distilling

[swkieran]

has anybody ever tried making alcohlic drink,from pine needles or anyting else yould find lying around in woodland.Im making some carrot wine at moment

[Martin]

Probably.

Martin

[swkieran]

its just an idea :) that came to me when i went out to the shed to check on my wine,ive made potcheen in the past :),i read on here somewere that someone makes tea from pine needles.ill have to experiment

[Adam Savage]

correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't it illegal to distill alcohol without a license? ;)

[Martin]

correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't it illegal to distill alcohol without a license? ;)

No, it's not. In fact, believe it or not, there is no such thing as a license to distill alcohol. However, you would be liable to pay duty on the product you distill unless of course you were to skip the bit about notifying HMRC. Then they'd have to stop looking for drug smugglers, tax dodgers and booze cruise bandits and come looking for you Kieran. You never know, it could happen. ;)

Martin

[Adam Savage]

No, it's not. In fact, believe it or not, there is no such thing as a license to distill alcohol. However, you would be liable to pay duty on the product you distill unless of course you were to skip the bit about notifying HMRC. Then they'd have to stop looking for drug smugglers, tax dodgers and booze cruise bandits and come looking for you Kieran. You never know, it could happen. ;)

Martin

I stand corrected. If you could perfect the distillation, could you use it to fuel a stove, should it be too potent for consumption?

[Ben Casey]

I stand corrected. If you could perfect the distillation, could you use it to fuel a stove, should it be too potent for consumption?

Bit like the Russian Army drinking anti freeze only down fall some went blind :) (I heard LOL)

[Adam Savage]

Bit like the Russian Army drinking anti freeze only down fall some went blind :) (I heard LOL)

Although in Russia, most used vodka for antifreeze as it was a lot cheaper and readily available, so if they had voddy in their cars, then drank that, it's kinda like the purpose it was intended lol

[Ben Casey]

Although in Russia, most used vodka for antifreeze as it was a lot cheaper and readily available, so if they had voddy in their cars, then drank that, it's kinda like the purpose it was intended lol

Better them than me is all I say :)

[Adam Savage]

very true, I'm glad I don't really drink any more

[swkieran]

no crazy saint you dont need to be licencensed if you brew at home :),people make mead,beers,ciders,wines,alsorts,youre just not allowed to sell it you can give it away to friends and family thou,i never make enough to be commercial i just enjoy making it and experimenting you can use just about anything :),im going to try making a bushcrafty brew i have some birch sap which i will use instead of water :)

[Adam Savage]

no crazy saint you dont need to be licencensed if you brew at home :),people make mead,beers,ciders,wines,alsorts,youre just not allowed to sell it you can give it away to friends and family thou,i never make enough to be commercial i just enjoy making it and experimenting you can use just about anything :),im going to try making a bushcrafty brew i have some birch sap which i will use instead of water :)

I remember seeing ol' Ray with some Eskimo (or Inuit) using sap or something to ferment or distill into booze, I'll see if I can find the video on the tube.

[GaryBeaner]

There's recipes for Birch sap wine all over the net, and i think somewhere down in the backwoods of America they make a liquor of some sort out of it. Time to get tapping?

[Adam Savage]

There's recipes for Birch sap wine all over the net, and i think somewhere down in the backwoods of America they make a liquor of some sort out of it. Time to get tapping?

Maybe a wander into the wilds tomorrow then, or even some midnight tapping tonight...lol

[happybonzo]

Plenty of units on EBay for all dedicated Alkies LINK (http://shop.ebay.co.uk/?_from=R40&_trksid=p4712.m570.l1312&_nkw=distiller&_sacat=See-All-Categories)
And here's the flavourings CLICKY (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Still-Spirits-quality-spirit-essences-add-vodka-/220740822107?pt=Home_Brew&var=&hash=item791446135b)
There's a good video on YouTube of some New Zealand chap making "Rum". His advice on getting the flavour and colour right is pretty good - alledgedly :)

[fish]

the stories of going blind from home distilation is purely from the gvt to put folk off doing it!

http://www.wineworks.co.uk/department/still-spirits/

[happybonzo]

Here's the Kiwi blokey making "rum" CLICKY LINKY (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_1C0kM7lkI)

If you look carefully on Ebay you'll find the same equipment that Kiwi Blokey uses

[MikeWilkinson]

Actually it is illegal to distil without a rectifiers licence - the Alcoholic Liquor Duties Act 1979 s18(1). Licences are free from HM customs however forget getting one the rules on how large a still or rather how small a still can be, pretty much makes all home stills illegal.

Getting caught without a licence results in paying the duty on the alcohol produced and a £250 fine or 5% of the duty payable, whichever is greater.

[Ben Casey]

Actually it is illegal to distil without a rectifiers licence - the Alcoholic Liquor Duties Act 1979 s18(1). Licences are free from HM customs however forget getting one the rules on how large a still or rather how small a still can be, pretty much makes all home stills illegal.

Getting caught without a licence results in paying the duty on the alcohol produced and a £250 fine or 5% of the duty payable, whichever is greater.

Just a quick one how can you buy home brew kits then?

[bigzee]

Isn't the greek wine Retsina made with pine resin?
PS: There seem to be a lot of lawyers into bushcraft - don't anyone have an accident - they'll be all over you like a rash!

[Martin]

Just a quick one how can you buy home brew kits then?

Because brewing isn't the same as distilling. I was unaware of the license requirement but that is pretty conclusive.

Martin

[Adam Savage]

PS: There seem to be a lot of lawyers into bushcraft - don't anyone have an accident - they'll be all over you like a rash!

