Home-Brew Spirits?
Discussion
I'm looking to make some home-brew spirits (dark rum, sambuca, etc) - has anyone tried to do so and what kit do I need?
The Still Spirits stuff appears well priced, but they don't list a distiller.
I'd also like to go on to try brewing beer, but thats going to be after I get the hang of making spirits......
The Still Spirits stuff appears well priced, but they don't list a distiller.
I'd also like to go on to try brewing beer, but thats going to be after I get the hang of making spirits......
twistedsanity said:
erm......
Isn't it illegal to distill your own spirits?
AFAIK it doesn't involved distillation - it's special yeast that can tolerate alcohol concentrations up to 20-25%, plus various flavourings.Isn't it illegal to distill your own spirits?
As an aside, "freezer distillation" (putting wine etc in the freezer and skimming off the ice from the top) isn't illegal, and back when I was a teenager I made some pretty potent fortified wines from my parent's more experimental home made wines - apricot sherry, morello cherry sherry. Never officially tested the strength, but I'd guess at the 20-25% range.
Edited by Nefarious on Friday 5th December 09:06
It's illegal to distill spirits in the UK without a license, but not illegal to purchase "ornamental" copper stills - which may or may not be usable for such a function.
There's also a "water purifier" you can use to create spirits from yeast fermented liquid (beer for whisky, cider for ca;vados, wine for brandy etc).
e.g. http://www.homebrewcentregy.com/Water_Purifier.htm...
There's also a "water purifier" you can use to create spirits from yeast fermented liquid (beer for whisky, cider for ca;vados, wine for brandy etc).
e.g. http://www.homebrewcentregy.com/Water_Purifier.htm...
Easy to do, so long as you note the boiling point of methanol (which comes off first) as opposed to the boiling point of ethanol.
A distant cousin of mine in Russia went blind and died after drinking 'bathtub' vodka containing methanol - it's a reasonably frequent occurrence.
To be on the safe side you would need to distil it twice.
A distant cousin of mine in Russia went blind and died after drinking 'bathtub' vodka containing methanol - it's a reasonably frequent occurrence.
To be on the safe side you would need to distil it twice.
This takes me back to my days in the school chemistry lab. Lovly blurry memories of test tubes and 4kg of brewing quality yeast that we got from a local distillery managers daughter.
If you want to make something that is legal and fun why not brew cider or ale. Then leave it in a shed at this time of year. Remove the ice off the top each morning and it will soon remove the water and leave a rather potent consentrate.
If you want to make something that is legal and fun why not brew cider or ale. Then leave it in a shed at this time of year. Remove the ice off the top each morning and it will soon remove the water and leave a rather potent consentrate.
GTO Scott said:
I'm looking to make some home-brew spirits (dark rum, sambuca, etc) - has anyone tried to do so and what kit do I need?
The Still Spirits stuff appears well priced, but they don't list a distiller.
I'd also like to go on to try brewing beer, but thats going to be after I get the hang of making spirits......
....it's illegal....The Still Spirits stuff appears well priced, but they don't list a distiller.
I'd also like to go on to try brewing beer, but thats going to be after I get the hang of making spirits......
Not to be too "health and safety" but it can genuinely be fairly dangerous, a still leaking hot alcohol vapour into a confined space makes a splendid fuel-air bomb given a source of ignition. Methanol distilled in the first fractions condensed tends to damage the optic nerve and cause blindness - either temporary or permanent depending on concentration. Congeners (fusel oils) distilled in the last fractions condensed can hgave a wide variety of toxic effects varying form mildly unpleasant to terminal.
Oh and the govenrment really doesnt like losing the duty so they tend to come down like a ton of bricks if they catch you.
Nothing that insurmountable, but probably worth knowing the risks.
Oh and the govenrment really doesnt like losing the duty so they tend to come down like a ton of bricks if they catch you.
Nothing that insurmountable, but probably worth knowing the risks.
Tanguero said:
Not to be too "health and safety" but it can genuinely be fairly dangerous, a still leaking hot alcohol vapour into a confined space makes a splendid fuel-air bomb given a source of ignition. Methanol distilled in the first fractions condensed tends to damage the optic nerve and cause blindness - either temporary or permanent depending on concentration. Congeners (fusel oils) distilled in the last fractions condensed can hgave a wide variety of toxic effects varying form mildly unpleasant to terminal.
Oh and the govenrment really doesnt like losing the duty so they tend to come down like a ton of bricks if they catch you.
Nothing that insurmountable, but probably worth knowing the risks.
Ok thanks for the advice - If I go ahead with the plan i'll be doing so in a well-ventilated area - I really don't want to put myself at risk. I might just start by using vodka as the base - though it won't work out much cheaper than buying the proper spirit in the first place Oh and the govenrment really doesnt like losing the duty so they tend to come down like a ton of bricks if they catch you.
Nothing that insurmountable, but probably worth knowing the risks.
Definitely needs consideration, as does the production of beer and cider
I have bought this little lot today...
...and I can't wait to get started, but not until my distillers licence has come through
RIP Popcorn Sutton
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inbmJy0xJgk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNY3_00p180&fea...
...and I can't wait to get started, but not until my distillers licence has come through
RIP Popcorn Sutton
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inbmJy0xJgk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNY3_00p180&fea...
Edited by Balmoral Green on Friday 24th April 19:23
The kit came with Whisky, Bourbon, Gin, Dark Rum & Cognac. But I bought a couple of bottles of other Whisky flavourings too, a so called Premium and a Peaty one that allures to a touch of Islay (my arse!). There was also a taster kit with 14 different styles of malt flavourings, but I passed on that for the time being.
So, is this going to be any good, or is it going to taste like the cheapest supermarket blended?
So, is this going to be any good, or is it going to taste like the cheapest supermarket blended?
Edited by Balmoral Green on Friday 24th April 20:22
Balmoral Green said:
I have bought this little lot today...
...and I can't wait to get started, but not until my distillers licence has come through
I went out and bought much of the same kit - I am ashamed to say since then it has remained in it's box unused ...and I can't wait to get started, but not until my distillers licence has come through
I really must dig it all out and crack on with production!
Balmoral Green said:
I have bought this little lot today...
...and I can't wait to get started, but not until my distillers licence has come through
That looks like quite a kit. I have tried something similar on a smaller scale once before. Or at least it didn't have so many component parts!...and I can't wait to get started, but not until my distillers licence has come through
Would Sire like to divulge where he acquired such a consummate kit and how many groats it would cost to purchase such equipment? If not, t'is understandable.
Looking forward to future updates.
(has visions of either medieval mead, or Dukes of Hazzard moonshine runs across county lines)
Chuffer said:
Would Sire like to divulge where he acquired such a consummate kit and how many groats it would cost to purchase such equipment?
I had a call in Chesterfield this afternoon, and made a spontaneous purchase. http://www.wineworks.co.uk/product/still_spirits_s...
Chuffer said:
Dukes of Hazzard moonshine runs across county lines
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