To paraphrase the words of the great philosopher Plato, "A wise man is the man who conceived beer." The history of beer and other distillation traces back to early civilization. The practice of using barley, hops, and other ingredients to brew beer has been important to many different cultures throughout the world. Beer is said to be the third most popular beverage in the world today; only behind water and tea.
Certainly big breweries own the beer market, but there has been a tremendous gain in the popularity of home brewing in recent years. The art of brewing your own beer is becoming more popular as time goes by due to the increase in prices by those who own the consumer market, and because beer lovers around the world are searching for their own unique test. Amateur brewers also love the new relationships and friendships that can be created through home brewing.
Certainly big breweries own the beer market, but there has been a tremendous gain in the popularity of home brewing in recent years. The art of brewing your own beer is becoming more popular as time goes by due to the increase in prices by those who own the consumer market, and because beer lovers around the world are searching for their own unique test. Amateur brewers also love the new relationships and friendships that can be created through home brewing.
Brewing Methods
There are 3 methods used for brewing. Each method is geared for the experience level of the individual; from novice to experienced brew master. The methods are Extract, partial mash, and all-grain brewing. The names suggest the ingredients that are used in the brewing process, and the degree of difficulty encountered in the brewing process. The novice brewer will start with the extract method and progress to the partial mash and finally to the all grain method of brewing. Each process will be briefly discussed int he following paragraphs
Extract Brewing
As the name implies the extract method of brewing uses the extracts from grains to form the base of beer. These extracts may be dry, liquid, or a combination of both. The base of the beer is know as "Wort". Wort is often referred to as unfermented beer and contains the sugars that are fermented by the brewers yeast during the brewing process. Small quantities of grain may also be added to add depth and body to the beer. The extract method of brewing requires less equipment, space, time, and money, and is perfect for those new to the Art of Homebrewing. Many experienced brewers use the extract method of brewing simply because of the convenience.
Recommended recipe kits and blends
Recommended recipe kits and blends
Partial Mash Brewing
Partial mash brewing is a brewing method that uses a combination of extracts and grain to produce a "Wort" commonly called mini-mash. This combination of malt extract and grain provides an increased opportunity to create a unique flavor, color, and body to your beer. This opportunity for a better overall beer quality is a great second step for the brewer who is leaving the novice stage. Although this second step does not require much more money, time, equipment or space, the risk of something going wrong in the brewing stage is increased. The rewards far out weigh the risk.
All Grain Brewing
All grain brewing is the purest form of brewing. All grain brewing does not use any malt extracts so all the sugars are pulled from the grains during the brewing process. All grain brewing allows the brewer complete freedom and ultimate creativity during the brewing process. This pure form of brewing requires more equipment, space, time, and money than the other methods of brewing. All grain brewing also provides the brewer the ultimate reward but the highest possibility for mistakes
All Grain Brewing System
All Grain Brewing System
The Art of Distillation
Moonshine is illegally distilled homemade whisky, usually with a very high alcohol content. It got its name because it was normally distilled at night "by the light of the moon." Most moonshine is distilled in West Virginia, Kentucky and Virginia. The reason moonshine is illegal is because anyone who distills spirits in the United States must pay federal tax; Moonshiners, the makers of this whiskey, do not pay any kind of taxes; thus the whiskery is illegal.
There is often conversation about being able to make a certain amount of moonshine for personal consumption. Let me make this perfectly clear. Making spirits at home with plans to drink it is against federal law. Only with the right permits may a person make ethanol, either for use strictly as fuel, or as part of a commercial endeavor like launching a craft spirits company, of which hundreds have opened nationwide in recent years.
Being an old Kentucky boy I promote the art of distillation for many reasons. First, it is my heritage and I am proud of my heritage. I do want you to know that I do not make liquor to sell, but I will take a "nip" here and again. I will tell you how, show you how, and even give recommendations on equipment. Its my heritage and I do not want it to die.
