The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1897-03-13
MAKING MOUNTAIN DEW.
It Is an Easy Matter When Once
the Still Is Obtained
Some Interesting Polnts Given By
Ons Who. Has Been Engaged
In Producing Moonshine
Whisky.

Those who know by actnal experience
how the "moonshiner" makes his
"mountain dew" are loa:h 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
his secret. The "moonshiner" knows
that the very minute he starts brew,
that minute he is criminal in the eyes
of the law. His individual views as
10 the criminnlity of his act do not at
ell coincide with the law on this sub
icct, however. The moonshiuer be-
l ewes 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. 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 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. AS q
rule, they are not as desperate lot as
tley are painted. Some have slain to
protect themselves from what they
deem unjust aud outrageous laws. but
that i. done by men in other walks OF
life, and such are not denominated des-
peradoes.
But this is DEPRESSING from the SUBJ
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 q college professors mind, and
! ct 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 q purely practical point OF view.
The process is simple. The moon
sLiner sends his corn to mill to have il
ground. It is converted into meal, the
,ame 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
[, sits until = is cool enough to burn
the hands when they are put in it. l,
is stirred up we'll and then put in the
still. The still is then filled with cold
water. After that the malt is added
Malt is made by putting corn in water
| aud letting it soak two Oh three days
.,r until it sprouts. (Then it is matted. }
The malt is ground the same as the corr
| vas and to every 'bushel o. corn is added
iG single handiuls of malt. The malt
and the cold water are added at tht
same time. Then the brew stands unit
It sours, which requires several days
| In that time it begins to work" or fer
u,ent. A crust, or cap, as it is called by
The moonshiners, of bran forms on th'
| TOD of the water. This cap is blush IL
color. It is not disturbed at all. In
short time this leap" settles to the bot
tom where it came from. The weight o
| the solidifed mass of bran or husk'
| causes it to sink. The fire is then start
| ed under the still and it is cnly matte
| of two or three hours until about tW'
| gallons of whisky have been distilled
The uoonshiner then has two galion
Of "dew" which he can sell for iron
two to five dollars, us the needs OF tn
purchaser may justify, and he has con
sumed six days and bushel of corn j
making it. Thus one bushel OF corl
Yields two gallons of whisky, which ma
| bring, in the moonshiner's marker
from four to ten dollars. About 30 gal
IONS of water are used TO brew on
bushel of corn.
do moons,iners buy or make tn
s.ills?" asked the representative OF tn
Young man who explained the process
Of making the whisky.
"They are bought" he answered
l-"thOuph l. nave kIlO"u VI P~OPA~ A
ing their stills. A still" he continued
noting the in4uisitive look on the face
Of his listeners, sis large copper ke'
lie, shaped like cistern. They MOI
from so to 60 gallons. Over the nee
of the still q cap fits the same
one joint of stovepipe fits owe
another. From the top OF I'M
cap an arm runs out about re
inches long. To this arm IS attache
the worm. Well, the worm is coil
p;pe about Is feet long. 1t is throug
this that the evaporation OF the steal
from the still passes. The worm
coiled in the fake stand. which IS nile
with water for the purpose OF keepln
the worm cool. If the worm was nc
thus cooled no evaporation would tai
Mace. or at least not Immediately. II
other end of the worm runs out OF IL
Aake stand into the mouth OF funne
which is placed in the keg or jug tn.
catches the run. From the time u
fire was started under the still untli u u
brew is finished has consumed aoo'