Whiskey or Vodka Kits

[SomersetBrewer]

Ok I am soon going to try my first Whiskey or Vodka kit. Can anyone recommend a good kit to make?

When i look at the kits online i see that most of them do the Alc 22%. Is there anyway of getting them stronger?

I am only looking to do a dj full at the moment.

Any help would be great.

Thanks

 

[oldbloke]

When i look at the kits online i see that most of them do the Alc 22%. Is there anyway of getting them stronger?

Not legally.
And forum rules forbid discussion of the illegal methods.

Post moved to more appropriate "Wine&Cider->Pushing Yeast To The Max" section

 

[SomersetBrewer]

Do you recommend any kits mate?

 

[oldbloke]

Never tried any of this stuff. I have no desire to start messing about with carbon filtering systems.

 

[bobsbeer]

You may want to try the Harris forum. http://www.homewinemaking.co.uk They often talk about such things.

 

[abeyptfc]

I've recently made the Prohibition Gin kit for my Mum, it turned out at 18% with just the yeast provided, she had her first try tonight and was impressed, and its only half of the abv of a gordons etc. craigtube on youtube done the prohibition whisky kit and seemed to enjoy it, give it a bash.

 

[johnnyboy1965]

For legal reasons, I think the Mods have to draw the line between brewing and distilling. In the Uk distilling without a liscence is illegal. You can still buy all the equipment to distill alcohol, but as I said ...its illegal. This is probably one of the only things that I agree with. When you distll you will probably come out with something like 70% abv...this alone will send you blind or kill you. Ive never been one to supress a person, but this legistation is put in place for a reason

 

[Moley]

For legal reasons, I think the Mods have to draw the line between brewing and distilling. In the Uk distilling without a liscence is illegal.

Admin make the rules, Mods are required to enforce them. New owners agree that as it is illegal in the UK and the USA, that rule stands.

However, in the UK that law doesn't seem to be enforced unless you attempt to sell what you've made, in which case you will get nailed for counterfeiting.

When you distll you will probably come out with something like 70% abv...this alone will send you blind or kill you.

I may have agreed with you a little while back but I've had some lengthy discussions with my local homebrew shop owner since he started selling this sort of equipment and I understand it better now.

Pot stills might yield 70-75% abv, reflux stills can yield 90%+, and if you drink spirits at that sort of strength you deserve the consequences. However, the bit about death or blindness is very misleading and relates more to unscrupulous counterfeiters who are only interested in profits and who have been known to 'cut' their fake vodkas with industrial solvents or chemicals not fit for (or hazardous to) human consumption. Things like meths or screen wash with bleach to remove the colour. So be careful where you buy your spirits from and beware of 'bargains' from back street shops and boot sales.

 

[BrewWoo]

A Polish shop just down the road from me (and ironically, no more than 50ft away from the local home brew shop) was busted for selling knock off spirits.

Acetone and Xylene were some of the additives.

Tasty! :nono:

 

[Moley]

There are plenty of horror stories if you google something like "fake vodka UK", but here's a warning from drinkaware.

I used to enjoy our local Asian corner shops' Christmas price wars, but since reading those articles I have only bought luxury blended whiskies or single malts from trusted sources, and Russian Standard vodka or Bombay Sapphire for Mrs. Mole.

 

[johnnyboy1965]

My "blindness/death" reply was meant to be "tounge in cheek" remark...though, not to be discounted. If you "distill" and follow the instructions, you get a decent end product...Don't do it myself but Ive tasted some of the results, and on the whole...........its Ok/average/you can tell the difference

 

[SomersetBrewer]

Anyone tried this???

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Alcotec-H...pt=UK_Home_Garden_Food_SM&hash=item3f234f7ebf

 

[chrig]

What comes in the box? It seems expensive as the alcotech 23% yeast is only a fiver and comes with liquid carbon.

 

[Moley]

That sounds extortionate!

You still need to add sugar, and you need buckets and other basic equipment.

If you look at this supplier there's a PDF download link to the instructions.

So you get a high alcohol tolerance yeast, nutrients, stabiliser, activated carbon and finings.

If you buy all of those items separately there should certainly be change from a tenner.


Edit: Just slightly over a tenner.
From thehomebrewcompany the 23% yeast & nutrient is £5.34, the carbon is £3.82 and the finings are £1.48, so that's £10.64 altogether. You shouldn't need stabiliser even if you want to sweeten it.

It will probably be vile, but you won't care after the first glass.


And homebrewcompany, it's finings and not finnings :twisted:
Iddiots.

 

[chrig]

Does anybody sell a whiskey essence / flavoring for 23L ? I like the odd whiskey and coke or lemonade but the flavorings don't seem so cheap.

I keep meaning to throw a couple of DJ of wash on to some whiskey barrel chunks but so far its just all talk

 

[Maffa]

Popped into my local LHBS last week and on the counter was a demi of alcohol with oak chips in it. Tried a nip and very tasty. Got talking to the bloke and he uses and is selling stills for about £150. They look like a large thermos, which you add your already fermented sugar & water (approx 14%) which after a couple of hours in the still ends up at 60%. You then water in down to 40% and add whatever you like. He has a large selection of wood chips and flavourings from gin to whisky, bourbon, rum, even apple shnapps! All come in 5cl bottles.

Have to raise the question again, is it legal to sell and brew a still?

 

[bramley4600]

For legal reasons, I think the Mods have to draw the line between brewing and distilling. In the Uk distilling without a liscence is illegal. You can still buy all the equipment to distill alcohol, but as I said ...its illegal. This is probably one of the only things that I agree with. When you distll you will probably come out with something like 70% abv...this alone will send you blind or kill you. Ive never been one to supress a person, but this legistation is put in place for a reason

You've obviously never tried Inlander Stroh rum (80%). My mum's family is Austrian and they all drink it over there and the last time I checked none of them have gone blind or died from drinking it. My mum is 90 next year.

 

[joey7415963]

Whilst I won't talk about the d word I will throw in what I understand about alcohol blindness.

Alcohol blindness comes from the methyl group binding to the receptors in your eyes. Since fermenting wine and beer yeast does not yield methanol it shouldn't be a problem.

Fermenting these yeasts yields ethanol which also binds to the receptors in your eyes but has no effect. In fact it is a stronger binding group than methanol and is therefore used to treat alcohol blindness.

So in a nutshell more alcohol cures alcohol blindness

Of course please don't hold me to this!

 

[jrb]

In Boston they always serve the English first then when the English leave they serve the Poles.....with the exploding vodka. There was a shortage for a while but no doubt somebody else is distilling now!

 

[FatCol]

I've looked at the possibility of getting an AirStill, just so I can distil water of course :whistle:

The issues I would be concerned with and which have stopped me from buying one are as follows:

1/ The relative complexity of the process, as you have to throw away the first and last of the distillate and just retain the "pure" product

2/ The time it takes for a £150 AirStill to do a 5 gallon batch of wash

3/ Although they are billed as being able to be left alone to do their thing, would I really be comfortable popping to the shops or going out and washing the car, whilst there is a big heated electrical device full of highly volatile alcohol vapours chugging away in my kitchen...

Just my thoughts.

FatCol :drink: