Wednesday, September 14, 2016

A Moonshine Still Can Have Many Different Uses

By Donna Bell


There are some people who love coffee. Others like trying different kinds of teas. Still others enjoy the taste of an occasional alcoholic beverage. If you are of legal age, you can purchase wines and beers in many different varieties and in a full range of prices. Over the past several years, more and more individuals have become intrigued with making their own personal beers and wines. Then there are those who love the idea of making whiskey in a moonshine still.

This liquor has a history that goes back before the era of Prohibition, although that is the time that probably thrust it into the mainstream of society. When alcohol was banned by federal law, bootleggers knew there was a lucrative business in illegal sales of outlawed liquor. Moonshine, also known as white lightning, hooch, shine, and by many other names, was easy to manufacture and bottle. It quickly found an eager public ready to break the law in order to buy it.

Today owning stills is becoming more and more popular with the public. They are legal to own and easy to find on the internet. Companies sell new and used ones, and there are plenty of websites that offer kits and plans for those interested in building a still from scratch. New and restored stills are moderately priced, some less than five hundred dollars. You can even bid on them online.

Some creative individuals purchase them for display instead of for their intended use. Most of the equipment is made out of copper and can be quite beautiful and interesting as a show piece. They can be used as garden decorations very effectively. If nothing else, the pieces make good conversation starters.

If you actually decide to try your hand at making the beverage, you should be able to entertain your imbibing guests with some facts about the brew. First of all, it is not aged. That is one of the reasons it is so easy to make, and one of the reasons for its popularity. When it is ready for consumption, it is somewhere in the vicinity of one hundred fifty to one hundred seventy proof.

Guests might also be interested to hear how the stuff is associated with the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing. In the old days, sheriffs and tax revenuers were on the lookout for illegal stills, and the moonshiners knew it. They outfitted their cars with revved up engines so they could outrun the authorities. Eventually somebody thought up the idea of racing the cars around a track, and stock car racing was born.

Most people know the answer, but still ask if moonshine production, even for personal use, is illegal. They already know it is outlawed in almost every state. You can manufacture the liquor for mass consumption in certain states with approval, licenses, and payment of taxes. If you decide to go ahead and make it for yourself anyway, you should be aware that you risk being arrested and fined.

Many people are willing to risk the dangers of making this toxic brew. Purchasing stills for personal use is not illegal. What you do with the still, is your business.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment