Modern Moonshine Techniques Bill Owens

MODERN
MOONSHINE
TECHNIQUES
34 illustrations
4 flow charts
2009
All rights reserved
Bill Owens
White Mule Press
Box 577
Hayward, CA 94541
ISBN 978-0-9824055-3-6
www.distilling.com
www.moonshineform.com
Written by Bill Owens

Contributors:Tom Hubuck of Toms Foolery Chagin Falls, OH;
Jim Blansit, Copper Run Distillery, MO; Alan Dikty, journalist, Chicago, IL;
Eric Watson, Cayman Islands; Dave Thomas, Golden CO;
Rob Masters, Colorado Pure Distilling; and Bill Smith, Treasure Island Distillery.
Edited, with Q&A, by Nancy Fraley; artwork by Catherine Ryan;
book design by Gail Sands, Sebastopol, CA;
Editor, Matthew Rowley
cover photo by Bill Down.
Distillation
Alcoholic distillation is the process of separating ethanol from a fermented wash by
evaporation. The vapors are driven off by heat and then collected, condensed and
recovered as a liquid. This liquid may also be redistilled to raise its alcohol concentration.
Table of Contents
viii Glossary
xiii Introduction
Chapter 1 Moonshine: the Legend and the Law 1
Chapter 2 Distilling in 18th Century America 9
Chapter 3 Moonshine, the Easy Way from Sugar 13
Chapter 4 What Is Moonshine? 17
Chapter 5 How to Distill a Sugar Wash 21
Chapter 6 Build a Corn Cooker 29
Chapter 7 I See the Future and its Whiskey 37
Chapter 8 Building a Mash Tun 41
Chapter 9 Whiskey Washes 51
Chapter 10 How to Pot Distill Whiskey 57
Chapter 11 How to Use a Column Distill 65
Appendices
Appendix A The Spread Sheet for a Small Distillery 71
Appendix B Code of Federal Regulations 73
Appendix C Grant Application for Farm Distiller 76
Appendix D Vocabulary 84
Appendix E Information about TTB and Licensing
a Distillery 86
Appendix F Resources 87
Appendix G No Yeast Necessary 90
Afterword 92
Q&A Answer Key 93
Distilling Glossary
ABV Alcohol by Volume, often expressed as a percentage (e.g 60% abv).
Aldehyde A volatile impurity found in the foreshots.
BAM: Beverage Alcohol Manual
Barrel Whiskey (wooden) 53 US gallons, 44 Imperial gallons, or 200.6 liters.
Beer Barrel (Stainless Steel) Bbl. 31 gallons.
Beer Stripping A crude primary distillation of fermented wash. See stripping.
Bubble Cups sit over vapor pipes. When rising alcohol vapors hits the cup it is forced
down to the rim. At this point evaporation occurs, enriching the vapors.
CFR A U.S. government codification of administrative rules, known as the Code of
Federal Regulations. Title 27 cover regulations for alcohol beverages.
Charge The volume of alcoholic beverage wash, or low wines going to the still.
Condenser An apparatus, often a tube in shell, in which hot vapors are cooled and
condensed into liquids.
Congeners Impurities. These minor chemicals give liquor (spirits) distinctive character
and flavors. They are found in both heads and tails. May be considered desireable or
undesireable depending on quantity and type.
Cuts The process of separating different types of alcohol through the foreshots, heads,
hearts and tails cuts made during the final distillation run.
Density Meter Portable device that measures specific gravity, thus allowing the distiller
to make precise cuts.
Dephlegmator A small pre-condenser that sends distillate back to the pot. This process
increases the reflux and the purity of the spirit.
Dextrose Basic sugar also known as corn sugar. An optional base for distilling
moonshine.
DME Dried malt extract. When dissolved in water and fermented, can be distilled.
DSP A federally licensed distillery, known as a Distilled Spirits Plant.
Esters Fermented byproducts made by yeast action that contributes fruity characteristics,
aroma, and flavor to the wash.
Enzymes Proteins that assist conversion of starches into sugars that will ferment.
False Bottom In a mash tun the false bottom is a slotted copper pipe, the slots of
which allow wash to drain while holding back the grain.
Final gravity the density of the was after fermentation. Knowing the original and final
gravity of a wash allows you to determine the percentage of alcohol of the wash.
Flocculation The clumping and settling of yeast out of solution, forming a cake-like
substance in the bottom of the tank or tub.
Foreshots A small amount of low boiling distillate containing acetone, methanol, and
aldehyde volatiles. Catch and discard.
Fusel Oil A bitter oil found in tails. A liquid composed of amy and burly alcohols.
Heads Spirits from the beginning of the run that contain a high percentage of low boiling
alcohols such as aldehydes.
Infrared Thermometer Gun Instant reading thermometer device.
Low Wines The spirits collected from the first distillation.
Mash A mixture of ground malted grains and hot water.
Malt Sprouted dried grains. Malted grains contain enzymes that convert starches into
fermentable sugars.
Mash Tun A double-jacketed tank with a false bottom in which hot water and grains are
mixed.
NGS Neutral Grain Spirits (190+ proof alcohol). Most often produced from corn. Used
by distilling companies around the world for blending to produce vodka, gin and whiskey.
It is the workhorse of the commerical distillation industry.
Original gravity The density of the wash before fermentation.
Packing Copper mesh or copper Ts used in a stills column to increase the surface
area and thus the reflux and quality of the alcohol.
Parrot A device resembling a stylized bird that attaches to the still and floats the
hydrometer.
Proof A measurement of alcohols strength: In the US, proof is twice alcohol content at
60F. (i.e., 120 proof is 60% abv).
Pitch The process of adding yeast to the wash.
Plates: (or tray) Located horizontally at intervals in a column, often contain bubble caps
that enrich the reflux
Reflux Formed when vapors condense and re-vaporize in the column of a still.
Slop, Hot Hot, stinky, spent corn mash from the still.
Sparging At end of mashing, a process in which hot water is sprayed on, or run through,
the grain bed to extract additional sweet barley water.
Spirit Still A still designed to do the final distillation, producing finished whiskey.
Sweet Spot The head temperature between 174F and 180F. This range produces a
sweet tasting spirit and is considered the heart of the distillation run.
Stripping The process of running low abv wash through a still with no head or tail cuts
to remove alcohol that will be re-distilled.
TTB Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, formerly BATF.
Tails A distillate containing a high percentage of fusel oil and little alcohol.
Tub A 55-gallon plastic or stainless steel barrel used as a fermentation vessel.
Wash Fermented substrate containing alcohol.
Water Temperature Controller Device that allows cool water to flow through a
copper coil, controlling excess heat in a fermentation.
Introduction
Whiskey is simply distilled beer
To learn how to make whiskey you first have to brew beer. Go to amazon.com and
search brewing and you will find numerous books on this subject. The easy way,
however, is to take a home brewing class offered at most home brew shops. These shops
also sell brewing kits, malt extracts, dried malt extract (DME), malted barley, wheat, rye,
and flaked corn.
The next generation of distillers is going to come from the craft brewing industry since
they know the complex flavors found in barley make great beer and will make great
whiskey.
Modern Moonshine Techniques has three sections: First is how to use sugar to distill a
moonshine. Second, how to build an inexpensive corn cooker and make corn whiskey.
Finally, and most importantly, this book, with text and illustrations, shows how to build a
mash tun to create a grain whiskey wash. And, then instructions to distill that wash into
whiskey.
Finally, get your DSP from the TTB, your State (ABC) license and open an artisan
distillery. Then distill the grain whiskey here and put it into a barrel. It will, in a matter of
months, pick up flavor and color as it matures. And, if you leave your whiskey in a
charred oak barrel for two years, it becomes straight Bourbon whiskey. Craft distilleries
often drop the word straight and age their whiskey for less than one year.
Bill Owens
White Mule Press
Hayward, CA
USA
Chapter 1
Moonshine The Legend and the Law
Where the English went, they built a house; where the
Germans went, they built a barn; where the Scots-Irish
went, they built a whiskey still.
An old Appalachian proverb
With the rise of artisan distillation in the US, most producers have decided to focus on
typical spirits such as vodka, gin and rum, or more specialized spirits such as eau de vie or
malt whiskey. A few other distillers, however, are choosing to trade on a bit of legendary
history and produce moonshine.
The term moonshine was first used in Britain where it referred to employment or other
activities that took place late at night. In the US, however, it has always been associated
with illegal liquor that has been known under colloquial names such as white lightning,
popskull, corn liquor, rotgut, panthers breath, or, more simply, shine.
The practice of moonshining is inextricably tied to US history in numerous ways. After
the American Revolution the United States was strapped financially due to fighting a long
war. In an attempt to address this problem, a federal tax was levied on spirits. This did not
sit well with the newly liberated people who had just concluded a war to eliminate British
taxation. This gave rise to the practice of making distilled spirits clandestinely to
circumvent taxation.
Early on, this practice was a method of survival, not extra profit. If farmers experienced
a bad crop year, they could use their corn for making whiskey. Because this was a practice
of subsistence, the payment of tax on this product might mean they would be unable to
feed their families. Thus began the contentious relationship with federal agents who often
were attacked when they tried to collect the tax.
In 1794, things finally came to a head with the Whiskey Rebellion. A group of several
hundred managed to overtake the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In reaction, George
Washington dispatched 13,000 militiamen to take back the city and jail the leaders. This
incident served as the first major test of authority for the fledgling federal government.
The battles between the US Congress and moonshiners continued to rage on. In the
1860s the government attempted to collect more excise taxes to fund the Civil War. In
response, a number of elements, including Ku Klux Klansmen, joined the moonshiners in
an attempt to fight back. The new alliances led to more brutality and incidents of
intimidation of local people who might reveal stills, and revenue of agents and their
families.
The Temperance movement then added these happenings to their arsenal on the march
towards prohibition.The states began to prohibit the sales of alcohol in the early 1900s,
and then complete national prohibition was established in 1920. Prohibitions enactment
provided the best possible scenario for moonshiners. With no legal means of obtaining
alcohol, demand grew exponentially with which the moonshiners could not keep up. In
response, the producers began using cheaper ingredients such as sugar and even watering
down their whiskey.
A large network of distribution was established with the assistance of organized crime.
To supply the illegal spirits to this network, young men in rural areas close to the still
operations delivered moonshine in highly modified, high performance cars. The
temptation was irresistible to these men, as the income they could make in a single night
was greater that a couple of months of honest work. What started as a transportation
method for moonshine gave birth to stock car racing which formalized into todays
NASCAR.
With the repeal of prohibition in 1933, the demand for moonshine declined rapidly,
returning the practice mostly back to areas concentrated in the Appalachian region of the
East Coast. Even today, there is illegal production of moonshine in these regions with
operations located in northern Georgia, western South and North Carolina and eastern
Tennessee. Due to the independent and strong willed character shared by most Americans,
most historians feel that moonshine will always be around in one form or another.
Today there are a few who have decided to produce moonshine legally. Not surprisingly,
these individuals are located in the same regions of the East Coast where the illegal
version is still made.
WEST VIRGINIA DISTILLING

www.mountainmoonshine.com
West Virginia Distilling is located in a suburb of Morgantown, home to West Virginia
University, and is only 8 miles from the Pennsylvania border. The owner and operator of
West Virginias first legal distillery is Peyton Fireman, a lawyer and childhood
acquaintance of mine.
Beginning in 1998, Peyton tried to get access to regional, illegal moonshine producers
to learn how to make moonshine, but did not have much success. What he found was that
the younger generation that he expected to have had the practice of making moonshine
handed down to them found that it was far more profitable to grow marijuana than it was
to make moonshine. So, he had to learn on his own by reading distilling texts and asking
questions of the few microdistillers that existed at the time.
This small distillery is housed in a former transmission shop. Peyton is a very
resourceful tinkerer. With the help of a local engineer, he made his stills out of old 40-
gallon electric water heaters with columns made from lengths of copper pipe and
condensers made from copper coils, all sourced from local home builder supply outlets.
He now uses these stills to re-distill head and tail cuts and instead undertakes the main
distillation in the equipment pictured above. His total investment to date has only been
$40,000! Three times a year, Peyton puts his law practice on hold and becomes a distiller.
Peyton makes only one distillate but it is presented two different ways. One, Mountain
Moonshine, is a colorless spirit bottled immediately after final distillation. The other, Old
Oak Spirit Whiskey, is mellowed by soaking toasted oak wood chips in it for 30 days.
Peyton introduces corn grits into the home-built still, which also serves as his mash
cooker and fermenter. It is heated in a hot water boiler fueled by waste oil that supplies hot
water to external coils mounted underneath the vessel. He accomplishes starch conversion
by allowing the mash to rest heated for a couple of hours and then adds enzymes.
Once mashing is over, he attaches an external chilling loop to the vessel and cools the
mash to fermentation temperature via internal coils. Once cooled, he adds brewing yeast
and allows the mash to ferment for 4 to 6 days. When fermentation is over, he then heats
the vessel again and distills the alcohol from the wash.
Technically, Peyton is not producing a traditional moonshine but rather a spirit whiskey.
His corn mash-derived spirit makes up only 20 percent of his product. To produce the final
spirit he blends his distillate with neutral grain spirits. His products are released to market
at 80 and 100 proof.
When asked if he feels there is a market for his product, Peyton defers to a quotation
from a recent newspaper article. Montie Pavon, the owner of a local bar called Levels,
stated people like the idea of drinking moonshine. They see it up on the shelf and say:
You sell moonshine? I thought it was illegal. This attention-getting feature of the
product certainly provides advantages when trying to induce people to try it. Presently,
West Virginia Distilling sells a little over 1,000 bottles of Mountain Moonshine and Old
Oak Spirit Whiskey per year.
ISAIAH MORGAN DISTILLERY SUMMERSVILLE,

