Origins Of Moonshine Mash
Moonshine arose from the days of the American Revolution. The government to gain money for an extended war effort started a federal tax on alcohol. Since most soldiers returning home, were none too happy about a new tax, right after they fought to get away from an oppressive taxing British rule they began to make their own homemade spirits avoid the tax and enjoy their liquor.
Moonshine Mash is actually corn whiskey to be exact. Bad moonshine could cause you to go blind. Carefully made moonshine could cure a common cold and even fuel a car back in the day. No one knows who the first was first to produce whiskey from corn mash. Corn was harvested in the hot summer months. They would make the whiskey from the corn in the autumn and store it in barrels, then wait til spring to consume it.
When large producers started to ship the whiskey, the mixture would sit in the barrels longer, slowly undulating on the ride there turn the whiskey a golden color, mellow out the flavors, and blend them together, thus aged whiskey was born. Eventually, the corn liquor became bourbon. It has been over 200 years since the first farmers of America started to make this iconic drink.
Most corn whiskeys were made deep in the mountains of Maryland all the way down to Florida. Today’s moonshines are made using copper tubing, a pressure cooker, drill set, enormous metal pots, cheesecloth, and cornmeal. Using these items you can build a decent still to make your own corn whiskey.
What Is Moonshine Mash?
Moonshine mash is the fermented slurry of yeast, corn, sugar, and water that is then distilled to produce a very intense alcohol. You can make moonshine from a variety of ingredients such as strawberries, apples, tomato paste, and even peaches. Be advised Moonshine Mash making is a stinky, smelly business. If you are looking for more homemade liquors to make try Plum Wine, Apple Wine, or Mama Juana.
Notes
Cook time is six months.
Ingredients
- 1 pound cornmeal
- 5 cups granulated sugar
- 2 gallons distilled water
- 1 cup malt extract
- ¼ cake dry ale yeast
Instructions
- It is best to do these processes outdoors.
- Sanitize a large non-reactive pot about 5 gallons or more. (copper and stainless steel work best)
- Heat the water in the pot to 120F.
- Sprinkle the cornmeal into the hot water and stir until it is dissolved.
- Add the sugar and stir while keeping the mixture heated at 145F for 30 minutes.
- Turn off the heat.
- Dissolve the yeast cake in 1 cup of warmed water.
- Add the malt extract and dissolved yeast to the cornmeal.
- Pour the mixture into another non-reactive vessel (glass or ceramic).
- Secure the vessel with cheesecloth to keep out bugs and critters.
- Store the mixture in a warm place for 3 days.
- When the mixture forms a foam covering it is ready for distillation.