Moonshine is alcohol proof liquor, traditionally made or distributed alcohol law.
In 2013, moonshine accounted for about one-third of global alcohol consumption.
Terminology
Different languages and countries have their own terms for moonshine .
Fractional crystallization
The
ethanol may be concentrated in fermented beverages by means of freezing. For example, the name
applejack derives from the traditional method of producing the drink,
, the process of freezing fermented cider and then removing the ice, increasing the alcohol content.
[Michael Foley, Drinking with the Saints: The Sinner's Guide to a Holy Happy Hour (2015, ): Perhaps the most interesting option is applejack, the first distilled liquor native to North America and a great favorite among the colonists. Now usually a blend of apple brandy and neutral spirits that retains the flavor of the apples.] Starting with the fermented juice, with an alcohol content of less than ten percent, the concentrated result can contain 25–40% alcohol by volume (ABV).
[Sanborn Conner Brown, Wines & Beers of Old New England: A How-to-do-it History (1978, )]
Moonshine stills
In some countries, moonshine
are illegal to sell, import, and own without permission. However, enthusiasts explain on internet forums how to obtain equipment and assemble it into a still.
To cut costs, stainless steel vessels are often replaced with plastic stills, vessels made from
polypropylene that can withstand relatively high heat.
-
A column still, or a spiral still, can achieve a vapor alcohol content of Rectified spirit.
-
Moonshine is usually distilled to 40% ABV, and seldom above 66% based on 48 samples.
The preferred heat source for plastic stills or spiral stills is sous vide sticks; these control temperature, time, and circulation, and are therefore preferred over immersion heaters. Multiple units can be used to increase the wattage. Also, sous vide sticks, commonly sold in 1200 W and generally temperature regulated up to (ethanol boils at ), will evaporate the ethanol faster than an immersion heater, commonly sold in 300 W. Electrical injury may occur if immersion heaters are modified, such as if a thermostat is removed from an aquarium heater (because doing so may break its waterproofing), or if an immersion heater is disassembled from an electric water boiler.
Evaporation stills
Plastic still
A plastic still is a device for
distillation specially adapted for separating
ethanol and
water. Plastic stills are common because they are cheap and easy to manufacture. The principle is that a smaller amount of liquid is placed in an open smaller vessel inside a larger one that is closed. A cheap 100 W
immersion heater is typically used as heat source, but a thermal immersion circulator, like a
sous vide stick is ideal because it comes with a temperature controller. The liquid is kept heated at about which slowly evaporates the ethanol to 40% ABV that condense on the inner walls of the outer vessel. The condensation that accumulates in the bottom of the vessel can then be diverted directly down through a filter containing
activated carbon. The final product has approximately twice as much alcohol content as the starting liquid and can be distilled several times if stronger distillate is desired. The method is slow, and is not suitable for large-scale production.
Boiling stills
Fractional distillation
Fractional distillation is the separation of a
mixture into its component parts, or fractions. Chemical compounds are separated by heating them to a
temperature at which one or more fractions of the mixture will
Vaporization. It uses
distillation to
Fractionation. Generally the component parts have boiling points that differ by less than 25 °C (45 °F) from each other under a pressure of one atmosphere.
Column still
A column still, also called a continuous still, patent still or Coffey still, is a variety of
still consisting of two columns. A column still can achieve a vapor alcohol content of
Rectified spirit.
Spiral still
A spiral still is a type of
column still with a simple slow air-cooled distillation apparatus, commonly used for bootlegging.
Column and cooler consist of a copper tube wound in spiral form. The tube first goes up to act as a simple column, and then down to cool the product. Cookware usually consists of a plastic wine bucket. The heat source is typically a thermal immersion circulator (commonly runs at 1200 W), like a
sous vide stick because it is hard to find 300 W
, and it is risky to disassemble the immersion heater from an electric water boiler because it may cause electrical injury. The spiral burner is popular because, despite its simple construction and low manufacturing cost, it can provide
Rectified spirit.
