Home Distiller

Hi all,
I been reading the forum for a year or more getting my head around the good work being done here. Decided I should share, and introduce myself.

New Zealand allows distilling likker as a legal activity in the home, and since store bought alcohol is taxed so heavy here my best friend and I got as notion to make our own spirits.

Our kit is as follows:
- An old 135L copper hot water cylinder (3kw)
- 200L food grade fermenting barrel with air lock (Barry's Barrels)
- copper condenser made by a plumber friend
- hydrometer, alcometer, mixing pole, ceramic and glass jugs, thermometers.

My friend and I got introduced to a home distiller out north of auckland, and he gave us a rum recipe.

This is where I say that we have managed to make 3 runs of "rum" which is drinkable, before I read on the forums about sac runs and the like.

We also learnt the hard way about Dunder, having stalled a ferment by using 50% dunder.

I like to use Sn9 yeast from vitners harvest. We buy our sugar from the local Asian markets and our mollases from a farm supplies store.

Before we started distilling, I made beer, cider and mead, but now I mostly ferment with the aim to distill.

We age on wood chips, I like to spice my rum with dried Serrano chiles, cinnamon, vanilla, honey, star anise and orange rind.

I have plenty to continue reading here and just thought that seeing as I ain't likely to stop distilling any time soon I should say hello.

Welcome to HD Here we consider 25 gallon still about as big as a hobbyist should claim .Being its legal there we will let yours pass.Are there any size limits there on whats considered a hobby still?

Welcome Angry Badger.

No legal size limit here, least none on any official document. Just has to be for personal use only, and the way I drink it just caters.

Only ever put 90L of wash in due to risk of vomit.

Thanks for the heads up tho, noted.

Cheers!

Aways nice to see another kiwi signing up.

Tater wrote:Are there any size limits there on whats considered a hobby still?

No mention of any size limits in any legislation document. Although we are limited to 2,000,000 litres ( yes, two million) of beer or wine per house hold a year.

Apparently having 200 litres of spirit at home classifies you as commercial. That's what I've been told anyways correct me if I'm wrong. I'd be stoked to have 200litres of my spirit stock piled! We need an nz stilling conference or get together.

Welcome to thr forum, Angry_Badger

http://www.customs.govt.nz/news/resourc ... t%2025.pdf
Note that, while there is a limit stated for tobacco, no limit is stated for Beer, wine, or spirits

ARE ANY AREAS EXEMPT FROM THE
REQUIREMENT TO BE LICENSED?
Any area within a person’s private house
or dwelling place that is used by that
person to manufacture:
» Tobacco:
› manufactured by a person aged
18 years or over, and
› that has been grown by that
person on their own land on
which the house or dwelling is
located, and
› is exclusively for their own
personal use and not for sale or
other disposition to any other
person, and
CUSTOMS CONTROLLED AREAS
LICENSED MANUFACTURING
AREAS (EXCISE)
› where the maximum quantity of
tobacco manufactured in any year
(ending 30 June) does not exceed
15 kilograms, or
» Beer, wine, or spirits, exclusively for
his or her own personal use and not
for sale or other disposition to any
other person

Tēnā koe Andrew



Thank you for your e-mail.



Section 68 of the Customs and Excise Act 1996 provides that no person may manufacture alcohol except in a manufacturing area that is licensed, unless covered by an exception provided in the Customs and Excise Act 1996. Section 68B provides for an exception, as follows:



68B Exemption for alcohol manufactured for personal use

Section 68 does not apply to the manufacture of beer, wine, or spirits in an individual's private house or dwelling place, but only if and as long as the beer, wine, or spirits are manufactured exclusively for the individual's personal use and not for sale or other disposition to any other person.



To answer your specific questions:

1. There is no limit on the size of the still used

2. The alcohol can only be for the individual’s personal use. Accordingly it cannot be shared with family or friends or used for tasting by your distilling group and is unable to be given away as gifts.



I appreciate this may not be the answer you wished for but please do not hesitate to contact me if you have further questions.

That was from an email I sent customs.

Unofficially it is a different story, but they will not put that in writing for me.

Welcome mate. Sounds like you've got a good plan!. Good luck