Still

[Hammerhead]

I don't have the IC for it, but I know I read somewhere a while back that you are allowed to make a small amount of alcohol (beer, wine, shine) on your own without problem. It's something like 100 gallons (I'm not 100% sure on that number).

As far as vehicle running "ethanol", a current flex fuel car will run on 100% pure ethanol. The reason they make E85 is so people won't come running to the gas stations to drink the fuel. 15% gasoline in the fuel makes it not able to be consumed. As far as converting a car to run on shine, there is info available on making your car run E85, which would allow for the pure shine to be used.

On a side note, I know there was a Dukes of Hazzard episode once where they were using Uncle Jesse's shine in a contest put on by a government agency trying to find alternative fuels. Uncle Jesse, of course, had years earlier promised the government to stop making and running shine, but Boss Hogg and Roscoe of course were out to punish Jesse and the boys for running shine against that promise. I happened to see that episode as a rerun right about the time they were really starting the beginnings of pushing ethanol based fuels. I thought it ironic.

 

[CountryBoy19]

I don't have the IC for it, but I know I read somewhere a while back that you are allowed to make a small amount of alcohol (beer, wine, shine) on your own without problem. It's something like 100 gallons (I'm not 100% sure on that number).

As far as vehicle running "ethanol", a current flex fuel car will run on 100% pure ethanol. The reason they make E85 is so people won't come running to the gas stations to drink the fuel. 15% gasoline in the fuel makes it not able to be consumed. As far as converting a car to run on shine, there is info available on making your car run E85, which would allow for the pure shine to be used.

On a side note, I know there was a Dukes of Hazzard episode once where they were using Uncle Jesse's shine in a contest put on by a government agency trying to find alternative fuels. Uncle Jesse, of course, had years earlier promised the government to stop making and running shine, but Boss Hogg and Roscoe of course were out to punish Jesse and the boys for running shine against that promise. I happened to see that episode as a rerun right about the time they were really starting the beginnings of pushing ethanol based fuels. I thought it ironic.

IIRC, you can brew beers and wines etc without paying taxes and needing the licensing, but as soon as you get into the distilling game you then need the licensing etc.

You can't really get much over 20% alcohol without distilling.

 

[shibumiseeker]

You can't really get much over 20% alcohol without distilling.

Actually you can through freezing and decanting, but it's a very slow process and very lossy as far as alcohol recovery is concerned. I never got a response from the BATFE back in the day regarding the legality of concentrating alcohol through this method. You also can't get as high a concentration, and I never was able to get it to the point I could use it in an engine (about 70% is generally the minimum I could get to fire in a small engine).

I also experimented with hydrophilic dessicants, but never went very far with that.

But as far as fermenting goes, you are absolutely correct.

 

[Eddie]

I've done the freezing and straining thing to make applejack. You get a strong beverage with a bad hangover but its nowhere near as strong as what you get through distilling.

 

[CarmelHP]

Actually you can through freezing and decanting, but it's a very slow process and very lossy as far as alcohol recovery is concerned. I never got a response from the BATFE back in the day regarding the legality of concentrating alcohol through this method. You also can't get as high a concentration, and I never was able to get it to the point I could use it in an engine (about 70% is generally the minimum I could get to fire in a small engine).

I also experimented with hydrophilic dessicants, but never went very far with that.

But as far as fermenting goes, you are absolutely correct.

If you use any method to concentrate potable alcohol you need a license and to pay the tax. Anything other than simple fermentation (below the yearly gallon limit) is regulated.

 

[Eddie]

If you use any method to concentrate potable alcohol you need a license and to pay the tax. Anything other than simple fermentation (below the yearly gallon limit) is regulated.

Last time I looked I think the distiller's license was $2,000. Beer and wine lets you make quite a bit at home for your own use before you need to have a license.

 

[CarmelHP]

Last time I looked I think the distiller's license was $2,000. Beer and wine lets you make quite a bit at home for your own use before you need to have a license.

