How to make your own moonshine

Moonshine is highly alcoholic beverage that has a long and troubled history in the US. Making shine requires an incredible amount of patience and time.

The production of moonshine has been a part of American culture since the 19th century, and it continues to intrigue us to this day. Making moonshine is not easy – it requires time and patience. Historically, it also required a secluded stream where bootleggers could secretly produce mass quantities of the potent and illicit alcoholic beverage. The reason for the secretive production was to evade the high taxes on whiskey. Moonshine was bootlegged, and with such high taxes to pay for “legal” liquor, the demand for moonshine was very high. Making and selling bootlegged moonshine was quite profitable, especially during the prohibition movement. On the flip side, though, the penalties were stiff, and law enforcers were eager to shut these operations down. The abundance of moonshine production in the 19th and 20th century has taken place in the South, especially Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. Moonshine is still popular to this day, although it is illegal because it is not taxed and its production is thought to be somewhat unsanitary in most instances.

There have certainly been reports of health risks associated with drinking Moonshine. Some of the most serious reactions include blindness, ulcers, nerve damage, and paralysis. However, that could be due to the fact that some moonshine makers add dangerous ingredients to their brew, such as paint thinner, bleach, and embalming fluid. Also, since so many moonshine stills are outdoors, insects and even rodents could get into the mixture, causing contamination. If you want to try this Southern spirit for yourself, please be very careful and cautious. Even at its “best,” moonshine is incredibly strong and has a very high concentration of alcohol. With that in mind, here’s how you make moonshine (keep in mind that you will wind up with about 18 gallons of the stuff if you follow this exact recipe… adjust your measurements accordingly):

Before you start, you have to learn the moonshine lingo. A “still” is a metal container used for fermenting and heating the “mash.” The “mash” is the mashed cornmeal that is used to make the moonshine. The “thump” is a water-filled barrel that captures the steam from the mash. The “worm” is a long copper coil that the steam from the thump can run through to cool down and condense. The worm is submerged in the “flakestand,” which is another barrel that is constantly cooled with water. Condensed mixture drips from the flakestand into the “catch,” which could just be a can or jar used to collect the liquor.

Ingredients: 25 lbs. corn meal
, 100 lbs. sugar, 100 gallons water, 6 oz. yeast


Directions: Boil the water. Add cornmeal, and return to a boil. Add yeast and sugar to boiling cornmeal in order to ferment the mash. When the mash stops bubbling, cook it in the still, and capture the steam in the thump. (This is a lot trickier than lemonade, huh?) Let the steam cool and condense through the worm and flakestand. The cooled liquor will drip from the bottom of the flakestand, so make sure you have your catch ready.

As you can see, moonshine is not something you will be able to whip up on a lazy Sunday afternoon. It is a painstaking process that should probably be left to the enthusiasts. Plus, with a proof somewhere between 100 and 200, you wouldn’t remember how to make it a second time anyway.

See these other great websites on  how to make your own website. http://www.stillcooker.com/  and  http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-moonshine

Best SHTF Gun

The issue of the best SHTF gun has been worked top to bottom, bottom to top and side to side and back again, it is nothing new.

Some will say a .22 rifle or shotgun, others will suggest an AR-15 or some other center-fire magazine fed rifle and a few will tell you a bolt action is the most logical choice.

While they aren't wrong – at least under certain circumstances, they fail to see the big picture or fail to realize what really happens after a collapse.

It would seem many survivalists have been influenced by Hollywood or writers of fiction and can't separate reality from illusion. Leave make-believe to armchair commandos and teenage boys.

* You won't be engaging constant combat.

* Those wanting to do you harm will not announce the fact.

* Anyone wanting to rob or steal from you will attack when you're most vulnerable.

* If you're attacked it will be up close, quick and violent.

After a collapse, violent crime will increase to levels never thought possible, theft, robbery, kidnappings and home invasion will be the norm. You'll need to be armed at all times. Not following this rule will almost guarantee that you will be abused, robbed, raped, tortured and killed at some point.

Keeping a rifle or shotgun on your person at all times is impossible. Working the garden, feeding the chickens, cutting firewood, setting traps etc. And don't forget barter markets where going armed will likely be forbidden. Criminals will know this and will wait to attack when you leave the market area.

It's been said before; the first rule of winning a fight is to have a gun, in this regard a handgun makes the most sense. I know many of you look to be attacked from a distance, you see yourself returning fire from 300 or more yards away.

It could happen - but it's not likely. In war yes; but not in a SHTF situation – most survivalists confuse the two. You're more likely to need to defend yourself at arms length than from a distance of several hundred yards, if you're attacked it will be fast, brutal and in your face closeup.

