Will Home Distilling Save You Money?

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How much does it cost to make a bottle of homemade spirits? Seems like a simple question. But it can be a little more tricky than you may think. Even worse things kinda change based on how you look at the hobby.
Obviously, you could go even deeper. What about the amount of space you dedicate in your house etc? But I think the examples given make the point!
At the end of the day, for me, I do this because I love the process. Its my hobby, so I am happy to invest money into it, not "save money". But that's just me. You may see things totally different, and that's cool!
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Опубликовано:

30 сен 2024

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Комментарии : 459

@JamesKintner 3 года назад

Oh sure, just like archery, fishing, and woodworking saved me soooo much money.

@solocaretaker2034 3 года назад

I hear you there. If you think in the short run. Fishing rod $200.00. Real $500.00 boat $100,000 fuel Per trip $500.00 div. by 1000lb of fish at .23 a pound still = a ton of fun for the buck Not exact sound Financial decision but in the long run that’s another thing just like distilling Don’t forget. Quality of life

@christianterrill3503 3 года назад

Why would archery save u money? Hunting?

@matthewpage8631 3 года назад

@@christianterrill3503 look straight up, the answer is right there

@Backdaft94 3 года назад

Lol best comment

@hic_tus 3 года назад

and drinking in general hahaha

@Madmick82 3 года назад

I've held back for a long while now but my OCD cant take it any longer, pleaase finish the front of the bench, I'll even send you the wood. LOL

@robjones1126 3 года назад

Hahaha

@dennisstahl7621 3 года назад

It’s just one more piece of wood and maybe 5 minutes of time to install for crying out loud. Lol!

@capitaldd3693 3 года назад

Lol too funny..🤣

@jcerasmus4389 3 года назад

Nah mate, he's too busy "saving money"

@jbaker4900 3 года назад

That's why I unsubed. Couldn't take it anymore

@eboal2 3 года назад

I did this exact exercise to convince my wife to let me buy my first beer brewing equipment. I told her the cost of my time was equated to increased happiness; aka was 0$/hr. basically, I break even after 20 batches of the more expensive recipes....she hated beer but knew I loved it; in the end I brewed something she liked, and then another, to see that wow face on a convert was worth every penny.

@AdamMansbridge 3 года назад

My wife likes beer, so it was an easy (non-) argument

@dogslobbergardens6606 3 года назад

One can also tell their spouse that they're at home, not getting in trouble, doing something productive - instead of sitting in a tavern pissing away money. That *might* work ;)

@mikej9564 3 года назад

I’m retired. For me it a choice of what to do with my “free” time. Pull weeds in the garden or make beer, wine, cheese or whiskey. I’m a bit tired of working in the garden.

@Grimsterrr 3 года назад

4 hours making shine, or 4 hours sitting on the computer, the value of the fact I'm not sitting on my butt is a value add.

@carlvanalstyne7970 3 года назад

My thoughts exactly “ theoretically”

@rimeoftheancientmariner 3 года назад

But who wants to make cheese?

@MrGoatflakes 3 года назад

@@rimeoftheancientmariner me

@seancarnell1503 3 года назад

I haven't done cheese yet. A recipe from a book I bought for "drunken goat cheese" calls it to be aged in wine or "better yet, left over must from wine making". Bringing the hobbies full circle.

@desertriderukverun1002 3 года назад

I can relate. I thought $250-300 for a guided fishing trip was outrageous, so I built my own boat.

@dogslobbergardens6606 3 года назад

Similarly, when I was young and broke I couldn't afford a really good knife, so I learned how to make them. Now I'm old and broke. But I have a lot of cool knives and tools!

@F3zza 3 года назад

I'd say yes it does save you money unless you watch a certain RU-vid distilling channel. That links you to a certain Whiskey Vault channel you'd never heard of previously. Which in turn then inspires you to collect and create your own mini Whisky Vault. Believe me those Whisky Vaults don't come cheap. Mini or otherwise. 😊

@91chevys10 3 года назад

I once saw a 109 $USD wartime Mosin 91/30 in a hardware store. 10 years & too many thousands of dollars later, i understand fully.

@jakerijkuris4693 3 года назад

My first batch of whiskey cost $2000, my second batch was free!

@mofamba 3 года назад

So was your mom.

@albertellwyn4891 2 года назад

@@mofamba That was hilarious! Your youtube account is 14 years old: i’m sure your parents didn’t make you a youtube account at birth like an ssn, you must be at least 20/21 but still act like your in my fifth grade class, congratulations! edit: this guy can literally fly and he acts like a man child, i wouldn’t want him piloting any commercial flights.

@jimmelton7299 Год назад

You must be selling it if 2 batch was free plus you must have 50 gal pot.

@smrettpecca 3 года назад

Who cares about saving money related to home distilling? Home Distilling has got something to do with civil disobedience! :D

@jackmclane1826 3 года назад

Exactly! It's fascinating to me BECAUSE it is illegal where I live... ;)

@reevinriggin3570 3 года назад

Yep. And not only that, but if the shit ever hits the proverbial fan, I guarantee a distiller will be right popular and alcohol is good trading fodder. But, at the end of the day, it's because I love to make stuff. If it's good stuff, then that is just sweeter overall.

