Make Moonshine

When I make moonshine, how much moonshine will 2 gallons of mash make?

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Apr 19, 2015
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help with reflux tower
by: Anonymous

Do you have to clean out the Reflux tower after every use?

Apr 15, 2015
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Moonshine Quantities
by: Anonymous

I have a 2 gallon pot still but only got 4 pints. Why is that?

Mar 31, 2015
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Moonshine Still off eBay Turkey Fryer
by: legendj

Four gallon pot still off eBay Turkey fryer have air lock use a five gallon blue plastic water Jug with air lock. I normally use strawberries but tried blackberry and mango. It came out good small yields: Normally 5 pounds cornmeal, ten pounds sugar, two tablespoons of yeast. Not getting more than 25% half in worm: Says run 185° drips slow. I think a week of fermentation would be fine though still a little sweet. Any ideas? You are saying 195° is ok to get my stream. If so blue flame doesn't come. Struggling with frog eyes but taste great.

Mar 25, 2015
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Off colored wash
by: Anonymous

I have a 6 gal sugar mash, fermentation started right away, quit on the 5th day but now the mash color has changed to a ugly orange color. Any ideas?

Feb 14, 2015
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moonshine advice
by: harry henderson

Been making shine and building home stills for years. My dad and his two brothers were shiners and you see a lot of your problems because I have been through all of them.

There is a big difference between copper pots you see on TV and home stills. I have been tweaking recipes for several years. I have built stills from 3 gallons to 15 gallon stainless to thumpers and worms will be glad to help anyone getting into moonshining.

Don't get disgruntled if a batch don't turn out. Try to figure out or ask someone with experience that is your best teacher.

Feb 14, 2015
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recipe for moonshine
by: Anonymous

6 year proven moonshine recipe

5 gallons distilled water
6 pounds sugar
6 cans of premium whole kernel corn minus the juice

Bring water to 90 degrees stir in half the sugar and half the corn. Stir till sugar dissolves. Remove from heat add remaining sugar and corn. Stir till sugar dissolves. Let settle until 75 degrees. Gently stir in 3 packets of yeast.

5 gallon bucket with airlock, fish tank heater in mash set on 95. 6 days fermentation will yield 5 to 6 pints of 140 proof liquor when all proofed together.

Have more recipes and professional still builder comments are welcome.

Sep 03, 2014
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temperatures to distill moonshine
by: Anonymous

I am usually at about 190 to 199 to get liquor. It tastes fine and it comes out at an average of 110 proof. I leave the heat on and keep it at 195 or so. If I decrease the temperature, the output stops. If it is coming out too fast, I slow it down to reduce the amount of water vapor. I said screw the 180 thingy and I get about 6 good pints out of 5 gallons of wash. Works for me.

Aug 24, 2014
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Run Facts for Making Moonshine
by: Anonymous

I run a 5 gallon batch of mash in a 15 gallon still and get about 2 pints of hearts. It is a 2 hour process and I start collecting at 180 degrees and stop when it weakens. I keep it at about 196 degrees. I get about 110-120 proof.

Jul 11, 2014
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distilling problems
by: Anonymous

I am currently in the middle of trying to distill a 5 gallon wash for moonshine. I've got an air tight seal on my pot still and I've heated the wash up to 170 degrees and turned it down. I then let it sit for a half hour and the copper tube wasn't even warm.

So I heated it up to 180 degrees and turned it down. I let that sit for a half hour and still not even warm in the tube.

I repeated this process until I was up to 200 degrees F., and still no vapor seems to be being produced.

I'm really not sure what to do so any help would be appreciated

May 19, 2014
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shot or two of shine
by: Anonymous

Make your mash..After about 7-10 days it should be ready to put in the still.Make sure your worm is constantly cold at all times or you will only get a tiny bit of shine..use ice and water around the worm..it works great.

May 18, 2014
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mash ingredients and yield
by: Anonymous

I want to make 20 gal. mash ,with cornmeal how much water, yeast, sugar, and cornmeal do I need and out of that what should my yield be?

Mar 08, 2014
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what is the right temperature for making shine?
by: Anonymous

Just wondering if someone could tell after I reach 175 degrees how long should it take for the shine to come out of the worm? It seems like about an hour, I adjust low heat till temperature is there. Am I doing something wrong?

Feb 17, 2014
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why am i only geting a shot or two of shine
by: Anonymous

I make my mash let it sit for five days cook it to temp and only get a small amount?

