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58-501: (Redirected from Moonshiners ) [REDACTED] Look up moonshiner in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. Moonshiner ( s ) or The Moonshiner ( s ) may refer to: Moonshiner, one who makes moonshine , illegal distilled alcohol " The Moonshiner ", a traditional folk song The Moonshiner (film) , a 1904 American short silent action film Salaviinanpolttajat ( The Moonshiners ),

116-577: A batch distillation basis (as opposed to a Coffey or column stills, which operate on a continuous basis). Traditionally constructed from copper , pot stills are made in a range of shapes and sizes depending on quantity and style of spirit. Geographic variations in still design exist, with certain kinds popular in parts of Appalachia , a region known for moonshine distilling. Spirits distilled in pots commonly have 40% ABV, and top out between 60 and 80% after multiple distillations. Poorly produced moonshine can be contaminated, mainly from materials used in

174-490: A thermal immersion circulator , like a sous vide stick is ideal because it comes with a temperature controller. The liquid is kept heated at about 50 °C (122 °F) which slowly evaporates the ethanol to 40% ABV that condense on the inner walls of the outer vessel. The condensation that accumulates in the bottom of the vessel can then be diverted directly down through a filter containing activated carbon . The final product has approximately twice as much alcohol content as

232-430: A 1907 Finnish film directed by Louis Sparre and Teuvo Puro The Moonshiners (1916 film) , an American short film directed by Fatty Arbuckle Moonshiners (TV series) , an American docudrama series, beginning in 2011 Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Moonshiner . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change

290-427: A 5-foot-long (1.5 m) copper tube wound in spiral form. The tube first goes up to act as a simple column, and then down to cool the product. Cookware usually consists of a 30-litre (6.6 imp gal; 7.9 US gal) plastic wine bucket. The heat source is typically a thermal immersion circulator (commonly runs at 1200 W), like a sous vide stick because it is hard to find 300 W immersion heaters , and it

348-457: A firm or somewhat crisp texture. While the cell walls will generally not burst, the depolymerization of the pectic polysaccharides that connect the vegetable cells together and the gelatinisation of starch in the vegetable can be achieved without overcooking. From a culinary viewpoint, the exclusion of air is secondary, but this has practical importance. It allows cooked food to be stored, still sealed and refrigerated, for considerable times, which

406-416: A plastic bag with all the air removed. As an alternative method to a commercial or home vacuum sealer, the food may be placed in an open-sided plastic bag, and then partially submerged into the water, which displaces/forces out the air. This method involves clipping the open side of the bag to the side of the pot to keep water from leaking into the opening. The goal is to have the food completely in contact with

464-477: A registered distillery is illegal in many countries. Currently in the United States, there are four states that allow the production of moonshine for personal consumption ( Alaska , Arizona , Massachusetts , and Missouri ). Additionally, North Dakota law permits the production of moonshine for personal consumption up to the federally legal amount—which is zero gallons; entailing that production of any amount

522-705: A result of excise laws and became meaningful in the United States only after a tax passed after the Revolutionary War outlawing non-registered stills with the Tariff of 1791 , or the Excise Whiskey Tax of 1791. This tax led to the Whiskey Rebellion lasting between 1791 and 1794, where the tax went unpaid by the rebels and was met with violent protest. This tax lasted until 1802, when it was repealed. Another tax

580-460: A significant source in some areas. Radiators used as condensers may contain lead at the plumbing joints, and their use has resulted in blindness or lead poisoning from tainted liquor. This was a deadly hazard during the Prohibition -era United States. Consumption of lead-tainted moonshine is a serious risk factor for saturnine gout , a very painful but treatable medical condition that damages

638-400: A still. To cut costs, stainless steel vessels are often replaced with plastic stills , vessels made from polypropylene that can withstand relatively high heat. The preferred heat source for plastic stills or spiral stills is sous vide sticks; these control temperature, time, and circulation, and are therefore preferred over immersion heaters . Multiple units can be used to increase

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696-486: A study of farmers in Cocke County, Tennessee , observes: "One could transport much more value in corn if it was first converted to whiskey. One horse could haul ten times more value on its back in whiskey than in corn." Moonshiners such as Maggie Bailey of Harlan County, Kentucky , Amos Owens of Rutherford County, North Carolina , and Marvin "Popcorn" Sutton of Maggie Valley, North Carolina , became legendary. Once

754-411: A tainted distillate burns with a yellow flame. Practitioners of this simple test also held that if a radiator coil had been used as a condenser, then there would be lead in the distillate, which would give a reddish flame. This led to the mnemonic , "Lead burns red and makes you dead," or simply, "Red means dead." Manufacturing of spirits through distilling, fractional crystallization , etc. outside

