How to Make Quick and Tasty Moonshine Whiskey

Reviewed by Sander Raav

Last Updated: March 11, 2024 Approved

Whiskey has been warming the hearts of cowboys, billionaires, and everyone in between for hundreds of years. From the stuff of moonshine legends to the finest of scotches, whiskey is a definite crowd pleaser. However, before you embark on your whiskey-making journey, you should be aware that making whiskey at home is regarded as illegal by federal law.

Federal law states that it is legal to own a still, regardless of size, but that it is illegal to distill alcohol unless you have a Federal Fuel Alcohol permit (which would be the one you would apply for as an individual distiller) or a Distilled Spirits permit (which is what big companies like Jack Daniels apply for). State laws vary on the subject of distillation and owning stills. You should run an internet search about your state laws before you start distilling your whiskey.

Part 1

Part 1 of 4:

Making the Mash

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Corn Whiskey Recipe

This may sound like an odd thing to do, but your corn needs to sprout and putting it in a burlap sack will help the sprouting process along. Once all of your corn is contained in the burlap sack, cover the sack with warm water. You can do this by placing the bag in a tub or large (super large) bucket.
You will need to keep the corn moist for roughly 10 days. Check your corn for sprouts. When the sprouts have grown so that they are ¼ of an inch long, your corn is ready for the next step in the recipe.

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Wash your corn in a tub, making sure to scrub away any dirt along with the corn sprouts. If your corn has roots, scrub these away too. Move the washed corn to your primary fermenter.
This is called making the mash. Make sure that each kernel gets thoroughly cracked. When you are sure all of the kernels are cracked, add five gallons of boiling water to your mash.
When the water has cooled down to 86º F (30º C) add one cup of champagne yeast starter. Mix the ingredients together.

Rye Whiskey Recipe

1ºC) . When the water has reached the desired temperature, add seven pounds of rye grain, two pounds of barley, and one pound of malt. Stir all of the ingredients together.
You will have to constantly stir the mixture. While stirring, increase the temperature of the mash by five degrees every two minutes. When the temperature reaches 160 ºF (71.1ºC), do not raise the temperature anymore.
You will need to keep the temperature at 160ºF (71.1ºC) so that the starch turns into fermentable sugar and dextrin. This can only be achieved by continuing to stir for two to three hours.
Let your mash cool down to 70ºF (21.1ºC). Add three grams of yeast and stir the mixture well.

Part 2

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Fermentation

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1
Transfer your mash to a fermenter. You can use a funnel to pour your mash into the fermenter of your choice. Many home brewers use glass carboys, which are essentially large glass bottles. You can often buy them with an air lock (which you will definitely need). ^{[1]
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- You can also make your own air lock. To do this, drill a hole in your carboy cork or lid that exactly the size of surgical tubing (which you will also need for this method to work). Once you have drilled the hole, run the surgical tubing into the hole, letting the other end of the tubing hang down into a glass or jar of water.
Once you have added all of the mash and yeast, you will need to seal your fermenter with an airlock so that absolutely no air can get in or out of your fermentation device. The process of fermentation involves the sugars in your mash, like glucose or fructose, getting converted into ethanol and carbon dioxide. ^{[2]
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The length of time you should let your mash ferment will depend on the recipe you used. It could anywhere from a couple of days to longer than a week. For the corn whiskey recipe listed above, let your mash ferment for seven to ten days. For the rye whiskey recipe, let the mash ferment for five to seven days.
4
Know how to tell when your mash is done fermenting. There are several ways to tell you can safely take your whiskey out of your fermenter. The best and most accurate way to tell if the fermentation process has ended is by using a hydrometer, though you can also do a visual inspection.
- Using a Hydrometer: Hydrometers measure the density of a liquid compared to the density of water. When the mash is done fermenting, the number reading on the hydrometer should stay the same. You should take a reading one time each day, for three days around the time when your recipe says your mash should be done fermenting. A good way to use the hydrometer is to take a sample of your mash by using a wine thief or turkey baster. Put this small sample into a graduated cylinder. Lower the hydrometer into the cylinder and gently swirl it around to release any bubbles. Take a reading right at the level of the liquid. This reading should be the same for three days in a row.
It is recommended that you use a hydrometer to determine whether or not your mash is done fermenting, however if you really don’t want to buy one, you can try to do a visual inspection of your fermenter. Inspect the top outer edge of the fermenter. Are there any bubbles being formed? The day that you notice there are no bubbles forming, give your mash one more day to ferment and then move on to the distillation process.

Part 3

Part 3 of 4:

