I was contacted a few weeks ago about doing an interview with one of the co-founders of a small, Connecticut based distillery called Onyx Moonshine. I was hesitant at first, since I wasn’t a big fan of distilleries that market their product as moonshine. Moonshine, by its very definition, is illegally produced.  As such, “legally produced moonshine” is a bit of an oxymoron. However, Adam won me over after interviewing him and reading his book “Living Proof: Onyx Moonshine’s Journey to Revive The American Spirit.”

My beef with distillers who market their product as “moonshine” was that I saw it as being nothing more than a marketing scam, since, by  definition, moonshine isn’t legal. But as Adam pointed out “What else do you call it?”. It’s the closest thing you can get to moonshine. After talking about his distilling process, I realized that, besides the legality and safety, there really isn’t any difference between Onyx Moonshine and traditional moonshine.

What really won me over was that Onyx Moonshine is a real small batch distillery. They use two 55 gallon stills. This is incredibly small for an industrial distillery that produces thousands of cases a year. What’s really impressive is that they produce between 4-5 thousand cases a year. How the hell do they produce so much liquor with such a small still? Adams answer, “there are months where we run the stills nonstop.”

Onyx Moonshine started out small. As such, they had to get creative with the limited resources they had. They invented a system by which fermented mash (wart) is continuously fed into the still, something that I have never heard of, but is borderline genius.

Adam and I went on to talk about the flavors produced in such small batches. Since he uses small pot stills, his moonshine carries over the flavors and characteristics of the grain; something that is lost when you use large column stills. He also distills his product twice (beer stripping and spirit run). In my opinion, Triple Distilling is overrated. The more you distill a spirit, the more flavor is lost. By doing two runs, you get a clean crisp spirit without stripping it of its natural flavors. Adam went on to say that as they grow they are adding more 55 gallon stills, rather than moving up to larger stills that can produce more. The reason being that you can’t get the same flavor and characteristics with a large, industrial sized still.

We also talked about the Onyx Moonshine recipe. They use a combination of corn, malted barley, and Connecticut spring water. This led to a discussion about the importance of water in distilling. I brought up an article I had read about how the water you use doesn’t effect the flavor of the spirit, something Adam and I both agreed was hogwash. If you produce a spirit that is 40% alcohol, that means that 60% is water. Adam stressed the importance of good water and pointed out that even though it is distilled, you still have to cut your liquor. Like Adam, I have always felt that the water  used can greatly impact the flavor of the spirits.

Onyx Moonshine has done a great job of separating itself from other distilleries that produce “moonshine.” Other moonshine producers bottle their product in Mason jars. The reason being that they see themselves as more of a novelty brand. Adam and his partner went the other way. They didn’t want to produce a novelty product. Rather they wanted to produce a product that people would buy based on its flavor. Onyx Moonshine isn’t about fulfilling a marketing niche; rather they are about taking pride in producing an original American product.
Adam really captured the essence of distilling spirits with the phrase, “Spirits capture a place and time. It can’t be recreated.” Spirits such as whiskey and moonshine can’t be recreated elsewhere, which is part of the romance. Even if a distillery on the other side of the U.S. copied their recipe and yeast, they still couldn’t get the flavor produced by the water and seasons in Connecticut.

Onyx Moonshine has recently come out with a barrel-aged whiskey. Adam pointed out the importance of Connecticut’s weather and how it plays into producing a quality whiskey. Connecticut had bitter cold winters and hot summers. This causes the barrels to expand in the summer absorbing the liquor and then shrinking in the bitter cold winters. Adam then went into how they taste their whiskey every few months until it’s just right. “You know when whiskey is ready?” Adam asked. “Whiskey is ready when it’s ready.” And he does have a point. As with wine, whiskey changes over time. However, the changes aren’t an even progression. Rather it’s quality and flavor can fluctuate. I had always believed that whiskey got better with age, but Adam did make a compelling case for why that might not always be the case.

At first I was skeptical of Onyx Moonshine. The recent revelations about the dishonest marketing practices by such brands as Templeton Rye left me disheartened and wary of new brands. I haven’t yet had Onyx Moonshine, so I can’t speak to it’s quality. With that being said, I was impressed with the integrity and enthusiasm that Onyx Moonshine has for their product and the legacy of American spirits. They are one of the few legitimate small batch distilleries. They make their own product and they take pride in their product. But perhaps what I like the most about them is that they aren’t pretentious. They have every right to turn their nose up to questionable “distillers” that buy their spirit from elsewhere and simply slap their own label on it.

As previously stated, I can’t speak to the quality of their spirits. What I can say, is that they are one of the few legitimately small batch distilleries out there, and they have a genuine love for their craft. You can’t get much more “small batch” than a 55 gallon pot still, and you can’t get much closer to authentic American moonshine than Onyx Moonshine.

Freeze distillation: As you probably well know, alcohol freezes at a lower temperature than water. Historically Applejacks could only be made during the winter (for obvious reasons). During the colonial period producers would leave Apple cider out in the cold. Every morning they would go out and wipe off all the ice that had accumulated. The colder the apple cider got, the more it would freeze. The more ice they took out, the higher the alcohol content. Due to our modern technological advancements in freezing, you can produce Applejacks all year round without a still. All you need is access to a large freezer.

Steam distillation: Many modern distilleries use stills and the process of steam distillation to produce Applejacks. As opposed to freeze distillation, steam distillation is done by heating apple cider. Alcohol evaporates at a lower temperature than water. As such, the alcohol evaporates first. With the use of a still, one is able to condense and the vaporized alcohol back into its liquid form.

Applejacks is a truly great liquor that can easily be produced at home. I personally believe that Applejacks is perhaps the most under rated spirit being produced in America today.

As previously stated, Applejacks can be made either by steam or freeze distillation. For the purposes of this article, I will be discussing the process of freeze distillation. If you are interested in steam distillation, please check out the article on “how to make moonshine.” It’s the same process as making moonshine, except that you use apple juice instead of grain.

In order to make Applejacks, you will first need to make apple cider. If you are really ambitious, you can press your own apples.

Apple cider 5 gallon recipe:

gallons of apple juice/concentrate (5 gallons = 18.9 litters)
Yeast nutrients (you can pick it up at your local home brew shop)
2 pounds of sugar (depends on how much sugar is in your apple concentrate)
1 packet of yeast ( you can get wine yeast either at a home brew shop or online)

What you need:  (click here to buy home brew kit)

Alcohol hydrometer (it is best if you have both a beer and liquor hydrometer)
Carboy
air lock
5 gallon bucket or kettle (really anything that has a wide top and is food grade plastic)
Large freezer if you are doing freeze distillation
Still (only if you are doing steam distillation)

Step by step directions on how to make Applejacks:

Step 1 Sanitation: The first step is also perhaps the most important and will be repeated throughout the process. You will want to make sure that you sanitize everything that comes into contact with your cider. This includes your hands, carboy, and stirring stick. You don’t want to sanitize everything. I once attempted to make homemade wine. Some bacteria got into it and my wine turned into 5 gallons of vinegar.  I cannot stress the importance of sanitization.

Step 2 Preparing Ingredients: The apple concentrate should already be sanitary. However, if you are really paranoid, you may find it advantageous to boil the concentrate while you stir in your sugar. This is especially important if you pressed your own apples. You can also just mix your apple concentrate and sugar in your sanitized carboy.

Step 3 Fermentation: You will want to use a high alcohol producing yeast. Preferably a high yielding beer yeast, wine yeast, or distillers yeast. You do not want to use Turbo yeast. You will want to add your yeast when your carboy is around 75-80 degrees F. You packet of yeast should tell you the temperature range of the yeast. After adding your yeast, you should begin to see signs of fermentation within the first 12 hours. If you don’t see any signs of fermentation after the first day, you may either not have enough sugar, or your cider is to cold.

You may find it advantageous to add a pound or two of sugar after the first couple of days. This will help increase the alcohol content of your cider. The more sugar you have, the higher your alcohol content. However, if you add to much sugar your yeast will get stressed and produce off flavors. There is also a limit to how much alcohol your yeast can survive in. Much of this is dependent on what kind of yeast you use. A beer hydrometer will tell you the alcohol content of your cider.

After your first week you will see the yeast start to settle to the bottom of your carboy. At which time you will want to rack (transfer) your cider into a second fermentation vessel. You will want to make sure to leave the settled yeast behind. This is best done with the use of a small hand pump. These can be purchased either online or at your local home brew supply store.

Step 4 Freeze Distillation: You will be ready to distill your apple cider after about 10 days of fermentation. You will either want to use a food grade plastic when freeze distilling, the reason being that the alcohol will eat away at said plastic. If it’s winter you can leave you container outside and let it freeze. However, if it’s summer you will obviously need to use a freezer. Most of freeze distillation comes down to common sense. You cider will expand as it freezes. You will be aware of this if you have ever left a can of soda in the freezer for too long. As such, it is preferable to keep your container either uncovered or partially empty. Alcohol freezes at -173 degrees F, whereas water freezes at 32 degrees F. The proportion of water to alcohol will affect the temperature at which the beverage will freeze.

You will want to syphon out the liquid from the ice once a day (depending on how impatient you are). The more ice you remove the higher the alcohol content. The higher the alcohol content the longer it will take for your applejack to freeze. The biggest limiting factor when it comes to the alcohol content of your Applejack is cold your freezer is.

I have heard off the alcohol content getting as high as 45% alcohol (90 proof). You can use your alcohol hydrometer to check the alcohol content of your Applejack. However, you will want to make sure that your Applejack is around 60 degrees F when you use your hydrometer. The reason for this is that the temperature will affect the hydrometers reading.

If you have a still, you may prefer to simply distill your alcohol as you would with any other distilled spirit.

