E5B
Active Member
What is the legality of making...say...your own Vodka (not for distribution obviously). I hear that Moonshine is illegal to make....or is it?
Brewing Spirits?
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Truble
Well-Known Member
I don't think that making any spirits "at home" is legal.
Cheesefood
Well-Known Member
Truble said:
I don't know about making spirits, but I'm made some demons after drinking some green beer.
rod
beer -just brew it
only legal in austalia and new zealand i think
good info at
www.homedistiller.org
use at your own risk
good info at
www.homedistiller.org
use at your own risk
Brewpastor
Beer, not rocket chemistry
You can not distill in the US without a license. It really doesn't make sense. You are allowed to make the alcohol, just not purify it. Strickly speaking you can't even freeze your beer and remove the ice.
Isn't it a safety thing? Lot more apt to get an explosion / fire out of a still than anything beer related. Wouldn't apply to freeze-distillation, but the laws are probably written in such as a way as to not distinguish between the two.
Cheesefood
Well-Known Member
the_bird said:
That, and people going blind/dead from grain alcohol that's incorrectly produced. Some people just want STRENGTH and end up with ethanol or something equally dnagerous to drink.
I can think of a couple of people around here...
I suspect the restrictions on distilling in the USA are strictly tax related, not safety. The making of Grappa is a good example. The fermentation process can produce large amounts of methanol. The distillation process (done properly) makes it safe. Freezing hard cider to make apple jack is completely safe and just as illegal.
Yeah, that's true, never underestimate the power of the taxing authorities.
Brewpastor
Beer, not rocket chemistry
It is a revenue issue (taxation). Explosions can happen but, that can happen with propane tanks, and with a proper still it is unlikely. The whole "going blind" thing is a myth, that happens from wood alcohol. If it was legalized the knowledge base would spread and people would be making good clean spirits. That is what has happened in New Zealand. But them dang revenuers just want to keep their pots full.
How did Jimmy C. manage to get homebrewing legal back in the day, given the loss of revenues for both Federal and state authorities?
Brewpastor
Beer, not rocket chemistry
Jimmy Carter was a man of vision, the patron saint of brewers!
Actually, think of the industry that legalizing homebrewing has created. Brewpubs, micros...
There has been some effort to do the same with liquor, but I am not holding my breath, not in this neo-prohibition culture of ours. I don't think homebrewing would even be legalized.
I don't care what anybody else says, Jimmy Carter is my model for a great president.
Actually, think of the industry that legalizing homebrewing has created. Brewpubs, micros...
There has been some effort to do the same with liquor, but I am not holding my breath, not in this neo-prohibition culture of ours. I don't think homebrewing would even be legalized.
I don't care what anybody else says, Jimmy Carter is my model for a great president.
Jimmy has gotten hosed recently. I remember immediately post-Katrina, Clinton and Bush Sr. appearing together, asking people to donate money for the cause, and I'm thinking....
Where the hell is Jimmy? Who the hell knows more about rebuilding homes for the destitute that him?
I like Jimmy, great man but terrible President. My buddy here is a huge Jimmy guy, there's some group that he belongs to that goes to Georgia periodically and dines with the Carters, his office is filled with Jimmy memorabilia - and he agrees wholeheartedly, he was simply overmatched when he was in office. Doesn't diminish the respect I have for the man, even though there are many policies he has advocated that I disagree with (not homebrewing!)
Where the hell is Jimmy? Who the hell knows more about rebuilding homes for the destitute that him?
I like Jimmy, great man but terrible President. My buddy here is a huge Jimmy guy, there's some group that he belongs to that goes to Georgia periodically and dines with the Carters, his office is filled with Jimmy memorabilia - and he agrees wholeheartedly, he was simply overmatched when he was in office. Doesn't diminish the respect I have for the man, even though there are many policies he has advocated that I disagree with (not homebrewing!)
Brewpastor
Beer, not rocket chemistry
I agree completely.
Brew Runner
Well-Known Member
I haven't been around for a while, but I figured there was some mention of 'shining on here with so many brewers and all. I was going to respond to another thread, but it was much older. I'll dredge this more recent one up.
Just so you know, ethyl alcohol, ethanol, or grain alcohol is what your little beer yeasties pee out into the wort. You need to be worried about wood alcohols like methyl(engine fuel) and isopropyl(rubbing alcohol), both of which are highly toxic. Actually, the secondary chemicals they are metabolized into are the toxic part.