Pot still
A pot still is a type of distillation apparatus or
still used to
Distillation such as
whisky or
cognac, but not
rectified spirit because they are poor at separating congeners. Pot stills operate on a batch distillation basis (as opposed to a
Coffey still or column stills, which operate on a continuous basis). Traditionally constructed from
copper, pot stills are made in a range of shapes and sizes depending on quantity and style of spirit. Geographic variations in still design exist, with certain kinds popular in parts of
Appalachia, a region known for moonshine distilling.
Spirits distilled in pots commonly have 40% ABV, and top out between 60 and 80% after multiple distillations.
Safety
Poorly produced moonshine can be contaminated, mainly from materials used in the construction of the
still. Stills employing automotive radiators as condensers are particularly dangerous; in some cases,
glycol produced from antifreeze can be a problem.
The head that comes immediately after the foreshot (the initial product of the still) typically contains small amounts of other undesirable compounds, such as acetone and various aldehydes.
Alcohol concentrations at higher strengths (the GHS identifies concentrations above 24% ABV as dangerous
Adulterated moonshine
Contaminated moonshine can occur if proper materials and techniques are not used. The prolonged consumption of impure moonshine may cause
renal disease, primarily from increased lead content.
Heavy metals
Analysis of Georgia moonshine samples revealed potentially toxic levels of copper, zinc, lead, and arsenic.
A review of twelve arsenic poisoning cases found contaminated moonshine responsible for about half, suggesting it may be a significant source in some areas.
Lead
Radiators used as condensers may contain
lead at the plumbing joints, and their use has resulted in blindness or
lead poisoning from tainted liquor. This was a deadly hazard during the Prohibition-era United States. Consumption of lead-tainted moonshine is a serious risk factor for saturnine gout, a very painful but treatable medical condition that damages the kidneys and joints.
The incidence of impure moonshine has been documented to significantly increase the risk of renal disease among those who regularly consume it, primarily from increased lead content.
Methanol
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 perhaps less dangerous by discarding the "foreshot" – the first of
ethanol that drip from the condenser. Because methanol vaporizes at a lower temperature than ethanol, it is commonly believed that the foreshot contains most of the methanol, if any, from the mash. However, research shows that methanol is present until the very end of the distillation run.
Despite this, distillers will usually collect the foreshots until the temperature of the still reaches .
of methanol poisoning have occurred from methanol accidentally produced in moonshine production or deliberately used to strengthen it.
Purification
In modern times, reducing methanol with the absorption of a
molecular sieve is a practical method for production.
Methanol safety by fermentation ingredient
-
Grain starches: Methanol is not produced in toxic amounts by fermentation of sugars from grain starches.
-
Methanol is produced in the fermentation of fruits via the action of pectin methylesterase, while of regulatory concern this does not typically exceed toxic levels and poisonings typically occur from methanol addition
Tests
Alcohols
The Lucas test in
alcohols is a test to differentiate between primary, secondary, and tertiary alcohols. It can be used to detect the levels of
.
Strength
A quick estimate of the alcoholic strength, or proof, of the distillate (the ratio of alcohol to water) is often achieved by shaking a clear container of the distillate. Large bubbles with a short duration indicate a higher alcohol content, while smaller bubbles that disappear more slowly indicate lower alcohol content.
A more reliable method is to use an alcoholmeter or hydrometer. A hydrometer is used during and after the fermentation process to determine the potential alcohol percentage of the moonshine, whereas an alcoholmeter is used after the product has been distilled to determine the volume percent or proof.
Misconceptions
A common folk test for the quality of moonshine was to pour a small quantity of it into a spoon and set it on fire. The theory was that a safe distillate burns with a blue flame, but a tainted distillate burns with a yellow flame. Practitioners of this simple test also held that if a radiator coil had been used as a condenser, then there would be
lead in the distillate, which would give a reddish flame. This led to the
mnemonic, "Lead burns red and makes you dead," or simply, "Red means dead."
Legality
Manufacturing of spirits through distilling, fractional crystallization, etc. outside a registered distillery is illegal in many countries.