WV
www.kirkwood-wine.com/isaiahmorgan.html
The Isaiah Morgan Distillery is located on the site of the Kirkwood Winery, which was
established in 1992 by the late Rodney Facemire. Unlike West Virginia Distilling, this
location is tucked into a quiet mountain valley that makes it easy to picture that moonshine
has been produced in this region before!
Shirley truly produces his moonshine, Southern Moon, the way it was done in this area
for a long time. Instead of mashing milled corn, the raw corn is placed in straining bags
and soaked in hot water. The bags are removed after sufficient soaking and cane sugar is
added to the liquid left behind. For a still charge of 50 gallons he uses 50 pounds of corn
and 100 pounds of sugar. Shirley told us that this practice comes from way back in time
where the old timers couldnt mill corn, so they dissolved the husks with lye before
soaking the kernels in hot water. No, Shirley does NOT use lye!
The distillery ferments its wash in a group of reclaimed plastic barrels that are
connected by a draining manifold that supplies the still.
Shirley charges the still with 50 gallons of wash and conducts a double distillation with
the final spirit yield of 7 to 8 gallons at 176 proof. The liquor is then diluted with filtered
well water to 80 proof and bottled.
Rodney Facemire can be credited with establishing the classification mini-distillery in
West Virginia. He managed to get a bill sponsored and passed that created the legal class
of alcohol distillers, designated mini-distillery, which are defined as where, in any year,
twenty thousand gallons or less of alcoholic liquor is manufactured with no less than
twenty-five percent of raw products being produced by the owner of the mini-distillery on
the premises of that establishment, and no more than twenty-five percent of raw products
originating from any source outside this state. Additionally, unlike Wisconsin and some
other states, the law allows mini-distilleries permission to allow on-site tasting and on-site
retail sales of the liquor they produce. It also allows the mini-distillery to advertise off-
site. Because West Virginia Distilling was established prior to this law, it is the only
distillery exempt from the ingredient sourcing provision.
In addition to Southern Moon Corn Liquor, Shirley also produces a grappa made from
Concord grapes and a rye whiskey. He plans to release a barrel aged version of a whiskey
made from rye, malt and corn in 2010. Recently he has begun experimenting with making
rum from sorghum molasses pressed from cane grown in Northern West Virginia.
BELMONT FARM DISTILLERY CULPEPER, VA

www.virginiamoonshine.com
After visiting the Isaiah Morgan Distillery, our trek took us into Southern Virginia about
3 hours southeast of Summersville, West Virginia to Culpeper, Virginia.
Culpeper is a very quiet area of rolling hills with many farms and several well-regarded
wineries. The areas quiet appearance belies its close proximity to Washington, DC and
Charlottesville, Virginia.
Chuck Miller, owner and distiller, is a consummate showman and quite a character. He
opened up his distillery to us which is located in a large converted barn on his farm where
he grows all the corn, barley and wheat that goes into his products. If you are a viewer of
the History Channel or/and the National Geographic Channel you may have seen him in
segments about distilleries.
Chuck produces two products: Virginia Lightning (100 proof) and Kopper Kettle
Virginia Whiskey (86 proof). He also sells a version of Virginia Lightning in Japan, but its
proof is reduced to 80 to cater to Japanese tastes. Virginia Lightning is made only from
corn, whereas Kopper Kettle Virginia Whiskey is produced from corn, barley and wheat.
Both are twice distilled.
Unlike Virginia Lightning, which is bottled just after distillation, Kopper Kettle Virginia
Whiskey undergoes two stages of wood aging. The first stage exposures the spirit to oak
and apple wood chips in a large converted stainless steel dairy tank. After sufficient
exposure to the wood in the above tank, it is moved to charred barrels to age for an
additional two years before being filtered and bottled. He now sells 4,000 cases per year of
his combined product offerings.
Belmont Farm Distillery combines historical and modern equipment. His still, built in
1933, is a mammoth sight to behold and has a capacity of 2,000 gallons.
How Chuck acquired this still is a story in and of itself. It originally was located in New
Jersey, where it was operated legally until 1962. The still then was operated illegally until
the late 70s when the operation was discovered and shut down by the federal authorities.
Just shortly after this, Chuck was beginning to investigate starting his distillery. In a
conversation with federal regulators he asked where he might acquire a still for his
operation. An agent mentioned that he knew of the still in New Jersey. Shortly thereafter,
Chuck negotiated a purchase price and he relocated the still to his farm in Culpeper.
Chuck then installed the rest of his equipment and filed for his federal permit in 1980.
Standing in stark contrast to his museum piece still is his elaborate water treatment
system that he uses to process water from his on-site well.
Installed on a wall opposite the still room are multi-stage sediment filtration units and a
high-capacity deionization unit as well as a reverse osmosis system. We had intended to
continue on to North Carolina to visit Piedmont Distillers, the producers of Catdaddy
Carolina Moonshine and the recently released Junior Johnsons Midnight Moon, but
advance calls to them revealed they were too busy to meet with us. That was unfortunate
because had we visited them we would have made a complete sweep of mid-Atlantic and
southern producers of legal moonshine and moonshine-inspired products. The most recent
resource directory published by The American Distilling Institute and the website
ofPiedmont Distilleries does not show them producing a corn whiskey.
Thanks to Eric Watson for the text on legal moonshiners. He can be reached at: [email protected].
Artisan Whiskey Distilleries
Copperfox.biz, Dryflydistilling.com, Stranahanscoloradowhiskey.com, Templetonrye.com, Corsairartisan.com,

Peachstreetdistillers.com, Ciscobrewers.com, Montanawhiskey.com, Copperrundistilling.com, Tuthilltown.com,
Garrisonbros.com, Highwestdistillery.com, StGeorgespirits.com, Clearcreek.com, Yellowstone Valley Distilling, Solas
Distillery, to name a few.
Q&A The Legend and the Law

1. In the United States, moonshine has always been associated with:
[a] The production of illegal liquor.
[b] Employment or other activities which occurred at night.
[c] A rare kind of lunar eclipse.
2. Common themes running through the practice of moonshining in
US history are:
[a] The avoidance of paying a federal tax, which is
normally levied on all spirits.
[b] Moonshining as a way of making a living in depressed
economic conditions.
[c] An expression of the fiercely independent spirit of
the American people.
[d] All of the above.
[e] None of the above.
Chapter 2
Distilling in 18th Century America*
1 The corn was first put into a burlap bag and then soaked in a tub
of warm water. The water was changed each day for the next three days.
2 The tub was drained and the corn sat for three more days,
or until it sprouted.
3 The corn was then spread out in the sun to dry.
4 Once dried, the corn was put back into the bag and tumbled,
thus knocking off the sprouts.
5 The corn was cracked in a roller mill set at 1/64.
Flour and corn mills were in every town in America.
6 The cracked corn was mixed into hot water, thus creating a mash for
fermentation. The distiller used the Rule of Thumb** to determine if the water was hot
enough. If he could hold his thumb in the water for 5 seconds it was the right temperature
to create the mash.
7 After mixing, the mash was left to sit for a few hours. This allowed
the corn starches to convert to sugars. Some distillers would let the
mash just sit and undergo a spontaneous 7-15 day fermentation.
8 Fermented wash was then bucketed into the still. Today, distillers use
a sump pump to move the wash.
9 The wash was brought up to low boil, allowing vapors to flow
up and out to the condenser and the collection pail.
10 18th Century distillers use smell and taste to distill moonshine.
[Notes: A primitive pot with a 5% abv wash will yield about 25% abv. Moonshiners often
double distilled to obtain 100 proof spirits, which was perfect for drinking and bartering
for goods and services.]
* This is a best effort to figure out how 18th Century distillers made moonshine. How accurate the process is yet to be
determined.
** The original meaning of the rule word was, you couldnt beat you wife with a stick bigger
than you thumb.
Q&A DISTILLING IN 18TH CENTURY AMERICA

1. When distillers in early America used the Rule of Thumb, it referred to:
[a] A law which required that all distillers have at least one thumb if they were going to
operate a pot still safely.
[b] A method for determining if the mash of corn and water was hot enough for proper
fermentation.
[c] A method for determining the amount of yeast to use in their
whiskey recipe.
2. In order to make all the right heads, hearts, and tails cuts in their distillate,
18th century distillers would:
[a] Use a very primitive version of modern hydrometers
and alcoholmeters.
[b] Only use their sense of smell and taste.
[c] Run three or four distillations, thereby coming out with a
pure spirit.
3. After the corn was soaked in a tub of warm water, drained, and then spread
out to dry, early distillers would then:
[a] Add more water and immediately distill it.
[b] Turn it into feed for farm animals.
[c] Put the corn back into a bag and tumble it, thus knocking
off the sprouts.
Chapter 3
Whats Moonshine?*
Distilled spirits made in an unlicensed still.
Moonshiners dont have a distilling license, and they dont care about government rules.
They buy sugar from wholesale vendors such as Costco because a 50 lb. bag of sugar will
make about $800 worth of moonshine, and its easy to make. Some moonshiners just add
some whole corn kernels to the sugar wash. When asked why they add corn? They say it
adds flavor. Purists say true moonshine has to be made from corn. Others say
moonshine has no definition (under the law) and be made from sugar, fruit, or any grain.
Most distillers, however, feel that true moonshine has to be made from 100 percent malted
corn.
The only true definition of moonshine is that its untaxed liquor from an unregistered
still. Anything that calls itself moonshine and sits on the self of a liquor store is something
else. You hope what you are buying is an un-aged whiskey. Check the website and see if
they have pot still. A photo is worth 10,000 words. Several craft distilleries produce
moonshine-inspired products on pot stills classified as a Distilled Spirits Specialty. This
CFR classification allows them us use a variety of ingredients to produce moonshine
that can be sold in liquor stores.
Most people think of moonshine is distilled in the mountains of Kentucky or Tennessee.
The truth of the matter is that most commercial brands of bottled moonshines are made
from neutral grain spirits (NGS), which is 190 proof spirit. NGS is distilled from corn on
gigantic column stills. The two biggest producers of NGS are Archer Daniels Midland
Co., (ADM), Decatur, Illinois and MGP in Atchison, Kansas. These companies are the
workhorses of the spirits industry producing 90% of the vodka and gin in America. The
quality of their products is beyond reproach. Question: what is the difference between
NGS produced at an industrial distillery and an artisan distiller? Answer: at 192 proof who
cares? Why do distilling companies use NGS? Its cheap source of alcohol and gives you
bang for your buck. When you buy a bottle of commercial moonshine what you getting is
closer to vodka than an un-aged corn whiskey from an artisan pot still. Look for the real
thing by reading the label.
The Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) that regulates liquor production in the US
defines Classes and Types for all spirit products. These Standards of Identity
(27CFR5.22) do not limit the products that may be made; they simply define the standards
under which the identifying term may be used.
The overall Class called Whiskey is a spirit distilled from a fermented mash of grain at
less than 190 proof and bottled at 80 proof or higher.
The Bourbon type is an internationally reserved name for a whiskey made in the US
from a fermented mash made from 51 percent or more of corn and stored in charred new
oak containers. The length of time required for storage is not defined, nor is the species of
oak or its country of origin. This gives artisan distillers broad latitude in choices for their
Bourbon products. Have you tasted Bourbon put-up in French Oak? Perhaps thats worth a
try; its only a stones throw away from a moonshine recipe.
Several other types of whiskeys are defined in the CFRslike Rye and Wheatalong
with modifiers straight, light, or blended. These terms are in the Beverage Alcohol
Manual (BAM) for spirits which define 36 different types within the class called Whiskey.
None of them is Moonshine.
Merriam-Webster.com defines moonshine as illegally distilled corn whiskey. Thats
what the encyclopedia and dictionaries say, but thats not what the law (TTB) says. US
law does not define the term moonshine so that term may not be used as a Class or Type
identifier, but that does not rule out the use of moonshine as part of a brand name or a
so-called fanciful name on a legally produced product. Again, unless the product exactly
fits one of the descriptions found in the Standards of Identity, it is likely that the bottle will
carry the words Spirits from Grain just like most vodka. That being the case, adherence
to some legendary formula or recipe is meaningless, so the modern-day moonshiner
should exercise his liberty to express himself by creating a unique product that tastes as he
likes it.
Learn more by reading the DSP regulations: www.ttb.gov/spirits/spirits_regs.shtml.
* The Spirit Beverage Alcohol Manual (BAM) is a condensed version of the CFRs at 27CFR5.22, Standards of Identity.
When designing a product, be careful to read the CFRs; do not depend entirely upon the BAM.
www.ttb.gov/spirits/bam.shtml.
Q&A WHATS MOONSHINE?

1. According to the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) definition for
Bourbon, a creative artisan distiller could potentially:
[a] Use any kind of oak for aging, just as long as the barrel
is lightly toasted.
[b] Age the Bourbon in a French oak barrel that has previously been
used for cognac.
[c] Only use American oak, but choose between old or new barrels
for aging.
[d] Use Hungarian oak if he or she decides to, as long as the oak is
both new and charred.
2. The federal Beverage Alcohol Manual (BAM) defines moonshine as:
[a] Nothing, because U.S. law does not define the term moonshine
at all.
[b] Illegally distilled corn whiskey.
[c] Neutral grain spirits (NGS) mixed with at least 80 percent corn.
[d] A un-aged 100 percent corn whiskey.
Chapter 4
Moonshine: The Easy Way from Sugar*
American moonshine was traditionally made from corn using a pot still. Moonshiners
built their own stills and did not own a thermometer. They distilled by taste and smell
alone, and by the light of the moon, hence the word, moonshine. This method of
distilling, at its best, was primitive and the spirits they created were illegal and still are
illegal.
For many generations moonshine was the source of income for poor farmers who
distilled as cheaply as possible. Over time, moonshiners started to add sugar to the corn
mash because sugar increased the volume of the moonshine. Today, you can purchase a
50-pound bag of sugar for $25.00 from Costco, from which you can make about $800
worth of moonshine. Sugar is still the cheapest ingredient for making moonshine.* If
fermented and distilled properly, sugar can make a nice tasting spirit.
There is very little character in a moonshine made from sugar. So, why do moonshiners
continue to add corn to the sugar mash? Theyll tell you, It adds to the flavor. Often they
use the corn several timesuntil the flavor runs out, they explain. In reality, the corn is
only adding romance because the corn starches have not been converted to sugars that
ferment. Lets be serious about what theyre distillingits really a high proof rot gut
rum. There are many books and websites that explain how to ferment sugar to make
moonshine because it easy to do. They dont explain how to create a real corn mash
because making real corn whiskey is a complex process that takes a corn cooker and
skilled
distiller. Thats too much work for the moonshiner who can buy sugar at wholesale prices.
*The purists say moonshine cant be made from sugar. It has to be made from corn.
Q&A MOONSHINE:
THE EASY WAY FROM SUGAR
1. Moonshiners add sugar to moonshine because:
[a] It greatly increases the volume of the moonshine.
[b] Is an extremely cheap way to make moonshine.
[c] Fermenting and distilling sugar did not take a lot of skill on
the part of the distiller.
[d] None of the above.
[e] All of the above.
Chapter 5
How to Distill Moonshine From Sugar
YOU WILL NEED
Infrared thermometer gun (www.Amazon.com)
Wooden paddle (canoe or home made)
Three 55-gallon food grade drums (www.baylesscontainers.com)
Sump pump and 1 hoses (Home Depot)
3/4-inch soft copper tubing (local plumbing supply store)
Hydrometers & alcoholmeter (home brew stores)
Glass carboys, stainless steel collection pails, or stock pot
THE WISH LIST