@charlesschmidtke8427 3 года назад

My stills are great preps

@hxhdfjifzirstc894 3 года назад

The traditions of the finest country on the planet must be maintained.

@tazman8697 2 года назад

Selling it is even more fun

@MultiTut69 3 года назад

My better half does not care for hardcore spirits but she loves to work with me on the process and will even compare tasting notes. Time spent together creating stuff we like to drink is priceless! 👍🏻😁

@olinseats4003 3 года назад

(Note that this is from the perspective of someone just now joining the hobby) For me, it feeds several parts of my personality at once. I get to make something with my own two hands. I get to experiment, explore, and learn. What I'm drawn to make is something that I literally cannot get anywhere else. Make it from unusual ingredients, age it on more exotic woods. Every bottle is something that I couldn't put a price tag on because there's nothing like it on any shelf. They're unique expressions, liquid works of art. They may not be the work of a master, but they're mine.

@gordslater 3 года назад

"I've got my wife's computer here because I'm absolutey 100% confident I'm never going to knock it off this narrow benchtop. Hell no"

@jayBird345 3 года назад

I don't calculate my value/time; as a hobby I know if I weren't doing this, I would be doing something else that doesn't make money, like watching RU-vid lol

@glenna3434 3 года назад

Thanks for the great big belly laugh! I figure it costs me about $110 per pint to make my own. If only I could stop buying s**t !

@grugraham3064 3 года назад

My wife asked how much I spent this month and I told her around £100. I then told her that her two horses cost me over £300 per month. I'm sleeping on the sofa for health reasons 😂

@Backdaft94 3 года назад

Lol brave man

@michaelpercopo2149 3 года назад

Crafting something that most people take for granted as a grocery store commodity, is incredibly gratifying. It’s rarity makes it intrinsically more valuable than the figures you calculated. Sharing a jar of your homemade hooch is as rare a moment as a tropical sunrise, aurora borealis, or that one local pizza joint down the street. You can only get it there, and there is the only place it tastes like that!

@christopherengland7245 3 года назад

Question have you ever done a hobbit/lord of the rings inspired whiskey? Ever thought about doing inspired spirits? That alone with a Darksouls whiskey would be something I'd love to see. Just a thought keep on chasing man!

@kenniclown3103 3 года назад

Not if you keep buying more new equipment...

@kenniclown3103 3 года назад

(says the guy who keeps buying and building new equipment)

@kenniclown3103 3 года назад

(I'm not sure if my hobby is distilling or building stills)

@djscottdog1 3 года назад

Same here chap

@Tyresio12 3 года назад

Yeah, can be addictive.

@ailkenllib 3 года назад

I was equally surprised at the power cost when I calculated that. It came in at around $2.50, was not expecting that. Think of it like any other hobby, you can almost always get it cheaper, but it's the fun that's priceless. No fisherman ever saved money on a fish dinner by driving 2 hours to camp by a lake for a few nights, eat and drink, and then thought they brought home those five fish for free. The journey is where the riches are found.

@colwk 3 года назад

Rex Hunt once said "fishing is the most expensive way to get a free feed" Brewing doesn't sound much cheaper for a free rum

@danh1064 3 года назад

Hey, leave my uncle alone... Just kidding mate, loved his fishing adventures whilst growing up. Kinda got the urge to go back out to the coast for some decent fish 🙂 As Jesse says, it's all about how you value your time. If you enjoy it, the cost decreases.

@whippyboy6272 3 года назад

I used to spend 80-120 dollars a week on whiskey. By just doing sugar wash, running the 2 gallon still one afternoon in the week, I can bring that down to about 5 dollars plus roughly 4 hours watching the still instead of a movie. That works for me.

@jakerijkuris4693 3 года назад

You could calculate your time cost based on how much it cost to pay a cleaner or lawn mower man or handyman. Coz that's all the stuff my wife complains doesn't get done because I'm off running my still!

@littlejohnsbrewing9199 3 года назад

wave her off and ignore the cost.

@kennethcounts5905 3 года назад

Oh yes indeed, so many ways to value it. But, also for me anyway, what's my education worth??? I mean I have turned out some good stuff and I have turned out some stuff that would struggle to be called crap. You have the cost of failed experiments. So overall your right, if it's your craft, education and hobby then it's inexpensive, with a product to enjoy. If not.... hit the liquor store on the way home. True story, I love Goose hunting. Tremendous challenge and a good time in nature. But when I put a pencil to it... License, fuel, ammunition, etc. My price per pound for a Canadian Goose was well over a hundred dollars. And I don't even like Goose so I give them away.

@redstone1999 3 года назад

Somethings are beyond placing a dollar value on labor. Children for example. Besides the $$$$ to raise and care for basic needs, there mega-hours of unpaid labor. 2000-4000 hours a year X 18 +/- years is like 36000-72000 hours. We do it for love and not for $ value of labor.

@MCPeeBoy 3 года назад

I like the idea of making my own stuff when I am old geezer but I don't think doing this while working fulltime and having other responsibilities is the best idea. Especially when you take in account the time spent on "cooking". But definitely, once I am old, maybe even retired, I'm heading straight in making my own spirits.