Jan 26, 2014
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Storing finished mash
by: Anonymous

I am trying to make my first run. I have my still almost, but not quite, complete. My mash is ready. How long do I have before the mash goes bad, or does it?

Should have my still completed in a day or so.

Jan 25, 2014
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RE: Need some big help
by: Andrew

Aluminum is fine as cooker, NOT a fermenting pot.

Milk containers and old aluminum keg stills(and plans) are for sale all over the web. Milk things are sanitary steel anyway, for the most part.
There is probably some rule of common sense as far as taste goes, I DON'T use aluminum.

A stainless steel stock pot on ebay with the proper induction style lid is like 30/40$.

Make sure your column/top is heavy enough to hold the lid down so there are no pressure leaks.

I just found this
(*http://homedistiller.org/equip/materials *) And over at a site called milehigh stills ?? or something close you will find parts for sale specifically for milk can stills.

Jan 22, 2014
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Need some big help with this one
by: BigBooty shine

Hey guys I'm making a still out of an old metal milk can and I didn't know if I could because it was metal?

Would that effect anything? I don't think it will but I wanted to ask y'all first.

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You cannot make a still from any old metal. This is due to the chemical reaction with the shine and the metal, this is particularly so with aluminum. Any still made out of aluminum is deadly. That goes with any other metals that are impure.

The best stills are made traditionally out of copper. However, these days, stainless steel stills are also fine.

If you are not sure of the metal of your dairy can, stay away from it. Rather invest in a stainless steel container to be on the safe side.

Best regards

Jan 19, 2014
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Stainless steel stock pot still
by: Anonymous

I am gonna make a still out of a stainless steel stock pot.

I just don't know what size to get. You can get pots from 20 quarts up to a 100 quarts

I'm thinking 30 or 60 quarts. Then I'm leaning toward reflux over a worm.

What do y'all think?

Jan 12, 2014
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to the guy who cant get a steady stream out the still
by: Anonymous

You need to rapidly keep your worm cool. I found that ice just melts. You need to simulate a creek or river running through the worm box in the top out the bottom the top of your worm will always be hot, even under water.

You're loosing all the steam your worm is supposed to condense. You have to constantly check water temperatures with a home still.

Also make sure your worm coils downhill all the way from the top. It's key that there isn't any part of the worm going back up so check for ups and downs. You don't want roller coaster - just a descent.

Dec 31, 2013
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Making a Run
by: Boogah Jr.

When making a run and the temperature gets up to around 180 I am losing a little steam from the pressures.

As long as the amounts are minimal do I need to be concerned?

Also when I get to where I'm getting basically bitter water out I have been stopping pouring out those dripping and the mash.

Is this correct or should I continue cooking and use dripping when making next batch of mash and do i discard the mash or just use it as the water for the next batch of mash?

Dec 30, 2013
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RE: honey shine
by: Wingloader

Two things could be going on. I have a fermenting bucket that doesn't seal well and it sometimes looks like it is not bubbling in the air lock. I grab the bucket and swirl the contents around a few times. The fluid will be "sticky" and seal the leaks around the bucket lid. You will get an immediate burst of Co2 just from swishing the liquid around. Then, if you get more bubbling later in the airlock, that was the deal.

OR..it is simply done fermenting. Depending on the ambient temp in the room, you can get really fast fermentation. I put a clamp on light bulb with the aluminum shroud and point it at the base of my bucket. Instead of seven days, I fully ferment in 2 to 3 days.

OR...your airlock has a bad seal. Put a little water around it to see if there are bubbles.

Hope this helps.
Joe

Dec 29, 2013
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Just stopping by
by: Andrew

Wow- been gone for a tad. I would say at 4 days your honey is all converted. Sounds like its gonna have a different base taste-- and more importantly, its gonna smell awesome cooking.

Right NOW- before its cooked I bet it taste like sour oranges yes?? Letting it sit longer has no/little benefit at this point unless you add more sugar-food for the yeast. At 4/5 days regular yeast is finished for the most part.

I've never done this but you might want to add honey after you cook it if you're looking for flavor.

After something gets cooked/distilled to a point of over say 70% (that's a guess) it will loose its taste. Hence the term "Blended whiskey".

lWhen/after its distilled it is essentially just a neutral spirit, colorless and flavorless. Then like say Segrams or some other whiskey, blended with colorings and flavors and water. Its mostly placebo anyway, if there were 3 glasses of the same whiskey on the table. I said glass 2 is the best stuff I ever tasted, most people would taste it and say they agree. It's all for fun anyway.

