Whiskey Still

Whiskey Still. . Many settlers and early residents brought with them the knowledge and the custom of making whiskey. Although tax laws and, for a while, Prohibition made the activity illegal, moonshiners have always operated in the mountains and other areas of the South. Converting corn to liquor has several advantages: convenient and compact to store and easy to transport. It also provides a cash income.

[1] To make a run of moonshine, corn meal, malt, and sugar are mixed with water and fermented in barrels (like those to your right). This process takes from several days to nearly two weeks, depending on weather and the amount of sugar used.

[2] The fermented mash, called beer, is heated in the copper still, which is mounted in a rock-lined furnace. Stills vary in size, style, and capacity. The copper pot and other equipment here represent a small, simple operation.

[3] Vapors are piped from the still to the barrel, or flake stand. This contains the worm, a spiral tube that is immersed in a constant flow of water. The worm cools and condenses the vapor into a liquid, which flows into a bucket or other container placed beside the flake stand. To increase alcohol content, the product of the first run is usually cooked again to make "doublings." A small still can produce from 12 to 20 gallons of corn whiskey in a night.