Step 4 Aging: This step isn’t necessary, but can improve your Applejack After you have distilled your cider you will have Applejack. At this point you can choose to either drink or age your Applejack. It’s up to you. Ageing your Applejack with toasted oak chips can add some great flavors. You will want to put your Applejack into a glass Mason jar with your toasted oak chips. After sealing your Mason jar, you will want to keep it in a warm place and let it site for a week. The warmer the environment the more flavors it will extract from the oak.

Video on how to make apple cider:

Video on making Applejack: 

2. Make sure that you have enough time to finish your distillation. Distilling can take up to 8-10 hours. It is important that you are in the vicinity of your still during this time.

3. Depending on the size of your still, you will want to throw out the first bit of alcohol that comes out. For a 5 gallon still, it is recommended that your throw out the first 150ml. This stuff is not only unpalatable, but it may also be poisonous.

4. Your still should only be made of either copper or stainless steel. Do NOT use aluminum. It is also important to note that some moonshiners have been known to use lead to seal their stills.

5. Check your equipment. Make sure your condenser is clear and that your still isn’t leaking. A clogged or inadequate condenser will prevent steam or liquid to escape. This will cause pressure in the still to build up, which may cause your still to blow up.

6. When you are cooking your grain, make sure that the temperature isn’t too hot. You will also want to make sure that you stir the grain. Corn in particular has a habit of sinking to the bottom of the pot where, if left unattended, it will burn. The taste of burnt corn is undesirable to say the least, and as such should be avoided.

7. When diluting your spirits it is wise to use bottled water. The reason for this is that tap water may have minerals or chemicals that can make your spirits cloudy.

8. When it comes to flavoring your spirits remember that less is more. It is easier to add flavors than it is to take them out.

9. Make good cuts. One of the most important aspects of making a palatable spirit is to make good cuts. It is recommended that you keep your spirits in small containers and order them from first to last. This simple trick will aid you in deciding what you want to keep and what you want to redistill.

However, this is in no way meant to diminish the skill of those who can make their cuts based on taste and feel alone. For those who are beginners, an alcohol hydrometer can be an important tool for making cuts. It is important to also taste and feel your spirits as well, but remember to water down your spirits to around 40% before tasting. This is due to the fact that it’s difficult to taste your spirits if they have a high alcohol content.

The heads, which are the first to come out of the still, will taste harsh. Whereas the tails, which are the last to come out, will smell somewhat like wet dog, and will have an oily texture. What you want is the hearts. The hearts come out in the middle of your run between the heads and tails.

An alcohol hydrometer is a simple device that floats in your alcoholic beverage. The hydrometer has a scale of numbers along the side that represent a percentage of alcohol. The deeper the hydrometer sinks, the higher the alcohol content. Your hydrometer should be calibrated to give you an accurate reading at 60 degrees Fahrenheit.

You may find it advantageous to use a correction chart. A correction chart will tell you how much you will need to correct your reading based on the temperature of your spirits. Click here to see chart Correction chart

Typical Alcohol Content of Various Beverages:
Absinthe: 45% – 74%
Barley Wine: 8% – 12%
Brandy: 35% – 60%
Cider: 2% – 8.5%
Beer: 3% – 12%
Wine: 9% – 16%
Fortified Wines: 15.5% – 20%
Rum: 40% – 60%
Whiskey: 40% – 50%

Legally speaking, everything isn’t  black and white. In order for whiskey to be called whiskey, it must be distilled below 90% alcohol. That is to say, everything that is collected out of the still must have come out below 90% before it is watered down to a more palatable percentage. Whereas Vodka must be distilled at or above 90%.

In order for whiskey to be labeled as Scotch Whiskey, it must first be aged for at least two years in Scotland and in oak barrels. In the United States, Bourbon must be aged in new chard oak barrels for at least two years. Corn whiskey is the exception in that it doesn’t need to be aged in oak barrels. However, it must be made from at least 51% corn.

One argument that I have heard from a distiller who makes and sells white dog whiskey is that “charred oak is mostly used to mellow out bad flavors picked up during a distillation.” In some sense this is true. Aging in oak allows the alcohol to breathe and mellow out over time. Some alcohol evaporates out of the barrel over time. This is known as the “Angels Share.” However, aging in oak won’t make bad whiskey taste good. It’s also a practice that is used by the most highly respected and coveted brands.

The U.S. Government defines whiskey as such, “Whisky: “Whisky” is an alcoholic distillate from a fermented mash of grain produced at less than 190° proof in such manner that the distillate possesses the taste, aroma, and characteristics generally attributed to whisky, stored in oak containers (except that corn whisky need not be so stored), and bottled at not less than 80° proof, and also includes mixtures of such distillates for which no specific standards of identity are prescribed.”

So why are some distilleries not aging their whiskey? The reason for this largely has more to do with profits than it does with anything else. Whiskey is one of the most sought after and widely consumed products on liquor store shelves. As such, being able to label your product as whiskey makes it much more marketable. The issue is that aging spirits is expensive, and many new distilleries simply cannot afford to do so. Besides the cost of buying and storing the barrels, the distiller also has to sit on their product for two years before they can begin bottling. And as with any business, time is money. Many new startups simply cannot afford to wait several years before seeing a return on their investment.

