Friday, September 9, 2016

Buying A Moonshine Still Intrigues Many Home Brewers

By Donna Bell


People who love to drink coffee and tea will often get excited trying new varieties of beans and leaves. They have their own coffee grinders and loose tea strainers. Individuals who enjoy the taste of wine and beer sometimes get intrigued about making their own alcoholic beverages, bottling and labeling them, and sharing them with adult family and friends. They might even go a step farther and want to try their hands at distilling whiskey in a moonshine still.

For some, moonshine connotes hillbillies in the mountains brewing their illegal beverage in homemade stills. In fact, the product came to the forefront of society when Prohibition laws went into effect in the nineteen twenties. Once Congress passed legislation banning the sale and consumption of liquor, bootleggers went into action. They knew there would be a huge market for the illegal substance. Also known as hooch, white lightning, and shine, the outlawed drink eventually became a source of great wealth for some famous Americans.

Today owning stills is becoming more and more popular with the public. They are legal to own and easy to find on the internet. Companies sell new and used ones, and there are plenty of websites that offer kits and plans for those interested in building a still from scratch. New and restored stills are moderately priced, some less than five hundred dollars. You can even bid on them online.

You don't even have to be interested in making alcohol to be intrigued by the equipment. Most are made of copper, and the best are nothing short of works of art. Many people shop for antique stills to decorate rooms in their homes. They are certainly great conversation pieces.

Individuals interested in producing moonshine usually do some research, end up knowing something about the liquor, and try to impress their drinking buddies with interesting facts. They may explain that it became popular with rural Americans because it was cheap and easy to make. Most of the ingredients needed they already had on the farm, like corn and hog feed mash. It was also potent, about one hundred sixty proof when ready to drink.

The connection between NASCAR and "hooch" is real. During the early years of the twentieth century, moonshiners outran the law in cars that were designed for speed. At some point, it was decided that it would be fun to run these cars on tracks and sell tickets to the public. This was the birth of stock car racing.

Most people know the answer, but still ask if moonshine production, even for personal use, is illegal. They already know it is outlawed in almost every state. You can manufacture the liquor for mass consumption in certain states with approval, licenses, and payment of taxes. If you decide to go ahead and make it for yourself anyway, you should be aware that you risk being arrested and fined.

Many people are willing to risk the dangers of making this toxic brew. Purchasing stills for personal use is not illegal. What you do with the still, is your business.




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