Has Anyone Here Brewed Their Own Alcohol? Spirits In Particular?

[Henrietta]

There are one or two sites online and am curious whether it's more cost effective to brew your own vodka etc..

Does the spirits taste as good as the shop bought ones and do you need much equipment?

[Old_Geezer]

One distils (or freezes) spirits from some other alcoholic beverage, One does not brew them.

No, I've made wine & beer, but not spirits. I'd suspect mimicking brand names would prove difficult, although vodka sounds a higher likelihood of success of any.

[Henrietta]

Look 25 litres for under £20! only at 21% but hey that's a lot of alcohol!

[Henrietta]

Oops

http://www.brewsmarter.co.uk/vodka-kit-25-litres-750-p.asp

[Old_Geezer]

I expect it is probably just a high alcohol tolerance yeast involved, creating a high alcohol yet bland wine. It suggests using flavourings.

Let us know how you get on with it.

[Henrietta]

Will do!

[corylus]

Is it legal to distil spirits or should you have a licence? Brewing beer/lager has been OK for years.

[Calibax]

^ It is not legal to distil spirits without a licence but at 21% (normal vodka being about 40%) as O_G says this is just fermentation with a high alcohol tolerance yeast.

[woofgang]

distilling by any means in the uk isnt illegal but you have to have a licence
"Spirits Duty
Spirits Duty is payable on any spirits, or any mixture or combination of spirits with anything else, at a strength of more than 1.2% ABV.

If you want to produce spirits in the UK by distilling alcoholic liquids or by any other process - such as cracking ethylene gas - you will need:

a distiller’s licence
approval for your plant and process
to account for and pay Spirits Duty to HMRC
Spirits Duty: licensing and approval
In order to apply to HMRC for a distiller’s licence, you should make a written application and provide details of your plant and process. You should bear in mind that HMRC can decline an application if the largest still to be used has a capacity of less than 18 hectolitres.

You must apply for a distiller’s licence using a set format."


https://www.gov.uk/alcohol-duties