The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-01-30
MAKING MOUNTAIN DEW.
It Il an Easy Matter When Once
the Still Is Obtained
Some Interesting Points Given By
One Who Has Been Engaged
In Producing Moonshins
Whisky.

1NOSe WHO KNOW Oy dctildi experience
how the "moonshiner" makes his
mountain dew" are loath to tell how
it is done. They reason, and not with
out good sense, that it Is a dangerous
secret, and therefore it is matter of
some difficulty to persuade one TO tell
that the very minute he starts a brew,
that minute he is a criminal in the eyes
of the law. His individual views as
10 the criminality of his act do not at
eli coincide with the law on this sub
iect, however. The moonshiuer be-
Eeves that he has as much right to con-
vert his corn into whisky as the gar
Gener has to make sauce out of his
tomatoes, or the grape grower to distill
the juice of his fruit into wine. That
is the way he looks at the crime OF illicit
distilling. AL the laws in the kingdom
cannot change his view of the matter
He imagines that the government has
particular spite to vent against him, and
therefore he regards civilized man as
his ruthless enemy. He holds the Off
Ger, whose sworn duty it is to enforce
the law, in as much odium as society en-
tertains for the moonshiner. He will
stubbornly insist that he is more sinned
against than SHINING.
The moonshiners Of this country
have been unjustly compared to the
smugglers who infest the mountainous
regions of Europe and traffic in con-
traband commodities and articles. Asa
rnle, they are not as desperate lot as
they are painted. Some have slain to
protect themselves from what they
deem unjust and outrageous laws, but
that is done by men in other walks of
life, and such are not denominated des-
peradoes.
But this is depressing from the sub
iect. How is mountain dew" made?
The idea of the average person whose
environments in life have been such as
would afford no opportunities for
cleaning the secret Of the moonshiner,
would take in some fine chemical proc
esq that could not have originated in
any but a college professors mind. and
yet the way in which the rugged moon
sinner makes his dew does not in
clude anything that the college student
encountered in his study of chemistry,
from purely practical point of view.
The process is simple. The moon
sinner sends his corn to mill to have il
ground. 1t is converted into meal, the
same as is used to make corn bread.
This meal is put in a tub or barrel of
boiling water. In this way it is cooked.
It sits until u is cool enough to burn
the hands when they are pat in it. II
is stirred up we'll and then put in the
still. The still is then filed with cold
water. After that the malt is added.
Malt is made by putting corn in water
aud letting it soak two OF three days.
or until it sprouts. (Then it is malted.)
The malt is ground the same az the oorn
was and to every bushel % corn is added
16 single handfuls of malt. The malt
same time. Then the brew stands until
It sours. which requires several days.
In that time it begins to work or fer
ment. A crust, or cap. as it is called by
the moon sinners, of bran forms on the
top of the water. This cap is blush in
color. It is not disturbed at all. In a
short time this cap" settles to the bot
tom where it came from. The weight Of
the solidifed mass of bran or husks
causes it to sink. The fire is then start
ed under the still and il is only matter
of two or three hours until about two
- ;cl-r
The moonshiner then has two gallons
Of "dew" which he can sell for from
two to five dollars, as the needs of the
purchaser may justify, and he has con-
summed six days and bushel of corn in
making it. Thus one buShel of corn
yields two gallons of whisky, which may
bring, in the moonshiner's market,
from four to ten dollars. About 30 gal
Ions of water arc used to brew one
bushel of corn.
do moonshiners buy or make the
stills?" asked the representative of the
young man who explained the process
OF making the whisky.
"They are bought" he answered;
though have known of people max
ing their stills. A STILL" he continued,
noting the inquisitive look on the faces
Of his listeners, sis large copper ket-
tie, shaped like a cistern. They hold
from so to co gallons. Over the neck
of the still a cap fits the same as
one joint of stovepipe fits over
another. From the top OF this
cap an arm runs out about ten
inches long. To this arm is attached |
the worm. Well. the worm is coil of
pipe about 10 feet long. 1t is through |
this that the evapo.ation OF the steam |
from the still passes The worm Is
coiled in the fake stand. which is filed |
with water for the purpose Of keeping |
the worm cool If the worm was not |
thus cooled 10 evaporation would take |
place, OF at least not Immediately The |
other end Of the worm runs out OF the |
Sake stand into the mouth Of funnel, |
which is placed in the key or Jug that |
catches the run. From the time the
fire was started under the still until the /
brew is finished has consumed about |
two hours"
The whisky made by moonshiners is
tie very hess when il has /
a little OF age on IL. They DO not color |
II, but sell IL Just as It comes out Of the
stiIl. It is then as clear as water
Memphis Commercial Appeal. J