Homemade Bourbon

[whiskydude]

Yep, lept before I looked on 2 counts with that post! I was confusing another whiskey with the Michael Collins. I don't recall the name, but I thought it was made in the Northwest, Oregon or Washington.

[TomH]

Were you thinking of McCarthy's Single Malt Whiskey made by Clear Creek Distillery in Oregon ?

[Old Bill]

I picked up a fun book about Moonshine and such, and it's author contends that the home distillation business is alive and growing. I don't think he was referring to the guy who churns out swill made with radiator fluid, but folks who are crafting their own libations in the manner of the home brewers. Yes, he contends it's all illegal, but he made a remark that the federal agents have better things to do with their time than chase down people who make small amounts for their own consumption.

[barturtle]

I picked up a fun book about Moonshine and such, and it's author contends that the home distillation business is alive and growing. I don't think he was referring to the guy who churns out swill made with radiator fluid, but folks who are crafting their own libations in the manner of the home brewers. Yes, he contends it's all illegal, but he made a remark that the federal agents have better things to do with their time than chase down people who make small amounts for their own consumption.

Is it the Alaskan Moonshiners Guide or some such? It's a good book, haven't tried it out myself, but the processes sound, well, sound.

[whiskydude]

Were you thinking of McCarthy's Single Malt Whiskey made by Clear Creek Distillery in Oregon ?

Yes! That's the one. I haven't tasted it, but would like to. Thanks for the ID.

[Master Distiller]

I know this post is old but I wanted to clear up a few things. It IS illegal to distill your own spirits at home even for personal use. However they arent looking for hobby distillers making small quantities for themselves. Theyre looking for the egg heads making gallons and gallons of moonshine and selling it on the streets. It IS NOT illegal to own a still, its just illegal to distill spirits in that still. A still 25 gallons or less is considered hobby size, anything above that people are looking to make money. It is very rewarding to make your own spirits, especially bourbon. It does take quite a while but it just depends on your tastes, the time you wish to wait, and what kind of product you want to have. If you want Buffalo Trace, Blanton's, Makers, Willett, ect..type of tastes then yes you will need to distill enough white dog to fill a 53 gallon barrel(which as a hobbist will take quite a while)and let it age at least 4 years. But if you want to distill your own bourbon to have something to be proud of, and something your friends will be envious of then the best place to learn is home distiller forum. Everyone are serious hobbist and most are members of the Home Distillers Association pushing to pass the legality of home hobby distillation. If you dont want to wait that long you can make a very decent bourbon faster using various methods such as smaller barrels. The smaller the barrel the faster the whiskey matures. Even for a 1/2 gallon barrel it still takes 4 months. There are ways to speed up the process even more but the longer it can stay in the barrel or on the oak the better it will be. You can make a bourbon good enough for most cocktails in as little as a couple months. From fermenting the mash the aging the spirit with oak. You can also put the wood in the whiskey instead of the other way around. This is done using roasted and charred white oak cubes, chips, sticks, or dominos(NOT THE GAME PIECES) these are designed specifically for aging whiskey. Just on a small scale as an example, if made correctly 5 gallon of bourbon mash will produce about a quart or a little over of high proof white dog(barrel strangth 125proof). Now I am not suggesting everyone go get on youtube and get a pressure cooker and some copper line and whip up some half cocked sugar wash. Youtube is NOT the place to learn to distill. There is correct procedures and it does take time to learn. One needs to study at least a couple months before buying or building a still and attempting to operate it. Distilling can be very dangerous in the hands of the impatent or careless, but someone that takes the time to learn the ins and outs the dos and donts distillation IS safe. Done carelessly and you CAN die! Anyone on the forum I listed above would be more than happy to lead someone in the right direction that intends to learn distillation properly and safely. They are all about safety first! They WILL NOT just tell you what to get and what to do. They want everyone to learn safely and responsibly so they will make you read, and study, and read and study some more but trust me it is well worth the time. And no one says you have to give up your favorite commercial spirits either. Spirits made correctly at home is made exactly the same way as a distillery just in much smaller scale. Not only can you make bourbon, but you can make rum, tequila, brandy, irish whiskey, canadian whiskey, moonshine, vodka, or about any other spirit you can think of. Not to mention distilling goes hand in hand with making your own favorite wines or beers. All the equipment and techniques are mainly the same other than the distilling equipment itself. Made correctly and homemade spirits are just as safe to drink as commercial spirits, as I said above the process is exactly the same. Theres only two materials safe for creating a still, stainless steel and copper. The alcohol vapor must come in contact with copper to neutralize sulfates which can make spirits taste terrible. You can use all copper or you can use stainless for the pot, doubler, but the column and condenser need to be copper or at least pure copper scrubbies must be in the vapor path. I could go on for pages but I hope this debunks the myths of distilling safety and maybe encourages a few people to at least learn more about where the spirits they drink come from.