@williamelliott 3 года назад

Start making it now and when you're old it will be aged well

@rayfox212 3 года назад

I'm 52 so I'm starting to hit the old geezer and working towards retirement thing. All I have to say to that is time goes faster than you realize and before you know it you find yourself saying I wish I had done this when I was younger. Everyone I know that is my age and up agrees with me. So don't wait enjoy your life now.

@theworldisastage1984 3 года назад

@@williamelliott agree. But go with at least 26 gallon boiler and 4" column. 2" and smaller boilers aren't worth all this time. Read my post. I have 60-80 hours invested to fill a 5 gallon barrel. Eff that

@CP-od7tr 3 года назад

This makes no sense to me. I bought the still for my hobby. (700.00) That being said I will not count that as an expense. My time using my toy is not billable. It is a hobby. The only thing I will count as an expense is ingredients and electricity. I can get 190 proof from my still and end up with two 1.75 l bottles of vodka for about $10.00 US. That that is just a quarter of what you could pay for the most general product. But the point is, It's a hobby, it's something you enjoy and you get great Vodka!! Once you invest the money, unless you are going to go legit it's just a toy aka a hobby.

@stevebovair2872 3 года назад

What else would you do with your time? Spend money on something else you wouldn't get paid for either. :)

@whiskyfox7943 3 года назад

right on

@UnTamedMustang 3 года назад

That's why you buy a furnace to melt metal and make products

@bernardwilson Год назад

Keep your costs in $. I have convinced my wife there are $100 to the £1 and electricity is free in th UK and it cost nothing to heat my garage (brew room) in winter in the UK. Oh Jesse don't forget how much you check your spirits for a good blend.I normly find the perfect blend when the bottle is empty - very strange. I dont have a drink problem I am hooked on collecting shiny equipment.

@X4Alpha4X 3 года назад

personally i hate the concept of calculating 'the cost of your time' for any HOBBY you enjoy doing that also happens to produce a product you enjoy using. this is something you're doing in your FREE time, you aren't taking time off work to do it. This isn't the only place i've seen this get brought up, but if you were doing something as a business then sure, but as a hobby strictly for yourself it doesn't make sense. outside of business it makes no sense to calculate "how much to pay yourself", your bank statement isn't going to change a single cent if you spent 1 hour or 10 hours on something(unless you're taking time off to do it, like from work). So you spending 5 hours on something you enjoy doing in your free time didn't cost anything.

@dogslobbergardens6606 3 года назад

Booze is so cheap here in Appalachia that the only way to save money brewing beer, making wine or distilling at home is to also be a gardener. If your ingredient cost is just some seeds and you've got a big pile of fruit or grain at the end of the year, hell yeah it's a no-brainer. Although I did know one cat who would buy oodles of sugar and fruit and juice with food stamps and make wine... we called him the Welfare Wino lol. Anyway it's not really about the cash here (unless you're an actual outlaw selling it, I know nothing about that of course), it's about quality product, fun and showing off to your friends that you learned a cool skill.

@jimhowes2983 3 года назад

I use my distilling days to do little jobs in the shed. You know like sharpening knives, respooling fishing reels or rebuilding outboard engines. Heat up time is enough to mow the lawn... Hence I don't consider the time too much.

@scottcampbell96 3 года назад

If everything we do for fun is valued by the time we spend, then just watching this video cost me ~$10 US. It’s not about the money, if you enjoy it.

@britinozoz 3 года назад

I can't go along with your costing on labor time. Remember ..it is a hobby ..just like fishing and golf .I must admit that some of the processes are not all that interesting...just part of the whole creative package.

@top6ear 3 года назад

Long term yes. Right now, minus initial investment it costs me $15 for a gallon of rum not $100 in Canada. $3 a liter for vodka.

@JohnFerrerAkaEric 3 года назад

I have to ask, are you growing your own potatoes to make vodka that cheap? I understand all you need to do is cut them up and put them into the ground to grow them.

@Fabianwew 3 года назад

@@JohnFerrerAkaEric Sugar is cheaper

@anthonybarra2391 3 года назад

Same here, I use sugar. £3 a bottle is what it cost

@redstone1999 3 года назад

I garden (like 1/3 acre to 3 acres/yearly). I always have leftovers and usable scrapes from making foods and feeds. Instead of heading to compost heap, it takes a trip to the fermentors beforehand. So the cost is minimal in terms of ingredients. Got some interesting wines & mashes. Every year it is different, depending what was a boom year crop. I always have to do something to be happy anyways, so hard to put a $ value on my time. I save huge on some things and pay a lot on others, it balances in the end. How much does pride, security of foods & beverages, fuels, health and happiness goes for ? Everyone has a different amount. I will buy raw honey from local beekeeper (just not interested in beekeeping beyond providing pollinators for the pollination of my crops).

@colzer28 3 года назад

@@redstone1999 wow, this sounds amazing. I’d love to see the RU-vid on getting drinks from what i would have composted. Man, I think you just opened up a whole new can of worms for me.👍💖🍻

@greenspiraldragon 3 года назад

Under U.S. Federal law distilling spirtis is illegal and a a legal nightmare if you are caught doing it then it is a federal felony. I am no lawyer, but I highly advise against it even for your own personal consumption distilling is illegal. You can make wine or beer but not spirits that require distilling.