Hey MOD, why no pictures in here?? Do I have to knit my rig a little hat-make it a quilt or something to post its picture in here?

Dec 27, 2013
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Can anyone help with my moonshine question?
by: Anonymous

Hi everyone I am new to this and I am starting out trying a batch of honey shine.

I used a recipe I found online. The recipe called for five gallons water, one gallon of honey and one packet of turbo yeast.

I followed the recipe exactly as it said heating the water to 120 degrees, stirring in the honey,aerated by pouring back and fourth between two buckets, letting the water cool to 70 degrees before adding the yeast.

I then stirred in the yeast till dissolved for approximately one minute or so, put the lid on with air lock and left it.

I kept a check on it the first couple days it was bubbling great on the fourth day bubbling had stopped.

Can anyone help me with this issue? I am not sure whether to add sugar or yeast or really what to do to save this batch at this point.

The yeast I used was 48 hour turbo yeast.

Dec 25, 2013
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How much heads of a 2.5 gallon batch do i discard
by: Nick

Just purchased a 2.5 gallon copper still, how much of the heads do i discard before i collect the good stuff?

Dec 23, 2013
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Blueberry Moonshine
by: Taterc

Thanks Guys! I just ran some mash I made with blueberries. Man is it good! 1 and a half gallons of 180 proof. That will do me for a year or so. Thanks again!

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Blueberry Moonshine, now that sounds like a good drink! Glad it worked out for you!

Now of course you need to make sure you don't lose the recipe so that you can make some next year - or if it is that good - even sooner!

Dec 18, 2013
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Moonshine Newbie
by: Anonymous

Ok, I have a SMALL still I'm going to be using for my very first run. I need to know exactly what I need to do when it comes to making a mash. I'm looking for straight whiskey.

I've learned a lot from other boards and this board, but I'm not sure what I need to make a mash. Sugar, corn, yeast, malt? Now, this is a very small still, but I want to make about 5 gallons of mash.

Any help?

How much sugar, yeast, water do I need and do I just stir and let sit?

Help

Dec 17, 2013
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moonshine recipe for 10L pot
by: Dana

To the person using the 10L pot for making moonshine,find a 5 gal or 20L recipe and cut it in half.

Nov 26, 2013
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Moonshine not Fermenting
by: Anonymous

You need to increase the amount of sugar you are using.

Nov 21, 2013
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Please help with my Shine
by: Anonymous

Ok. I've made my mash and it is ten gallons water, 2 and a half corn mill and 10 pounds of sugar and half ounce of yeast.

It is bubbling but no foam. Is it still working? It's been 5 days and it has never had foam, just bubbles. Can you help?

Nov 14, 2013
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Pressure Cooker Style Still for Moonshine
by: Anonymous

hi everyone... I am new to this and having fun with the build.

I am using a pressure cooker style still but am still working the mash. I've used 2.5 pounds of cornmeal, 4 pounds of sugar and 2 packs of high active yeast; a recipe I got off the Internet.

I've got the mash in a 5 gallon bucket sealed with a lid and a hose sealed to the lid.

I'm using a glass jar with water but am not getting any bubbles (on the second day. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Nov 11, 2013
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mash measurements
by: shane

Hi guys i have a built a 7 liter pressure cooker still with copper worm but am struggling getting mash measurements. My stock pot is 10 liters that's about 2.5 gallons. I think my cooker is 7 liters. How much of each ingredient cornmeal, yeast , sugar and water do i need and any chance of a step by step if any one has the time and knowledge? Please guys. I'd be so grateful.

I have made a mash but unsure about it. The corn seems to be just settling to the bottom. Does the bubbling in fermentation start strait away or does it take some time from just being left on its own?

:-) thanks guys .

Oct 25, 2013
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RE: mash problem by: 1st timer
by: Andrew

How long is a piece of string?
Awesome, you gave us absolutely 0 information.
What are you using for mash? Cooked or not?
Amylase - how much? Sugar -how much?
Yeast - how much and at what type? What temperature was it added at? What temperature is it at now? How long does "DAYS" mean? How many gallons.....get it?

Taste it. Do you faintly taste the alcohol?

I would say just restart/shock it if the time frame was less than 3 days when it stopped. And you think you have enough of everything in there.

On a serious note, this not a bad craft once in a while. But do keep your health in mind "Should you drink something that lights on fire or runs a car?"

Mix it with at least water before drinking, that's why all them old hillbilly's have no teeth - shine ate them, like coke or fruit juice will.