Parrot, in which to float the hydrometer
Anton-Parr density meter MDA 35N (www.anton-parr.com)
Used 40 gallon Groen or double-jacketed milk tank (junk yard)
55-gallon stainless steel drum turn into a fermentation tank
Pump, Dayton 2P390A (Grainger.com)
Count-down digital timer (www.Amazon.com)
Wash temperature controller (see page 46)
FERMENTATION
Mix 50 lbs. of sugar into 40 gallons of water.
Predict your original gravity (O.G.) from corn sugar. 1 lb. of corn sugar in 1 gallon of
water will give you a O.G. of 1.039. Take 50 lbs. of sugar and mix it into 40 gallons of
water. (50x39/40=48.75). Round up to 1.049. It will ferment out to 1.000 giving you 6%
abv. sugar wash. Single pass on a pot still will yield about 8 gallons of 30% abv alcohol
spirit.
The Process
Use a sump pump or bail to transfer the wash into the still, leaving behind as much
sediment as possible. Turn on the burner to the still and relax as it will take about 30-45
minutes to bring the wash up to temperature. Pure alcohol boils at 173F, but a 10 to 14%
abv wash will boil at a much higher temperaturea little over 190F. Most kettles dont
have a thermometer to monitor wash temperature, only vapor temperature at the still head.
This is unfortunate because the still head may not heat quickly, and many a boil-over has
happened because the operator did not listen to the sound of the kettle. The sizzle can be
heard before full boiling occurs, though it may be difficult to hear over the roar of the
burner. Turn the burner down to listen, then back up.
Watch the thermometer on the head of the still. When the needle hits 160F, turn down
the heat and turn on the water to the condenser. The still will recover, the temperature will
rise, and after a few minutes the distillate will start to spit and sputter as it comes out of
the condenser. Have the collection pail (jar) or pot ready. The first sputters from the still
are the foreshots. Cut about 1/2 cup and use it as solvent to clean auto parts.
At 174F the sputter of distillate from the condenser turns into a small stream. As the
still runs, record the distillate temperature, percent of alcohol and time since starting.
Collect the distillate in small jars as you learn. Smell and taste whats coming out of the
still as the temperature rises. By collecting in small jars, any mistake will not ruin a large
quantity of spirit. You will be able to go back and re-sample the jars and get a time-series
understanding of what the still is doing. Once you decide where the hearts begin and end,
you can combine those jars into a larger container and discard or re-distill the rest. The
point is to go slowly and keep records. This avoids making the same mistakes twice, and
you will make mistakes.
A 40-gallon wash on a single pass through a simple pot still should yield 10 gallons of
hearts at 100 proof alcohol. Lets call it a spirit whiskey.
How fast the still flows will depend on several factors:
The amount of wash
The amount of alcohol in the wash
The amount of heat that is being applied to the still
Size of the condenser
Foreshots: Collect the first 1/2 cup of distillate. It smells awful. Discard. The amount of
foreshots depends upon the quality of the wash.
Heads: Between 175F to 195F. Often distillers collect a generous amount of foreshots,
skip the heads, and switch to hearts.
Hearts: Between 196F to 201F collect 13 gallons. The run starts at 80% abv and is
stopped at 20% abv. The 13 gallons should contain 50% abv.
Tails: Dont collect above 203F. Tails have undesirable oils and esters. Some argue
there is a lot of flavor (congeners) in the tails and try to get everything out of them. A
hydrometer will tell you how much alcohol is coming out of the still. Do not collect below
20% abv. (Many whiskey distillery stop at 40% abv. A hydrometer reading will tell you
when to cut.) Collect the tails in a separate container for a future run. At 20% abv in the
distillate, the kettle contains only about 1.5 percent remaining alcohol. You have to
determine whether your time and the cost of energy are worth the effort to recover this
small amount of alcohol.
[Notes on distilling: At the end of a run the alcohol coming from the still has dropped and
water is picked-up as the boiling point goes higher. A small pot still will have
temperature spikes in the head. These spikes create fruit and spice like vapors such as
anise and banana. You can taste and smell these flavors. Cut and toss them.]
Double Distillation
Fermentation: Go back to the fermentation process and make two more 40 gallon
fermentations. You now have 120 gallons of 14% abv wash for stripping.
Stripping: Using the 120 gallons of wash make three fast stripping runs (dont make head
or tails cuts). From each run collect 15 gallons of 100 proof (3x15=45 gallons) in
preparation for the final spirits run or double distillation.
Double Distillation: Into the still add the 45 gallons of 100 proof from the stripping run
for the final distillation (where heads and tails will be cut). The final spirit run should
yield 15 gallons of 140 proof. Adjust with distilled or RO water to 80 proof for bottling.
[Note: Many distillers add a generous amount of water to the second run, extending the
length of the run, making it easier to make more precise cuts.]
Barreling
Barrel age your spirit in a bonded shed or barn, as a wooden building gives a good
summer and winter temperature variations. It is the temperature changes that aid in the
maturation process. Finally, using good clean water, cut the whiskey to 40% abv or 80
proof. You could also consider using oak chips to give color and flavor to the whiskey,
though this may require disclosure on your label.
PROFIT FROM SUGAR WASH MOONSHINE
Its cheap to make and distill.
90 lbs. of sugar at Costco is $59, yeast $17, water, $5, and labor $30
Total cost or raw material is $111
Fermentation producing 40 gallons of wash containing 14 abv
The hearts run (yield) from the still will be 13 gallons of 50 abv
Now, add 3.25 gallons of water to the 50 abv, making it 16.25
gallons of 40% abv (80 proof) for bottling, making 5x16.25=81
bottles (750 ml)
$16/bottle x 81 bottles = $1,300 gross revenue. Bottles sell for $25 at retail.
Raw cost of ingredients (sugar and yeast) per bottle is $111/107 = $1.37
Bottle, label, cap, capsule, and carton will add $2.50, raw cost of about $3.90
$16 wholesale - $3.90 cost is $12.10 margin per bottle
Now pay CA and US excise taxes - $2.80 /16 =17.5 percent
(against wholesale)
The $12.10 margin $2.80 tax = $9.30 x 81 = $750 net from distilling a
sugar wash
Barrel Aging (increases profitability)
6 months, assume angel share of .25 gallons. A dry climate increases abv.
12 gallons of spirit @ 50.5 percent cut with 2 gallons of water to get 40 percent
alcohol producing 70 bottles.
Retail price of $35, wholesale of $23 minus bottle & tax of $6.30 = $16.70
$16.70 x 70 = $1,169 net from the distilling run
Other Considerations:
Federal excise tax: 750ml @ 40 % abv is $2.16 per bottle.