[oke&coke]

Wow, you unlocked an old thread. And for the record, I plead the fifth.

[VAGentleman]

FYI-in some (most?) states like Virginia, it is illegal to own a still, even a small one

[fozzy71]

I know this post is old but I wanted to clear up a few things. It IS illegal to distill your own spirits at home even for personal use. However they arent looking for hobby distillers making small quantities for themselves. Theyre looking for the egg heads making gallons and gallons of moonshine and selling it on the streets. It IS NOT illegal to own a still, its just illegal to distill spirits in that still. A still 25 gallons or less is considered hobby size, anything above that people are looking to make money. It is very rewarding to make your own spirits, especially bourbon. It does take quite a while but it just depends on your tastes, the time you wish to wait, and what kind of product you want to have. If you want Buffalo Trace, Blanton's, Makers, Willett, ect..type of tastes then yes you will need to distill enough white dog to fill a 53 gallon barrel(which as a hobbist will take quite a while)and let it age at least 4 years. But if you want to distill your own bourbon to have something to be proud of, and something your friends will be envious of then the best place to learn is home distiller forum. Everyone are serious hobbist and most are members of the Home Distillers Association pushing to pass the legality of home hobby distillation. If you dont want to wait that long you can make a very decent bourbon faster using various methods such as smaller barrels. The smaller the barrel the faster the whiskey matures. Even for a 1/2 gallon barrel it still takes 4 months. There are ways to speed up the process even more but the longer it can stay in the barrel or on the oak the better it will be. You can make a bourbon good enough for most cocktails in as little as a couple months. From fermenting the mash the aging the spirit with oak. You can also put the wood in the whiskey instead of the other way around. This is done using roasted and charred white oak cubes, chips, sticks, or dominos(NOT THE GAME PIECES) these are designed specifically for aging whiskey. Just on a small scale as an example, if made correctly 5 gallon of bourbon mash will produce about a quart or a little over of high proof white dog(barrel strangth 125proof). Now I am not suggesting everyone go get on youtube and get a pressure cooker and some copper line and whip up some half cocked sugar wash. Youtube is NOT the place to learn to distill. There is correct procedures and it does take time to learn. One needs to study at least a couple months before buying or building a still and attempting to operate it. Distilling can be very dangerous in the hands of the impatent or careless, but someone that takes the time to learn the ins and outs the dos and donts distillation IS safe. Done carelessly and you CAN die! Anyone on the forum I listed above would be more than happy to lead someone in the right direction that intends to learn distillation properly and safely. They are all about safety first! They WILL NOT just tell you what to get and what to do. They want everyone to learn safely and responsibly so they will make you read, and study, and read and study some more but trust me it is well worth the time. And no one says you have to give up your favorite commercial spirits either. Spirits made correctly at home is made exactly the same way as a distillery just in much smaller scale. Not only can you make bourbon, but you can make rum, tequila, brandy, irish whiskey, canadian whiskey, moonshine, vodka, or about any other spirit you can think of. Not to mention distilling goes hand in hand with making your own favorite wines or beers. All the equipment and techniques are mainly the same other than the distilling equipment itself. Made correctly and homemade spirits are just as safe to drink as commercial spirits, as I said above the process is exactly the same. Theres only two materials safe for creating a still, stainless steel and copper. The alcohol vapor must come in contact with copper to neutralize sulfates which can make spirits taste terrible. You can use all copper or you can use stainless for the pot, doubler, but the column and condenser need to be copper or at least pure copper scrubbies must be in the vapor path. I could go on for pages but I hope this debunks the myths of distilling safety and maybe encourages a few people to at least learn more about where the spirits they drink come from.

line breaks / paragraphs are your (our) friend.

[tanstaafl2]

Wow, you unlocked an old thread. And for the record, I plead the fifth.

[DonutsNBourbon]

line breaks / paragraphs are your (our) friend.

haha, TDLR; came to mind when I saw that...

[oke&coke]

Based on my recollection you plead more than a fifth. A pretty good one too!

Yes, I plead a fifth of shine.:grin: