Are you ready to try your hand at making moonshine?
It may seem like a daunting task, but with the right ingredients and techniques, you can create your own homemade moonshine from corn syrup.
In this article, we’ll walk you through the steps to make a delicious batch of moonshine that’s sure to impress your friends and family.
From cracking the grains to fermenting the mash and distilling the final product, we’ll cover everything you need to know to get started.
So grab your ingredients and let’s get started on this exciting journey into the world of moonshine making!
How To Make Moonshine From Corn Syrup?
First, gather your ingredients. You’ll need one quart of corn syrup, 1 1/2 gallons of water, and one cup of honey for every ten-gallon batch. You’ll also need two bags of vstills yeast per 10 gallons of mash.
To begin, heat one fourth of your water to 120 or 130 degrees Fahrenheit, just hot enough to melt the corn syrup. Stir in the corn syrup and then add the honey last. Pour the mixture into your fermenter and finish filling with cool water to cool it down to 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
Take a hydrometer reading and adjust as needed. Then add your yeast and let it ferment for 5-7 days.
Next, it’s time to distill your moonshine. Cracking the grains is a process to soften the grains to let the flavor out. In a large pot, add 10 gallons of water and bring it to 190 degrees Fahrenheit. While waiting for the water to come to temperature, put one part sweet feed to two parts corn in a five-gallon bucket until it’s full.
Weigh out your grains in a two-to-one ratio. For the 10-gallon batch, this will be six pounds of corn and three pounds of sweet feed. Set aside until the water reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit.
Now you can add the grains and reduce heat to maintain 160 degrees Fahrenheit for 45 minutes. Continuously stir the mash to avoid letting the grains scorch on the bottom of the pot.
Once your mash is ready, use a siphon tube and filter off any solids and sediment. Place the collected wash inside your still’s boiler and fire it up!
Depending on your still type, you may obtain different final proof of moonshine as well as drop rate. Pot still users may require a second (or third) still run to obtain higher proof moonshine.
It is very important to discard the first 5oz or so (the foreshots) of the collected runnings as these usually contain methyl and other harmful fusel oils. Make sure to collect the liquid into glass vessels, do not use plastic, as the spirit coming out of the still is hot.
Gathering Your Ingredients And Equipment
Before you start making your moonshine from corn syrup, it’s important to gather all of the necessary ingredients and equipment. While some ingredients can be found in your kitchen, others may require a trip to the store. Here’s what you’ll need:
Ingredients:
– One quart of corn syrup
– 1 1/2 gallons of water
– One cup of honey for every ten-gallon batch
– Two bags of vstills yeast per 10 gallons of mash
Equipment:
– Fermenter
– Hydrometer
– Large pot for distilling
– Siphon tube for filtering off solids and sediment
– Still (pot still or other type)
It’s important to note that the amounts listed above are for a ten-gallon batch. Adjust accordingly if you’re making a smaller or larger batch.
When choosing your ingredients, make sure to opt for high-quality options. The quality of your ingredients can impact the final product, so it’s worth investing in good corn syrup, honey, and yeast.
In addition to the above ingredients and equipment, you may also want to invest in a thermometer to ensure that your mash is at the correct temperature throughout the process. A long wooden spoon can also be helpful for stirring your mash.
By gathering all of your ingredients and equipment ahead of time, you’ll be able to focus on the task at hand without any last-minute trips to the store. Plus, having everything on hand will ensure that you’re able to make a high-quality moonshine that you can be proud of.
Preparing The Corn Syrup Mash
Preparing the corn syrup mash is a crucial step in making moonshine from corn syrup. It is important to note that corn syrup is a type of sugar that will ferment, so it can be used as a substitute for regular sugar in a wash.
To start, heat one fourth of your water to 120 or 130 degrees Fahrenheit, just hot enough to melt the corn syrup. Once the water has reached the desired temperature, stir in the corn syrup and then add the honey last. Honey can be added for additional flavor and sweetness.
Pour the mixture into your fermenter and finish filling with cool water to cool it down to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Take a hydrometer reading and adjust as needed. Then add your yeast and let it ferment for 5-7 days.
It is important to note that temperature plays a crucial role in making moonshine. Before adding your yeast, you need to make sure your mash has cooled to 70°F. As well as the correct temperature, your mash needs oxygen for the fermentation process. With a large recipe like this one, you will need to pour your mash between your fermentation bucket and your pot about 5-10 times in order to aerate it. This process will provide the oxygen necessary to help the yeast do its work.
Once your mash has fermented for 5-7 days, it’s time to distill your moonshine. Cracking the grains is a process to soften the grains to let the flavor out. In a large pot, add 10 gallons of water and bring it to 190 degrees Fahrenheit.
While waiting for the water to come to temperature, put one part sweet feed to two parts corn in a five-gallon bucket until it’s full. Weigh out your grains in a two-to-one ratio. For the 10-gallon batch, this will be six pounds of corn and three pounds of sweet feed. Set aside until the water reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit.
Now you can add the grains and reduce heat to maintain 160 degrees Fahrenheit for 45 minutes. Continuously stir the mash to avoid letting the grains scorch on the bottom of the pot.
Once your mash is ready, use a siphon tube and filter off any solids and sediment. Place the collected wash inside your still’s boiler and fire it up!
Fermenting The Mash
Fermenting the mash is a crucial step in making moonshine from corn syrup. After combining the corn syrup, water, and honey in the fermenter, add your yeast and let it ferment for 5-7 days. During this time, the yeast will consume the sugars in the mash and produce alcohol.
