Whiskey Fungus Removal- Big money in Bourbon country

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KirkH

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This 2012 Silverado truck lives 1 mile downwind from both Buffalo Trace Distillery (Pappy Van Winkle) and Jim Beam. The whiskey fungus originates from the barrelhouses and it covers everything. This truck was really bad, especially the side that is parked facing the distillery. Here's the short video of the fungus on the truck and the finished truck:



I used Chemical Guys Citrus Wash & Gloss at high strength, then synthetic clay pads on a Cyclo polisher to scrub all the fungus off. Various brushes and every mitt and bug scrubber I had. The customer did not want to polish it. This is a case where you might clay the vehicle but not follow with a polisher. I finished the truck with DP Wet Seal.

Lots of cars and houses around the distilleries are covered with this mess. While it sucks to have to deal with it, it does provide a lucrative market.
 
That looks like a pain in the neck to clean. Does this pose a bio hazard for people that live near the distillery? I imagine the air quality must be affected.
 
Interesting you should ask that. The distillery tour guides will ignore any question about the fungus. I think we still don't know if it is a health hazard.
 
That's wild! Never heard of it till now.

Great job on the removal.

Now watch...with all the dang products us detailers are tempted with watch someone come out with "Ceramic Infused Whiskey Fungus Remover"!
 
Great job on the truck. I never thought about the fungus building up on vehicles. Makes sense though when you consider how it builds up on the buildings.

KirkH said:
Interesting you should ask that. The distillery tour guides will ignore any question about the fungus. I think we still don't know if it is a health hazard.
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When I took a tour of the Jack Daniels distillery in Lynchburg, TN, our tour guide pointed it out on the tour. She talked about what it was and why it turns all the brick buildings black. We stayed in the area for several days and I remember the air quality readings being pretty good. Molds and some fungus set off my seasonal allergies, and I didn't have any issues.

All of the new barrel houses are painted black now and I wonder if one reason was so they didn't have to worry about the fungus making the buildings look neglected.
 
It seems to me I read an article about people adjacent to Jack Daniels suing because of all the expense involved in keeping their houses etc. clean, I don't think they mentioned any health effects, they might have said it was killing the trees or something.
 
Setec Astronomy said:
It seems to me I read an article about people adjacent to Jack Daniels suing because of all the expense involved in keeping their houses etc. clean, I don't think they mentioned any health effects, they might have said it was killing the trees or something.
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I also do soft wash cleaning of houses and roofs. I think its something mobile detailers should look in to. It makes $200-400/hr. You can get all setup for about $2000.


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Cheers to a job well done!
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Setec Astronomy said:
It seems to me I read an article about people adjacent to Jack Daniels suing because of all the expense involved in keeping their houses etc. clean, I don't think they mentioned any health effects, they might have said it was killing the trees or something.
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They are. I saw a story in the local news about the lawsuit while we were staying in the area.

I remember the complaints about the buildings, but not the trees. The area is pretty heavily wooded to include the property of the distillery itself and there were plenty of huge old-growth trees.

I think the lawsuit is interesting. The distillery has been in operation for over a hundred years and is a huge local employer. I think the fungus is just something you have to live with in the area. Almost like people building homes near an existing airport or a race track and then complaning about the noise.
 
It is so funny that you posted this. I was just at Buffalo Trace last Thursday and asked the question to the tour guide - what is this black stuff all over the older buildings - whiskey fungus - I had never heard about it.
 
Desertnate said:
I think the lawsuit is interesting. The distillery has been in operation for over a hundred years and is a huge local employer. I think the fungus is just something you have to live with in the area. Almost like people building homes near an existing airport or a race track and then complaning about the noise.
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After I posted I went back and found the article, it was a couple that owns an old mansion right next door (250 yds) from a JD barrelhouse. They use it as a wedding venue, and everything (including the trees) is coated in the fungus, and they said even though they spray everything down with bleach, it comes right back. I guess when you want to take wedding pictures outside, you don't want gross black stuff all over the trees, even if it doesn't damage the trees (which I imagine it's got to). JD is building more barrelhouses in the area, which I guess is part of the problem.

