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Food & Spirits Court

Just go to the liquor store Dave!

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dark_dave56

Over the course of the past year or so, I have tried my hand at making distilled spirits--specifically Bourbon and Aquavit.

We opened some 1-2 year-old aged casks yesterday, and the results were "interesting". IOW--pretty awful.

A scientist I am, a moonshiner I am not. I am using all laboratory grade stainless steel and glass fermentation and distillation equipment. I can control the distillation process to generate perfect 190 proof grain-based ethanol. That's the scientist in me.

Under controlled conditions, you can only get to 190 proof (95% pure) ethanol, as ethanol/water forms a constant boiling point azeotrope at 78.2 C--95.6% ethanol (Raoult's Law). Reagent grade 200 proof/100% pure ethanol (anhydrous ethanol) has to be chemically "dried" to get rid of the last of the water, or chemically synthesized by means other than fermentation/distillation.

After distillation and carbon filtration, you have to add distilled water and whatever flavorings that you choose to reduce the ethanol content to a beverage alcohol level--typically 35-65% (70-130 proof). Then you age it in your vessel of choice--something neutral (like stainless steel or glass), or something that will impart flavor (like a wooden cask).

Some things can be "ready" in a matter of days/weeks, while others should age for years. Then you just filter, bottle, and taste.

But this is an "art"--not science. I may try again--I have more mash working/fermenting, but I'm not gonna call this one a success.

Anyone do distilled beverages? If so, got any advice?

"And today is for sale and it's all you can afford. Buy your own admission. The whole things got you bored. Well the Lord chooses the good ones, and the bad ones use the Lord"--a very dear friend for decades Michael Stanley (Gee)--RIP

Follow Ups:

I made a few batches of moonshine a few years back. - srdavis2000 11:47:40 03/12/25 (3)
I got a letter in the mail from the ATF informing me that they knew that I had purchased materials for distilling and to stop immediately. Also said that they would be paying me a visit in the near future. My wife freaked out and asked me to trash my setup which I did. They never paid me a visit, but the risk/reward balance told me not to chance it.

Apparently, the ATF monitors suppliers of hobbyist on-line stores. It was creepy.
- It's not 100% "illegal" to make small batches... - dark_dave56 01:07:22 03/15/25 (2)
  ...of distilled spirits for personal consumption. Just don't get caught selling it for cash, or even trading it for "compensation" in the form of goods or services.
  
  I'm sure some of those "hobbyist" sites are on some sort of watchlists by both Federal and State agencies. Some of the same equipment used to produce distilled spirits can also be used to manufacture and/or process illicit drugs.
  
  I purchased all of my physical gear through laboratory equipment suppliers, and if I got "checked", I would show up as a retired research scientist/professor affiliated with a major university, so I would probably get a "pass". I also own livestock, so buying grain(s) would be a common transaction. Now if I started buying 100lb bags of yeast and sugar (and not owning a bakery), or drums of acetone or methanol (commonly used in drug processing)?--that might be a "red flag".
  
  Sorry to hear that you scrapped your set-up. Even if they did visit, and it was there, but only had a capacity of a couple gallons, they would probably just laugh and leave.
  
  "And today is for sale and it's all you can afford. Buy your own admission. The whole things got you bored. Well the Lord chooses the good ones, and the bad ones use the Lord"--a very dear friend for decades Michael Stanley (Gee)--RIP
  - It is, in fact, illegal in the US . . . - tlea 09:44:49 03/17/25 (0)
    . . . but I agree that it isn't likely your home would be raided for making a couple gallons of moonshine for personal consumption or paint removal.
    
    See link below.
    
    . . . in theory, practice and theory are the same; in practice, they are different . . .
    - US Alcohol and Tobacco TTB (Open in New Window)
  - RE: It's not 100% "illegal" - srdavis2000 07:32:36 03/15/25 (0)
    What percent illegal is it? You can legally make beer and wine for personal consumption, but distilling is illegal.
    
    For me it was just a fun experiment and educational. My best tasting version was around 80 proof. I bottled it in qt. sized Mason jars with a cinnamon stick in each jar. I gave away most of it to friends. It was a novelty and in no way an attempt to make serious booze.
    
    I made wine years ago in 5 gal. batches. I had a couple of decent batches, but I had more batches that were undrinkable. My FIL made wine, and for special occasions, we would both bring a bottle of our recent best effort. It was fun for a while.
RE: Just go to the liquor store Dave! - G Squared 05:38:38 03/02/25 (0)
Congratulations on your experimentations. We have only made and aged vanilla extract.
Gsquared

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