:happy-clapping:

[swkieran]

ben i bought all my stuff from a tourist shop in paignton for about 70 pounds,havent looked back i messed up a few times at first,once you get the hang of it,you can make beer and wine as good as you buy in supermarkets :),i dont bother making scrumpy (cider),because i know a farm in denbury were i can source that from :)

[MikeWilkinson]

Brewing is fermentation and not distillation, Distilling is the process of rectifying and refining a low alcohol product into a high alcohol product.
I make my own country wines - bilberry, blackberry, elderberry, elderflower, oak leaf, birch sap etc... I also do the odd beer - nettle, dandelion and burdock.

Funnily enough though, just having a still on the same property as my wort, wine or beer is enough to get me in trouble.

Another really bizarre fact - nearly every country in the 1st world has legislation regards distilling spirits except New Zealand.

Having said all this, I don't really know of any cases lately involving home spirit making - C&E are too busy chasing drug smugglers and tax dodgers!

If you do want to do something with spirits then try making things like sloe gin or blackberry vodka/whisky, all you need is some cheap spirits bases, sugar and some berries. The end result is a sweet fruity spirit that is a few % points higher than the original - I love bilberry Whisky and Chilli Vodka.

[swkieran]

i meant to say brewing :),thanks mike some usefull tips there i like the idea of using blackberrys in vodka ill have to try that out m8,im not a vodka lover more of a whiskey man they would be nice with bourbon :)

[troopermaz]

Just a quick one how can you buy home brew kits then?

you can brew beers at home with as simple kit as a bucket and piece of cloth to cover it with as long as it is all clean and sterile but you can buy complete kits online from many places or even evil bay if you want to just google home brewing kits, but i would recommend the coopers brew kits

[KieranBroadfield]

Here in New Zealand, loads of people "moonshine" - it's totally legal! So is prostitution :)

[happybonzo]

Isn't the greek wine Retsina made with pine resin?

"No" is the short answer. Pine resin was used to create a seal on the wine jars. People got used to the taste and smell and the practise is still continued to the day.
If the wine that buy is unresinated ie a normal bottle of wine, you used to be able to ask the Café/Taverna for it to have resin added. I don't know if this is still the case.

[flounder_al]

Did someone mention distilling? I'm sat here in work presently 'distilling' about 13000 ltrs of new make spirit (also known as malt whisky) :)

[rawfish111]

You can buy stills though (like the one that isn't sat in my shed) as they are legal for making essential oils rather than distilling spirit.

Many are sold as 'scale working models' mine is powered by a meths burner and does @1ltr of wine/spirit base per load (not that I would try such a thing) and the base liquor is available widely from home brew shops.

Homebrew Banana wine chucked through the still needs SERIOUS respect .... allegedly...... and whiskey aint as easy to get right as Flounder_al et all make it look. But then the price of a decent malt now *grumble*moan* Bloody supermarkets....

[Chubbs]

Did someone mention distilling? I'm sat here in work presently 'distilling' about 13000 ltrs of new make spirit (also known as malt whisky) :)

I love Malt Whisky.

A mate used to bring me a bottle of 'Old Fettercairn' home from Scotland after he had finished working up there. Now try to get one, not a chance. Not even the locals get a sniff as I think it all goes to Japan.

[flounder_al]

This one holds about 20000 ltrs..... and we have six of them :)

11758

[Chubbs]

Wow, impressed :happy-clapping:

Makes my 20 foot homebrew shed minute by comparison.

[Midge_Fodder]

If your interested in beer brewing check out the Williams brothers beers for ideas what can be done. Distilling is something I'd happily try, but the risks aren't worth it in my opinion. Plus raw spirit isn't that nice tbh, and I don't need to be buying casks too, that would just look suspicious. Plus with the new yeasts going about now you can ferment one heck of a brew, and I'm talking about bordering 23%. Check out these yeasts, no affiliation just showing some new products and this was the first site I found with them.


http://www.hopshopuk.com/categories/view/470/liqueur-and-spirit-making/turbo-yeast-alcotec

[KieranBroadfield]

This is almost like, it's illegal to smoke weed, but not illegal to sell a bong. haha - distilling alcohol isn't a serious crime and small scale I don't think anyone would be bothered, but.. I'm not the law, don't listen to me:) haa

[KieranBroadfield]

If your interested in beer brewing check out the Williams brothers beers for ideas what can be done. Distilling is something I'd happily try, but the risks aren't worth it in my opinion. Plus raw spirit isn't that nice tbh, and I don't need to be buying casks too, that would just look suspicious. Plus with the new yeasts going about now you can ferment one heck of a brew, and I'm talking about bordering 23%. Check out these yeasts, no affiliation just showing some new products and this was the first site I found with them.


http://www.hopshopuk.com/categories/view/470/liqueur-and-spirit-making/turbo-yeast-alcotec

modern stills are fine, the risk isn't really any at all I don't think. I've not heard any stories of people hurting themselves here in New Zealand,

saying that, everyone I know, is sensible with it, they don't make 100's of litres of the stuff at a time...

[Midge_Fodder]

This is almost like, it's illegal to smoke weed, but not illegal to sell a bong. haha - distilling alcohol isn't a serious crime and small scale I don't think anyone would be bothered, but.. I'm not the law, don't listen to me:) haa

Depends in the law of the country your in to be honest. That and in a wee place there's always a curtain twitcher with a phone poised to clipe. Tax law is the only law your guilty until proven innocent, so if said curtain twitcher says you've made loads, how do you prove you haven't. HMRC aren't going to complain if they can line their pockets

[KieranBroadfield]

it's one of them "innocent" crimes :P