Home Distiller

I thought I was. Recently talked with an old neighbor of my great grandfather and was pleasantly surprised to find out that he made shine way back in the 1930s. Confirmed some of the tales I heard today with a great aunt who is still alive ( 102 and sharp as a tack) she said that I shouldnt talk about such things in public... If I get busted can I claim it was a family tradition?? Not too worried about getting busted as I am only making alternative fuels for my mower...
Latigo

I am a first gen shiner, but my family has made homemade wine for generations, I just took it to the next level.

I'm pretty sure I am. My grandfather grew his own corn, watermelons and blackberries (along with other less fermentable crops like black eyed peas and onions). I know he drank his share of shine in his younger days. But to my knowledge, none distilled. I'm sure somebody somewhere in my family has before though.

Found out just before my mother died a couple years ago (she was 93) that her father (my grandfather) made shine back in Texas. I only met him once in my life so really don't have any history to share!

I help my dad make some when I was 6 or 7, never seen it before or after at the house but all his side was from the Kentucky hills and they were straight hillbillys.

My grandmother just told me that she has to clean up the mess a couple times from my grandfather's still blowing up. She was not happy about it. He was a respectable member of the community and a chemist.

I'm atleast third generation, dont know beyond that...

I don't know that he had a still, but my grandpa used to make apple jack by freezing. Going back farther his branch of the family is connected to the hatfield family, and that area of the country, so I'm sure there was some moonshining somewhere.

My family goes way back in shining. They are from Kentucky and I have heard some great stories.

My grandfather on my Dad's side emmigrated to Canada from Scotland in 1903. When I started running my still dad mentioned a bit about him and that he did it too. That was it, dad never. Now my mothers side...that's a different story. I still have cousins and aunts who distill as well as one cousins hubby. That goes back at least a couple generations. The down side is that there was (is?) a lot of alcoholism on my mothers side. She was always against drinking or drinking too much. Have a party and she'd be trying to stuff the food into everybody to "keep them sober'. 5 of her 6 brothers were alcoholic's and died pretty much a result of it. My one uncle drank a 40oz of alcool and 12-15 beer per day for many many years.

I guess I'm first gen in my immediate family, not sure if there will be a second gen though. We'll see when the boys hit 20 or so. Both know that I distill and both know to keep their traps shut. I'm "making my wine" whenever their friends see my pails fermenting.

Long line of generations that were, couldn't tell you how many, skipped my dad as they were all from my moms side. Only one still alive to my knowledge.

Members of my family hadn't even heard of moonshine, so I guess that I'm 1st generation.

No shiners directly up the family tree, but my brother & I are rectifying that situation. My ex-father-in-law has shared knowledge, shine & recipes. His corn is very similar to UJSSM.

Father in law is Ukrainian, he started tending the still at 6yo, its was his father's so at least 3generations. They are grappa distillers and the reason I started.

Rossco

The only thing I know is that back in the old country, my father's family had a seasonal business of collecting grape pomace and then distributing to the grappa makers. I think part of their job was wrapping the pomace in a way that ensured its viability over a short, but extended period of time. Not sure if the grappa makers were legal or not. I'll have to ask my uncle Guido.

My Great Grandmother served time in Prison for Shinin in North Idaho, My Great Uncle importer Canadian Whiskey durring prohibition while my Grandfather was an Idaho State Policeman, my dad always had a still goin in the basement. Guess I anit 1st generation

I am a 3rd gen moonshiner as far as I know. My great-great grandfather made it during prohibition, and his dad did it also. So I guess that makes me a 3rd gen. My family roots have been traced back in America to the early 1600s, so who knows how many others made shine.

This thread made me ask my parents if they had ever fermented anything cas i know my pa raised bees. Asking further back then that was a mute point. Where im from, ya dont speek of things that might shine a bad light on yer name. I have, back in my genealogy, sisters (on paper)who were actually mother and daughter because shame is not to be brought on this family. Apparently... So i guess (however unlikely) im first gen.

3rd gen brewer (at least) first gen distiller (that i know of)

thought i was too till my aunt told me a story about my grandfather and great uncle getting busted for it back in the 40s. apparently my grandfather talked my great uncle into taking the blame for it in exchange for all the prosceeds from their last run... musta been one hell of a run lol. my dads a baptist preacher. figures he woulda left that out of the family lore

My older brother and I always suspected that my grandpa on my pa's side was somehow involved in bootlegging. He died before we were born, but there were some indications that he was a black sheep. He lost an arm when he rolled a car and he eventually died in a car wreck in the 1930's. Others in the family were always very close-mouthed about grandpa and some of his exploits. Don't know for sure - but, may have been a transporter.

Once when I was real young (mid 1950's, or so), my brother and I were at the body shop with pa and he was helping someone build a big tank into the back of an early 50's model ford. I don't think he ever moonshined, but he may have been indirectly involved in the transport of illegal likker.

Anyway, other than some suspected activity, I think I may be 1st generation. My daughter seems to want to be 2nd gen.

Just sayin',
S-C