Moonshine Whisky

[VKK3450]

Yeah, those first and last bits are where the idea that moonshine will turn you lind comes from.

Like anything else in life, I think that you really have to find a guy who has a group of regular customers. The area that we bought in had a number of regular shine drinkers and the guy that we bought from supplied a lot of them on a regular basis. My buddy's dad had been buying from him for years, so we figured that it was safe...

Same logic for your drug dealer, butcher, fish monger, etc...

K

Originally Posted by Huntsman

Regarding illegal or otherwise home-distilled alcohol: Be careful for your health, and not just because of the ATF.

When a still run is performed, the distillate is not of consistent chemical composition throughout the run. At the beginning, the more volatile components and higher alcohols distill first, then ethanol, then the lesser-volatile, oils and heavier alcohols (Scotch drinkers may be familiar with the terms 'foreshoots' and 'feints' to describe these compounds). It takes some good judgement to do this correctly, as a still run is like turning on a hose -- you have to know when to stop letting this stuff run on the ground and start collecting it, then you have to know when to stop and let the remains run out again. Many of these components are pretty indistinguishable and from ethanol and many of them are toxic, notably methanol, one of the higher alcohols and a common adulterant.

Because erring on the side of safety when distilling means getting less product without a clear easily defined line between the good distillate and poison, if you can't really trust the guy who's distilling this stuff you are running a decent risk of health problems that probably won't show up immediately, but rather with extended exposure. I believe one of the earlier signs of methanol poisoning is blindness.

So be careful. I stick with Johnnie Walker and I pay the man.

~H

 

[Mike]

I bought some commerically available stuff called "Shine On Georgia Moon" from a liquor store around me once with my buddy just for the novelty value. It was 80 proof. The stuff was horrible. It tasted so much like corn and was just plain gross. It sat on my shelf for a long time before I forced myself to drink it. It wasn't true moonshine though, just corn whiskey.

A friend of the family has a lot of family down in the Cumberland Gap and got a jar of real shine off of his cousin who knows some shine runners. He had a small sip and said the stuff is pretty potent. It sits to this day in a cabinet, as no one really wants to try it, for fear of what Huntsman posted- the poison factor.

 

[Robert Vyhnanek]

thats how you make conac.

 

[FLMountainMan]

I have a friend who makes 'shine. Been trying several flavor variations; has a batch of basil-flavored stuff brewing now :vomit: Says it will be great for bloody marys.