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Anyone brew beer at home? Any distillers or wine makers?


ChristyB in TN
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A person who makes wine is a vintner. Sadly, though, I'm not one. One day, maybe, but not yet.

Thank you! Now to see if I can remember that. ;) I want to try it, too. I have seen these kits using concentrate and containing everything you need and it seems like that would be a fun place to at least learn the process.

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What Nmoira said! Depending on your location, depends on the legality. Even townships have ordinances about this kind of thing.

 

Dh and I had to get waiver so we could distill alcohol (ethanol not for human consumption) with a bunch of 4-H kids so we could demonstrate the process. It was great because we used our church fellowship hall for the demonstration since we had such a large group of students which made the church smell like beer in time for Sunday morning worship. Good thing we have a very laid back pastor!

 

Again, you don't want to advertise distilling if you don't already know the laws of your area, and if you can do it legally. My waiver is still in force since they extend it every year due to how much chemistry we teach as well as alternative fuel science, but I would not otherwise mention it if I didn't have that legal coverage.

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I wouldn't be advertising the fact in a public forum that I was thinking of distilling. ;)

yes, it is not illegal unless you sell it. Perfectly legal to make spirits for personal use...and maybe for a few close friends. ;) I have a dear chef friend who makes the most wonderful, smooth moonshine and he gives it to his friends at Christmas!
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Well as long as they don't make too much it's legal in most places to make small batches. Though I'd be certain I was staying within local guidelines.

 

I was under the impression that distilling alcohol in the US is illegal without state and federal licences (it is illegal to own an unpermitted still for the purpose of distilling alcohol, even for "experiments"), even for micro-batches at home. 

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I know people who do it, and with some skill. :D  They are just quiet about it.

 

I'd consider mead before moving on to distilling though... seems a right of passage.

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I will look it up but honestly, I want someone in law enforcement to waste their time with this. There are dumber things, I know, but not many.

 

I agree it's a silly law.

 

I don't want the feds to waste their time shutting down medical marijuana outfits in states where it's legal and charging those involved, but they still are.

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I know people who do it, and with some skill. :D They are just quiet about it.

 

I'd consider mead before moving on to distilling though... seems a right of passage.

I am loving the beer making process. The history behind the different beers is fascinating. I made an India Pale Ale and dry hopped it heavily with citra hops. We had lots of people over at our office for a little celebration. I had a 5 gallon keg of my brew and a big ice barrel filled with other, more well known micro brews and no one drank the bottled beer! It was fun!

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http://www.amazon.com/The-Complete-Homebrewing-Third-Edition/dp/0060531053

That's the book I used to get started and I have now started using recipes I find online and adding my own hop ideas to it. I love hoppy beer. Yes, I have a near by home brewing supply store! The first batch was good but I used a kit I bought there and followed the directions. My last batches have been all grain. I buy my grain there, too.

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I made wine a couple of times many years ago.  We had a cherry tree in our yard and a homeschooling friend who knew how to make wine show me how to do it.  I think I made 2-3 batches... then the tree died!!  I couldn't believe it.  We had it all those years and then, when I really started to use the fruit (it was sour cherry), it up and died on me.  :huh:   Anyway, I did enjoy making wine, but I'm not much of a wine drinker, so I never really pursued it further.  My husband enjoyed the fruit of my labors though. 

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I made wine a couple of times many years ago. We had a cherry tree in our yard and a homeschooling friend who knew how to make wine show me how to do it. I think I made 2-3 batches... then the tree died!! I couldn't believe it. We had it all those years and then, when I really started to use the fruit (it was sour cherry), it up and died on me. :huh: Anyway, I did enjoy making wine, but I'm not much of a wine drinker, so I never really pursued it further. My husband enjoyed the fruit of my labors though.

Oh, dang. That is terrible. :( I just visited MIchigan last month for the first time and ended up in Traverse City. Awesome, awesome place, by the way. I bought some cherry wine! I have never had it but now I will have to open it!
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That sounds so interesting.  Sorry if this is the dumbest question ever, but where did you get the dandelions?  Did you pick them from your yard?

