Quick Answer: Why Did My Moonshine Turn Cloudy?

What does cloudy moonshine mean

If a high enough concentration of tails makes its way into a finished batch of spirits, it will turn cloudy right away.

More interestingly, at lower concentrations, spirits may be clear initially, but after being chilled, the liquid will develop a cloudy haze..

How many beers is a shot of moonshine

12 * 0.05 = 0.6 fl oz for beer. 0.96 / 0.6 = 1.6 beers. So there is about 1.6 beers worth of alcohol in that one shot of 128 proof moonshine.

How long can a wash sit before distilling

You have about 4-5 weeks until autolysis occurs. If you rack before this, you can store it for a couple months safely. I have had washes sitting in the fermentor on the yeast for over a year and distilled just fine. You can delay as long as you like, in my experience.

Can moonshine make you go blind

Can you really drink yourself blind? If you’re drinking moonshine, yes. Although alcohol that’s properly manufactured and regulated does not by itself cause blindness, people sometimes do go blind from drinking bootleg beverages. One common concern with moonshine is lead poisoning, which has been linked to blindness.

What causes methanol in moonshine

Methanol is a common contaminant of moonshine, which is typically made from fermenting a “mash” of corn, sugar, and yeast for a few days and then distilling the mixture. … Methanol is not a direct byproduct of fermentation, but instead forms from the breakdown of pectin in corn.

How do you know when moonshine goes bad

Folklore tells us one way to test the purity of moonshine is to pour some in a metal spoon and set it on fire. 6 If it burns with a blue flame it is safe, but if it burns with a yellow or red flame, it contains lead, prompting the old saying, “Lead burns red and makes you dead.”

Can I distill a cloudy wash

Distill it anyway. You will not get as much alcohol as you would from a normally fermented wash, but it will be fine.

What color is real moonshine

Moonshine is often called white lightning, mountain dew, or white whiskey –Moonshine is a high-proof distilled spirit that is produced illegally.

Can you drink yellow moonshine

No matter if your moonshine smells or not weird, this test needs to be done: put some moonshine in a spoon and light it on fire. If your alcohol is: a) Red: there is lead in it, so do not drink it. b) Yellow: you risk getting blind, so not drink it.

What proof is moonshine if it burns blue

At 128 proof, it’s clear, clean and exactly what moonshine should be. Purity and perfection are the name of the game when it comes to Ole Smoky®Blue Flame Moonshine. Evidence of our high quality, high proof moonshine is all in the color of the flame – if it burns blue, it’s true.

How can you tell if alcohol has methanol in it

To test for the presence of methanol, you can apply sodium dichromate to a sample of the solution. To do so, mix 8 mL of a sodium dichromate solution with 4 mL of sulfuric acid. Swirl gently to mix, then add 10 drops of the mixed solution to a test tube or other small container containing the alcohol.

Do you have to clear your mash before distilling

One hour later stir very gently and Part B should be added. Then leave the wash for at least 24 hours before decanting and distilling. Within 24 hours Turbo Clear removes over 95% of the yeast cells, solids and other unwanted compounds from the wash – at this point it is acceptable for distilling.

How do you fix cloudy moonshine

If you notice your moonshine coming out cloudy, just turn down the heat. Temperature control is very important in order for you still to function properly. The best way to determine the necessary heat is simply to monitor the shine output.

Can you drink the tails of moonshine

The foreshots are the first vapors to boil off during distillation. These contain the most volatile alcohols and should not be ingested, as they contain methanol and other undesirables. Moonshiners always discard the foreshots and never consume them.

Why is it illegal to make moonshine

So why is moonshine still illegal? Because the liquor is worth more to the government than beer or wine. Uncle Sam takes an excise tax of $2.14 for each 750-milliliter bottle of 80-proof spirits, compared with 21 cents for a bottle of wine (of 14 percent alcohol or less) and 5 cents for a can of beer.

How do you get methanol out of moonshine

Methanol is a potential byproduct of the fermentation process and its presence in a wash is a legitimate danger. Fortunately if there is any methanol in a batch of shine, it should boil off before the ethanol because methanol has a lower boiling point.

Is Everclear moonshine

Both Everclear and Moonshine are unaged spirits; however, Everclear is made from grain and Moonshine from corn. … Moonshine is a general term used to describe illegally produced corn whiskey. In summary, Everclear is intended to be water and pure ethanol with no flavor contribution.

What whiskey is 100 proof

Answer: Proof is defined as twice the alcohol (ethanol) content by volume. For example, a whisky with 50% alcohol is 100-proof whiskey. Anything 120-proof would contain 60% alcohol, and 80-proof means 40% of the liquid is alcohol.