NOTE: It is important to be aware of the legal requirements for the country in which you reside. In most countries there are set maximum strengths allowed. Irresponsible production of Moonshine is a major cause of blindness in Europe and America.


The link gives a beginners guide to home brewing in the UK , legal requirements etc.
https://homebrewjournals.com/home-brewi ... t=cmp-true

Does anyone on this board use an Air Still to make whisky, gin etc?
And do you need a license if the spirits are for your own consumption?

I'd put the OP in braille if I were you.

No you dont need any license if you're not selling, no different to home brew, or wine making.

fatboy47 wrote: ↑

Thu Sep 05, 2024 11:35 am

I'd put the OP in braille if I were you.

You managed to read it, but if it helps others.......

I use an Air Still and the quality of product produced is excellent as long as you follow the directions completely, 40% is easily achieved. Certainly over here in Ireland a licence is required. Out of interest I checked a UK Home Brew site that I still use and they said this....

"It is illegal to manufacture spirits in the UK without a distiller's licence which is required under the provisions of section 12 of the Alcoholic Liquor Duties Act 1979 and this includes manufacture for "own/domestic use".

Public Notice 39 - "Spirits production in the UK" dated July 2006 provides further information about HM Revenue & Customs' requirements.

If you require further assistance then please contact the National Advice Service on Telephone 0845 010 9000 or www.hmrc.gov.uk Where you can obtain & view Public Notice 39."

If I recall there is a legal difference in the UK between "fermentation" and "distillation" over 20% or something like that....if in doubt you might want to check with HMRC.

I started with the air still but I went on to the Still Spirits T500 tutbo Still.

You get on average between 8 - 10 litres with the T500.

I think the quality is better than the Air Still.

fatboy47 wrote: ↑

Thu Sep 05, 2024 11:35 am

I'd put the OP in braille if I were you.

fatboy47 makes a serious point here.

If you're going to do it, you at very least need to know the risks inside out and understand what you're doing.

Mayoclaret wrote: ↑

Thu Sep 05, 2024 12:20 pm

I use an Air Still and the quality of product produced is excellent as long as you follow the directions completely, 40% is easily achieved. Certainly over here in Ireland a licence is required. Out of interest I checked a UK Home Brew site that I still use and they said this....

"It is illegal to manufacture spirits in the UK without a distiller's licence which is required under the provisions of section 12 of the Alcoholic Liquor Duties Act 1979 and this includes manufacture for "own/domestic use".

Public Notice 39 - "Spirits production in the UK" dated July 2006 provides further information about HM Revenue & Customs' requirements.

If you require further assistance then please contact the National Advice Service on Telephone 0845 010 9000 or www.hmrc.gov.uk Where you can obtain & view Public Notice 39."

If I recall there is a legal difference in the UK between "fermentation" and "distillation" over 20% or something like that....if in doubt you might want to check with HMRC.

I have been saying for year we should meet up Mayo , can i bring some empty bottles with me

Rowls wrote: ↑

Thu Sep 05, 2024 1:24 pm

fatboy47 makes a serious point here.

If you're going to do it, you at very least need to know the risks inside out and understand what you're doing.

We had a national crisis here around 10 years back when some of the more "artisanal" hooch blinded a few people. Caused a nationwide crackdown and brought in seals on all bottles of spirits.

Id question honestly if its worth the risk

Thanks for your snippets of advice.
I've been making homemade wine for the past 30 years or so and I'm more than aware of any 'risks'

Tribesmen wrote: ↑

Thu Sep 05, 2024 2:27 pm

I have been saying for year we should meet up Mayo , can i bring some empty bottles with me

Ive plenty of "empties", but you'd be very welcome.

ŽižkovClaret wrote: ↑

Thu Sep 05, 2024 2:33 pm

We had a national crisis here around 10 years back when some of the more "artisanal" hooch blinded a few people. Caused a nationwide crackdown and brought in seals on all bottles of spirits.

Id question honestly if its worth the risk

I'm using an Air Still.
The original 'wash' measures around 90% alcohol.
At the end of fermentation the wash is run through the Air Still distiller and comes through at 60% alcohol.
Filtered water is added to further reduce this to 40% or less alcohol.
It's not quite 'hooch'

Brewin up a batch o 'shine eh!?

G'luck to ya, pilgrim!

If you've ever had home made Greek Raki and survived more than a couple of days, distilling your own gin would be perfectly safe.

It Is What It Is wrote: ↑

Thu Sep 05, 2024 4:50 pm

If you've ever had home made Greek Raki and survived more than a couple of days, distilling your own gin would be perfectly safe.

No. No no no.

Methanol poisoning is not something you can build tolerance to by drinking something on holiday. That's simply not how it works. It's serious and potential deadly and it is NOT the same substance you find in off the shelf spirits.

