Importing parts to the uk

[icrazy]

Ok so this site has some uk distillers on it so thaught id ask Im from nz and am working in the uk.

In nz i have a t500 both column and the pot lids and did a fair bit of rum and ujssm

Im wanting to bring some still parts into the uk from china to build a still here ie glass columns boiler triclamps bubble plates etc and wondered if anyone else had braught stuff in and if they had problems doing so

Im thinking of making a complex LM still with both plates and lava rock packing with a bypass to a pot still. which i will put up once ive drawn it.

Just want to know if it is ok to bring parts into the uk first.

What do you think of getting the parts from diffrent suppliers so it doesnt look like im buying a full still

[witch]

HI first how long in UK are you as some of the parts can take 6/10 weeks to come in transit. As for ordering i use Aliexpress.com CHINA most store's on there will charge VAT on check out if you don't pay VAT then goods will hang in customs till you pay. As for what you can order not had problem with any of my still orders As for goods in post most are well packed but saying that its always a chance damage will happen as for boiler may think of converting beer keg there cheap in the UK. I am like you i am stationed in the UK

[Knife_man]

What are you worried about?

Customs recognising what it is and confiscating it?

Customs/royal mail not recognising what it is but kidnapping your package and demanding payment for return ?

Damage in transit?

Poor quality ?

Owning a still is legal here, using one for spirits is not. If your buying a complete kit with instructions then you could get some issues but unlikely. Plenty of websites inside the UK are selling them so I'm guessing no-one at customs really cares.

As for customs/royal mail demanding a ransom ...... it's pot luck I've had plenty of packages come through no issues and I've had packages come through with a damnd which almost doubled the purchase price .

Can't speak for still parts specifically but everything I've ordered from China has been reasonably packaged and cared for on route would be wary about ordering glass.

Can't help with quality of still parts I'm afraid but ordering other things from China you essentially get what you pay for , however in my experience most sellers just refund if you raise an issue.

[icrazy]

This helps a lot especialy the vat thing i will make sure im paying the vat on aliexpress so there are no shipping problems

Im looking to stay for a couple of years as i work in the film industry for the stunt department and it is busy over here with lots of work.

Quality wise ive purchased from china before in nz so i know what im getting into

I just asked a mate who is a cop if distilling was legal over here and he said it was if it was for personal use. so im asuming that even the cops dont realy care about hobbyists over here

[icrazy]

I thaught about a keg but i like the idea of being able to get inside easily and clean the boiler and i also use it to heat water when making my sugar washes so was keen to get a triclamp milk can styled boiler

[witch]

Your cop mate is wrong it is illegal to brew your own spirits. without a licence in the UK .Do search top right number of threads on this .

If your keeping the distilling to yourself should be fine just remember the more that know the more chance you have of HMC ( HM Revenue
& Customs ) come knocking on your door.


first thing i did with my keg was 6" sight glass at the top for filling cleaning

[merman]

I've just got some reducers, tri clamps, ferrules from aliexpress. Some aliexpress supplier's guarantee delivery in 15 days. Mine arrived in 10 days. Quality is outstanding. However like others have said standard delivery can take 2 or 3 months

[juana_b]

I've just got some reducers, tri clamps, ferrules from aliexpress. Some aliexpress supplier's guarantee delivery in 15 days. Mine arrived in 10 days. Quality is outstanding. However like others have said standard delivery can take 2 or 3 months

I'm used to waiting longer than most for post in Hawaii, but the 78 days it took for a needle valve from Aliexpress was a little much imo. USPS still thinks it's lost in transit over a year later.

[merman]

Hi Juana, one of the (biggest) reasons I went with a ccvm build is you don't need a fiddly needle valve . It's very easy to operate and you don't need to cut into the column to put in a slant plate. Building a 60 x 3 inch column now to improve the take off rate . 2 inch columns are great but a bit on the slow side. I won't be building another set up as I'm very happy with the ccvm.

[juana_b]

Hi Juana, one of the (biggest) reasons I went with a ccvm build is you don't need a fiddly needle valve . It's very easy to operate and you don't need to cut into the column to put in a slant plate. Building a 60 x 3 inch column now to improve the take off rate . 2 inch columns are great but a bit on the slow side. I won't be building another set up as I'm very happy with the ccvm.

Right on merman.
I've never had to fiddle with this needle valve, though. It actually has a fairly linear adjustment. But you are seriously being a saint with how generous you are with understating how slow a 2 inch column is. I currently have a deficiency in my electrocity, so I dont have the pixies to do fancy sh!t. That's why I went with 2 inch, also have a pot(and thumper) that are sometimes run with propane and element concurrently.
Moving forward i am gathering materials to do a 3 inch bubble plate flute from mostly scratch as i have an ex that makes sure I'm underfunded for anything.
As far as building more, I'd have to be severely crippled both mentally and physically to keep me away from tinkering. It's too much a part of the enjoyment of this hobby for me.
At some point I may even make a ccvm to see what like.