100 gallons per adult up to 200 gallons per year per household.

 

[shibumiseeker]

If you use any method to concentrate potable alcohol you need a license and to pay the tax. Anything other than simple fermentation (below the yearly gallon limit) is regulated.

That's what I figured. My guess is at the time I was doing it the experimenter's license we had probably covered what we were doing, and I'm not involved with it any more so I don't know how that's changed in the last 25 years.

 

[djl02]

Stills are usually made of copper or stainless.If you can find one an old copper wash tub with the lid brazed make an awesome still.(30 gallon) Then make a cone cap out of copper. Use flour to make a seal. then run a copper coil into a 30 to 55 gallon barrell. Seen many with this design. They sell them on Ebay too.

 

[Hammerhead]

I'm pretty sure that if it's Judgment Day, or the zombies have arrived, or the Holnists have taken over, all that crap about government lording over stills and personal use amounts will go out the window.

I believe you can find instructions and kits easily with some google-fu.

 

[shibumiseeker]

I'm pretty sure that if it's Judgment Day, or the zombies have arrived, or the Holnists have taken over, all that crap about government lording over stills and personal use amounts will go out the window.

I believe you can find instructions and kits easily with some google-fu.

The basics of how to do it are pretty simple, but for making fuel as opposed to drink there's more of a learning curve since you need higher proof, and the amount of energy needed to distill the quantities needed becomes significant, not to mention the equipment. A simple table top still to make some glug-glug will keep an alcoholic happy for a week. To make enough to keep the generator running will require something that needs it's own small building. That's the catch-22: it would be best to already have the equipment and knowledge now, but doing so now does require compliance with the regulations if one wishes to avoid trouble.

 

[Hammerhead]

True, but planning and implementation do not have to occur at the same time. If one were to buy the equipment now to learn to make small quantities, putting the plans in your SHTF planning to obtain/build what you need for greater quantities later would be smarter. You don't have to start out on such a large scale. I'm sure the process is still the same no matter how much you're making, from stove top to brewery vats.

 

[Eddie]

Stills are usually made of copper or stainless.If you can find one an old copper wash tub with the lid brazed make an awesome still.(30 gallon) Then make a cone cap out of copper. Use flour to make a seal. then run a copper coil into a 30 to 55 gallon barrell. Seen many with this design. They sell them on Ebay too.

Some of the old Italians around here would use a pressure cooker with the valve removed. They used to attach the copper coil to the hole where the valve used to be. They could run it on a stove top in the kitchen. They used them to make a drink called Grappa which was distilled alcohol with fruit or nuts added to flavor it.

 

[smokingman]

Mother Earth Alcohol Fuel: How To Adapt Your Automobile Engine For Ethyl Alcohol Use

 

[stilllearning09]

When I lived in SW Indiana, my neighbor made some that was a wonderful paint stripper!

 

[C.H.U.D.]

foxfire volume 1, everything to make moonshine I mean fuel

 

[rooster007]

Please look at my Avatar .....and ask that question again

 

[rooster007]

Some of the old Italians around here would use a pressure cooker with the valve removed. They used to attach the copper coil to the hole where the valve used to be. They could run it on a stove top in the kitchen. They used them to make a drink called Grappa which was distilled alcohol with fruit or nuts added to flavor it.

Grappa made me go blind one time . I guess us irish just can't handle that italian moonshine

 

[irishhunter]

MOONSHINE STILL USA | ALCOHOL STILLS | MOONSHINE RECIPE

Hey just in case you want something other than fuel , I can comment on the quality of the end product .. If you would like to know more PM me

 

[ThrottleJockey]

I've got some pretty basic/simple plans for a still. They were included with a method of making wine from berries, not sure about here, but in WI you can make up to 150 gallons of wine per year for personal use with no permit. Also not sure about the distilled stuff, most likely illegal. PM me with an email address and I will send you the PDF.