SC - Malmens Bastard

[Decker, Terry D.]

> I always ask this question when somebody says what you just sent. Please 
> please PLEASE give me a written source that says officially I can distill,
> 
> even a small amount. I'd love it. Do you have such a source? Otherwise,
> I'm 
> looking at about six months in jail for the first offense last I heard.
> This 
> comes up with startling regularity in the brewing list, and nobody's given
> me 
> an official source yet. In fact just the opposite. When they contact the
> BATF 
> they say don't even consider the possibility. This may be bureaucratic 
> ignorance, saying no if they don't know officially it's yes. Your mileage
> may 
> vary, but given the way they react, I'm going to take the coward's way
> out.
> 
> Corwyn
> 
The process of distillation is not illegal.  If it were, a lot of chem labs,
gold mines and water purifiers would be out of business.  

It is illegal to distill alcohol without the appropriate tax stamps.  The
crime is not distillation but federal tax evasion.  Most states also have
rules and regs about distillation, but they are usually concerned with the
distillation of alcohol.  So the distillation of rose water may or may not
be legal, depending on whether the distillate contains alcohol.  Of course,
if you have a still, the odds are some gentlemen with badges are going to
come ask what you're running through it.

While federal law allows the manufacture of up to two hundred gallons of
wine or beer.  It usually requires a state permit and it does not cover
distilled beverages.  The precise wording on my wife's permit is,
"Manufacturing must be accomplished by a process of simple fermentation
without distillation."  That suggests that home distillation of alcoholic
beverages is frowned upon.

If you really want to check out the rules, find a U.S. Document Repository
(the State Department of Libraries or a University Library will probably be
able to tell you where the closest one is) and read over the appropriate
Title and Sections of the U.S. Code.  

Bear

============================================================================

To be removed from the SCA-Cooks mailing list, please send a message to
Majordomo at Ansteorra.ORG with the message body of "unsubscribe SCA-Cooks".

============================================================================