ... (and not work on Sundays ... very typical) ... with a moderate summer shutdown thrown in as well. My guess is that the annual throughput was about 1,500,000 proof gallons per year ...that's about enough to support 750,000 cases per year of sales.

[dave ziegler]

Thanks very much for that information Bourbon Geek I, not having ever seen the DSP#12 operating I really was wondering and that is what it must have been through your Knowledge of Distilling.

And that is why in 1951 the last year that I found the Last mash bills from in the plant that Continental Distilling shut it down. They could do so many times more in Phila with the Giant DSP-PA-#1 still down there. From what I have been told by people who knew they had the rights to make more Alcohol Drinking and Industrial then anyone at that time due to a License Harry Publicker had gotten before Prohibition in 1913.

I sure am thankful for you solving this mystery for me for the sake of History. There are so many things like this I do not know and most of the people that worked there then are gone so I am so Glad that Ludy lent me the book and for your Help in this matter. So for that period of time I guess MR Kinsey was doing fairly good. And Continental ran It all through the war yrs after they bought the place in 1940 and up till Spring of 1951 the last Mash Bills to found.

The Mash bills had them running 3 batchs a day and only on week days like you said! I have a set framed and I gave a set to the Historic Society here and I have maybe 2 or three more sets I found them in Papers that Kids had trashed there and quickly saved them for History. They only went to spring 1951 which is When Ludy remembers them shutting Dsp-Pa. 12 down.

Thanks So Much Dave ( Bourbon Geek )



Dave Z
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It Seems All The Nicest People Drink Old Hickory
America's Most magnificent Bourbon

[dave ziegler]

Today is going to be a day I have been waiting for as Fricky is bringing my complete 50 gal restored Continental Distilling Rye Mash barrel down to my house. I will take pictures and post them, On its top Head it says Continental Distilling - DSP-Pa. #1 Phila, Rye Mash Whiskey and the date of 1971 the last year I worked there.

He has sanded it completly and put lot of gloss Varnish on it including sealing the Writting on the Head with 4 coats and Painted the hoops Gloss Black both head Hoops are secured to each Stave by Piramid screws and mid hoops by spaced screws also and he has sent me a picture before and after. His and Mine are most likely the last and only Barrels to be preserved this way from Contiental and who knows what will happen to the remianing 40 or so in warehouse C.

For all I know I may have even rolled this barrel when it was full back in 1971 another reason it is so special to me. Plus this will sit in my living room and be kept by me till I am gone for History. It also adds to my amazing Collection of Publicker / Continental / Kinsey Stuff which will go to a Museuim when I am gone!

I have been at this saving of these things so long I have lost track and I hope to save some other stuff to. I have not been to the Plant for 4 or 5 weeks now due to weeds and rain and hope sometime soon to take another walk around Kinsey.

Just knowing That Fricky and I have two of the Barrels saved for History is exciting as most times People bought them to use as water barrels or cut them in half for flower planters but these two will continue the History of Kinsey for many long years.

Fricky has done an amazing job on them and they are as solid as they can be with all the staves fast to the hoops on both ends.

I also now have a complete Explosion Proof Sealing light from the plant with the green metal
shade from Dickies area he worked at mounted on it in his memory. I got each part one at a time and then put them together this summer.

My Next project is to sit down and put as much letter head from the Company I can in binders for History as I have stuff everywhere and also to put my sets of Tax Strips in something to keep them clean.

I wish everyone of you could see the old place even though ruined it still is an awesome big place. And if only you could have seen it in operation!
Dave Z
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It Seems All The Nicest People Drink Old Hickory
America's Most magnificent Bourbon

[fishnbowljoe]

Next project is to sit down and put as much letter head from the Company I can in binders for History as I have stuff everywhere and also to put my sets of Tax Strips in something to keep them clean.

Dave, I'm getting ready to start putting my bourbon label art project together. I've gotten about all the labels I think I'm gonna be able to get from the distilleries. You and Fred (mobourbon) really helped me out a lot and I appreciate it. Fred sent me some nice labels from BT. The labels you sent me were nice too, plus I think those rolls of tax strips you sent will make a great border. Thanks again. I'll be sure and post or send pictures when I'm done.

Don't forget to post some pictures of your barrel ASAP. I can't wait to see what it looks like. Also, don't forget to give Fricky an "attaboy" from the rest of us too, for a job well done. Joe

[dave ziegler]

Joe it was my Pleasure to send you the stuff it is History saved and any time I can send the stuff to Good people like you that keep it means it will be preserved for History in many places!

