Moonshine is high-proof

liquor Liquor (or a spirit) is an alcoholic drink produced by distillation of grains, fruits, vegetables, or sugar, that have already gone through alcoholic fermentation. Other terms for liquor include: spirit drink, distilled beverage or h ...

that is usually produced illegally. The name was derived from a tradition of creating the alcohol during the nighttime, thereby avoiding detection. In the first decades of the 21st century, commercial distilleries have begun producing their own novelty versions of moonshine, including many flavored varieties.

Terminology

Different languages and countries have their own terms for moonshine (see '' Moonshine by country''). In English, moonshine is also known as ''mountain dew'', ''choop'', ''hooch'' (abbreviation of ''hoochinoo'', name of a specific liquor, from Tlingit), ''homebrew'', ''mulekick'', ''shine'', ''white lightning'', ''white/corn liquor'', ''white/corn whiskey'', ''pass around'', ''firewater, bootleg''.

Fractional crystallization

The ethanol may be concentrated in fermented beverages by means of freezing. For example, the name ''applejack'' derives from the traditional method of producing the drink, ''

jacking Jacking, Jackin’, or the jack is a freestyle dance move in which the dancer ripples their torso back and forth in an undulating motion. It emerged within the context of Chicago house music in the 1980s. Origins and interpretations The style ...

'', the process of freezing fermented cider and then removing the ice, increasing the alcohol content.Michael Foley, ''Drinking with the Saints: The Sinner's Guide to a Holy Happy Hour'' (2015, ): Perhaps the most interesting option is applejack, the first distilled liquor native to North America and a great favorite among the colonists. owusually a blend of apple brandy and neutral spirits that retains the flavor of the apples /ref> Starting with the fermented juice, with an alcohol content of less than ten percent, the concentrated result can contain 25–40% alcohol.Sanborn Conner Brown, ''Wines & Beers of Old New England: A How-to-do-it History'' (1978, )

Moonshine stills

In some countries, moonshine stills are illegal to sell, import, and own without permission. However, enthusiasts explain on internet forums how to obtain equipment and assemble it into a still. To cut costs, stainless steel vessels are often replaced with plastic (e.g.

polypropylene Polypropylene (PP), also known as polypropene, is a thermoplastic polymer used in a wide variety of applications. It is produced via chain-growth polymerization from the monomer propylene. Polypropylene belongs to the group of polyolefins a ...

) vessels that can withstand heat, a concept of the plastic still. * A column still, or a

spiral still In mathematics, a spiral is a curve which emanates from a point, moving farther away as it revolves around the point. Helices Two major definitions of "spiral" in the American Heritage Dictionary are:95% ABV. * Moonshine is usually distilled to 40% ABV, and seldom above 66% based on 48 samples. For example, conventional

pot still A pot still is a type of distillation apparatus or still used to distill liquors such as whisky or brandy. In modern (post-1850s) practice, they are not used to produce rectified spirit, because they do not separate congeners from ethanol a ...

s commonly produce 40% ABV, and top out between 60 and 80% ABV after multiple distillations. However, ethanol can be dried to 95% ABV by heating 3A molecular sieves such as 3A zeolite. The preferred heat source for plastic stills or spiral stills are '' sous vide'' sticks; these control temperature, time, and circulation, and are therefore preferred over immersion heaters. Multiple units can be used to increase the wattage. Also, ''sous vide'' sticks, commonly sold in 1200 W and generally temperature regulated up to (ethanol boils at ), will evaporate the ethanol faster than an immersion heater, commonly sold in 300 W. Electrical injury may occur if immersion heaters are modified; For example, if a thermostat is removed from an

aquarium heater An aquarium heater is a device used in the fishkeeping hobby to warm the temperature of water in aquariums. Most tropical freshwater and marine aquariums are maintained at temperatures that range from 22 to 30 °C (71-86 °F).Sands D ...

because it may break their

waterproofing Waterproofing is the process of making an object or structure waterproof or water-resistant so that it remains relatively unaffected by water or resisting the ingress of water under specified conditions. Such items may be used in wet environme ...

, or if an immersion heater is disassembled from an

electric water boiler An electric water boiler, also called a thermo pot, is a consumer electronics small appliance used for boiling water and maintaining it at a constant temperature in an enclosed reservoir. It is typically used to provide an immediate source of h ...