@heathh8186 3 года назад

You are a kiwi with a viking beard and wearing a Texas t-shirt. God bless you and God bless Texas. Lol

@iansavage7870 3 года назад

I enjoyed this video just as an exercise in information, one factor over and above I would put in is a hobby regardless of what that is, can contribute to healthy mental well being. As side note something I would like see discussed is sustainability, how you minimise water usage, ingredient usage etc. (apologies if this has already been covered).

@dogslobbergardens6606 3 года назад

Well said. Also, it's a science project every time. And sometimes it's rather intellectually challenging. Doctors will tell you that continuing to learn new things and keeping the ol' brain working is good for your health in various ways, long-term.

@drewlarson65 3 года назад

Think the men of the world would be forever enriched by a video of your hair and beard maintenance routine

@findingandvalue 3 года назад

I can buy a bottle 0.7 liter of wodka in the Netherlands, Belgium or France for some €11,00; but in Germany it starts at 4,50. Taxes play a big role.

@ronaldwoodhouse7262 3 года назад

I know what you mean, I do a bit on knife making, forging the blade grinding sanding polishing a bit more polishing. I made a knife that I would have to sell for $2000 Aus if i wanted to get what it cost me. I am not going to because I love what I made. The same as brewing beer, it is not cheaper, it is better.

@dogslobbergardens6606 3 года назад

"How do you end up with a million dollars making knives? Start with two million."

@kb2vca 3 года назад

Fascinating issue: do you save money making your own vs buying it off the shelf but the critical issue is not so much how much does it "cost" in dollars to make a bottle or two but how much satisfaction and pleasure does making a couple of bottles give you. I am not charging my time because there is no opportunity cost to me when I ferment or when I transform that fermented product into a distilled product. That is what I do for fun. Moreover, typically, I spend a few hours a week making cheese and the waste product (whey) I can ferment for the price of 2 lbs of table sugar per US gallon, and a few lactase tablets with that wash taking about 3 weeks to fully ferment from which I can obtain about 400 ml of spirit at about 65% ABV (130 proof) from each gallon (a hefty 10% of the initial volume). And I can distill this in about 2 hours, start to clean up using an air-still that is "perfect" for the gallon batches of wash I have at hand. And knowing how the still works I don't need to closely monitor the process but can set a clock to tell me when I am likely to see the first drops appear; when I have collected enough heads to remove; when the 400 ml will be collected. Makes good ersatz whisky (when oaked), a great mocha liqueur, a very tasty horseradish "vodka" and a wonderful limoncello.

@jerrybauscher3891 Год назад

Do you calculate the value of your time when you are on vacation? I do this hobby to have fun.

@samwilliams7694 2 года назад

Would be really interesting to see if the electricity you're actually using is anything close. You could get a power meter that goes between into the wall. 2000w is usually the max possible power draw, not the average power draw. Maybe your now spending as much as you expect.

@tristanchittleborough2929 3 года назад

Spot On. I brew beer, make some amazing creations but couldn't turn a profit to save my life. It is all about the journey, you nailed it.

@steffenbrygg7907 3 года назад

Almost 60 USD for 1L of 37.5% vodka in Norway, when I do my spirit run I fill up my boiler with 25l of 35% low wines after a few stipping runs. My stuff is somewhere in the middle between cheapest vodka and smirnoff. totaly ok for any mixers. Also use quite a few essence to make faux gin/captain morgan etc

@chrissmith-wb6st 3 года назад

Distilling saves me a huge amount of money but then I only really do neutrals and gin. I think I worked it all out once including water and electricity costs and without my time it came out something like £1.50 for a litre of 40% neutral.

@BillMcGirr 3 года назад

Cool video. Interesting thoughts and conversation. Enjoyed it.👍🥃

@GrantMcEwing 3 года назад

With the fermenter heating cost you might have to take account of the duty cycle of the heater. If it is on 100% then ... if it is on for 50% then half the cost...

@seancarnell1503 3 года назад

Me, studying accounting, building Excel sheets for my mead: "Interesting..."

@StillIt 3 года назад

Hahahah

@brianmckibben2300 3 года назад

You can`t put a price on life. Your family will not pay the invoice. You will never live up to your prices too because of it. The meaning of life is the living so my life is free.

@JWG2014 3 года назад

Kind of disagree when it comes to my time. When we make beer -its entertainment to me. The hobby time is not work time for me but play time. I would not be working when I make beer, I would be watching old South Park videos or youtube (or talking to my wife). My wife is always saying "your time is money" .. well no one is paying me to watch tv so no real money in it. If was given the option to watch TV, see a movie, hang out in bar with people - I rather brew with some friends. This would all change if I was a moon shiner and trying to sell a product. I wish I could do what you are doing.

@bedlamite42 Год назад

Simple answer: No, you will drink more.