812-470: A while. If the heating continues, the food will be overcooked. The time taken for the center of food to reach the target temperature depends on the initial temperature, the thickness and shape of the food, and the temperature of the bath. One limitation of sous vide cooking is that browning ( Maillard reactions ) happens at temperatures above the boiling point of water. The flavors and 'crust' texture developed by browning are generally seen as very desirable in

870-420: Is disassembled from an electric water boiler . A plastic still is a device for distillation specially adapted for separating ethanol and water . Plastic stills are common because they are cheap and easy to manufacture. The principle is that a smaller amount of liquid is placed in an open smaller vessel inside a larger one that is closed. A cheap 100 W immersion heater is typically used as heat source, but

928-602: Is especially useful for the catering industry, and it excludes oxygen from food that requires long cooking and is susceptible to oxidation, e.g., fat on meat, which may become rancid with prolonged exposure to air. It also improves the transfer of heat between the water bath and food, without the thermal insulating properties of any trapped air in the bag. Apart from ensuring uniform cooking, sous vide cooking facilitates development of desired organoleptic flavors and limits off flavors due to oxidation. The degree of accuracy and constancy of cooking temperature required varies with

986-561: Is illegal. Popular offerings for the Maya deity and folk saint Maximón include money, tobacco, and moonshine. Moonshine is by tradition usually a clear, unaged whiskey, once made with barley mash in Scotland and Ireland or maize corn mash in the United States, though plain sugar became just as common in illicit liquor during the last century. The word originated in the British Isles as

1044-452: Is more critical. Confit egg yolks are usually cooked at 63 °C (145 °F), which is hot enough to cook the white without setting the yolk. The temperature of the bath is set to 64 °C (147 °F). Regular cooking times are determined by when the center of the cooked item reaches a few degrees below the targeted temperature. Then heating should be stopped immediately. While the food rests, residual heat will continue to cook it for

1102-447: Is possible through the use of a rigid-sided, insulated container, such as a "beer cooler", filled with warm water, checked with an accurate thermometer, and coupled with resealable bags, which allow the air to be removed, to package the food for cooking. However, the heat loss involved in this technique makes it unfeasible for long-term (four-plus hours) cooking. Sous vide , French for "under vacuum", implies that food should be sealed in

1160-468: Is risky to disassemble the immersion heater from an electric water boiler because it may cause electrical injury . The spiral burner is popular because, despite its simple construction and low manufacturing cost, it can provide 95% ABV . A pot still is a type of distillation apparatus or still used to distill flavored liquors such as whisky or cognac , but not rectified spirit because they are poor at separating congeners . Pot stills operate on

1218-419: Is to cook the item evenly, ensuring that the inside is properly cooked without overcooking the outside, and to retain moisture. Sous vide cooking is characterized by low-temperature cooking, a longer period of cooking than conventional cooking, a container (such as a plastic bag) that separates the food from its heating environment, and pressurized enclosure using full or partial vacuum. Low-temperature cooking

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1276-410: Is used during and after the fermentation process to determine the potential alcohol percentage of the moonshine, whereas an alcoholmeter is used after the product has been distilled to determine the volume percent or proof. A common folk test for the quality of moonshine was to pour a small quantity of it into a spoon and set it on fire. The theory was that a safe distillate burns with a blue flame, but

1334-1038: The Acela Express . Sous vide has become common on cooking TV shows such as Iron Chef America and Top Chef , and in restaurants such as Panera Bread . It has also been used to quickly produce significant quantities of meals for hurricane evacuees. Nonprofessional cooks are also beginning to use sous vide cooking. Initially, enthusiasts used laboratory-grade thermal immersion circulators , often bought used on eBay and - however carefully cleaned - not designed for kitchen use. Beginning in 2008, Auber Instruments and Fresh Meals Solutions made available comparatively inexpensive yet highly accurate PID controllers with attached thermocouple probes that could be used to control commercial rice cookers , slow cookers, electric stock pots, and similar apparatuses. In late 2009, several machines intended for home use and less expensive than laboratory-standard equipment were available for purchase. Duplicating some effects of sous vide techniques

1392-519: The New Hampshire state legislature has tried repeatedly to pass laws allowing unlicensed home distillation of small batches. In 2023, Ohio introduced legislation to do the same, with other states likely to follow. Sous vide The temperature is much lower than usually used for cooking, typically around 55 to 60 °C (130 to 140 °F) for red meat , 66 to 71 °C (150 to 160 °F) for poultry , and higher for vegetables. The intent

