Distilled Spirits

[zzyzxroad]

I enjoy cooking (especially grilling), brewing beer and starting to get into wine making. I’d love to distill my own spirits but given current US law that would be illegal. My question is should these laws be changed?

 

[brycejones]

I enjoy cooking (especially grilling), brewing beer and starting to get into wine making. I’d love to distill my own spirits but given current US law that would be illegal. My question is should these laws be changed?

Yes, they should. Making small amounts of distilled spirits shouldn't be any different from home wine making for brewing.

 

[imported_tajmahal]

Try freeze distillation/fractional freezing for a bit of an added kick. Works for beer, wine or mead. Possibly more and YES, it should be legal.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fractional_freezing

 

[SNC]

I enjoy cooking (especially grilling), brewing beer and starting to get into wine making. I’d love to distill my own spirits but given current US law that would be illegal. My question is should these laws be changed?

I like the way you think! Yes it should be changed, but there are serious health and safety risks with distilling, dso it will never be changed.

 

[SNC]

Try freeze distillation/fractional freezing for a bit of an added kick. Works for beer, wine or mead. Possibly more and YES, it should be legal.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fractional_freezing

Distilling in any manner in the US will get you in trouble if caught.

 

[zzyzxroad]

Try freeze distillation/fractional freezing for a bit of an added kick. Works for beer, wine or mead. Possibly more and YES, it should be legal.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fractional_freezing

Have done this and was not a fan of the results.

 

[Incorruptible]

It should be legal but too many idiots want big government though.

 

[whm1974]

I like the way you think! Yes it should be changed, but there are serious health and safety risks with distilling, dso it will never be changed.

This is the main reason it should stay illegal without a permit. Way too many dumbasses out there.

 

[zzyzxroad]

Distilling in any manner in the US will get you in trouble if caught.

freezing distillation isn't illegal.

 

[sdifox]

I enjoy cooking (especially grilling), brewing beer and starting to get into wine making. I’d love to distill my own spirits but given current US law that would be illegal. My question is should these laws be changed?

Err no.

 

[imported_tajmahal]

Yes they should be changed and in some States it's legal to distill alcohol. Check local State laws and as long and you don't get the attention of the Feds, good luck to you. ..........Usual disclaimer that i can't condone anyone breaking the law even when I do it almost every time I leave the house.


20 mph speed limit in my neighborhood

 

[zzyzxroad]

This is the main reason it should stay illegal without a permit. Way too many dumbasses out there.

Because there are stupid people i should be prohibited form doing something? Deep frying a turkey inst all that safe so should we regulate that. i'm good with requiring a license to show i have an understanding of how the process works but that isn't how the laws work currently. If you want to distill at how it simply isn't possible. Isn't this the land of the free?

 

[zzyzxroad]

Yes they should be changed and in some States it's legal to distill alcohol. Check local State laws and as long and you don't get the attention of the Feds, good luck to you. ..........Usual disclaimer that i can't condone anyone breaking the law even when I do it almost every time I leave the house.


20 mph speed limit in my neighborhood

Not for consumption only for fuel.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

Because there are stupid people i should be prohibited form doing something? Deep frying a turkey inst all that safe so should we regulate that. i'm good with requiring a license to show i have an understanding of how the process works but that isn't how the laws work currently. If you want to distill at how it simply isn't possible. Isn't this the land of the free?

It's all about taxation. You distill and the "Revinewers" (sic) will come get ye.

 

[whm1974]

Because there are stupid people i should be prohibited form doing something? Deep frying a turkey inst all that safe so should we regulate that. i'm good with requiring a license to show i have an understanding of how the process works but that isn't how the laws work currently. If you want to distill at how it simply isn't possible. Isn't this the land of the free?

I will support a permit system that will allow people to distill for home use provided that they know what they are doing.

 

[Burpo]

And this is Politics & News how?

 

[Maxima1]

And this is Politics & News how?

*shrugs* What if it was about raw milk or silencers?

 

[Indus]

Absolutely not.

Amateur distillers are most likely heading for a 1 way trip to the hospital or the morgue.

 

[Viper1j]

I enjoy cooking (especially grilling), brewing beer and starting to get into wine making. I’d love to distill my own spirits but given current US law that would be illegal. My question is should these laws be changed?

No one ever had a house explode, from making homemade blueberry wine.

 

[scannall]

You can get a permit. However it is not easy or cheap. Stills and links to permits

 

[uclaLabrat]

As a chemist, I can say that distillation is as much art as science, and given the number of fires I've put out while teaching the art, I'd just as soon your average Joe not decide to take up the hobby.

 

[dawp]

if you don't do it right there is a risk of producing methanol (or some other type of alcohol) If I remember right and that is not good to drink.

the temperature range to produce ethanol is very tight, boiling point of 173.07°F and if too high or low you don't want to drink the results.

 

[Maxima1]

As a chemist, I can say that distillation is as much art as science, and given the number of fires I've put out while teaching the art, I'd just as soon your average Joe not decide to take up the hobby.

If it's for home use only, then it shouldn't even be a problem. You will only get high concentration of methanol when distilling many, many liters of alcohol. Many of the fatal poisonings that get in the news are from large scale stills or drinks laced with methanol, solvents, antifreeze, etc..

if you don't do it right there is a risk of producing methanol (or some other type of alcohol) If I remember right and that is not good to drink.

Methanol gets produced during fermentation particularly from fruits high in pectin, but even then it's not something to worry about. If you don't do distilling right, then you run the risk of concentrated it. If it's a small batch, however, it's still the same amount of methanol as in say a couple of gallons of hard apple cider, but just concentrated in whatever the equivalent volume is.

 

[SNC]

freezing distillation isn't illegal.

Wrong! Distillation is illegal no matter how you get there. If you want to argue that its not distillation but concentration, that to is illegal.
This is why it should remain illegal, there are to many people that have no idea how or what but act like they do.

https://www.ttb.gov/spirits/home-distilling.shtml
https://www.ttb.gov/rulings/94-3.htm
Seriously guys its not that hard to look up.

 

[Viper1j]

Wrong! Distillation is illegal no matter how you get there. If you want to argue that its not distillation but concentration, that to is illegal.
This is why it should remain illegal, there are to many people that have no idea how or what but act like they do.

https://www.ttb.gov/spirits/home-distilling.shtml
https://www.ttb.gov/rulings/94-3.htm
Seriously guys its not that hard to look up.

The real irony in your links, is that the most severe penalties, have to do with depriving the government of their due "tax revenue". It's pretty pathetic, that there's a total lack of concern for public or even private health or safety. They don't care if you blow up your house, or kill your kids, as long as they get their money.

By this logic, you could make your own crystal meth, as long as the government could tax it.