@bryzabone 3 года назад

The good old (boring ish) turbo yeasts and neutral spirits with flavorings (still spirits) is pretty decent value per bottle in big batches IMO . BUT.. my spiced rum, is MINE and I made it, and I love that I made it, no one else can 😋 (vanilla beans are a bit exxy 😩) but worth it.. except the cleaning.. ugh, I’m with you on that level 😜

@BeardedBored 3 года назад

NERD! Love your brain brother:-)

@MartinPHellwig 3 года назад

Hey mate, are you going to have still off with Jessy? I think the rules should be both of you propose ingredients and both of you need to use all of the proposed ones, no time limit though as that is just unnecessary pressure.

@PexiTheBuilder 3 года назад

Been thinking this.. Most likely not, but fun to do :) Atleast for me, building stuff is fun, time well spent.

@brucekrisko4364 3 года назад

Thanks Jesse for putting it all into dollars and cents! You really know how to explain things in great detail. For the expense of distilling, I look at it as pennies on the dollar for learning a new craft. I think your time explaining it to us is worth so much more than you would ever give yourself credit for. We are lucky and happy to have you as one of our guides in this endeavor.

@ancientegyptandthebible 3 года назад

Where I live, alcohol never "goes on sale," taxes account for more than the original price, and wages are low, work is scarce, and overtime is seldom an option. I'd say it would probably be worth it.

@user-dd9dh9kw5c 3 года назад

Yeah here one small bottle of alcohol costs 40+ dollars for a good quart of something not crappy 80+

@knotshure6291 3 года назад

"CLEANING on the other-hand, FUCK THAT!!!" Hahahahahahahaha!!! \m/

@top6ear 3 года назад

I can make navy rum which is impossible to find at 57% . Mind you i make shitloads of booze at a time.

@theworldisastage1984 3 года назад

Nice. I'm upgrading to a 53 gallon, 6" fluted column, with agitator. I'm over 16 gallon strips on a 2" column

@truthseeker2275 3 года назад

This is why I built myself a small continous still(50mm x 1.8M). Filling, draining, and watching a pot still is for the dogs...I ferment a 200L drum, stick in the hose and let her run... 2 days later I have enough 95% neutral booze to last a very long time... For me, the journey was building the still(and still improving it)...not running it.

@jonathansullivan8317 3 года назад

if you enjoy doing something isn't that your payment for the time?

@tonyoliver4920 3 года назад

Here in Scotland we have minimum alcohol pricing. The absolute minimum for a 70cl @ 37.5% ABV is £13.33 so 26 NZD I only have a rectifying licence so I can’t use my own wash, I need to use duty paid alcohol and re-distill to make gin, etc. But if someone had the appropriate licences. Compare shop to 25 ltr bird watchers brew with a 10 hr distillation Ingredients £4 (65p per kg sugar plus extras) Electricity £3.40 (10 x 2 x 17p/kWh) Under £10 Double for NZD - $20 Let’s say for arguments sake that’s 10% 2.5 ltr pure ethanol Bottled at 37.5% Gives 9.5 70cl bottles So ~£1 per bottle (2 NZD) Now because you’ve got the appropriate licence you need to pay the duty (tax) that’s £8.50 per bottle Total £9.50 (saving £4 per bottle)

@billmartz4290 3 года назад

It saves me loads of money. I do it because I can mess with my recipes to make me happy.. cheers!

@capitaldd3693 3 года назад

Ya can't factor in your time - and compare it to some non-existent job, that in theory someone would be paying you for - that's not happening. Amortized your equipment over 250batches. Add the supply costs. Fuel costs too. You definitely save money - no doubt about it. (My rig will run about a buck an hour on propane. 5 hour run and 12bucks on supplies. Yielding 6 liters @80%/160pf) I haven't bought booze in 2years(Ok, 3bottles) but I have like 15 liters of 50%and up (to90)drinkable liquor. Not factoring the stuff I drank or sold to buddies) I run sugar and turbo yeast and char oak it. The time I spend at the still - i'm texting or chatting with people , time I wouldn't really be doing much anyway. If a guy is paying himself , he might as well run a 100gallon rig and trade for some compensation. Really, would we be doing it if wasn't cheaper in the long run.....no. 🥃🥃

@000scubasteve 3 года назад

Hey Jesse!!! You need to go over to Tennesse Thumper Stills RU-vid channel and check out their still. HOLY SHIT MATE!!!!

@greenspiraldragon 3 года назад

Mere possession of an unregistered still violates Section 5601(a)(1) of the US Code and is a felony punishable by up to 5 years in prison. "Producing distilled spirits at any place other than a [government]-qualified distilled spirits plant can expose you to Federal charges for serious offenses and lead to consequences," the Alcohol and Tobacco, Tax and Trade Bureau warns. The agency goes on to list a slew of felony offenses that could land you in prison for 5 years, all stemming from unlicensed and improper distillation of liquor. The following are just a few examples: USC 5601(a)(2) -- Engaging in business as a distiller without filing an application and receiving notice of registration. USC 5601(a)(6) -- Distilling on a prohibited premises (a distilled spirits plant may not be located in a residence or in sheds, yards, or enclosures connected to a residence). USC 5601(a)(7) -- Unlawful production or use of material fit for production of distilled spirits. USC 5601(a)(8) -- Unlawful production of distilled spirits. If it's legal in your state it is still illegal under federal law.