That is my next point: the mash/wort/whatever does not have toxic amounts of anything but ethanol and won't have any more after distillation. The "going blind" rumors(not alway untrue depending on the situation) started during prohibition when dishonest shiners would cut the moonshine with methanol, isopropanol, formaldehyde, antifreeze, kerosene, etc. The small amounts of fusel alcohols and fusel oils that are distilled out just tend to make the product more harsh and makes the hangovers worse.
The material that the still is contructed from has no bearing on what kind of alcohol comes out. It just needs to be corrosion proof/resistant. Copper with lead-free solder is fine and 300-series stainless(same as beer kegs) is ideal. It(stainless) can even be passivated(like kegs) for more durability.
*EDIT: Minor revisions for clarity.
Cheesefood said:
Just so you know, ethyl alcohol, ethanol, or grain alcohol is what your little beer yeasties pee out into the wort. You need to be worried about wood alcohols like methyl(engine fuel) and isopropyl(rubbing alcohol), both of which are highly toxic. Actually, the secondary chemicals they are metabolized into are the toxic part.
That is my next point: the mash/wort/whatever does not have toxic amounts of anything but ethanol and won't have any more after distillation. The "going blind" rumors(not alway untrue depending on the situation) started during prohibition when dishonest shiners would cut the moonshine with methanol, isopropanol, formaldehyde, antifreeze, kerosene, etc. The small amounts of fusel alcohols and fusel oils that are distilled out just tend to make the product more harsh and makes the hangovers worse.
The material that the still is contructed from has no bearing on what kind of alcohol comes out. It just needs to be corrosion proof/resistant. Copper with lead-free solder is fine and 300-series stainless(same as beer kegs) is ideal. It(stainless) can even be passivated(like kegs) for more durability.
*EDIT: Minor revisions for clarity.
sudsmonkey
Well-Known Member
Check out moonshine.still.com It's a Swedish site, I think. Everything is in English. Gives a good overview of distilling and has instructions for building and operating an internal reflux and external reflux still. Really a cool and informative site. For academic purposes, of course. Also has links to sites with mash recipes.
sudsmonkey said:
can ya post a link? For some reason when I use the adress ya gave I get nothing, just some wierd band but thats only if ya use moonshinestill.com
Cheesefood
Well-Known Member
See, this is what I don't get.
Making hard liquor is illegal, partly as a safety thing and partly because the government relies upon the income it creates. They've measured the pros and cons of keeping it legal AT ALL and decided that the good it creates (revenue, peaceful population) outweighs the means (increased crime, health issues).
However, pot is still illegal in all forms. Given the ease and of growing your own, controlling it is highly ineffective. But look at how much revenue is lost! Good pot now sells for about $120 per QUARTER-OUNCE. An ounce is worth about $450. For about $16, you can grow a pound (worth roughly $5,000-$7,000). Compare that with the total profit of gold (after mining and refining costs).
And it's not like keeping it illegal keeps it controlled. How many people here (even those of you who have never partaken) honestly think it's difficult to procure some? OK, so it's not as difficult as getting a 6er of Miller, but I can honestly say that it's more difficult to find some of the commercial beers discussed on this board than it is to get weed.
So why is everyone against its legalization? It's far safer to be stoned and drive than drunk. It doesn't make you want to fight. It encourages late-night spending. Its 75% of the reasons why ATM's became popular. it stimulates the economy is a vast array of ways, so why not make it a complete part of the economy?
Making hard liquor is illegal, partly as a safety thing and partly because the government relies upon the income it creates. They've measured the pros and cons of keeping it legal AT ALL and decided that the good it creates (revenue, peaceful population) outweighs the means (increased crime, health issues).
However, pot is still illegal in all forms. Given the ease and of growing your own, controlling it is highly ineffective. But look at how much revenue is lost! Good pot now sells for about $120 per QUARTER-OUNCE. An ounce is worth about $450. For about $16, you can grow a pound (worth roughly $5,000-$7,000). Compare that with the total profit of gold (after mining and refining costs).
And it's not like keeping it illegal keeps it controlled. How many people here (even those of you who have never partaken) honestly think it's difficult to procure some? OK, so it's not as difficult as getting a 6er of Miller, but I can honestly say that it's more difficult to find some of the commercial beers discussed on this board than it is to get weed.
So why is everyone against its legalization? It's far safer to be stoned and drive than drunk. It doesn't make you want to fight. It encourages late-night spending. Its 75% of the reasons why ATM's became popular. it stimulates the economy is a vast array of ways, so why not make it a complete part of the economy?
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