Moonshining in the Blue Ridge

[TnAndy]

We're not far from the Blue Ridge Parkway.
I'm pretty sure anyone can "still" make a certain amount of alcohol a year without problems. The trouble I'm thinking is selling it without Uncle Sucker getting tax revenue.

While you can brew a certain amount of beer or wine for personal consumption, all distilled alcohol requires a federal permit & tax, last I knew of, even for personal consumption. If using for fuel, you have to contaminate it with gasoline or something so it can't be consumed.

 

[timbatrader]

Here in New Zealand you can distill for your own consumption haven't tried myself but quite popular here is a link to a still supplier NZ Made Parrot, Copper Condensers & Homebrew Stills

 

[bunyip]

I hadn't heard of Jake Leg but have heard of bath tub gin and why it is called that, home brew shops here have sold stills for a number of yearsbut are quick to point out that they are only for making perfume
After the still process I believe that two layers are removed, one is methyl alcohol which is what blinds you and the other has an acetone smell which won't kill you but will leave you with a memorable hangover, my understanding (I could be wrong here) is that the finished product settles in layers.
Bath tub gin was so called as it was churned out in bath tubs and only took a couple of days from start to finish unlike a fine malt, my father had a still in the retirement home he was in and was supplying the village with contraband we found out after his death, he was sorely missed.

 

[Fuddy1952]

While you can brew a certain amount of beer or wine for personal consumption, all distilled alcohol requires a federal permit & tax, last I knew of, even for personal consumption. If using for fuel, you have to contaminate it with gasoline or something so it can't be consumed.

That seems like a gray area. If making it for fuel, you could set some aside before adding gasoline.
I have a book here if I can find it by "Mother Earth News" in 70s-early 80s. One article shows a (late 60s 6 cyl I believe) Chevy pickup truck with a still in the bed. He had an alcohol carburetor so driving along, still would run making alcohol to run the truck. It showed he and his wife would pick up wood, paper, etc. found by road to burn.
Ingenious I thought.

 

[4570Man]

If you had to maintain the hassle of a fire why wouldn’t you just use steam?

 

[Jstpssng]

Gasification has been used in autos since the early days, and I believe was especially common in WWII. Here's a Model A on Hemmings powered by wood.
https://www.hemmings.com/blog/2017/...on-or-why-we-dont-power-cars-with-wood-today/
There actually is quite a bit of info available on the internet regarding the subject.

 

[MossRoad]

We're not far from the Blue Ridge Parkway.
I'm pretty sure anyone can "still" make a certain amount of alcohol a year without problems. The trouble I'm thinking is selling it without Uncle Sucker getting tax revenue.

Watch "Laurel & Hardy - The Trail Of The Lonesome Pine (1937) (Colour) (HD)" on YouTube
Laurel & Hardy - The Trail Of The Lonesome Pine (1937) (Colour) (HD) - YouTube

Nope. It's against federal law to distill alcohol unless you have a distilled spirits permit or a federal fuel alcohol permit. No exceptions for small batches, personal use, etc...

You can make beer. You can make wine. You just can't distill it to up the alcohol content.

 

[MossRoad]

If you had to maintain the hassle of a fire why wouldn’t you just use steam?

Because you can't run steam in a combustion engine.

 

[MossRoad]

Gasification has been used in autos since the early days, and I believe was especially common in WWII. Here's a Model A on Hemmings powered by wood.
https://www.hemmings.com/blog/2017/...on-or-why-we-dont-power-cars-with-wood-today/
There actually is quite a bit of info available on the internet regarding the subject.

Yep. But that's smoke, not firewater. :laughing:

 

[Jstpssng]

Yep. But that's smoke, not firewater. :laughing:

Ah, but it goes right in line with Fuddy's post # 54.