Evaporation stills

Plastic still

A plastic still is a device for

distillation Distillation, or classical distillation, is the process of separating the components or substances from a liquid mixture by using selective boiling and condensation, usually inside an apparatus known as a still. Dry distillation is the he ...

specially adapted for separating

ethanol Ethanol (abbr. EtOH; also called ethyl alcohol, grain alcohol, drinking alcohol, or simply alcohol) is an organic compound. It is an alcohol with the chemical formula . Its formula can be also written as or (an ethyl group linked to a ...

and

water Water (chemical formula ) is an inorganic, transparent, tasteless, odorless, and nearly colorless chemical substance, which is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known living organisms (in which it acts as ...

. Plastic stills are common because they are cheap and easy to manufacture. The principle is that a smaller amount of liquid is placed in an open smaller vessel inside a larger one that is closed. A cheap 100 W immersion heater is typically used as heat source, but a

thermal immersion circulator A thermal immersion circulator is an electrically powered device that circulates and heats a warm fluid kept at an accurate and stable temperature. It is used in process, environmental, microbiological, hazardous waste, and other laboratories. Sin ...

, like a ''sous vide'' stick is ideal because it comes with a temperature controller. The liquid is kept heated at about which slowly evaporates the ethanol to 40% ABV that condense on the inner walls of the outer vessel. The condensation that accumulates in the bottom of the vessel can then be diverted directly down through a filter containing activated carbon. The final product has approximately twice as much alcohol content as the starting liquid and can be distilled several times if stronger distillate is desired. The method is slow, and is not suitable for large-scale production.

Boiling stills

Fractional distillation

=Column still

A column still, also called a continuous still, patent still or Coffey still, is a variety of still consisting of two columns. A column still can achieve a vapor alcohol content of 95% ABV.

Spiral still

spiral still In mathematics, a spiral is a curve which emanates from a point, moving farther away as it revolves around the point. Helices Two major definitions of "spiral" in the American Heritage Dictionary are:column still with a simple slow air-cooled distillation apparatus, commonly used for bootlegging. Column and cooler consist of a copper tube wound in spiral form. The tube first goes up to act as a simple column, and then down to cool the product. Cookware usually consists of a plastic wine bucket. The heat source is typically a

(commonly runs at 1200 W), like a ''sous vide stick'' because it is hard to find 300 W immersion heaters, and it is risky to disassemble the immersion heater from an

because it may cause electrical injury. The spiral burner is popular because despite its simple construction and low manufacturing cost, it can provide 95% ABV.

Pot still

A pot still is a type of distillation apparatus or still used to distill flavored liquors such as whisky or cognac, but not rectified spirit because they are poor at separating congeners. Pot stills operate on a

batch distillation Batch distillation refers to the use of distillation in batches, meaning that a mixture is distilled to separate it into its component fractions before the distillation still is again charged with more mixture and the process is repeated. This is i ...

basis (as opposed to a

Coffey Coffey may refer to: __NOTOC__ People * Coffey (surname) * Coffey Anderson (born 1978), American country and gospel singer and songwriter Places * Coffey, Missouri, a city in Daviess County, Missouri * Coffey County, Kansas * Coffey County Airport, ...

or column stills which operate on a

continuous Continuity or continuous may refer to: Mathematics * Continuity (mathematics), the opposing concept to discreteness; common examples include ** Continuous probability distribution or random variable in probability and statistics ** Continuous g ...

basis). Traditionally constructed from

copper Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu (from la, cuprum) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pink ...

, pot stills are made in a range of shapes and sizes depending on quantity and style of spirit. Geographic variations in still design exist, with certain stills gaining popularity in regions of

Appalachia Appalachia () is a cultural region in the Eastern United States that stretches from the Southern Tier of New York State to northern Alabama and Georgia. While the Appalachian Mountains stretch from Belle Isle in Newfoundland and Labrador, C ...

. Spirits distilled in pots is commonly 40% ABV, and top out between 60 and 80% after multiple distillations.

Safety

Poorly produced moonshine can be contaminated, mainly from materials used in the construction of the still. Stills employing automotive radiators as condensers are particularly dangerous; in some cases, glycol produced from antifreeze can be a problem. Radiators used as condensers could also contain

lead Lead is a chemical element with the symbol Pb (from the Latin ) and atomic number 82. It is a heavy metal that is denser than most common materials. Lead is soft and malleable, and also has a relatively low melting point. When freshly cut, ...

at the connections to the plumbing. Using these methods often resulted in blindness or lead poisoning in those who consumed tainted liquor. In Prohibition-era United States, many died from ingesting unhealthy substances with their moonshine. Consumption of lead-tainted moonshine is a serious risk factor for saturnine gout, a very painful but treatable medical condition that damages the kidneys and joints. Although

methanol Methanol (also called methyl alcohol and wood spirit, amongst other names) is an organic chemical and the simplest aliphatic alcohol, with the formula C H3 O H (a methyl group linked to a hydroxyl group, often abbreviated as MeOH). It is ...