State tax: varies by state (CA is $0.66).
Bottle cost: Simple paper label on an inexpensive bottle including closure and tamper evidence, add $3.50.
Cost of 30 gallon char barrel is about $250. This cost needs to be factored into
the above numbers, but barrel can be re-used or sold.
Factor in the cost of waiting 6 months.
Aging takes time but adds real value to the product.
Dont forget: Marketing costs and added channel costs in many states.
Good Luck!
[Notes: What you have distilled is not corn whiskey, which, by law, has to be made from at least 80 percent corn grains.
A sugar wash is what TTB calls a spirit specialty. The label on the bottle can look like its from the back woods but
the label has to state it is a spirit specialty. Some distilleries buy NGS made from corn and blend it with their sugar
spirit. NGS is cheap and sugar wash is cheap. As stated moonshine, made from sugar is cheap to produce and has a
good profit margin.]
Q&A HOW TO DISTILL FROM SUGAR
1. When the thermometer on the still head hits 174F and you begin to see a
small stream of liquid coming from the condenser, you should then:
[a] Smell and taste what is coming out of the still as the temperature
continues to rise.
[b] Record the distillate temperature, abv, and the time since
starting distillation.
[c] Collect the distillate in small jars so you can go back and re-sample
them in order to understand what the still is doing over time.
[d] All of the above.
[e] None of the above.
2. A 40-gallon wash on a single pass through a simple pot still should yield
10 gallons of hearts at 150 proof alcohol.
[a] True
[b] False
3. Circle the correct statement regarding the collection of the hearts:
[a] They should be collected between 175F to 195F.
[b] You will end up with 27 gallons of hearts.
[c] The run starts at 80% abv and is stopped at 20% abv.
[d] The hearts should contain 80% abv.
4. At the end of a run:
[a] The alcohol coming from the still increases as the boiling
point goes higher.
[b] The alcohol coming from the still decreases and water is picked-up
as the boiling point goes higher.
5. If you intend to do a double distillation, it would be best for you to:
[a] Begin the second distillation with the 25 percent low wines from the stripping runs and
make the heads, heart and tails cuts during
that time.
[b] Go ahead and make your cuts as you are running through the
first 3 stripping runs.
[c] Not make any cuts at all during the stripping run or the second run.
6. If you intend to age your spirit in barrels, you should keep in mind that:
[a] In a dry and warm climate, neither the alcohol content nor the
overall volume of liquid will be affected during maturation.
[b] In a dry and warm climate, the alcohol content will drop, while the
overall volume of liquid will remain fairly constant.
[c] In a dry and warm climate, the alcohol content will remain the
same while the overall volume of liquid will decrease.
7. The legal definition of the product you will have just distilled is called:
[a] Moonshine
[b] A Specialty Spirit
[c] Corn Whiskey
[d] Rot-gut
CHAPTER 6
Building a Corn Cooker
To make real moonshine, use corn. It is inexpensive and a good source of starches that
can be converted to sugars for fermentation. Corn has a better flavor than sugar (A sugar
fermentation is really producing a rum.) Distillers must have a corn cooker to break
down the corn starches and most distillers add sugar to the mash to get higher gravity and
thus produce a stronger spirit. A straight corn mash yields about 6% abv and a sugar bump
(50 lbs. corn and 50 lbs. of sugar will give you 9% alcohol). So, here is how you build a
corn cooker.
EQUIPMENT TO BUILD A CORN COOKER
One 15.5-gallon beer keg fit it with a 2 tri-clamp to 1 FTP. Connect
the 2 tri-clamp ferrule to keg with an O-ring attached to the tri-clamp the keg (no welding
necessary).
One 55-gallon food-grade plastic drum, called the tub
One custom-made steam pipe fitted with a ball and pressure valves
One safety valve (Granger.com, item # 1C2V5)
One 50 roll of 3/4 L-Soft copper tubing. The copper tubing is available at your
local plumbing supply store. Now build a coil heat exchanger by cutting the tubing to 40
and roll it into a coil (see illustration).
THE WISH LIST
A 2 flexible impeller mash pump (to move mash to the still)
Infrared thermometer gun
100 gallon double jacket tank
One Groen soup kettle
One 600-micron Ez Strainer (USPlastic.com/catalog)
One large mash pump
One electric gear drive tank mixer for blending low-viscosity materials
One pump, Dayton 2P390A (Grainger.com or surpluscenter.com)
INGREDIENTS
50 gallons of water
50 lbs. cracked corn from a feed and seed store
20 oz. Turbo yeast
25 lbs. malted barley
This makes 40 gallons of 6% abv wash for one distillation.
PROCEDURE
Overnight: Soak 50 lbs. of cracked corn in a tub of hot water. The next day, drain the
tub.
Day Two: Repeat the process.
Day Three: Repeat the process.
[If you are planning to double distill, use three tubs, repeating the process above to
create 120 gallons of wash.]
COOKING THE CORN
1. Set up the cooker (See illustration pg. 28) by inserting the steam pipe into the wash
tub, making sure that it does not touch the bottom. Now add 40 gallons of fresh water to
the tub.Turn on the steam and start heating the water before adding the corn.
Mix 15 lbs of the crushed malted barley into the corn. (This small amount of barley
keeps the corn from becoming a thick porridge). Now, add the mixture to the mash tub. As
the mash heats up and cooks the corn will gelatinize, making it difficult to stir. If
necessary, add more water to mixture. An electric gear tank mixer (agitator) will make this
job easier. It can take a few hours to bring it up to 212F.
Note: The mash water needs to be at least 15 ppm calcium and almost devoid of iron. The
pH should also be adjusted to about 6.0 (Most city water is 8-9 pH.) Not adjusting pH is
the biggest reason mashes fail.
2. Use caution and do NOT rush the cooking process as you are pushing live steam
through a thick mash. This is not for beginners.
3. Cook the mash for 1 hour, then turn off the steam system. Allow the copper pipe to
cool. Use gloves to remove the steam pipe.
4. Insert the copper coil heat exchanger into the mash. If you dont have a coil, you
will have to wait hours for the mash to cool. When the mash has cooled to 152F, remove
the coil and use a wooden paddle stirring in 20 lbs. of malted barley to the wash. Again,
the easy way to mix the mash is with an electric, gear drive tank mixer. Mixing in the
barley malt will cool the mash another 10F, to around 145F.
At 145F to 155F barley enzymes will convert corn mash to a sugar wash. Dont worry
about the starch conversion temperature. If it is between 130F and 160F conversion will
happen because American 2-row barley has a lot of enzymes. (Keep the agitator running
during starch conversion).
5. It takes over an hour for starch conversion to occur. Now for the second time, insert
the cooling coil back into the wash, or just wait several hours for it to cool down. Many
distillers wait over night for the mash to cool. This is not a good practice.Cool the mash
from 143F to 70F. At 70F pitch the yeast.
6. Use the infrared thermometer gun to double check the temperature of the wash. At
70F pitch, or mix in, 20 oz. of Turbo yeast. At this point oxygenate the mash by
bubbling air through it. (Use a large aquarium pump)
It you dont oxygenate the mash, it will start to ferment and then stop around 1.030
(gravity).
7. The wash will take between 5 to 10 days to ferment. Remember, as the wash ferments
it will heat up. The goal here is to hold the fermentation below 75F. High temperature
fermentations produce off flavors that come through during distillation.
8. When fermentation is finished, there will be no more bubbles.
9. If using a plastic drum as a fermentation tank use a sump pump to move the wash into
the still. In order to get the last five gallons of liquid out it will be necessary to tip the
tank. Drain the liquid through a Ez Strainer, leaving behind the corn pulp. This liquid,
which is about 5 gallons, goes into the still.
Note:Remember never pump corn solids into a direct fired still it should be strained to
keep out solids.
10. Keep two log books: one on cooking and fermentation of the wash, the other log for
distillation. It is very important to keep records so that you do not make the same mistakes
twice.
11. Distill the wash. Make a fast run stripping alcohol from the wash to produce a low
wine of 25% alcohol. Distill the low wine a second time (double distillation) in order to
get moonshine that is 65% abv.
12. Clean up the mess. (Do not drink while driving a car or distilling alcohol).
Note: With everything said and done and you insist on distilling corn whiskey do it the
easy way using pregelatinized precooked corn. Take a brewing class and learn how to
make wash from precooked corn. The recipe is 80% corn, 20% barley.
DISTILLATION OF CORN WHISKEY (USING A POT STILL)
Here is how.
The yield from fermentation of a corn mash is 5% abv. Distilling this mash on a
primitive pot still (without packing) will yield about 25% abv. [To get 80% abv on a
single run requires having alcohol wash of 8 to 10% abv and a still with packing mesh or
plates.] Many moonshine distillers double distill by taking 25% abv from the first run
called low wines and distill it a second time yielding 50% abv. (100 proof).
DOUBLE DISTILLATION
First run5% abv low wine becomes 25% abv low wine
Distill the 40 gallons of wash by making a fast striping run
(no heads or tails cuts) collecting 12 gallons of 25% abv.
Repeat this process three more times, each time collecting 12 gallons
from each of 4 runs.
Total 42 gallons.
Second Run: 25% abv low wine becomes 60% abv.
Foreshots: Collect and toss the first 4 oz.
Heads & Hearts: Run together collecting 18 gallons of
60% abv/120 proof.
Tails: Save tails and add them to the next distillation.
SUMMARY
Cooking corn mash, from start to finish, takes about 5 hours. Fermentation of the mash
on average takes about a week. Making corn whiskey from scratch is a lot of work.
Distillers do it because of tradition, but, more importantly, because corn
is cheap.
The problem with using corn to make whiskey is that it requires two distillations. The
first distillation of a 5% abv wash will only yield about 25% alcohol (50 proof). Double
distilling the wash produces 50% alcohol or 100 proof. To run a more efficient still,
moonshiners use sugar in the fermentation tub.
The most efficient to make whiskey is on a column still (see chapter 11) where is it is
easy to get a 100 proof whiskey on the first run. Most distillers learn the distillation
process on a pot still before moving up to a column still.
I suggest you make whiskey the modern way by first learning how to brew beer. Your
local home brew shop hosts classes how to make wash from malt extract and how to use
a mash tun to produce a beer wash. To be a whiskey distiller you need to learn how to
make wash from malted barley, pre-gelatinized corn flakes, wheat and rye. Most important
these beer washes will yield 8-10 % alcohol for distillation.
Why did I devote two chapters of this book to building a corn cooker and distilling
moonshine? Because, people prefer to do things the traditional way (often the hard way).
Its also the craftsmanship of producing a hand-crafted product. Or, perhaps they just like
the hot taste of a good corn whiskey.
Finally, if you have a still that is direct fire, I strongly recommend that you filter or
strain all of the wash, keeping solids out of the kettle. If corn solids get into the kettle they
will burn, producing an off-flavored spirit. If possible, build a still with steam jacket or,
better yet, convert an steam jacketed brewing kettle
into a still. Again, do not distill the fermented mash unless you have a steam jacketed still!
It is important to separate the grain from the wash before distilling it.
To operate a still you need a federal license known as a DSP permit. So get busy and get
your state and federal licenses. And, then you will be welcomed to the industry as an
artisan distiller.
To obtain a detailed document titled Steam Wand Mashing go to: www.artisan-
distiller.net. Special thanks to Sherman Owen of artisan-distiller.net for the information on
how to build the corn cooker.
A whiskey distiller often runs into the late (tail) fraction with head temperature reaching
202F at the high end. When aging whiskey tails are sometimes added back as they
soften in the oak barrel. Adding tails to a clear moonshine or unaged whiskey is avoided
as they contain esters giving the drinker a headache.
Q&A HOW TO BUILD A CORN COOKER
1. The biggest reason why mashes fail is:
[a] Because the distiller put too much barley into the mash.
[b] Because the pH was not adjusted to about 6.0.
[c] Because the distiller did not mix in enough water to the mash.
2. Around 145F, barley enzymes will begin to convert corn starch in sugar.
[a] True
[b] False
3. After you have pitched the Turbo yeast into the corn mash, you should:
[a] Walk away and leave the mash alone.
[b] Oxygenate the mash by bubbling air through it with a large
aquarium pump.
[c] Add 20 lbs. of 2-row malted barley to the mash.
4. Assuming you intend to do a double distillation, you will end up with what
percentage of low wine after your first stripping run?
[a] 65% abv.
[b] 10% abv
[c] 25% abv
5. If you have a direct fire still, it is strongly advisable to:
[a] Get rid of it immediately
[b] Allow solids into the kettle, so that they will produce interesting
flavors like banana or anise.
[c] Strain or filter the wash so that the solids dont burn and produce
off-flavors.
6. Before you can legally operate a still, you must first:
[a] Obtain your federal DSP (Distilled Spirits Plant) permit, as well as
state licenses.
[b] Practice by making a few trial runs on your still before applying for
your permits.
[c] Operate your still at night under the light of the moon.
[d] Send the government a sample of the spirit you have produced.
Chapter 7
I See the Future and its Whiskey
There are 165 craft distilleries in the US, of which 32 produce whiskey. In the future this
segment of the distilling industry will grow quickly because a new generation of distillers
has adapted the micro-brewers technique of creating a wort/wash using a mash tun. This
system of separating the grain from the fermentable liquids creates a bright clean beer
wash without phenol-releasing husks and grains. This is the system of producing distillers
wash that is used by Irish and Scottish distillers.
The new generation of distillers is using malted barley, wheat and rye to create new
styles of whiskeys. They shy away from corn because corn mash requires a cooking
vessel. Pound for pound, corn produces a thinner wash with lesser flavor. And, extracting
sugars from corn requires adding malt for enzymatic action. Making corn whiskey is time
consuming.
Many whiskey distillers cook, cool and ferment in the same vessel. Then the wash is
pumped directly into the still. This means 1/3 of the wash (in the still) is made up of husks
and other undesirables. This cooked corn mash yields about 6% abv and has a potential for
off-flavors. It is important to note that the corn wash has to be quickly removed from the
still to avoid pig slop aromas in the distillery.
In contrast, a distillery utilizing a brewers mash tun with a false bottom doesnt have
this problem. The mash tun allows you to drain and cool the grains. Then they are
shoveled out into waiting barrels and hauled away expeditiously by a local farmer.
The whiskey distilling process is often done using two stills: a larger pot for stripping,
and a smaller spirits still for cutting head and tails. This style of distilling is also done in
the brandy and rum industry.
Finally, a whiskey distiller does not need a tall column still with numerous plates. It can
be done on a pot still (no plates) or a still equipped with a short column with one or two
plates and a dephegmator (pre-condenser).
Which is better? A pot still doing double distillation, or a column still with plates? Both
can produce 70% abv/140 proof whiskey for barreling. Column still distillation is faster
than pot distillation, and both yield excellent results. The system doesnt matter because
whiskey has the magicit has the buzz.
Q&A I SEE THE FUTURE AND ITS WHISKEY

1. Why should artisan whiskey distillers adapt the micro-brewers technique of
creating a wash using a mash tun with a false bottom?
[a] Because separating the grain creates a bright, clean beer wash
without phenol-releasing husks and grains.
[b] It makes it easier to clean the still, thus avoiding pig slop aromas in the distillery and
surrounding area if the spent material is not removed quickly.
[c] Using a false-bottom mash tun to remove husks and other undesirable solids aids in
the prevention of off-flavors in the whiskey.
[d] None of the above.
[e] All of the above.
2. Below are listed reasons for why the new generation of distillers tends to shy
away from the use of corn in producing their whiskeys. Please circle the
statement which is NOT true:
[a] Pound for pound, corn produces a thinner wash than
malted barley, wheat, or rye.
[b] Working with corn means that the distiller must take an extra step to add hydrolytic
enzymes from malt, fungus, or bacteria in order to extract sugars.
[c] Malted barley, wheat, and rye do not require as much water as corn does to produce a
mash.
[d] Corn produces a wash with less alcohol and flavor.
Chapter 8
Building a Mash Tun
Start by purchasing a 50-gallon Coleman camping cooler. Large coolers are also
available at Home Depot. In the bottom of the cooler, install the false bottom. It consists
of slotted copper pipes that allow the wash to drain while holding back the grains; hence
the term false bottom.
Materials:
One 50-gallon camping cooler
10 of 2/3 copper pipe and 4-1 elbows, 1-T
1 to 1/2 reducer
One 1/2 ball valve (drain)
Start by cutting the pipe into three sections (two-31 & one- 29). Take pipe to machine
shop or use a hack saw and at every 2/3 of inch, cut slots 40 percent into the pipe (see
illustration). Sweat solder the 31 sections together forming a rectangle grid. The 29 pipe
is connected to the drain from a T in the center of the back of the grid. Do not solder the T
as it connects to the 29 pipe that is connected to a 1/2 reducer that runs through the drain
hole. On the outside of the cooler drain attach the ball valve. The above measurement will
depend on the type of cooler you have purchased. Most likely it will be necessary to
measure and cut the pipe to fit inside your cooler.
HOW IT WORKS
The Mash Tun: This system uses a 200-quart (50-gallon) camping cooler as a mash tun.
It has been fitted with a false bottom that drains the sweet barley water while holding back
the grains. A 50-gallon mash tun can hold 30 gallons of water and 125 lbs. of grain.
Sparging requires 20 gallons of hot water.
There is little difference in the production of a beer wort and a whiskey wash. Both are
created in the mash tun using the simple infusion method of Time and Temperature. The
difference in the process is what happens to sweet barley water after it leaves the mash
tun. For the distiller, the barley water goes straight into the fermentation tank where it is
cooled and fermented. After fermentation it
is called wash and is then distilled into whiskey. Brewery wort runs into a kettle where it is
boiled with the addition of hops. After boiling it is cooled and fermentedand called beer.
AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT
Commercial water heater (ebay.com)
Wash temperature controller (www.Grainger.com)
50 feet of 3/4 L- Soft copper pipe
(coiled into heat exchanger)
Count-down digital timer or iPhone app
Infrared thermometer gun
(www.Testequipmentdepot.com)
High temperature water pump www.Granger.com
item or ebay.com
Sump pump and hoses for pumping wash to still.
(www.grainer.com)
Wooden paddle (www.Amazon.com)
Three 55-gallon plastic drums (www.bayleccontainers.com)
One 55-gallon stainless steel drum (www.surpluscenter.com)
Anton-Parr density meter DMA 35N (Anton-Paar.com)
(Instant specific gravity and alcohol reading)
PROCEDURE: SEVEN STEPS TO CREATE WASH
1. Striking: Adjust the temperature gauge on the water heater to 172F or use the pot
still and heat water to 172F. Use a high temperature water hose and strike by
transferring 30 gallons of hot water from the water heater to the mash tun filling it about
full. This water is called the foundation.
Use the thermometer gun to check temperature of the foundation water. You will notice
the water temperature has dropped 10F to 160F.
Note, if you are using the still to heat the foundation water, you will have to pump it to the
mash tun. Do not bucket it! Pumping hot water is also dangerous. If it splashes on your
skin, you will get a serious burn! Use gloves and caution when handling the pump and
hoses.
2. Mash-In: Once the foundation water is in the mash-tun, work quickly and add the
grains. The grain floats, so use a paddle and mix them into the foundation water. This is
called mashing-in. Stir for one minute or until the mash is lump free. Close the lid to the
tun, holding in the heat.
Malted barely, when mixed with hot water, will release enzymes within minutes that
convert the starch water into sugar water. Use the thermometer gun to take the mash-in
temperature reading for the log book. Mashing-in will also create a temperature loss of 8-
10F. During the mashing-in process, you can expect a temperature loss of 25-30F. The
final temperature of the mash should be around 152F. A low 130F or high 160F mash-in
is not a problem. The yields (alcohol) from the wash will be lower. Dont worry about it,
just keep going. You wont get it right on the first try.
If you didnt mash-in a perfect 152F, remember that 2-row barley malt is loaded with
enzymes and even with wide temperature variations, it will produce enzymes that convert
the starch water to sugar water. Now take a spoon and dip out some of the wash and taste
it. I promise it will be sweet. Close the lid to the mash tun to prevent heat loss. Note, most
distillers mash in at 144F.
3. Starch Conversion: Set the count-down timer for 40 minutes and walk away.
During the 40 minutes, starch conversion will continue.
The mash tuns at micro-breweries hold 2,000-5,000 lbs. of barley. They need to steam-
heat the tun and use mechanical rakes to insure a good mash in. The rakes also push the
grains out of the tun when sparging has finished. Small brewers stir the mash by hand and
use a shovel to dig the grains out the tun.
During the starch conversion period, take the time to write down in the logbook what
happened during the mash-in process. This ensures that you dont make the same mistakes
twice, and you will make mistakes. This is not a science project. Its a brewing project.
4. Sparge Water: During starch conversion the water heater will have recovered and
you again have 170F water. This water will be used for rinsing the grains. If you dont
have a water heater, sparge water can be heated in the pot still. You will only need 15
gallons, so heating the water in the pot still will only take a few minutes.
Sparging is a balancing act. Open the valve on the false bottom and start collecting the
sweet barley water. Next add the 170F sparge water to the grain bed covered with water. It
can be sprayed.
The balancing act is to add as much water to the mash-tun as sweet water runs out of the
bottom.
After a few minutes the mash will begin to settle. Do not mix. Collect 45 gallons of
sweet barley water for fermention. After collecting for whiskey mash, keep on collecting
the sweet water from the mash tun. It contains sugars from which you can make a small
batch of beer.
I suggest a short sparge of 15-20 gallons because you want to make a high gravity
wash. The more you sparge, the more dilute the wash, giving you less fermentable sugar.
Our goal for whiskey wash is 9% abv. A hydrometer reading will give you the potential
alcohol for fermentation with a starting gravity of 10.80. Note: Micro-brewers who make
barley wine seldom sparge because they want a create a beer that is 12% abv.
It will take about 30 minutes of sparging to collect 45 gallons for a 40 gallon wash. As
10 gallons of wash will be lost in cooling fermentation and pumping.
Grains sparge differently, and corn is the most difficult to work with. Use rice hulls in
the mash to provide a pathway for the sparge water. I suggest your corn whiskey mashes
contain 20 percent malted barley and 10 percent rice hulls. The barley will ensure good
enzyme action and the rice hulls will create mash that is thin enough to allow the wash to
run.
5. Cooling: The 45 gallons of wash has been collected, pumped, or bucketed into the
fermentation tank. If possible build a 4-foot platform for the mash tun. This way, the wash
from the tun can flow directly into a fermentation tank and there is no need to collect or
pump it.
The wash coming into the fermentation tank will be over 100F. Use the infrared
temperature gun to check the temperature of the wash. As soon as
the wash starts running to the fermentation tank, insert the copper coil and
start cooling.
Pitch the yeast when the wash has cooled to 70F.
[Note, wineries use flat stainless steel plates to control temperature during fermentation.]
6. Fermentation. Before pitching the yeast, record the original gravity of the wash. A
125 lb. malted barely mash should produce a wash with an O.G. of 1.070. After
fermentation the F.G should be 10.10, yielding a wash of 9-10% abv. Again, keep notes so
that you can correct any mistakes on the next mash-in. No one gets it right the first time.
In 4 to 6 hours after pitching the yeast, tiny bubbles will appear in the wash. In a few
more hours, fermentation will be rolling and you will be able to see that the wash is
moving around. As the wash ferments, it will give off heat. Use the copper coil to hold the
fermentation temperature at 70-75F. A high-temperature fermentation will create esters in
the wash. During distillation, these esters will create off-flavored spirits.
Do not cover the tank with a tight lid. A barley wash fermentation is very active and the
foam will push the lid off the tank and onto the floor, making a mess to clean up.
Once fermentation has slowed, you can use a loose lid to cover the tank. Use your eyes
and watch fermentation. When the fermentation bubbles have stopped (5-7 days), a bright
clean wash can be pumped directly to the still for fermentation. Try to not carry over any
yeast into the still.
7. Clean-up: Leave the lid to the mash-tun open for a couple of hours allowing the
grain to cool. Leave the false bottom drain open so the grain bed drains.
Once the grain bed has cooled, use a small plastic or wooden shovel and dig it out.
Spent grain can be fed to pigs or cows. However, it needs to be cut with 90% commercial
animal feed. Cows have multi-chambered stomachs and the sugar in the grains will
ferment, bloating and killing the cows. I have heard of pigs getting drunk and killing each
other.
WASH TEMPERATURE
CONTROLLER
(Grainger.com)
Parts:
1. Solenoid Valve 2 way (#4A700)
2. Solenoid Valve Coil 120 (#A706)
3. Controller PM6C1EHAAAA
4. RTD probe that can be inserted in to the wash
(Items 3 & 4 at www.instrumart.com)
A copper coil equipped with the regulator will allow
water to flow through the coil and keep a fermenting at
wash at 72F. The coil is a must when doing a high
gravity sugar fermentation. Without it, heat (90 to
100F) from the fermentation kills the yeast and yields a
stuck fermentation. High temperature fermentations also
produce an off-flavored wash.
Several years ago I made some beer and tossed 30 lbs. of spent grain in the backyard.
One year later it is still there. Worms wont eat spent grain unless it is cut with green
material and composted. It is a lot of work to compost spent grain. If you dont have a
farmer to come get the spent grains put them in a bag send them to the dump. This isnt
very GREEN but spent grains are hard to recycle. You may to pay to get rid of them
Now, back to the clean-up. After digging out the grains, use a rubber glove to remove
the slotted false bottom pipes. They will still be hot, so rinse with cold water and
disassemble. No soap or chemicals are necessary, just wipe and air dry everything,
including the tun. You can also use heads from a distillation to clean the mash tun. Again
use gloves.
Total set-up time to create strike water, mash-in, sparging, pitch yeast, and clean up is
about 3 hours.
In about 72 hours, the wash fermentation should be about 70 percent completed. Use the
hydrometer to check. The yeast is now starting to flocculate and to settle on the bottom of
the tank. It will form a one-inch thick cake slurry and can be collected for the next
fermentation. With a final gravity of 1.010 the wash will be almost clear. At this point,
drop a sump pump into tank and pump the wash into the pot still. If youre careful, very
little yeast will be pumped over.
If you distill on a regular basis you can re-pitch the yeast for numerous batches. Always
refrigerate the yeast between fermentations. Yeast is a single-cell organism and it doesnt
keep for months without feeding it sugar or fresh wash. Yeast is also cheap. If you just
distill once a month, start with fresh yeast on each fermentation.
You are now ready to distill a single malt whiskey.
Note: Slots, face down in mash-tun.
Wash Log Book