The growth of brands that advertise their product as legal “moonshine” (it’s not really moonshine) and “white dog whiskey,” has to do with the growth of the distilling industry. The U.S. government has started to relax regulations concerning distilling. This means that there are many new distilleries that are looking for ways to market their product and stay afloat. To many, this practice may seem a bit dishonest. In the end time will tell. Distilleries depend largely on return customers. If customers don’t like your product, they won’t come back.

The following are some of the most popular sources for fermenting alcohol: grapes, apricots, cherries, peaches, currents, gooseberries, raspberries, strawberries, figs, plums, bananas, carrots, turnips, beet-root, sweet corn, rice and other grains. As well as sugar-cane refuse, sorghum, and molasses.

Preparing Mash: When working with starchy materials one must first convert the starch into sugar. The first step in this process is the gelatinizing of the starch. This is done by heating it with water, or into a liquid mass by steaming it under high pressure. After this this is accomplished, the mash is then cooled. This is done in order to break up the gelatinized starch into a simpler sugar called “maltose” which the yeast can then processes into alcohol.

Fermentation: The maltose or sugar in the “mash” is now to be converted into alcohol. This is accomplished by fermentation, a process of decomposition which converts the sugar into carbonic acid and alcohol. Fermentation is started by yeast, which in the course of its life history produces a matter called zymogen which chemically acts in the sugar to split it up into carbonic acid gas and alcohol.

Yeast may be either “wild” or cultivated. If the mash is left to stand under proper condition the wild yeast spores in the air, will soon settle in the mash and begin to multiply. This method of fermentation is bad because other organisms antagonistic to proper fermentation. As a consequence, pure or cultivated yeast is alone used.

This yeast is cultivated from a mother bed in a special yeast mash and when ripened is mixed with the mash in their fermentation vat at a temperature between 50 and 86 degrees Feht. The yeast induces fermentation, converting the sugar of the mash into carbon dioxide which escapes, and alcohol which remains in the decomposed mash, or “beer” as it is termed in the United States.

It now remains to separate the alcohol from the water of the beer with which it is mixed. This is accomplished by distillation.

Mashing starchy materials: Production of alcohol for substances: Substance such as grape juice, fruit juice, sugar beets, cane sugar and molasses already contain fermentable sugar. We will now consider in more detail the preparation of mash from starch-containing substances.

Fermentation: Is an obscure and seemingly spontaneous change or decomposition which takes place in most vegetables and animal substances when exposed at ordinary temperatures to air and moisture. While fermentation broadly covers decay or purification, yet it is limited in ordinary use to the process of producing alcohol liquors from sacchariferous mashes.

Active fermentation is the process by which the sugar is processed into alcohol and carbon dioxide. The process continuing from 48 hours to several weeks according to the temperature, the amount of sugar present, and the nature and quantity of the ferments. Fermentation cannot occur at a temperature much below 40 degrees F., more above 140 degrees F. The limits of practical temperature, however, are 41 to 86 F. Brewer’s yeast is chiefly employed in spirit manufacturing.

The most striking phenomena of fermentation are the turbidity of the liquid, the rising of gas bubbles to the surface, and the increase in temperature, the disappearance of the sugar, the appearance of alcohol and the clearing of the liquid. At the end a slight scum is formed on the top of the liquid and a light colored deposit at the bottom. This deposit consists of yeast which is capable of exciting the vinous fermentation in other solution of sugar. The lower the temperature the slower the process, whole at a temperature above 86 degrees F, the vinous fermentation is liable to pass into other forms of fermentation to be hereafter considered.

Yeast:(click here to buy distilling yeast)

Yeast is a fungus, a mono-cellular organism, which under proper conditions propagates itself to an enormous extent. That are many races or varieties of yeast each having its peculiar methods of growth.

distilling yeast

For our purposes we may divide the yeast races into two classes, wild yeast and cultivated yeast. Originally any of the yeast races were supposed to be good enough to effect fermentation but to day every effort is made to procure and use only those races which have the greatest power to decompose sugar. I was for this reason that the old distiller kept portions of his yeast over from one fermentation to the next. This was yeast whose action they understood and those abilities were proven. This yeast so kept was open, however, to the chance of contamination and yeast today is carefully selected and bred as in a strain of horses, or dogs, or plants.

After getting a portion of selected pure yeast for breeding purposes, it may be sowed, that is, propagated very carefully in a yeast mash, in sterilizing apparatus, where all chance of contamination by bacteria or wild yeast is avoided. Form this bed of mother yeast, or start yeast, the yeast for the successive yeast mashes is taken.