But you're right, near where I live there was a dept. store that closed, and the site was vacant for a lot of years. Then someone else bought it and wanted to put a store there and there was a neighborhood hue and cry, and my thoughts were the same as yours, that you knew there was a big retail building there when you moved in, and now you're complaining that someone wants to open a store there?
 
KirkH said:
This 2012 Silverado truck lives 1 mile downwind from both Buffalo Trace Distillery (Pappy Van Winkle) and Jim Beam. The whiskey fungus originates from the barrelhouses and it covers everything. This truck was really bad, especially the side that is parked facing the distillery. Here's the short video of the fungus on the truck and the finished truck:



I used Chemical Guys Citrus Wash & Gloss at high strength, then synthetic clay pads on a Cyclo polisher to scrub all the fungus off. Various brushes and every mitt and bug scrubber I had. The customer did not want to polish it. This is a case where you might clay the vehicle but not follow with a polisher. I finished the truck with DP Wet Seal.

Lots of cars and houses around the distilleries are covered with this mess. While it sucks to have to deal with it, it does provide a lucrative market.
Click to expand...

Up here in Louisville, the home owners out in Shively are having the same issue with the Distilleries out in that part of the county. They are always having to pay to have people's homes pressure washed and scrubbed. Bourbon is so incredibly profitable right now, they probably just look at it as a cost of doing business.

Just subscribed to your chanel, looking forward to future detailing videos. If you get swamped with work and want some hired help for the weekends, hit me up. I enjoy learning new stuff from area detailers. I'll drive down to Frankfort.
 
waddell64 said:
It is so funny that you posted this. I was just at Buffalo Trace last Thursday and asked the question to the tour guide - what is this black stuff all over the older buildings - whiskey fungus - I had never heard about it.
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Did they answer you? Usually the guides act like they didn’t hear you.

Hope you had fun in our town!


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KirkH said:
Did they answer you? Usually the guides act like they didn’t hear you.
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That may be just a local thing in your part of KY. Down at the Jack Daniels distillery it was pointed out as part of our tour without anyone asking and everyone was pretty open about what it is and where it comes from.
 
KirkH said:
Did they answer you? Usually the guides act like they didn’t hear you.

Hope you had fun in our town!


Sent from my iPhone using AGOnline
Click to expand...

The answer was - whiskey fungus - a fungus that feeds on the alcohol vapors from distilleries. And that was the end of it.

And, we had such a good time that we will be going back - I will ask a follow up question on whiskey fungus when I return. I am currently in bourbon jail on EH Taylor for the next 85 days, so sometime in March we will make a return visit. Buffalo Trace was such a wonderful experience - they got us into a tour that included a free tasting. Highly recommend it to everyone - even if you don't like bourbon.
 
waddell64 said:
The answer was - whiskey fungus - a fungus that feeds on the alcohol vapors from distilleries. And that was the end of it.

And, we had such a good time that we will be going back - I will ask a follow up question on whiskey fungus when I return. I am currently in bourbon jail on EH Taylor for the next 85 days, so sometime in March we will make a return visit. Buffalo Trace was such a wonderful experience - they got us into a tour that included a free tasting. Highly recommend it to everyone - even if you don't like bourbon.
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I don't drink, I've never tasted bourbon except in food, but I am interested in it. It's fun to go down to Buffalo Trace in the morning and get in line. I go down to buy gifts.

For those that don't know "Bourbon jail" means that he can't buy another bottle of EH Taylor for 85 days because the distillery limits you to 1 bottle of Taylor every 90 days. They do the same for Eagle Rare. They take your ID and record your purchase at the gift store.
 
KirkH said:
For those that don't know "Bourbon jail" means that he can't buy another bottle of EH Taylor for 85 days because the distillery limits you to 1 bottle of Taylor every 90 days. They do the same for Eagle Rare. They take your ID and record your purchase at the gift store.
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Thanks for explaining that.
 
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