1450-857: The "aftershot," and are also typically discarded. Alcohol concentrations at higher strengths (the GHS identifies concentrations above 24% ABV as dangerous ) are flammable and therefore dangerous to handle. This is especially true during the distilling process, when vaporized alcohol may accumulate in the air to dangerous concentrations if adequate ventilation is not provided. Contaminated moonshine can occur if proper materials and techniques are not used. The prolonged consumption of impure moonshine may cause renal disease , primarily from increased lead content. Analysis of Georgia moonshine samples revealed potentially toxic levels of copper, zinc, lead, and arsenic. A review of twelve arsenic poisoning cases found contaminated moonshine responsible for about half, suggesting it may be

1508-456: The "foreshot" – the first 50–150 millilitres (1.8–5.3 imp fl oz; 1.7–5.1 US fl oz) of alcohol that drip from the condenser. Because methanol vaporizes at a lower temperature than ethanol, it is commonly believed that the foreshot contains most of the methanol, if any, from the mash. However, research shows that methanol is present until the very end of the distillation run. Despite this, distillers will usually collect

1566-450: The absence of oxygen and produce the deadly botulinum toxin , so sous vide cooking must be performed under carefully controlled conditions to avoid botulism poisoning. Generally speaking, food that is heated and served within four hours is considered safe, but meat that is cooked for longer to tenderize must reach a temperature of at least 55 °C (131 °F) within four hours and then be kept there for sufficient time, to pasteurize

1624-503: The amendment was repealed in 1933, laws focus on evasion of taxation on any type of spirits or intoxicating liquors. Applicable laws were historically enforced by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives of the US Department of Justice , but are now usually handled by state agencies. Enforcement agents were once known colloquially as "revenuers". The earliest known instance of

1682-498: The component parts have boiling points that differ by less than 25 °C (45 °F) from each other under a pressure of one atmosphere . A column still, also called a continuous still, patent still or Coffey still, is a variety of still consisting of two columns. A column still can achieve a vapor alcohol content of 95% ABV . A spiral still is a type of column still with a simple slow air-cooled distillation apparatus, commonly used for bootlegging. Column and cooler consist of

1740-468: The construction of the still . Stills employing automotive radiators as condensers are particularly dangerous; in some cases, glycol produced from antifreeze can be a problem. The head that comes immediately after the foreshot (the initial product of the still) typically contains small amounts of other undesirable compounds, such as acetone and various aldehydes . Fusel alcohols are other undesirable byproducts of fermentation that are contained in

1798-428: The cooking of certain types of meat, such as a steak . The flavors and texture produced by browning cannot be obtained with only the sous vide technique. In many cases, chefs will brown meats and other foods before or after sous vide cooking, using techniques such as torching or searing on an extremely hot pan. This secondary browning is done briefly, and sometimes at higher heat than usually used, so as to affect only

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1856-526: The food cannot get hotter than the bath it is in, as in bain-marie . As a result of precise temperature control of the bath and the fact that the bath temperature is the same as the target cooking temperature, very precise control of cooking can be achieved. Additionally, temperature, and thus cooking, can be very even throughout the food in sous vide cooking, even with irregularly shaped and very thick items, given enough time. By contrast, in conventional high-heat cooking, such as oven roasting or grilling ,

1914-431: The food cooked. In some cases, it is not critical. A 15 millimetres (0.59 in)-thick piece of fish will cook in 17 to 18 minutes at any temperature from 44 °C (111 °F) to 61 °C (142 °F). Such food can be cooked in a switched-off slow cooker filled with hot water and a thermometer. For an egg, though, which has proteins that denature at different temperatures, maintaining precise, constant temperature

1972-538: The food is exposed to heat levels that are much higher than the desired internal cooking temperature, and it must be removed from the high heat prior to reaching the desired cooking temperature. If the food is removed from the heat too late, it becomes overcooked, and if it is removed too early, it is undercooked. The use of temperatures much lower than those used for conventional cooking is an essential feature of sous vide. When cooking meat, tough collagen in connective tissue can be denatured into gelatin , without heating

2030-490: The foreshots until the temperature of the still reaches 80 °C (176 °F). Outbreaks of methanol poisoning have occurred from methanol accidentally produced in moonshine production or deliberately used to strengthen it. In modern times, reducing methanol with the absorption of a molecular sieve is a practical method for production. The Lucas test in alcohols is a test to differentiate between primary, secondary, and tertiary alcohols . It can be used to detect