The preparation of the various varieties of yeast mashes is too lengthy to be set forth except in special treatises on the subject, but the ordinary method of yeasting is aa follows. Fig 5, which shows the apparatus, used in the yeasting and fermentation departments of a distillery, as installed by the Vulcan Copper Works, of Cincinnati. The yeast tubs are shown to the left of the illustration. They are each provided with the cooling coils and stirrers.

The yeast mash we will assume is composed of equal parts of barley malt and rye meal. Hot water at 166 degrees F, is first put into the mash tub. The rake or stirrers are then rotted and the meal run in slowly. The stirring is continued for twenty minutes after the meal is all in, during which the mash has become saccharified.

The mash is then allowed to stand for about twenty hours, and to grow sour by lactic fermentation. The lactic acid so produced protects the mother yeast from infection by suppressing wild yeast and bacteria. During this period great care is taken to prevent the temperature for the mash falling below 95 degrees F, and consequent butyric and acetous fermentation following. After it has so stood the sour mash is cooled by circulating water in the coils and stirring until it is reduced to from 59 to 68 F depending on whether the mash is thin or thick Start yeast during the cooling of the mash when at above 86 F is added and stirred in for the next twelve hours the yeast ferments and when a temperature of 84 F has been attained the mash is cooled to 65 F. at which temperature it is maintained until allowed to enter the fermenting tubs through the pipe leading thereto from the yeast tub.

There are four principal kinds of fermentation alcoholic acetous lactic and viscous.

Alcoholic Fermentation. This may be briefly described as follows The mash in the fermenting vat having been brought to the proper temperature the ferment is thrown in and the whole is well stirred together.

Fermentation

This is known as pitching. The proper pitching temperature varies with the method of fermentation adopted the length of the fermenting period the materials of the mash its thickness or attenuation. It must always be remembered that there is a great increase in the temperature of the beer during fermentation and that the temperature at its highest should never under any circumstances become greater than 86 F and with thick mashes that even a less heat is desirable. Therefore the pitching temperature should be such that the inevitable rise due to fermentation shall not carry the temperature to or beyond the maximum point desired for the particular mash being treated It is to accurately control the pitching temperature and the fermenting temperature that the fermenting tanks are provided with cooling appliances.

In about three hours’ time the commencement of the fermentation is announced by small bubbles of gas which appear on the surface of the vat and collect around the edges. As these increase in number the whole contents are gradually thrown into a state of motion resembling violent ebullition by the tumultuous disengagement of carbonic anhydride. The liquor rises in temperature and becomes covered with froth At this point the vat must be covered tightly the excess of gas finding an exit through holes in the lid care must now be taken to prevent the temperature from rising too high and also to prevent the action from becoming too energetic thereby causing the contents of the vat to overflow. In about twenty four hours the action begins to subside and the temperature falls to that of the surrounding atmosphere, An hour or two later the process is complete the bubbles disappear and the liquor which now possesses the characteristic odor and taste of alcohol settles out perfectly clear. The whole operation as here described usually occupies from forty eight to seventy two hours. The duration of the process is influenced of course by many circumstances chiefly by the bulk of the liquor its richness in sugar the quality of the ferment and the temperature.

Acetous Fermentation. This perplexing occurrence cannot be too carefully guarded against It results when the fermenting liquor is exposed to the air. When this is the case the liquor absorbs a portion of the oxygen which unites with the alcohol thus converting it into acetic acid as rapidly as it is formed. When acetous fermentation begins the liquor becomes turbid and a long stringy substance appears which after a time settles down to the bottom of the vat It is then found that all the alcohol has been decomposed and that an equivalent quantity of acetous acid remains instead It has been discovered that the presence of a ferment and a temperature of 68 to 95 F are indispensable to acetous fermentation as well as contact with the atmosphere. Hence in order to prevent its occurrence it is necessary not only to exclude the air but also to guard against too high a temperature and the use of too much ferment. The latter invariably tends to excite acetous fermentation It should also be remarked that it is well to cleanse the vats and utensils carefully with lime water before using in order to neutralize any acid which they may contain for the least trace of acid in the vat has a tendency to accelerate the conversion of alcohol into vinegar. A variety of other circumstances are favorable to acetification such as the use of a stagnant or impure water, and the foul odors which arise from the vats stormy weather or thunder will also engender it.

Lactic Fermentation. Under the influence of lactic fermentation sugar and starch are converted into lactic acid. When it has once begun it develops rapidly and soon decomposes a large quantity of glucose but as it can proceed only in a neutral liquor the presence of the acid itself speedily checks its own formation. Then however another ferment is liable to act upon the lactic acid already formed converting it into butyric acid which is easily recognized by its odor of rank butter Carbonic anhydride and hydrogen are evolved by this reaction. The latter gas acts powerfully upon glucose converting it into a species of gum called mannite so that lactic fermentation in itself an intolerable nuisance becomes the source of a new and equally objectionable waste of sugar. It can be avoided only by keeping the vats thoroughly clean they should be washed with water acidulated with five per cent of sulphuric acid. An altered ferment or the use of too small a quantity will tend to bring it about.

