Home made booze
Discussion
I need foolproof recipies for vodka, gin, wine and anything else you can make at home.
Even though Libya is a dry country they don't seem to mind us ex-pats making our own hoochy
I was offered a bottle of Smirnoff the other day.....for £78.00..!
I am trying to trawl the intenet for recipies and how-to's but a lot of the content is blocked.
so now I am turning to the font of all knowledge...PH.
Cheer guys.
Claire - now has far to much blood in her alcohol stream for the first time in her (almost) adult life.
Even though Libya is a dry country they don't seem to mind us ex-pats making our own hoochy
I was offered a bottle of Smirnoff the other day.....for £78.00..!
I am trying to trawl the intenet for recipies and how-to's but a lot of the content is blocked.
so now I am turning to the font of all knowledge...PH.Cheer guys.
Claire - now has far to much blood in her alcohol stream for the first time in her (almost) adult life.
Find some commercial divers .....
I am reliably informed that they usually have a foolproof method of making 24 hour hard liquor by preasurising water, yeast sugar and other bits for flavour in the diving Sat Systems.
Suggest the least reputable company you can find the more likely you will be successful.
Failing that, find a Norwegian or an Irishman, they usually have an ability to make evil home brew spirits!
I am reliably informed that they usually have a foolproof method of making 24 hour hard liquor by preasurising water, yeast sugar and other bits for flavour in the diving Sat Systems.
Suggest the least reputable company you can find the more likely you will be successful.
Failing that, find a Norwegian or an Irishman, they usually have an ability to make evil home brew spirits!
Condor: At the moment customs has a 4 month backlog. Plus I don't think they would appreciate me bringing books like that into the country.
Smack: I did think about it long and hard. Tax free, all expenses paid won it for me, and I know there is *always* a way round these things.
Claire
Smack: I did think about it long and hard. Tax free, all expenses paid won it for me, and I know there is *always* a way round these things.
Claire
Hiya
I might be able to bodge it when I get online at home, certainly not here at work.
I think Moonshining could be my new hobby, bugger all else to do....although they are a big fan of Barry Boy Cars out here..the more bits and pieces stuck on the better and with petrol at 10p/l I could import somthing MaxPowerish and have a giggle.
I am in Janzour at the moment.
Claire
I might be able to bodge it when I get online at home, certainly not here at work.
I think Moonshining could be my new hobby, bugger all else to do....although they are a big fan of Barry Boy Cars out here..the more bits and pieces stuck on the better and with petrol at 10p/l I could import somthing MaxPowerish and have a giggle.
I am in Janzour at the moment.
Claire
Gaffer said:
Hiya
I might be able to bodge it when I get online at home, certainly not here at work.
I think Moonshining could be my new hobby, bugger all else to do....although they are a big fan of Barry Boy Cars out here..the more bits and pieces stuck on the better and with petrol at 10p/l I could import somthing MaxPowerish and have a giggle.
I am in Janzour at the moment.
Claire
Wont candy (think thats the name) be jealous?I might be able to bodge it when I get online at home, certainly not here at work.
I think Moonshining could be my new hobby, bugger all else to do....although they are a big fan of Barry Boy Cars out here..the more bits and pieces stuck on the better and with petrol at 10p/l I could import somthing MaxPowerish and have a giggle.
I am in Janzour at the moment.
Claire
If you need someone to stretch the legs of candy and the location is london, can i offer my services?
Dupont666 said:
Gaffer said:
Hiya
I might be able to bodge it when I get online at home, certainly not here at work.
I think Moonshining could be my new hobby, bugger all else to do....although they are a big fan of Barry Boy Cars out here..the more bits and pieces stuck on the better and with petrol at 10p/l I could import somthing MaxPowerish and have a giggle.
I am in Janzour at the moment.
Claire
Wont candy (think thats the name) be jealous?I might be able to bodge it when I get online at home, certainly not here at work.
I think Moonshining could be my new hobby, bugger all else to do....although they are a big fan of Barry Boy Cars out here..the more bits and pieces stuck on the better and with petrol at 10p/l I could import somthing MaxPowerish and have a giggle.
I am in Janzour at the moment.
Claire
If you need someone to stretch the legs of candy and the location is london, can i offer my services?
Candy is fine, as is Daisy, they are both tucked up nice and warm enjoying a break. I did think about bringing them over here but on seeing the sandstorms and the horrific standard of driving - they are better off at home.Now back to the moonshining...gimme details please.
Claire
You could get a simple still like this.
http://www.regals.net/alcohol/still.htm
ETA You do need to really know what you are doing or I believe you can end up with poison.
http://www.regals.net/alcohol/still.htm
Edited by whitechief on Tuesday 10th November 13:42
ETA You do need to really know what you are doing or I believe you can end up with poison.
Edited by whitechief on Tuesday 10th November 13:44
Gaffer, I'm at work at the moment, but will post up what you're looking for later on. I distil at home with an airstill, which is just like a kettle and very kitchen worktop freindly. I have touched on this topic as an aside in a few other threads, but it is probably worthy of a proper thread to show what I've been able to do with it.
