Is it really necessary to use in distilling pure grain alcohol(for consumption)? I completely forgot about my applying to Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms for a permit to distill it. Until today when my application was shown to be accepted!! hehehe!! I figured I'll pay the tax on it just to have my shit legit and all. Now that everything is in order I'm ready to distill but am wondering which way is best. I've got all the lab accesories needed. But don't know from the research I've done so far if copper tubing is 100% required. If so fine. I'll go to Ace Hardware and purchase some. And I know the Wizards in here know the answer to my ?. What's funny is I'll never brew-up 100 or more gallons so I'll never pay tax anyway. But now ATF can't fuck w/me. If they do I'll have to whip out a brother or two on their ass!! lol! So what do I need you guys? And what grain is best for this as well?!

Ok correct me if Im wrong but... copper basically doesnt mix well with most bacteria so it has a tendency to help keep itself clean you see. Thats why it was used also it is relatively soft and bends *relatively* easily etc. thats why I believe it was used.

As for the best thing for mash depends on what you want. Personally Id just go with like a water sugar mabye a bit of acid and nutrients mash toss in some nice yeast (can actually get strains developed for distilling that can survived to like 20%+ alcohol content) let it work then distill it down. Also dont forget about ur activated carbon especially when makin actual moonshine from corn and such. And are you making a pot still or a nice reflux still?

I'm making a reflux still. That's interesting on the copper tubing. Makes sense though huh? Thanks for the "411" Frey. Appreciate it and any other tidbits of info you know pass it this way--------->!

Not only that, many other metal can catalyze a reaction of ethanol to methanol. Only copper and stainless steal should be used (with the exception of glass and some plastics of course).

As for the mash, use whatever you can find that contains a high amount of carbohydrates. I've used patatoes in the past. Just mashed up about 4-5 average sized pataoes, added it to about 3/4 a gallon of distilled water. Boiled that for about 30 minutes, and poured into a clean pickle jar. Added sugar until didn't dissolve (after cooling to room temp), and then added some activated brewers yeast (about 3 tablespoons, if you add small amounts of yeast, then it takes longer cause the yeast has to multiply first). A thick foam will develope on the top after a few days. The alcohol percentage usually reaches 10%-15%, which will dissolve most of the foam. So when the foam pretty much all dissapates (5-10 days), then distill. If let to sit any longer the yeast will further oxidise the ethanol into acetaldehyde, or even all the way to acetic acid. Usually the mash can be filtered out and added to new sugar water and reused a few more times before you need to make new mash.

Ok right on Mad. I never thought of potatoes as a mash, but they do contain a shitload of carbos huh? I'm gonna get on this 2day. I've been looking for some pet project for a while and figured this would suffice. I've been playing with opium a little bit but need more knowledge on its chemistry to end up with something worth noting. Currently I'm trying to achieve two grams and seperate the half-gram of morphine in it. But so far I just end up eating the thing out of frustration! lol! But Acidmelts right eating opium is so overlooked and underrated. But finding something constructive to do compells me to explore doing such as to try and isolate etc. Hey! You guys know what would be interesting?! Eating a gram of kind bud,opium,and shrooms each. Hmmmm......since shrooms are in supply around here I might give it a go.

Speaking of mushrooms, we just got an ass of rain. Time to go hit the patches!
I can't wait until the Weilii's start popping up!

Heheh, you could always distill some denatured alcohol........

heheh hehehe

Well guys If I dont pass out Im plannin to go on a midnight planting run myself tonight :-D

gonna go plant some tomatoes... yup thats it tomatoes...