Just curious... Why do we make alcohol?

[ibfestus]

I do not understand why it is still (no pun intended) illegal for a hobbyist to produce alcohol for personal use. The original excuse for the prohibition was for tax collection. Well how much tax should I have to pay for making a liter of 100 proof sipping whiskey for my own use?

There are two things we, as hobbyists, do:

1. Produce Alcohol.
2. Turn the alcohol into something we can drink and enjoy.

I can buy a 750 ML bottle of legal tax paid 180 proof (90% ABF) alcohol for about $15. I can produce the same amount of alcohol with my simple pot still, using sugar washes for about $22. But my interest is in the final product...

I will continue to make alcohol... and continue to turn it into something I enjoy drinking.

[Shine0n]

I can do what large corps can't do... Have fun doing it!!!

Plus it give me alot of satisfaction of producing something as good or better than they can and at a fraction of the price.
If I don't like something I make I can rerun it, if I buy something marketed as such and don't like it I'm out of $ and I still have to rerun it.

I love my rum, brandies and whiskeys so why buy something from them?????

Shine0n

[The Baker]

'I can buy a 750 ML bottle of legal tax paid 180 proof (90% ABV) alcohol for about $15.'

I would be amazed if that were available in Australia.

Geoff

[Still Life]

I may be scoffed at as a liar, but I find myself drinking LESS since I started this hobby.
Mostly because I was a beer guzzler before and had liquor only on occasion. Now I slowly enjoy a tasty Honey Bear or Corn Flake or Rye for its flavor.
Beer just bloats me unnecessarily.

If you tell someone you collect stamps as a hobby. They'll say "Oh that sounds relaxing."
Tell 'em you make liquor and they perk up and have 20 questions.

Mankind is intrinsically wired for alcohol consumption in my observation.
Look how long its been around and passed down through the ages as a cherished heirloom.
Look how long governments have taxed it.

To whip up a chemistry lab such as ours to have those drops plunk out of the spout is as primal as watching a campfire.
Not to mention the bubbling of an airlock.

It's illegal because of its incredible value. Men have become wealthy serving it.
Nations' purses have been saved by taxing it. The beast must be fed.

And I must be fed. Kicking back with a white Booner's now because it's my latest, and the barrels are each full of something else.
Enjoy your poison. Be safe. Be discreet.

[shadylane]

I don't make alcohol, That's the yeast's job.
Here in the USA, we can make 200 gallons of beer or wine.
I just remove 180 gallons of water from my "legal" beer.

[cranky]

Here in Wa the state won't let you buy higher than 151 proof. If I want higher than that I have to make it. I don't really want higher than that but for vodka I make it as pure as I can and water it down. I can also make it much much cheaper than I can buy it. My real reason for making my own is I hate seeing fruit go to waste and I can make wonderful things with fruit that I can't buy anywhere at any price and I just like doing it.

[nuntius01]

I don't make alcohol, That's the yeast's job.
Here in the USA, we can make 200 gallons of beer or wine.
I just remove 180 gallons of water from my "legal" beer.

what a great answer, i may have to borrow that.

[hpby98]

Hmmm. Maths time

I can get 20kg of sugar for about $22. Takes about 1/2 that for an 11 gallon Birdwatchers wash.
Add in tomato paste and etc and it’s about $14 per batch

I did 3 stripped runs and then One reflux and got 11 litres of 94%. Only my first set of runs mind you.

So $42 for the 3 batches means it’s about $4 a litre for 94%

Or about $2 per litre at 40%


But to answer the question, I do it to learn and have fun

[Truckinbutch]

Too cheap and contrary to subsidize the excise man .
AND , I like to drink my fill of what I make and not be hung over in the morning . That does not happen if I buy commercial booze .

[TDick]

I don't make alcohol, That's the yeast's job.
Here in the USA, we can make 200 gallons of beer or wine.
I just remove 180 gallons of water from my "legal" beer.

what a great answer, i may have to borrow that.

what he ^ said !

[thecroweater]

Yes really friggen bugs me there is laws that try to prevent folks from removing contamination from an otherwise legally produced alcohol for personal use, the more you think about it the crazier it seems.

[Desvio]

As I have done for decades, I make beer, wine, cider, sake hell I'll try to ferment just about anything. Learning to distill is like getting your doctorate in alcoholology.

[Rng4]

I make alcohol because I’m married...

[Swedish Pride]

I make it to disinfect and preserve stuff , mainly my insides

[just sayin]

Ring4, I am curious....

[Single Malt Yinzer]

A scorpion asks a frog to carry him over a river. The frog is afraid of being stung, but the scorpion argues that if it did so, both would sink and the scorpion would drown. The frog then agrees, but midway across the river the scorpion does indeed sting the frog, dooming them both. When asked why, the scorpion says "Because I am a scorpion."

While not quite as dark as that story I believe we do what we do because we are do'ers, we are creators. It's in our nature to to look at something, ask why, and then think how do we make it better or our own. It just happens that we all are focused on distillation. It could be cars, woodworking, juggling, etc.

[just sayin]

Well said, Yinz!

[Jimy Dee]

ShineOn summed it up for me - because I get satisfaction from making it.

Believe it or not I have little interest in drinking it, it has to do with the challenge of producing a nice drop, and learning a skill.

I think mankind is wired to make stuff, it is so satisfying to do just that, coupled with the buzz of ending up with a product others can enjoy also.