@AngryParrotDistillery 3 года назад

Saves money, ... hahahahahahaha-*coronry from laughing*. How many divorces could have been averted if guys mates had just kept their bloody mouth shut about how much the out--of-control-still-cost infront of said-mates missus! 🤣 This "hobby" is an addiction.

@martynwheeler2366 3 года назад

Thanks jesse for attempting a fair and balanced view. I disagree, however,.....lol. On the same approach every jar of jam made from fruit from my garden would have a value of USD 600. I incorporate all costs, and depreciation on capital equipment and I save around USD 7000 a year, and I’m not an alcoholic. I also now make my own wine and beer, and the whole lot is pretty much better than anything that I can buy. Ok, I can buy a special wine, or an Arran 14, which I accept I can’t ever make anything this good. But on an average weekday I don’t drink that.....i would buy a wine at Usd 14. Mine is better and costs USD 2. For spirit a cheap gin that I would drink is Usd 25. The time issue is a red herring unless you are giving up a days work to distill. If not, like me I would be unblocking the loo, fixing shelves, maybe watching box sets. Just my thoughts

@racerothery2716 Год назад

Here’s how I calculate and rationalize. 1 I work from home anyway and I make good money so that’s top level for me. I don’t have to trade all my time for money. So with my extra time I need entertainment in between my animal care obligations (30 chickens, 5 rabbits and a dog) so since most adults factor in entertainment into their budget i factor in money I would use on useless shit to pay for my craft drinks and it’s beneficial to my friends and family not just to me. i should also mention that since I’m home with 2 kids as well I don’t drive around a lot so has a savings but anyway. This is a new hobby for me. As with most new hobbies you have start up cost that I usually don’t factor in because I’m not a for profit hobbyist GOD BLESS AMERICA💪🏻🇺🇸. Funny thing is I don’t even drink alcohol often😂

@djscottdog1 3 года назад

My brewery definitely saves me money, alot infact but the still is more difficult becouse the 40l of whisky ive made doesnt get used that quickly. Becouse i have more than 100 comercial single malts becouse i like to colect them.

@TheXLawnMowerMan 2 года назад

In Norway, one 70cl bottle of cheap vodka will cost 65 NZD or 44 USD. It's only allowed to make beer and wine under 20%, i watch this channel as a substitute for stilling, but I've been making beer and wine for a few years tho :D

@racerothery2716 Год назад

I should mention that the only way to save money is to stop buying 10lb (5kilo) bags if malt at a time and paying $2.50 a pound or .5 kilos. I found large 50 lb bags of grain locally for a lot less and I buy corn , rolled oats and rolled barley at the farm store for $20 for 50lb (25 kilo). Then I just use enzymes to save the malt cost but idk it’s a lot of ways to make it all work. You can use god damn Sweet Feed or Wet Cob which I think may be the same. Wet cob is what it’s called in Oregon and it’s good quality rolled-oats,barley and corn with molasses which sounds like a recipe for bomb drink with some alpha enzymes.

@tats8666 Год назад

What if you were to upscale though? For example, there would be a difference in output of volume if you had a 100L still vs a 25L still, but the time wouldn't necessarily change. Or would I be wrong regarding this point?

@vtbn53 3 года назад

I disagree entirely. My rig paid for itself period withing a couple of months. Of course TSFFV is super cheap to make. In addition, for me, shipping costs (for store bought alcohol) are extremely high, and you didn't really account for that. E.g. Dan Murphy's an hours drive away.

@dimash244 3 года назад

Simple calculation in my case, bottle of shitty vodka like ab solut is 25$ here, a kilogram of sugar is 1$. Simple tpw turns one kg of sugar in to a bottle of very very good product 😉 (only keep hearts above 92%) electricity is 0.09$ per kw too

@cabji 3 года назад

Wait... You use a spreadsheet to display a reminder list? Moral of the story: do as huge-assed batches as you can to lower your "time" overhead. This is why after 9 months I went and bought a 220L fermenter. I worked out per litre of rum I make, if I had to pay an employee to do it it would cost about 70 or 80 AUD a bottle, which is exactly how much Australian made spirits cost. But I don't care because I love home distilling. It just introduces something else I love doing. Crunching numbers and trying to make it more efficient and automated.

@denisdendrinos4538 3 года назад

Using an old pressure cooker I dug out the folks cupboard, and only bought the copper for a coil. Number of other costs added, but very minimal, so really gas and ingredients. But my time...... if I use my professional hourly rate x the hours for making a wash / mash / wort and the numerous times I have to run that still for the volume I made. Maaan....... I'd be sitting Johnnie blue prices! ;-)

@chrislnflorida5192 3 года назад

I just made my 1st run and I can't say it saved me money. The 1st run though, starting up purchasing the equipment, ingredients and time. Maybe 2nd run, will save more money? I always think of what my father use to say, may he RIP, Is whats time to a hog. U figure, from beginning to completly the end, after cleaning, ect. U not saving squat!