The best preventives are thorough cleanliness and the use of good fresh yeast in the correct proportion.

Viscous Fermentation. This is usually the result of allowing the vats to stand too long before fermentation begins. It is characterized by the formation of viscous or mucilaginous matters which render the liquor turbid and by the evolution of carbonic anhydride and hydrogen gases the latter acting as in the case of lactic fermentation and converting the glucose into mannite Viscous fermentation may generally be attributed to the too feeble action of the ferment It occurs principally in the fermentation of white wines beer and beet juice or of other liquors containing much nitrogenous matter. It may be avoided by the same precautions as are indicated for the prevention of lactic fermentation.

Periods of Fermentation. The operation of fermentation may be conveniently divided into three equal periods.

The first or pre-fermentation period is that when the yeast mixed into the mash is growing the temperature should then be kept at about 63 to 68 F during which time the yeast is propagated. The growth of the yeast is manifested by the development of carbonic acid gas and by a slight motion of the mash When alcohol is produced to an extent of say five per cent the growth of the yeast stops.

The second period of chief fermentation then begins. Carbonic acid is freely developed and the sugar is converted into alcohol. The temperature at this time should not exceed 81.5 F. The second period of fermentation continues about 12 hours when the last period commences.

During the third period or after fermentation there is a lessening of the formation of carbonic acid and a lowering of the temperature. In this stage the mash is kept at a temperature of 77 to 81 F.

In order to conveniently regulate the temperature of the mash the vat may be provided with a copper worm at the bottom thereof through which cold water is forced. This however need only be used for thick mashes. There are also various kinds of movable coolers used for this purpose.

There are a number of different forms which fermentation may take. The insoluble constituents of the mash in the process of fermentation are forced to the surface and form what may be termed a cover. If the carbonic acid gas bubbles seldom break this cover it indicates that the conversion of the sugar into alcohol and carbonic acid is proceeding very slowly and imperfectly. If however the cover is swirling and seething and particularly if the cover is rising and falling with every now and then a discharge of gas it is an indication that the conversion is properly proceeding. Foaming of the mash is to be prevented as the froth or foam flows over the mash tank and considerable loss is sustained. It may be prevented by pouring a little hot lard into the vat or petroleum provided its odor will not interfere with the use of the alcohol when distilled.

Water is added in small quantities near the termination of the second period of fermentation. This dilutes the alcohol in the mash and lessens its percentage and thus the further growth of the yeast is permitted.

After fermentation the mash takes either the form of a thick diluted pulp or of a thin liquor. Again the reader is reminded that the mash after fermentation contains alcohol mixed with water and that the next step in the process distillation is necessary merely to separate the alcohol from the water.

There is always some loss in the process of fermentation in other words the actual production is below the theoretical amount due. Theoretically one pound of starch should yield 11.45 fluid ounces of alcohol. With a good result 88.3 per cent of this theoretical yield is obtained with an average result of 80.2 per cent and with a bad result only about 72.6 per cent or less.

Distilling Apparatus. The Apparatus employed in the process of distillation is called a still and is of almost infinite variety. A still may be any vessel which will hold and permit fermented wash or beer to be boiled therein and which will collect the vapors arising from the surface of the boiling liquid and transmit them to a condenser. The still may be either heated by the direct application of fire, or the liquid in the still raised to the boiling point by the injection of steam. The steam or vapor rising from the boiling liquid must be cooled and condensed. This is done by leading it into tubes surrounded by cold water or the “cold mash.”

The very simplest form of still is shown in Fig 6, and consists of two essential parts the still or boiler A made of tinned copper the condenser C which may be made of metal or wood and the worm B made of a coil of tinned copper pipe.

The liquor is boiled in A and the vapors pass off into the worm B which is surrounded by the cold water of the condenser the distillate being drawn off at f.

The heated vapors passing through the worm B will soon heat up the water in C thereby retarding perfect condensation. To prevent this a cold water supply pipe may be connected to the bottom of C making a connection at the top of C for an over flow of the warmed up water. By this means the lowest part of the worm will be kept sufficiently cool to make a rapid condensation of the vapors.

The boiler A can be made in two parts; the upper part fitting into the lower part snugly at d. The pipe from the upper part fitting the worm snugly at e. This will enable the operator to thoroughly cleanse the boiler before putting in a new lot of liquor. The joints at e and d should be luted with dough formed by mixing the flour with a small portion of salt and moistening with water. This is thoroughly packed at the junctions of the parts to prevent the escape of steam or vapor. Fig 7 shows such a Still.

In an apparatus of this kind the vapors of alcohol and water are condensed together.  But if instead of filling the condenser C with cold water it is kept at a temperature of 176 F. the greater part of the water vapor will be condensed while the alcohol which boils at 172.4 F passes through the coil uncondensed. If therefore the water be condensed and collected separately in this manner and the alcoholic vapors be conducted into another cooler kept at temperature below 172.4 F the alcohol will be obtained in a much higher state of concentration than it would be by a process of simple distillation.