USA
Currently in the United States, there are four states that allow the production of moonshine for personal consumption (
Alaska,
Arizona,
Massachusetts, and
Missouri). Additionally,
North Dakota law permits the production of moonshine for personal consumption up to the federally legal amountwhich is zero gallons; entailing that production of any amount is illegal.
| +Legal States
!States
!Legality |
| Alaska | Personal use only |
| Arizona | Must have a permit for personal use/register still |
| Massachusetts | Personal use on own property only |
| Missouri | Personal use up to per year |
| North Dakota | Only up to federally-allowed amount (zero gallons) |
Society and culture
Popular offerings for the Maya deity and
folk saint Maximón include money, tobacco, and moonshine.
[
]
target="_blank" rel="nofollow"> Meet Maximón: The Liquor-Drinking, Chain-Smoking Saint, National Geographic, Bethany Jones, January 24th, 2018
History
Traditionally, moonshine usually is a clear, unaged whiskey,
made with barley
mashing in Scotland and in Ireland, and made with
maize mash in the United States.
[ Alt URL] The word
moonshine originated in the 18th century, in the British Isles, as a result of
excise tax laws, and became an American English usage in the post–Independence U.S. after the Tariff of 1791 (Excise Whiskey Tax of 1791) outlawed un-registered distilleries, which provoked the Whiskey Rebellion (1791–1794), wherein for four years the Excise Whiskey Tax went unpaid by the tax rebels by way of violent protest. The Excise Whiskey Tax was law until 1802, upon repeal of the Tariff of 1791.
In the 19th century, the Revenue Act of 1861 and the Revenue Act of 1862 levied heavy taxes upon the distilleries producing vinous spirits, which taxation increased the number of illegal distilleries, which then increased police actions by the IRS agents despatched to collect taxes from distilleries; the agents were known as Revenuers.
Etymology
The earliest known instance of the term "moonshine" being used to refer to illicit alcohol dates to the 1785 edition of
Grose's Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, which was published in England. Prior to that, "moonshine" referred to anything "illusory" or to literally the light of the moon.
The U.S. Government considers the word a "fanciful term" and does not regulate its use on the labels of commercial products; as such, legal moonshines may be any type of spirit, which must be indicated elsewhere on the label.
Prohibition in the United States
In Prohibition-era United States, moonshine distillation was done at night to deter discovery.
While moonshiners were present in urban and rural areas around the United States after the Civil War, moonshine production concentrated in
Appalachia because the limited road network made it easy to evade revenue officers and because it was difficult and expensive to transport corn crops. As a study of farmers in Cocke County, Tennessee, observes: "One could transport much more value in corn if it was first converted to whiskey. One horse could haul ten times more value on its back in whiskey than in corn." Moonshiners such as Maggie Bailey of Harlan County, Kentucky,
Amos Owens of Rutherford County, North Carolina, and
Popcorn Sutton of Maggie Valley, North Carolina, became legendary.
Once the liquor was distilled, drivers called "runners" or "bootleggers" smuggled moonshine liquor across the region in cars specially modified for speed and load-carrying capacity. The cars were ordinary on the outside but modified with souped-up engines, extra interior room, and heavy-duty to support the weight of the illicit alcohol. After Prohibition ended, the out-of-work drivers kept their skills sharp through organized races, which led to the formation of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR).
Some varieties of maize corn grown in the United States were once prized for their use in moonshine production. One such variety used in moonshine, Jimmy Red corn, a "blood-red, flint-hard 'dent' corn with a rich and oily germ," almost became extinct when the last grower died in 2000. Two ears of Jimmy Red were passed on to "seed saver" Ted Chewning, who saved the variety from extinction and began to produce it on a wider scale.
There have been modern-day attempts on the state level to legalize home distillation of alcohol, similar to how some states have been treating cannabis, despite there being federal laws prohibiting the practice. For example, the New Hampshire state legislature has tried repeatedly to pass laws allowing unlicensed home distillation of small batches.
See also
Sources
-
Davis, Elaine. Minnesota 13: "Wet" Wild Prohibition Days (2007)
-
Rowley, Matthew. Moonshine! History, songs, stories, and how-tos (2007)
-
Watman, Max. Chasing the White Dog: An Amateur Outlaw's Adventures in Moonshine (2010)
-
King, Jeff. The Home Distiller's Workbook: Your Guide to Making Moonshine, Whisky, Vodka, Rum and So Much More! (2012)
External links
