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How to Make a Moonshine Still?
Feb
Moonshine is an interesting substance that is legal to drink in some states of the US. Moonshine has a long history with America. Many individuals in the United States have heard about moonshine at one point. How do you produce moonshine? You can make moonshine in a moonshine still.
It is legal to distill moonshine in some states in the United States. Some states control the production of moonshine for various reasons. However, many people still distill moonshine in their homes. The reason why many people love taking moonshine is that it is a particular type of alcohol.
Alcohol consumption is restricted in many countries, and making moonshine is also a controlled activity. Many people need to learn how to distill moonshine by themselves. It is more complicated to make a moonshine still. Are you looking for a way to make a moonshine still kit? Here’s how you can do so.
In This Article:
Why Should You Make A Moonshine Still?
Factors About Making A Moonshine Still
Things You Need To Build A Moonshine Still
Steps In Making A Moonshine Still
How To Clean A Moonshine Still
What Is Moonshine?
Many people are curious about what exactly moonshine is. Moonshine is an alcoholic substance that consists of unaged whiskey and a corn base. Most of the time, moonshine has a very high alcohol percentage. It is more vital than most basic alcohol you can distill at home.
Initially, many individuals produced moonshine secretly to evade taxes or alcohol bans. Hence, many people attached the name ‘moonshine’ to illegal alcohol. This is because, most of the time, the moonshine is distilled at night, so it can be smuggled to different locations easily after it is made.
There are heavy taxes and bans imposed on alcoholic substances in many countries. To evade these taxes and restrictions, many people distill moonshine by themselves. Over time, moonshine production has become a closely regulated activity, and the substance is only legal in some states.
Producing and smuggling moonshine was a viral activity in the nineteen thirties. The people who made moonshine in the olden days were called moonshiners, and those in charge of smuggling the substance were bootleggers. Many people still enjoy making moonshine using a home distilling kit.
Alcohol is still a controlled substance in most countries. However, the restrictions have loosened over the years. You can now distill moonshine in states where it is legal to use moonshine copper still in your home. Many people love this alcoholic substance because it is easily made and accessible.
There are several ingredients required to produce moonshine. These ingredients are pretty easy to find around you—the materials you need to make moonshine include corn, water, barley, and yeast. There isn’t much difference between regular alcohol and moonshine. One significant difference we can point out is that moonshine is unaged, while others are aged.
What Is A Moonshine Still?
A moonshine still is a system that is designed to distill moonshine. You can make moonshine using distillation. Alcohol has to be distilled before it is safe for consumption. If you want to make moonshine by yourself, you need a whiskey still or a copper moonshine still to distill the moonshine.
Distillation involves separating a much purer version of a substance from a less pure or raw version. It involves distilling the required ingredients for moonshine till you’re left with unaged whiskey. You must conduct distillation in the presence of heat or cold. Individuals can produce moonshine quickly through distillation.
The process of distillation is very straightforward. It separates various liquids that have been mixed, provided they have different boiling points. Distillation can only work if the substances to be separated have a different boiling point. This is because the separation process requires more than one boiling point.
One typical example of distillation is converting salt water to clean water. You can easily separate salt from water using a distiller. When distilling moonshine, clear and pure alcohol is extracted from a mash of different ingredients such as corn, barley, water, and yeast.
The boiling point of alcohol is lower than that of water, so the alcohol content in the moonshine mash is distilled first before the water evaporates. This separates the water and mash from the alcohol or moonshine. You can then proceed to consume the distilled moonshine from the copper pot still.
A moonshine still is a distillation system that separates alcohol from a moonshine mixture. The mixture or mash comprises various ingredients like yeast, barley, corn, and water. After the moonshine is distilled from the copper still kit, you can finally consume the substance.
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Why Should You Make A Moonshine Still?
Many people ask why you need to make your moonshine still. A moonshine still is a very resourceful tool that has many outstanding advantages it can bring you. However, why should you make one instead of just ordering the kit from a store? There are several advantages you get when you make your moonshine still.
Cheaper
The price of an item plays a significant role when it comes to value. Everybody wants to have the best value for their money. Making a moonshine still is relatively cheaper than buying one.
The cost of the materials you need to build a moonshine still is low compared to the money you would pay to buy a kit online. This is understandable since manufacturers must consider tax and other variables when pricing their goods. However, building a moonshine distiller is still more economical than buying one.
If you’re the type that loves to save money when you can, then you should make your distiller. When it comes to monetary value, it is more advisable to build a still kit yourself.
Easy To Build
Another reason you should make a moonshine still is that it is fun and easy to build. Sometimes, people purchase products that are difficult to assemble. It can be very annoying when you purchase a tool that is hard to install. Making your copper pot still is enjoyable and exciting.
A moonshine still is simple to build. All you need are the right set of tools and instructions. If you’re the type that loves building stuff and tinkering, then you will have a great time when making moonshine still. It is a fun and engaging process.
Customizable
One great thing about making your own still is that you can customize it to your specifications. Moonshine stills usually come with assembling instructions, which you are strongly advised to follow. However, you can still make certain adjustments that make the distillation set more comfortable.
Having assembled equipment to your liking helps ensure ease of use. If you make your moonshine still yourself, getting familiar with the setup will be easier since you built it yourself. It also brings a sense of achievement when you make something independently.
If you build your distiller, you can easily specify the size, arrangement, maintenance points, and heat source. This will help you get more familiar with homemade moonshine still. You can also boast to your friends that you built a distiller yourself.
Factors About Making A Moonshine Still
The distilling process in a factory and at home is the same. You must take the same basic steps when distilling at home or a factory. Certain factors are attached to drinking moonshine from a home distilling equipment. However, some factors are still attached to drinking moonshine from homemade distilleries.
