DIY SPIRITS OR WINE

[Classic Brewing Co]

Has anyone had a crack at making spirits or wine, there is a plethora of product out there & readily available. Most of the LHBS I go to have shelves of the stuff. I tried a Scotch recently at one of my regulars shops recently & it was really, truly nice. I personally think the cost of the initial set-up would be better spent on advancing my beer making exercise, but I have often thought about it.

I took my neighbor/mate with me & he was impressed, so much he nearly bought a still set-up. I said to him on the quiet it would be better to check out the internet rather than pay full retail in store.

Anyway I was just wondering of you beer Maestro's have ever indulged.

Cheers.

[Gullys Brewing]

Hahaha, I am just researching the same thing to make Gin and Scotch if I can find a still.

[Classic Brewing Co]

Just now, Marksmans Gift said:

Hahaha, I am just researching the same thing to make Gin and Scotch if I can find a still.

There are some at Country Brewer Kilburn, Brewmaker Holden Hill & Brew Craft Torrensville but I think you already know that. I think I would rather buy a Kegerator !! 

[Gullys Brewing]

Ill let you in on what I know for extracting oils using a still soon.

 

wine, easy as. We need grapes and a way to crush them. I am likely simplifying this though

[Classic Brewing Co]

1 minute ago, Marksmans Gift said:

Ill let you in on what I know for extracting oils using a still soon.

 

wine, easy as. We need grapes and a way to crush them. I am likely simplifying this though

Probably easier to go to Dan Murphy's & buy from the Bargain Barrels, they discount big time. 

[ozdevil]

by the brewzilla 35ltre and the  condensor that goes with it and ya on ya way to making spirits plus when your not using it for a still ya can still brew beer

[ben 10]

Distilling of spirits in Australia without paying the appropriate excise is not legal.

Please be reading and digesting the following https://distilleryking.com.au/blogs/news/is-it-illegal-to-distil-alcohol-in-australia

I'd also suggest perhaps not posting what you do in a thread such as this.

I will, however, leave this here.

[Classic Brewing Co]

Well I must say a I am bit confused as every time I have I have been to a LBHS & discussed it they are only to willing to sell you the equipment & the ingredients or I am missing something here ?

[Gullys Brewing]

Different states have different laws, so double check these. But we can distill our own oils and fragrances however we like.

[Classic Brewing Co]

I will stick to beer, one of my mates is a pilot captain with Quantas/Jetstar & he gets me some from time to time duty free !

[ben 10]

6 minutes ago, Marksmans Gift said:

Different states have different laws, so double check these. 

ATO is the one to watch out for

[ozdevil]

1 hour ago, Marksmans Gift said:

Different states have different laws, so double check these. But we can distill our own oils and fragrances however we like.

yes,  but  how often have you had  jacks or the liquer police come around just to make sure ya only distilling for your own oils or fragrances 

my favourite fragrance just my be a single malt whisky

mind you   i think by law its 5 litres you are allowed to distill at a time

[Gullys Brewing]

8 minutes ago, ozdevil said:

yes,  but  how often have you had  jacks or the liquer police come around just to make sure ya only distilling for your own oils or fragrances 

my favourite fragrance just my be a single malt whisky

mind you   i think by law its 5 litres you are allowed to distill at a time

And I think, not sure, that is SA only?? I don't know enough to have all the answers. 

It is a funny one though... we can sell you all this stuff to make alchoal but you can't use it to make alchoal.

[ozdevil]

26 minutes ago, Marksmans Gift said:

And I think, not sure, that is SA only?? I don't know enough to have all the answers. 

It is a funny one though... we can sell you all this stuff to make alchoal but you can't use it to make alchoal.

i'm not either and not really interested in going spirits or wine..

but i would like to know , how would they know ya making 50 litres or 500 litres of spirits

the only way they would know  is if you planned on selling it

[Gullys Brewing]

3 minutes ago, ozdevil said:

i'm not either and not really interested in going spirits or wine..

but i would like to know , how would they know ya making 50 litres or 500 litres of spirits

the only way they would know  is if you planned on selling it

Correct, heard a story or two of people getting busted for just this

[Pickles Jones]

1 hour ago, ozdevil said:

i'm not either and not really interested in going spirits or wine..ould they know ya making 50 litres or 500 litres of spirits

the only way they would know  is if you planned on selling it

Unfortunately the ever vigilant public are willing to do there duty in keeping everyone in line, particularly if they don't like you.