Now shine also eats your insides at 150 % proof without mixing it. It lights on fire, common sense will tell you that can't be good for your body

Oct 24, 2013
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mash problem
by: 1st timer

I have my mash in cooler fermenting and it has been there for days. The bubbles have stopped and no foam has formed yet. What is wrong?

Need help ASAP.

Sep 05, 2013
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Quantity of Moonshine Expected
by: Anonymous

In my limited experience I usually get between 20-30% of what I start with. So 2 gallons should net you a 1/2 gallon of 175 proof deliciousness.

Aug 29, 2013
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Re: Moonshine with a yellow tint
by: Anonymous

I would blame the(iron)water.

I have seen it before. My first thought was because it was a copper cooker or citrus based wash and probably poison. My friend has been drinking it like that for years. Very yellow not just a tint.

Boil some of that water on the stove for an hour or so and see if you get the same results. Could just always re-run it, if you have a column/head make sure you have real copper - a fridge magnet won't stick to real copper.

Also, if you did the soldering yourself, it is
probably grease/flux.

Dump it out and run a couple batches of just (salt) water through it. Salt makes water boil hotter(not faster). That's the few ideas I have.

Aug 28, 2013
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Moonshine with a yellow tint
by: Anonymous

Just made my first run of moonshine and it has just the slightest yellow tint to it. I can't figure out why? Any help?

Aug 19, 2013
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Wash Drips and Does Not Run by: DJ
by: Andrew

Start with a better mash/wash.

I have never seen it but someone on another board refer to a TV show called the moon shiner, anyway the show depicts someone doing this in about an hour. Guy from the other board was mixing up his mash/wash and letting it sit for an hour - and when the yeast started working-then cooking it.

Mine sits on average 10 days. I make 30 gallon batches though (4x8gallon) all the same day.

I cook the first at 8 days and the rest when I get time over the next week or so. I have an 8g cooker as my new primary unit.

Try this: - 5 gallons water
About 1 shot glass of yeast(or less)
3/4 bags of sugar for a sugar wash.

Try that and let it sit at least 7 days and warm the yeast in water at 100 degrees F. before you put it in.

Now the cooker - 6qrt; get something at least 3 gallons on ebay, goodwill store-salvation army. Look for something where the rim of the lid goes below the outside pot rim. (tech term is called induction lid)

Turkey fryer/stock pots work great.(http://www.ebay.com/itm/140904177017 ) I have always used a still head and never just a condenser(copper coil thingy)but if it gets too hot your alcohol is evaporating and turning to steam.

Sorry about not answering before, last time I posted here it took weeks to show up so I just didn't bother.
*************************************************

Thank you for you reply, Andrew and sorry that your posting took so long to appear. It should never take more than 24 hours, and so apologize for that. However, all postings are checked for spam, that is why there is a delay. Won't happen again.

Regards
Countryfarm Lifestyles

Aug 18, 2013
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Wash Drips and Does Not Run
by: DJ

I am having the same problem with my pressure cooker still.

I have a 5 gal bucket of wash and of it I only gets 3 cups of moonshine every time.

My wash does not start producing moonshine until the temperature reaches 200 degrees.

I don't know what size my worm is but my pressure cooker size is 6qts and the worm fits just right.

And for me to get my 3 cups I have to start at 8am and the last drip usually hits around 10pm. Help me please.

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It sounds as if you have a problem with the strength of your wash. In any event, don't be too focused on temperatures with this kind of still. You need to make sure that your temperature is hot enough to get a steady stream. That is your main aim. Once you increase the heat, you will find that the yield will increase.

When you are doing a first run, get the wash hot enough to get just a medium drip for the fores and heads that you will discard.

After that, when you are into the hearts crank up the heat until you get a good, steady stream, and then adjust the heat accordingly so that you can maintain this.

When you are getting into the tails, you will want to crank up the heat again, just to make sure that you get as much out of your wash as possible.

Regards
Countryfarm Lifestyles

Aug 02, 2013
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Moonshine Pressure Cooker only Drips
by: amy

I am using a pressure cooker with a copper worm. I cook at about 190 degrees F. However, it only seems to drip and not run, and it take hours!!!!

I've wrapped the top with an old T-shirt to insulate, but unfortunately there are no changes.

Are there any thoughts to make it actually run?

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In order for people to help you, we need to know more information.

1) How many quarts are you getting in an hour?

2) What is the diameter of your worm?

3) What sort of wash are you running?

Jul 07, 2013
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how long at temps before process starts
by: Anonymous

For my moonshine I use:

10 # sugar
1/2 ounce Fleischmanns H.A.Y. yeast
5 gallon h2o.

