My son got it in his head wants to try making his own whiskey or bourbon? Which would involve building a small home use still.
I said got to be someone in TMan crowd doing it or knows how to do it. So I shall ask.
Anyone got a small home built still that has worked for them. Pictures and plans for one? Maybe point me to a website that is legitimate information.
PM me if you don't want your babies picture out on board.

Seriously looking for solid info.

Mac

If you want to be legal make sure you know your state regs on that type of stuff.

Can not distill for consumption legally any state without a bunch of government hoops and $$

I'll pm you later when I get home

you need a pot with a lid and a coil coming off of it down hill to a thumper which is a container with an in and an out in the top of it and some line coming from there to your jar.

you can buy elite home kits that are pricey or make one.

the trick is controlling the heat so the alcohol evaporates (lower temp) and not the water (higher temp).

I assume you have seen the last dang run of licker on youtube. Check it out.

The magnum all in one moonshine kit for around $400 bucks would be the way I would go if I needed another one. Mine is homemade out of an old 10 gallon pop keg.
Make sure you buy one that holds at least 5 gallons. You'll probably be fermenting in 5 gallon buckets or carboys you will need a 5 gallon one to distill at least one small batch.
Just Google "Magnum all in one moonshine kit". This can be used on your stovetop and is easily stored and cleaned.

Long, long time ago, helped my grandmother make some cheap wine from concord grapes. Used to make beer. Never tried to make shine.

For those of you what do, what is the fuel? Sugar to shine? Or going to the trouble of grinding corn, wheat, rye, etc, and then aging it in barrels? Something to give a buzz or something nice to sip?

Head of the household can legally make 200 gallons of wine or beer. It’s illegal under Federal Law
to distill alcoholic spirits.

I have heard freeze distilling is illegal too but it depends on who you ask what answers you get.

Yeah, illegal as heck....but, check out the sites from New Zealand, they sell kits, or used to, out of modified pressure cookers. You don't want to call it a still, but an herbal essential oil reduction devise, lol.

My grandfather built stills for his brother in law during prohibition. He refused to make a bigger one said it was too dangerous, but the BIL found a guy and promptly blew himself up.

Homedistiller.org

It's illegal here so I wouldn't do it but if I did want to do it on a small cheap scale I would go to savers and buy a pressure cooker for 10 dollars and add copper tubing to the pressure relief valve port...

Well I ain't looking to do anything illegal don't need the hassle. I guess I confused the wine beer thing with just same as any booze. Thought a guy Could make some for personal use.
I guess I stick to eating my corn off cob or canning it lol..

Mac

It's illegal federally. That said, you can buy premade stills quite reasonably on Ebay and other online sources. I would have someone who is NOT planning to use it do the buying and have it shipped somewhere it won't be used. But, if you're looking for cheaper yet.. google Pressure Canner Stills.



10lbs sugar to 25lbs whole kernel corn is a good starting place.

Using a Mirro canner, brilliant!!!

its hand sanitizer......

What I remember from making beer is the malted grain has to be heated to something like 180*F to crack the two sugar molecule into a single sugar molecule that yeast can actually ferment. At same time you added the hops. Once that cooled, you pitched the yeast, then let it ferment flat. Saved the part on top and that was your beer.

Shine would be something similar, except instead of drinking the "wort" as is, you concentrate the ethanol by boiling it (distilling it) off. At that point, not sure if it really matters if you started with cane sugar, corn sugar, corn meal, rye, barley, taters, turnips or anything that has enough sugar to ferment into alcohol. May be what happens next that matters. The aging process.....where and how.

BTW, there is a HUGE 70M gallon moonshine still about 10 miles from our farm. I thought they only sold it as automotive fuel, but now find out it is used all over the place, including to drink. Didn't know they could do that. When going to gas stations, they spike it with gasoline to poison it to drink before it leaves the plant.

The YouTube channel ‘Barley and Hops Brewing’ has about every video you need. The gentleman covers all aspects. There is also a video he posted that includes directions for homemade cleaner. Might save you some cash.

I think the OP just misspoke; he really meant to say he is hoping to distill alcohol for use as fuel. Right?
I believe that is perfectly legal.

More importantly, check the Federal reg's!