San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1897-03-13
MAKING MOUNTAIN DEW.
It Is an Easy Matter When Once
the Still Is Obtained.
Some Interesting Points Given by
One Who Has Been Engaged
in Producing MOonshine
Whisky.

Those who know by actual experience
low 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 dangerous
secret, and therefore it is a matter of
some difficulty to persuade one to tell
his secret. The ''moonshiner" knows
that the very minute he starts 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
ell coincide with the law on this sub
iect, however The moonshiuer be-
ueves that he has as much right to con-
vert his corn into whisky as the gar
dener 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. All the laws in the kingdom
cannot change his view of the matter
He imagines that the government has a
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 be is more sinned
against than SHINING.
The moonshiners of this country
have been unjustly compared to the
Gmugglers who infest the mountainous
regions of Europe and traffic in con-
traband commodities and articles. AS a
rule, 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
itct. 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
ess that could not have originated in
any but 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 it
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.
1t sits until Il is cool enough to burn
the hands when they are put in it. 1t
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
and letting it soak two or three days,
or until it sprouts. (Then it is matted. }
The malt is ground the same as the corn
was and to every bushel oe corn is added
1G single handfuls of malt. The malt
and the cold water are added at the
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 moonshiners, of bran forms on the
top of the water. This cap is blush II
color. 1t is not disturbed at all. In {
short time this cap" settles to the bot
tom where it came from. The weight o.
the solicited mass of bran or husks
causes it to sink. The fire is then start
ed under the still and it is only mattel
of two or three hours until about twt
gallons of whisky have been distilled
The moonshiner then has two gallons
Of "dew" which he can sell for from
two to five dollars, as the needs of tn
purchaser may justify, and he has con
sumed six days and a bushel of corn &
making it. Thus one bushel of cor
yields two gallons of whisky, which ma
bring, in the moonshiRer's marbe'
from four to ten dollars. About 80 ga
Ions of water are used 70 brew on