Home Distiller

Realizing some of the legal issues with our hobby, I have tried to be discrete with many of my purchases. I live in a city and don’t have access to farms or even farm supply stores. I buy grain from a brew shop and they don’t ask. I get molasses from a restaurant supply store but it’s 80 miles out of my way. I have been buying sugar in 25 lb bags at Walmart’s locally. All these purchases are done in cash. I was in a hurry today and while at Costco I bought 50 lb of sugar. (So, there’s a paper and video trail.) When going through the receipt checker at the exit, the guy asks, “what cha doin’ with all that sugar?” I smiled and said, “bake sale at church. This is my assigned task.” He said, “ Or it could be for moonshine!” I gave a skeptical look and said, “Oh yeah, right.” That’s not the first time I’ve gotten a comment on sugar purchases.

As the evening has worn on, my paranoia is tugging at me. Am I crazy to be buying stuff in large box stores? I hate to think I need to buy a five pound bag of sugar every time I go to the store, but, I guess I could do that. What do y’all advise for buying raw materials in hobby quantities and the associated risks?

Relax and have a couple shots
In the future if anyone asks just say "I make wine"
A legal home-wine maker might use several hundred pounds of sugar a year
Just don't distill the wine to remove impurities
Cause that's illegal

Don't worry about a paper trail or any questions from clerks. There just being sociable and couldn't give a shit what you do with it. I tell anyone who asks Moonshine and the wife rolls her eyes

Relax, have a coupla fingers! The reality is that the feds are so overworked/understaffed the very last thing they have time for is to track down 'suspected illegal homedistillers'.

My first trip to the feedstore I told the counterpeople I was buying corn and wheat to bake bread in my brick oven, and they replied: hmmm, most guys come in here make whisky with that much grain, and they're always calling up asking if we have rye! They suspected I wasn't being truthful and could care less.

Just adhere to safe distilling practices and don't tell, don't sell.

"Making home brew" is my answer when ever some nosey person asks.. let them wonder is it homebrew beer ...wine or something else.....

I'm not too worried about the nosy sales clerk. I AM bothered that my online purchases of enzymes (Pintoshine) and equipment (Moonshine Distillers, et al) are certainly known to the feds by credit cards and shipping. Further, storage of product while ageing further makes me look like I've been hard at work to sell shine. Oh well! Here's to the rules.

shadylane wrote:Relax and have a couple shots
In the future if anyone asks just say "I make wine"
A legal home-wine maker might use several hundred pounds of sugar a year
Just don't distill the wine to remove impurities
Cause that's illegal

+1
If I am asked I tell them I make wine.
If I am buying brown sugar I tell them I am making an Apple wine, going to use the brown sugar so it has a little more/different flavor.
I actually do make a Caramel Apple wine with Some cinnamon too. It is pretty tasty.

Thanks for the feedback. I need to refine my responses. I was in line at Walmart one day with just some misc. stuff and turned around to find a deputy in line behind me. Sure was glad there weren’t three 25 lb bags of sugar in my cart! I am also a little concerned with some of my Amazon purchases of mutes, etc.

But, since I’m going to continue this hobby, I need to dial back my paranoia, relax and enjoy what we’re doing.

Twisted Brick wrote:My first trip to the feedstore I told the counterpeople I was buying corn and wheat to bake bread in my brick oven, and they replied: hmmm, most guys come in here make whisky with that much grain, and they're always calling up asking if we have rye!

That was exactly what happened when I went searching for 50# of food (not grass seed) rye grain. Hah! I didn't answer when 'caught' by the clerk.

GCB3,
I was paranoid when I started down this path, I’m sure we all had a little paranoia in the beginning.

If you step back and think about it, you have nothing to worry about if you follow the rule of “Don’t sell, don’t tell”. You can always make up something if you’re questioned on a purchase. “I make mead, beer, wine… are all good lines for damn near everything we use/need”

At the end of the day, I have a hard time believing that anyone is watching us here, or watching online purchases. It would be a terrible waste of resources and time.