Supposing, again, that vapors containing but a small quantity of alcohol are brought into contact with an alcoholic liquid of lower temperature than the vapors themselves and in very small quantity the vapor of water will be partly condensed so that the remainder will be richer in alcohol than it was previously. But the water in condensing converts into vapor a portion of the spirit contained in the liquid interposed so that the uncondensed vapors passing away are still further enriched by this means. Here, then, are the results obtained; the alcoholic vapors are strengthened, firstly, by the removal of a portion of the water wherewith they were mixed; and then by the admixture with them of the vaporized spirit placed in the condenser. By the employment of some such method as this; a very satisfactory yield of spirit may be obtained both with regard to quality, as it is extremely concentrated, and to the cost of production, since the simple condensation of the water is made use of to convert the spirit into vapor without the necessity of having recourse to fuel. The construction of every variety of distilling apparatus now in use is based upon the above principles.

A sectional view of another simple form of still is shown in Fig 8; V is a wooden vat having a tight fitting cover a, through the center of which a hole has been cut. The wide end of a goose neck of copper pipe g is securely fitted over this aperture, the smaller end of this pipe passes through the cover of the retort R extending nearly to the bottom;  f is the steam supply pipe from boiler M the rectifier consisting of a cylindrical copper vessel containing a number of small vertical pipes surrounded by a cold water jacket o the inlet for the cold water which circulates around these small pipes discharging at n the pipes in M have a common connection to a pipe p which connects the rectifier with coil in cooler C s is a pipe to the receptacle for receiving the distillate; u cold water supply pipe to cooler, and W discharge for warmed up water, k discharge for refuse wash in vat V.

The operation is as follows: The vat V is nearly filled with fermented mash and retort R with weak distillate from a previous operation. Steam is then turned into the pipe discharging near the bottom of the vat V and working up through the mash. This heats up the mash and the vapors escape up g over into R where they warm up the weak distillate. The vapors thus enriched rise into M, where a good percentage of the water vapor is distilled, that is, condensed by the cold water surrounding the small pipes. The vapor then passes over through p into the coil where it is liquefied and from whence it passes by pipe s into the receiver. The cold water for cooling both M and C can be turned on as soon as the apparatus has become thoroughly heated up.

The stills in use to-day in many parts of the South for the production of whiskey are quite as simple as those above described, and some for the making of “moonshine” liquor are more so.

alcohol hydrometer

The first distilling apparatus for the production of strong alcohol on an industrial scale was invented by Edward Adam, in the year 1801. The arrangement is shown in Fig 9, in which A is a still to contain the liquor placed over a suitable heater. The vapors were conducted by a tube into the egg shaped vessel B, the tube reaching nearly to the bottom; they then passed out by another tube into a second egg C; then, in some cases, into a third not shown in the figure, and finally into the worm D, and through a cock at G into the receiver. The liquor condensed in the first egg is stronger than that in the still while that found in the second and third is stronger than either. The spirit which is condensed at the bottom of the worm is of a very high degree of strength. At the bottom of each of the eggs, there is a tube connected with the still, by which the concentrated liquors may be run back into A for redistillation after the refuse liquor from the first distillation has been run off.

One thing that isn’t mentioned in this article is that you will need an alcohol hygrometer in order to make your cuts. Cuts are where you decide what you want to keep, and what you want to through out. You can make your cuts on taste, but it’s a skill that takes time. It is also nice to be aware of the alcohol content of your spirits before you start the aging and bottling process.  You should be able to find an alcohol hydrometer for less than $30.

Apple Brandy
Rectified spirits ….. 10 gallons
Glycerine…………. 4 ounces
Tartaric acid ………. 2 “
Apple essence………1 “
syrup………………. 1 pint

Essence d’Absinthed.

Wormwood herb . . .1 pound.
Oil of wormwood . . . 1/2 ounce.
Simple syrup . ½  gallon.
Rectified spirits . . . . 2 ½ “

Put the finely divided herb with the spirits for two
weeks, filter, and add the oil dissolved in 1/2 pint of alcohol ; add the syrup, and color green with a few currant leaves.

Mint Cordial. (Huile de Minthe.)

Oil of peppermint . . . ½ ounce.
Alcohol . . . . .1 pint.
Syrup . . . . 5 ”
Rectified spirits . . . . 10 ”

Ginger Beer.

Concentrated essence of
Jamaica ginger . . 2 ounces.
The juice and rind of . 4 lemons.
White sugar . . .2 pounds.
Water . . . . 1 1/2gallons.
Yeast …. 1 tablespoonful.

To be kept in a warm place for about two days, when it is strained and bottled if not wanted for present use.

Mead.

Honey ……………… l gallon.
Light-brown sugar . . .4 pounds.
Water . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 gallons.
Essence of lemon . . . 1/2 ounce.
Essence of almonds . ½ “
Yeast 1 gill.

Let the flavors be rubbed up with a portion of the sugar, when mix and ferment.

