Moonshine is the basic term for home distilled alcohol. Illegal alcohol acquired the name 'moonshine' because it was distilled late at night, concealed in hollows and working only by moonlight.
Moonshine is fermented corn mash. It contains not less than 80% corn and is distilled to 10 proof, or 80% alcohol. Recipes for corn mash whiskey were brought to America from Europe by the early settlers and in Colonial America whiskey mash was so popular that it was used as currency. It was easier to transport corn mash by wagon than the actual corn so the crop was often distilled before shipping. George Washington made his fortune selling corn whiskey.
As transportation improved a formal liquor industry grew up in America which was highly taxed by the government and home distillers retreated into isolated rural areas where practitioners of the art could escape from 'revenuers', as government enforcement officers came to be known. When the 18th Amendment brought America into the age of Prohibition moonshiners became an even bigger target of law enforcement. Distillers took greater pains to disguise stills and moonshine operations at the same time demand for home distilled liquor exploded. With the repeal of Prohibition, liquor was again legal but moonshine has never gone away.
Making moonshine is a simple concept but not an easy avocation. The basic equipment is the still. Even the simplest of stills had to be constructed airtight. There could be no leaks when the pieces were soldered together with tin. The still would need to be heated and copper would be the material of choice for building the still.
As with all alcohol, water is the primary ingredient in moonshine. The limestone aquifers of the south provide especially pure and flavorful waters contributing to its reputation as a center for alcohol distilling. The other basic ingredient is corn. Pure corn whiskey was made without sugar but it is typically added to increase yield. Yeast and malt will convert the corn to alcohol.
There are many recipes for making moonshine as it is truly an art requiring time and practice. Moonshine begins by mixing all the ingredients into a mixture known as mash. The mash is placed in a still and left to ferment. The exact time will it takes for fermentation depends on the amount of heat applied to the mixture.
The mash is heated to point of vaporization (not quite to the boiling point) which will produce a clear, dark-colored liquid. The vapors from the hood of the still are trapped and transferred to an empty container. This condensation is the moonshine. It is ready to drink or sell.
The mash remaining in the container is known as 'slop'. Additional batches of moonshine can be made from the original mash by re-adding the sugar, water, malt and corn meal. This original mash can be used up to eight times to make new moonshine.
Moonshine - Most Basic Recipe
The basic ingredients:
corn meal
sugar
water
yeast
malt
The basic process:
Mix all ingredients together in a large container. After mixing, move the mixture, called "mash," into a still and leave it to ferment. How quickly this process occurs depends on the warmth of the mash. Heat the mash to the point of vaporization at 173 degrees. The mash will produce a clear liquid, often the color of dark beer. You must watch this process with careful attention. Trap vapor using a tube or coil. The vapor will be transferred into a second, empty container. The resulting condensation is the moonshine. It is then ready to drink or sell. Keep mash in container. It is now called "slop." Add more sugar, water, malt, and corn meal and repeat the process. Repeat the process up to eight times before replacing the mash.
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