2088-489: The formation of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing ( NASCAR ). Several former "runners," such as Junior Johnson , became noted drivers in the sport. Some varieties of maize corn grown in the United States were once prized for their use in moonshine production. One such variety used in moonshine, Jimmy Red corn, a "blood-red, flint-hard 'dent' corn with a rich and oily germ," almost became extinct when

2146-457: The hot water to ensure even cooking while reducing off flavors from oxidation. Lower-cost units are now available in the form of a "stick", which has a clip to attach it to the side of the cooking vessel. Sous vide sticks provide a heating element , controller, and motorized impeller. The higher-cost units provide a more precise degree of control over the water temperature. Devices are becoming more user-friendly, with apps affiliated with most of

2204-428: The kidneys and joints. The incidence of impure moonshine has been documented to significantly increase the risk of renal disease among those who regularly consume it, primarily from increased lead content. Contamination is still possible by unscrupulous distillers using cheap methanol to increase the apparent strength of the product. Moonshine can be made both more palatable and perhaps less dangerous by discarding

2262-509: The label. In Prohibition-era United States, moonshine distillation was done at night to deter discovery. While moonshiners were present in urban and rural areas around the United States after the Civil War , moonshine production concentrated in Appalachia because the limited road network made it easy to evade revenue officers and because it was difficult and expensive to transport corn crops. As

2320-406: The last grower died in 2000. Two ears of Jimmy Red were passed on to "seed saver" Ted Chewning, who saved the variety from extinction and began to produce it on a wider scale. There have been modern-day attempts on the state level to legalize home distillation of alcohol, similar to how some states have been treating cannabis , despite there being federal laws prohibiting the practice. For example,

2378-437: The levels of fusel alcohols . A quick estimate of the alcoholic strength, or proof, of the distillate (the ratio of alcohol to water) is often achieved by shaking a clear container of the distillate. Large bubbles with a short duration indicate a higher alcohol content, while smaller bubbles that disappear more slowly indicate lower alcohol content. A more reliable method is to use an alcoholmeter or hydrometer . A hydrometer

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2436-458: The link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Moonshiner&oldid=1221139538 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Moonshine Moonshine is high-proof liquor , traditionally made or distributed illegally . The name

2494-463: The liquor was distilled, drivers called "runners" or "bootleggers" smuggled moonshine liquor across the region in cars specially modified for speed and load-carrying capacity. The cars were ordinary on the outside but modified with souped-up engines, extra interior room, and heavy-duty shock absorbers to support the weight of the illicit alcohol. After Prohibition ended, the out-of-work drivers kept their skills sharp through organized races, which led to

2552-407: The marriage of vacuum sealing with low-temperature cooking. Pralus, considered the father of modern sous vide, cooked at higher temperatures. Sealing the food in sturdy plastic bags retains juices and aroma that otherwise would be lost in the process. Placing the packaged food in a water bath, with the temperature set at the desired final cooking temperature of the food, prevents overcooking, because

2610-463: The meat's proteins high enough that they denature to a degree that the texture toughens and moisture is exuded from the meat. In contrast, soft vegetables when boiled are often considered overcooked. Low-temperature cooking allows plant matter to remain more succulent, as the cell walls do not burst. Cooking vegetables at temperatures below the boiling point of water allows them to be thoroughly cooked (and pasteurized , if necessary) while maintaining

2668-480: The meat. Pasteurization kills the botulism bacteria , but the possibility of hardy botulism spores surviving and reactivating once cool remains a concern as with many preserved foods, however processed. For that reason, Baldwin's treatise specifies precise chilling requirements for "cook-chill", so that the botulism spores do not have the opportunity to grow or propagate. Pasteurized food can then be stored for up to two weeks around 3 °C (37 °F) sealed within

2726-542: The name applejack derives from the traditional method of producing the drink, jacking , the process of freezing fermented cider and then removing the ice, increasing the alcohol content. Starting with the fermented juice, with an alcohol content of less than ten percent, the concentrated result can contain 25–40% alcohol by volume (ABV). In some countries, moonshine stills are illegal to sell, import, and own without permission. However, enthusiasts explain on internet forums how to obtain equipment and assemble it into

2784-424: The service arm of its parent company, Cuisine Solutions. Due to his research into the effects of temperature on various foods, through CREA, he became well known for training top chefs in the method. He developed the parameters of cooking times and temperatures for various foods. Goussault and Pralus independently worked on development of sous vide in the 1970s and eventually became collaborators. Goussault pioneered

