Let's talk moonshine: popular in your area?

[supton]

Originally Posted By: Kira
The once or twice I've tried "homemade" the inside of my mouth peeled.


I know it can be drunk straight, but I thought the origin of moonshine was to be high proof, so it'd take up less space; and then ultimately mixed into something to make it palatable (and less strong).

That said, not sure I've heard of moonshine in my area. I'm sure it's around, just not heard of it. I do have a friend who brews his own beer, but that's different.

 

[pandus13]

Originally Posted By: DBMaster
Wow, you win! A friend of mine is married to an Albanian woman. He's brought me some rakia that they make themselves over there. It's quite good.

But, I have to ask, what kind of winter coat can be used as a food source for yeast?

albanian rakia (at least what i tasted) is made from grapes
the prune double distilled (consistent sweetness, without headaches) can be made up to 70-80% proof.
...saw a 5 minutes "knockout" from a young guy who tasted a shot. 5 minutes later he was fast asleep.

the winter coat, check any soviet/russian winter war documentary: those cheap winter coats where standard issue in the army or many industrial factories. the urban legend was if you wanted cheap alcohol, you can get a well wear used winter coat and let it ferment...

 

[Garak]

It used to be a big thing here, and I had seen some as soon as twenty years or so ago; not sure if it's around much any longer. Wine and beer making have always been somewhat common here, particularly the wine in rural areas. There had been prohibition here at one time, so the techniques certainly existed.

 

[john_pifer]

Originally Posted By: HosteenJorje
There are hundreds of thousands of gallons of it made within a hundred miles of here and it's all laced with gasoline to stop pilfering. Every drunk in the state would be all over those ethanol tankers like "stink on a monkey" if the ethanol plants didn't add gasoline to each tank car.


Usually it's actually not laced with gasoline, but with methanol (wood alcohol). The result is called denatured alcohol.

 

[SR5]

Originally Posted By: pandus13
Originally Posted By: bubbatime
Cheap liquor for drunks.

...beat you and raise you one:
story from my childhood, 40 years ago in an industrial zone in an eastern-european communist country:
when alcohol/wine/beer and semi-legal Prune/pear/apple/berries double distilled where not available, here comes:
-filtered trough bread 80% medical blue alcohol (rubbing alcohol)
-potato peels fermented and double distilled
-sugar beet remains stolen from the factory next door, fermented and double distilled
-sugar stolen from the same next door factory fermented and double distilled
-old winter coats fermented and double distilled

fun thing growing up in a neighborhood of drunks....


In the tropical regions of Australia, you get a green coconut that is full of fluid, knock the top off with a machete, put a smear of vegemite (yeast extract spread) inside, drop the top back on, leave it sit under the coconut tree for a few days. Drink and enjoy (sort of). Not distilled, but you can't get easier than that.