Step 2: Wrap the Thermometer with Teflon Tape – Originally, we were just going to wrap the thermometer with Teflon tape to create an airtight seal but decided we wanted to secure this thing in place even more with some hot glue (rated for high temps). You could probably get away with just using hot glue at the end of the day and ditching the Teflon.
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What kind of still is used for moonshine?
Copper Moonshine Stills for Sale If you have made it to this web site, then you probably realize that “moonshine” doesn’t refer to any specific type of distilled spirit. Most moonshine recipes call for ground or flaked corn, malted barley, and sugar, but part of the appeal of moonshining is that there aren’t really any rules.
If a distiller is willing to take the time to experiment and learn, virtually any fruit or grain can be fermented and distilled into an alcoholic beverage of better than average quality. Moonshine Still Co. stills are copper pot stills and can be used to make traditional types of moonshine, but they may also be used to make several other kinds of distilled alcoholic beverages, including other kinds of whiskey, gin, brandy, vodka, or rum.
Other kinds of stills include reflux stills, column stills, and alembic stills, and some commentators further divide pot stills into the categories of moonshine stills and artisan pot stills. In this sort of taxonomy, Moonshine Stills Co. stills are moonshine stills.
- Compared to some other kinds of stills, a pot still allows more of the other compounds (other than pure alcohol) in an alcoholic mixture, called congeners, to make their way through the condenser and into the end product.
- These impurities cause the distilled spirit to retain some of the characteristics of the ingredients that are used to make it.
Other kinds of stills, such as a reflux still, do a very good job at separating the alcohol from a wash and creating a purer, more neutral tasting alcoholic drink. But not everyone distills alcohol because he wants to separate all of the alcohol from everything else in the wash.
Does a still have to be copper?
Is a copper still necessary? A question that is often asked is whether or not it is necessary to have a copper still for producing the best quality whiskey. Purists argue that there is no other proper way to do it and they point to the fact that is has always been done that way.
- Stainless steel advocates argue that it has been always done that way, because stainless steel was only ‘discovered’ about a hundred years ago, and in some industries, old habits die slowly.
- In defense of using stainless, they argue that stainless steel is more durable, easier to work with and less costly than copper.
There is a good reason to use copper for distilling. Copper catalyzes (allows to occur) certain reactions that remove undesirable notes/flavors in the distillate and make it ‘smoother’. Without copper, the distillate will smell and taste sharp and unpleasant. 
An easy and inexpensive way to include copper is by the insertion of 100% copper scrub brushes. It is important to use 100% copper scrubs and two brands that make them are Chore Boy and Libman. Of the ones we tested, Chore Boy are generally less expensive but they are also about 30% lighter than Libmans.
- For placement, several scrub brushes can be put in the (pot still in this application), and they can also be placed inside the,
- The 1.5″ to 2″ reducer makes a great place to put several as the constriction will naturally hold them.
- As the distillate passes out of the it has to go through the copper brushes, allowing for maximum interaction (and even a bit of reflux for higher proof).
For the stripping run (the first time beer is distilled) it is recommended to place the copper in the still itself, not in the, as ‘burping’ (proteins etc. foaming up into the condensor) can occur if heating is too rapid leading to fouling or plugging of the Condensing Assembly.
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: Is a copper still necessary?
How many times do you distill moonshine?
The Distillation – Distilling Alcohol – For distillation use the entire mash, both liquid and solid parts. Don´t filter the mash before distilling. You would lose taste and smell by filtration. Therefore the stills contain solid parts. Hence it is necessary to use a burn protector, Large stills are jacketed kettles in common, mostly equipped with a stirrer, but this system is not appropriate for small copper stills of hobby distillers. If the mash contains less than about 10 %ABV alcohol, you have to distill twice (double distillation). If the alcohol content is higher than that, a simple distillation is completely sufficient. This kind of distillation produces the most intense taste and smell, more than double distilled alcohol. Don’t forget to separate the heads (foreshot). Also if your mash is free of heads, you should separate about 30 drops per 1,5 liters (1.5 US quarts) of mash. Collect the hearts until 91 °C (196 °F) steam temperature, after that you can collect the tails or stop the distillation.
How long after distilling can you drink?
How to Age Alcohol After Distillation 
Ageing alcohol takes time, but as the old saying goes – good things come to those who wait. Ask any distiller how to age alcohol and you will get a myriad of answers, advice, and suggestions – and they could all be correct because depending on what you are making and what your desired outcome is, your process will change.
Ageing Dark Spirits from a Pot Still Dark spirits such as whiskey, dark rum, and brandy, are typically oaked at approximately 63% ABV, however, you may oak at a lower ABV if preferred. Many home-distillers age their spirit on oak at a rate of 10g of oak per litre of spirit. Again, you may increase or decrease the amount of oak used depending on your preference, but it is important to remember that you will usually achieve better results using smaller amounts for a longer period.
