Home Distilling's topics - tribe.net

A note on the law

Zippi — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 23:22:45 GMT

I behooves me to advise all concerned that distilling spirits ( without paying the tax) is unlawful unless you denature it with some wood alcohol.

Now as to the tax part. If you pay the tax you are golden Seriously you have no issues at all.

It's involved so you really have to want to do it but once you do you'll never have to worry about no revinoors getting a whiff o' yer still.

You need to contact the ATF office in your state and ask about how to get your tax stamp and pay the taxes.
Some manufacturer in your state will be running just such an operation.
You take you booze to them get it stamped and pay your tax. That's it.

And then so long as you don't sell any you are golden.
If you sell it you need to get a state license.
I don't know about giving it away as a gift. I'd guess you'd be OK but, still transferring a controlled substance from one party to another is trafficking no matter whether there is money in the deal or not. So you might want to ask your Attorney General's office about that. -- after you get your federal stamp that is.

posted in Home Distilling - 3 replies

does this tribe go silent because

Zippi — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 15:48:11 GMT

a.) no one really wants to bother distilling

b.) people start out thinking it's easy simple and cheap - and very quickly realize that nothing worth doing is ever any of those?

c.) they are all to drunk to post ??

posted in Home Distilling - 5 replies

distillers school at dry fly

Sun, 28 Dec 2008 07:37:44 GMT

http://www.dryflydistilling.com/school.php
this would be amazing... they produce the finest vodka and gin i have ever had.

posted in Home Distilling - 0 replies

Buyin an still soon

Wed, 24 Dec 2008 10:42:45 GMT

So we are looking over some nice cooper Alembic stills... we do not want to spend TOOO much money either... maybe 300$ tops...
So far Ive found a few good sources...
http://www.copper-alembic.com/shop/index.php?act=viewCat&catId=4
but we really liek these folks... seeing how we are int he USA...
http://www.hogacompany.com/distillers_pricelist.html
We are beginners and have yet to distill anything yet.
SO looking for something that is good for the beginner is important to us as well...
but we want it to be quality and something we can learn and grow with.

oh and this ones just for fun... old peruvian stills... for pisco...
http://www.compra-segura.com/product_info.php?manufacturers_id=&products_id=385&osCsid=0ff8fdd70b5941b5a3d5ca6f86bc4336

We were also looking at the easy still... but that seems like its well too easy...
http://www.home-distilling.com/store/pc/EasyStill-Distiller-62p600.htm

So my question is what would yall go for? what is your advice on what to be getting. we would like a copper still honestly.
Our hope is to eventually learn enough to make it a proffesion. washington just lifted it ban on commercial small batch distilling since the prohibition. so this is somthing we would like to very seriously persue...
any ideas?

posted in Home Distilling - 7 replies

plastic still

heidski — Fri, 02 May 2008 06:28:54 GMT

i downloaded instructions on how to put together this plastic still. Supposed to be much easier to produce spirits than copper. Anyone have any experience with this?

posted in Home Distilling - 4 replies

WANTED: beginner project

Gabriel — Sat, 01 Sep 2007 10:35:42 GMT

//End.Lurker-mode//

Greetings All,
I was excited to find the page, but after watching for a bit I noticed that nobody is talking. I hope that means that everyone is out at the still house working their butts off laying up batches of distilled goodness for the long winter ahead.

Total Newbie letter follow:
I am interested in trying my hand at distilling, but wanted to get your collective advice on a confidence building project. I would like for my first batch not be a total looser so how do I start?

Where did you buy your still?
Did you build your still?
Which would you recommend?
When building a still how big is too big?
Who is your supplier for barrels, yeast, bottles?
What do you use for your base Grain, Grape, Molasses?

