Homemade Bourbon

[catdaddy]

Has anyone attempted to make their own bourbon?

A friend of mine makes his own beer & that got me thinking???...

[Dr. François]

Aside from risking having the BATF kick your door down or you accidentally blowing up your house, making bourbon strikes me as being 100 times more difficult and 100 times less rewarding than letting those experts in Kentucky do their thing.

You could always contact a local distillery and see if they'd be willing to whip up a batch of spirit to throw in a barrel.

[Rughi]

You could always contact a local distillery and see if they'd be willing to whip up a batch of spirit to throw in a barrel.

Buffalo Trace is starting a "custom distillation program for consumers and connoisseurs of fine spirits" that may do just that.

[swampguy]

http://www.coppermoonshinestills.com/

http://www.happymountain.net/moonshine%20still.html

I have had the idea for years but the problem would be aging the alcohol that would be created. Unless you want vodka or grappa you would have to wait years to see your product come to true bourbon status.

[shyster512]

If you can get your hands on it, get the DVD or VHS tape by Popcorn Sutton. It is called "Last Dam Run of Likker" or something like that. Popcorn Sutton is a famous (infamous) modern day moonshiner located in North Carolina, near Maggie Valley. He is quite a character. The movie, which has the feel of being homemade, starts from finding a spot for a still to running off a batch of Appalachia's finest. Popcorn is hilarious in the flick. I believe he was busted again just recently, so I guess there will have to be a sequel to the movie.

[catdaddy]

Aside from risking having the BATF kick your door down or you accidentally blowing up your house,

I'm not positive, but I don't think there are any laws against making corn whiskey or any other spirt for that matter, I believe it's the selling of it that will get you in trouble? As for the place, I was thinking about a garage or barn, I would love to see the look on my wifes face if she walked in her kitchen & I had a still set up:hot: :grin: !

[TnSquire]

Aside from risking having the BATF kick your door down or you accidentally blowing up your house,

I'm not positive, but I don't think there are any laws against making corn whiskey or any other spirt for that matter, I believe it's the selling of it that will get you in trouble? As for the place, I was thinking about a garage or barn, I would love to see the look on my wifes face if she walked in her kitchen & I had a still set up:hot: :grin: !

You should be positive as it is absolutely illegal to make corn whiskey or any other spirt.

[shyster512]

Catdaddy-

I believe you had better listen to the Squire. I have represented a few "producers". The Feds and even local authorities frown greatly on the unregulated production of distilled spirits.

[TnSquire]

Catdaddy-

I believe you had better listen to the Squire. I have represented a few "producers". The Feds and even local authorities frown greatly on the unregulated production of distilled spirits.

They have loosed up a little on ethanol production but you still have to get a permit and you are limited. Talk to Jeremy about it. He looked into it.

You cant just buy a still off the net and set it up in the garage. Well I guess you can but most people don't look good in the double nickel bracelets.

[barturtle]

The ATF FAQ even go so far as to say that even for the use in a Science Experiment is illegal.

Without permits it is illegal. Permits require proper zoning of premises, can't be attached to a dwelling and several other restrictions.

[gothbat]

I have represented a few "producers". The Feds and even local authorities frown greatly on the unregulated production of distilled spirits.

What's the average result, are you able to get them off? If not, what's the average sentence and or fine? Also, in those you've encountered, how much spirit is the average bootlegger holding when they get busted? Just wondering.

[NickAtMartinis]

You should be positive as it is absolutely illegal to make corn whiskey or any other spirt.

So you tellin' me all dat distilin' I ben doin' in tha back wood aint legal?

[TnSquire]

So you tellin' me all dat distilin' I ben doin' in tha back wood aint legal?

Just tell them it is for "Medicinal Purposes" it worked for Uncle Jesse.

[barturtle]

Just tell them it is for "Medicinal Purposes" it worked for Uncle Jesse.

No it didn't! He promised not to make anymore to keep Bo and Luke outta the slammer:rolleyes:

[gr8erdane]

And look what it did to Daisy's jeans!

[cowdery]

In Virginia recently, six people were indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of running a moonshine pipeline that authorities say reached as far north as Philadelphia.

They are accused of conspiracy to violate the travel act and produce and receive untaxed liquor, failure to give bond, possession of an unregistered still, unlawful production of distilled spirits, money laundering and perjury. There were a total of 31 counts.

Each count of money laundering carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Each of the other counts carries a penalty of up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

[barturtle]

Each count of money laundering carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Each of the other counts carries a penalty of up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

Wouldn't you think that something that could lock you up for 4x as long would be worth 4x the fine? Damn me for applying logic to the law, but still...

[fussychicken]

The mood in this post seems to be very gloomy. While it is indeed very illegal to be an amateur distiller in the US, the rest of the world is slowly coming around. For instance, it is legal in New Zealand and Italy. Will the US follow suit? The sad answer is probably no, but one can always hope.

I personally find it pretty hypocritical to allow home brewing and wine making, but not home distilling. Is it more complex? You bet. My guess is that isn't the reason the laws aren't changed though. The stigma attached to the moonshiners along with the taxes (albeit minuscule) the government would loose are probably far more powerful deterrents for getting the law changed.

[shyster512]

My bet is that the stongest deterrent for change in the law would be the alcohol producers themselves. It pretty well gives those in operation a monopoly. How many truly new producers have started business lately? Most are recylcled distillers.

[barturtle]

My bet is that the stongest deterrent for change in the law would be the alcohol producers themselves. It pretty well gives those in operation a monopoly. How many truly new producers have started business lately? Most are recylcled distillers.

Actually quite a few, just not many whiskey producers. Many wineries have started making brandy and grappa and such. Huber's Winery, right across the river in Indiana has started the Starlight Distillery and hosted the 2007 American Distilling Institute Conference.

[NickAtMartinis]

And look what it did to Daisy's jeans!

It dun shrunk 'em is what it did.

[gr8erdane]

More'n shrunk em, it et em.

[catdaddy]

It's funny how one thing leads to another, but as anyone seen her... say in the last 5 years? WOW!

[whiskydude]

True there isn't much heard about new distillers, but there are a few. I just received my recent issue of TIME and in the Life section there is a good article about small volume distilleries. One of them is in the Hudson valley. They make a Rye whiskey and an apple vodka. Another one is in CA, and makes Square One Vodka. The last is in Philadelphia and makes gin. The rye whiskey is what really caught my eye.

Here are the links for your perusal. Apologies if this is old news for some.

http://tuthilltown.com Rye whiskey and Apple vodka

http://squareonevodka.com

http://bluecoatgin.com

EDIT:

Hmmm....should have searched first. Here is the Hudson Rye Whiskey link from April 07.

http://www.straightbourbon.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7049

[cowdery]

I don't know what you mean by "Michael Collins American made whiskey." Michael Collins is a brand of Irish whiskey created by the same company that created Grey Goose Vodka. It is made for them at the Cooley Distillery in Dublin, which has been around for at least a decade with its own brands, Tyrconnell and Kilbeggan.

The others are craft distilleries, of which there are many. The problem with them is that, in most cases, they actually do less "crafting" than the familiar industrial-scale distillers do, making their value dubious. They may do something worthwhile in the future, but so far they are much ado about nothing.