Any "Moonshiners" Fans?

[Solarmist]

Originally Posted by spade2you

I would agree that it might be fun to learn to properly distill. Most shiners don't care about the safety of their product...then again, neither do the regular consumers of moonshine.

It takes a lot of know how to get it done right and you're boiling liquids that are flammable, so.....

Yes - I'm intrigued by the process, but I think you really need someone with hands-on experience to show the do's & don'ts.
If it's done wrong you could have a batch of poison.

[spade2you]

Originally Posted by Solarmist

Yes - I'm intrigued by the process, but I think you really need someone with hands-on experience to show the do's & don'ts.
If it's done wrong you could have a batch of poison.

Agreed. Due to the potential for bad hooch and things blowing up, it takes some training and I support the government's decision. I also get a little annoyed that shiners sell their product. As a homebrewer, I can't sell my beer. I'll gladly give friends some beer.

My hometown now has a microdistillery and apparently another is in the works. They sell vodka, but their high end rum and whiskey have taken many years to age prior to selling. High startup and inventory costs.

That being said, if anyone has the chance, McMenamin's has a brewery, winery, and distillery at their Portland location. Heaven on earth.

[MJ5150]

When I took the Makers Mark tour, at the end they let us sample the alcohol before it aged in the barrels. I thought it was good, but it was really strong.

I watched the show. Half the time they spent following the guys making the moonshine, the other half was the police looking for those same guys. I assume it must be all made up or why wouldn't the police just demand to be taken to the guys making the moonshine?

I'd like to live like a hillbilly though. Those guys seems like good guys, except for the illegal moonshine making bit.

-Mike

[dullsilver_mike]

Originally Posted by spade2you

Agreed. Due to the potential for bad hooch and things blowing up, it takes some training and I support the government's decision. I also get a little annoyed that shiners sell their product. As a homebrewer, I can't sell my beer. I'll gladly give friends some beer.

Does everyone really think so? I honestly don't think it'd be that hard for anyone with an 8th grade education to buy safe equipment and then heat a liquid to the point that alcohol boils but water doesn't. Make sure the temp is right at each step, make sure there are safety valves, keep enough of an eye on everything that your glass doesn't blow up from steam pressure. It actually all sounds pretty darn easy. I'm sure there's more to it, but I doubt there's more than a couple hour's worth of careful reading to it.

The basic principles are simple enough for anyone to grasp, the specific techniques have been documented to the point that any of us could learn the definitive approach with just a little googling. It is inherently dangerous, but there's no big mystery to it.

[MJ5150]

The basic principles of playing bass guitar are simple enough for anyone to grasp. After a couple hours reading, anyone should be able to play.

-Mike

[dullsilver_mike]

Yes, within a few hours, anyone could learn how to play bass to the point that they can play notes and not hurt themselves or others in the process. The end product might not be very good, but it would be identifiable as bass playing and could be done safely. I don't see how different distilling would be. Obviously you need to spend a lot of time developing expertise to do a good job and make a good product, but, as long as you are careful and responsible, I don't think you'd need to apprentice under someone before trying it out.

[MJ5150]

It's those little things you keep referring to that makes the difference, in my opnion. Anyone can play a bass guitar or make moonshine, but not all of us want to hear/drink it.

I'm no moonshine expert, but it looks to me like more is involved than assembling some parts and turning the machine on. There is a culture around making moonshine and several legendary moonshine makers throughout history, so I assume those are the ones who have refined their skill and made moonshine everyone wants to drink.

-Mike

[dullsilver_mike]

Originally Posted by MJ5150

It's those little things you keep referring to that makes the difference, in my opnion. Anyone can play a bass guitar or make moonshine, but not all of us want to hear/drink it.

I'm no moonshine expert, but it looks to me like more is involved than assembling some parts and turning the machine on. There is a culture around making moonshine and several legendary moonshine makers throughout history, so I assume those are the ones who have refined their skill and made moonshine everyone wants to drink.

-Mike

I agree entirely. I don't think a novice would probably turn out a product other people really enjoyed. I was addressing the idea that it'd be too scary for newbies to attempt at home. It certainly can be dangerous, but the basic principles make it manageable if someone is patient, careful, and sure to constantly measure everything. Taking on the task as a novice seems like a fun first step to getting better at it.

Again, I'm not being flippant about it or downplaying the risks of boiling flammable liquids, I'm just saying that it seems to me that a responsible adult could equip himself pretty easily to safely undertake the task. And that it might be a less intimidating task for an interested person to undertake than some folks are suggesting.

[MJ5150]

I think we're on the same page. Our bass guitar analogy seemed to be effective. When I watched the show, the police talked about how dangerous the process is. I wonder if there are any stats out there about how many people are injured or killed making moonshine annually.

I think I'm going to get me a straw hat and some coveralls tomorrow, then drive around town wearing them both with no shirt on. I may need a piece of hay to stick in my mouth to complete the look.

-Mike

[dullsilver_mike]

^ You should come visit Nebraska some time just to study the style and make sure you get it down properly. There's no moonshine around these parts, but everything else seems to line up!

[sneha1965]

In TN they just call shine. You can get it in pineapple, strawberry, and apple pie flavor.