Home distillation?

[Brad69]

So from what I know you have to be very careful a bad batch of beer you spit it out. Bad go go juice you go blind or worse.

We do in fact have part of my wife’s grandfathers still.

 

[lrdudley]

Does this mean that you have to be a member of the Hobby Distillers Association to be exempt?
Pittman issued a permanent injunction prohibiting the U.S. government from enforcing the ban against the Hobby Distillers Association's members.

 

[BigRed]

I am not distilling, but I do plan to enjoy a little Four Roses Small Batch this evening!

 

[Leo]

A still isn't expensive, a couple of 55 gallon drums and an old car radiator, solder up some lines and when the first barrel starts thumping, alcohol is on the way. The little bit of lead in the taste ain't bad once you get used to it. I heard that from blind bubba and Shakey Cletus. <grin>

Seriously, I thought you could always make a limited amount per year for personal consumption. I know it is not as easy as making wine.

 

[bwframe]

I'd been a cop for probably 4-5 years before I found out running a still was illegal. Excise laws weren't something we covered in the Academy, and when I was young it was just something everyone did so I'd never thought to question it. I knew you weren't allowed to sell it without the tax stamp, same as you needed a different stamp to serve liquor commercially, but that was it.

"The first rule of fight club is..."​

 

[BJHay]

Many companies sell home distilling equipment but, thankfully for our safety, they're labeled for use in making fuel only.
Whew, we wouldn't want untaxed and unregulated alcohol out there....

But wait, if I make juice with only Indiana ingredients wouldn't the product be exempt from federal control under the commerce clause? The Chevron doctrine fell. Now it's time for Wickard v. Filburn to go.

 

[loudgroove]

I have been a home brewer for about 10 years. I don't know much about distilling. I have brewed a lot of beer. I have also made Wine and Mead. The laws states that you can make up to 100 gallons for personal consumption. If you have 2 or more people in a household that is over 21, than your limit is 200 gallons. This includes Wine and Mead also combined. I did the math years ago and it came to about a case a beer a week. Can't remember if it was per person or 2 or more per household. I also know some states like Alabama restricts even more than how much you can make. Oh and also I was told by a home brewer that has been doing it since Carter was in office that the home brew laws define bootlegging more than the bootlegging laws do. In other words it is more legal to buy a few cases of beer and have people at my house helping me work on something and supply people beer while we work. If it is home brew, it is bootlegging.

But anyway, if this keeps going this way, than I can see it being regulated like home brewing. You can buy a lot of distilling stuff including the yeast at home brew shops right now.

Also on an interesting note, I asked a guy at a home brew shop if someone under 21 could buy all this stuff. He said yes because they aren't buying alcohol. The shops aren't regulated like that.

 

[indyblue]

One of the reasons home distillation has been illegal is safety issues. Stills are a fire and explosion hazard.

Not sure how this might affect IN law since it is still illegal under IN statute to distill spirits at home unless you have at least an artisan distillers permit.

IC 7.1-3-27-3 Gallonage limit

Sec. 3. An artisan distiller may produce not more than ten thousand (10,000) gallons of liquor in any calendar year. Liquor produced by an artisan distiller that is sold through a wholesaler licensed under IC 7.1-3-8 may not be counted toward the gallonage limit.

This ruling might make this part disappear?

For manufacturing ethanol fuel you will need to submit a request for a TTB 5110.74 for a federal license.

 

[Leadeye]

Does this mean that you have to be a member of the Hobby Distillers Association to be exempt?
Pittman issued a permanent injunction prohibiting the U.S. government from enforcing the ban against the Hobby Distillers Association's members.

Good question.

 

[Leadeye]

When making tax exempt ethanol for fuel I would imagine the denaturing packages have to be added fairly quickly to the product when it comes out of the stills. No idea what the allowed time is, but possession of the untaxed alcohol is a crime.

For those of us in the industrial chemical business knowing what the vendor uses as a denaturing package is important. Some compounds don't work with some of the packages, and there are a lot of packages registered with the ATF.

 

[HoughMade]

Does this mean that you have to be a member of the Hobby Distillers Association to be exempt?
Pittman issued a permanent injunction prohibiting the U.S. government from enforcing the ban against the Hobby Distillers Association's members.

No, but yes..... by the terms of the decision, it applies only to the parties found to have standing, that is, one individual and the association itself.

"The United States Government is hereby PERMANENTLY ENJOINED from enforcing 26 U.S.C. § 5178(a)(1)(B); 26 U.S.C. § 5601(6); or any regulation promulgated thereunder, against Individual Plaintiff Scott McNutt, Associational Plaintiff Hobby Distillers Association, or the Association’s members."

https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/legaldocs/egpbojzkavq/07102024texas.pdf

Also, the injunction is delayed for 14 days to allow the feds to seek immediate appeal if they choose to.

This could turn into a generalized finding of unconstitutionality by a further order of this court, the court of appeals or the Sup. Ct. For now (in 14 days) it applies only to the actual parties to the case, but it is a significant step.

...and check state law because this in no way affects state law.

 

[Cameramonkey]

Probably because they really aren't distilling or they have licenses.

I remember reading something about this a while back. Its something like what he distills is destroyed and the production company pays him for doing it. So he still makes money like he used to, but its not for selling shine anymore. Excise is aware of his actions, and its sanctioned. Its basically Appalachia Conner Prairie. LOL

EDIT: I'm sure personal consumption levels of his product survive the process.

 

[Timjoebillybob]

One of the reasons home distillation has been illegal is safety issues. Stills are a fire and explosion hazard.

Not sure how this might affect IN law since it is still illegal under IN statute to distill spirits at home unless you have at least an artisan distillers permit.


This ruling might make this part disappear?

Best I can tell is that only applies to commercial activities.

 

[snapping turtle]

It is illegal hmmm.

 

[lrdudley]

This video on home distilling popped up this morning.