Gaffer said:
I am in Janzour at the moment.
Where's that? You could build a dune buggy 
Engineer1 said:
Freeze distill, make wine then freeze it in plastic bottle pour of the none frozen liquid, it should be pure alcohol.
Does that work in a domestic freezer? Certainly my experiments with homebrew cider didn't.From Wikipedia:
Moonshine is a common term for home-distilled alcohol, especially in places where this practice is illegal.
The name is often assumed to be derived from the fact that moonshine producers and smugglers would often work at night (i.e. under the light of the moon). The Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, originally by Francis Grose, defines "moonshine" as follows: "A matter or mouthful of moonshine; a trifle, nothing. The white brandy smuggled on the coasts of Kent and Sussex, and the gin in the north of Yorkshire, are also called moonshine."[1] It has been suggested that the term might derive from smugglers' explaining away their boxes and barrels as "mere moonshine" (that is, nothing).[2]
[edit] Production
Moonshine is any distilled spirit made in an unlicensed still. As with all distilled spirits, yeast ferments a sugar source to produce ethanol, then the alcohol is extracted through distillation using a still.
Because of its illegal nature, moonshine is rarely aged in barrels like bourbon, and it sometimes contains impurities and off flavors, but very rarely toxins such as methanol. The off flavors may come from improper mashing, fermentation and/or distillaton. In popular culture, moonshine is usually presented as being extremely strong and in North America is commonly associated with the Southern United States, Appalachia and Atlantic Canada. Moonshining is usually done using small-scale stills. Typically, the still is built by the moonshine producer, thus avoiding the legal ramifications of obtaining a still commercially. The pot still is the traditional choice, being popular with early moonshine producers due to its simplicity and ease of construction. However, more efficient reflux stills are available to the modern moonshiner, either self-built, assembled from a kit, or purchased fully assembled. Lately, DIY-still designs have become widely available on the Internet. [3][4][5] "Moonshine" and "Still Making Moonshine" are two documentaries that depict the life of a modern Appalachian moonshiner, the making of a three stage still out of sheets of copper, putting up corn mash, and running whiskey. [6]
[edit] Uses
Usually, large scale illicit distillation is associated with the making of ethanol for drinking[7][8], however it is also practiced for creating biofuel [9].
[edit] Safety
Badly-produced moonshine can be contaminated with toxins, mainly from materials used in construction of the still. Stills employing used automotive radiators as a condenser are particularly dangerous; in some cases, glycol products from antifreeze used in the radiator can appear as well. Radiators used as heaters also may contain lead at the connections to the plumbing. Both glycol and lead are poisonous and potentially deadly.
Although methanol is not produced in toxic amounts by fermentation of sugars from grain starches,[10] contamination is still possible by unscrupulous distillers using cheap methanol to increase the apparent strength of the product. Moonshine can be made both more palatable and less damaging by removing the "foreshot" which contains most of the methanol, if any, from the mash [11]. This is possible because methanol vaporizes at a lower temperature than ethanol. The foreshot also typically contains small amounts of other undesirable compounds such as acetone and various aldehydes.
Any alcohol over 100 US proof (i.e. 50% ABV) is flammable. This is especially true during the distilling process in which vaporized alcohol can accumulate in the air if there is not enough ventilation. This fact is referenced in John Sturges' The Great Escape: to celebrate the Fourth of July, Virgil Hilts and two other Americans distil moonshine from potato skins. While dispensing the drink, Hilts advises the other POWs not to smoke while or after drinking it.[12]
[edit] Mixtures
Occasionally moonshine is mixed with flavoring agents or compounds intended to increase the apparent alcohol content, such as methanol. Sometimes, usually due to the ignorance and/or heartlessness of the producer, this results in a toxic mixture. Results may be capable of causing blindness or death. While poisoning incidents are rare, particularly in developed nations, together with the lack of regulation of moonshine production, they are cause for concern about the safety of moonshine.
In the past moonshine has been mixed with beading oil or lye to fool people into believing that it is of a higher proof. This is because when shaken, bubbles form on the surface relative to the alcoholic strength (known as "the bead"). Large bubbles with a short duration indicate higher proof.
Flavoring Mixtures might consist of fruits, or even bark. The mash may be cooked through birch bark to achieve a mint like flavor. The product might be cooked through a screen of fruit to achieve a fruit like flavor. Fruits may be added to the liquor to add this flavor; however, it may not be as strong of flavor.
[edit] Tests
A common "folk" quality test for moonshine was to pour a small quantity of it into a metal spoon and set it alight, the theory being that safe distillate burns with a blue flame, but tainted distillate burns with a yellow flame. Practitioners of this simple test sometimes held that if a radiator coil had been used as a condenser there would be lead in the alcohol, which would give a reddish flame. This led to the phrase: "Lead burns red and makes you dead."[13] While the flame test shows the presence of lead and fusil oils, it does not reveal the presence of methanol, which also burns blue.