The time left on oak will vary depending on the amount of oak used, especially if using a barrel. If you age your spirit in a glass container you will almost instantly see the colour start to come through, though it takes time for all the chemical changes to occur between the alcohol and the oak.
Try leaving the alcohol to age for at least three months (tough, we know!) and then take some out, dilute to drinking ABV and taste it. You may find it’s acceptable to drink, however, try to age it for longer as you will see amazing changes happen at 6 months, 12 months, and even longer. You can even try ageing multiple batches and then try blending portions together to create something entirely new.
Check out our article on to learn more about this. Ageing Neutral Alcohol for Flavouring When most people start home distilling, they usually begin with distilling a neutral alcohol to add flavourings to. While it may not be like a traditional dark spirit that requires a long time ageing on oak, ageing your neutral alcohol can improve its quality.
- The easiest thing you can do after distilling your neutral spirit is let it air out for 24 hours or so with just a towel covering it, this will allow some of the more volatile and harsher aromas to evaporate – this is also called the angel’s share.
- Once you have added the flavouring, you can let it sit for a while, anything from a few days to a week to get the best flavour from your spirit.
This allows the flavouring to properly mix and settle into the alcohol. Depending on the flavouring type, some could benefit from ageing on oak. Rums and whiskies for example can benefit from this. While we strive to lock in the best flavour profiles in our offerings, some people may want more oak of a particular kind, or just want to experiment.
You can choose to age your neutral on the oak before, or after the flavouring has been added. Here you can also experiment with different amounts of oak at different times. When it comes to ageing both neutral and dark spirits, it’s important to try different times and methods to find something that works for you.
Through experimentation, we often find great ways to do things so our advice to you is to keep experimenting and also keep track of your different methods through ardent note taking – the last thing you want is to make the best batch you’ve ever made but forget what you did to get it there! : How to Age Alcohol After Distillation
Can you make alcohol without distilling it?
In countries where it is illegal to distil alcohol for consumption there is another option. You can ferment up to 20% ABV which is fine for many cocktails.Fermenting alcohol without distilling will leave behind some of the fermentation flavours which means you will produce a different flavour.
30 Litre fermenter with airlock, bung and tap. Steriliser Mixing spoon or paddle Still Spirits Turbo Yeast Turbo Carbon Turbo Clear 6kg sugar or 7 kg of Dextrose
INSTRUCTIONS 1. Add 20 litres water at 30°C to the fermenter, slowly pour in the dextrose or sugar while stirring. Stir well to make sure all the sugar is dissolved. 2. Add the Turbo Carbon by carefully cutting off the top of the sachet near the seal and squeeze contents into the mix.
- Use a little water to rinse out the rest of the sachet.
- This carbon will be absorbing fermentation flavours during fermentation to make your fermented alcohol as clean as possible. 3.
- Sprinkle Turbo yeast on top of the mix.
- Fit airlock and leave to ferment.
- This will take 7 to 10 days depending on the room temperature.
The ideal room temperature is 20- 24°C.Once the mix has finished fermenting. Indications that it has finished fermenting are the airlock has stopped bubbling, no small bubbles are rising through the brew and the mix will look less murky from the top working it’s was down the pail as the yeast and carbon start to settle out.
4. Once all fermentation has ceased we take the unusual step of stirring the whole mix up to remove all the gas from the mix. This mixing should start slowly at first so the mix doesn’t froth over, but build to be very vigorous after 5 to 10 minutes to make sure we get all the gas out. If you don’t de-gas the mix you are likely to have problems getting the mix crystal clear during the next process.
5. After all the gas has been removed, add Part A of the Turbo Clear pack and stir well. This needs to be mixed throughout the mix. One hour after adding Part A of the Turbo Clear we need to add Part B. Unlike Part A we want to try to add this to the top layer of the mix with as little disturbance as possible.
Sprinkle it over the surface and try to gently stir it in to the first 25mm (1 inch) of the mix. 6. After 24 hours the wash should be brilliantly clear. If it isn’t leave it for a little longer. Once it is clear then siphon or carefully pour the clear mix off the sediment in the bottom.The mix is now ready to be used to make liqueurs.
Remember that liqueur recipes are all designed for use with 40 or 50% alcohol, reduce any water from recipes, add the flavour and any base pack required and top up to 1.125L with fermented mix.
What alcohol is close to moonshine?
Can you Drink Everclear? – Many people want to try Everclear because of the hype associated with it. It is often mislabeled as moonshine. However, this is not the case. Moonshine is only truly spirits that are made illicitly. Everclear is simply a high proof spirit that is commercially made.
- Of course, as it is often labelled as moonshine or used in lieu of moonshine in many popular moonshine recipes, many want to try Everclear.
- With 95% alcohol content, Everclear is very potent.
- So if you want to try Everclear, it is smart not to drink it straight.
- Everclear isn’t produced and intended for a cocktail; rather, it is intended to be used in creating lower proof alcohols, such as in making limoncello or liqueurs.
Try as much as you can not to use Everclear straight in cocktail recipes; it is just too unsafe and strong.