Date: Dec 2, 2008
Volume of Distilling Wash: 40 gallons
Type of Wash: Malt Whiskey
Grains: 125 lbs. 2-row malted barely
Strike Water: 35 gallons @ 170F
Mash-in Temperature: 157F
Volume of Sparge Water: 10 gallons
Sparge Water Temp: 170
Original Gravity: 1.068
Yeast Type: Ale yeast, White Labs
Fermentation: 72
Days of Fermentation: 5 days
Final Gravity: 1.006
Wash Alcohol: 8.1%
Notes (or) wash evaluation
Q&A BUILDING A MASH-TUN
1. Circle the statement which most accurately describes the difference between
a beer wort and a whiskey wash:
[a] There is a big difference between a beer wort and a whiskey wash, because, unlike a
beer wort, whiskey wash can only be made with wheat, corn, or rye.
[b] There is little difference, except that when brewery wort leaves the tun, it is then boiled
in a kettle, hops are added, and it is then allowed to cool and ferment.
[c] For the distiller, after the sweet barley water leaves the tun, 20%
corn is added in order to increase the complexity and
aroma of the wash.
[d] The only difference is that after fermentation, a distillers wash will then be distilled
into whiskey.
2. In creating a wash, a foundation can best be described as:
[a] The water which is first heated in the water heater or pot still and then transferred to
the mash tun.
[b] An endowment or fund established for educational or research
purposes in the micro-distilling industry.
[c] The mixture of malted barley, water, and yeast.
[d] The real bottom, found below the false bottom of the mash tun.
3. The final temperature of the mash should be around 152.
[a] True
[b] False
4. The term mashing-in refers to:
[a] A British colloquialism for mashed potatoes.
[b] The process whereby the distiller takes a paddle and then crushes or mashes the
grain in order to remove the hull.
[c] The process of quickly adding and then mixing grains into hot water in the mash tun.
Chapter 9
Whiskey Washes
Whiskey in the US is a spirit of ethyl alcohol distilled from fermented mash of grains. It
is not aged but stored in oak barrels. There are no rules or recipes other that the minimum
amount of the base material; i.e., made from 51% corn to be Bourbon whiskey or 51% rye
to be rye whiskey.
FERMENTATION PRODUCING 40 GALLON PER BATCH:
STRAIGHT BOURBON WHISKEY*
60 lbs. of flaked corn
55 lbs. of 2-row malted barley
Mashing time 35 minutes
Fermentation 7 days
40 gallons of 9% abv
Stripping run at 35% abv
Spirits run 70% abv
Barreled at 60% abv/120 proof
Aged 2 years
BOURBON WHISKEY
55 lbs. of 2-row malted barley
Fermentation 7 days
Spirits run 70% abv
Age statement required
CORN WHISKEY
20 lbs. of 2-row barley malt
10 lbs. rice hulls (optional)
Fermentation 7 days
Spirits run 70% abv
Less than 30 days old
MALT WHISKEY
120 lbs. 2-row malted barley
Fermentation 7 days
Spirits run 70% abv
Age statement required
RYE WHISKEY
61 lbs. of rye
59 lbs. of 2-row
Fermentation 7 days
Spirits run 70% abv
Barrel aging statement not required
WHEAT WHISKEY
70 lbs. malted wheat
53 lbs. 2-row
Fermentation 7 days
Stripping run 35% abv
Spirits run 70% abv
Barrel aging statement not required
The modern craft distiller is using smaller 15, 20 and 30-gallon charred oak barrels for
aging. The smaller barrel has more wood in contact with the whiskey, causing it to age
faster. Hot and cold temperature swings allow the barrel to expand and contract, imparting
rich flavors to the whiskey.
*The ingredients for Straight Bourbon Whiskey and Bourbon Whiskeys are exactly the same. (CRF rules). What is
different? Straight whiskeys have to be stored in charred new American oak barrels for two years.
Q&A WHISKEY RECIPES

1. The difference between a Bourbon whiskey and a straight Bourbon
whiskey is:
[a] A straight Bourbon whiskey must have 100 percent of the base
material, such as corn, whereas a Bourbon whiskey only has to have
51 percent.
[b] A straight Bourbon whiskey has to be stored in a charred new American oak barrel for
two years.
[c] A straight Bourbon whiskey has to be stored in toasted new Ameri
can oak barrels for two years.
2. In what way does the recipe between corn whiskey and Bourbon whiskey
(either straight or regular Bourbon) differ?
[a] A corn whiskey must be aged for a minimum of 3 years in new American oak barrels.
[b] Bourbon, whether or not it is straight, must have at least 49 percent
of the base material in the recipe, whereas a corn whiskey must have 100 percent.
[c] A corn whiskey must be made from at least 80 percent corn,
whereas Bourbon only needs to have 51 percent of the base
material (corn).
3. Why might a modern artisan distiller choose to use smaller 15, 20, or
30-gallon charred oak barrels for aging his/her whiskey?
[a] Because a smaller barrel allows the whiskey to have more surface contact with the
wood, thus aging it faster.
[b] Because smaller barrels are much cheaper than the standard 53
gallon barrels.
[c] Because smaller barrels take up less space than the standard 53
gallon barrels.
4. The recipe for malt whiskey calls for:
[a] 100 lbs. of 2-row barley malt and 20 lbs. of corn.
[b] 61 lbs. of 2-row barley malt and 59 lbs. of rye.
[c] 120 lbs. of 2-row barley malt.
Chapter 10
How to Distill Whiskey (On a 100 gallon pot still)
Malt Whiskey
Use 120-gallon fermentation tank
Producing 100+ gallons of 9% abv wash

The Wash
275 lbs. 2-row barley malt
30 oz. of yeast.
Fermentation time 5- 7 days
[Important Note: When distilling malt whiskey it is very important to add the anti-foam
agent Fermcap-S to the wash before distilling. This prevents the wash from foaming out
of the still, and ending up in the parrot or collection pail.]
POT DISTILLATION OF MALT WHISKEY
Fill the still with 100 gallons of 9% abv wash. Most pot stills are direct-fired by
propane, so heat the still slowly to avoid scorching the wash. It will take about 60 minutes
to heat the wash to 173F. At this temperature alcohol vapors start boiling off the wash and
rise up and into the head of the still and into the condenser. Watch the head thermometer
on the still and you will see it spike from 165 to 173F as spirits spit and sputter as they
come out of the condenser...turn down the burner andturn on the water to the
condenser. This action will slow the vapor buildup in the head of the still and the spitting
and sputtering will stop. Toss this stuff. It will take another 15 minutes for the vapors to
build back up and head temperature to reach 174F. Again, the tube from the condenser
will surge and spit a few times before becoming a small but steady stream running into a
pail. Collect and toss the first 4-6 ounces before attaching the collection tube to the parrot
with a hydrometer. For a quick reading use a density meter.
THE 100-GALLON RUN
Foreshots: At 174F foreshots represent less than 2% of the distillate. Foreshots smell
foul. Use them as a weed killer or to power your lawn mower.
Heads: At 175 to 190F collect about 3 gallons. The abv will drop from 80 to 70%. Use
a density meter or hydrometer and record the alcohol content, so you can duplicate the
cuts at a later date. Use your nose and taste buds to assist in deciding where to cut your
spirits.
Hearts: At 190 to 198F collect 15 gallons. The abv will drop from 70 to 50% and
average out to 65% abv (130 proof). Many whiskey distillers dont collect hearts below
50% abv.
Tails: At 200 to 205F the abv will drop from 50% to 30%. Save these tails to be
redistilled since tails contain congeners that give whiskey its classic flavor. Note: At 30%
abv a spoon full of spirits will fail to ignite. (Dont try this at home.) Below 30% toss
everything.
DOUBLE DISTILLING
Ferment 8 bbls. or 240 gallons of 9% abv beer wash.
STRIPPING RUN
9% abv wash becomes 30% abv low wines.
No cuts.
Use Fermcap-S on all runs.
Make three 80 gallon stripping runs. Each run will yield
27 gallons of low wines.
The total amount collected, 81 gallons of 30% abv.
To the 81 gallons add 19 gallons of water (Water extends
the run allowing for better cuts).
Now you are ready to double distill 100 gallons of low wine.
SPIRIT RUN
100 gallons of low wines, becomes 50 gallons of 70% spirit
The run
Foreshots: The first 4-6 oz from the condenser contains aldehydes
and other undesirable elements. Collect and use as a cleaning agent.
Heads: Collect 10 gallons of 80 to 70 abv for re-distillation.
Hearts: Collect 50 gallons of 70% to 50% abv for barreling.
Tails: Collect 10 gallons 50% to 30% abv for redistilling.
Toss anything below 30% abv.
There is a great deal of aroma and flavor in the tails fractions. Retaining a limited
amount of the tails and then adding it back to the hearts adds complexity and depth. How
much to include or when to stop collection tails for blending back is largely subjective (by
taste) process that varies among distillers and their particular systems. You will need to
experiment to determine what works best in your situation. Most important is keeping a
record in a log book. Many distillers determine yields the old fashioned way, with an
alcoholameter. If you decide to do so, find one with a range of 60 to 120, rather that using
the widely available 0 to 200 models. The density meter gives faster results.
Note: At the end of the hearts run (50% abv) the alcohol coming out of the still is dropping
and water is picked up as the boiling point goes higher, creating different flavors. Pot stills
also often have temperature spikes in the head creating vapors with off-flavors of an anise
or banana. It will take more than one distillation to learn how to control the flow of spirits
from a pot still and collect the hearts from the sweet spot.
AGING
Age 6 months in a small, #4 char, new American oak barrel.
Experiment with toasted applewood and cherrywood chips.
Cut the spirits with distilled or reverse osmosis treated water.
If using tap water to dilute, use a tight filter to remove sediment.
It is best to barrel age the whiskey in a building with no insulation. This allows summer
and winter temperature variations to heat and cool the barrels ensuring a fast maturation. If
possible, set a few barrel out in the sun for a couple of months. Barley, rye and wheat
whiskiesunlike corn whiskeydont require years of aging to pick up flavor and color
from the barrel. Many believe that the flavor of corn whiskey comes from the barrel rather
than the malt.
Many craft distillers own a German pot still with a tall

column containing 5 to 25 plates. When distilling
whiskey they make one pass hitting 65 abv, the spirits
then go directly into the barrel. Some distillers run with
the plates open and let the column create the reflux.
Many smaller distillers have a simple pot with no plates.
Like the Scots, they double distill and on the second run
collect 65% abv spirit for barreling.
Given your equipment and to see what work best, I
suggest experimenting with single and double distillation
runs. Remember, purists in the industry say double
distilling produces a richer tasting product.
Q&A HOW TO DISTILL ON A 100 GALLON