By all means, if you want to distill alcohol and you're an adult then go ahead. But you need to be aware of the risks. You need to understand the process. You need to know what you're doing. I'm sorry to make a point of this but it is potentially lethal advice. Sorry, but there's no way round this.

If you distill alcohol with the attitude of, "Oh, it'll be OK because I had that strong spirit once when I was on holiday in Greece." then there is a big risk you will blind yourself or kill yourself.

If anyone thinks that way, then they don't have even enough basic knowledge to even begin to think about distilling alcohol. Go back to the library and start reading before you even think of doing anything else. Or stick to shop bought spirits.

The alcohol that is in properly brewed and distilled drinks that we can safely buy in pubs, off licenses and shops is ethanol.

If you get distilling wrong, you can end up with a completely different kind of alcohol, methanol, in your drink.

Even low amounts of methanol can make you blind or kill you. Do you know how to ensure you aren't distilling methanol into your drink? Is there any methanol in Raki? Get any of these questions wrong and it could kill you.

If anybody is thinking of doing this, you ought to be doing proper research on how to do it safely and looking to take respectable and recognised courses on what to do and what not to do.

The Dangers of Distilling Alcohol

Methanol Poisoning

It Is What It Is wrote: ↑

Thu Sep 05, 2024 4:50 pm

If you've ever had home made Greek Raki and survived more than a couple of days, distilling your own gin would be perfectly safe.

My Greek friends use Raki as medicine. The theory goes that if you can’t feel the pain it doesn’t exist. I’m afraid of home made Raki.

Been blind drunk a few times

Ethanol/Methanol.

Very close, very different.

dougcollins wrote: ↑

Thu Sep 05, 2024 9:00 pm

Ethanol/Methanol.

Very close, very different.

Isn't it a matter of just a few degrees difference in the distilling temperature that gives you one or the other?

Crikey! I only asked if I needed a licence.
I'll go back to college if I need a lecturer.

Crikey! I only asked if I needed a licence.
I'll go back to college if I need a lecturer.

Juan Tanamera wrote: ↑

Thu Sep 05, 2024 11:16 pm

Crikey! I only asked if I needed a licence.
I'll go back to college if I need a lecturer.

the very link you posted answered your question.

yTib wrote: ↑

Thu Sep 05, 2024 11:29 pm

the very link you posted answered your question.

I didn't put that link in my OP.
The script in bold was not written by me.

sorry didn't realise.

I couldn't wait the 10 plus years to perfect it, so I'll keep on the Scotch stuff for now

Seriously, I've always fancied a go at it following distillery tours, but never had the knowledge to go for it.

Back in the mid 1970’s my father once had a 1 litre clear glass bottle of ‘holy water’ ( Poitín) confiscated from him by Liverpool customs, despite hiding it in the boot of our car, on returning to Liverpool port. The customs officer did not believe the hand written label ‘Blessed by Fr Murphy, pp St Coleman, Craughwell.’

Those illicit Connemara brews obtained from a friend of a friend were certainly potent brews. Poitín is now legally distilled and for sale - via supermarkets. Still too much of a bite to it for my liking.
Just attempted brewing my first Guinness stout clone today though- in Ireland with local malted barley and water .

"The theory goes that if you can't feel the pain it doesn't exist"

Sounds credible to me.

atlantalad wrote: ↑

Fri Sep 06, 2024 12:52 am

Back in the mid 1970’s my father once had a 1 litre clear glass bottle of ‘holy water’ ( Poitín) confiscated from him by Liverpool customs, despite hiding it in the boot of our car, on returning to Liverpool port. The customs officer did not believe the hand written label ‘Blessed by Fr Murphy, pp St Coleman, Craughwell.’

Those illicit Connemara brews obtained from a friend of a friend were certainly potent brews. Poitín is now legally distilled and for sale - via supermarkets. Still too much of a bite to it for my liking.
Just attempted brewing my first Guinness stout clone today though- in Ireland with local malted barley and water .

There is not as much Poitin around these days but you can get hold of it if you ask the right people .

Did try it once , but not for my liking

Remember trying some poitin when I was about 14. Leathal stuff. Not had it since. Gotta give these things a go tho.

This thread reminds me of the "Keeping Grizzly Bears as Domestic Pets" one.

Sorry to ressurect this thread, especially because I'm convinced the danger is small and that a lot of people didn't truly grasp the subject.

However I'm bumping this thread just to highlight how serious distilling your own home spirits can be.

Tragic news coming in from Vietnam:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx27wyrxz9yo

I’ve used an Air Still for small batches of gin and whiskey before, and as long as it’s for personal use, you don’t need a license in the UK. However, it’s super important to stick to the legal limits and avoid selling anything. The process can be a lot of fun, but safety and legal stuff should always come first!