boone Posted August 8, 2002 Share Posted August 8, 2002 A good while back I said that I would post some pictures of Elijah Craig being bottled. The last time we bottled it I was too busy to take pictures....I promised a few of you that I get the workers to hold your name on a sign while it is being bottled-- Well........here they are ***finally****---I HAVE ONE IN HERE FOR YOU BOBBY-----these are not the greatest of pictures as you can see...I'm not a photographer and the camera cost me $6.96 at Wal-Mart one of those disposable one's....To tell the truth about it...I damn near missed this one too....I was very busy doing a line change on C-line and they told me that there was a line change waiting on us at F-line....when I went over there we were to change it over to Elijah Craig .....I had to run to Wal-Mart on my break and buy that camera.....spent the better part of the last quarter of the night taking pictures and explaining to everyone what I was doing ....Now everone at Heaven Hill knows Linn, Bobby, Chuck and Jim... The first picture is Pam at the dumper (Scrambler is the official name for the job)....the cases are put on the overhead upside down... the dumper takes the case flips it over, opens the flaps, dumps the bottles out on the bottom conveyor, after it empties the case it will flip it --- almost in midair-- on the overhead conveyor...it will travel the entire length of the plant until it reaches the packer....The shape of the bottle makes for a difficult travel down the line....she has to guide all of em at the turn into the single line before they go into the cleaner.... Bettye Jo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boone Posted August 8, 2002 Author Share Posted August 8, 2002 Mary Sue is our filler operator.....This bottle is such a odd shape that if you look close you can see that it skips a stem on the filler when it is being filled..actually they are running at half the pace compared to a bottle that uses every stem......I have always wondered how they can sell it so cheap ....not to mention that I slow the filler down... to give enough time for the line help to put the corks in and the heat seals on.......the bottle is very wide and it is my job to change the machine to make it skip ever even numbered stem.....notice the disc above the bottle this is the acutal seal to create a vacuum on such a open neck bottle----the white spacers above the disc will control the legal fill on the bottle....another on of my jobs....this filler (machine) is one of Heaven Hill's oldest....... Bettye Jo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boone Posted August 8, 2002 Author Share Posted August 8, 2002 The writing on all of the signs,,, except for Bobby's.... was not very clear......I had to write over it so you can tell what it said.........Then again ya still cant read it so I will tell you it says-------- This one is for you Mr. Straightbourbon aka Jim Butler.... Bettye Jo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boone Posted August 8, 2002 Author Share Posted August 8, 2002 The next step is the corking of the bottle.....These young men are not union folk....they are our "occasional" help.....college age kids.....My son Patrick worked with us for 4 years---during summer break---- while he was going to college....most of em are the employees children, neices, nephews, little sisters or little brothers..... I was messin with them pretty good in this picture as you can see...they are laughing their butts off.....If you look at the guy with the cap on he is putting a corked cap into the neck of the bottle..after they place the cork on the bottle a small machine located right down the line from him will push the cork deep inside the bottle---you cannot see it in this picture........there are 4 corkers on the line....the one missing had a nature call....Their names are Richard, Ryan, and Jeffery.....their last day will be tonight.... Bettye Jo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boone Posted August 8, 2002 Author Share Posted August 8, 2002 This is Mike Mattingly.....he is the night shift "BACKBONE" at Heaven Hill....he is also my partner in the line change process.....I am just a line mechanic.....he is what Heaven Hill calls a "floater".....He can fix anything in the plant....not matter what it is....if we don't have the part he makes it...if we are down he gets Heaven Hill running.....He is the most good natured person alive....I mess with him all the time....He keeps telling me that he is going to get even with me and when he does it's gonna be a really good one.... Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Scharlene is the label machine operator.....the machine behind them is the label machine....... Bettye Jo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boone Posted August 8, 2002 Author Share Posted August 8, 2002 These people are Kathy, Sharon, Mickey and Boo-Boo....line help....they are putting on a plastic sleeve that seals the bottle....after they put this on there is a oven like machine that the bottle passes through.....it melts the plastic to fit like glove over the cap and the lip of the bottle.....This is the only picture that you can read what the sign says..... the entire picture is very dark....I was afraid that it would not show up after scanning... Now Bobby....Ya have ta do you ELVIS song for me again..... Bettye Jo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boone Posted August 8, 2002 Author Share Posted August 8, 2002 Ya know those little tags that hang on the neck of the bottle? They are put on by hand....Mary Ann (line captain) and Janet are two of 5 people that do this task....They also inspect the bottles as they go by.... Bettye Jo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boone Posted August 8, 2002 Author Share Posted August 8, 2002 This is Kathy she is the packer operator.....the machine that the case is about to go into is called the sealer.....it's really neat to watch.....it will close the front and back flaps, drop just the right amount of glue on the top of the flap, then it will close the side flaps and press them down to seal the case......The biggest problem here is the glue dropping in the open space on the case.....if you don't have