Has the law changed on distilling?

[An Ankoù]

Just received an email from MaltMilller "Dive Into Distilling"/
I wasn't aware that things had changed and I believed that home distilling without a licence was still illegal. When did things change?

This May Bank Holiday, we've got an exciting offer running to help you take the dive into the world of distilling! The main thing you're going to need to get yourself started with the world of distilling is a still! Over here at TMMHQ, we have a range of high-quality and easy-to-use small-scale stills, which are perfect for the job. And this bank holiday weekend, we've cut the prices on them to help get you going with this intriguing and rewarding art!

The range of stills we stock from Still Spirits offer you an array of options for both the method you wish to distill and also the size and convenience you would like as you venture into the world of spirits. Once you get going, you'll be surprised at both the quality of spirits you can produce and how easy distilling can be.

AND
https://www.themaltmiller.co.uk/product-category/food-drink-craft/spirits/?v=11aedd0e4327

I don't see any reference to needing a licence!!

 

[Sadfield]

Have the forum rules on discussing distilling changed to allow discussion on distilling rules changes?

 

[Bitter_Dave]

I think the law changed a few years back. No more pretending you are making perfume!

 

[Rodcx500z]

No the law has not changed it is illegal

 

[Clint]

You'd think TMM would savvy up on this and include some branded dungarees.

 

[Sadfield]

No hats either.

 

[Clint]

Search...
"Straw" or "baseball" might select the appropriate headwear.

 

[Clint]

As for the contraptions...I can't be ar5ed brewing ATM so I'm out.

 

[obscure]

We will not issue a distiller’s licence to produce spirits for your own use. The production of spirits by a person who is not licensed is an offence for which there are financial penalties.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publi...excise-notice-39-spirits-production-in-the-uk


Think on this one HMRC is pretty clear, still amazed Malt Miller is being so blatant most places at least try to give a veneer of deniability I.e. it’s for distilling essential oils or you have a responsibility to have all the relevant paper work and licenses before use (and as HMRC says they will not issue a licence for personal use. I do wonder how long before we see some kind of crackdown on companies selling this kind of equipment.

Also HMRC is pretty clear that in order to get a distillers licence you need to be able to demonstrate you have a viable business plan, and that it is a genuine commercial operation so no their is not the option of registering and paying duty on your home still either. To be blunt there is no viable way to legally distil alcohol at home in the UK.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Just received an email from MaltMilller "Dive Into Distilling"/
I wasn't aware that things had changed and I believed that home distilling without a licence was still illegal. When did things change?

Think on this one HMRC is pretty clear, still amazed Malt Miller is being so blatant most places at least try to give a veneer of deniability I.e. it’s for distilling essential oils or you have a responsibility to have all the relevant paper work and licenses before use (and as HMRC says they will not issue a licence for personal use. I do wonder how long before we see some kind of crackdown on companies selling this kind of equipment.

I haven't looked into this yet as i am a bit busy so thanks @obscure for posting, as for MM selling the equipment i guess its a bit like back in the day when many of us had and used AM citizen band radios in our cars, shops could sell all the equipment you needed legally and you could fit a working A.M C.B radio in your car but it was illegal to use it without a licence.

CB radio operation became popular in the UK in the late 1970s / early 80s. The early operators using imported AM, or Amplitude Modulation types, as well as SSB, from the United States.

The use of AM & SSB (sideband) was illegal in the UK, but despite this thousands of people used it. The government decided to legalise CB radio use in the UK in 1981, however the legalised ‘CB 27/81’ standard used Frequency Modulation, or FM, rather than AM.

This meant that the large user base of existing AM users were still operating illegally.

https://yesway.co.uk/am-ssb-cb-radio-to-become-legal-in-uk/#:~:text=The use of AM & SSB,or FM, rather than AM.

 

[Clint]

Thing is you can make very high ABV sugar wash stuff legally if the aim is to get trollied on the cheap.
Given that there's lots of these devices from various sellers available they must be shifting a few units as they wouldn't stock them. The country must be a hotbed of moonshiners! Surprised they haven't gone the route like it was for a while where TV sellers tried taking your name and address to give to the telly licence lot.

 

[Rwilts]

I thought exactly same when I had email. I thought it was considered too dangerous to allow garage distillery, wasn't there a few sad deaths when stills blew up about ten years ago?

 

[Clint]

It's more to do with the epidemic of backyard hooch brewers in the 1700's,out of control drinking and poisoning from dodgy distilling. Plus revenues I would suspect.

 

[Clint]

Gin Lane,Hogarth 1751 depicting the ruinous effects of gin.
There's another picture quite the opposite showing the merits of drinking beer.

 

[obscure]

I thought exactly same when I had email. I thought it was considered too dangerous to allow garage distillery, wasn't there a few sad deaths when stills blew up about ten years ago?

I suspect it’s mostly down to lost revenue although with beer the worst you are likely to get if you mess up is a bucket of vinegar with distillation you could well end up with methanol which is a big reason legal or not I wouldn’t give it a go.

View attachment 99034
Gin Lane,Hogarth 1751 depicting the ruinous effects of gin.
There's another picture quite the opposite showing the merits of drinking beer.

The full image.

 

[Clint]

Hence the saying "blind drunk",consumption of methanol will make you blind.

 

[Rwilts]

https://www.standard.co.uk/hp/front...n-who-died-at-illegal-distillery-6422250.html

12 years ago

 

[Deadhead]

Thoughts crossed my mind when I got this email today. Still all looks like nice kit, and I'd be really happy to try out the GF version. Maybe someday!

 

[jof]

What happens if you are producing say your own gin but you have already paid the duty by buying the base spirit as duty paid?
I know there is no issues with adding your own botanicals to bottles of gin/vodka bought from a supermarket, eg slow gin/lemoncello etc.
So is there a line drawn over applying heat to utilize your botanicals?

 

[klaus]

You are allowed to sell equipment, even though using it for the purpose for which it is designed is illegal without permission or licence. I thought I had seen a note on the MM website some time ago.

CB radio is mentioned above, a licence is no longer required AFAIK, it comes under general licence.

Even better, you can buy amateur radio transceivers quite legally as long as you don't use them to transmit without being licensed. Using them to listen is quite legal. If you are interested in getting into Amateur Radio have a look at the RSGB website www.rsgb.org.uk Couldn't resist the plug as a licence holder (G7RTI).