@danielray1484 3 года назад

Before watching the video whole. My viewpoint is, stilling is like baking. Costwise could be as much or more. Of you know what youre doing it may taste better. I have my own fireball recipe that many say is better. Its close to what youll get for the actual product in cost. Honey Apple juice Distillers yeast. (White and brown sugar, but trying to stay away from using them) Cinnamon stick (for aging)

@samljer Год назад

Brewing in general saves you money. especially if you live in a country like Canada where a $7 bottle of wine is $15 after the tax. Most people just dont know it because for alcohol and tobacco, taxes are applied BEFORE being put on the shelf, where everything else is applied AFTER at the checkout line.

@buddysmoken490 3 года назад

After start up cost im saving a fortune. One i no longer drink beer thats $12 a day , the a pint of bourbon another $12 a day. I spent $12 on 50# bag of cracked corn and $6 per 10# of sugar. Yeast cost$9 for a giant bag. Dap $3 , amylase was $6 a bottle. If I don't count time sincei really enjoy the time I spend . I think I spend about $10 per half gallon of good booze and that lasts a week or so if I don't give any away.

@ianworden1404 3 года назад

Jes something to think about, I work from home and can distill while working my day job, also have solar power so my power is free, so technically im being paid to distill my own product.

@kevinoneill269 3 года назад

Learn to get to the point mate!!! Radio/Tv speech is 3 words per second... its what humans are tuned for... otherwise into a 30 min meeting we are already ZZZZzzzzzzzzzzz!!! if you want to sell yourself as an infomercial your spot on... our year/eyes are bleeding....

@thomasa5619 3 года назад

I know you do it for the craft and not for the money but... I would also suggest the wages you “pay yourself” are tax free (cause you don’t actually get paid) but the bottle you buy from the pisser is taxed money I could make a bottle of gin for $80. But that $80 only gets me $54 spent at the pisser. (In australia that’s like getting Hendricks gin for the price or Gordon’s)

@xitwound50cal11 3 года назад

With over 1500$ US so far and only 3 runs in 2 1/2 gal made " NO " . Watching a Mason jar fill with clear spirits " PRICELESS "

@elricthebald870 2 года назад

I mainly brew mead and fruit wine. I do not distill (yet?). As a result I do not run a high electricity bill or require expensive equipment. Ingredients plus equipment cost me perhaps €10 to €15 per litre. Often much less. If you want to get drunk cheap do not distill but just brew and have a second glass. And a third or fourth.

@DGPHolyHandgrenade 3 года назад

I always hate when people try to assess a value to their time in their hobby. First, it's a hobby, you're chosing to use your time there. Second, because nobody is paying you for this, any number you come up with will be 100% arbitrary based on self assessments. I would never consider my time in a hobby as part of the "cost" of the hobby. That said I've been a home meadmaker for 25+ years and beer homebrewer for almost 15 years now. There's a lot of things that get in the way of making things cheaper than you can buy commercial examples of. But if you didnt like doing the work to make the product you'd just be spending that money buying the commercial stuff. Never factor in your time to consider costs. Now....you NEED to factor your time if you're turning around and selling your product. That's a different ballgame altogether though and should only be factored in if you're looking to make the jump to commercial production.

@A.Nozzlin 3 года назад

You are wrong! What you are missing in a lot of your vlogs is this. Its actually illegal to do what you do in most countries in the world. I did some research and New Zeeland and certain parts of US seems to be good to go with some restrictions and paperwork. Rest of the world seems to be out of luck, especially the western world. Where i live it is illegal to own or even transport a PART of a distiller. Actually distilling something will give you hefty fines or prison. So basically, if you wanna do this, you have to build the distiller yourself. Not the easiest thing to do. So, in most countries, if you wanna risk it you use turbo yeast to get it done quick and easy. Risking to have something really cool bubbling away and smelling for 2-3 weeks is not a smart thing to do. I do like your vlogs but do not watch many at all since I cannot use almost any of your tips and tricks. As a reference to this actual vlog.... Using turbo yeast and sugar I can make 500 cl of 40% ABV most decent clear spirit. That costs me abut 8 US dollars. And thats including electricity, water, sugar and yeast. My distiller is 20 years old so that is paid for. Effective time spent is about 30 minutes. 70 cl of "cheap" vodka would cost me about 25 US dollars.

@nineinchnails7213 3 года назад

I don't agree with this much at all. Many sit on their ass, play video games, watching RU-vid, TV or whatever else for how many hours per day/per week? They're not getting paid to do that. Instead they could spend some of their time fermenting & stilling. I don't understand why you factor 'valuing your time' as though stilling without getting paid is at all relevant, because it isn't. I save money, make MUCH better quality drink that I prefer than store bought crap.

@noelmurray1 11 месяцев назад

Wow! Big Apple product placement in your video, Jamie and no, not New York ;-) I hope you got some kickback from Tim Cook.

@juansolis2506 3 года назад

It's a relaxing hobby. At $100 a therapy session vs hrs of a relaxing Hobby, I'm making out like a bandit.

@pieterdeyzel2555 3 года назад

In South Africa, I produce excellent alcohol with my 3 stage reflux still at 25% of the cost of store bought Vodka. AND...every few months. the sale of alcohol is banned for extended periods. Seasonally I also have access to free potatoes, free catawba grapes and feed molasses.... then I even save more! I am also swapping alcohol for gas, etc....