Distillation

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The process of distillation focuses on separating the ethanol (alcohol) created in the fermentation process from the wort (or used mash). The goal is to get 80% ethanol and 20% flavors and water from the mash.
For safety reasons, it is generally in your best interest to buy a copper or stainless steel still from a still making company. There are plenty of websites that have quality stills for purchase. If, however, you would prefer to take on the project of building your own still, you can learn how to do so here.
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Transfer your fermented wort to your still. Fermented wort is referred to as ‘wash’. To transfer your wash, you will need to strain or siphon your wash through a cheesecloth and then into your still. The cheesecloth is necessary because you want to allow as few of the larger chunks of mash into the still as possible. If you choose to siphon your wash rather than strain in, try to leave as much of the solid chunks in the bottom of the fermenter.
- If you do end up with some of the larger chunks in your still, its not the end of the world. You can leave them in there.
You will have to assemble the rest of the still according the instructions that came with it. Again, if you have made your own still and want to refer back to the wikiHow instructions, click here. Once the rest of the still is assembled, slowly heat your wash. If you heat your wash too quickly, you may burn it. Over the course of 30 to 60 minutes, bring your wash to a boil.
On your still, there should be a thermometer placed right before the cooling condenser. As the wash boils, keep on an eye on this thermometer. When it reads 120º F- 140º F (50º C-60º C), start the cooling water for the condenser tube. Doing this will begin your distillation process.
Once you have added the cooling water, the condenser will begin to drip. For a wash that is five gallons in size, you will want to throw out the first 50 milliliters (1.7 fl oz) (¼ cup) that comes out of the condenser. This first bit is called the ‘head’ and is the methanol boiling out of the wash. The head has a nasty flavor that you will not want mixing with the rest of your whiskey.
Once you have thrown out the head, read the thermometer again. It should read 175º F-185º F (80º C-85º C). At this time, the distillate coming out of the distiller is the ethanol boiling off, or the “body”. This is the liquid gold you’ve been waiting for. You will want to collect the body in 500 milliliters (16.9 fl oz) containers so that you can keep track of your product.
When the temperature has reached roughly 205º F (96º C), you will want to stop collecting the distillate. The liquid now coming out of the distiller is call the ‘tails’. This will also give your whiskey a bad flavor, so keep it separate from the body.
After you have collected all of your distillate, you will need to let each part of the still cool (be careful--it is very hot). Once it has cooled, clean it well.

Part 4

Part 4 of 4:

Aging and Bottling

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1
Select your aging process. Most whiskeys are aged in oak barrels. However, if you don’t have any oak barrels on hand, you can also add oak chips to your whiskey while it ages in another jar or container. Allowing the whiskey to age will give it that beautiful whiskey flavor that we all love. You can buy both charred oak barrels and oak chips online. ^{[3]
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- If you choose to age your whiskey in a jar or other closed container, you will need to regularly open the jar to let the alcohol vapors escape as they would do if being aged in a wooden barrel (this escaped vapor is called the “angels share”). Let your jars breath once a week at a minimum.
- If you choose to use a barrel, fill your barrel with warm water first. Doing this will cause the wood to swell, effectively sealing off any cracks the wood might have. This is important to do or else your whiskey might leak out of your barrel.
When making whiskey at home, the aging process takes a lot less time than commercial distillers take, as you are no doubt making a much smaller batch of whiskey. Because of this, your whiskey is more exposed to the wood of the barrel or chips, because there is less liquid vying for a spot up against the wood. Your whiskey will be aged in a matter of months.
When aging whiskey at home, there is a chance that you might ‘over oak’ your liquor. To avoid this, sample your whiskey once every three or so weeks. ^{[4]
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To determine your whiskey’s alcohol content (ABV) you can use your distiller’s hydrometer. Keep in mind that a whiskey with 75 to 80% alcohol is going to be a relatively unpleasant thing to drink. In general, whiskey gets diluted to 80 proof, or 40% alcohol. To dilute, add water.
Once your whiskey has reached the taste and color you prefer, its time to bottle it. Store your bottled whiskey or enjoy it immediately, the choice is yours. Enjoy!

Community Q&A

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Question

Can I add sugar to the mash?

Community Answer

Yes, but the recipe is a bit different from what you read above. For 5 gallons of mash, try using 7 lbs. of granulated cane sugar, 5.5 lbs. of cracked corn, and 1.5 lbs. of rye. Add water to get to the 5 total gallons of volume, and stir vigorously for a couple of minutes. Put the mixture into your fermenter, and pitch the yeast. You don't need to heat this recipe until the distillation steps--the sugar is the source of fuel for the yeast. The corn and rye are really just for flavoring. This is technically called a sugar-headed corn whiskey.

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Question

Can I use regular copper tubing and brass fittings from the hardware store?

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Yes, as these materials are generally used for drinking water. Copper tubing is also used for hot water delivery.

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To redistill, do I only put the first distillate in the still? Is it okay to have such a small volume of liquid in the still?

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To redistill, you generally distill several mashes and collect these runs. These are called low wines. When you have enough low wines to fill your boiler you can do the spirit run. This is the money run and must be performed "low and slow." Collect the spirit run in small glasses. After a days airing time you smell and taste each glass to determine your "cuts." First glasses will be "foreshots and heads" and the last glasses will be "tails." It's the "hearts" in between that you want to keep.

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Tips

Avoid plastic as much as possible. Holding your whiskey inside of it for a long time can give it a horrible taste.

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Always use extreme caution when handling glass carboys. If broken, they can cause serious harm.

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Warnings

Be aware that Methanol is toxic. Use extreme caution when distilling it.

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Know that making whiskey at home is considered illegal by federal law unless you possess a Federal Distilled Spirits permit, or a Federal Fuel Alcohol permit. Each state, however, varies in its ruling on home brewing alcohol. Run an internet search to learn about the laws in your state.

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Things You'll Need

Corn Whiskey Mash

10 lbs. Whole kernel corn, untreated
5 gallons (18.9 L) Water
1 Cup Yeast, champagne yeast starter
Burlap sack
Bucket and water