# Hi proof neutral spirit .



## Dave70 (11/11/14)

Looking to make some limoncello if my lemon tree delivers this year, or even if it doesn't, and need some fire water to steep the skins in. Tried vodka in the past but it just doesn't cut it. Really. 
One of the local Dans had Pure Polish last time I checked - about a year ago - though scary expensive for a tiny bottle.
Anybody know of another source?


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## Airgead (11/11/14)

I use vodka for my limoncello (and limecello... try it... its amazing... orangecello not so much, tastes a bit too much like fanta) and it comes out pretty well. Last year I used the Absolut 100 - the expensive 50%ABV one. That worked well.

Would love to get hold of some proper firewater though. I do know a guy who used to work a s a biologist and grabbed a hefty supply of lab grade ethanol. He uses it to clean plastic models before painting them and thinks I'm weird for wanting to grab some for drinking purposes.

Generally, you can't buy high proof spirits without a license. Winemakers can buy it for making fortified wines. If I ever pull my finger out and get my cidery/meadery started then i should be able to get hold of it, but until then its absolut 100 (or find an old Italian guy who makes grappa on the sly).


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## Dave70 (11/11/14)

Cant remember what vodka I used, which probably explains the results. I know it was nowhere near 50% however. After a month it was basically still the same color I started with.
'Lab grade' has such a nice ring to it.


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## sp0rk (11/11/14)

I've got some Limoncello on soaking right now in some 83% abv neutral, looking forward to mixing it up this weekend and having a sample :chug:


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## Feldon (11/11/14)

If your LHBS sells that steamy equipment that is used for 'non-beer making' maybe drop him a hint that you're after some raw spirit. He may have a customer that could give (not sell) you some.


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## Airgead (11/11/14)

sp0rk said:


> I've got some Limoncello on soaking right now in some 83% abv neutral, looking forward to mixing it up this weekend and having a sample :chug:


And this 83% neutral spirit... where did it come from. Spill the beans man. Unless its going to get this thread shut down in which case schtum.


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## sp0rk (11/11/14)

Best not spill the beans...
(it came from a friend)


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## manticle (11/11/14)

Airgead said:


> And this 83% neutral spirit... where did it come from. Spill the beans man. Unless its going to get this thread shut down in which case schtum.



Would be good not to have to lock or delete the thread so just exercise caution with what is discussed and what is recommended. Keep it legal and there's no need for moderation.


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## Truman42 (11/11/14)

sp0rk said:


> Best not spill the beans...
> (it came from a friend)


The same friend who spilt 2 litres of 'spirits" all over the carpet??


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## philmud (11/11/14)

Person in this thread on Whirlpool says they buy high ABV ethanol from a compounding pharmacy. No idea if it's cheaper than Dan's Stuff, but it's worth a phone call.

http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/archive/1186883


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## GalBrew (11/11/14)

Be careful. Very high purity lab ethanol has had the remaining water removed using toluene. Not healthy......


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## sp0rk (11/11/14)

Truman said:


> The same friend who spilt 2 litres of 'spirits" all over the carpet??


lol yep
That stuff was crap and was only being used for cleaning, luckily


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## Ducatiboy stu (11/11/14)

You could always evaporate and condense some shop bought Vodka....after all, all you would be doing is reducing the volume and increasing the purity of your legally bought Vodka....your not actually making any alcohol


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## Truman42 (11/11/14)

Dave70 said:


> Looking to make some limoncello if my lemon tree delivers this year, or even if it doesn't, and need some fire water to steep the skins in. Tried vodka in the past but it just doesn't cut it. Really.
> One of the local Dans had Pure Polish last time I checked - about a year ago - though scary expensive for a tiny bottle.
> Anybody know of another source?


Where do you live Dave? Maybe someone close by could help you out by suggesting a local "bottlo"......


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## Truman42 (11/11/14)

Ducatiboy stu said:


> You could always evaporate and condense some shop bought Vodka....after all, all you would be doing is reducing the volume and increasing the purity of your legally bought Vodka....your not actually making any alcohol


But your distilling, and that is illegal, no matter how you obtained the orignal alcohol. Fermenting a wash isnt illegal, its just like making beer. But distilling it is.


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## Dave70 (11/11/14)

Ducatiboy stu said:


> You could always evaporate and condense some shop bought Vodka....after all, all you would be doing is reducing the volume and increasing the purity of your legally bought Vodka....your not actually making any alcohol


Actually, that _is_ illegal. At least technically, or so I was told. Same as making an eisebock. Kind of.


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## spryzie (11/11/14)

Last I checked it wasn't illegal discuss distillaton.

It is against the law to have a still (whilst not holding a licence) unless that still is 5L or smaller and is not used to distill alcohol. 

But it isn't illegal to discuss how to operate a still. 

That's my rant for the day.

Secton 77FK of the Excise Act 1901 is the law.

Eisbocks are perfectly legal. That is not distillaton but concentration.


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## Dave70 (11/11/14)

Cant edit my original post so I'll just leave this here for the sake of harmony.

3. Discussion or Promotion of activities or material that the site administrators believe may potentially be illegal (*such as spirit distilling*, distribution of copyright software/media and the unlawful acquisition of equipment such as brewery owned kegs) is not permitted. This rule is relative to all areas within the forum and memberships.


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## Ducatiboy stu (11/11/14)

Oh look....a Unicorn


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## Bomber Watson (11/11/14)

Run some 151 through some charcoal?

Wont be totally neutral but wont be to bad either.


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## mofox1 (11/11/14)

That's very pretty, Stu.


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## manticle (11/11/14)

> Last I checked it wasn't illegal discuss distillaton.
> 
> It is against the law to have a still (whilst not holding a licence) unless that still is 5L or smaller and is not used to distill alcohol.
> 
> ...


Forum guidelines include the one posted by Dave. Discussing illegal activities is actively discouraged. That includes distillation. Know what you can do with your rant now?


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## wereprawn (11/11/14)

I am fairly ignorant when it comes to distilling and its legalities but...... Every hbs i have ever been to sell stills and spirit making gear. The net is full of pot stills ,fractionating stills ect for sale. Not to mention Aussie forums on the subject. What gives?


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## Online Brewing Supplies (11/11/14)

Being stubborn thats what gives .
Had this discussion with the AHB overlords and lost.
Nev


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## spryzie (11/11/14)

My rant stands. I do however know what you can do with your rule.


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## bradsbrew (11/11/14)

C'mon Gents, the owner of the forum does not want AHB associated with distilling and that includes discussing distilling. It's been a rule for as long as I can remember, there are plenty of other sites to research and discuss.
Please respect the owners wishes.

Cheers


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## sp0rk (11/11/14)

Despite my personal feelings on the illegality of home distilling (when done right), I think the powers that be here have every right to ban discussion of distilling here, they own/run the site and therefore have a say in the boundaries of discussion (to a degree)
It's in the T&C's so from the get go we know it's right out, no arguing that
As the mods have said, there are other forums dedicated to the subject


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## Ducatiboy stu (11/11/14)

bradsbrew said:


> . It's been a rule for as long as I can remember, there are plenty of other sites to research and discuss.


Was one of the first rules made.


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## Airgead (11/11/14)

Yeah... don't piss in the pool guys.

I do like the idea of the compounding pharmacy. Would probably cost a bomb (and you'd have to find a friendly pharmacist) but might not be a bad way to go.

Only need a litre or two to make a heap of limoncello. At 85% or so by the time you break it down to 30 with syrup you'd end up what about 3:1? So 4l or limoncello for a litre of booze. Could be quite cost effective.

I wonder whether you could talk to a naturopath or similar hippy healer. they make alcohol based tinctures all the time and might be more receptive to the healing power of limoncello than a pharmacist.


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## MHB (11/11/14)

If you go to any Chemist shop, they can sell you BP 90% Ethanol (with the tax paid) all nice and legal, they might have to order it in which will only take a day or so.
BP means *British Pharmacopoeia* (not Petroleum) and means its a couple of grades above food grade, so no toluene/benzene or whatever.
Your not going to like the price, there is something like $80 Excise/L of alcohol.
Mark


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## manticle (11/11/14)

wereprawn said:


> I am fairly ignorant when it comes to distilling and its legalities but...... Every hbs i have ever been to sell stills and spirit making gear. The net is full of pot stills ,fractionating stills ect for sale. Not to mention Aussie forums on the subject. What gives?


You can buy bongs and crack pipes too.


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## Weizguy (11/11/14)

I think I saw Everclear (95%) Grain-distilled alcohol at Dan's.
Also reports are that there is a similar spirit called Spirytus.

Maybe you can discuss the distilling situation with the new forum owner. New owner/ new rules?

Frankly, I don't need that type of chat cluttering up my favourite homebrew forum.


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## AndrewQLD (11/11/14)

There won't be anything to discuss Les, not long after Austin took over this subject was raised and discussed, Austin and the support team were strongly in favour of not allowing the discussion of distilling on this site and the decision was made to keep the rule in place.


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## Mardoo (11/11/14)

That's what you want. Dan Murphy's. About $60. In the locked case with the minis. Half a shot makes a decent vodka tonic.


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## Florian (11/11/14)

I bought a bottle of some 96% spirit a while ago to make some medicine/tonic. 

Ordered online as from what I remember Dan's doesn't sell it anymore. 

Will try to out a link from my emails. It wasn't cheap, though.


