The Smoothest Moonshine Mash Recipe You Will Ever Need – Still'n The Clear (2024)

FAQs

How do you make moonshine smooth? ›

Glycerine is used to smooth and mellow spirits and add some modest body. If you think your distillate is a little sharp or has a bit too much of that 'alcohol burn,' adding a few drops of glycerine can reduce the harshness, add mellowness and improve mouthfeel.

At-Home Easy Sweet Feed Moonshine Mash Recipe – Small Batch

Put enough feed to cover bottom of 5 gallon bucket a good 4 inches deep, then add five pounds of sugar. Fill half full with boiling water. Mix until sugar is dissolved. Let sit for ninety minutes and then finish filling with cool water.

Weigh out your grains in a 2 to 1 ratio. For the 10 gallon batch, this will be 6 lbs of corn and 3 lbs of sweet feed. Set aside until the water reaches 160f. Now you can add the grains and reduce heat to maintain 160f for 45 minutes.

Moonshine is clear because when your mash or wash is distilled, the first thing to evaporate and exit the still is ethanol, or ethyl alcohol (same thing). Alcohol evaporates at 78.3 degrees Celsius, as opposed to 100 degrees Celsius for water.

If you want to get more of the earthy taste of moonshine in your co*cktail, try pairing it with ginger ale (not ginger beer). Sweet ginger ale can make moonshine go down smoother and is a good starting point for those new to drinking moonshine.

Alcohol is a byproduct of the fermentation process, which takes place when the yeast converts the sugars derived from the grain. Knowing that, you can increase the alcohol by volume (ABV) by increasing the size of the grain bill or increasing the amount of malt extract used.

The simplest way is to check your airlock regularly — once you see that it's no longer bubbling (or, at most, just bubbling really, reaaaaallly slowly), then that means the yeast is no longer producing CO2. (Or, in other words, there's no more fermentation going on.)

To create a still, you need 4 essential components: a kettle, a heat source, a condenser, and a collecting vessel. That is it! That is all you need to build the simplest distillation system. Let us break it down for you to see what each item is and how methodically it functions.

For a 5 gallon mash: (201)

If using bird feed, make sure it is perishable, or in other words is free of preservatives. 7 lbs (3.2kg) of granulated sugar. 1 tbsp yeast (distillers yeast if available.)

Can you mash too long? ›

The only way you can mash for too long is if you let it go sour. This will generally happen within 24-48 hours. But with a large mash (the one I am talking about was 2,400lbs) I have seen it happen in as little as 8 hours. So unless you're making Jack Daniels, don't let it sit for too, too long.

When we reach our desired temperature, we add our yeast, give our mixture a quick stir, and let it sit for 3-5 days. During this resting process, the yeast will do its thing by eating the sugars from the mash and create alcohol. Once we've fermented to the desired level we are targeting, we distill.

Re: How much mash for a 5 gallon still

2.25 pounds grain per gallon. 20.25 pounds of grain, coarse ground. 9 gallon total mash volume. Ferment on grain & squeeze out when done.

It's that characteristic (if unexpected) smoothness that draws in first-time moonshine drinkers. “If you want to try the spirit just as it is and you're drinking it straight, I always recommend pouring it over ice,” Elder says “In fact, I keep my bottles on ice when I do my tastings.”

The experienced, old school moonshiners are able to tell the proof of their moonshine by simply shaking the mason jar and observing the bubbles. If the moonshine has large bubbles that dissolve quickly it indicates the moonshine has a high alcohol content.

Aging does wonders when it comes to making whiskey smoother. The wood barrels in which whiskey is aged absorb chemical compounds in the spirit, making it smoother and easier to drink. The barrels also impart flavors like caramel, vanilla, and oak — all of which make whiskey easier on the palate.

The sixth step is to age the moonshine.

This will give it a smooth, mellow flavor. You can also age it in a carboy or glass jug. If you do this, make sure to use an airtight seal to prevent the moonshine from oxidizing. Aging it will improve its flavor and color, and it will also help to remove any impurities.