2842-444: The starting liquid and can be distilled several times if stronger distillate is desired. The method is slow, and is not suitable for large-scale production. Fractional distillation is the separation of a mixture into its component parts, or fractions . Chemical compounds are separated by heating them to a temperature at which one or more fractions of the mixture will vaporize . It uses distillation to fractionate . Generally

2900-733: The surface of the food and to avoid overcooking the interior. Similarly, the skin of fish can be cooked at high temperatures after the sous vide to make the skin crisp. Food safety is a function of both time and temperature; a temperature usually considered insufficient to render food safe may be perfectly safe if maintained for long enough. Some sous vide fish recipes, for example, are cooked below 55 °C (131 °F). People with compromised immunity should never eat food that has not been properly pasteurized . Women eating unpasteurized food while pregnant expose themselves and their fetus to risk and thus may choose to avoid unpasteurized recipes. Clostridium botulinum bacteria can grow in food in

2958-583: The term "moonshine" being used to refer to illicit alcohol dates to the 1785 edition of Grose's Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue , which was published in England. Prior to that, "moonshine" referred to anything "illusory" or to literally the light of the moon. The U.S. Government considers the word a "fanciful term" and does not regulate its use on the labels of commercial products, as such, legal moonshines may be any type of spirit, which must be indicated elsewhere on

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3016-736: The vacuum pack. Exposure to air also inactivates spore growth. Most plastics release estrogenic chemicals that act as endocrine disruptors when heated. The degree of danger posed is controversial. Also, some evidence shows that heterocyclic aromatic amines and bisphenol-A migrate from the plastic container into the food in sous vide cooking. The sous vide method is used in many high-end gourmet restaurants by chefs such as Heston Blumenthal , Paul Bocuse , Michael Carlson , Thomas Keller , Grant Achatz , Ferran Adrià , Joël Robuchon , Philippe Rochat , Alessandro Stratta , Charlie Trotter , Michael Mina and Joan Roca . Amtrak also uses this method for meals served on their trains, including

3074-481: The wattage. Also, sous vide sticks, commonly sold in 1200 W and generally temperature regulated up to 90 °C (194 °F) (ethanol boils at 78 °C (172 °F)), will evaporate the ethanol faster than an immersion heater , commonly sold in 300 W. Electrical injury may occur if immersion heaters are modified, as if a 35 °C (95 °F) thermostat is removed from an aquarium heater (because doing so may break its waterproofing ), or if an immersion heater

3132-691: Was adopted by Georges Pralus, a French chef, in 1974 for the Restaurant Troisgros (of Pierre and Michel Troisgros) in Roanne , France. He discovered that when foie gras was cooked in this manner, it kept its original appearance, did not lose excess amounts of fat, and had better texture. Another pioneer in sous vide is Bruno Goussault , the French chief scientist of Sterling, Virginia -based food manufacturer Cuisine Solutions . In 1991, he established Centre de Recherche et d'Études pour l'Alimentation (CREA) as

3190-668: Was derived from a tradition of distilling the alcohol at night to avoid detection. In the first decades of the 21st century, commercial distilleries have adopted the term for its outlaw cachet and have begun producing their own legal "moonshine", including many novelty flavored varieties, that are said to continue the tradition by using a similar method and/or locale of production. In 2013, moonshine accounted for about one-third of global alcohol consumption. Different languages and countries have their own terms for moonshine (see Moonshine by country ). The ethanol may be concentrated in fermented beverages by means of freezing. For example,

3248-426: Was developed by American and French engineers in the mid-1960s as an industrial food preservation method. As with Rumford, the researchers learned that the food showed distinctive improvements in flavor and texture. As this method was pioneered, applying pressure to food through vacuum sealing was sometimes called " cryovacking ". The pressure notably concentrated the flavors of fruits, even without cooking. The method

3306-450: Was first described by Benjamin Thompson, Count Rumford in 1799. He used air as the heat-transfer medium in his experiments while attempting to see if he could roast meat in a machine which he had created to dry potatoes. In Thompson's own words, the meat was: "Not merely eatable, but perfectly done, and most singularly well-tasted." Preparation of food under pressure, with or without heat,

3364-641: Was introduced with the Revenue Act of 1861 and Revenue Act of 1862 that heavily taxed the production of spirits leading to an increase in illegal distilling and in turn, increased action from revenue agents that enforced the taxes. Illegal distilling accelerated during the Prohibition era (1920–1933), which mandated a total ban on alcohol production under the Eighteenth Amendment of the Constitution . Since

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