Home distiller

In France a home distiller is a person entitled to produce her clean brandies. The practice of the Distillation of the alcohol was regulated at the time of the Prohibition of alcohol. This profession is now in the process of disappearance.

In France, the descendants of the soldiers of Napoleon profited from the Privilege of the home distillers, enabling them to produce their own alcohol. Nevertheless since 1959, this privilege is not transmissible any more by heritage.

Distillation of brandies

1/ preparation of the fruits

The fruits, to best from their maturity, passed to the rammer and put out of barrels. PH of the fruit juice being naturally in the neighborhood of 3,2.

3/ Fermentation

The Fermentation starts at the end of a few days. Distillation intervenes only after one minimum five weeks of Fermentation (variable according to the outside temperature.

4/ Distillation

The stills (out of copper) are with naked fire, the bain-marie or vapor. One separates the products there from distillation: the fore-runnings, too rough (and containing a certain quantity of Methanol dangerous for health), and the products of end of distillation (produced tail or small water), less scented and less alcoholized, which are recovered and distilled with the next ones cooked.

In the case of the Cherry, kirsch is then stored in tanks or put to age under attic, out of bottles of glass. The variations in temperature (of - l5° with +35°) ensure a good ageing heat removes the heat: the cold concentrates the flavors and refines them. II on average 9 kg of cherries are necessary to produce one liter of kirsch with 50°.

The distillation of brandies was formerly made by a Home distiller with a travelling still or fixes, but since industrialization this trade tends to disappearance, because the cost prices of industrial production are more competitive.

Regulation

People having " the privilege of subsidiary shell of cru" have an exemption of tax on the first thousand produced degrees of alcohol (alcohol 1000° is the equivalent of twenty liters of alcohol with 50°). The additional degrees are the subject of a tax (14,50 € per liter of alcohol pure).

In France, any person owner of a piece, having the denomination of Orchard or of Vine on the register of the Land register, can distill the products resulting from this piece (fruits, cider, wine, marc). Distillation is carried out in a public or deprived workshop, after having carried out a declaration with the customs and Rights Indirect. The people who do not have the title of home distiller pay as of the first degree of alcohol: the tariff is of 7,50 € per liter of pure alcohol up to thousand degree, and 14,50€ by liter of pure alcohol to the top. The owner of a piece can give procuration to somebody who will distill thus in its name.

History

The privilege of home distiller goes back to Napoleon when it granted a privilege of exemption of taxes for the distillation of 10 liters pure alcohol or for 20 liters of alcohol to 50%. This privilege was hereditary until 1960, where, to try to limit the plague of alcoholism in the campaigns, the legislator prohibits from now on the transmission between generations of it, only the surviving spouse could use about it until its clean dead, but more no descendant.

From now on the home distillers nontitular of the privilege could make manufacture their alcohol by the travelling distiller but were to pour a tax tax with the customs.

In 2002, a finance law stipulates that the frankness granted to the still titular home distillers from the privilege is removed, however one period five years prolongs until December 31st, 2007 the old device and starting from the campaign distillation 2008, the former holders of the privilege can still profit from a handing-over of 50% on the tax for the first 10 liters of pure alcohol.

Vocabulary

It will be noticed that this expression is a Contrepèterie.

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