# Stills, a Good Preppers Tool?



## RogerD (Mar 31, 2014)

This ideal has been on my mind for a while now. I have a nice size small farm (68 acres) thats nicely hidden from sight and have the equipment to grow my own grains for a still. I'm thinking alcohol would be a good barter item plus the left over mash is a good animal feed. I'm also looking at trying to convert one of my old tractors to ethanol, so I will have a long term fuel source. I decided to pull the trigger on this ideal and ordered one, it will be delivered today. I have applied for my ethanol permit. While this will permit me to to produce ethanal for fuel legally, it will also let me get experience distilling. So if a SHTF scenario does happened and our gov't fall apart, so does the laws about moonshining.


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## PalmettoTree (Jun 8, 2013)

That is not a bad idea.


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## Moonshinedave (Mar 28, 2013)

I think it is a GREAT idea. Despite my screen name, I have never made distilled alcohol, but have often thought of it. I can see many uses, and demand, for the product. I think its very wise move on your part. Best of luck keep us updated on the progress ok?


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## paraquack (Mar 1, 2013)

Not sure, but I'm pretty sure you can distill a limited amount of moonshine (and make wine) for your own use and consumption, as long as you don't sell it. I'll try and research it more.

*OPPS, guess I'm sort of wrong. * You can distill it but you must get permits (Federal and state), and pay excise taxes even if it is for you own consumption.

Stolen from: https://www.eckraus.com/faqs/
Since 1978 the Federal Government has made home wine making legal. However, there are some limitations. A household of two adults or more can make up to 200 gallons of homemade wine annually. Single adult households can make up to 100 gallons of homemade wine annually. You may also want to check with your state and local authorities to see if there happens to be any other local restrictions in your area on home wine making.


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## Beach Kowboy (Feb 13, 2014)

Great idea. We have been putting together the info to do our own. I know an old timer that said he would show me how as well. We have the property and also plan on growing our own stuff to make our so we wont even have to buy the grains and stuff.


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## Oddcaliber (Feb 17, 2014)

Fuel and booze,cant go wrong with either. But don't drink and drive!


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## RogerD (Mar 31, 2014)

Just got it in and unpacked, the dreaded words, some assembly required. ......


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## Inor (Mar 22, 2013)

RogerD said:


> Just got it in and unpacked, the dreaded words, some assembly required. ......
> 
> View attachment 5244


OUTSTANDING! Where did you get it?


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## RogerD (Mar 31, 2014)

Inor said:


> OUTSTANDING! Where did you get it?


The guy list them on ebay. But I did deal with him direct. Called fireball stills out of Georgia. Made a deal with them for $625 for the pot still, thumper and worm with shipping. It's a 26 gal pot.


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## MrsInor (Apr 15, 2013)

RogerD said:


> The guy list them on ebay. But I did deal with him direct. Called fireball stills out of Georgia. Made a deal with them for $625 for the pot still, thumper and worm with shipping. It's a 26 gal pot.


NO Inor.


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## RogerD (Mar 31, 2014)

MrsInor said:


> NO Inor.


So funny!


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## Inor (Mar 22, 2013)

RogerD said:


> So funny!
> 
> View attachment 5245


I guess this might be a "long-term" project rather than a "short-term" one...


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## Just Sayin' (Dec 5, 2013)

MrsInor said:


> NO Inor.


The way around that "NO" is to convince one of your neighbors that he needs one, Inor! Then when he gets tired of playing around with it, you can get it at a bargain price...


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## RogerD (Mar 31, 2014)

Update, started my first run to see how it all works. First mistake was cooking my mash up wind from the goats, they went nuts over the smell of the cooking corn. They got out of their pen and drove me crazy, stupid goats!


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## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

RogerD said:


> Just got it in and unpacked, the dreaded words, some assembly required. ......
> 
> View attachment 5244


Roger that is Sweet! Care to post a link to the site that you bought it? Love it!


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## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

I posted my question before I read the entire thread. I am going to get one!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## Inor (Mar 22, 2013)

Slippy said:


> I posted my question before I read the entire thread. I am going to get one!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Once you get yours on order, please let me know what you used for "secret words" to Mrs Slippy...


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## PalmettoTree (Jun 8, 2013)

Re you building your still the old fashion war? With an old car radiator.


