How to make hooch

DigForVictory

I don't bother as the queue for organs is already long enough without me adding to it from stupidity.
I did home brew for a bit & my family are keen on fruit infused gins etc but I honestly prefer tea.

Pop_Up_Pirate

Nargleblast wrote: »

I don't think it is illegal to make spirit liquor, but it would be to sell it. And I dread to think what it would do to your guts. I stick to my home made liqueurs made with fruit, alcohol such as brandy or vodka, and a little sugar.

It is illegal in the UK without a relevant license due to the dangers involved with stills exploding.

Hard_Up_Hester

My ex had a still for a few years n the 70's he made home made wine and then distilled it, it taste awful, but got him !!!!ed for pennies and that was the aim of the exercise.

were

davomcdave wrote: »

Ethanol will get you drunk if drunk in sufficient quantity. Ether might kill you or make you blind. They both evaporate at similar temperatures and have pretty much the same chemical compositions.

Ok, this is an old post.

Ethanol is the good alcohol that gets you drunk. It will also dehydrate you, so after distilling it they often mix it with water to dilute it. This dilution is called PROOFING. Proofing actually has to do with how much alcohol is needed in dilution to support a flame. About 57% alcohol by volume is 100% proof. Ethanol may get you blind drunk, but will not make you blind.

Brewers start of with a fermented solution, a type of wine (called mash) which then they distill. Distilled grape wine is know as brandy. Grain 'wine' is usually distilled and called whiskey

So they stick the wine in a kettle, heat it and collect the evaporated contents. Water vapour always is generated and a small quantity of acid vapour is too also release so they use copper pipe to react with the acid vapour to nutralise it.

As the wine heats up, the first real flow (run) where the temperature Plateaus is Methanol's boiling point. This is poisonous and also make you blind, called Heads by some and discarded from drink, but sometimes a small quantity is allowed. The molecule size is large and can collect behind the eye, making you blind. Alos it is poisonous.

As the temperature continues to rise, the boiling point of Ethanol is reached. This is kept and eventually diluted. Ethanol makes Methanol's molecules 'disovleable', so small quantities of methanol is not harmful, and is one cure for Methanol poisoning.

Drinking alcohol via distillation is now completed. If you were to continue. propanol (two types, and very close boiling points-Isopropyl alcohol), then at 100C water is generated. Acids are emitted above this temperature.

Besides the danger of getting the alcohol process wrong, the explosive gas, pressurised container explosions, it is illegal not to pay revenue to HMRC, and you also need a license to operate a still. However people still do buy Air Stills on ebay for various reasons.