Just watched the show Moonshiners on Discovery..interesting show, especially since I live in east Tenneessee...they showed a bit with Popcorn Sutton, local hero who took his own life over 2 years ago to avoid going to jail. Not real sure where I stand on it...I understand, the government wants their taxes on everything...how is it different than brewing home beer for friends? Is it the alcohol content? I know there is a place in Gatlinburg that sells legal moonshine, even gives you a receipe to make apple pie moonshine. Um yeah..made some last year...gooood stuff.

 

It is odd in one regard.... Most of these same folks would never grow weed. "at least the ones i have known in the past". This is my argument that they make shine for more reasons than just the money. I think it does have alot to do with tradition alos they feel it should be their right..and the cash
Big brother wants to shut them down because they have a "crime" and with a "crime" like this they can justify asking for large sums of money and manpower to stop the evil "crime"

 

Illegal alcohol can be very dangerous. Even though there are many people that make safe shine, there is still an even larger number of people that don't know what they are doing. Gov. regulations on alcohol is not a bad idea at all. For one thing, all those old stills are soldered with lead solder. You want to drink lead?

 

Quote:

Poorly produced moonshine can be contaminated, mainly from materials used in construction of the still. Stills employing used automotive radiators as a condenser are particularly dangerous; in some cases, glycol products from antifreeze used in the radiator can appear as well. Radiators used as condensers also may contain lead at the connections to the plumbing. Both glycol and lead are poisonous and potentially deadly.

Although methanol is not produced in toxic amounts by fermentation of sugars from grain starches,[9] contamination is still possible by unscrupulous distillers using cheap methanol to increase the apparent strength of the product. Moonshine can be made both more palatable and less damaging by discarding the "foreshot"—the first few ounces of alcohol that drip from the condenser. The foreshot contains most of the methanol, if any, from the mash. Methanol may be present because it vaporizes at a lower temperature than ethanol. The foreshot also typically contains small amounts of other undesirable compounds such as acetone and various aldehydes.

Any alcohol that is at least 80 US proof (i.e. 40% alcohol by volume) is flammable. This is especially true during the distilling process in which vaporized alcohol can accumulate in the air if there is not enough ventilation.
Mixtures

Moonshine has sometimes been mixed with an adulterant (e.g. methanol, lye, or beading oil) with the intent of increasing its apparent alcohol content. Moonshine that has been adulterated in this way will form bubbles on its surface.[citation needed] Large bubbles with a short duration would indicate a higher alcohol content. This practice has sometimes resulted in a toxic mixture that can cause blindness or death. Although poisoning incidents are rare, particularly in developed nations, they are a cause for concern about the safety of moonshine.

 

Interesting issue here. I have watched a couple of episodes.

I guess there are a few ways you could look at this issue depending on which side of the isle you are on. I suppose for some it is the goverment sticking its nose where it doesnt belong. I am sure some would argue that legal alcohol kills more people than moonshine (purely speculation). Some also might say there are regulations for a purpose, not just because the big evil government wants to control every aspect of your life. Just like there are regulations on facilities that serve food to the public. You have to be inspected and meet certain health regulations so you dont sell tainted food to the public. I do not think many people would oppose those regulations for the food industry. I guess like many things this is pretty much an endless debate.

One thing is for sure. Just like any other activity or substance there is a demand for there will be someone bringing it to market. Whether it is legally or a black market. The government may make the law but people ultimately decide what they are going to do regardless.

I dont hold a strong veiw on this either way to tell you the truth. I dont do much drinking anymore.

 

I totally agree about the stills made from toxic materials..definitly not safe to drink..I would not want to drink something that could blind me or worse...

 

I have watched the show several times and thought that Popcorn Sutton would be a great old guy to chat with. I didn't realize he was gone, that is sad.

 

Yeah, it was right after I moved up here..they were coming up to his house to take him back to jail and I think he shot himself...kinda sad. I think I heard awhile back someone was selling his brand of moonshine..and now the government is collecting taxes on it...

 

Didn't shoot himself, he killed himself by carbon monoxide poisioning right before they were coming to take him to serve his sentence..Hank Williams Jr is selling a brand of moonshine using Popcorns name..he worked with Suttons widow to use his receipe...I might have to pick some up...

 

^ That would be worth a try.

 

pretty good show, but I dont understand how the show can get away shoing this stuff. I mean the guy that is making it is part of a volunteer fire station that they even give the name of. i mean it wounldnt be hard to find him

 

I am willing to bet he does it legally now. If he wasn't then he would be busted and he would have never agreed to make the show knowing that.

 

Wouldn't mind a snort or two of that myself.

 

I was thinking the same thing.

 

You may well be right. In the show he is looking to go legit and apparently the show was filmed at least a couple of years ago.