POT STILL
1. Before distilling malt whiskey, it is important to remember to add the
Fermcap-S to the wash because:
[a] Fermcap-S is an anti-foam agent which will prevent the distillate from foaming out of
the still.
[b] Fermcap-S will prevent the temperature inside the still from
becoming too hot.
[c] Fermcap-S adds some additional wild yeast to the wash, thus helping to produce
desirable aromas which will carry over to the
distillate.
2. During distillation, at 165F, you should turn down the burner and turn on
the water to the condenser because:
[a] The still will explode if the temperature is allowed to keep rising.
[b] This action will help to slow the buildup of vapors and will cool the distillate, and will
stop the spitting and sputtering.
[c] The water going into the condenser will create a reverse flow into the still, thus cooling
down the wash.
3. During the production of a 100 gallon run, the foreshots represent what
percentage of the distillate?
[a] 60% of the distillate.
[b] 2% of the distillate.
[c] 20% of the distillate.
4. Between what temperatures, and between what abv, will you begin to collect
3 gallons of hearts?
[a] The temperature will be between 190F and 198F degrees, and the abv will drop from
70 to 50%.
[b] The temperature will be between 150F to 174F, and the abv
will be 100% to 90%.
[c] The temperature will be between 175F to 190F, and the abv will drop from 80% to
70%.
5. For any tails below 30% abv you should:
[a] Toss.
[b] Save and use it as a weed killer or fuel additive.
[c] Redistill it, because all tails give whiskey their classic flavor.
6. The level of toasting required for your Bourbon whiskey barrels is:
[a] A very light toast, # 1, so that you wont get any ash or charcoal in
your whiskey.
[b] No toasting or charring, because you want new, green wood that has not had any sort
of fire in it.
[c] A # 4 char in a new oak barrel, which is required by law and also gives your whiskey
delicious vanilla and caramel flavors.
7. For a double distillation, the spirit run will yield:
[a] 50 gallons of 70% abv spirit.
[b] 10 gallons of 85% abv spirit.
[c] 5 gallons of 30% abv spirit.
8. It is recommended that you age your whiskey in a building with:
[a] Lots of insulation, so that the summer heat does not absorb all the water in the barrels.
[b] No insulation, so that the summer and winter temperature variations heat and cool the
barrels, thus aiding the maturation process.
[c] A medium amount of insulation, so that the barrels wont get too cold in the winter.
Distilling Log
Date: _______________________
Volume of Wash: abv:
Time: Head Temperature:
ABV of First Cut (heads): Volume:
Time to Run Hearts: Minutes/140 to 90% abv
Hearts Volume:
Gravity of Tails:
Total Time / Start to Finish:
Volume of Hearts:
Notes:
A Column Still
This is a best effort to illustrate a column still.
Chapter 11
Using a Simple Column Still
A pot distillation can increase the concentration of a 10% abv wort/wash to a 55% abv
spirit. This first spirit is called low wines and before the second distillation it is diluted to
30% abv. This dilution will allow for accurate cuts during the second distillation by
increasing the run time. After the 30% abv low wines are distilled, a 70-75% abv spirit is
obtainable. In contrast, a pot still with a column with copper mesh packing and a
dephlegmator (also known as a pre-condenser) can take the same 10% abv wash and on a
single pass get a 60% abv or more spirit. Even more efficient is a column using trays
and/or bubble caps.
Distilling in a single run produces a different whiskey than one produced by double
distillation. This is because in double distillation, the dilution of the low wines with water
before the second run allows better removal of negative congeners since there is more
copper surface interaction and finer distillation control. This makes the spirit cleaner, less
hot, and lighter tasting. The inclusion of a column with a pot still will additionally increase
the ability of the distiller to control the congener content of the finished spirit with
extreme precision.
The resulting products from each method (pot vs. column) have desirable qualities. It is
up to the distiller to decide what process he or she wants to use and what style of whiskey
to produce. The deciding factor may be in the price of the still. A 250-gallon pot still with
a condenser runs about $150,000. A pot still with a column equipped with trays and
bubble caps costs over $250,000. Non-professionally made stills can cost 1/10 this amount
but require many engineering skills. A cheap 80-gallon pot still can be made for about
$5,000, but this may be at the sake of performance and efficiency and therefore is rarely
done for commercial use.
Many distillers, from Kentucky moonshiners to French cognac producers to German
brandy makers, have developed their own unique still designs to improve the efficiency of
a pot still. American moonshiners use a doubler, or a thumper keg. The French have a
large helmet characteristic of the alambic still, and the Germans produce highly
engineered stills with bubble plates.
While the equipment is different, the ultimate result of building a still that distills the
spirit twice (or more) is one that all these pioneers were developing. To achieve a second
distillation in a single run (using the column still), the vapor must condense briefly and
then evaporate again. This process is easy to understand as traditional distillers
accumulated their low wines so they would have a full still charge from which to perform
a second distillation a few days later.
More complicated to understand, but identical in theory, is the construction of a still that
automatically condenses, and then redistills, the spirit in a single run. American
moonshiners used the thumper keg to do this. The thumper was placed between the still
and the condenser, and was typically a pot 40 percent the size of the initial beer pot. The
steam alcohol vapors from the still are injected into a tank with a water bath. Initially all
of the vapors coming over from the still condense. As vapor subsequently continues to
enter the thumper, the heat is transferred to the water bath/condensed vapor mixture.
Finally the vapors will push their way through the bath when the temperature reaches
more than 160F and they will flow into the condenser. The use of thumpers, however, is
dangerous because pressure can build between the still and the thumper. This hazard can
lead to explosion of the thumper tank and can also cause a still to implode. It is not
recommended that any distillers use a pot still with a thumper. It will be rare that any
commercial distillers will be allowed to operate a thumper equipped still due to the lack of
ASME-rated safety devices. Instead, most artisan distillers have a pot still with four or
five plates in the column. The column pot still typically has plates equipped with bubble
cups and a deflegmator. This type of still is readily available. Some of the best whiskey in
the world is produced using a simple pot still with a condenser, but if you can invest in
equipment that allows for better efficiency and effectiveness it can reduce the production
and aging time of the whiskey. An ideal system would be one comprised of a pot still with
a 4-plate column, deflegmator, and a condenser.
THE COLUMN DISTILLATION PROCESS
At 173F, vapors from the wash begin to rise up the column and hit the copper mesh
packing or plates in the column. At the top of the column is a jacket or heat exchanger
(deplegmator/pre-condenser) through which cool water is circulated. The combination of
the surface area of the packing and the cool water heat exchange causes the rising vapors
to cool. The condensed vapor then cascades down the column and through the packing or
trays allowing it to fall back into the wash where it is re-heated. This process is called
reflux distillation. Some systems use the warmed water exiting the condenser to cool the
dephlegmator/pre-condenser. Although this can save some water, by using colder water
and slowing down the flow exiting the dephlegmator/pre-condenser, finer control of the
purity of the spirit can be achieved.
Soon reflux will push past the packing or trays and the dephlegmator/pre-condenser and
the system will be in balance. At this point the alcohol vapors from the wash will have
lined themselves up by their atomic weight with the lightest vapors (heads) coming off
first followed by the hearts and tails.
A typical whiskey second distillation run on a packed or plate column still should be
controlled to start running off between 80% and 75% abv and stopped between 64% abv
to 64.9% abv.
During the distilling process the distiller must be very careful not to over-cool the
dephlegmator/pre-condenser. Doing so with a non-safety equipped system will cause the
alcohol to condense quickly and possibly collapse the still. All distilling systems should be
equipped with a pressure and vacuum safety valve. In a safety-equipped system, over-
cooling of the dephelgmator/pre-condenser will only result in stopping the flow of spirit
from the condenser and will avoid disastrous results.
The distiller can control the percent of alcohol of the spirit by increasing or decreasing
the heat to the pot. If your distillation system includes a dephlegmator/pre-condenser, the
control is achieved by increasing or decreasing the amount of water running through it.
Increasing reflux = higher proof and purity, slower run. Decreasing reflux = lower proof
and purity, faster run.
Clean sweet spirits can be obtained by running a cold still. This is accomplished by
keeping the head temperature of the still under 180F. This is done by running a significant
amount of water through the dephlegmator/pre-condenser cooling the top portion of the
column which will increase condensation and thereby allowing greater reflux.
The head fraction collected on an average whiskey run will be about 21% of the total
alcohol. Hearts will be about 57%. The tails will be about 22%. Whiskey distillers re-
distill the tails because they contain very concentrated flavorful congeners, but typically
discard the head fraction.
The still must be cleaned after every use by flushing it with hot water, and weekly by
cleaning it with 2% caustic (sodium hydroxide) followed by a 2% citric acid wash.
CONCLUSION
Every distillery is different. Each decision, shape, style and size affects the final
product. The goal should be to produce a whiskey that is consistently reproducible from
batch to batch as efficiently as your system will allow.
Q&A HOW TO DISTILL USING A TRADITIONAL

POT AND COLUMN STILL
1. Before running a second distillation on a pot still, it is advisable to dilute
your low wine with water to 30% abv because:
[a] A simple pot still is too primitive to distill low wines as high as 55% abv.
[b] The dilution will increase the run time so that more accurate cuts can be made.
[c] The law insists upon it.
2. One of the differences in the whiskey produced by double distillation versus
distilling in a single run is:
[a] By using double distillation, the spirit is cleaner and lighter
tasting since negative congeners are removed by the
increased copper contact.
[b] There really is no difference in the whiskeys produced by both methods.
[c] By using single distillation, the spirit is cleaner and lighter tasting than the whiskey
made by double distillation because more nega tive congeners are removed.
3. A pot still with a column with copper mesh packing and a dephlegmator can
take a 10 percent wash and on a single pass get 70 to 75% abv spirit, while
distilling a 30 percent low wine distilled on a pot still will only obtain a 60%
abv spirit.
[ a] True
[b] False
4. What was the main problem with the thumper, or doubler, used by tradi-
tional Kentucky moonshiners?
[a] The thumper was too expensive for the average moonshiner to buy.
[b] The large helmet or onion shape characteristic of the thumper
was inefficient.
[c] Pressure would frequently build up between the thumper and
the still, causing dangerous explosions.
5. The process known as reflux refers to:
[a] The product is distilled twice, allowing distillers to increase the strength and quality of
their whiskey.
[b] A serious gastroesophageal disease common among distillers, caused by excessive
sampling of the new spirits while making the cuts.
[c] A still design that allows the distiller to increase the strength and quality of whiskey in
a single run by allowing the vapors to briefly condense, be reheated, and then evaporate
again.
6. Because of the danger of over-cooling the dephlegmator/pre-condenser,
whereby the alcohol quickly condenses and the still could possibly collapse
all distilling systems should be equipped with:
[a] An alarm that sounds when the dephlegmator gets over-cooled.
[b] A pressure and vacuum safety valve.
[c] The system should have the dephlegmator taken off, since the
design is inherently dangerous.
7. Increasing the reflux = higher proof and purity, and a slower run, while
decreasing reflux = lower proof and purity, faster run.
[a] True
[b] False
8. Running a cold still by keeping the head temperature of the still under
180F:
[a] Produces a foul-tasting spirit.
[b.] Does not produce anything, because the still needs heat to distill the product.
[c] Produces a very clean, sweet spirit.
9. On the average whiskey run, the fractions will more or less be as thus:
[a] Heads fraction 57%; hearts fraction 22%; and tails fraction 21%.
[b] Heads fraction 21%; hearts fraction 57%; and tails fraction 22%.
[c.] Heads fraction 3%; hearts fraction 45%; and tails fraction 52%.
Appendices
Appendix A
The Spread Sheet
for Small Distillery
Craig Pakish is the owner of C&C Shine, a moonshine distiller is located in Gonzalez,
CA. Craig was kind enough to share the costs to open C&C. He said Every corner was
cut to get into the business.
Spread Sheet for C&C Shine