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## PaulS (Mar 11, 2013)

The ATFE issues free permits to produce up to 10,000 gallons of fuel alcohol per year for personal use. If you sell it then you need to meet different standards and pay different fees. I am not currently producing alcohol but I am researching the different techniques to distill it. I am concentrating on solar and reflux stills hoping that I can build a hybrid that will be very efficient and inexpensive to operate. Since most of the distilling will take place in the summer months I have an excellent location for a solar distillery. With no fuel costs the initial investment will be rather high but it will rapidly pay for itself. I have two reflux stills and have been using them to distill rain water for drinking (experimentally) and I can produce a lot more water than I can drink. Since alcohol takes less heat I should be able to meet the 10,000 gallon limit in the summer season here.

The benefit of using the more complex reflux still is that you don't have to worry about getting anything from a lower boiling point in your product - the temperature controls the distillate that you recover. When distilling water any alcohol or lighter esters stay above the distillation temperature so you only get water from the still. When distilling alcohol the water stays a liquid in the stack and the higher esters stay in vapor form while the alcohol is removed. It is common to dump the first gallon or two from a pot still to eliminate the higher esters from the batch so you get only alcohol and water. 140 proof is considered good for a single run through a pot still while 190 proof is common from a reflux still.


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## Leon (Jan 30, 2012)

You have no idea how good a still is for prepping. Make water, make mint and essential oils, alcohol, vinegar, it does it all! I would recommend stainless steel though as copper tends to tarnish and be a pain in the ass. Mile high distilling makes a really great prefabricated job for affordable prices. They make from like 1-50 gallon models all of stainless.


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## Inor (Mar 22, 2013)

Thanks Leon!

Here is a pretty cool starter kit from them. It looks like a fairly affordable way to try out the process before sinking big money into a real setup.

MR DISTILLER Mile Hi Distilling MR DISTILLER Moonshine Distilling Alcohol Still and Essential oils.

Hmmm....


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## RogerD (Mar 31, 2014)

There's a place close to me, across the border in Kentucky that make them. I may try one in the future, but starting out I wanted to go "old school".

http://www.hillbillystills.com/moonshine_stills_and_pot_still_heads_s/44.htm


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## pharmer14 (Oct 27, 2012)

The missing discussion about distilling is the potential for those of us who live by salt water... Same concept can be applied to get fresh water from the ocean... then mix back in say 10-20% ocean water to make it closer to what salt level your body needs.

Interesting stuff... I've often thought of going to ethanol for fuel. But I wouldn't want to do it at my current location... Just too many prying eyes about...


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## Leon (Jan 30, 2012)

Inor said:


> Thanks Leon!
> 
> Here is a pretty cool starter kit from them. It looks like a fairly affordable way to try out the process before sinking big money into a real setup.
> 
> ...


Nah no that's a little pricey and what have you, they also sell alembic stills this one we got is copper but it was only about 200 bucks. And its an actual still not the countertop one.


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## Inor (Mar 22, 2013)

pharmer14 said:


> The missing discussion about distilling is the potential for those of us who live by salt water... Same concept can be applied to get fresh water from the ocean... then mix back in say 10-20% ocean water to make it closer to what salt level your body needs.
> 
> Interesting stuff... I've often thought of going to ethanol for fuel. But I wouldn't want to do it at my current location... Just too many prying eyes about...


I find this whole distillery discussion fascinating as hell. I have not been studying it long. A few months back one of the guys here posted a long video (about 30 minutes) that went through the whole process in detail. Since then I have been doing a little bit of digging.

The one thing that has been perplexing me though is the prices... From what I have seen (only on internet), a quart of good hooch is going for either $10 or $150 dollars. Huh? I know that a bottle of Everclear, which is basically the same thing, is going for $18 locally here. (I know that for a fact since I recently bought a bunch for Mrs Inor to make tinctures.) But even at the low end, it seems that a guy's distilling talents would be much more valuable in the libations field than burning through your Chrysler. I mean, that is $40 per gallon!


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## Inor (Mar 22, 2013)

Leon said:


> Nah no that's a little pricey and what have you, they also sell alembic stills this one we got is copper but it was only about 200 bucks. And its an actual still not the countertop one.


Thanks for the info. Some day, not this year but probably next, I am going to put that to good use!


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## Leon (Jan 30, 2012)

Inor said:


> Thanks for the info. Some day, not this year but probably next, I am going to put that to good use!


Alembic 1.3 gallon Copper Still - Mile Hi Distilling

That's the one Hank got and we ran it and damn if it didn't do the job that small water capacity was a bit of a problem we had to get some flow and ice going in there to keep it where we wanted it. On old fashioned stills if you don't have that worm good and cool it'll make your whiskey mean as hell.


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## RogerD (Mar 31, 2014)

Be careful Inor, it can be addictive (the distilling part)! Going price around these parts for some good smooth brew is $20 to $25 a quart. Then there's the flavors you can do, my favorite is the apple pie one.


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