What Kind of Corn for Moonshine?

by JIM
(CENTRAL PA.)

What kind of corn do you recommend for making moonshine? You keep referring to corn. Is it field corn or sweet corn. Or can you use either?
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Jim, you can make shine out of just about anything, including bananas! But that's a different subject altogether.

The kind of corn for moonshine that we recommend is cracked, dry yellow corn, and yes, it's field corn. It should be a good grade corn that is relatively clean. The corn should also be air-dried rather than gas-dried, as with air-drying the corn has not been stripped with the elements that you will need for good fermentation.

The cracked corn can then be further ground to make a corn meal, which is what is used in the moonshine recipes provided. Make sure you get a coarse grind.

People also make moonshine out of chicken scratch feed where the corn is a lot finer, - or even horse feed, but don't use hog feed as there is more in this than just corn.

If you can buy ready made corn meal, that is fine too, just make sure that it isn't too fine.

Hope that helps!

Regards
Kathryn
Countryfarm Lifestyles

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Feb 09, 2016
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Where to start.....
by: Todd

I'm going to start making bourbon this summer. I have a old recipe for the shine, but I want to make my own. The secret is in the yeast for good bourbon. I'm just trying to figure out what is the best way to do my rye and wheat. Can I buy it already ground, if so, what product do I buy? It's against insurance for a distiller to tell you anything about the process. I'm going to be making around 145-155 proof shine....if all goes right with the new still. As you know, once it hits my charred barrels it becomes bourbon, then the aging starts. So, what is your knowledge on yeast?
Thanks,
Todd

Dec 05, 2013
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sweet corn for moonshine
by: Anonymous

I think I heard Popcorn Sutton say he liked to use sweet corn.

Jul 19, 2013
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sweet corn for moonshine making
by: Anonymous

So what would be the result if dried sweet corn was used?

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You can make moonshine from dried corn, as well as fresh sweet corn. There is absolutely no reason why you wouldn't be able to make moonshine out of sweet corn.

As the old adage goes: "You won't know until you try it!"

Hopefully, you will and then come back to us telling us about the results.

Regards
Kathryn
Countryfarm Lifestyles

Jan 31, 2013
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More info please on corn types for moonshine making
by: Jeffer

Could a person use table ready frozen corn that you can buy at the supermarket?

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Jeffer, moonshine can be made out of just about anything from apples, bananas, peaches, but more traditionally moonshine is made from sprouted dried corn.

Therefore, hypothetically speaking, is possible that you could make moonshine out of corn out of a packet, but I doubt you would get the starch-sugar conversion needed to make good moonshine. I would think that the taste and quality would be very different to making it out of dried corn.

I have now put up a new page on a complete guide to making moonshine that will give you step-by-step instructions on how to make moonshine as well as how to make moonshine stills from a simple still to a more complicated blockade moonshine still.

Happy moonshining!

Regards
Kathryn
Countryfarm Lifestyles

Jan 24, 2013
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what is moonshine
by: christine

Kathryn ,

Thanks a lot for the info.

If I may ask what is moonshine, its use, how it's made, and from what?

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Christine,

Moonshine was the name of the illegal alcohol made in the valleys and mountains of America during the night when the moon was high at the time of Prohibition.

Traditionally moonshine was made from corn, however, you can make moonshine out of just about everything from corn to peaches, apples to bananas.

If you want to see how moonshine is made today then have a look at our article on how to make moonshine using a pressure cooker homemade still.

Making moonshine is still illegal in certain states of America.

Regards
Kathryn

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