is not produced in toxic amounts by fermentation of sugars from grain starches, contamination is still possible by unscrupulous distillers using cheap methanol to increase the apparent strength of the product. Moonshine can be made both more palatable and perhaps less dangerous by discarding the "foreshot" – the first of alcohol that drip from the condenser. Because methanol vaporizes at a lower temperature than ethanol it is commonly believed that the foreshot contains most of the methanol, if any, from the mash. However, research shows this is not the case, and methanol is present until the very end of the distillation run. Despite this, distillers will usually collect the foreshots until the temperature of the still reaches . Additionally, the head that comes immediately after the foreshot typically contains small amounts of other undesirable compounds, such as

acetone Acetone (2-propanone or dimethyl ketone), is an organic compound with the formula . It is the simplest and smallest ketone (). It is a colorless, highly volatile and flammable liquid with a characteristic pungent odour. Acetone is miscibl ...

and various aldehydes. Fusel alcohols are other undesirable byproducts of fermentation that are contained in the "aftershot", and are also typically discarded. Alcohol concentrations at higher strengths (the GHS identifies concentrations above 24% ABV as dangerous) are flammable and therefore dangerous to handle. This is especially true during the distilling process when vaporized alcohol may accumulate in the air to dangerous concentrations if adequate ventilation is not provided. Former moonshiner John Bowman explaining the workings of a moonshine still American Folklife Center

Former moonshiner John Bowman explaining the workings of a moonshine still American Folklife Center

Adulterated moonshine

The incidence of impure moonshine has been documented to significantly increase the risk of renal disease among those who regularly consume it, primarily from increased lead content. Outbreaks of methanol poisoning have occurred when methanol has been accidentally produced in moonshine production or has been used to adulterate moonshine.

Tests

A quick estimate of the alcoholic strength, or proof, of the distillate (the ratio of alcohol to water) is often achieved by shaking a clear container of the distillate. Large bubbles with a short duration indicate a higher alcohol content, while smaller bubbles that disappear more slowly indicate lower alcohol content. A more reliable method is to use an alcoholmeter or

hydrometer A hydrometer or lactometer is an instrument used for measuring density or relative density of liquids based on the concept of buoyancy. They are typically calibrated and graduated with one or more scales such as specific gravity. A hydromete ...

. A hydrometer is used during and after the fermentation process to determine the potential alcohol percent of the moonshine, whereas an alcoholmeter is used after the product has been distilled to determine the volume percent or proof.

Myth

A common folk test for the quality of moonshine was to pour a small quantity of it into a spoon and set it on fire. The theory was that a safe distillate burns with a blue flame, but a tainted distillate burns with a yellow flame. Practitioners of this simple test also held that if a radiator coil had been used as a condenser, then there would be

in the distillate, which would give a reddish flame. This led to the

mnemonic A mnemonic ( ) device, or memory device, is any learning technique that aids information retention or retrieval (remembering) in the human memory for better understanding. Mnemonics make use of elaborative encoding, retrieval cues, and image ...

, "Lead burns red and makes you dead." or "Red means dead." Other toxic components, such as

, cannot be detected with a simple burn test, as methanol flames are also blue and difficult to see in daylight.

Legality

Manufacturing of spirits through distilling, fractional crystallization, etc, outside a registered distillery is illegal in many countries.

History

The Moonshine Man of Kentucky Harper's Weekly 1877

B Lindholm Lönnbränneri Scène från Lovisa skärgård

Moonshine apparatus Estes-Winn Antique Car Museum

Moonshine historically referred to "clear, unaged whiskey", once made with barley in Scotland and Ireland or

corn Maize ( ; ''Zea mays'' subsp. ''mays'', from es, maíz after tnq, mahiz), also known as corn (North American and Australian English), is a cereal grain first domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 10,000 years ago. The ...

mash in the United States,Alt URL
/ref> though sugar became just as common in illicit liquor during the last century. The word originated in the British Isles as a result of excise laws, but only became meaningful in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

after a tax passed during the Civil War outlawing non-registered stills. Illegal distilling accelerated during the Prohibition era (1920–1933) which mandated a total ban on alcohol production under the Eighteenth Amendment of the Constitution. Since the amendment was repealed in 1933, laws focus on evasion of taxation on any type of spirits or intoxicating liquors. Applicable laws were historically enforced by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives of the

US Department of Justice The United States Department of Justice (DOJ), also known as the Justice Department, is a federal executive department of the United States government tasked with the enforcement of federal law and administration of justice in the United Stat ...