I have always presumed that you needed an ATF tax stamp or approval letter to run a home still. Is this accurate? Can anyone point me to a condensed how-to page so I can apply for my stamp? I am in the military so while I am sure you could get away without making the effort with a tax stamp, I really do need to play by the rules.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Yours in Service,
Gabriel

posted in Home Distilling - 7 replies

grappa

Tommaso — Tue, 13 May 2008 19:32:05 GMT

anyone tried making this? can you make it out of a bad wine?

posted in Home Distilling - 3 replies

Maturing / Finishing Commercial Scotch Whisky

DrE — Fri, 21 Apr 2006 06:01:23 GMT

The thread on "where does scotch get its color" triggered this post... not "exactly" a distilling question but close.

I'm interested in using new oak barrels to further mature mediocre single malts that aren't worthy of drinking yet. Can anyone with experience in using either charred or toasted barrels to additionally mature malt whisky help with methods or approaches to "fixing" mediocre drams at home?

I'm thinking about buying a new 1 or 2-gallon charred oak barrel and first aging some inexpensive bourbon for 6 months or so and then using the barrel to age some Springbank 10 yo for starters. Or would I be better off with a toasted barrel instead and season with some port or sherry first instead? I've heard recommendations for both approaches.

Do I need to clean or treat the barrels before using them? I've seen cleaners and other stabilizers recommended before new barrels are used for wine but can find nothing about preparing newly charred / toasted oak barrels for malt whisky.

slainte! DrE

posted in Home Distilling - 6 replies

any rough diagrams of a copper set up?

3sheetstothewind! — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 23:36:38 GMT

I can solder and cut pipe. That monster Art made is awesome

posted in Home Distilling - 2 replies

seeking recipes & "how to" information

taoist — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 02:57:15 GMT

am looking for websites, docs, or texts on making flavored spirits (rye, bourbon, whiskey) and eau de vie. mash recipes, fermentation instructions, etc. I've found a lot of stuff on making vodka and ethanol, but not so much on colored spirits. I have lots of 'how to make a still' type references that cover making liquor in two paragraphs, but am hoping to go way beyond that.

posted in Home Distilling - 1 reply

Pot stills

Sat, 20 Aug 2005 01:45:02 GMT

I'm working on a 6-qt. ss pressure cooker-type pot still. One small question - would I be better off going for 1/4" or 3/8" copper line? Or does this matter? 1/4" is cheaper!

posted in Home Distilling - 6 replies

Pastis (Pernod/Ricard)

Ian — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 03:20:29 GMT

Looking foir an authentic Marseillaise pastis recipe!
xxx
ian

posted in Home Distilling - 0 replies

slibowitz

heidski — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 05:50:16 GMT

I've got a bunch of plums, anyone know how to make homemade slibowitz, or plum brandy?

posted in Home Distilling - 1 reply

70th batch 13th year

VedicTradition — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 07:51:52 GMT

best absinthe period. Only fresh herbs. Waiting list.

posted in Home Distilling - 0 replies

citrus wine distillation

Kate — Tue, 26 Dec 2006 16:16:18 GMT

I wanted to make some citrus wine and then put itin my still- seemed like it would make a yummy treat. Any hints? Cerain yeasts? I worry about the high acid content messing with the fermentation process....
Kate

posted in Home Distilling - 1 reply

So who is making what???

art — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 19:26:38 GMT

Anybody out there???

posted in Home Distilling - 1 reply

easy still

Anders — Fri, 15 Dec 2006 22:06:07 GMT

this is one of the easyest way to make homemade vodka.. i tryed it my self so i know.
http://www.amazingstill.com

peace

posted in Home Distilling - 2 replies

vodka

yougotme — Wed, 21 Jan 2004 00:23:10 GMT

I am currently gathering materials for a still. Any helpful suggestions to make the building process go smoothly?

posted in Home Distilling - 17 replies

New...

Mitchell — Tue, 09 May 2006 00:24:18 GMT

Hello,
I am interested in learning about how pot stills are made. Well, I do understand it, for the most part, but I am having a hard time figuring out a few things.
If you've got a stainless-steel pressure cooker of any make, how can you connect copper to it sucessfully, without any welding?
How can you connect a thermometer into a pressure-cooker still? Would you want it in the pot, in the liquid or in the steam? What temperatures are ideal?
What is a good method for detatching the cooling mechanism from the pot lid? I would imagin pot-distillers pick up the lid with the whole contraption!
What is the best low-budget way to distill? Is a pressure cooker it?

