Below is a list of Frequently Asked Questions that we receive from our customers.

We are constantly updating the list of questions and answers.
Have a question not answered below?  Let us know through our Contact Us form.

Is it legal to distill at home as a hobby?
This all depends on where you live.  In New Zealand, for example, home hobby distilling became legal in 1996, however, distilling at home remains illegal in much of the world.

In the USA the Hobby Distillers Association is working to change that.  Much progress has been made, and they are always needing more support, so please check them out for up-to-date information on the legalization effort and to find out how you can help.

 

If it is illegal to distill then how can you sell stills?
While it is illegal in many places to distill as a hobby, there are legal avenues to distill alcohol, at least in the USA.  Brewhaus works with hobbyists and small scale craft distilleries alike.  Our distillers can also be used for many things other than alcohol distillation.  For example, you can distill water or essential oils.  It is also possible to obtain a permit to distill alcohol as a fuel.

 

Do you really make your stills or are they from China?
Many of our competitors say that they make the stills that they sell, or at least insinuate it, but when pressed they will admit that they import them from China.  Brewhaus is one of only a few actual small-scale still manufacturers in the USA.  That is not to say that we do not also import some of the still columns (most notably some Bubble Plate and our Sight Glass columns), but most of our columns are produced right here in our Texas facility.  With our laser cutter and laser welder we continue to expand our manufacturing, bringing you more US made products.

 

What is Turbo Yeast?  Is it as bad as some people say?
Turbo yeast is simply a mixture of a specialized yeast strain with the minerals, vitamins, and other nutrients that yeast needs in order to survive and convert simple sugars in to alcohol.  Simply pitching yeast into a bucket of sugar water will not work.  In the case that you wish to ferment a simple sugar and water mixture, or any wash that is deficient in any of the nutrients that the yeast needs to survive and perform as expected, it is necessary to add these separately.  A turbo yeast is just a full mixture of these ingredients blended and packaged for you.  A good turbo yeast, used correctly, will not result in off-flavors or aromas aside from the natural byproducts of any fermentation.

Turbo yeasts will also generally complete the fermentation in a much shorter time, hence the word ‘turbo’ in the name.

 

Do you offer free shipping?
Nothing in life is free.  Free Shipping should really be called Shipping Included.  At one time we offered ‘free shipping’ on orders over a certain value, but after Covid the shipping rates kept rising.  The only way to continue to offer free shipping was to increase the prices of all items to cover the increasing cost of shipping.  This essentially penalized those ordering less than the free shipping minimum order by charging them the increased prices.  We felt it was better to keep our prices low and add the actual shipping cost.

 

Do you have a storefront?
We are a warehouse only, and do not have a retail storefront for walk-in shopping.

 

Can I pick up my order?
Yes.  If you live in the area or will be in the area you can pick up your order to avoid the cost of shipping.

 

Do you have any coupons available?
We rarely offer coupons, instead opting for sale prices on items.  In the rare instance that we offer a coupon it is generally be sent out in a newsletter.

 

Why did the charge on my credit card disappear?  Did you cancel my order?
We do not believe that you should have to pay for your order until your order is ready to ship, so we do not charge credit cards at the time the order is placed.  We only obtain an authorization for the charges.  This also makes it much easier to reduce the cost of shipping should the online rate be higher than the actual shipping cost.  Depending on your credit card issuer, if there is a delay in shipping your order of more than a couple days, they may drop the hold from your statement, making it look like the charge was reversed.  This is just the way the banks handle the process, and is nothing to be concerned about.