Alcohol starts at 173 -180 degrees.

I leave it at that temperature for 2-3 hours and nothing! Can anybody give me advice? Thanks !!!

My questions are as follows:

1) First is that enough yeast?
2) How long does it / should it take to get your first drops of fuel?

Apr 19, 2013
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Moonshine Mash Second Batch
by: Anonymous

Hey all'

This is my second batch of shine that is fermenting different than my 1st batch. It been about 2 weeks and the yeast scum on top is all gone but still tiny bubbles at the surface and bubbles every minuite in the air lock. Is my mash ready to run. I used a hydometer and it reads 12%. I used 2.5g of warm water 5lbs of sugar, 1 can of wild-berry frozen (thawed) juice and 1 packet of yeast and mixed well.. Need help.

Thanks
Jay

Apr 14, 2013
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Worm vs condenser??
by: Andrew

When distill alcohol-
Is there some advantage to using a big copper coil- which can be pricey and takes up tons of space and heavy. Over using say a 20-24 x 1" "triple jacketed condenser" that can be had for 30ish bucks on E, takes up almost no space, and can tolerate super high temperature in a small space. I never gave using a big copper coil a serious thought until lately but cant seem to justify buying one. Is there a reason to?
Andrew

Apr 14, 2013
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RE:Arc417 about temps
by: Anonymous

OK the temp you start to produce alcohol out your still is mostly dependent on the amount of ABV in your wash. The lower the alcohol content in the wash- means more water witch means higher temps to get the alcohol out. IF you have high amount of alcohol in your mash- it boils off(evaps)sooner at a lower temp. Also depends on setup- but mostly the alcohol level in what your cooking. I run at 190 all the time- on a good, high alcohol contet mash it pours out. On a lower quality mash- only drips. I'm kinda new to distilling alcohol but have distilled other things recreational for years. And i know chemistry-boiling-evaporation points...bla bla. SO- make better mash!!

Apr 13, 2013
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Moonshine and Steam
by: Anonymous

When my shine was dripping nice I noticed steam coming from the worm at the same time which made it stop dripping.

So then I turn down the heat but it drips more than steam. Is it supposed to steam after running through the worm?

Apr 12, 2013
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moonshhine /mash approximate ratio
by: bigmanmoonshiner

ok, the average amount of shine you will get out of 1 gallon of mash is approx. 1 quart. so if you had 100 gallons of mash and you get 1 quart of shine every gallon you will have 100 quarts of shine and divide that by four and you will have 25 so you have 25 gallons of shine off of 100 gallons of mash

Mar 27, 2013
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Need answers fot making moonshine
by: Beginning moonshiner

I'm gonna be making shine with by buddy over the summer and I have 2 questions, 1st how many jars will 10 gallon batch of mash produce?

And 2nd can you still produce a good quality tasty shine with regular ole corn from a field(Basically animal feeding corn).

Mar 27, 2013
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Temp to cook Mash
by: Anonymous

Things to try:

1) Set up your still. before turning on the heat, gently blow in the copper coil and see if you can put a decent amount of pressure in the still before you hear and hissing/leaking of air. If it hisses right away you have a bad leak you need to seal up.

2) When you are running the still and you are up to temp or even above the correct temp, gently blow in the the copper worm and see if you hear any gurgling. If you do, you have a flat spot in your coil and you will have the problem you are having.

3) When you are at the correct temp (maybe even 90 or 95 degrees which is on the higher side) listen for dripping inside the still.

If you hear dripping, the alcohol is condensing on your still lid and the vapors are not making it to the coil.

I covered my lid with towels to insulate it and IMMEDIATELY got results. Before that, I was practically boiling the mash and getting crap results (small quantities, bad taste, low alcohol content).

If you are not using electric to heat your mash, you must be VERY careful that your towels don't catch fire. I actually covered the top of my still with expanding/insulating foam. Works like a charm.

Joe

Mar 27, 2013
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Pressure cooker still
by: Arc417

hello
I was wondering, I am trying to distill my mash but am having some trouble. I have read comments on here and it has helped me so far. But I still have something going on with it.

The mash it good but to get it I need a high temperature. It will produce at 190 degrees, but I am told that is is no good after 195 degrees.

Is it okay to bring the temperature up to say 200 degrees and stop there, what would that do and would it be safe?

I will try the towels on the top of my pressure cooker that is the only thing left to try. and yes I have fixed all the leaks, so it should be good to go. And also I changed out the coil for a new condenser, everything flows through good.. or could I be filling it too much.

