The amazing history of moonshine and “good old moonshiners” has been around for a very long time. During prohibition and the Great Depression is when slang words starting popping up such as moonshiners that were used to “run shine” at night under the cover of the moon to evade the law so as not to pay taxes for selling the white lightening.
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What is Moonshine?
Moonshine is called many things by different people. For instance, moonshine is known as corn whiskey, white whiskey, whiskey, white dog, and white lighting to name a few. The word Moonshine is a word that is often taken out of context to mean different things.
Basic “shine” can be made with grains, yeast, sugars, and a fermenting process that will yield moonshine. But, by altering the process you may up with the best white lighting or something that is only fit to run your lawnmower. Others say unless it’s aged in whiskey barrels it is not moonshine. To each its own, just have fun and enjoy the journey!
Is moonshine legal to make at home?
Federal and state laws vary on this. You will need to visit the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau for the necessary permits. Owning a still is directed by the US Treasury, you will need to contact them and your local state department.
Can I own a still for decoration?
If it is used for decoration, you do not need to apply for a permit to own or register the still. Your local state may require a permit or ask you to register the still.
Why is Moonshine Illegal?
The reason homemade moonshine is illegal is because of the high demand of making it homemade without paying for permits and taxes, it’s actually worth more than wine or even beer! The tax that should be collected if sold legally would be very profitable to the government as well as the local country tax.
This is one reason why it is illegal to sell without a permit. The government wants their cut in the profits via permits and taxes on sales. Of course, they want to ensure it is manufactured in a safe and healthy environment too.
Links for Permits and Info for Moonshine
Start by checking out the website TTBGOV for any legal questions you may have or need to be answered. They have many links for permits and licenses that you may consider applying for.
What Type of Alcohol is Moonshine?
The type of alcohol made from a homemade moonshine is technically whiskey. A very high-proof whiskey, as high as 190 proof. This high proof must be cut with another type of liquid such as juice or water to reduce the proof which could get you very sick or death can occur from drinking such high-proof alcohol.
How Strong is Moonshine Alcohol?
Moonshine can be made to be as high as 190 proof. If you want to try something legally as high, you can purchase Everclear, pure-grain alcohol that is 190 proof or 95% alcohol by volume also known as ABV.
Can Moonshine Get You Drunk?
Homemade moonshine can definitely get you drunk, even if the batch of shine is cut by 50/50 with white grape juice. The moonshine could still be 80 proof which is still a very high alcohol content. Moonshine by nature goes down pretty warm like a brandy does when taking a swig or shot glassful.
Can You Drink Moonshine Straight?
You can drink moonshine straight out of the canning jar, jug in a shot glass. Moonshine is usually sipped straight without adding anything to it.
What Can You Make With Moonshine?
You would be surprised with what you can make with moonshine! Have ever tried moonshine extracts? Check out Super Easy Moonshine Extracts, recipes, and a video tutorial is provided. A few of the recipes provided are vanilla bean extract, cinnamon extract, cacao extract, and lemon zest extracts.
Excellent natural cleaners can also be made with moonshine. Check out Non-Toxic Cleaners for the recipe and how to use the moonshine cleaners.
There are so many uses for moonshine, maybe a batch doesn’t come out the best, trying to use up some corn, or just feeling generous and gifting some shine to a friend or loved one!
What is Aged Corn Whiskey?
Corn whiskey must contain at least 80% corn and the remaining 20% is usually malted barley. You may definitely use 100% corn but you will have to add yeast because the barley adds the natural yeast and without the barley, you will need to manually add the yeast.
Also, true corn whiskey must be aged appropriately a minimum of 2 years in a white oak barrel to be considered true “corn whiskey”. The difference between corn whiskey and moonshine is the aging process.
Where to Start in Making Shine
This will all depend on how much you want to invest in the adventure. You definitely can make a basic shine with corn, sugar, a 5-gallon bucket, yeast, and a still and be on your way to making shine. And you should start off with the bare minimum before diving head-first into making moonshine.
The majority of new shiners will jump into the deep end after reading, watching, or hearing what they need to make moonshine when in reality they shouldn’t do that in order to grow into it. It can be overwhelming, like any new learning experience. In order not to complicate things, basic is best when starting.
In Conclusion
I will be adding more posts and I will start to create one video tutorial a week starting with the basic, easy recipe of making a basic shine using cracked corn and not a lot of supplies will be needed. The first video will show 2 ways how to make a basic recipe from start to finish. I will leave that link here when it is completed.
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Oh wow! Never knew I knew so little about moonshine until now! This is awesome!