Maybe I’m just naive.

Cheers,
Irish

I've never worried about it. but don't buy Mason jars and 25lb sacks of sugar at once for sure lol. Here in New Orleans they ain't worried about me buyin sugar tho. Mostly get my sugar like 200lb at a time from restaurant supply but I don't use it as much as I did when I started years back so that lasts a good while.

You could always say you were prepping for the apocalypse and tell them it has the electrolytes plants crave or something and play crazy. Tin foil hat helps.

Also if you ain't selling they don't care much, I've read the ttb knows there are 1000s of hobby stills out there and don't worry about it they just want untaxed liquor sales busted. Small town cops though, they watch moonshiners like.idiots and think that 25lb sack of sugar gonna make 100 gallons of high proof. So maybe be mindful if they're around the store watching.

Thanks guys. It seems the two biggest risks (assuming you are not talking about it and selling is not an option to me) are an unintentional encounter with law enforcement (fire or burglary) or possibly someone (not a friend) dropping a dime on you. I guess if my neighbors are paying attention, I’m sure they wonder why I’m spending so much time in my shed!

GCB3 wrote:Thanks guys. It seems the two biggest risks (assuming you are not talking about it and selling is not an option to me) are an unintentional encounter with law enforcement (fire or burglary) or possibly someone (not a friend) dropping a dime on you. I guess if my neighbors are paying attention, I’m sure they wonder why I’m spending so much time in my shed!

Need to put a sign above the door......
The dog house
and every once in a while when the wife is in the shower, or vacuuming....as you walk out the door, yell "Fine since I am in the dog house, I will be in the dog house".
make sure the wife can't hear you or she can & she realizes it is a rouse. Otherwise you might just be living in the shed.....

Hoosier Shine9 wrote:Need to put a sign above the door......
The dog house and every once in a while when the wife is in the shower, or vacuuming....as you walk out the door, yell "Fine since I am in the dog house, I will be in the dog house".

HA!
Yo GCB3. Unless your county is flooded with illicit moonshine sales, you're safe.
With all the documented retail still sales, I think we'd hear of people getting nailed if it was considered a big crime.

“The dog house”. What a great idea!

Yeah, I’m not aware of any big likker industry in my area. My goal is to relax and enjoy the craft.
Thanks to everyone for helping sooth my mind.

Don't tell, don't sell. That's 99% of what you need to do so stay under the radar.

Buying a pre-fab still from a dedicated still manufacturer may get you on a list but the only thing I've heard come of it a scary letter from the TTB/ATF. Build your own and no one will know.

I've only been questioned twice at the cash and carry where I buy cornmeal. The first time I was buying 50 lbs of dextrose, Checker - " that's a lot of sugar, what are you going to do with it all?" Me - "making a batch of pot gummy bears" Checker - "cool!"
Last month while buying 100 lbs of corn grits Checker - " what are you making with all that corn?" Me with a smile - "Whiskey!" Checker - "yeah right"

I really don't think that the checkers care, they are just bored at their jobs and are making small talk.

Still Don't tell, don't sell

OVZ

I suppose the checkers watch the clowns on the Discovery channel too. It is, after all, not all that rare anymore.
ss

still_stirrin wrote:I suppose the checkers watch the clowns on the Discovery channel too. It is, after all, not all that rare anymore.
ss

I was checking out the liquor section in a large (9800 locations in 43 states) pharmacy/convenience store a while back and one of the checkers who also worked the floor approached me. We got to discussing bourbons we liked and he said he could make better at home. He described his still (stovetop pot) and added that he had his Kentucky Bourbon Trail vacation already booked. I found out a month later he had quit working at the store and moved to Kentucky.

I live in New Zealand, so I don't have the same issues.

One day at the supermarket the checkout girl asked if I was making jam because she saw how much sugar I had in my trolley! "Nah, I'm making corn likker!"

jam making, brewing beer/wine, bee keeping are all good for sugar purchases.
not that I'm ever asked.

was asked in the feedstore one what I was using the molasses for, the man asking thought it was for carp bait. told him Rum, he gave me a disgusted look

My standard reply is "I don't know, the wife asked me to pick it up". Works every time, 60% of the time.