Temperature is important during fermentation. Keep the fermenter at room temperature, around 70-75 degrees Fahrenheit, to ensure that the yeast stays active. If it gets too cold, the fermentation can slow down or even stop altogether.
It’s also important to check the specific gravity of the mash at the start of fermentation and when it’s complete using a hydrometer. This will tell you how much alcohol by volume (ABV) your fermentation produced. Be sure to write down your readings so you can calculate how much alcohol was produced.
After fermentation is complete, it’s time to distill your moonshine. Cracking the grains is a process to soften the grains to let the flavor out. In a large pot, add 10 gallons of water and bring it to 190 degrees Fahrenheit. While waiting for the water to come to temperature, put one part sweet feed to two parts corn in a five-gallon bucket until it’s full.
Weigh out your grains in a two-to-one ratio. For the 10-gallon batch, this will be six pounds of corn and three pounds of sweet feed. Set aside until the water reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit.
Now you can add the grains and reduce heat to maintain 160 degrees Fahrenheit for 45 minutes. Continuously stir the mash to avoid letting the grains scorch on the bottom of the pot.
Once your mash is ready, use a siphon tube and filter off any solids and sediment. Place the collected wash inside your still’s boiler and fire it up!
Depending on your still type, you may obtain different final proof of moonshine as well as drop rate. Pot still users may require a second (or third) still run to obtain higher proof moonshine.
It is very important to discard the first 5oz or so (the foreshots) of the collected runnings as these usually contain methyl and other harmful fusel oils. Make sure to collect the liquid into glass vessels, do not use plastic, as the spirit coming out of the still is hot.
Distilling The Moonshine
Distilling the moonshine is the final step in the process of making moonshine. After fermenting the mash for 5-7 days, it’s time to distill the liquid to obtain the final product.
The first step in distilling the moonshine is to crack the grains. This is done to soften the grains and let the flavor out. In a large pot, add 10 gallons of water and bring it to 190 degrees Fahrenheit. While waiting for the water to come to temperature, put one part sweet feed to two parts corn in a five-gallon bucket until it’s full.
Weigh out your grains in a two-to-one ratio. For the 10-gallon batch, this will be six pounds of corn and three pounds of sweet feed. Set aside until the water reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit.
Now you can add the grains and reduce heat to maintain 160 degrees Fahrenheit for 45 minutes. Continuously stir the mash to avoid letting the grains scorch on the bottom of the pot.
Once your mash is ready, use a siphon tube and filter off any solids and sediment. Place the collected wash inside your still’s boiler and fire it up! Depending on your still type, you may obtain different final proof of moonshine as well as drop rate. Pot still users may require a second (or third) still run to obtain higher proof moonshine.
As the distillation process begins, you will notice that different liquids are coming out of your still at different times. The first liquid distilled can be toxic and should be discarded. This is known as the “foreshots” and should be discarded until you have collected about 5oz or so.
After discarding the foreshots, collect the rest of the liquid into glass vessels. It’s important not to use plastic as the spirit coming out of the still is hot.
Once you’ve collected all of your moonshine, let it cool down before storing it in a cool, dark place. Congratulations! You’ve just made your own moonshine from corn syrup.
Testing And Adjusting The Proof
Once you have your moonshine distilled, it’s time to test and adjust the proof. The best method to measure the proof of your moonshine is to use a proofing hydrometer and a copper moonshine parrot or a borosilicate glass test jar.
To start, make sure your proofing parrot is correctly set up so that the drop arm from the moonshine still drips directly into the parrot. Carefully place the hydrometer into the parrot, making sure that it floats freely. The moonshine will fill up the parrot and the hydrometer will float. You can now read the scale on the floating hydrometer and take an accurate measurement of the proof of your moonshine.
It’s important to give the hydrometer a quick, gentle spin to remove any air bubbles, as they can affect the reading. Once you have your measurement recorded, you can empty the moonshine out of the parrot and into a small jar.
If your moonshine is too weak, you can add more corn syrup or sugar to increase the alcohol content. If it’s too strong, you can dilute it with distilled water until you reach your desired proof.
Remember that the faster the bubbles disappear, the higher the content of alcohol. For example, a bottle of 80 proof moonshine when shaken will have small bubbles that will disappear after several seconds. Whereas a bottle of 180 proof moonshine will have large bubbles that will disappear instantly.
By testing and adjusting the proof of your moonshine, you can ensure that it’s safe to drink and has just the right amount of kick.
Storing And Enjoying Your Homemade Moonshine
After distilling your moonshine, it’s important to store it properly to ensure its quality and taste. Store your moonshine in a cool, dark place, away from direct sunlight and heat. Mason jars or glass bottles with tight-fitting lids are ideal for storing your homemade moonshine.
Before enjoying your moonshine, it’s important to dilute it to a safe drinking strength. The strength of your moonshine will depend on the alcohol content produced during fermentation and distillation. To dilute your moonshine, add water to the desired strength. A good starting point is a 50/50 mix of moonshine and water, but you can adjust the ratio to your preference.
It’s important to note that homemade moonshine can be very potent and should be consumed responsibly. Start with small amounts and drink slowly to avoid any negative effects.
When it comes to enjoying your homemade moonshine, there are a variety of ways to drink it. Some people prefer it straight up, while others like to mix it with fruit juices or soda. You can also use it as a base for cocktails or mixed drinks.
