A proprietor authorized to produce distilled spirits may not commence, suspend, or resume production operations at the plant without first providing written notice to TTB.

(a) Beginning operations. A proprietor must file a letterhead notice with the appropriate TTB officer before beginning or resuming production operations. A proprietor must not begin or resume operations before the time specified in the notice.

(b) Suspending operations. If a proprietor intends to suspend production operations for a period of 90 days or more, the proprietor must file a letterhead notice with the appropriate TTB officer specifying the date on which operations will be suspended.

(c) Discontinuing reports. A proprietor is not required to prepare or file reports of production operations under subpart V of this part for periods during which production operations are suspended.

(26 U.S.C. 5221)

The regulations in this subpart cover production operations. A proprietor authorized to produce distilled spirits must conduct production operations in accordance with the provisions of this subpart. Subpart V of this part sets forth recordkeeping requirements that apply to production operations.

(26 U.S.C. 5201)

When a proprietor receives certain materials on bonded premises, the proprietor must determine the quantity received and record those quantities in the records prescribed by subpart V of this part. This requirement applies to:

(a) Fermenting materials;

(b) Distilling materials (including nonpotable chemical mixtures containing spirits); and

(c) Spirits, denatured spirits, articles, and spirits residue for redistillation.

(26 U.S.C. 5201, 5222, 5223)

Material received for use as fermenting material may be removed from or used on bonded premises for other purposes. The proprietor must keep a record of use or removal as provided in subpart V of this part.

(26 U.S.C. 5201)

(a) Distilling material. Generally, a proprietor may not remove distilling material from bonded premises before it is distilled. However, a proprietor may remove mash, wort, wash, or other distilling material:

(1) To plant premises, other than bonded premises, for use in any business authorized under § 19.55;

(2) To other premises for use in processes not involving the production of spirits, alcohol beverages, or vinegar by the vaporizing process; or

(3) For destruction.

(b) Residues. A proprietor may remove the residue of distilling material not introduced into the production system from the premises if the liquid is extracted from the material before removal and the liquid is not received at any distilled spirits plant or bonded wine cellar. A proprietor may return residue of beer used as distilling material to the producing brewery. A proprietor may destroy distilling material produced and wine and beer received for use as distilling material.

(c) Records. A proprietor must keep a record of removal or destruction as provided in subpart V of this part.

(26 U.S.C. 5222, 5370)

Fermented materials that a proprietor intends to use in the production of spirits must be:

(a) Produced on the bonded premises where used;

(b) Received from a bonded wine cellar in the case of wine;

(c) Beer received from a brewery without payment of tax, or beer that was removed from a brewery upon determination of tax; or

(d) Apple cider exempt from tax under 26 U.S.C. 5042(a)(1).

(26 U.S.C. 5201, 5222, 5223)

A proprietor may produce spirits from any suitable material in accordance with the proprietor's statements of production procedure in the notice of registration. Materials from which alcohol will not be produced may be used in production only if the use of the materials is described in the approved statements of production procedure. The distillation of nonpotable chemical mixtures as described in § 19.36 will be deemed to be the original and continuous distillation of the spirits in such mixtures and to constitute the production of spirits.

(26 U.S.C. 5172, 5178)

The distillation of spirits must be done in a continuous system. Distilling operations are continuous when the spirits are moved through the various steps of production as quickly as plant operation will permit. The proprietor may move the product through as many distilling or other production operations as desired, provided the operations are continuous. The collection of unfinished spirits for the purpose of redistillation is not considered to be a break in the continuity of the distilling procedure. However, the quantity and proof of any unfinished spirits must be determined and recorded before any mingling with other materials or before any further operations involving the unfinished spirits outside the continuous system. Before the production gauge, spirits may be held only as long as reasonably necessary to complete the production procedure.

(26 U.S.C. 5178, 5211, 5222)

During production, the proprietor may purify or refine the spirits by using any material that will not remain in the finished product. Juniper berries and other natural aromatics or their extracted oils may be used in the distillation of gin. Spirits may be percolated through or treated with oak chips that have not been treated with any chemical. The proprietor must destroy or so treat any materials used in treatment of spirits, and which do not remain in the spirits, so as to preclude the extraction of potable spirits.

(26 U.S.C. 5201)

A proprietor may add caramel that has no material sweetening properties to rum or brandy in packages or tanks prior to production gauge. A proprietor may add oak chips that have not been treated with any chemical to packages of spirits prior to or after the production gauge. The proprietor must note the use of oak chips on all transaction records.

(26 U.S.C. 5201)

A proprietor must gauge all spirits by determining the quantity and proof as soon as reasonably possible after production is completed. Additional requirements regarding production gauges are found in subpart K of this part.

(26 U.S.C. 5204, 5211)

Upon completion of the production gauge, the proprietor must identify containers of spirits as provided in subpart S of this part. When the proprietor intends to enter spirits into storage on bonded premises for later packaging in wooden packages, the proprietor may identify the spirits with the designation to which they would be entitled if drawn into wooden packages, followed by the word “Designate,” for example, “Bourbon Whisky Designate.”