@smntsn 3 года назад

In my country 1 liter normal vodka 30 dollars. If I do it with my garden fruits it costs me only electricity/water/yeast about 4 dollars or less. If I choose to do sugar wash instead of fruits 1 liter costs about 7 dollars max. Yes! Distilling is more cheaper for me but TIME is the real problem :) Beer is the other thing. 1 bottle of Tuborg pilsner beer about 2 dollars but if I buy a beer kit and make it by myself 1 bottle only costs 0.2 dollar max. But I'm doing distilling and beer making for hobby or to try different tastes.

@nerdaccount 3 года назад

Brendon Sanderson said you don't have to monetize your hobby. If you like to write, then write because you love it. I enjoy drawing, I don't have to sell my work for it to be a big part of my life. I think you do have to look at your hobby and make sure it stays inline with your budget and really don't kid yourself about expenses being part of a way to save money. I bought a $400 drawing tablet and I love using it that's enough. If I didn't pay the electricity bill because I was buying drawing equipment then the issue isn't can I make money from my drawing, but am I being realistic about what my is month-to-month. I love the video! Thanks!

@dogslobbergardens6606 3 года назад

Also, the freakin' world may shut down at any time. Last year all the damn bars and liquor stores were closed for some time, and people went NUTS trying to find wine yeast at any price. THIS guy just chuckled and told his wife, "See I told you that whole box of yeast packets would come in handy some day."

@a3970010 Год назад

Lots of good thoughts in the comments below. 👍 I won't parrot them here..ill just say i agree. The are so many reasons to brew your own "stuff". The least of which is to hold it up and say "see, i did it!" The more you make the more your setup pays for itself over time. I want to start simple and make hard cider. Eventually i want a T-500 as it seems to make the most sense when compared to other stills. It's right in the middle cost wise and is flexible in it's application. The wife and I have drinks together almost daily and it's something we do "together". Brewing is going to be an extension of that. Enjoy life..your hobbies..and your together time.

@jimwithheld7217 Год назад

Another angle: If you already purchased all the gear, and its in the spare room collecting dust. So the cost is in effect written off. Then getting it out, cleaning everything, and make some runs, then the gear cost is $0. So now its time, effort, and whatever grains and sugars etc. So some of the lower numbers in this video. My still has not been used for around 2 years now. But I got myself a new 25 kg bag of white sugar, so planning to do some new runs. Besides, all the "booze" I made when I first got the gear is basically all drunk now, except for some "whisky" thats been soaking in some jars with too much wood. So need something to dilute the woodness down a bit and maybe turn it back to drinkable - and also 3 years old now.

@wethunt 3 года назад

You forgot the biggest cost which is Government excise tax . On a 700ml bottle of spirits in Australia the tax is around $25 which is why you never see spirits cheaper than around $30.

@SyBernot 3 года назад

With brewing and distilling unless your working in hundreds of barrels, the ROI just for the time investment is in the decades, factor in equipment and energy and yeast development, and recipe creation, water use, ingredients, space, ancillary expendables (starsan, pbw, water salts, clarifier...), CIP, research (holy crap research I think I spent 2 years researching before I brewed my first beer, maybe 5 years before I distilled anything), aging time... it's a bottomless pit that will never fill up no matter how much money you put into it. To be honest I'll pick up a handle of EW black for $16.99 and I'm mostly content. That being said I'd rather have an Elijah Craig or a nice Speyside and still it's less costly overall than anything I could make and sometimes a better choice. *BUT* I could sit here all night and enjoy someone else's labor or I could bust my ass, learn a ton of shit, bust my ass some more and get something out at the end that I can evaluate, tweak, do it all over again and iterate over and over till I have the thing I really want then it's all worth it. If you consider rarity as a point of value, what you do in your garage that makes a singular gallon of unique beverage, it's a f'n unicorn. What you have is pretty much priceless and many times, try as you might, that may be the only gallon the world ever sees of it (because repeatability on this scale is not really a real thing) and it's all yours to cherish, and to me that in itself is kinda priceless. IDK how far you're thinking ahead, but I have a few special jars tucked away that will go to those that come after me. Imagine you could get a sip of your grandpa's homemade whisky and you can barely remember sitting on his lap, how special would that be? That's the true worth. *I am not yet a grandpa, but someday I may be and I'm already preparing for that scenario.

@netpok 3 года назад

I don't think you will find a "more efficient" heater as electric heaters are 100% efficient. The only way to go above that is with heat pumps (which is probably overkill). On the other hand you can try adding insulation to minimize heat loss.

@Jaska8000 2 года назад

15:00 Interesting point there. If you enjoy it, maybe with some music or audio Bible to listen, to, this hobby takes very little "intense" time, but long hours of routine distilling when you still (pun intend) have to be around and ready to action if somethings is about to go wrong. Me, myself grow herbs and chili year round. Someone might say Ok thats a 24h/day hobby and it is. But when everything smooth and cool this herbal grow takes some 10-20 minutes a day to maintain.

@endsleighplace 3 года назад

One comment I get is that I'm only into this hobby (+brewing) is to save money. Rather than clipping folks around the ears I'll link them this video. Might still clip them around the ears, just for good measure...