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Distilling

Booze. The nectar of the Gods.

To be honest I don’t drink nor do I know much about brewing beer or spirits although when I was at school I used to make wine for my parents and their friends. I hated the taste but they liked it. I do know that you can buy kits easily enough and if you know what you need the ingredients are easily obtainable.

With the price of alcohol going up all the time and the government taking more every budget then you can go to France and get cheaper spirits, beer and wine while you can although this is subject to government rules. Alternatively, making your own can save a fortune. Providing you can do it right. Making beer and wine is easy enough but spirits are dangerous and spirits to blind you permanently.

In the event of disaster or collapse or even government clampdown on alcohol, it worked so well in the prohibition, then home distilling, beer and wine making will become a luxury. Learn to make some now, save yourself some pennies and learn a handy skill.

7 comments to Distilling

  • Luddite

    The problems of moonshine making you go blind are very overstated in government and popular presses. There are no toxic levels of methanol in unadulterated home-distilled spirits, although the government really don’t want you to know this.

    In the past (and sometimes the present), there were problems, mostly associated with lead poisoning from the equipment used and cheap methanol being added to increase profits.

    Stick to glass or copper and don’t use shortcuts and additives, and you’ll be fine. Don’t expect it to taste good, however, as it’s much, much stronger than commercially-produced drinking spirit and un-aged.

    You can also produce a weak spirit by freezing – make a batch of cider, then freeze it solid and then allow it to defrost. The first element to defrost is the alcohol, as its freezing point is much lower than water. The spirit won’t be as strong as that produced by distillation, but this method is 100% legal in the UK.

  • Skean Dhude

    You read about it all the time. People taking shortcuts to make money and their customers go blind. In our environment we wouldn’t do that. The goverment likes to overplay everything to frighten people into keeping playing the tax.

    Interesting point about freezing the spirit. I have used that before on other items.

    Somewhere along the way I’ll be doing an article on making a still. Purely for those in free countries of course.

  • Luddite

    The article would be interesting. We used to make alcohol in the lab I worked in (purely for experimental reasons, you understand ) but a refresher would be useful.

  • Skean Dhude

    I knew a moonshiner in Georgia, US. It seems they have made quite an art out of it and sell their product fairly freely.

    I see a new career in front of me.

  • Danger Thompson

    Good old YouTube has a wealth of practical examples and how to’s.
    bucket + cornmeal + sugar + distilled water + lid + Airlock + leave for 6 days = Basic MASH.

    Then comes the Still, which I dont know if The Man, wants me to write about.

  • Danger Thompson

    Oh and yeast, forgot that bugger.

  • Skean Dhude

    Danger,

    Who cares what the Man wants. Let’s have it.