I've seen links on this website for homdistiller.org, but the site does not seem to be around anymore.

Thanks a lot!!

PS- any full information on making a pot still would be great.

posted in Home Distilling - 3 replies

New to Tribe

art — Tue, 18 May 2004 12:50:22 GMT

Hi all, I just joined, and wanted to say howdy! I am allmost finished with my stills, one 1/4 beer keg, the other a 1/2 keg setup. I didn't mean to make two, it just happened! Iguess the 7 gallon will be for test batches. The set up uses K-F fittings (Kwick Fitting)that fit the Sanke socket, and the 2" id pipe. So from pot still to reflux in 1 minute.

I have 7 years beer brewing under my belt (did I say that?), and have made 1 batch of 80% 'shine with the Kenmore, plus 3 quarts of cranberry brandy. 5 gallons of 15% "whisky wash" are waiting for a still to get finished (this weekend?)I just need a grinder to remove a leaking fitting and then I'll re-weld it.

Any one in the S.F. Bay Area?

posted in Home Distilling - 7 replies

Where does Scotch get it's color?

jamesd — Tue, 30 Aug 2005 17:52:56 GMT

Does scotch get it's color from the distillation process or is it from being aged with wood?

posted in Home Distilling - 6 replies

It happened again

jamesd — Fri, 23 Sep 2005 20:02:06 GMT

Ok I don't know what I am doing wrong I was hoping someone would be able to tell me what I am doing wrong.

I have never been able to ferment ganulated sugar. Here is what I did this time. I added 17lbs of sugar to 6 gallons of tap water. I brought it upto about 140 degrees then added yeast nutrient and cooled. Once it was about 80 degrees I added a entire package of turbo yeast. After 24 hours I have seen nothing. No fermentation at all. Does anyone know what could cause this?

posted in Home Distilling - 7 replies

Re: input? I need to learn

bryntucker — Fri, 09 Sep 2005 23:47:43 GMT

message got deleted or something, so here's my reply:
----------------------------
A pressure cooker is good, since it already seals, and has a built in exit port. You'll want to attach tubing to the rocker tab. Be sure the cooker has a working pressure release (it's often a plastic tab in a hole in the lid). The larger diameter tubing you use, the shorter the run you will need to condense. As pointed out before, www.homedistiller.org will help you with your setup.

Fruit brandy is fairly simple. You treat the fruit as if you are making wine. Many people suggest that you do NOT use sulfite to sanitize the mash, as it will add off flavors, but I've been running sulfated wine pressings through with no odd flavors...

You can pick up information on wine making on line or in books from your local home brew store. Other fruits won't require the full process that grapes go through, and you can pretty much use cyder recipes.

Since you are making a brandy, you can pretty much collect the first part of the initial run and come out with a good flavor. I've found that the fruit flavors tend to come out in the very top of the run.

I'd recommend, however, making a large batch of fruit wine and doing a "stripping run" on the mash as many times as it takes to run all the batch, then doing a second run with the collected first runs to make your brandy.

As far as proof, collecting until the run is a total of 40 or 30% isn't necessarily good (unless it is the stripping run). The odd flavors come out at the end of the run, and can spoil the batch if you keep collecting too long.

--------------------------
Patric wrote:
Hi. I'm new to this game and I want to know more. I'm trying to put together a pot still out of a S/S 6 qt. pressure cooker. I'm not looking for the highest proof; I want to make fruit brandy the way my grandpa did. OK, make the wine, run it once through a pot still, sit with your buds and enjoy. I'm looking for the flavors of the mash, ie, peaches, pears, crab apples... The proof is not the idea. Making something 30% or even 40% that keeps the taste. Oh yeah. I remember tasting some of Grampa's elderberry brandy and I got hooked. He had a small pot in the barn and did what he did.

posted in Home Distilling - 0 replies

Brand new...

