Open Source Distilling • Hacker News Board

Re: Open Source Distilling

#41

Post by dmos62 » Sat, Jun 07, 2025, 4:32 AM UTC

anfractuosity wrote: post #38

dmos62 wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

iSpindel is cheaper than a manual hydrometer and it's automatic (and thus safer for the cultures). If you don't want to track/collect data about the fermentation or whatever, then don't, but many find it practical and pleasurable. https://opensourcedistilling.com/ispindel/

Are you sure it's cheaper than a glass hydrometer, you can get one for around £3

I misspoke, the right comparison was between it and a commercial automatic hydrometer. Thank you for the sanity check.

Re: Open Source Distilling

#42

Post by yial » Sun, Jun 08, 2025, 6:03 PM UTC

ghushn3 wrote: post #40

yial wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't agree with "strictly" illegal. 1 - it depends on what you're distilling. https://www.distillate.org/laws/list 2 - while federally illegal to just get a still and start churning out spirits, ... https://www.ttb.gov/regulated-commodities/beverage-alcohol/d... a free permit and some paperwork (okay a lot of paperwork) lets you. Disclaimer: I don't hold any licenses or permits related to alcohol, but as a holder…

"In some parts of the world ..." The world is bigger than the US, friend.

Having lived in both India, Peru, and the USA I agree.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moonshine_by_country

I would argue that it’s either not illegal, or not enforced, on more of the population of the world if taking a wider view approach.

Apologies if my initial comment was US centric, I was replying really to the “most U.S. states” section as that was easier to quantify and reply to.

Re: Open Source Distilling

#43

Post by jakubmazanec » Sun, Jun 08, 2025, 9:56 PM UTC

margalabargala wrote: post #35

hidingfearful wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

looking for the snarky link between "blind googling" and blindness caused by drinking improperly distilled alcohol.

> blindness caused by drinking improperly distilled alcohol. This isn't actually a thing. You will die of normal ethanol poisoning well before consuming enough methanol to cause blindness when drinking alcohol you made from distilling something you fermented. The blindness thing is some nicely placed Prohibition-era propaganda combined with the addition of methanol to alcohol-containing products that managed to make…

Re: Open Source Distilling

#44

Post by nativeit » Sun, Jun 08, 2025, 10:15 PM UTC

dylan604 wrote: post #31

I'm really at a loss as to the why distilling needs anything requiring OSS. It's worse than my washer/dryer/dishwasher wanting/requiring WiFi access. You put your mash in a vat to ferment. You bring that mash to boil in the still. You collect the output.

Humans do a lot of things that don't make much sense. Including the act of making and consuming liquor. We do it because we enjoy it.

Re: Open Source Distilling

#45

Post by 01100011 » Fri, Jun 13, 2025, 7:30 PM UTC

jakubmazanec wrote: post #43

margalabargala wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> blindness caused by drinking improperly distilled alcohol. This isn't actually a thing. You will die of normal ethanol poisoning well before consuming enough methanol to cause blindness when drinking alcohol you made from distilling something you fermented. The blindness thing is some nicely placed Prohibition-era propaganda combined with the addition of methanol to alcohol-containing products that managed to make…

Related: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2012_Czech_Republic_methanol...

These sorts if incidents are caused by adding methanol by choice, not by methanol resulting from the brewing process.