Our hobby is like modern day alchemy.

[RedwoodHillBilly]

Believe it or not I have little interest in drinking it, it has to do with the challenge of producing a nice drop, and learning a skill.

Interesting, you don't fit the stereotype. My grandfather who immigrated from Ireland in the early 1900's did. He was the stereotypical hard drinking and hard fighting Irishman. Wonder what he would have said about your attitude?

Just giving you shit, no harm, no foul, I hope.

[ShineonCrazyDiamond]

Like I always say....

I like mashing and fermenting just as much as any other part of the process.

I drink in order to keep up with my hobby. Otherwise, making this much liquor would be unnecessary.

[RedwoodHillBilly]

Like I always say....

I like mashing and fermenting just as much as any other part of the process.

I drink in order to keep up with my hobby. Otherwise, making this much liquor would be unnecessary.

Good point, I guess that I need to drink more to keep up with my hobby I'm getting way ahead of my drinking, but that's what equipment and recipe development does to you.

[jb-texshine]

I make alcohol because it's fun. Plus,it gives me a excuse to go hide in the shop.

[irvingsprinkle]

I (half) jokingly tell my neighbours that I do it since my occupation will be next to useless after the apocalypse (I'm in emergency management, busy during, not so much afterwards). One of my neighbour hunts, the other is a butcher, so that's good. One is in construction, so good skill there. The financial planner and lawyer in the neighbourhood look nervous and have expressed an interest in learning more about my hobby.
I like it because I get to tinker with recipes and equipment, and I enjoying having a hobby that I can enjoy the final product with friends and family.

[Kareltje]

Good question.
Part of the answer for me is: I like fermentations. Love a compostheap too.
I made wine for some time, but wanted to take it to the next level. And I like the taste of distilled more than that of fermented.
Beer makes you need to pee too often: you might as well drink sitting on the loo.
Likker makes you drunk too soon.
So most times I drink wine.

But the process of separating alcohol from all unnecessary watery stuff is intriguing. It is fun to think about best ways to distill. It is fun to make stills. It is fun to think about how processes work and how to model them. It is fun to make nice labels.

And it is nice to drink a good product. For a good price too.

[markieb]

i do it for physical/financial reasons and the better quality product also the lack of a hangover is a huuuuge plus.
physical because i use to become the worlds worst violent fighter on commercial shyte i got angry and nasty as hell but couldnt lift a finger to defend my actions.
this stuff is different its a better buzz i dont turn nasty and im relitively nice when im drunk now.
financial because it was costing £10 a bottle per week (unfortunately the other half drank half of it so make that 2) £20 a week altho not expensive when your the only one bringing in money it was a struggle to get that weekly relaxation especially with a little bread snatcher (my son)
better quality product by far! i went to a wedding and brought a couple drinks of smirnoff vodka the first one was headsy i could taste the volitile spirits in it and didnt like it at all was like drinking nail varnish remover so out came my own brand of vodka and the night became alot cheaper for me lol.
i like the fact i can remove the shyte from the product and so does everyone else thats tried it (mine does have a strange taste probably yeast but vanishes in coke)people have offered to buy several bottles off me ive had a pub offer to buy how ever much i can make but this is my hobby i enjoy making better than most can buy for less than a cheap 4 pack of larger.it works out roughly £1.50 a litre at 40% including the electricity!its like my penetration testing and when i was an uploader i do what i do for enjoyment not for monetary gain if your one of the lucky few that gets to have some then appreciate it.

[jb-texshine]

Good question.
Part of the answer for me is: I like fermentations. Love a compostheap too.
I made wine for some time, but wanted to take it to the next level. And I like the taste of distilled more than that of fermented.
Beer makes you need to pee too often: you might as well drink sitting on the loo.
Likker makes you drunk too soon.
So most times I drink wine.

But the process of separating alcohol from all unnecessary watery stuff is intriguing. It is fun to think about best ways to distill. It is fun to make stills. It is fun to think about how processes work and how to model them. It is fun to make nice labels.

And it is nice to drink a good product. For a good price too.

Wait...you sit to pee? Huh,always though you were a man.

[shadylane]

Yes really friggen bugs me there is laws that try to prevent folks from removing contamination from an otherwise legally produced alcohol for personal use, the more you think about it the crazier it seems.

Ain't that the friggen truth,

[Kareltje]

Good question.
Part of the answer for me is: I like fermentations. Love a compostheap too.
I made wine for some time, but wanted to take it to the next level. And I like the taste of distilled more than that of fermented.
Beer makes you need to pee too often: you might as well drink sitting on the loo.
Likker makes you drunk too soon.
So most times I drink wine.

But the process of separating alcohol from all unnecessary watery stuff is intriguing. It is fun to think about best ways to distill. It is fun to make stills. It is fun to think about how processes work and how to model them. It is fun to make nice labels.

And it is nice to drink a good product. For a good price too.

Wait...you sit to pee? Huh,always though you were a man.

I am. (Last time I looked down!)
But when I drink a lot of beer and need to pee every five minutes, I like to sit down and let the fluid flow freely from top to bottom.
Rather than stand up swaying back and forth and left and right and having to clean up everything the next day.

[jb-texshine]

I just locate a convenient tree

[Kareltje]

Could do that too, but than the pee splatters all over my clogs. Or in them.