Moonshine for the Damn Yankee

[gdmjoe]

Just picked-up a few of bottles locally ....

http://www.gdmjoe.com/miscellaneous/juniorjohnsonsmidnightmoonshin e01.jpg
*T'ain't as good as the local Panther Branch / Garner, NC variety that I had access to. But HEY! 'snot all that bad. :D
.

[Haggis]

Just picked-up a few of bottles locally ....

http://www.gdmjoe.com/miscellaneous/juniorjohnsonsmidnightmoonshin e01.jpg
*T'ain't as good as the local Panther Branch / Garner, NC variety that I had access to. But HEY! 'snot all that bad. :D
.

I have a bootle of that Junior Johnson stuff in my liquor cabinet.

[Shaijack]

PontUp has an empty bottle of both.

[PonyUP]

PontUp has an empty bottle of both.

Took two bottles to fill the ice bucket

[Dragcity]

That stuff is easy to make.... hypothetically.

Corn syrup. Water. Distillers yeast. Oh. And a still.

[Cheeseheadbob]

Come on Joe, being an award winning brewer, I would think this would be the next step for you! Like you said, all you need is some fermentable sugars, some yeast, a still, and oh yeah, an explosion proof room to make your first batch!!!:beer:
That stuff is easy to make.... hypothetically.

Corn syrup. Water. Distillers yeast. Oh. And a still.

[Cheeseheadbob]

80 proof "shine" just does not seem right. I know that given the variables of back woods distilling using equipment made mostly from used plumbing pieces, consistency was not necessarily the goal. For those who know, was 80 a target proof, or was it usually much higher?
Just picked-up a few of bottles locally ....

http://www.gdmjoe.com/miscellaneous/juniorjohnsonsmidnightmoonshin e01.jpg
*T'ain't as good as the local Panther Branch / Garner, NC variety that I had access to. But HEY! 'snot all that bad. :D
.

[omarauder]

..and one old Marauder radiator..

[gdmjoe]

Cheeseheadbob ... For those who know, was 80 a target proof, or was it usually much higher?
My experience is that the home-brew is MUCH HIGHER.

There are a lot of factors that account for it, and a most of the time you can't control 'em when you're brewing uncommercial.

Most of the local moonshine that I unscientifically tested was 100%+

Pour a small amount into an ashtray and light it. The bluer, clearer the flame the higher the proof. If there's -ANY- yellow, throw it out ... it's contaminated with lead.

The Popcorn Sutton method is to shake the mason jar and watch the bubbles. Large bubbles with a short duration indicate higher proof.
.

[jimlam56]

Funny story Joe, going off your title.
In the 70's I was a Florida boy helping to build the power plant in Holland (Port Shelton) west of you, I was a Union Boilermaker. I went home to FL for Christmas, a few of my (elderly) MI coworkers asked me to bring them back some moonshine since everybody knows FL is full of moonshiners...
Anyway, I filled a mason's jar full of clear liquor from ABC, brought it to them...it was the best moonshine they ever drank...:D

[gdmjoe]

jimlam56 ... I went home to FL for Christmas, a few of my (elderly) MI coworkers asked me to bring them back some moonshine since everybody knows FL is full of moonshiners...
In NC I lived 'bout a mile down the road from Johnston County ... The # 1 producer of illegal alcohol in the country. Frequently had fly-overs by ATF looking for heat signatures associated with LARGE stills.


Anyway, I filled a mason's jar full of clear liquor from ABC, brought it to them...it was the best moonshine they ever drank...:D
Them crazy Northern rednecks will drink anything. 'specially the Hollanders. :D
.

[Dragcity]

To answer all these questions.... hypothetically ....


The PROOF to shoot for is more like 180. As the run lowers in proof, more off flavors from the mash come through. Shiners go pretty far. That is why you get that musky, musty corny flavor that is now a character of 'moonshine' once you start running about 140, dependent on ones set-up, may be 120, then the poor flavors begin.... hypothetically.!

The final product is cut with good quality mineral or spring water yo get the proof to 80 to 100.

The very best stills can do 98% Alcohol that is 196 proof. Can you say vodka?

Pretty cool process. And a real skill and art to know when to make cuts. Hypothetically.

[Joe Walsh]

I once worked for a factory based out of Franklin County Va.
Lots of moonshiners in those mountains!
The worst thing that you could call someone in that area was a "revenuer".
I was a lucky Yankee from Baltimore who they mostly liked.