My Month One:
Form LLC, Attorney Fees: $3,000
Month Two:
Apply for use permit through City of Gonzales
Fees: $2,000
Building Rent: $720.00
ABC TTB Consultant: $800.00
ABC License, 3 each, fee: $800
(Federal License Fee)
Month Three Through Ten:
Rent: $7,200
Retrofit Building
Building fire walls
Building Handicap Bathroom
Pave and paint handicap parking and fire lanes
Build fire sprinkler system $65,240
Contract plumbing and electrical
NOX Box for fire department $50
Total costs including building permits, labor, material $79,810
Month Ten:
Trademarks and business Licenses: $380
Equipment: Still, $3,200
Used barrels for mashing, free.
Stainless steel dairy tanks, $6,400
(Turned out they were useless
Lesson Learned: hire a consultant before buying tanks).
Bottle Filler & Labeler: $2,000
Month Eleven:
Label design: $60/ hour.
COLA fee
Label tooling and printing: $3,000
[$0.85 each (2,160 bottles) plus shipping from Texas]
Bottles: $2,160
Hydrometer, Thermometers $351
Office equipment: Phone/fax, phone lines $300
Month Twelve:
Purchase yeast, grain and sugar $1,000
Water system for production and cleaning (ozone water) $8,000
Forklift, borrow as needed from neighboring business.
Racks for storage, free
Misc. pumps, hoses and fittings $2,000
Grand Total $108,601
estimated
Appendix B
The Code of Federal Regulations
www.ttb.gov/spirits/chapter4.pdf
1. Whiskey 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 whiskey, stored in oak containers (except that corn
whiskey 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.
a. Bourbon whiskey, rye whiskey, wheat whiskey, malt whiskey, or rye malt
whiskey is whiskey produced at not exceeding 160 proof from a fermented mash of not
less than 51 percent corn, rye, wheat, malted barley, or malted rye grain, respectively, and
stored at not more than 125 proof in charred new oak containers; and also includes
mixtures of such whiskeys of the same type.
b. Corn whiskey is whiskey produced at not exceeding 160 proof from a fermented
mash of not less than 80 percent corn grain, and if stored in oak containers stored at not
more than 125 proof in used or uncharred new oak containers and not subjected in any
manner to treatment with charred wood; and also includes mixtures of such whiskey.
The above whiskeys which have been stored in the type of oak containers noted, for a
period of 2 years or more can be designated as straight; for example, straight Bourbon
whiskey, straight corn whiskey. However, if produced from a fermented mash of less
than 51 percent of any one type of grain, and stored for a period of 2 years or more in
charred new oak containers its proper designation is merely straight whiskey. No other
whiskeys may be designated straight. Additionally, straight whiskey can include
mixtures of straight whiskeys of the same type produced in the same State.
Whiskey distilled from Bourbon (rye, wheat, malt, or rye malt) mash is whiskey
produced in the United States at not exceeding 160 proof from a fermented mash of not
less than 51 percent corn, rye, wheat, malted barley, or malted rye grain, respectively, and
stored in used oak containers; and also includes mixtures of such whiskeys of the same
type. However, Whiskey conforming to the standard of identity for corn whiskey must be
designated corn whiskey.
Light whiskey is whiskey produced in the United States at more than 160 proof, on
or after January 26, 1968, and stored in used or un-charred new oak containers; and also
includes mixtures of such whiskeys. If light whiskey is mixed with less than 20 percent
of straight whiskey on a proof gallon basis, the mixture shall be designated blended light
whiskey (light whiskeya blend).
Blended whiskey (whiskeya blend) is a mixture which contains straight whiskey or
a blend of straight whiskeys at not less than 20 percent on a proof gallon basis, excluding
alcohol derived from added harmless coloring, flavoring or blending materials, and,
separately, or in combination, whiskey or neutral spirits. A blended whiskey containing
not less than 51 percent on a proof gallon basis of one of the types of straight whiskey
shall be further designated by that specific type of straight whiskey; for example, blended
rye whiskey (rye whiskeya blend).
A blend of straight whiskeys (blended straight whiskeys) is a mixture of straight
whiskeys which does not conform to the standard of identify for straight whiskey.
Products so designated may contain harmless coloring, flavoring, or blending materials as
allowable by regulations.
A blend of straight whiskeys (blended straight whiskeys) consisting entirely of one of
the types of straight whiskey, and not conforming to the standard for straight whiskey,
shall be further designated by that specific type of straight whiskey; for example, a blend
of straight rye whiskeys (blended straight rye whiskeys). A blend of straight whiskeys
consisting entirely of one of the types of straight whiskey shall include straight whiskey of
the same type which was produced in the same State or by the same proprietor within the
same State, provided that such whiskey contains harmless coloring, flavoring, or blending
materials as allowable by law.
Neutral spirits or alcohol may only appear in a blend of straight whiskeys or in a
blend of straight whiskeys consisting entirely of one of the types of straight whiskey as
a vehicle for recognized flavoring of blending material.
c. Spirit whiskey is a mixture of neutral spirits and not less than 5 percent on a proof
gallon basis of whiskey, or straight whiskey, or straight whiskey and whiskey, if the
straight whiskey component is less than 20 percent on a proof gallon basis.
Appendix C
Grant Application
Farm Distiller
Many farmers have a surplus of fruit; distilling is another potential marketplace for their
crops. This is called value added as they are adding value to existing resources, (i.e.
fruit that is going to waste or sold at a market price making growing
it unprofitable).
To obtain money for a feasibly study a farmer can apply to his/her states department of
agriculture for financial support.
Thanks to Jim Pierce for sharing this grant proposal.
APPLICATION FORMAT
I. APPLICANT INFORMATION:
Project Name(s): Apple Eaux de Vie (Brandy) Distillery
Contact person: Jim Pierce

Address: 38215 W. 176th Street
City, State, Zip: Rayville MO 64084
Phone: 660.232.1096
Fax: na
Email: [email protected]
Cost of Project: $ 60,500
Grant Application Amount: $ 55,000
II. PROJECT SUMMARY
Missouri fruit prices are pressured down by the improvement of orchard techniques, foreign imports, interstate imports,
limited window of opportunity for fresh consumption, and the slow process of changeover to new varieties.
Paralleling this is the growing trend for consuming local, not only food but products. There is also a trend of increasing
spirit consumption and interests in locally distilled products. Federal and state laws have changed to allow for micro-
distilling as well.
There appears to be the opportunity to match excessive and low priced fruit with consumption of locally distilled spirits.
New uses would put price pressure on the raw material, in this case, apples, helping increase gross revenue for fruit
growers.
We would like to contract a marketing firm to help assess and quantify the need of producers for new products based on
their crop, the market size for fruit brandies, the potential value added by distilling, and the economic benefits of a
micro-distillery based in Ray County.
With positive data and a business plan in hand, we expect to begin the next step of beginning the development of a
distillation branch producing Eau de Vie at Of The Earth in Ray County for regional sales.
III. IDENTIFICATION OF NEED
Low apple prices are a problem. Apple prices in the state of Missouri are currently depressed (1,4).Orchard numbers are
shrinking (6).Influx of imported fruit and the glut of seasonal production of fruit provide down pressure. The market for
fresh local consumption is a narrow window and by its nature limited.
An alternative use for local surplus is needed. With national trends of Eat Local, consume local and increases in spirit
consumption, the opportunity exists for locally produced value-added products for consumers and a void exists for a
locally produced premium 100 percent fruit brandy, Eau de Vie.
There is an increasing national trend of micro-distilling in the nation (3). Spirit consumption has risen every year the last
9 years (2,5). There are 2 micro-distillers operating in the state of Missouri: Augusta, St. Louis, and 1 near beginning
operation at Branson. Nationally there were 40 licensed makers in 2003 which grew to more than 150 in 2008 and many
more in the pipeline. (3) By adding value to our apples, as source material, distilling an eau de vie we could provide
added income directly to our orchard and locally push wholesale apple prices up. New uses for price-depressed apples
will help fruit producers with increased prices by putting pressure on base prices for the state, and distilling adds jobs in
manufacturing, construction, and sales. The distillery/orchard, as a destination, will also provide indirect economic
development potential for the rural community creating jobs for associated day trip activities, staycations. The micro-
distillery will provide an example for other producers in the state.
IV. STATEMENT OF OBJECTIVES
We would like to discover the increase in spirit consumption, and the size of the market not currently being met for local,
craft distilled product. The new wave of micro-distilling could provide rural jobs directly, tourism and support industries
jobs indirectly and a new market for Missouri apples for Bates, Clay, Caldwell, Carroll, Chariton, Lafayette, and Ray
counties. Bates, Chariton and Lafayette are the 3 largest orchard acres in the state and all counties are located in the
central western part of the state surrounding Kansas City.
It is already proven to be technically feasible (7,8),with over 150 registered micro-distillers nationally, 2 in Missouri.
Is regional distillation of apples to a eau de vie-style brandy potentially profitable, to what extent, and, if it is, what is the
path to implementing?
Phase 1
Feasibility study of the market situation
Raw material sources
Need for new useMidwest Fruit grower survey
Market demand for 100 percent fruit brandies
Consumer profile
Economic feasibility
Profit potential
Measure growth potential
Focus groups
Regional economic impact
Phase 2
Business plan
SWOT
Market plan
Production plan
Finance plan
Phase 3
Implementation
Presenting the plan to the bank
Presenting the plan to investors

This will affect Ray County, directly with the establishment of a local distillery and indirectly the surrounding counties.
There exists the possibility of lifting local apple prices as demand for fruit increases with additional production and new
micro-distillers. With a greater profit potential in fruit production, new acreage may be added increasing farm incomes
and creating opportunity for new farms and associated industries. Several jobs in the processing of apples into product
will be created. Jobs in sales, distribution, research and development will occur. Not to mention the potential to develop
state highway I-210 the distillers row extending into Carroll County. As a tourist destination these distilleries, located
close to source orchards, would encourage associated restaurants, shops, fuel stops to follow. Byproduct uses such as
compost, flavorings for grilling, and dried horse chips are possible from mash after extracting.
V. EXPECTED RESULTS AND APPLICABILITY TO DEVELOPMENT
Expect to verify markets for craft distilled brandies do exist and define them. Use the market research and capital
sources to write a business plan for Of The Earth to use in beginning eau de vie production, creating a tourist destination,
from our own apple production and expansion through purchasing of apples from surrounding counties to service these
markets. The market is expected to be far greater than the production of one craft distiller so that similar enterprises can
also help create jobs in rural Missouri, making contributions to the local economy and state treasury through taxes.
Technical merit Artisan distilling: 40 licensed makers in 2003 to more than 150 in 2008 (1-ADI)
Distilling currently being taught at Southwest Missouri State, Springfield and Michigan State University. At least 2
micro-distilleries operating in MO now.
Project specific qualifications of principals, subs: James D Pierce: BS in Horticulture at NWMS, 15 years growing fruits
and vegetables, several years of home juice/wine production, 1 year of juice production for market.
Potential for direct near-term commercial application of projects results:
According to the ADI forum, startup times are ranging from to 2-3 years. Our hope is that information gathered will
allow immediate application for funds and production/marketing to begin as soon as capital acquired.
Anticipated results: New product development for fruit and use of locally produced commodity to satisfy a market trend
creating new jobs and through competitive uses for apples push base price up and providing security to existing
orchards. A profitable product for Of The Earth.
Impact on MO ag producers: Increase demand for MO fruit mid- to long-term.
Impact on rural community economy: The states of Washington, Oregon, and Michigan have fledgling micro distillery
industries. Michigan expects a 400 million dollar contribution to its state economy. We expect to bring in new jobs
distilling, sales of value added product, and associated development. Send capital to surrounding counties producing
apples, increase county tax income, and the possibility of beginning a distilling trail along I-210, linking locally
produced ag products, value added products and associated increase in service, restaurants, fuel.
Job creation potential: Michigans expectations were a $400 million contribution to their state economy as a result of law
changes allowing microdistillation.
Of The Earth expects to create near-term 1-4 construction jobs, after production starts 1-2 in distilling and sales. The
market and our research will then determine growth for Of The Earth. Countywide or even statewide replication of
regional distilling businesses based on our findings could establish a state industry with results paralleling Michigan.
Capital investment:
Loader, bulk bins for harvest
Cost of building-restrooms, warehouse, production, office, sign.
Equipmentsink, 2 ton flatbed truck, tank wash, pallet jack, fruit mill, pulp pump, fermentation vessels, mash pump,
reflux still, holding tank, pulp disposal bins, bottle filler, labeler, pallets, cleaning equipment.
Office furnishingscomputer, business software, desk, file cabinet.
Tasting roomcounter, register, display shelves, glasses, sink, signage.
Actual costs are expected to come from preparing Business Plan with grant findings.
PLAN OF WORK
Key personnel
Patricia Pierce, James C. Pierce, and James D. Pierce
Consultants
EEMG, Kansas City, MO
Bill Owensindustry contact
FinancialWestbrook and Associates
Equipment Manufacturer contactedBavarian Breweries and Distilleries
Kris Berglund, Michigan State University
Week 1-8 (8 weeks)
Begin Phase 1, Feasibility study.
Begin interviewing operating micro distilleries and education research facilities about startup costs, equipment costs,
cost of production.
Week 9-13 (4 weeks)
Phase 2: build the business plan.
Week 14-17 (3 weeks)
Phase 3: Implement.
II. FACILITIES AND EQUIPMENT
Existing office, computer, and phone owned by Of The Earth.
VIII. CO-SPONSORS
None yet.
IX. REFERENCES
Bill Owens
Kris Berglund
1) Marilyn Odneal, SWMS, phone conversation 9/23/08.
2) http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Investing/Extra/BourbonBusinessBooms.aspx?GT1=33002
3) American Distilling Institute
4) Paul Peters, conversation 9/17/2008
5) Article, http://www.drinksmediawire.com/afficher_cdp.asp?id=1681&lng=2
<http://www.drinksmediawire.com/afficher_cdp.asp?id=1681&lng=2>
6) MO orchard statistics
http://www.nass.usda.gov/census/census02/volume1/mo/st29_2_030_030.pdf
7) ADI #92, Apples into Vodka
8) ADI#, Atchison Distiller, grains into whiskey
Literature Search
1) Article, MI state law change, expect 400 million economic impact http://news.msu.edu/story/5614
Of The Earth presently sells apples for fresh consumption at 1 local retail location and 1 local farmers market.
Production comes from 265 apple trees, 15 varieties, that are in their 13th year. There are 300 more apple trees of
various ages planted but not of bearing age. The farm sits on 3 parcels, 2 sited next to each other comprising 40 acres of
which 20 acres of pasture that could be planted to orchard. The 3rd parcel is a retail location where our greenhouse is
built along a main highway, I-210, a main thoroughfare to Kansas City, placing it 30 minutes from downtown Kansas
City.
Current orchard production is sold fresh with approximately 14 percent of total crop marketed through the Liberty
Farmers market, Lawson Farmers market, and at the greenhouse. Some culls are converted to juice. Fresh prices
average 50 cents per pound, $21 per bushel. Juice sells for $10 a gallon. A bushel yields 2 gallons, so, it takes 21.5
pounds of fruit, which nets 46.5 cents per pound. We lose 3.5 cents a pound by making juice.
Were selling 14 percent of the current fruit off producing trees, 185 bushel. Several varieties have turned out to not be
suited to our environment for the fresh market but would make juice. The confluence of limits of our own labor, excess
production, and the local fresh market demand are balanced.
There is less than 6 acres planted with potentially 25 acres to expand into but with prices at 2.52 for processors at
wholesale it makes the wholesale market consideration moot.
Our apple production, limited as it is, has outstripped our 3 marketing venues. Therefore, regional varietal eau de vie
production could add value and raise our gross revenues. Development of the equipment combined with the orchard and
eau de vie production as a tourist attraction will also increase income for the business. Regional varietal brandies open
the door to many locally small distilleries across the state. Creating jobs in operation, repair/maintenance, marketing,
orchards, and tourism.
Small Distillery Startup