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## Florian (11/11/14)

There you go, same stuff as Mardoo has, actually.

http://www.jimscellars.com.au/_product/view-product/polmos-spirytus-rektyfikowany-rectified-spirit-500ml?id=0e0e5a94657afad1332e0c253e43c37b&sessid=eccb653d57d20e5cd107e09f28dd646b


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## Airgead (11/11/14)

Sweet. there's a Jim's near us. I'll have a look there.


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## Dave70 (11/11/14)

Mardoo said:


> ImageUploadedByAussie Home Brewer1415681642.979328.jpg
> 
> That's what you want. Dan Murphy's. About $60. In the locked case with the minis. Half a shot makes a decent vodka tonic.


Thats pretty cheap.

Compared to a magnum of Grange.


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## wereprawn (11/11/14)

manticle said:


> You can buy bongs and crack pipes too.


Fair enough. Selling a used, secondhand bong on ebay might draw unwanted attention though. I always assumed distilling was legal as it's so widely practiced and freely discussed.


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## Ducatiboy stu (11/11/14)

wereprawn said:


> I always assumed distilling was legal as it's so widely practiced and freely discussed.


Well, it isnt, even though some people may experiment

And this is a Beer forum, not a spirits forum, hence the reason we dont talk about distilling.

As other have stated, there are plenty of other sites that cater for that.

Rules are rules, and its been in place for 10yrs, and I doubt it is going to change


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## wereprawn (11/11/14)

Ducatiboy stu said:


> Well, it isnt, even though some people may experiment
> 
> And this is a Beer forum, not a spirits forum, hence the reason we dont talk about distilling.
> 
> ...


I wasn't suggesting any different


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## philmud (11/11/14)

Mardoo said:


> ImageUploadedByAussie Home Brewer1415681642.979328.jpg
> 
> That's what you want. Dan Murphy's. About $60. In the locked case with the minis. Half a shot makes a decent vodka tonic.


Rectified spirit eh? I wonder if that's a "serving suggestion"...


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## Camo6 (11/11/14)

AndrewQLD said:


> There won't be anything to discuss Les, not long after Austin took over this subject was raised and discussed, Austin and the support team were strongly in favour of not allowing the discussion of distilling on this site and the decision was made to keep the rule in place.


Amen to that. Since joining this forum my homebrewing costs have skyrocketed as well as my intake of beer _and_ my liver count. God help me, if we start discussing distillation I'm a goner.


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## MartinOC (11/11/14)

Hey guys, I've read this thread through & here's my 2c's worth:

Whilst I have a passing interest in distillation, there's lots of other places I can go to discuss it & find any information I want on the subject.

This is a beer forum. Let's discuss beer.


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## Mardoo (11/11/14)

And politics. Which is a subset of beer.


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## QldKev (11/11/14)

Mardoo said:


> And politics. Which is a subset of beer.


There's a forum for that here


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## Yob (11/11/14)

Camo6 said:


> Amen to that. Since joining this forum my homebrewing costs have skyrocketed as well as my intake of beer _and_ my liver count. God help me, if we start discussing distillation I'm a goner.


You have more livers now? Sweet deal, how come I've missed out on a new one? Oh that's right, perfect function when last tested, mustn't have needed a spare.. Lol


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## AndrewQLD (11/11/14)

I have removed a post that suggested using a dangerous product for purposes that it was not designed for.

Please do not suggest doing something dangerous on this forum or you will be moderated


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## Yob (11/11/14)

Topic should be hidden imo, nothing good can come of this and certainly evidence thus far supports this.

Just glad someone was on hand to clean it up already.. 

... Even if I got (understandably) modded in the process


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## Camo6 (11/11/14)

Yob said:


> Topic should be hidden imo, nothing good can come of this and certainly evidence thus far supports this.
> 
> Just glad someone was on hand to clean it up already..
> 
> ... Even if I got (understandably) modded in the process


"Yaaay!" screams my liver. "Boooo." says my backup.


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## manticle (11/11/14)

Yob said:


> Topic should be hidden imo, nothing good can come of this and certainly evidence thus far supports this.
> Just glad someone was on hand to clean it up already..
> ... Even if I got (understandably) modded in the process


There was nothing wrong with the OP. Unfortunately some seem incapable of heeding a very light, gentle warning not to stray into certain territory. Now three different mods have been involved. For the last time, sensibly discuss, within forum guidelines and help Dave out.

Not hard, people.


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## MastersBrewery (11/11/14)

Dave70 said:


> Thats pretty cheap.
> 
> Compared to a magnum of Grange.


As manticle says Politics Here unless your a NSW Premier of course!


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## bradsbrew (11/11/14)

Had never heard of it before. Is this link good info? http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limoncello


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## indica86 (11/11/14)

I made this a while ago... http://anitaliancanadianlife.ca/2014/recipe-limecello-2/ yummy. 
Been meaning to try this too http://www.goldendrop.com.au/cello/dragon-cello-4.html


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