I could try to make this on-topic by talking about how hotrodding grew up around hopped-up moonshine runners, but I'm not going to even try. I've been thinking about making an alchohol still, just for fun, and was wondering if any other HAMBers had made one, or have had similar inclinations. I know some of us like all sorts of do-it-yourself projects, from machining AR-15 receivers to blowing glass, or even making aluminum stetsons. I was hoping that I could tap into that knowledge. Does anyone have any experience or any links to alchohol distillation? I'd love to make a beautiful still out of copper, brass and glass. (Or maybe stainless and glass, so that my spirits don't taste like patina...) I'd appreciate any still plans, or ideas, or even legal advice on what I can do at home. Thanks in advance (and I apologize if you feel that this is way off-topic), --Matt
http://www.moonshine-still.com/ One of the "Foxfire" books had complete instructions, including how to make the Mash. Don't remember which Book it was though, there were 5 or 6 of them...
i know a few guys in tennessee who make it. Its good stuff but drinking too much will make you retarded. The best is teh peach flavored stuff.
Boy, it sure would be neat if you could take an empty keg, depressurize it, and find a clamp and gasket to attach a tower made for distillation onto it. That would be neat. www.milehidistilling.com
my grandfather grew up in the rural mountains of berea kentucky... he saw them and i believe he sometimes worked with them... he remembers the shiny copper piping that went around and around... during the depression he did anything, including working in tobacco fields and he saved 50 bucks and bought model A or something like it. I'll ask him. but 50 bucks!!!! he said he had to take up and down that hill to learn how to drive it... what woudl that be worth today?
It is Foxfire (the first book in the series). It is on page 301, called, "Moonshining as a Fine Art." Not sure where the hell to find the Foxfire books nowadays. I just always chalked it up to another piece of my father's crazy collection of odd shit. As far as the legalities of it... you better call your lawyer up right now! According to everything I've read, you can't make one drop of your own distilled alcohol in the U.S. The stills that are sold in the U.S. are sold under the guise of being for water distillation, just like a bong is for tobacco. What I've read also states that if you buy stills or still pieces from a U.S. company, your name goes on a list and the federales can come looking whenever they want. I think it is linked to under one of the links that Tony Bones posted.
Dyno, I don't know what bathroom wall you're getting your dates off of, but distilling isn't federally illegal. In Texas it isn't illegal. What IS illegal is to sell untaxed liquor. Know what you're talking about. It's better to let folks THINK you're a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.
First read the FOXFIRE books when I was 10 or so. We built a still with stolen chem class beakers in HighSchool in the extra kitchin in my folks house. You can distill for your family, just cant sell the shit. These days, I just brew beer. The FOXFIRE Books are found at used book sotres, I bet they are also still in print.
Here's my source...I didn't say it WAS law, I said "according to what I've read." This is from www.homedistiller.org under "Introduction" and then "Legalities." Scroll down to "Americans," and read what it says for yourself.
i think i have that foxfire book around here somewhere,i'll look for it and scan it into the computer if someone reminds me about it.i have another book on making alky for fuel too-george
I checked out a book from our public library that told how to make a "fuel Alcohol" still. (don't remember the title but it was a "little book" size. It wasn't much more than a panel of plexiglass set at a diagonal angle with one corner lowest set over the guy's compost pile. The sun evaporated the alky from the rotting vegetable matter and it condensed on the panel and ran down to the corner and dripped into his jug. Not real efficient but it worked with no burnt fuel and no bought "mash" materials, just the lawn clippings and table vegetable scraps. He had a permit from the state to distill a certain amount of alky a year and he had to "denature" it, in other words make it poison to drink, by putting a certain amount of gasoline in it. And they did check that he was doing it... (Government sucks,and I don't even drink, but I used to and have had my share of 'shine.)
ahhh, memories of the "shine fueled" midnight motorsicke "races" at the first hamb drags! that was the operators shine fueled, not the bikes! anybody remember that?
There's this Swedish sight, I think it's called Gert Strand AG that sells a downloadable book with plans on how to build a still. They also sell some crazy turbo yeasts that ferment up to incredibly high alcohol contents before distillation. Hope this leads you to the path of inebriation.
Try doing a search for "Mother Earth News". They've been advocates of home distilling "shine" for many years. I searched Yahoo ("home distillery") and there seems to be a lot of info there. Here's one : http://www.mhan.org/Build-an-ALCOHO...NE-Home-Distillery,i5551344140,c47103,ur.html
Dude, your goin' to jail. Before ya go, you should post all the plans for your illegal alcohol still on the internet. Yeah, that's a great idea. Moron.
What IS illegal is to POSSESS untaxed liquor. know what you're talking about A closed mouth gathers no feet Mutt
This isn't a still, but it IS a shitload of fun to make and drink.......... This a 5 gallon carboy of Mead,aka,honey wine. THE oldest,recorded, fermented beveridge, known to man......... Nectar of the Gods. Simple and basic to make. All you need is water,honey and yeast,let mother nature do the rest.
My uncle had all of the foxfire books when I was a kid. Always wanted to get a set for myself. Started with the original (new printing available at Barnes & Noble) and have found 2 and 3 at a used book store. I always thought those should be mandatory reading for any 13 year old boy.
search for "lindsays publications" they carry lots of cool titles, some of which I think deal with stills-
That's actually what got me started: a reprint of a late 1890s book. Thanks to everybody else. I'm only going to be distilling water, if anything at all. I just like the look of polished brass, copper and stainless. (Was flatheadpete calling me a moron?) --Matt
In Texas technically youre not allowed to give away any homemade alcohol to anyone outside of your home. Basically if they live at the residence they can drink it, but luckily noone really cares as long as you dont sell it. I have never made moonshine, but have made lots of beer and liqueur
I got the book there are 6 of them. I don't recall which book it is but I guess I could drag 'em out and look. I've made and or repaired several. I even have a real good recipe from an old guy from down around the lake of the ozarks. Equal amounts of corn, sugar and some sasafras root for good measure. You can substitite any grain for corn, and if you use potatoes it will work up faster. When I find the directions for the distillery (will also work for distilled water for your steam iron), I'll scan 'em and send 'em to ya. Better send me a PM so I don't forget. Oh and by the way, its not totaly off topic. Internal cumbustion engines run real well on 190 proof.
You have to be very careful with the venting too. I teach Physics and Chemistry and have been around stills set up for research and such. I know of at least one incicdent personally where the end of a building was destroyed by a still that pressure was not maintained properly. I know there are lots of ways to do it , some probably safer than others, but all I'm sayin is BE CAREFUL!! We don't need to lose a Hamber over some grain alcohol.
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