Making Country Liquor (Moonshine)

The name is often assumed to be derived from the fact that moonshine producers and smugglers would often work at night (i.e. under the light of the moon) to avoid arrest for producing illegal liquor. The 1811 edition of the Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, originally by Francis Grose, defines "moonshine" as follows: "A matter or mouthful of moonshine; a trifle, nothing. The white brandy smuggled on the coasts of Kent and Sussex, and the gin in the north of Yorkshire, are also called moonshine." It has been suggested that the term might derive from smugglers' explaining away their boxes and barrels as "mere moonshine" (that is, nothing).


Production


Moonshine is a common term for home-distilled alcohol, especially in places where this production is illegal.


A crockpot-type still
A worm-type still
Moonshine is any distilled spirit made in an unlicensed still. As with all distilled spirits, yeast ferments a sugar source to produce ethanol, then the alcohol is extracted through distillation using a still.

Because of its illegal nature, moonshine is rarely aged in barrels like bourbon, and it sometimes contains impurities, off flavors, and toxins such as methanol. The off flavors come from improper brewing, while methanol may result from inexpert distillation or be added by unscrupulous producers to increase the apparent proof. In popular culture, moonshine is usually presented as being extremely strong and in North America is commonly associated with the Southern United States and Appalachia.

Moonshining is done using small-scale stills. Usually, diy-stills are used which are cheap and can be made yourself (thus avoiding the legal ramifications of obtaining a still commercially). Popular DIY-designs include pot stills, crockpot-type stills, diy refluxes, worm-type stills. Lately, diy-still designs have become widely available on the internet.

Uses
Usually, small scale distillation is practiced for the purpose of making ethanol for drinking , yet it may also practiced for creating biofuel .




Product safety
Sloppily-produced moonshine can be contaminated with toxins, mainly from materials used in construction of the still. Despite the well-known hazards, it is claimed that stills using car radiators for a condenser are still used. The lead used in soldering radiators often contaminates the moonshine, and in some cases, glycol products from antifreeze used in the radiator can appear as well. Both are poisonous and potentially deadly.

Although the total amount of methanol does not normally increase due to distillation, its concentration can still potentially rise to dangerous levels in amateur conditions, especially when the distillation is performed for a large batch.

Any alcohol over 100 US proof (i.e. 50% ABV) is flammable. This is especially true during the distilling process in which vaporized alcohol can accumulate in the air if there is not enough ventilation. This fact is referenced in John Sturges' The Great Escape: to celebrate the Fourth of July, Virgil Hilts and two other Americans brew moonshine from potato skins. While dispensing the drink, Hilts advises the other POWs not to smoke while or after drinking it.


Mixtures
Occasionally moonshine is deliberately mixed with industrial alcohol-containing products, including methanol and other substances to produce denatured alcohol. Results are toxic, with methanol capable of causing blindness and death.

In the past moonshine has been mixed with beading oil or lye, to fool people into believing that it is of a higher proof. This is because when shaken, bubbles form on the surface relative to the alcoholic strength (known as "the bead"). Large bubbles with a short duration indicate higher proof.


Tests
A common "folk" quality test for moonshine was to pour a small quantity of it into a metal spoon and set it alight, the theory being that safe distillate burns with a blue flame, but tainted distillate burns with a yellow flame. Practitioners of this simple test sometimes held that if a radiator coil had been used as a condenser there would be lead in the alcohol, which would give a reddish flame. This led to the phrase: "Lead burns red and makes you dead." and "what burns blue will make your blues go away"[citation needed] These tests are NOT reliable to test the purity of moonshine or other distilled alcohol, since the flame test, while able to detect fuel oils, does not detect methanol.

Another test used for moonshine is to "proof". A small amount of gun powder is poured in a dish with the moonshine. It is ignited and if the mixture starts to flame it is "proofed." In other words if it lights then it contains a good amount of alcohol, but if it does not flame the moonshine has been diluted.

In India
Locally produced moonshine is known in India as desi, desi daroo, tharra, dheno, mohua, chullu, Narangi, kaju, Charayam and santra, among other names. It is made by fermenting the mash of sugar cane pulp in large spherical containers made from waterproof ceramic (terra cota) up to near 100% alcohol. However, it is dangerous, mainly because of the risk of alcohol or copper formaldehyde poisoning. In South India, moonshine is any alcoholic drink not made in distilleries. Toddy and arrack are not synonyms or Indian names for moonshine liquor. Toddy is an alcoholic beverage made from the sap of palm trees, and arrack refers to strong spirits made traditionally from fermented fruit juices, and the sap of the palm tree. In the Indian state of Goa, a locally produced cashew flavoured drink Feni is popular among locals and the tourists.