, but are now usually handled by state agencies. Enforcement agents were once known colloquially as "revenuers".

Etymology

The earliest known instance of the term "moonshine" being used to refer to illicit alcohol dates to the 1785 edition of ''Grose's Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue'', which was published in England. Prior to that, "moonshine" referred to anything "illusory" or to literally the light of the moon. The U.S. Government considers the word a "fanciful term" and does not regulate its use on the labels of commercial products, as such, legal moonshines may be any type of spirit, which must be indicated elsewhere on the label.

Prohibition in the United States

In Prohibition-era United States, moonshine distillation was done at night to avoid discovery. While moonshiners were present in urban and rural areas around the United States after the civil war, moonshine production concentrated in Appalachia because the limited road network made it easy to evade revenue officers and because it was difficult and expensive to transport corn crops. As a study of farmers in Cocke County, Tennessee, observes: "One could transport much more value in corn if it was first converted to whiskey. One horse could haul ten times more value on its back in whiskey than in corn." Moonshiners in

Harlan County, Kentucky Harlan County is a county located in southeastern Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 26,831. Its county seat is Harlan. It is classified as a moist countya county in which alcohol sales are prohibited (a dry county), but conta ...

, like Maggie Bailey, sold moonshine in order to provide for their families. Others, like Amos Owens from Rutherford County, North Carolina and Marvin "Popcorn" Sutton from

Maggie Valley, North Carolina Maggie Valley is a town in Haywood County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 1,150 at the 2010 census. A popular tourist destination, it is home to Cataloochee Ski Area and the former Ghost Town in the Sky amusement park. Maggie ...

, sold moonshine in nearby areas. Sutton's life was covered in a documentary on the Discovery Channel called "Moonshiners". The bootlegger once said that the malt (a combination of corn, barley, rye) is what makes the basic moonshine recipe work. In modern usage, the term "moonshine" still implies the liquor is produced illegally, and the term is sometimes used on the labels of legal products to market them as providing a forbidden drinking experience. Once the liquor was distilled, drivers called " runners" or "bootleggers" smuggled moonshine and "bootleg" (illegally imported) liquor across the region in cars specially modified for speed and load-carrying capacity. The cars were ordinary on the outside but modified with souped-up engines, extra interior room, and heavy-duty shock absorbers to support the weight of the illicit alcohol. After Prohibition ended, the out-of-work drivers kept their skills sharp through organized races, which led to the formation of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (

NASCAR The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. The privately owned company was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1948, and ...

). Several former "runners" became noted drivers in the sport. Some varieties of

maize Maize ( ; ''Zea mays'' subsp. ''mays'', from es, maíz after tnq, mahiz), also known as corn (North American English, North American and Australian English), is a cereal grain first domesticated by indigenous peoples of Mexico, indigenous ...

grown in the United States were once prized for their use in moonshine production. One such variety used in moonshine, Jimmy Red corn, almost became extinct when the last grower died in 2000. Described as a "blood-red, flint-hard "dent" corn with a rich and oily germ", two ears of the corn were passed on to "seed saver" Ted Chewning, who saved the variety from extinction and began to produce it on a wider scale.

References

Sources

* Davis, Elaine. ''Minnesota 13: "Wet" Wild Prohibition Days'' (2007) * * Rowley, Matthew. ''Moonshine!'' History, songs, stories, and how-tos (2007) * Watman, Max. ''Chasing the White Dog: An Amateur Outlaw's Adventures in Moonshine'' (2010) * King, Jeff. ''The Home Distiller's Workbook: Your Guide to Making Moonshine, Whisky, Vodka, Rum and So Much More!'' (2012)

External links

"Moonshine – Blue Ridge Style"
An Exhibition Produced by th
Blue Ridge Institute
and th
Museum of Ferrum College
* ''Déantús an Phoitín'' (''Poteen Making''), by Mac Dara Ó Curraidhín (a one-hour 1998 Irish documentary film on the origins of the craft).
North Carolina Moonshine
nbsp;– Historical information, images, music, and film excerpts

nbsp;– Alcohol and Drugs History Society
Georgia Moonshine
nbsp;– History and folk traditions in Georgia, USA
"Moonshine 'tempts new generation
nbsp;– BBC on distilling illegal liquor in the 21st century.
Moonshine Franklin Co Virginia
Moonshine Still from the past – Video
moonshine stills
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