Well You asked for it Joe and here are the pictures of the Barrels from when I first got them till the last pictures I took at Home tonight. Fricky Did a truly amazing job on them. And when I got mine today It hit me they are from Mar 1971 I still worked there that Year and I may well have rolled one of them after being filled to be racked to age!
1. The Day after Fricky picked them up at my friends place taken at his place last fall.
2. Sitting side by side Frickys and My Barrel at Fricky's looking Beautiful in the Sun!
3. My Barrels Head in my Living Room.
4. A Closeup of My Barrels Head note dated Mar 1971 - Whiskey From Rye Mash -- Continental Distilling Dsp-Pa-1 Phila
5. My Barrel sanding in my Living room looking amazing thanks to Fricky's Great work History is saved and preserved which is my goal for everything I find and get. When my time comes to an end my Barrel will go to the Limerick Historic Society to be with the many things I have given them so far!

I could Never Thank Fricky enough for his work on this project to save these two Barrels for History and my Friends that watch the place for letting me pick the two of them out last fall and taking them to their Home for us to get!

And all the Many Hours of Hard work Fricky put in them they are so darn Beautiful, I think if Mr Neuman could see them He would smile!
Dave Z
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It Seems All The Nicest People Drink Old Hickory
America's Most Magnificent Bourbon

[fishnbowljoe]

Dave, Very nice! Fricky did a great job. You both should be proud. Joe

[Jono]

Beautiful restoration job! I note the heads say "Whisky" instead of "Whiskey"...was that traditional at Kinsey or is there another explanation related to ultimate use in Scotland?

[dave ziegler]

From all the Years I worked there they spelled Whiskey both ways depending on the brand and type if Scotch. I just looked at my original Bourbon Whiskey Head and it is spelled Whiskey on it.

I just looked at many of my Oringial Cases of labeled Bottles and all the Scotch ones are spelled Whisky, Old Hickory is spelled Whisky which I thought it was, Phila Blended spelled that way.
Kinsey is Spelled Whiskey also Governors Club, and Charter Oak.
And Planters Club spelled Whisky.

They always did it that way and I have no idea why except it just made them all different and they stood out that way as being different.

I am very Happy with the way the Barrels turned out as you could see in the Pictures before this page they came out better then I ever thought they would and they are very strong and in super shape now. Fricky really did an awesome job on them the past months since last fall. Please if you have not seen them go back 2 pages to the pictures on this page.

When I get a chance I will make a list of all the brands I have and how Whiskey was spelled on them by the company.

Besides the Barrel being from the last yr I worked there it is also really neat to think it was made in Marcus Hook pa at the Companies barrel plant and Cooperage School! Also the Fact I may have even rolled it to be racked after it was filled in Mar 1971.
Dave Z
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It Seems All The Nicest people Drink Old Hickory
America's Most Magnificent Bourbon

[dave ziegler]

One correction I said they were 50 gal they are both 48 gal just got mixed up as when I worked there we had some 50 gal and also 120 gal and even the experimental 320 gal barrels they were real fat cats! For the most part they used 48 gal ones. This one is even marked 48 but I just had the number 50 in my Head.
Dave Z

[dave ziegler]

Sitting Here this morning I was thinking about Racking Barrels and taking them out. It was a job you really had to be carefull in doing as you would roll the barrel in the upper racks on the Loader Platform and which was placed sideways then before they took it down turn it sideways to let it be rolled right off you would then reach out and put a barrel holder to keep it there.

I remmeber being down below one time when a barrel suddenly rolled off the Lift at about the second tier rack it hit on the middle and rolled and amazingly it did not break or leak but the one guy there that was a Copper quickly turned it up on the head and checked all the Hoops.

We had flash lights to go in the racks to roll barrels out and it was dark even with all the Explosion Proof Lights. The explosion Proof warehouses had Steel racks that were six tiers high 333,000 barrels per floor.

We worked in a nice cool enviroment in the warehouses in Hot Summer and enjoyed work very much those days.

Being in there was like being in a Whiskey vaporiser it smelled great and I enjoyed the vapors those days the ceiling being filled with blue vapor a foot below the ceiling.

I wish I could go back there for just one day to savor the air and the whiskeys one more time.
Dave Z
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It Seems All The Nicest people Drink Old Hickory
America's Most magnificent Bourbon