Moonshine making.

Anybody ever got into it or know any tips or tricks ? I'm thinking about making a small stovetop still to make small batches for friends and family.

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Gray4lines

No, but that's freakin cool. I hope you figure it out and it goes well.

oh, just don't get caught buying hundreds of pounds of corn from tractor supply. It looks suspicious.

variant2

Bamablows:
Anybody ever got into it or know any tips or tricks ? I'm thinking about making a small stovetop still to make small batches for friends and family.

Don't drink the first batch.

roland_7707

They have home brew kits. Is there a home whisky kit also?

MorganGeo

Don't drink the head or the tail. Only drink the heart.

Yes, I watch the show Moonshiners way too much.

RBeckom

Bamablows:
Anybody ever got into it or know any tips or tricks ? I'm thinking about making a small stovetop still to make small batches for friends and family.

Is your stove gas or electric?

jthanatos

Just a small word of caution. Unlicensed distilling is still illegal and falls under the ATF to enforce... and they are only slightly less likely to confiscate everything you ever owned for evidence than the DNR. Extremely small home distilling is unlikely to attract their attention... it is still a risk to consider.

RBeckom

MorganGeo:
Don't drink the head or the tail. Only drink the heart.
Yes, I watch the show Moonshiners way too much.

Contrary to what is portrayed on TV, never discard the first or last.
Mix it back into the next batch, no sense in wasting resources.
Not that I know anything illegal in any state mind you.

0patience

The adage of discarding the first and last was because the yeast used "in the day" would produce methanol before the temps got high enough to boil ethanol. So the first couple ounces of the batch were methanol, which can blind you.
And the last portion often would have a burn taste to it.
Remember that a lot of folks learned from old shiners who were distilling out in the woods using wood fired stills, so it was common practice.

If using something like brewer's yeast, it shouldn't allow the sugars to create methanol (in theory).
But, you will be able to tell. Methanol has a a nasty taste to it, while ethanol actually has little taste to it.
If you ever see an old stiller dip his pinky in the "brew" as it's distilling, he is checking for the bitter taste. No bitter taste, it's all good.

Methanol boils considerably lower than ethanol, so as you are heating up "the batch", methanol will boil off before ethanol. If the yeast has produced methanal in the heating process, then you don't want that part in the batch.
And you will want to check the last of the batch for burning. It will be noticeable if it has pulled tastes from the vessel you are cooking in.
And what ever you do, do not use aluminum.

And check into a fuel still registration. Can't recall the exact name of it, but it is for distilling fuel instead of drinkable alcohol.

dr_frankenstein56

0patience:
And check into a fuel still registration. Can't recall the exact name of it, but it is for distilling fuel instead of drinkable alcohol.

Hero Quote Right there.... yes gents... make lots and lots of fuel!

Aj

RBeckom

0patience:
The adage of discarding the first and last was because the yeast used "in the day" would produce methanol before the temps got high enough to boil ethanol. So the first couple ounces of the batch were methanol, which can blind you.
And the last portion often would have a burn taste to it.
Remember that a lot of folks learned from old shiners who were distilling out in the woods using wood fired stills, so it was common practice.

If using something like brewer's yeast, it shouldn't allow the sugars to create methanol (in theory).
But, you will be able to tell. Methanol has a a nasty taste to it, while ethanol actually has little taste to it.
If you ever see an old stiller dip his pinky in the "brew" as it's distilling, he is checking for the bitter taste. No bitter taste, it's all good.

Methanol boils considerably lower than ethanol, so as you are heating up "the batch", methanol will boil off before ethanol. If the yeast has produced methanal in the heating process, then you don't want that part in the batch.
And you will want to check the last of the batch for burning. It will be noticeable if it has pulled tastes from the vessel you are cooking in.
And what ever you do, do not use aluminum.

And check into a fuel still registration. Can't recall the exact name of it, but it is for distilling fuel instead of drinkable alcohol.

Agreed but most of the old timers you speak of used only corn, water and sugar and let the mash ferment on it's own without worrying about Methanol verses Ethel alcohol.
Funny thing about ancestors sometimes but around these parts you can still find old stills and groundhogs on virtually every creek in the county.
One day when I feel like a short hike, I will post photos of several around the Gold Mines in Yorkville just a few miles from where I now live.

Bamablows

0patience:
The adage of discarding the first and last was because the yeast used "in the day" would produce methanol before the temps got high enough to boil ethanol. So the first couple ounces of the batch were methanol, which can blind you.
And the last portion often would have a burn taste to it.
Remember that a lot of folks learned from old shiners who were distilling out in the woods using wood fired stills, so it was common practice.

If using something like brewer's yeast, it shouldn't allow the sugars to create methanol (in theory).
But, you will be able to tell. Methanol has a a nasty taste to it, while ethanol actually has little taste to it.
If you ever see an old stiller dip his pinky in the "brew" as it's distilling, he is checking for the bitter taste. No bitter taste, it's all good.

Methanol boils considerably lower than ethanol, so as you are heating up "the batch", methanol will boil off before ethanol. If the yeast has produced methanal in the heating process, then you don't want that part in the batch.
And you will want to check the last of the batch for burning. It will be noticeable if it has pulled tastes from the vessel you are cooking in.
And what ever you do, do not use aluminum.

And check into a fuel still registration. Can't recall the exact name of it, but it is for distilling fuel instead of drinkable alcohol.

Thanks for all of the great info! I don't think I will ever make enough in my lifetime for it to cause trouble. I just want to try it here and there for for my own personal consumption.

RBeckom

I ask of your stove, gas or electric, for a reason. Alcohol fumes sink in stead of rising as does gasoline fumes and if you try to use a gas stove in an enclosed place the fumes will build to the point of potentially causing an explosion. That is one reason old timers used creek beds, the water always run down hill along with the fumes. In this fashion, they "reduced" the chance of explosions though they frequently occurred in any case. One other thing to remember before you try this experiment, yes you will make mistakes, make sure the seal on your boiler is completely airtight. This can be accomplished for small batches by mig or tig welding a pressure cooker together with the rubber seal removed, tapping the vent hole for the coil adapter and brazing a stainless Steele fitting into a hole drilled into the top the size of your choice for your filling processes. Then simply tighten in a Stainless plug for pressurizing.
Stainless is for the simple reason that the alcohol will corrode the fittings an container otherwise.

Good luck if you try this for I post it for informational purpose's only.

I was a kid once and experimented with various like thing myself and learned as I went from talking with gentlemen who knew they're business else I would stay quiet.
PM my brother and he can tell you more about the good old days of youth and what I could and did accomplish, and I speak theoretically here for my safety within the laws of or country, as will his words be.
Please be careful!!!!

RBeckom

NOT A TRUE STORY!
If you are associated with the law.

Way back in the day when a man was young and stupid he made a still out of an old paint can, gallon size, with a hole drilled in it and flared copper coiled it's way from one side of my sink, filled with cool water, into a container in the opposite side. Drip by drip, a clear fluid emerged, no discernible taste but a strong odor to be sure. Crystal clear, it would burn with an almost invisible flame, almost. The strength of this fluid would take the skin from your mouth if the amount was too large to dilute with saliva. Yes in youth we seek knowledge and sometimes, just sometimes mind you, get lucky because the lid could have blown off of the can and a great boom would have occurred.
Youth, what more need be said.