Initially, people created moonshine to enjoy alcohol while evading tax laws. Hence, an official body must approve the distillation process, and no enforcers are ensuring that people follow the correct protocol. These protocols include washing hands, using clean ingredients, and wearing a hairnet.
If the necessary health protocols are not followed, it can lead to various health complications. Hence, it is advisable to maintain cleanliness and safety precautions when distilling moonshine at home. It is also prevalent for tiny insects to land on the moonshine mash during fermentation.
These insects might not cause direct harm to your health, but they are not pleasant to drink either. However, there are some incidents where people have died or gone blind due to moonshine. This is because the moonshine they consumed is terrible or contains a foreign substance.
Apart from the usual dangers attached to alcohol, there is no particular danger about moonshine. Moonshine is simply a very effective alcoholic drink when it is made correctly. It has a slightly harsh taste since it is unaged and is usually very potent. Proper moonshine contains about 75% alcohol.
The main issue with moonshine equipment is that there needs to be a proper way to monitor the distillation process. A home moonshine still is a convenient piece of equipment if you use it properly. Many individuals have tried adding other ingredients to moonshine to increase its potencies, such as manure and bleach. Some of these ingredients are poisonous to humans.
Following the standard ingredients and procedure is essential when using a home copper still kit. Several other factors can lead to a bad batch of moonshine. These factors include:
Insufficient Distillation
Distillation is a process you are supposed to perform repeatedly before consuming the product. The distilled alcohol must be passed around the copper alembic still at least two times before finishing the cycle.
This is because there are numerous impurities present in the alcohol that need to be adequately purified. Hence, you should always pass the alcohol through the still two or more times before consumption.
Lead Poisoning
Lead poisoning is a prevalent disease involving a certain amount of lead consumed into the body. If any lead-based material is added to the ingredients of the moonshine, it can lead to lead poisoning.
Also, using any tools coated with lead, such as pipes, can lead to lead poisoning when you drink moonshine. Hence, it is essential to be careful when distilling moonshine.
Hot Still
It is essential to ensure that the electric moonshine still is not too hot. This is because, if the still is too hot, you might distill some of the other ingredients in the mash along with the moonshine.
Hence, you must regulate the heat source to ensure no extra material is added to the moonshine. Some of these added materials might be toxic to the human body.
Things You Need To Build A Moonshine Still
You need some basic materials to build your moonshine still kit. These materials include:
· A copper pot with a lid. You can make use of a pressure cooker for this requirement. However, make sure that the pot you select is large enough for the mash you are making.
· A bucket that can house the condenser coil. Usually, a 5-gallon bucket will be conducive to this requirement.
· A thermometer gauge to measure the temperature of the still at all times.
· A power drill and a metal file.
· Teflon tape for holding the pieces of the still together.
· Ice for the distillation
· A heat source. It could be a stove or hotplate.
· Refrigerator coil
· Clamps to hold the lid of the pot.
Steps In Making A Moonshine Still
Are you still interested in making an electric moonshine still? It is easy. You only need to follow these steps if you want to construct a moonshine-making kit for yourself:
Step One: Prepare the pot
For this step, you first need to drill two holes into the lid of the still pot, then another hole a few inches apart from the pot’s side. This hole is the designated spot for the thermometer. After that, drill another hole on the opposite side of the pot for the cooling pipe. You can use the file to remove any excess metal pieces.
Step Two: Place the thermometer
After preparing the still pot, the next step is to insert the thermometer into the pot or pressure cooker. After placing the thermometer, you need to use Teflon tape to close the mouth of the hole. This prevents any vapor from leaking through the hole during the distillation process.
Step Three: Make the condenser
After settling the thermometer, you must use copper tubing for the condenser. To make the condenser, you must coil the copper tubing around itself. You should have a spiral-shaped copper condenser at the end of the coiling process.
Step Four: Attach the Condenser
After successfully making the condenser out of the copper tubing, attach it to the still pot. You can do this by inserting the tube into the designated hole and then closing the hole using Teflon tape to prevent vapor from escaping through the gaps. The condenser should be inserted from the straight end.
Step Five: Attach the condenser to the bucket
Once the condenser is attached to the still pot, the next step is to attach the coil to the cooler or bucket. During this process, note that the coil should always spiral smoothly downward. You can easily adjust the coil to fit the size of your bucket.
After that, you are to drill a hole a little away from the bottom of the bucket. Remove the waste plastic surrounding the hole, then insert the coil into the bucket until the outlet at the other end sticks out slightly from the hole at the bottom. This is where the moonshine will come out from.
The opening beneath the bucket should be sealed with hot glue. You can place an object underneath the condenser bucket to elevate it from the ground during distillation. This helps the movement of the alcohol vapor in the still. After this, you’re good to go. The moonshine making kit will be fully functional.
How To Clean A Moonshine Still
Many people still do not know how to properly clean a moonshine still. You can easily clean a copper still kit using water and vinegar. To clean the distiller, you only need to boil this solution like a standard distillation. After that, you can use clean drinking water to repeat the process.
It is essential to clean your moonshine equipment after each use. This ensures the distiller is always clean and reduces the chances of toxic materials accumulating in the kit. Hence, always clean and dry your moonshine still to prevent falling sick, or developing health-related problems due to disease or poisoning.
Final Words
A moonshine still is a fascinating tool that you can use to distill moonshine. Moonshine is a highly potent alcoholic substance that has existed for many years. You can easily make your moonshine if you have the necessary ingredients and moonshine still. The ingredients used for moonshine include yeast, barley, and corn.
It is still straightforward to make a moonshine still. All you need is the necessary components, and you’re ready to go. A moonshine still is very easy to assemble and does not require much hassle. If you have your copper still kit, making moonshine on your own will be easy. You can learn more about moonshine stills here.
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