Bootlegger's Bible

[McGrath Brewery]

I have just recently bought the Alaskan Bootlegger's Bible and i was wondering if anyone else has read it and what they think...

 

[Beer Snob]

You know I saw this book today Looked real interesting. I have been told that it's illegal.... anyone know why? Just strikes me as odd that beer and wine brewing is legal and this is not.

 

[homebrewer_99]

I think it has "still" diagrams in it, but can't be sure.

I looked at it several times, but I was not interested in it.

 

[Beer Snob]

Yes it does. I have actually done this several times in various chemistry classes. Its pretty easy.

 

[david_42]

Home beer and wine making have only been legal for a few decades. Any kind of distilling (including freezing your apple cider) at home is still illegal in the USA.

 

[Brew chick]

Distilling Is illegal in the uk too,is it legal anywere in the western world?

 

[Caplan]

Distilling Is illegal in the uk too,is it legal anywere in the western world?

I'd rather just drink home made beer, cider, mead and wine. Vodka is easy to get and it's cheap enough! I wouldn't drink any 'home made anti-freeze'!

 

[rod]

fyi:
good info at http://homedistiller.org

 

[God Emporer BillyBrew]

Yeah, people don't go blind or die from homebrew. Unless they drive or do something stupid, that is.

 

[Beer Snob]

Home beer and wine making have only been legal for a few decades. Any kind of distilling (including freezing your apple cider) at home is still illegal in the USA.

What would freezing apple cider do?

 

[rod]

AFTER YOU FREEZE IT IN THE BOTTLE, TURN THE BOTTLE UPSIDE DOWN IN ANOTHER JAR.
THE ALCOHOL MELTS OUT BEFORE THE WATER IN THE ICE DOES AND YOU END UP WITH MORE CONCENTRATED ALCOHOL.
I CAN'T REMEMBER THE PERCENTAGES BUT GO TO
HTTP://HOMEDISTILLER.ORG
IT HAS A SECTION ON THIS PRACTICE

 

[delux432]

It's a process called "jacking", as in apple jack. If you live in the US then your forefathers used this process during the cold colonial winters. Oddly enough the same guys that wrote the original laws for the country enjoyed the fruits from this natural distilling process.
How I know this is there is a nice passage on it in the Bootlegger's Bible. I highly recommend this book. Don't let the title scare you away. The beer brewing info is straight forward. The sections on wine and spirits are very through, and just plain cool. It has bunch of unusual wine recipes many do not involve grapes. The section on distilling is interesting and perhaps they'll let you have a copy of this book to read in prison if you get caught running a still.
Austin