Bushcraft still?

[Minotaur]

The reasoning is the device is useful for things that don't require a license. i.e. distilling water, extracting essential oils, etc etc. I believe its even legal to *grow* magic mushrooms, just not to dry or eat them

I think that is what has caused problems with this information, the apparatus is legal, but the only thing they think you want to do is make booze.

This is a question that Wayland could answer, did the vikings not freeze mead/beery stuff, and then take the not frozen liquid off the top. I am not sure how safe to drink this would be as it would be basically pure alcohol.

 

[nicodiemus]

Yes, almost every nation has done that. However, that would be classed as Concentration, this would require the same customs and excise license as the above apparatus.

However, how would they ever prove you were doing it? Freezing sommat leaves no paper trail. Buying a reflux still from hop and grape or the like does...

Note: i do not encourage home distillation! Nor am i associated with the govt. or any brewing shops! (or related malarkey)

 

[pothunter]

Spent a weekend in a barn with some Austrian farmers a few years ago whilst they made schnapps, don't remember much and haven't drunk the stuff since. Made me bad!

Pothunter.

 

[EdS]

sounds as good as the home made Raki I "found" in Crete.

 

[stevesteve]

I spent a university field trip in Cyprus once. Each time we stumbled on a vineyard and old boy would appear and give us a glass bottle full of clear... well alcohol really. They each had a still which seemed to be made from old 50gal drums welded together.

Tasted foul but my room mate drank a whole tumbler and looked OK from the waist up. Then he tried to stand up and quietly slipped to the floor! Very poorly bunny soon afterwards put me off home distillate.

Cheers Steve

 

[Tor helge]

The destilling of your own booze is illegal in Norway too. But many do it anyway. It is a tradition in some places. I`ve tasted both good monshine and bad moonshine. Mostly it tasted bad. Making good moonshine is an art that few master.

As to the coments on methanol/ethanol poisoning.
I have never heard about methanol poisoning when drinking home made spirits. I have however heard about people drinking methanol believing it was moon shine (ethanol) and been poisoned by that.
Methanol is dry destilled from wood. Home made ethanol is made (at least up here) from a wather, sugar and yeast mix.
And if you still worry about methanol poisoning while making moonshine, a treatment for methanol poisoning is actually drinking ethanol.
Ethanol poisoning on the other hand has nothing to do with the fact that moon shine is home made, but rather the strength and amount you drink.
If you pour down a bottle of vodka you bought in a store very fast, you risk getting ethanol poisoning. Very commun during the norwegian "russefeiring" in springtime.

Tor Helge

 

[dave k]

I think it's illegal to use a still to distill alcohol, but it's legal to own one. I always fancied making distillation of herbs into essential oils.

You can always apply to HMCE for a license, but they are unlikely to give you one unless your still is at least 8 hecto-litres (800 litres??)