(26 U.S.C. 5201, 5206) [T.D. TTB-92, 76 FR 9090, Feb. 16, 2011, as amended by T.D. TTB-146, 82 FR 1123, Jan. 4, 2017]

(a) Following completion of the production gauge, a proprietor must make the appropriate entry for:

(1) Deposit of the spirits on bonded premises for storage or processing;

(2) Withdrawal of the spirits on determination of tax;

(3) Withdrawal of the spirits free of tax;

(4) Withdrawal of the spirits without payment of tax; or

(5) Transfer of the spirits for redistillation.

(b) A proprietor may use the production gauge as the entry gauge when spirits are:

(1) Deposited for storage or processing at the same distilled spirits plant; or

(2) Entered for redistillation at the same distilled spirits plant.

(c) When spirits are entered for deposit at another distilled spirits plant or are entered for withdrawal or redistillation, the provisions subpart P of this part will apply.

(26 U.S.C. 5211)

(a) Use in production. Distillates that contain substantial quantities of fusel oil, aldehydes, or other extraneous substances may be removed from the distilling system before the production gauge and promptly added to fermenting or distilling material at the distillery where produced.

(b) Use at adjacent bonded wine cellar. Distillates that contain aldehydes may be removed, without payment of tax, to an adjacent bonded wine cellar for use in fermentation of wine to be used as distilling material at the distilled spirits plant from which the distillates were removed. The removal of distillates to an adjacent bonded wine cellar must be done as provided in § 19.419. The receipt and use of those distillates must conform to the requirements of part 24 of this chapter.

(26 U.S.C. 5201, 5222, 5373)

All chemicals and chemical byproducts produced must be substantially free of spirits before being removed from bonded premises. The spirits content of chemicals to be removed from bonded premises must not exceed 10 percent by volume unless the appropriate TTB officer approves higher limits. A proprietor must test chemicals for spirits content and maintain a record of such tests as required by § 19.584.

(26 U.S.C. 5201)

Chemicals that meet the requirements in § 19.308 may be removed from bonded premises by pipeline or in containers marked to show the contents. The proprietor must determine the quantities of chemicals removed from bonded premises and keep records of removals as required by § 19.586. A TTB officer may take samples of chemicals.

(26 U.S.C. 5201, 5222)

Water used in washing chemicals to remove spirits may be run into a wash tank or a distilling material tank, or may be destroyed or disposed of on the premises.

(26 U.S.C. 5008, 5201)

A proprietor must take a physical inventory of the spirits and denatured spirits in tanks and other containers in the production account at the close of each calendar quarter. A proprietor must record the results of the inventory as provided in subpart V of this part and must show separately spirits and denatured spirits received for redistillation. TTB may require additional inventories be taken at any time.

(26 U.S.C. 5201)

Distillers or processors may redistill spirits, denatured spirits, articles, and spirits residues. Some redistillation requires an approved formula on form TTB F 5100.51, Formula and Process for Domestic and Imported Alcohol Beverages, as specified in §§ 5.26 and 5.27 of this chapter.

(26 U.S.C. 5223)

(a) A proprietor may receive and redistill spirits or denatured spirits that:

(1) Have not been removed from bond;

(2) Have been withdrawn from bond on payment or determination of tax and returned to bond under subpart Q of this part;

(3) Have been withdrawn from bond free of tax or without payment of tax and returned to bond under subpart T of this part; or

(4) Have been abandoned to the United States and sold to the proprietor without the payment of tax.

(b) A proprietor may also receive and redistill:

(1) Recovered denatured spirits and recovered articles returned under § 19.454, and

(2) Articles and spirits residues received under § 19.454.

(26 U.S.C. 5201, 5215, 5223, 5243)

(a) TTB has established standards of identity for the various classes and types of distilled spirits. Those standards are found in part 5 of this chapter. If a proprietor intends to redistill spirits, the proprietor must ensure that the redistillation process does not cause the distillate to be become ineligible for designation in the class or type of spirits that the proprietor intends to produce. Therefore, spirits must not be redistilled at a proof lower than that allowed for the class and type at which the spirits were originally produced, unless the redistilled spirits are to be:

(1) Used in wine production;

(2) Used in the manufacture of gin or vodka; or

(3) Designated as alcohol.

(b) In order to preserve the class and type of spirits during the redistillation process, different kinds of spirits must be redistilled separately, or with distilling material of the same kind or type as that from which the spirits were originally produced. However, this restriction does not apply when:

(1) Brandy is redistilled into “spirits-fruit” or “neutral spirits-fruit”. In this case the resulting distillate must not be used for producing wine;

(2) Whiskey is redistilled into “spirits-grain” or “neutral spirits-grain”;

(3) Spirits originally distilled from different kinds of material are redistilled into “spirits-mixed” or “neutral spirits-mixed”; or

(4) The spirits are redistilled into alcohol.

(c) All spirits redistilled after the production gauge will be treated the same as if the spirits had been originally produced by the redistiller. Spirits recovered by redistillation of denatured spirits, articles, or spirits residues may not be withdrawn from bonded premises except for industrial use or after denaturation. Otherwise, all provisions of this part and 26 U.S.C. chapter 51 applicable to the original production of spirits will be applicable to the redistillation of spirits. Nothing in this section affects any provision of this chapter relating to the labeling of distilled spirits.

(26 U.S.C. 5215, 5223)