What should moonshine smell like

I don't know if that is what it is, but it can smell sort of like paint. I also know that it can be a fermentation product and that it is a product of the liver oxidizing ethanol. It's something of a hangover bomb. FL shaver. I have had it several times since and not detected it. I am curious if it was a bad pour, or a bad bottle, or a bad barrell If try to take it back. I did email the company and asked them about it..

This is strange as Makers Mark has high quality standards. I once sent back a famous brand beer because I tasted soap. Maybe our taste buds can be off at times. Looking back I don't think there was not anything wrong with the beer, I just think I was projecting. What ever, it is just a thought. I have tasted the "moonshine" labeled stuff and was unimpressed. If the original poster wants to taste a real moonshine taste then he might try a George Dickel white, whatever it is called, the unaged stuff.

That tastes like moonshine. It pairs nicely with a Miller to get the full corn wang. Click to expand TexLaw said:. It tends to taste like what it is: unfinished.

Especially the higher proof stuff. Was the stuff you drank made from corn? Macduff said:. Copper packing helps to get rid of it. I'm not using any packing. Originally Posted by: Taylorboy I'm not using any packing. It's a beer keg that is practically brand new.

Do y'all think it might be bc I'm using city water and maybe if I buy distilled water and use it than maybe that might fix it I know it's not my still bc all the parts a're brand new and only been ran a few times. I'm running a pot still and my column is stainless For pot only one coil of copper for just vodka, fill the tower with copper mesh.

I've seen on tv them guys fare running it through some kinda filter after the shine drips outta the worm I see it now. Then let us know if the smell improves and if you see any black flakes. If you're a beginner read this. Post by Lonesome Loins » Sat Jan 25, am Every post in response makes complete sense to me. And that is what I've been doing, making ml cuts or so until I get to the obvious tails where I''m just going to throw it back into the next run.

It mellows in a few days. I assumed that if you did everything correctly, you would still get some fusel oils or whatever even tho' you've fractioned off the methanol in the fore shots. Am I making sense to anyone?

What I really want is a pure neutral spirit that I can use for vodka or for making gin. I don't have any ambition to make something else because I know I won't have the patience PLUS my belief is that any congeners, whether acetone, acetaldehyde, esters, fusel alcohols, tannins, aldehydes or whatever may be great for flavor, but not so good in my blood stream whether because of headache or other health issues.

Again, does this make sense to anyone? Post by Fastill » Sat Jan 25, am If you are getting a bananna like nail polish remover smell in your hearts, then you are smearing your heads into them or not making proper cuts. Heads smell like banannas to me. I don't know how to describe a neutral taste for alcohol, because it tastes just like alcohol. That should get you started at a good neutral, but depending on the column design, you might need to turn up the heat to get more redistillations in the column.

This hobby takes time and dedication to learn and do it right and safe. Fill the pool before you jump in head first! Post by Prairiepiss » Sat Jan 25, am Well what do you mean by moonshine? Everything we make can be called moonshine. So it depends on what you call moonshine. Personaly I don't think moonshine is made with a reflux still. It's made with a pot still maybe with a thumper. But that's me.

I also think a good moonshine won't burn until it hits your belly. Then it will warm you from the inside out.

It has very little flavor. Maybe a hint of the grain used. And just goes down smooth. Almost a really nice drinking vodka. The name of the game here is reducing the sediment in your mash water to as close to zero as possible. Now for the fun part! Distillation is an incredible process. Distillation is the process of separating different chemicals by taking advantage of different evaporation temperatures between the chemicals.

This process is not creating alcohol, it is separating it from all of the other substances in your mash water. You created all of the alcohol during fermentation well, the yeast did. Next, dial up your heat source to high until your still starts producing. Time your drips as they speed up until you reach 3 to 5 drips per second. Congratulations, you went from researching How to Make Moonshine to making your own moonshine!

Never use plastic containers as this can lace your product with BPA among causing other issues. These contain the earliest-evaporating alcohols in your mash water and should never be ingested. Foreshots can contain methanol and should never ever be consumed.

Methanol can make you blind among causing other problems. Collect the foreshots in their own container and throw them out. The heads also contain volatile alcohols like the foreshots. However, rather than causing blindness, the effects are less extreme — like one hell of a hangover. Like the foreshots, collect your heads in their own containers and throw them out. This is the good stuff, mostly ethanol.

At this point you should start losing the harsh, solvent smell present during the heads. The flavor of corn mash moonshine should now be smooth and sweet. This is the stage where skill and experience come most into play. Isolating your hearts well, while maximizing production of them is a bit of an art.

As you reach the end of the ethanol and move into the final stage of your production you hit the tails. The tails will taste very different from the hearts.

The product will begin to feel slippery between your fingers. This is due to water, carbohydrates, and proteins present. You can set your tails aside for later distillation or toss them. You made it, well done.