How to operate a still

 - The six steps to your first moonshine -

0.   Start with the reading of the Operational Safety Guidelines

• This is very important, it should not become your last attempt! 

1.   Prepare a wash.

• I would like to suggest to start with a sugar based wash as this is less complicated to handle.
  The basic sugare based recipe is as follows:

  • dissolve 5 kilogrammes of sugar in 18 liters of tap water

  • let it boil for 1 hour to eliminate chlorine

  • Add the yeast nutrients

2.   Cool the wash down

• You need to cool down the temperature to  25^oC- 30^oC, otherwise the yeast will not survive.

• Add the yeast to the wash.

3.   Let the mash ferment

• Put the wash, which has yeast mixed with it,  into a fermenting vessel. This can be a glass carboy, or a bucket with a lid.

  ==> do not forget to put an airlock in the vessel.  Carbon dioxide will have to be able to evade the vessel.

  
  

•  If possible, let the fermentation take place at a constant temperature of 25^oC until the airlock stops bubbling. This is the sign that the sugar has been transformed into alcohol.... 

• Let the the yeast sediment settle for a day. We would like to avoid to get it into the still as it will give a unpleasant flavour to the "moonshine".

 

4.   Siphon the fermented wash into the still

• Siphon the fermented wash carefully into the still. We are about to fire-up the still..............

• Again: make sure that you are about to operate the still in accordance with
   the Operational Safety Guidelines.

 

5.   Fire-up the still  (let's roll...)

• Bring up the wash to boiling temperature, but......
• Start the cooling water through the condensors once you get to about 50^oC - 60^oC.
• Once the first drops of  distillate leave the condensor:-
  • Discard the first 50 mL's  as it may contain some methanol and/or other impurities
  • Segregate the distillate into 500 mL containers as you collect it.
  • Collect the next 2-3L of distillate.
  • Stop distilling once the temperature gets to 96^oC to avoid  nasty flavours in your moonshine.
  • Set aside any distillate which smells harsh (tails/fusels). This can be added to the wash of the next run for re-distillation.
• Turn off the power, the cooling water and open the lid (if you leave it sealed, it could create a vacuum inside the still & crush it.)

 - Welcome to the joyfull world of moonshiners - YOU have just made your first batch of Moonshine!!! -

• Time to do some housekeeping: Wash up the still, dry it well, and (in most cases) HIDE the pieces.

 

6.   Let's , make your moonshine drinkable

• Reduce the strenght of the alcohol to a 30-50 % purity (otherwise the carbon does not work)
• soak it with carbon for a week or two. You have now odourless alcohol.
• Dilute the clean alcohol down to drinking strength (20-45%) and enjoy it...!!  
  
  ==>You know - aging the alcohol will improve the taste considerably.  You can also flavour the spirit by using commercial essences, oak chips, fruits. Have a look at the recipe section!

Cheers!!!

Do you want to see a ministill in action?  Just  follow this link....!