you settings exactly right it will get glue all over the bottle....I am sure you have had a bottle with glue on it....I have gotten a soft drink bottle with glue on it.....I thought about the mechanic not getting his or should I say HER numbers right...... Bettye Jo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boone Posted August 8, 2002 Author Share Posted August 8, 2002 I tell ya what.....this has taken me a lot of time.....I hope you all followed me on my discriptions.....I am not a writer....I am not a secretary....or a photographer.....but I hope that all this gives you a better perspective on what goes on from the inside.....how I see it....it's what I do.... Here we are at the start of the line......Stephanie, Glen and me.....I have the funniest story to tell on Glen....but I can't tell it....he asked me not to...when this event happend I laughed the hardest I have ever laughed in my entire life....when I went home and was in bed I literally belly laughed thinking of that story.....I laughed at him for almost a entire week...I know that he is loggin in to see if I kept my promise.....and Glen.....I will not tell....I will keep my promise..... Bettye Jo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobbyc Posted August 8, 2002 Share Posted August 8, 2002 Thank you, Thank you very much! Gimme one of those Jelly Donuts! Shake Baby Shake , I said Shake BettyJo Shake! Get Down At Heaven Hill! Cause there's a whole lotta Shaken Goin On! Shaken out that 'lijah Craig! I'm in Love, Umph I'm all F-------- up I did it mmmmmmyyyyyyyyyyyyy Way! Return to sender address unknown there's a serial number on my bottle I'm goin send that puppy home! Guck Guck Guck! Kentucky Rain keeps pouring down The lake is full but used to be down They use a lot of water in Ol' Bardstown Guck Guck Guck! Thank you , Thank you very much! You saw me crying in the Chapel I got on my knees and prayed God please let me find the money To buy another bottle of Elijah Craig! Thank you God Bless Elvis has left the building! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boone Posted August 8, 2002 Author Share Posted August 8, 2002 Hey Man, a reply like that....makes me laugh pretty good...good pay back for all the work that I did on it..... Bettye Jo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest **DONOTDELETE** Posted August 8, 2002 Share Posted August 8, 2002 Thanks for the photo-tour of Heaven Hill's famous F-line Bettye Jo! Very cool ! I always enjoy your 'woman-on-the-sceen' insights of the everyday life of a distillery worker. Great stuff. Keep up the good work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluesbassdad Posted August 8, 2002 Share Posted August 8, 2002 I'll enjoy my EC 12 even more now that you have given us an insider's peak at the bon voyage party that you throw for every bottle. (I love it when people have fun while getting the job done.) {Hey, Glen! If you're reading this, then you must know we're all friends here at StraightBourbon.com. Please, please give Bettye Jo permission to tell the funny story. It'll be OK if she changes the names to protect the innocent, right? } Bettye Jo! Heard any funny stories lately? It's OK to change the main character's name, say to "Dave". Yours truly, Dave Morefield Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbutler Posted August 9, 2002 Share Posted August 9, 2002 Bettye Jo,You should get one of those giant felt pens that taggers use. If they work on a boxcar, theyll sure as hell work on a chunk of cardboard!Nothing like being famous at Heavenhill! I like it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boone Posted August 9, 2002 Author Share Posted August 9, 2002 Dave, I still laugh at him today....when I see him tonight I will ask him again if I can tell it.....He said he was going to check to make sure I did not tell the story......I don't know why he won't let me tell it. Hell man, all of Heaven Hill night shift saw me do it to him........ Bettye Jo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boone Posted August 16, 2002 Author Share Posted August 16, 2002 Dave, Glen said I could tell it.....I have made the time write....It's 2:52 in the morning..... First let me tell you that Glen and I are really good friends..... FRIENDS... strictlly platonic relationship... I don't want you to get the wrong impression cause it does sound kinda bad especially on my part..... His only regret is that he wished he was doing it to me..... He is one of those guys that can come up with some of the darnest things that sometimes makes me speechless.....(you will have to read in-between the lines here cause I sure in the hell ain't gonna write some of it)-------now use you imagination.... I had tagged C-line label machine cause the hose literally blew out.....glue everywhere.....they were cleaning the mess when I took the hose.....it looked like a spread out daisy.....Glen was at the filler, I walked by him swirling that hose and said BLOW OUT..........He had that look.....I went to the shop and cut a replacement peice of hose long enought to jump rope with.....I walked to C-Line by the filler where Glen was sitting.....He was sort of laying in this chair hands behind his head sort of like laying in a hammock.....He looked at me and said I see ya got a new RUBBER.....in a really sly reply......That just struck me the wrong way.....I took that hose lassoed it behind his neck.....jerked his ass up on his feet......right up against me.... face to face......I thought he was gonna crap in his pants.....he was scared to touch me.....I had a hold on him.... and I was gonna make him sweat.....his eyes were as big as golf balls.....he could not get away.....and then ...I just said yes......nose to nose......I literally laughed the hardest I have ever laughed in my entire life!!!!!! Stories are not that funny when you try to write them.......It was one of those situations where you just had to be there..........His hands were swinging....he could not push away cause he was scared of what he would touch.....I am still laughing ...Ohhhhhhhh Yeahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!! Bettye Jo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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