Folks often ask me ‘How to make Moonshine.’ It is not rocket science, but there’s definitely a lot to consider. Moonshine still is the most vital component when you are distilling spirits. An increasing number of people are today investing in moonshine still kits in order to enjoy the centuries-old craft of producing their own distilled alcohol.
Moonshine stills and whiskey stills are distillers that have been designed specifically for making moonshine or distilling alcohol. They come in a variety of designs and sizes. So if you are new to distilling, choosing the right equipment to get started can be overwhelming. The best whiskey stills are made from copper or stainless steel because both are effective heat conductors and do not allow harmful chemicals to get infiltrate in the distilled spirit.
13 Gallon Still with 3″ Copper & Stainless Reflux Column
There are a lot of things to consider when making your own moonshine. However, the first and foremost thing to consider is – SAFETY.
Here in this post, I have mentioned 5 of the most crucial safety issues that moonshiners should know and understand.
Use Proper Distillation Equipment
Make sure you only use a pure 100% food grade copper ‘moonshine’ still assembled with lead-free solder or stainless steel still made from 304 stainless steel. Stills made from any other materials apart from these are extremely dangerous at worst questionable at best. Always insist on using stills that are made from 304 stainless steel or pure copper.
Never Distill Indoor
Never operate moonshine still indoor. Even the most experienced moonshiners at times encounter dangerous situations that they have not planned for when distilling indoor. So when it comes to location, keep in mind this one simple rule: always distill outdoor!
Control Alcohol Vapor
A leaky moonshine still can let your precious wash to drip onto the ground, wasting your time and money invested in brewing it up. Even worse, this could allow explosive alcohol vapor to escape. Always remember that alcohol vapor is potentially very dangerous and highly explosive, so, you need to be very cautious while distilling it. So before using the moonshine still, you are advised to run a batch of water through it in order to make sure there are not any leaks. Upon any leaks found, seal them with a bead of solder. If you happen to encounter any leaks during the distillation process, seal it with some flour paste.
Moonshine Still with a 3″ Copper and Stainless Column
Never Leave A Still Unattended
An unattended still can be highly dangerous. So when planning for a distilling session, make sure to calculate how long it is going to consume the time to run the batch. With careful planning, you can avoid dangerous mishaps and get the perfect distilled alcohol within no time.
Always Discard the “Foreshots”
One of the potential hazards associated with making and drinking moonshine is producing or getting a hold of a batch that’s laced with methanol. Methanol is a potential byproduct of the fermentation process and its presence in a still can be dangerous. Fortunately, if you found any presence of methanol in a batch of shine, boil it off before the ethanol because methanol has a lower boiling point. Due to this, the experienced moonshiners always discard the first bit of shine that comes off of the still. This part of the process is known as ‘foreshots,’ which is potentially hazardous, smells like high powered solvent, and tastes even worse. So make sure to discard this portion.
2″ Copper Moonshine Still Reflux Column
Moonshine still is in the business for over a long year building and selling moonshine and alcohol distillers. We very well understand what the first time consumers want, so we have put together a complete still kit to help take the guesswork out. They are great for preppers. You can use them to extract medicinal oils from plants, make beverage ethanol, make antiseptic, and distill water.
If you’re in search of the moonshine still that you can pass down to generations, shop with us today.