Wed, 22 Jun 2005 20:20:08 GMT

Hello everyone, I'm looking forward to participating in this tribe!
I'm interesting in home distillation (not that i do it...it is illegal). I've made a few passable brews of cordials, absinthe and cider. I'm always in interested in hearing other people's experiences with simple stills. I didn't have the money or mechanical inclination for a reflux still, so if i had one, it would be a stovetop and bucket still.
Looking forward to meeting people!

posted in Home Distilling - 4 replies

New Moderator

Paul — Mon, 06 Dec 2004 04:49:25 GMT

If anyone else wants to moderate this tribe so that they can enhance the experience of other tribers please PM me and we'll talk about it. I started this tribe because there wasnt one and I wanted to learn more. so there we have it

posted in Home Distilling - 1 reply

stills

brandley — Tue, 26 Apr 2005 02:29:38 GMT

anybody need a borosilicate pyrex scientific still? contact me

posted in Home Distilling - 0 replies

Moonshine

Paul — Mon, 08 Mar 2004 06:47:42 GMT

Does anyone have a good recipe for some moonshine white lightening or whatever or any old family recipes for mustang grape wine

posted in Home Distilling - 2 replies

newbie on the stve top

gorma — Tue, 07 Dec 2004 02:53:51 GMT

so i was wondering if anyone can tell me how to distill on the stove. i picked up an old wine making book and it had a very small discription of how to distill with a pressure cooker on the stove. any help on this?

posted in Home Distilling - 7 replies

Are we dead yet?

art — Wed, 28 Jul 2004 18:00:32 GMT

Is any one still active in this tribe? Or are we just enjoying the summer...

New pic in the picture album... I think it is a modern "Art Project".

posted in Home Distilling - 4 replies

Kenmore Water Distiller

jeff_rowe — Sat, 07 Feb 2004 08:55:01 GMT

Anyone here interested in a small scale, cheap still?

Sears sells them, small basic pot stills. Nothing special, but I would love for someone who tinkers to check one out and help me work out a way to control the temp on the internal ALL-IN-ONE heater unit.

It would make a much better still if I could control the tep and maybe even the speed of heatup.

posted in Home Distilling - 4 replies

Whisky

Greg — Fri, 28 May 2004 00:19:03 GMT

I've never distilled an alcoholic beverage, but I do home brew my own beer. Making an Irish style whisky seems like the logical first step, since they're made from malted barley, just like beer.

Anyone tried this? Know a good source for recipes??? I can make the wort (just like for beer, but without hops) and ferment it...and distill it (did distillations in my Organic Chemistry class), but I don't know how much grain vs. water to use etc, for whisky....

posted in Home Distilling - 3 replies

Books

Greg — Fri, 28 May 2004 00:14:38 GMT

What books are recommended for Home Distilling?

I own the Alaskan Bootleggers Bible by Leon Kania. It's okay, but I don't like it's layout. Not quite as 'to the point' as I like. And not much theory in it. It does contain rough plans to build 8 or 10 different home stills of varying complexity...which is nice.

Home Distilling's topics - tribe.net

A note on the law

does this tribe go silent because

distillers school at dry fly

Buyin an still soon

plastic still

WANTED: beginner project

grappa

Maturing / Finishing Commercial Scotch Whisky

any rough diagrams of a copper set up?

seeking recipes & "how to" information

Pot stills

Pastis (Pernod/Ricard)

slibowitz

70th batch 13th year

citrus wine distillation

So who is making what???

easy still

vodka

New...

New to Tribe

Where does Scotch get it's color?

It happened again

Re: input? I need to learn

Brand new...

New Moderator

stills

Moonshine

newbie on the stve top

Are we dead yet?

Kenmore Water Distiller

Whisky

Books

Welcome Rob