If you buy a "spirit maker" not from a mate or Gumtree the vendor will advise you of the excise requirements and steer you to attachment on their web page which give it to you in detail. The problem is not with the boiler but the condenser you attach to the top.

From a vendors web page:

Please note: If you plan to attach the Turbo 500 condenser to the 25L boiler to make a still, you will need permission from the ATO. If you plan to use the still to make alcohol, you will need a license from the ATO.

But you could always be distilling water for your car battery or iron that went horribly wrong.

[Classic Brewing Co]

55 minutes ago, Pickles Jones said:

Unfortunately the ever vigilant public are willing to do there duty in keeping everyone in line, particularly if they don't like you.

If you buy a "spirit maker" not from a mate or Gumtree the vendor will advise you of the excise requirements and steer you to attachment on their web page which give it to you in detail. The problem is not with the boiler but the condenser you attach to the top.

From a vendors web page:

Please note: If you plan to attach the Turbo 500 condenser to the 25L boiler to make a still, you will need permission from the ATO. If you plan to use the still to make alcohol, you will need a license from the ATO.

But you could always be distilling water for your car battery or iron that went horribly wrong.

Right, too much bulldust for me I will stick to beer & continue to buy my spirits from the Bottle'o.

[ben 10]

11 hours ago, ozdevil said:

but i would like to know , how would they know ya making 50 litres or 500 litres of spirits

Could say the same about meth

[Aussiekraut]

On 3/14/2021 at 5:48 PM, CLASSIC said:

Well I must say a I am bit confused as every time I have I have been to a LBHS & discussed it they are only to willing to sell you the equipment & the ingredients or I am missing something here ?

It is legal to own a 5l still in Australia (or at least in Queensland) but it may only be used for distilling water and oils. 

As if anybody would use it for something different...

[Classic Brewing Co]

6 minutes ago, Aussiekraut said:

It is legal to own a 5l still in Australia (or at least in Queensland) but it may only be used for distilling water and oils. 

As if anybody would use it for something different...

Yeah I rang the LHBS today further to discussions on this over the weekend & they said we can sell it to you, you can do whatever you want in your own home. I actually spoke to another guy in the store & he said he has been making scotch/gin etc for years so I don't know the technical bits are on this but as far as I can see you can make it. Probably not a good idea to broadcast it.

Anyway 5l is heaps.

 

[Aussiekraut]

47 minutes ago, CLASSIC said:

Yeah I rang the LHBS today further to discussions on this over the weekend & they said we can sell it to you, you can do whatever you want in your own home. I actually spoke to another guy in the store & he said he has been making scotch/gin etc for years so I don't know the technical bits are on this but as far as I can see you can make it. Probably not a good idea to broadcast it.

Anyway 5l is heaps.

 

Hey, we can consider ourselves lucky they don't tax our home brew. I read a while ago that in Germany, you can only legally brew 200l beer per year without having to pay tax. Not that alcohol tax is particularly high over there. Apparently they have something like 13% tax on beer, whereas we have like 49% or something ridiculous.

[Aussiekraut]

12 hours ago, Green Blob said:

Could say the same about meth

They know about the meth once your house blows up. Chances of that happening with a still are a bit lower  

[jamiek86]

50 minutes ago, Aussiekraut said:

Hey, we can consider ourselves lucky they don't tax our home brew. I read a while ago that in Germany, you can only legally brew 200l beer per year without having to pay tax. Not that alcohol tax is particularly high over there. Apparently they have something like 13% tax on beer, whereas we have like 49% or something ridiculous.

I've been thinking this for a while so we need to keep quiet so they don't. We still pay GST on ingredients but don't want it to ever tax our making it.

[xjjohnn0]

So distilling the water of life is ok then.

An ex girlfriend's dad, a Greek chap, made his own wine using wild yeasts and made some seriously potent rocket fuel he called tsipira from the pressings and I might I say say never paid a brass razoo in tax.

[Pickles Jones]

14 minutes ago, xjjohnn0 said:

So distilling the water of life is ok then.

An ex girlfriend's dad, a Greek chap, made his own wine using wild yeasts and made some seriously potent rocket fuel he called tsipira from the pressings and I might I say say never paid a brass razoo in tax.

That's why the Greek economy tanked.

Evading tax was a national past time.