I have only had one person ask me if I was making alcohol and I always buy 25 lb bags at Costco. Only person that would probably ask that question is a distiller. I always gave him a surprised and lost look.

"My wife makes wine" Worked flawless until someone asked about it. Atleast at that point I was making wine also & got to rattling wine stuff off to shut them up. She has used "husband makes wine" a few times at the store.

Probably the most shocked I was when I was getting some copper. Fella took a couple step toward the back & turned back to me & asked if I was building a still. In the most bullshit-ing voice I said sure & started to laugh about it.

Oldvine Zin wrote:I've only been questioned twice at the cash and carry where I buy cornmeal. The first time I was buying 50 lbs of dextrose, Checker - " that's a lot of sugar, what are you going to do with it all?" Me - "making a batch of pot gummy bears" Checker - "cool!"
Last month while buying 100 lbs of corn grits Checker - " what are you making with all that corn?" Me with a smile - "Whiskey!" Checker - "yeah right"

I really don't think that the checkers care, they are just bored at their jobs and are making small talk.

Still Don't tell, don't sell

OVZ

Lol that'd be alot of gummies

Generally if I get asked, I tend to ignore the question as most times it's idle chit chat.

For sugar I've sometimes used:
It's baking season
Making jam
Catering

For grains, it's always for beer, which isn't really untrue; I just don't plan to drink it... directly

GCB3 wrote:Realizing some of the legal issues with our hobby, I have tried to be discrete with many of my purchases. I live in a city and don’t have access to farms or even farm supply stores. I buy grain from a brew shop and they don’t ask. I get molasses from a restaurant supply store but it’s 80 miles out of my way. I have been buying sugar in 25 lb bags at Walmart’s locally. All these purchases are done in cash. I was in a hurry today and while at Costco I bought 50 lb of sugar. (So, there’s a paper and video trail.) When going through the receipt checker at the exit, the guy asks, “what cha doin’ with all that sugar?” I smiled and said, “bake sale at church. This is my assigned task.” He said, “ Or it could be for moonshine!” I gave a skeptical look and said, “Oh yeah, right.” That’s not the first time I’ve gotten a comment on sugar purchases.

As the evening has worn on, my paranoia is tugging at me. Am I crazy to be buying stuff in large box stores? I hate to think I need to buy a five pound bag of sugar every time I go to the store, but, I guess I could do that. What do y’all advise for buying raw materials in hobby quantities and the associated risks?

Them clerks are just fishing . Looking for a chance to get a good drop because they are friendly and you got a guilty conscience . Relax .

viewtopic.php?f=50&t=70545

I started a thread on this a while back...
Trust me, the feds aren't parking a mobile command center outside and placing an agent, highly skilled in interrogation, at your local Walmart.

Immagine the hours of paperwork, warrant requests, under-cover agents, wire taps, survellance, and inter-agency coopertation it would take to track you individually, and bust in your door for 1/2 gallon of untaxed liquor???

We all know government isn't that efficient or effective!
Just fib your way to the car and they will be checking the next customer to see if their toilet paper is on their reciept.

When buying in bulk, you could just go the "prepper" route, and encourage them to stock up on the same item. Lol

Oldvine Zin wrote:Checker - " that's a lot of sugar, what are you going to do with it all?" Me - "making a batch of pot gummy bears" Checker - "cool!"
OVZ

No shit Oldvine, one time my wife sent me out for tampons. I was in line, alone, with a box of tampons on the belt at the register...
The 3 guys behind me were buying about 10 lbs of meat to grill for the football game that day. They were snickering at my back.

Not to be de-masculated, I turned to them and said, "I use them to grow pot... If you put the tampon into the neck of a beer bottle, full of water, the string wicks up water from the bottom and the seed gets fed by the damp cotton".

They shut up, and the cashier asked me, "does that really work?". I just winked and payed. Lol