There is often conversation about being able to make a certain amount of moonshine for personal consumption. Let me make this perfectly clear. Making spirits at home with plans to drink it is against federal law. Only with the right permits may a person make ethanol, either for use strictly as fuel, or as part of a commercial endeavor like launching a craft spirits company, of which hundreds have opened nationwide in recent years.
Being an old Kentucky boy I promote the art of distillation for many reasons. First, it is my heritage and I am proud of my heritage. I do want you to know that I do not make liquor to sell, but I will take a "nip" here and again. I will tell you how, show you how, and even give recommendations on equipment. Its my heritage and I do not want it to die.
What is Distillation
I am not a scientist or a chemist but I can provide you with a reasonable explanation of distillation. Distillation is the separation of the volatile parts of a substance from the more fixed; specifically, the operation of driving off gas or vapor from volatile liquids or solids, by heat in a retort or still, and the condensation of the products as far as possible by a cool receiver, alembic, or condenser; rectification; vaporization; condensation; as, the distillation of illuminating gas and coal, of alcohol from sour mash, or of boric acid in steam.
Read more at http://www.yourdictionary.com/distillation#15IJk96TGSyTUPFi.99
Read more at http://www.yourdictionary.com/distillation#15IJk96TGSyTUPFi.99
Types of Stills
If you research the types of stills that are used for making moonshine you will find that the two most common types of moonshine stills are the pot still and the reflux still. To learn how to make moonshine you must first learn the difference between the pot still and the reflux still, and the advantages and disadvantages of each. The type of still that you choose largely depends on the type of still that you choose to make.
The principle of distillation is very simple, alcohol has a lower boiling point then water. Alcohol will evaporate at 78.3 degrees Celsius, or 172.9 degree Fahrenheit, while water will evaporate at 100 degrees Celsius, or 212 degree Fahrenheit. Thus when you heat your mash the alcohol will begin to evaporate before the water does. Both a Pot still and Column still operate on this simple principle however you can obtain different results depending on the type of still you use influencing the quality and taste for your end result.
Pot Still: A pot still collects and condenses alcohol which is boiled off from your mash. It will produce a final product with an alcohol content between 40-60% (80-120 Proof) which will include plenty of flavor from the mash. To increase the alcohol content you can re run your distillate however you will loose some flavor in the process.
Recommended Pot Stills
Column Stills differs from pot stills in that they create a much higher proof alcohol in a single distillation. It does this by creating multiple distillations within the column by either using plates or packing within the column. This effectively creates a much higher proof alcohol typically between 90 – 95% (180-190 Proof) that lacks any flavor or texture. With a pot still you simply collect this vapor and condense it without any reflux occurring.A column still is predominantly used for making clear spirits.
Recommended Column Still
The principle of distillation is very simple, alcohol has a lower boiling point then water. Alcohol will evaporate at 78.3 degrees Celsius, or 172.9 degree Fahrenheit, while water will evaporate at 100 degrees Celsius, or 212 degree Fahrenheit. Thus when you heat your mash the alcohol will begin to evaporate before the water does. Both a Pot still and Column still operate on this simple principle however you can obtain different results depending on the type of still you use influencing the quality and taste for your end result.
Pot Still: A pot still collects and condenses alcohol which is boiled off from your mash. It will produce a final product with an alcohol content between 40-60% (80-120 Proof) which will include plenty of flavor from the mash. To increase the alcohol content you can re run your distillate however you will loose some flavor in the process.
Recommended Pot Stills
Column Stills differs from pot stills in that they create a much higher proof alcohol in a single distillation. It does this by creating multiple distillations within the column by either using plates or packing within the column. This effectively creates a much higher proof alcohol typically between 90 – 95% (180-190 Proof) that lacks any flavor or texture. With a pot still you simply collect this vapor and condense it without any reflux occurring.A column still is predominantly used for making clear spirits.
Recommended Column Still
Moonshine 101
This video will give you the basics of how to make your first batch of moonshine