Choose Your Moonshine Still Company Wisely

So you buy a moonshine still from an online company, but what happens next? Like any online company, you expect certain things, but since superior quality moonshine stills are products that last for decades, you may need to have dealings with the moonshine stills company again in the future.

What do you need to know?

Before you buy a moonshine still from just any company, consider a few things to help you decide which is the best to buy moonshine stills from.

Reputation: In today’s world of online reviews, comments, forums, and blogs, there is no reason you shouldn’t review a product before you buy it. What are other people saying about it? What are other people saying about the company and its customer service? You have a wealth of knowledge at your fingertips online, and that includes reviews from users that can save you potentially hundreds of dollars.

Why is it important?

If you have a problem with shipping, assembly, or the still itself, you want to know that you can call the company and receive help. Check out their reviews for both the products and for their customer service.

Materials: Although a picture is worth a thousand words, pictures can also be deceiving. In addition to looking at the pictures to get a sense of how superior quality moonshine stills are made, make sure to read the manufacturer's specifications anytime you buy moonshine stills. Materials should always be 100% lead free, including the soldering, and properly treated copper.

Why is it important?

If you have a problem with the still’s materials, it can be difficult and expensive to fix. You want to know you can avoid problems and get advice if you need it.

Services: Your experience as a customer begins the moment you arrive at their website. If the information is not easy to find or confusing, it can be an indication of how they run their business. You may want to consider if they offer free shipping, what their customer service hours are, and the specifics of the return policy. Do they offer a newsletter with updates? You never know what you might need to call on them for.

Why is it important?

A company that stays in business is a company that takes care of its customers. You always want to do business with a company like that.

Even the best moonshine and whiskey still company may have an “off” day, but you can’t let it be a detail that concerns your safety, your time, or your money. Shop around and consider how you may interact with the company long-term before you purchase any superior quality moonshine stills.

A Homemade Flour Paste for Your Whiskey Still Kit

After you buy a whiskey still kit and have all the pieces at home, ready to distill your first run, you will need to also make a flour paste at home to seal the seams on your still. During distilling of whiskey, moonshine, and other alcohols, your whiskey still will reach very high temperatures, causing the alcohol in your whiskey mash to evaporate into a vapor. If you don’t seal the seams on your whiskey still, these vapors will escape - which is unsafe as well as a waste of your precious alcohol.

You can make flour paste at your home easily using ingredients that can be found at your local grocery store. The ingredients are fairly inexpensive, so stock up on several packages while you’re there if you plan to distill a lot. Purchasing in bulk can make this part of your distilling more affordable.

Whiskey still kit usually includes the metal parts of your still: the pot boiler, the column (if your still has one), the onion head, and the condenser coil. Wherever the pieces join together, you want to spread the flour paste into the seam. 

 

Alcohol vapor is flammable. If you don’t seal the seams on your still, you are creating a fire hazard. It’s a great idea to always have a fire extinguisher handy when you are distilling whiskey, moonshine, or other spirits.

Make a flour paste for your moonshine still using:

• ¾ cup rye flour
• ¼ cup (distilled) water

Add water to the flour until the paste is a putty-like consistency. Roll the dough into long snakes before you begin heating up the still, and have them ready. Once the whiskey still boiler pot reaches about 100 degrees, apply the paste to the seams of your whiskey still kit, capturing the alcohol vapor.

You can save extra flour paste by sealing it in an airtight container and storing it in the refrigerator for as long as 30 days. If the paste dries out, add water and fresh rye flour until it reaches the proper consistency again. Some moonshiners say that you can use pre-packaged dough or wheat flour, but rye is the best for holding moisture inside the moonshine still during a run. You spent your time and energy to buy a whiskey still kit that will produce the best whiskey and moonshine, so don’t settle for a flour paste that is less than the best when distilling your spirits.