Appendix D
Moonshine Vocabulary
Alley Alley Bourbon.
Autumn Leaf Makes your face change color and you fall to the ground.
Balm of Gilead Moonshine slang.
Blue John Moonshine slang.
Bottled in Barn Play on the expression bottled in bond.
Brannigan Brandy, Buckeye Bark Whiskey
Bumblings Noise created in the drinkers head Bush Whiskey, Canned Heat,
Cannonball Swig, Chain Lighting, Chicago Joy Juice: Are terms for moonshine.
Chicken Whiskey Two drinks and you dont care where you lay.
City Gin Moonshine
Coffee County Rye Giving big shots local moonshine and calling
it county rye.
Coffee Varnish, Cool Water, Corn Squeezins. Moonshine terms.
Creepin Whiskey Creeps up behind you and knocks you to your knees.
Dead Mans Dram So strong that if you can make and unconscious person swallow
some he or she will remember it when coming to
Deep Shaft Kansas Moonshine.
Embalming Fluid Gut rot.
Forty-rod How far you are from reality before you pass out. Or, the distance
it make you run before you pass out.
Happy Sally, Jump Steady. Moonshine terms.
Monkey Rum Moonshine from the sand hills region of North and South Carolina.
Made from molasses.
Moon, Mooney The beveage of choice, made from molasses in, Pittsburgh, PA.
during prohibition. Described as malodorous firewater costing $2 a gallon. Mountain
Dew, Old Horsey, Panthers Breath, Panthers Pizen, Pine Top, Pop Skull, Preachers Lye,
Radiator Whiskey, Red Eye, Roasing-ear-wine.
Rot Gut Adulterated liquor.
Ruckus Juice, Scorpion Juice. Moonshine slang.
Seven Stars A moonshiners exclamation.
Shinny, Skull Cracker. Moonshine slang
Soda Pop Moon Bottled in a soda bottle.
Splo The explosion it causes in your gut.
Squirrel Whiskey, Stingo, Strike Me Dead. Stump Whiskey,
Stumphole, Sump puller.
Sugar Whiskey Whiskey made from sugar. Swam Root, Sweet Spirits of Cats a
Fighting, Tiger Spit, Tigers Sweat.
White Mule White because it is clear, mule because of the kick.
Who Shot John Produces instant unconsciousness.
Wildcat.
These synonyms from the book Moonshiners, Bootleggers and Rumrunners.
Appendix E
Information about TTB and Licensing a
Distillery
DSP DISTILLING SPIRITS PLANTS
The Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) lists over 350 Distilling Spirits Plants (DSP)
license distilleries of which 165 are craft distilleries. The rest of the companies are
whiskey distilleries, industrial distillers, rectifiers, and importers. If you want to know
anything about a distilling company, search for company information online. Many
marketing companies who sell lots of whiskey claim to be a distillery company but
other companies distill and bottle for them.
Support your local distillery and buy products that say hand-crafted. Join the
American Distilling Institute, (www.distilling.com), and support its efforts to education
the public about the art and science of distilling.
TO START THE LICENSING PROCESS FOR A DISTILLERY GO TO:
Distilled spirits permits http://www.ttb.gov/spirits/index.shtml
Distilled Spirits Laws and Regulations http://www.ttb.gov/spirits/ spirits_regs.shtml
CFRs styles of whiskey http://www.ttb.gov/spirits/chapter4.pdf
TTB statistics on distilling go to: www.ttb.gov then to spirits
and then the year.
State Alcohol Boards: http://www.ttb.gov/wine/control_board.shtml
Material Safety Data Sheet (http://en.wikepedia.org/wiki).
Appendix F
Resources
CATALOGS & SUPPLIES
AceHardware.com Stainless steel cooler on wheels
Artisan-distiller.net Information and distilling supplies
Amphora-Society.com Small distillery & distilling supplies
Crosby-baker.com Full line of ingredients, supplies for
breweries & wineries
GWKent.com Brewing, winemaking distilling supplies
Prosperoequipment.com Wine, brewing & distilling
equipment supplies
TCW-Web.com Equipment for wine and spirits
Americanmercantile.net Importer of spices
Grainger.com Thousands of items for a distillery or brewery
DISTILLING EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURERS
[Note: Equipment companies do not have time or the resources to explain the distillation
process to beginners. Educate yourself before contacting them.]
Vendome Copper & Brass Works vendome.com 502-587-1930
Forsyth forsyth.com +44-1340-831-787
Kothe Distilling Technologies kothe-distilling.com 571-278-1313
Bavarian-Holstein Partners potstills.com 310-391-1091
CARL Distilleries brewing-distilling.com 215-242-6806
Adrian Edelbrande GmbH koenigdistillery.com 208-455-8386
Chalvignac Prulho Distillation groupe-novtech.com +133-6-22-15-22-15
Mueller Brennereianlagen [email protected] 250-503-4731
ALAMBIC AND MOONSHINE STILLS
10 to 300 gallon stills
Copper Moonshine Stills coppermoonshinestills.com 479-414-3220
Hoga Company hogacompany.com 351 226 062430
Iberian Coppers S.A. copper-alembic.com 351 251 823370
Oregon Copper Works oregoncopperbowl.com 541-485-9845
Revenoor revenoor.com 503-662-4173
Dynamic Alambic dynamicalambic.com 509-398-3321
Amphora-Society amphora-society.com 206-527-5520
SUPPLIERS OF EQUIPMENT AND INGREDIENTS
1. www.Brewhaus.com
2. www.Morebeer.com
3. www.Northernbrewer.com
4. www.Williamsbrewing.com
5. www.Oakbarrel.com
6. www.Greatfermentations.com
7. www.Breworganic.com
8. www.Bwmwct.com
9. www.Beernut.com
10. www.Maltos.com
11. www.home-distilling.com
12. www.fermentationbiz.com
13. www.promash.com
Complete list of suppliers at www.beertown.org
Recommended Reading
TECHNICAL DISTILLING BOOKS
1. Whiskey: Technology, Production and Marketing edited by Inge Russell, Charles
Bamforth, and Graham Stewart. ISBN 9780126692020.
2. Fermented Beverage Production, second edition (paperback) by Andrew G.H. Lea
(Editor) and John R. Piggott (Editor).
3. Fundametals of Distillery Practice by Herman F. Willkie and Joseph A. Prochaska;
published by Joseph E. Seagram & Sons; 1943.
4. The Science and Technology of Whiskeys edited by J. R. Piggott, R. E. Duncan, & R.
Sharp ISBN 9780582044289
5. Distilled Beverage Flavour edited by J.R. Piggott and A. Patterson; Ellis Horwood
Series in Food Science and Technology. (This isnt for beginners).
6. The Alcohol Textbook is sold out. Order the CD http://www.murtagh.com/textbook-4-
CD.html
7. The Whiskey Distilleries of the United Kingdom by Alfred Barnard; 1887. This was
reprinted in 1969 and again more recently.
8. The Manufacture of Whiskey and Plain Spirit by J.A. Nettleton; 1913. And his 8 other
books published from 1881 to 1897.
BOOKS FOR THE START UP DISTILLER
1. Making Pure Corn Whiskey by Ian Smiley; www.home-distilling.com
2. The Complete Distiller by Mike McCaw; www.amphora-society.com
3. Alcohol Distillers Handbook Desert Publications; [email protected]
4. Distillers Manual White Mule Press; available from www.distilling.com
5. Practical Distiller by Samual McHarry; www.raudins.com/brewbooks
6. Cider, a Story Publishing Book; 800-793-9396
7. Whiskey by Michael Jackson; ISBN 0-7894-9710-7; www.dk.com
8. Moonshine Made Simple by Byron Ford; [email protected]
9. Moonshine by Matthew Rowley; ISBN 978-1-57990-648-1 (Amazon)
10. Craft Whiskey Distilling www.distilling.com
11. How to Build A Small Brewery www.distilling.com
12. Alcohol Distillers Manual for Gasohol and Spirits (Quality Books)
Appendix G
No Yeast Necessary
We used 55-gallon barrels or 53-gallon oak whiskey barrels. Take 100 lb. of cracked
yellow corn. (This corn needs to be air dried, not dried by gas, since gas drying takes the
goodies out of it). Put the corn meal in the barrel, and then put about 40 gallons of good
water in your cooker and heat the water to about 100F degrees. Drain the water by the
bucketfull and stir your sugar in so it is well dissolved. We used 50 lbs., or sometimes 60
lbs. of sugar on the first barrel.
Heres probably what is different, we DID NOT add any YEAST of any kind to this. If
the temperature is in the mid 90Fs this would work off in 5 to 7 days. About day 2 or 3 it
sounded like Rice Krispies that just had milk poured over them. Again, no yeast was
added. We did take a wood paddle and stirred it once or twice a day. In the old days, all
there was available was bakers yeast, and adding bakers yeast caused an off taste,
hiccups, indigestion or heartburn, so that is why it was left out. In cold weather sometimes
yeast was used to get the first barrel going.
When the mash got dog heads on it, thats when the large single bubbles come about
20-30 seconds apart. It was ready to cook off. The mash also had a sour taste to it. On a 50
or so gallon cooker with two propane burners, shine would start running in about an hour.
The cooling barrel was also about 55 gallon with a 5/8 inch by 40 copper worm, which
had cold water running in the top and discharging water coming out mid ways. Most of the
time the discharging water came at the bottom of the barrel. This first run would usually
start at about 120-125 proof and would run down to about 80 proof. This was strained
through a heavy white felt hat, and sometimes a double handful of hickory charcoal was
also used in the hat. This 80-125 proof would be put to the side to keep, but the still kept
running from the 80 proof on down to about 45-50 proof, this would be about a gallon and
we called it singles. The 80-125 proof would be about 4 gallons.
Cut off the cooker when it is somewhere between 45-50 proof and the beer cools down
to about 100F. Take about three, 3lb. coffee cans of your meal out of the barrel and put the
same amount of fresh meal back in (this makes a difference in your next yield and proof),
then mix another 60 lbs. of sugar to your warm beer and put back in your mash barrel and
stir it. Then let it work off again.
On your second run, put your beer in the cooker and also the gallon of singles you saved
out. This run here should start out about 135 proof, having seen it go to 140. After a gallon
or so it may be 120 and stay 120 for an hour or better before it drops lower in proof. This
run usually lasts about 2 1/2-3 hours and makes about 9 gallons. Again, quit saving it
when it gets to 80 proof but keep running till it is down to the 45-50 proof for your
singles. It will make about 2 gallons or so this run, repeat the whole process 2 times or
more. Dont forget to take some old meal out and put same amount of fresh back in each
time and also pour the singles back in the cooker. I dont think Ive ever seen the proof get
above 140, but have seen 11-gallon yields.
On your very last cooking, pour all your previous runs of the 80-140 in a barrel and run
your last cooking. Keep adding your makings to the barrel, stirring and checking it until
you get the proof you want. Most times we made 97-100 proof. But this could be drunk as
is, or if you wanted it much better, you put all of this finished shine back in the cooker and
cook it again. This time it comes out at 170 proof and you let it run to about 150. Take this
and put it in a barrel and mix well or spring water with it to get the proof down. It still
makes about the same amount, three runs always made 22-23 gallons.
REMEMBER NO YEAST WAS ADDED.
Afterward
The still illustration above is located at Flag Hill Farm in Vershire, VT. Its basically a
50-gallon stainless steel drum that is fired by propane. The apple farmer and distiller,
Sebastian Lousada, distills Vermont brandy or Calvados, what they call a spirited
essence of apples or Pomme-de-Vie. His brandy at the 2009 American Distilling
Institute Brandy conference was considered by the judges to be one of the best in
America.
A skilled distiller working with quality ingredients can produce a superior spirit on the
most simple stills, in this case a 50-gallon drum.
We will soon see moonshine and whiskeys in the market place that push the boundary of
the craft distillation to a new level. Their products will truly be handcrafted from local
ingredients.
Answer Key
Chapter 1
1.) a
2.) d
Chapter 2
1.) b
2.) b
3.) c
Chapter 3
1.) d
2.) a
Chapter 4
1.) e
Chapter 5
1.) d
2.) b
3.) c
4.) b
5.) a
6.) c
7.) b
Chapter 6
1.) b
2.) a
3.) b
4.) c
5.) c
6.) a
Chapter 7
1.) e
2.) c
Chapter 8
1.) b
2.) a
3.) a
4.) c
Chapter 9
1.) b
2.) c
3.) a
4.) c
4.) c
Chapter 10
1.) a
2.) b
3.) b
4.) c
5.) a
6.) c
7.) a
8.) b
Chapter 11
1.) b
2.) a
3.) b
4.) c
5.) c
6.) b
7.) a
8.) c
9.) b

Modern Moonshine Techniques Bill Owens

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MODERN

Written by Bill Owens

WEST VIRGINIA DISTILLING

ISAIAH MORGAN DISTILLERY SUMMERSVILLE,

BELMONT FARM DISTILLERY CULPEPER, VA

Artisan Whiskey Distilleries

Copperfox.biz, Dryflydistilling.com, Stranahanscoloradowhiskey.com, Templetonrye.com, Corsairartisan.com,

Q&A The Legend and the Law

Q&A DISTILLING IN 18TH CENTURY AMERICA

Q&A WHATS MOONSHINE?

THE WISH LIST

Federal excise tax: 750ml @ 40 % abv is $2.16 per bottle.

Q&A I SEE THE FUTURE AND ITS WHISKEY

Note: Slots, face down in mash-tun.

Wash Log Book

Q&A WHISKEY RECIPES

Producing 100+ gallons of 9% abv wash

Mashing time 45 minutes

Fermentation time 5- 7 days

Many craft distillers own a German pot still with a tall

Q&A HOW TO DISTILL ON A 100 GALLON

Q&A HOW TO DISTILL USING A TRADITIONAL

Spread Sheet for C&C Shine

1. Whiskey is an alcoholic distillate from a fermented mash of grain produced at less

Contact person: Jim Pierce

Presenting the plan to investors

Small Distillery Startup

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