I have a 5 l pressure cooker, and I have been putting 4 l roughly 1 gallon. that gives me about 1.5 inches to the top.

Thank any ideas would be nice.

Mar 26, 2013
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5 gallon mash
by: Luke

I've tried making shine twice. The first time I made shine it took ten hours and barely got a quart.

The second time I raised my thermometer up out of the mash and place it just in the steam. This time it took only 5 hours to produce a quart but the liquid started to boil.

It only proofed at 80. How much should I produce on 5 gallons? And what am I doing wrong?

Mar 18, 2013
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You have no idea
by: Anonymous

At 100 degrees, mash evaporates. If there is any alcohol in the vapor, it will condense along with the water and give you a crappy distilate.

I hope I was able to help you understand what I was talking about since you had no idea.

Mar 04, 2013
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Mash Temperatures
by: Anonymous

Mash doesn't do anything at 100 degrees, so I have no clue what your talking about.

Mar 02, 2013
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Temp to cook moonshine
by: Wingloader

I have a tip for y'all. I was using a canning pot to distill. Nothing would come out until the temp was about 95 to 100.

Then, I noticed a faint dripping sound in the pot. Voila. The lid on my still was JUST cold enough to condense the alcohol before it would come out of the coil.

Thus, I wrapped towels and old t-shirts on the lid to insulate it. The next run, starting dripping at about 175. Yeeeehaaaa.

I ran off the first 50 ml and dumped it (after putting a little puddle on the cement floor and lighting it...NICE flame!).

The first mason jar was crystal effing clear! I got about 3 jars from 3 1/2 gallons of wash which was not even fully fermented. The first jar was 130 proof, the second jar was 120, and the third jar was 100. After that, the output started getting a little cloudy so I stopped there.

Note, this was my second attempt. I got hammered last night and it was freaking cool.

My first attempt, I had to get the temp up to 100 to get anything. ALL of it was really cloudy. I didn't even drink it. The cloudiness settled out of one of the jars after a few days, but I won't drink it because I don't know what the cloudy crap is.

The second run, got some good stuff. Try insulating the top of your still.

Wingloader

Feb 27, 2013
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same problem with moonshine
by: Anonymous

I am having the same problem and the longer I run the mash it seems the slower it comes out and the more I have to turn the heat up.

When its pouring out of the snake it looks a little like it's got some type of clear oil to it not bad but noticeable as it drips in the jar ..it is not that crystal clear look when it's some filtering either how can I fix these problems????

Feb 15, 2013
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temperatures and moonshine
by: fuzzy

Hey Jake, why I don't know, but my shine doesn't start coming out until my temperature gauge reaches about 185 to 190. If I turn my heat down it won't come out. I'm dumber 'n a stump about this making moonshine stuff but I get a kick out of doing it, but I do get good shine as far as I know, but then again I don't drink it, but it's fun.

Feb 12, 2013
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When is the Mash ready to Run?
by: Anonymous

Q. How do you know your mash is ready to run?

A. You can tell when it's ready to run by studying the cap that has formed over the beer. Sometimes this cap will be two inches thick. Sometimes it will only be a half inch thick, and sometimes it will just be suds and blubber, called a "blossom cap." All of these are fine.

When the cap is nearly gone, or only a few remnants are left scattered over the top, the mixture is ready to run. The alcohol has eaten the cap off the beer. Don't wait to run it at this point or the mixture will turn to vinegar, and the vinegar will eat the alcohol thus ruining your beer. It is better to run the whole thing a day early than a day late—you'll still get mild, good whiskey.

Q. How do you know what you've made is good?

A. The only way to know this for sure is to use a hygrometer. See Reusing Mash for details.

Q. Is there a certain taste?

All good moonshine should only taste of the grains from which it was made. Moonshine made from corn should taste sweet. Moonshine made from rye should taste a little spicy with big flavors, while moonshine made from barley will have a slight floral taste.

If your moonshine tastes like paint stripper, you will soon know if it is no good or not.

Regards
Kathryn
Countryfarm Lifestyles

Feb 07, 2013
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High Temperatures and Boiling Mash
by: WizardOfAhhhhz

If you're having to run your temperatures too high or to the point of boiling before you see anything coming out?

#1, make sure your have a quality thermometer, do NOT skimp on this part of your still. and learn how it reacts to your still.