Much of the flavor of your alcohol is owed to the yeast. As such, it’s important to choose your yeast wisely. Turbo yeast is popular with many new distillers. However, there are many other and far superior types of yeast out there. Turbo yeast is commonly used to create a neutral spirits that tend to lack in flavor. If you’re trying to make a spirits such as whisky, brandy, or rum, you will want to use a yeast strand that will complement your ingredients and give you the flavor profile that you desire.

There are two distinct phases in the fermentation process, which are the primary phase and the secondary phase. After the first hour or so, the yeast begins to reproduce rapidly and the number of yeast cells increases exponentially. The primary fermentation is the phase in which most of the alcohol is produced. It is also during this phase that the yeast replicates and grows.  During the secondary fermentation the yeasts growth rate will significantly slow. This will be evident in the decline in bubbles that are produced during the primary fermentation. It is during the second fermentation that the yeast will sink to the bottom of your fermentation vessel.

There are many different factors that can contribute to either a poor or stalled fermentation. These include a lack of nutrients, sugar, temperature, and oxygen. Your yeast will go dormant if the temperature of your wash is to low, and will die if the temperature of your wash is too high. You may also want to make sure that your wash isn’t too acidic. You wash’s pH should be between 3.6 and 6. However, this isn’t a very common issue. Before adding your yeast you will want to oxygenate your wash by giving it a good stir.

Another common issue is involved with fermentation is having either too much or too little sugar. If you don’t have enough sugar, your yeast won’t begin to replicate or produce alcohol. However, if you have too much sugar, your yeast can become stressed and produce off flavors. If you use too much sugar you can add water to dilute your wash down to a more hospitable level. Some home distillers will add a little sugar after a couple of days in order to reinvigorate their yeast and to bring up the overall alcohol content.

If your water is lacking in nutrients you may find it advantageous to add minerals such as gypsum. Your local home brew supply shop should have everything you need. They can also be a great resource for information regarding fermentation.

Many of the top distillers, such as Jack Daniels, use charcoal filtering. However, charcoal filtering is not needed to make fine spirits. Many distillers claim that using charcoal can have a negative effect on the spirits. This is due to the fact that charcoal filtering can filter out some of the more desirable flavors of the gain.

If you have made a poor product than you are much better off watering it down to 40% alcohol and re-distilling it. The best way to make high quality Moonshine is to do a good job in making your cuts. Putting your moonshine through a charcoal filter could also strip out the flavors that you like and bring out the flavors that you are trying to get rid of.

Retaining the taste and flavors of the original grain is something that most if not all home distillers and professional are going for. You are better off ageing your moonshine with charred maple than you are with filtering with charred maple.

With all that said, many distillers like to carbon filter their spirits. The first thing you will want to do is to make sure that you have a wide, food grade, tube, the wider the better (within reason). You will first want to run water through the filter in order to swell the charcoal and get rid of some of that charcoal dust. Once you begin filtering you will want to put a coffee filter over your collection jar as a means to filter out any residue charcoal that come out.

You may find it advantageous to use bottled water when it comes to both your filter and watering down your moonshine to a drinkable proof. The reason for this is that some tap water can cause your Moonshine to turn cloudy. This will not affect the taste of your moonshine in any way. It’s just not as aesthetically pleasing.

In many states where it is illegal to distill alcohol at home will have exceptions if you are using it as fuel. It largely depends on where you live. In recent years some states have relaxed their laws concerning distilling.

If you wish to buy a still you should keep in mind that some companies that make stills for hobbyists in the U.S. can be requested to hand over their customer list. Since distilling is legal in New Zealand, there are a wide variety of suppliers. Shipping a still from New Zealand can run you around $100. There are also many trust worthy suppliers in America.

Stills that are used for making moonshine can also be used for making essential oils. However, you do not want to use a still that has been used to make essential oils to make moonshine. This is due to the fact the oils that linger in the still can affect the taste of your moonshine.

Distilling is an incredibly easy and rewarding hobby. Many people who have heard of moonshine or who are interested in making their own moonshine may be afraid of the possibility of going blind. Blindness from moonshine is due to the presence of Methanol which has a negative effect on the optic nerve. It can be present in relatively small quantities in moonshine. However, the highest concentration of methanol can be found in the first alcohol to come out of the still. For a 5 gallon still you will want to throughout the first 100 ml. Maybe even the first 200 ml if you are really paranoid. There is a trace amount of methanol in all distilled spirits including moonshine. However, you would have to drink a lot before it would have any effect. So much in fact that you would be at a much greater risk of dying from alcohol poisoning than you would be with going blind.

Reported cases of blindness are incredibly rare and mostly derive from the days of prohibition. Many of these cases had less to do with the actual Moonshine and more to do with that fact that some unscrupulous moonshiners would add methanol and/or antifreeze after distillation. As such, one should shy away from buying moonshine. However, it is safe to drink your own moonshine or moonshine that has not been adulterated.