The basic process requires you to dissolve sugar into water, pasteurize it (optional), then add the yeast nutrient and yeast to the good stuff. The Hybrid Some recipes call for a 1:1 ratio. For example, you will use 1 gallon of water to 1 pound of sugar and 1 pound of corn meal. Feel free to experiment and see what works for you! Equipment For Creating the Mash The first thing you’ll need for making moonshine is a mash. This part of the process will depend on the flavor you want. Remember that just like making mash, the distillation part is both a science and an art form. It will take a lot of practice and trial and error before you get great at this, so be patient with yourself. Here’s what you can expect for the amount of sugar added vs the potential alcohol in your mash. Up to you on how to proceed. Proper Storage

Now that you are reaching the end of your product, you will get to the end of the ethanol and hit the last stage: the tails. Just like the foreshots, the heads contain volatile alcohols that you should try to avoid consuming. While this will not blind you, it will give you one hell of a hangover which isn’t really pleasant. The tails make up about 35% of your production. They will also have a unique taste from the hearts. Distillation happens when you heat a mix of corn, sugar, and yeast (this mix is called corn mash) in a big tank or pot. The heat causes the yeast to turn the sugar into alcohol, a process known as fermentation. This is when your skill and experience will come into play. It’s important that you isolate the hearts well to maximize your production. Collecting TailsOnce you reach this drip rate, decrease the heat to maintain it. You can usually reach this by dialing it down to the medium setting. In the historic run, farmers used this to earn extra money because low-value corn crops could be made into high-value whisky. The U.S. government had a hand in this because of the how much sugar how highly they taxed alcohol. This is critical, especially if you are using copper stills that are showing some salt buildup already. So, before transferring your mash water, make sure you wash and clean your still again. The distillate is collected in four stages: foreshots, heads, hearts, and tails. Foreshots, the first 5% of the liquid, contain potentially harmful alcohols like methanol and should be discarded. Heads make up the next 30% and contain volatile alcohols that can cause unpleasant effects like hangovers.

Remember that you always want to reduce the amount of sediment in your corn mash water as much as possible. Running Your Still The yield of moonshine from a 5-gallon recipe using 8.5 lbs. of flaked corn maize, 1.5 lbs. of crushed malted barley, bread yeast, and optional sugar can vary significantly due to several factors. These include the efficiency of fermentation, which depends on yeast quality, fermentable sugars, and environmental conditions, as well as the efficiency of the distillation process itself. The term moonshine came from its illegality, which forced people to make it at night or under the light (or shine) of the moon. Moonshine is a distilled alcohol made from any grain or fruit, with corn being the classic choice to produce moonshine. The term “moonshine” originated from its illegal production, which was often done at night or under the moonlight. During the Prohibition era in the U.S., moonshine became one of the most profitable businesses in the country. What are the different types of moonshine mash? Note that the ingredients we mentioned above will differ, depending on the recipe you follow if you are making something other than the classic corn-barley-yeast moonshine recipe. Equipment and Supplies You Will Need Basic Moonshine Ingredients

Some distillers add 2 tsp. of gypsum to the mash water at this step. Then they test the pH of the mash water. After the fermentation period is done, siphon the mash water out of the mixture. Ensure that you leave all the solid material and sediment behind by straining everything through a cheesecloth. The next 30% yielded by your distilling process contains mostly ethanol. This is the good stuff you want to collect and store. In this guide, we’ll give you the most basic recipe so you can build on it for future purposes. The Classic: Corn Whiskey

You’ve done the most difficult step in making mash water for your moonshine. Now, you just need to distill your mash water and separate all the alcohol content into a purified form. The first 5% of the liquid separated fuel alcohol made by your distilling process is the foreshots. The foreshots has the earliest-evaporating alcohols in your corn mash water.After fermentation, the fermented mash, is strained and distilled to separate the alcohol from the other substances. The distillate is then collected and stored properly. What are the ingredients and equipment needed to make moonshine? This is most popular for beginners and those looking to really experiment with the flavors of their shine because it doesn’t require any mash and you still get the same abv.

Moonshine is a distilled alcohol made from any grain or fruit, depending on what is accessible to you. The classic uses corn as the fermentable sugar.Congratulations! You’ve had a good run, finished the entire process, and now have your very own moonshine! Make sure you clean up your entire setup, let it thoroughly dry, and then store it in a cool, dry place. How Much Moonshine Does This Recipe Yield? Making moonshine involves a process called distillation, which is commonly done using a pot still. The distillation process starts with creating a mash, a mixture of corn, sugar, and yeast, which is heated in a large tank or pot. The heat causes the yeast to turn the sugar into alcohol, a process known as fermentation. They have a distinct “solvent” smell that comes from its alcohols, such as the acetone present in the heads. Again, collect the heads in a separate container and throw it out. Collecting Hearts Remember that the temperature is critical to your success. If it gets too cold, boiling temperature, the fermentation can stop because the yeast will go dormant. Remember that yeast likes it warm and moist. A rough estimate, assuming a 10% alcohol by volume (ABV) in the mash and 85% distillation efficiency, suggests you might obtain around 0.425 gallons of pure ethanol.