For example my still is a 7 gallon stainless steel pot, my temperature gauge is in the base of my neck at the top and it runs about 17-18 degrees above most boiling points. So when I get my foreshots (which evaporate around 153) mine is reading 170-171 degrees. Again, learn what your gauge does with your still.

#2 and probably the most overlooked problem is a clogged worm or condenser coil. A good way to check it is to slowly fill your coil with water. Do not move your coil to the water source and fill it. Fill it where you normally have it, fill it by attaching a hose to the top end and pour water into it slowly until a trickle comes out, then lower the hose slowly until the hose water is empty.

NOW COMES THE TRICKY PART!!!! Slowly and I mean SLOWLY, suck on the hose, if you feel resistance or it sounds like "gurgling", your worm is "pooling" a section of fluid in it. Do NOT blow it out!

Next, look at your coil and make sure that all of your spirals are angled in a downward fashion. Make small movements to the areas that look "level" and wait for a few seconds. If the water starts to drip out the tap, then you have found your problem area. Adjust until all fluid is removed.

You want to be able to blow into the hose and have no resistance and the air should move freely.

The reason you're having to run such high temperatures is because with a "pooling" worm, it requires higher pressure to push the fluid past the obstruction and your "cuts are getting mixed together...resulting in a "biting" or "hot" taste.

Good Luck!

Feb 03, 2013
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Problems with Moonshine Mash
by: poor boy

I ran 1 gallon of my mash last night and made about 1 pint of shine. Boy! That stuff is hot clear as water. What kind of easy filter should I run it through? Is that about how much I should get?

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You have only run your mash through once, by the sounds of it. You can run it several more times and get more shine out of it. The more proficient you get at making shine, the more shine you will get from your mash! ;)

The amount of shine you get will also depend on the efficiency of your still and the AVB of the shine.

Have a look too at A full guide to Making Shine and Stills.

Regards
Kathryn
Countryfarm Lifestyles

Feb 02, 2013
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New Page on Making Moonshine Stills and Shine
by: Countryfarm Lifestyles

For those of you looking for more information on how to make moonshine as well as making a simple moonshine still or a more complex blockade still for home distilling we have details with diagrams of a number of still set ups as well as the traditional way of making moonshine.

A Complete Guide to Moonshine..

Regards
Kathryn
Countryfarm Lifestyles

Jan 31, 2013
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moonshine mash cooking
by: alvin duckman

After done cooking first batch. Do you have to clean out pot for second or can you leave what's in there and add more mash?

Jan 31, 2013
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Boiling Point for Making Moonshine
by: jake

Hi, i just read one of Fuzzy's comments about his moonshine not coming out until the whole batch of mash was at or near boiling point.

I had the same problem, where i would not get anything until the temperature inside the still was about 200-208.

I was under the impression that it should start running out around 176-180. Am I just being impatient? Is this a common problem for beginners?

Jan 31, 2013
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mash making
by: Anonymous

say your makin 30 gallon of mash 30 lbs of sugar 30 lbs of corn meal and about 10-15 lbs of crushed corn preffer crows foot. the mash dont need to get cold it will kill the yeast and nothing happens you dont really have to worry in the summer give it about a week. run it. and boooooom next thang you know your passed out on the floor. yeeeee haaaaawwwwww

Jan 28, 2013
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Cracked corn vs cornmeal for making moonshine
by: wingloader

Can I used cracked corn from the Farm and Tractor Supply for making moonshine? I've been watching Moonshiners and it looks like that is what they are using.

Jan 24, 2013
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Sugar shine
by: johnny5

Dissolve 10lbs sugar into 5 gallons, add yeast at 90 to 110 degrees. Let ferment and there you go!

Jan 18, 2013
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Moonshine Disaster
by: Anonymous

What am I doing wrong if every time I start making it it just taste like water? I've tried several recipes and every time it's just water.

Jan 17, 2013
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worm size and heat needed for moonshine
by: Dvon

How long a worm do I need for a 2 1/2 gallon moonshine still? What's a good temperature for cooking the same still as well?

Jan 05, 2013
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Moonshine process
by: Anonymous

After your mash has fermented do you strain it before you cook it?

Jan 01, 2013
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sweet feed for moonshine
by: fuzzy

I use sweet feed for making moonshine and I'm hearing that you can reuse your liquids left over from your distilling to pour back into your used mash and add more sugar to make another batch, is that for beer only or can you do the same for moonshine ?

Dec 18, 2012
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Still Head Space?
by: Popcorn Rules

Contemplating still design.