Another test used for moonshine is to "proof". A small amount of gun powder is poured in a dish with the moonshine. It is ignited and if the mixture starts to flame it is "proofed." In other words if it lights then it contains a good amount of alcohol, but if it does not flame the moonshine has been diluted. Note that this only proves the alcohol to be at least 57.15% ABV
Moonshine is a common term for home-distilled alcohol, especially in places where this practice is illegal.
The name is often assumed to be derived from the fact that moonshine producers and smugglers would often work at night (i.e. under the light of the moon). The Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, originally by Francis Grose, defines "moonshine" as follows: "A matter or mouthful of moonshine; a trifle, nothing. The white brandy smuggled on the coasts of Kent and Sussex, and the gin in the north of Yorkshire, are also called moonshine."[1] It has been suggested that the term might derive from smugglers' explaining away their boxes and barrels as "mere moonshine" (that is, nothing).[2]
[edit] Production
Moonshine is any distilled spirit made in an unlicensed still. As with all distilled spirits, yeast ferments a sugar source to produce ethanol, then the alcohol is extracted through distillation using a still.
Because of its illegal nature, moonshine is rarely aged in barrels like bourbon, and it sometimes contains impurities and off flavors, but very rarely toxins such as methanol. The off flavors may come from improper mashing, fermentation and/or distillaton. In popular culture, moonshine is usually presented as being extremely strong and in North America is commonly associated with the Southern United States, Appalachia and Atlantic Canada. Moonshining is usually done using small-scale stills. Typically, the still is built by the moonshine producer, thus avoiding the legal ramifications of obtaining a still commercially. The pot still is the traditional choice, being popular with early moonshine producers due to its simplicity and ease of construction. However, more efficient reflux stills are available to the modern moonshiner, either self-built, assembled from a kit, or purchased fully assembled. Lately, DIY-still designs have become widely available on the Internet. [3][4][5] "Moonshine" and "Still Making Moonshine" are two documentaries that depict the life of a modern Appalachian moonshiner, the making of a three stage still out of sheets of copper, putting up corn mash, and running whiskey. [6]
[edit] Uses
Usually, large scale illicit distillation is associated with the making of ethanol for drinking[7][8], however it is also practiced for creating biofuel [9].
[edit] Safety
Badly-produced moonshine can be contaminated with toxins, mainly from materials used in construction of the still. Stills employing used automotive radiators as a condenser are particularly dangerous; in some cases, glycol products from antifreeze used in the radiator can appear as well. Radiators used as heaters also may contain lead at the connections to the plumbing. Both glycol and lead are poisonous and potentially deadly.
Although methanol is not produced in toxic amounts by fermentation of sugars from grain starches,[10] contamination is still possible by unscrupulous distillers using cheap methanol to increase the apparent strength of the product. Moonshine can be made both more palatable and less damaging by removing the "foreshot" which contains most of the methanol, if any, from the mash [11]. This is possible because methanol vaporizes at a lower temperature than ethanol. The foreshot also typically contains small amounts of other undesirable compounds such as acetone and various aldehydes.
Any alcohol over 100 US proof (i.e. 50% ABV) is flammable. This is especially true during the distilling process in which vaporized alcohol can accumulate in the air if there is not enough ventilation. This fact is referenced in John Sturges' The Great Escape: to celebrate the Fourth of July, Virgil Hilts and two other Americans distil moonshine from potato skins. While dispensing the drink, Hilts advises the other POWs not to smoke while or after drinking it.[12]
[edit] Mixtures
Occasionally moonshine is mixed with flavoring agents or compounds intended to increase the apparent alcohol content, such as methanol. Sometimes, usually due to the ignorance and/or heartlessness of the producer, this results in a toxic mixture. Results may be capable of causing blindness or death. While poisoning incidents are rare, particularly in developed nations, together with the lack of regulation of moonshine production, they are cause for concern about the safety of moonshine.
In the past moonshine has been mixed with beading oil or lye to fool people into believing that it is of a higher proof. This is because when shaken, bubbles form on the surface relative to the alcoholic strength (known as "the bead"). Large bubbles with a short duration indicate higher proof.
Flavoring Mixtures might consist of fruits, or even bark. The mash may be cooked through birch bark to achieve a mint like flavor. The product might be cooked through a screen of fruit to achieve a fruit like flavor. Fruits may be added to the liquor to add this flavor; however, it may not be as strong of flavor.
[edit] Tests
A common "folk" quality test for moonshine was to pour a small quantity of it into a metal spoon and set it alight, the theory being that safe distillate burns with a blue flame, but tainted distillate burns with a yellow flame. Practitioners of this simple test sometimes held that if a radiator coil had been used as a condenser there would be lead in the alcohol, which would give a reddish flame. This led to the phrase: "Lead burns red and makes you dead."[13] While the flame test shows the presence of lead and fusil oils, it does not reveal the presence of methanol, which also burns blue.
Another test used for moonshine is to "proof". A small amount of gun powder is poured in a dish with the moonshine. It is ignited and if the mixture starts to flame it is "proofed." In other words if it lights then it contains a good amount of alcohol, but if it does not flame the moonshine has been diluted. Note that this only proves the alcohol to be at least 57.15% ABV
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