 

Yes, and around (many people here don't spray their lawns...hence the dandelions). We don't have enough since moving 11 years ago (we kinda-sorta have an ecolawn), so no more wine.

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My husband rotates two kegs of home brew. About once amonth he starts a batch. A summer ale as he calls it because it's a light amber and the lightest he brews. The other is a dark stout. He doesn't buy kits anymore, unless he wants to try something really different.

 

I'd like to do some Chardonnay.

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I want to do that! What kind? Did you make your own "mother? "

I got a SCOBY/starter from a friend who had been doing it for a while, so that made my life much easier. Literally first batch finished today - I just transferred bottles to fridge! I used a natural tropical fruit juice as the finishing flavor (manogo, pineapple, etc). I should have added ginger - that sounds so good!

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Here's the TTB page:

 

http://www.ttb.gov/spirits/faq.shtml

 

 

Thanks for posting this.  I had been thinking it might be fun to try, had no idea it was illegal. :(

 

We have mulberry trees, and I've heard you can make wine from them.  Maybe that would be a better project.  I have a cousin who brews beer - even won prizes for it at the state fair.   All of these things have been in my "maybe someday" plan....

 
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Really? That does not sound good. But chocolate stout is good beer ( and who would have thought) so it could be fabulous and sound horrendous!

 

I love a good chocolate stout, Rasputin is my favorite though hard to find in this neck of the woods.

We've brewed on and off since college and love it, made wine only once so far.

Northern Brewer is where we get most of our stuff.  Best buy we ever made was our kegging system, beats all that waiting.

 

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What do you call a person who makes wine? I am on my 4th batch of beer and it is delicious. I am thinking of distilling next, even if I really don't care for nothing distilled just to see if I can. Any of you brewing?

My brother is big into home brewing. I was really impressed with his set-up when I visited him last Summer. He has designed and built much of his own equipment, and shares his plans with people in an online community of brewers.

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I make kool-aid wine, which I understand is the lowest form of wine-making EVER, according to the local wine-making supply shop. I get my yeast from them. I make it in a five gallon bucket and pour it off into quart mason jars. Let it age a month or so and it tastes just fine, plus you can't beat the price!

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I make  mead. I really love making it, and we love drinking it.  Actually getting ready to make a couple of 5 gal batches of cyser, which is hard cider made with honey.

If you have an interest,  check out gotmead.com

 

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I had no idea that wine could be made from kool aid, that is hilarious. When I was in high school, we drank Boones Farm Country Quencher and Strawberry Hill. It was cheap and very sweet. Maybe it was made from kool aide!

I also did not know about mead! How delicious! I am vegan and don't eat honey but I have a friend with lots of hives who would love to make mead. I may make it for him.

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Dh makes his own beer (from a kit). and has made several batches of wine. He has made mulberry wine, 3 different types of plum wine, and fig wine.  He doesn't really drink much wine so mostly gives it away.

 

 My children make brewed ginger bear and  brewed lemonade as well. I am not sure the alcohol content of the homemade lemonade ore ginger beer. I think the lemonade is a fair bit higher than the ginger beer though

 

 

 

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We've brewed beer, wine and meads for years now. Dh generally does the beer--his best ever was called Java the Stout, a coffee/chocolate stout--it was amazing. Right now we are getting ready to bottle up our annual dandelion wine, and my newest experiment--beet wine. Yup. And it is awesome. Nearly the best wine I've ever made, outside of my personal favorite, elderberry wine. We've done apple, pear, strawberry, blackberry/raspberry, and plain old grape wine as well, but the fruity wines always seem to come out depressingly...homemade. I love meads as well, but have yet to get a consistent product. Sometimes it is take the top off your head wonderful, and other times...not so much. I'm headed over to the mead link above to pick a new experiment... Thanks!

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