Question: Are there any guidelines regarding how much initial head space to have in a still when beginning the distillation process of a new batch? For example, would a six gallon capacity still (meaning six gallon capacity of the cylinder not including the cone) be needed to process five gallon batches of mash?

Thanks for any guidance.

Dec 15, 2012
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how do i know when to add more mash
by: Anonymous

I am new to it and starting with the presuire cooker set up but how do you know when your mash has made all of the moonshine it can make on its first time?

Does it just quit producing or how can you tell when you need to change your mash?

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You will see that the moonshine that comes out towards the end will be less and less, until the shine hardly comes out at all. This is when you know that you either need to fire up with a new batch of mash, or call it quits.

Just remember, if you do decide to add more mash that you will still need to throw away the first half cupful of shine that comes out as a safety precaution, as you would do if you were starting up the distiller the first time.

Regards
Kathryn
Countryfarm-Lifestyles

Nov 12, 2012
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Moonshine and Temperatures
by: fuzzy

I have just finished my first batch of moonshine about 4 days ago, and it did just great as far as I know.

I got a little over a quart from 4 gallons but I'm confused. I didn't have a thermometer and so was going by my dial as I am using a hot plate. But it started to boil I thought and my shine came out, then I turned it down below that boil and the shine stopped.

Am I doing something wrong am I not?

However, I did the burn test and I got the most beautiful blue flame and I shook my jar and the bubbles went away real quick.

My buddy actually tasted it and he said it was great. What am i doing wrong? If one of you guys can send some information on this it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks Fuzzy

Oct 31, 2012
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Should I stir my shine mash?
by: fuzzy

Do I stir my mash while it is fermenting?

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It really depends on how things are proceeding. Sometimes it is just best to let it do its thing if you have a good fermentation going.

However, sometimes when the temperatures are a lot lower than usual or you have a long fermentation the sugars stay at the bottom, or it just looks as if the fermentation just isn't happening, then you can help it along.

To give the fermentation a boost you can stir the mash, but only during the 1st 2 or 3 days.

Don't stir too vigorously. Do it gently and make sure that whatever you use has been well sterilized to avoid bacteria from getting in.

After that leave it.

Oct 30, 2012
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pot
by: fuzzy

One more question, I'm going to be using an 8 quart stainless steel is that okay ? and i know by what I just read i won't get much moonshine but oh well I'm not going to sell it so I'm not really going to worry about volume so I'll take what comes out but i just want it to be good.

*************************************************

Copper has always been the more traditional material used for making shine, however, these days stainless stills are more readily available and work just as well.

Oct 30, 2012
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thanks
by: fuzzy

thanks you guys for answering me that really helps me, this is my first time of making moonshine. thanks again.----fuzzy

Oct 21, 2012
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reuse of mash
by: fuzzy

If you reuse your mash do you add the same amount of sugar and yeast?

Yes, just remember that you can really only reuse your mash about 8 times. After the 2nd or 3rd time of reuse the shine gets stronger, however after that the potency wears off and you will then need to start again with fresh mash.

Oct 21, 2012
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Can you Store Fermented Mash for Moonshine?
by: fuzzy

After your mash has fermented and you drain it, can you store the slop in glass jars and run it a little at a time?

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No. In short, you can't. Well, you could if you wanted to, but your mash would deteriorate further and you would end up with vinegar.

Mash once it has fermented has to be used straight away for best results.

Oct 16, 2011
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well here you go
by: deathbySnapple

Fist of you need to know the ABV that the mash is. then you need to know the efficiency of your still. If your Mash is 10% ABV and your Still is 90% efficient (meaning how much of the total ABV is collected there is no still that is 100%) you should collect 1.5 cups of 180ish proof. per gallon of mash.

My setup 4.5gallons mash at 14%ABV Threw homemade Reflux Still (4 stage) I collect over 7cups of >93%ABV(drink-in) and just over 2cups 70%ABV for putting into next batch before distillation. I also use this portion for cleaning and fire starting ext.

Hope that helps.

Also here is a good website for every thing that you will need for starting out
http://homedistiller.org/
http://www.milehidistilling.com/

Jun 25, 2010
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Making Moonshine and How Many Gallons per Mash?
by: Countryfarm Lifestyles

Unfortunately, when you make moonshine, the proportion of moonshine is far less than the amount of mash you start off with.

For example if you have 4 lbs of corn and 5 gallons of water, along with everything else (malt, sugar and yeast) you will only get about one and a half (1 1/2) gallons of moonshine.

So if you are only going to start off with 2 gallons of mash you won't have much moonshine at all!

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