Home Distiller

Finally, the moonshine story, Cold Comfort is published! Thanks to all for your help and encouragement. The details I used were general, not meant to tell folks how to make moonshine. I cited this forum in the Acknowledgements - so readers can come here if they want to know how! Here are links to th...

LWTCS wrote:Good luck Carol,
Hope ya make a buh-zillion dollars on your book.

Cheers

Thanks, but do people ever make big $$ doing what they love?

Finally - the moonshine story is close to publication. I'll let you know when it's available. I credited this forum in the Acknowledgements, so I hope I got something about the process right! Here's the story blurb and a photo of the cover, if I can figure out how to include it. When feisty Wanda Wy...

The "Lincoln County Process" Jack Daniel was actually taught how to distill from a farm slave called "Uncle Nearis." The Lincoln County process was first used by slaves. Back in these times, the master of the plantation would rarely, if ever, actually make the whiskey on his far...

youd also wanna put a rock on top the cap cause the back pressure from the doublein keg is to much for just your biscut to hold. dern thang will lope on you an cause for a long nite. if you gona double an twist then mostly aint no problem forgetin the rock but some folks make it a habit. wana say t...

They left the boiler uncovered until the beer heated to a rolling boil, then Hargis and Piney set on the cap and sealed it with Lucie’s special paste. Not long after boiling began, the thump box sounded like something inside was pounding to get out. Maybe someones already pointed this out , but you...

blind drunk wrote:Excellent writing, Carol. Captivating style.

I love those old times, but I'm glad I live now. Thanks!

Hey, all, Today I've put some info about my moonshine story on my blog and gave homedistiller.org a bit of credit. The book's not done, but here's a preview-- http://carolervin.com/2013/05/02/blog-tag-im-it/ . Hope to be published by fall. I'll let you know when! You may want to discuss here whether...

TOAD wrote:Well its only a matter of time. Any thoughts of building a little 1 or 2 gallon still old school style like in your book? Wouldnt take much and it might be good research for ya Cant wait to see yer book on the shelf

Well, yes, Toad, right away my husband said 'let's do it.' I'd rather write.

anybody can make a kettle but it takes no how to make your cap just right. so im tole Interesting about the cap. I've never seen a still--had to read about everything. And of course there's no knowledge like the first-hand kind. The confusing part has been that there are so many different recipes, ...

Good start . Politics played a major role in government enforcement of laws . Check Hillsville , VA Courthouse Shootout . I lost family on both sides of that fray . My Grandfather had a general store in Carroll County , VA . When the Feds said that all Mason jars and all sugar had to be signed for ...

I like it, I was not around back then (Imagine that) so I don't know the terminology that they used but I imagine it varied from person to person. They did not have the information highway we have to try to get on the same page. When you get it published let us know. I would really like to hear the...

Braz wrote:

carol333 wrote:...The story takes place in 1915, at the beginning of prohibition.

Prohibition officially began January 20, 1920.

West Virginia and some other states (like Virginia) went dry before the federal government did. 1914, I think , for WV. Maybe 1915.

Here is part of a chapter I think is ready to be evaluated for authenticity! The name of this novel is Wanda's Revenge, and it's about a woman who wants revenge on her grandmother. The grandmother is Lucie. The story takes place in 1915, at the beginning of prohibition. “There’s something new here,...

Good points, wacabi1. I read a description of "fruit liquor" - fruit like berries or peaches (maybe mashed) and a cup of sugar added to a half gallon of moonshine and allowed to sit for a few days.

Hello again! I've a new question for my book (historical fiction). If moonshine is mixed with fruit and sugar and capped or corked, will there be a wine-type "pop" when it's opened? One of these days I'll post a chapter or two for your critique on the parts about distilling. Merry Christma...

I'm back learning about distilling after months of completing my first book. I will be posting more ignorant moonshine questions soon. A belated thanks, rad14701, for your post, which takes me ever closer to understanding. I've been reading around the forum - safety, etc. This is such a complex subj...

If I could offer a good suggested reading, Eliot Wigginton - The Foxfire Book - Volume 01. I ordered this book a few days ago. I'd forgotten about the Foxfire series--though I used several of the books as background for other writing. It should help me make distinctions between distilling then and ...

My folks moved to XXX County in Virginia in 1980. That county used more sugar than any other county in the US, and not a week went by that a still was not busted in those Blue Ridge Mountain hollers. No doubt they are cookin right now :) edge. I'm glad you mentioned the sugar-- I've got sugar in th...

Wow, I've come to the right place. I watched several Popcorn videos-- love him and other youtubes, too. FireFox! Thanks for this. Will do, asap. Slobber box? What's that? I'm still getting onto the lingo. I'll definitely give your group an acknowledgement in the credits of this book--unless that's n...

turnip.still.jpg I appreciate your help and your interest. These chapters may not be ready for a month or so, and when I post them please feel free to laugh at my feeble understanding, and suggest corrections and changes! For now, here are a couple of questions. 1. Do you have any idea how a cap wa...

Thanks for the great details. I'm going to read as much of your forum posts as I can, and I'll definitely post chapters here so you can help me with the accuracy. I'm sure I'll have more questions as I get into the topic.

I'm not familiar yet with the site. Where should I post a chapter?

Hi - I'm a writer, not a distiller, and I'm writing a story set in 1915 in which the characters have a still. I've been reading about old-time stills in Appalachia, and hope to learn a lot more here. Here's my opening question: My characters are making corn liquor, and one of them ruins it. I've hea...