Avoid These Common Moonshining Mistakes

There’s nothing quite like the feeling of distilling your very own moonshine. Being able to turn some corn, sugar and other ingredients into a delicious bottle of moonshine gives you a sense of pride. All of the hard work and time spend in the still is worth it when you are finally able to drink some of your newly created beverage. Although it’s a rather simple process that relies on the the vaporization of alcohol, you must follow some basic precautions when creating moonshine. In this post, we’re going to reveal some of the most common mistakes beginners make.

Mistake #1 – Using Steel Instead of Copper Still

At first glance, stainless steel might seem like a good choice of material to build a still. After all, it’s resistant to rust and corrosion, and it’s incredibly durable. Unfortunately, though, stainless steel does not offer the same heat transfer properties as copper; therefore, your moonshine will require a greater amount of time to fully vaporize through the still. You can read more about the benefits of using copper stills in our previous post here.

Mistake #2 – Using Tap Water For Wash

Some people automatically use tap water for their moonshine wash without thinking twice. While this may not seem like an issue, tap water oftentimes contains chemicals and impurities that affect both the flavor and aroma of the moonshine. If you are serious about moonshining and want a high-quality product, use distilled water instead of tap water. It should only cost you a couple bucks for distilled water, but it will greatly improve the quality of your moonshine.

Mistake #3 – Drinking First Batch

Always discard the first batch of moonshine created by your still. Even if it tastes fine, there’s likely some metallic residue lingering inside the moonshine, especially with new stills. Pouring out the first batch will help to wear in your still and allow for a purer second moonshine batch.

Mistake #4 – Not Filtering Properly

Filtration is necessary to remove any dirt or particles found within the moonshine. There are several ways to filter your moonshine, one of which is to pour it through charcoal. As some of you may already know, charcoal is highly absorbent and capable of pulling out impurities and chemicals. Taking the time to filter your moonshine before consumption will allow for a higher quality beverage, and that’s ultimately what your goal should be when distilling alcohol.