Moonshine?

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rfidd

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Visiting in Oklahoma, and had a chance to tour a "factory" where one of my high school buddies makes moonshine. Brewing techniques are similar but carried a step further, distillation. Doesn't have to worry too much about getting odd tastes and flavoring, just get those little yeasties making some alcohol, works it about two weeks, then transfers it to a still to boil off and capture the straight stuff. Re-uses the yeast bed up to seven times.

Makes a powerful drink straight up. He also takes some of it, dilutes it by half, adds come cinnamon oil extract and markets it as a "ladies whiskey",:drunk: only about 90 proof.

Very interesting.

Rick
 
I'm glad you still have enough vision to see the computer screen! Homemade still I imagine? Or was it one of those "water distillers" they sell on BYO mag?
 
rfidd said:
Visiting in Oklahoma, and had a chance to tour a "factory" where one of my high school buddies makes moonshine. Brewing techniques are similar but carried a step further, distillation. Doesn't have to worry too much about getting odd tastes and flavoring, just get those little yeasties making some alcohol, works it about two weeks, then transfers it to a still to boil off and capture the straight stuff. Re-uses the yeast bed up to seven times.

Makes a powerful drink straight up. He also takes some of it, dilutes it by half, adds come cinnamon oil extract and markets it as a "ladies whiskey",:drunk: only about 90 proof.

Very interesting.

Rick
Click to expand...

What part of Oklahoma? Southeast? McCurtain Co.?
 
Brewing Clamper said:
I'm glad you still have enough vision to see the computer screen! Homemade still I imagine? Or was it one of those "water distillers" they sell on BYO mag?
Click to expand...

with the proper procedures home distilling is about as safe as home brewing . . . just a bit less legal :drunk:
 
My grandpa used to make his living moonshining in W. Arkansas and E Oklahoma. Before he died I asked him to show me how. He did (no stillwas available. Oral history and diagrams). It was fun, especially the storys about runnin' from the law.

I would make it but I can't stomach store bought whiskey, let alone lightnin'.
 
sudsmonkey said:
I'd be more worried about the long hot showers with Big Bubba after I got caught for moonshining. In the long run, buying liquor is better!
Click to expand...

I seriously doubt you would go to jail for making a little 2 or 3 quart batch. I've had plenty of friends build a small still and make a few mason jars of moonshine, including myself about 6 years ago, right before I started college. A fine? A ticket? Maybe, but the cops aren't out looking for the guy making a small amount of shine in his kitchen, they're looking for the guys with guns, out in the woods making barrels of the stuff and trying to sell it.
 
Hey God Emporer, I was up in northeastern Oklahoma, between Tulsa and Bartlesville. It was a fairly decent set up, although I did see it at night, with only a flashlight. He says you don't have to be quite so careful with the fermentation steps, and the off flavors we home brewers work to avoid, because he is gonna distill it anyway. He has been on task for 15 years or so, and he seems to still have decent eyesight, so I guess he was doing something right. And, like I said, it was a pretty tasty product.

Rick
 
rfidd said:
Hey God Emporer, I was up in northeastern Oklahoma, between Tulsa and Bartlesville. It was a fairly decent set up, although I did see it at night, with only a flashlight. He says you don't have to be quite so careful with the fermentation steps, and the off flavors we home brewers work to avoid, because he is gonna distill it anyway. He has been on task for 15 years or so, and he seems to still have decent eyesight, so I guess he was doing something right. And, like I said, it was a pretty tasty product.

Rick
Click to expand...

I figured it was eastern anyway! Pretty Boy Floyd country. there are a lot of folks in eastern OK that don't exactly see eye to eye with the laws of the land.

I sure drank my share of it when I lived in SE Oklahoma. It was made by some pretty upstanding members of my community. Never got to see the setup though. that's cool for you!
 
Pumbaa said:
with the proper procedures home distilling is about as safe as home brewing . . . just a bit less legal :drunk:
Click to expand...

I can atest to that. Great addition to the homebrew hobby. Hopefully the neighbors that enjoy my efforts will pick up a shotgun when the revenoors come.........
 
Thanks, it was actually pretty cool. I have heard of people going blind from drinking isopropyl alcohol, but I am unsure how isopropyl is created from ethanol? He just mentioned that alcohol boiled at 196 degrees, so that is how he separated it from the water.

The boiler was powered by propane, held about 30 gallons, and it had a large stainless cap tha set on top of it with a copper line coming out the top. (Actually the top looked somewhat like a top hat). The copper line lead to a coil of copper line in a water bath, connecting to a reservoir where that alcohol collected.

Rick
 
Isopropyl is created in the fermentation process, but you shouldn't get much with a clean ferment. From what I have heard, isopropyl shouldn't make you go blind - it's apparently not much more toxic than ethyl, just doesn't get you drunk.
 
mr x said:
Isopropyl is created in the fermentation process, but you shouldn't get much with a clean ferment. From what I have heard, isopropyl shouldn't make you go blind - it's apparently not much more toxic than ethyl, just doesn't get you drunk.
Click to expand...

Yeah, Mr X, I did a bit more reading, and it seems that Methyl or wood alcohol is the culprit.

Anyway, my sample of moonshine came via delivery boy today, and I might have to do some more sampling ( for pure scientific reasons, only). :)

Rick
 

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