Making Bourbon

**fleet5ltr** · 12-07-2006, 08:50 PM

Hey just wondering if anyone out there makes their own spirits. I'm making bourbon. I've got a 20ltr hot water urn that i converted into a still.

**Doctor Sodways** · 12-07-2006, 09:35 PM

I know plenty of people who do, im yet to try some of their stuff, but they produce a fair bit. The people who have tried keep getting it from them, so it must be good

**Streetvision** · 12-07-2006, 10:29 PM

Mmmm Moonshine

**sixshooter** · 13-07-2006, 06:53 AM

Coot Yoot Yoot thars a damn hillbilly postin' on JC !!!
My advice !!!
Don't do it unless you know what your doing and are prepared for the consequences if caught.
I assume you know pure alcohol will make you blind ???
not blind drunk... but Blind need walking cane Blind...
plus its illegal to run a still as far as I know.

Heres some extra info on concentrated alcohol
http://home.howstuffworks.com/alcohol5.htm

**craigvk** · 13-07-2006, 07:01 AM

There is a limit on the still size for personal use. I forgot the max size. After that, it's classed as commercial quantity. I was wanting to get my own set up by Christmas but they are about $400.

Illegal? Do people care less?! You know downloading ripped music from P2P is also illegal but stealing too.

**sixshooter** · 13-07-2006, 07:03 AM

Originally Posted by Slim

Illegal? Do people care less?! You know downloading ripped music from P2P is also illegal but stealing too.

Yeah... but that aint going to kill you with one mouthful is it now ???:b:

Like I said... if you know what you're doing i.e (are a trained Chemist) and are prepared for the consequences if caught...

personally I wouldn't bother risking my health on drinking some backyarders moonshine... homebrews on the other hand mmmm

**craigvk** · 13-07-2006, 11:25 AM

At least you know what you are drinking and it's clean.

It's all safe. You dilute it down to around 40% then add the essence and you have got your mix. The pure product is around 90% alcohol. If you can afford to buy the equipment and sugar, then you should be sensible enough to drink it in moderation just as you should whenever you drink a bottle of rum bought at the bottle shop. At least some people drink responsibly!

**maxy0987** · 13-07-2006, 04:02 PM

My dads mate makes moonshine, it's potent shit. It doesnt taste nice, just burns all the way down, terrible stuff.

Its a bit better when mixed with flavourings but i still think buying the stuff from the shops is nicer, more time effective (and works out cheaper)

**POVRTY** · 13-07-2006, 05:13 PM

i think i would become an alcholic if i could make bourbon

**Troy711** · 13-07-2006, 06:20 PM

reminds me of one of my favorite episodes of the simpsons where homer becomes the beer baron

**stocky** · 13-07-2006, 06:24 PM

Originally Posted by Troy711

reminds me of one of my favorite episodes of the simpsons where homer becomes the beer baron

kaboom!!!!

**Stupa** · 13-07-2006, 08:09 PM

the only way you go blind using this stuff is for it to go horribly wrong and to give you methanol or isobutanol or some other crazy alcohol, do it properly and there is no problem, I can still see fine. Theres no legal size for a booze still in auz its all illegal but they can sell a 5ltr version without any issues but the fine i think is about 75k for an individual. Good luck and have fun, mix it right and you wont taste a thing

**monarols71** · 13-07-2006, 08:16 PM

I agree with slim. At least it is clean and doesn't give you the rotten headaches of commercial stuff if you over indulge. (unless you get REALLY ripped).
Drinking methanol can make you go blind, not ethanol.
maxy0987 - Tell him to filter (polish) the bloody stuff. Takes all the crap out.

DISCLAIMER: So I'm told ;-)

**Stupa** · 13-07-2006, 09:23 PM

filter it 3 or 4 times, becomes nice and smooth

**pandaman** · 13-07-2006, 10:01 PM

Originally Posted by sixshooter

Coot Yoot Yoot thars a damn hillbilly postin' on JC !!!
My advice !!!
Don't do it unless you know what your doing and are prepared for the consequences if caught.
I assume you know pure alcohol will make you blind ???
not blind drunk... but Blind need walking cane Blind...
plus its illegal to run a still as far as I know.

Heres some extra info on concentrated alcohol
http://home.howstuffworks.com/alcohol5.htm

It is illegal to run a still, and most people I know who do so aren't very good at it anyway. However I reckon it's a fairly worthwile experiment, even if you just do it for fun.

As already stated by Stupa, ethanol will not blind you, that's methanol that does that. To get harmful amounts of methanol out of an ordinary fermentation and distillation process is pretty much impossible if I remember my Year 12 chemistry correctly. On a side note, if you have access to industrial ethanol I don't reccomend drinking it, as the most pure industrial ethanol (99.8% if memory serves) contains 0.2% drying agents which will seriously root your kidneys and liver, apparently the 98% pure stuff is ok but I wouldn't bet on it though.

Also pure ethanol tastes bad and it takes many distillations to get anywhere near that level of purity.

So basically I say go for it! distill away to your hearts content, just don't kill yaselves ok?

**Stretchomatic** · 13-07-2006, 10:10 PM

hahaha this is funny because last year my ag teacher thought it would be a good idea to make beer in ag...u know and enter it in the local show etc...my two mates in ag thought it was a ripper idea lol...and yeah moonshine was mentioned.