In a recent study it was found that 90% of police and civilian self-defense shooting occurred at ranges of less than 15 feet. With 34% being from contact to 3 feet.

I can't find one justifiable civilian self-defense shooting taking place at 100 yards or beyond - if you know of a documented case please let us know.

Like any firearm, handguns are encumbered by a number of limitations; namely low power and limited range compared to a rifle or shotgun - but a handgun can be there when you need it and that is most important...

Top 10 Smart Ways to Build Your Food Storage

1. Make a list: Never go shopping without a list – know what you are going to buy and how much before heading to the market. Lists save time and money by giving you order and preventing impulse buying.

2. Don't go into debt: This should be self explanatory, still many will max out the credit card for a years supply of freeze dried survival foods. Don't do it. Buy what you can afford and pay cash.

3. Stick with the basics: There is no need to get fancy, the basic foods like wheat, beans, rice, sugar, salt and canned fruits, vegetables and meats are some of the cheapest foods you can buy, they store well and provide a balanced diet.

4. Grow your own: Seeds are cheap, plant a garden and preserve your own foods. You will save money and eat healthier meals. Not to mention the satisfaction that comes from producing your own from seed to table.

5. Store what you normally eat just more of it: Sometimes this is easier said than done, if the bulk of your diet comes from the drive-through at the local burger joint, you need to change your meal plan. By including your storage foods into your everyday meals you avoid the shock of a radical change in diet if forced to live from your food storage.

6. Don't forget candy and other comfort foods: This is a must; especially if you have children in your group. Hard candy stores well, is cheap and your little ones will love you for it. Just make sure they get a balanced diet and not to much of the sweet stuff.

7. Multi-Vitamin and Mineral supplements: One a day helps insure you are getting everything required for maintaining your health. Also B-complex helps control stress and vitamin C helps the immune system. Keep in the refrigerator for increased shelf life.

8. Drink mixes and coffee: These help to alleviate boredom, giving a sense of normalcy during hard times. Refrigeration may not be available so look for mixes meant to be served hot or at room temperature.

9. Vegetable shortening: Fat is a necessary nutritional component, just not at the level found in the typical American diet. Shortening is needed to make foods such as biscuits and pan breads. Be sure to rotate.

10. Spices and Seasoning: If things get as bad as I think they will, we could be forced to eat some strange and unusual things. Several days without food and the cat starts to look like chicken and the dog like meatloaf. Having an assortment of spices and seasoning will come in handy as you roast the dog.

by Jonathan Hunt

Two Videos NOT to Buy For Survival

Several months ago, a reader sent ( thanks Mike) me several boxes of books and videos, most of which were very informative, to the point and useful. I love it when readers send me free stuff (hint) especially books and videos that I can review here on The Survivalist Blog.

Most of the stuff Mike sent was utilitarian, but at least two of the videos presented little usable information or instruction. But that doesn't matter - since the bulk of the package was great and even the few subpar items where greatly appreciated - at least I can review them here, so you don't get burned by an uninformed purchase.

The first video not to buy for survival is "Tactical Concealed Carry 2" put out by Gunsite Training Academy. I have to say this was one of the worst instructional videos (of this type) that I have ever had the misfortune of viewing.

During the course of the video presentation, it was stated several times that this was advanced instruction, with the suggestion for those not at this "advanced level", to purchase one of their more basic videos or to seek other instruction.

If this was their advanced video training course, I can only imagine what their basic "Tactical Concealed Carry 1" video would consist of. This is a gun. This is a trigger. This is the grip. Or probably something to that effect...

Aside from being extremely boring and painful to watch "Tactical Concealed Carry 2" offered nothing unique, useful or even interesting. Everything presented here; safety, firearm and holster selection and carry positions, can be learned by attending just about any state required concealed carry permit class.

If you know anything about shooting or firearms this video is a total waste of your time and money. A much better and useful production is Jim Grover's Inside the Crucible series. Don't waste your money on Tactical Concealed Carry.

The next video not to buy for survival is Whispering Death - Secrets of Improvised and State-of-the-Art Silencers put out by Paladin Press. While I enjoy most of the work done by Paladin, I have to say that "Whispering Death" was below their usual standards.

The author spends the majority of the 40 minute video shooting through soda cans, two litter plastic bottles and other improvised "sound suppressors". While a silenced weapon would be a great survival tool, under certain conditions - you will not learn anything from this video that isn't available for free by doing a Google search for improvised silencer construction.

What is the worst survival related instructional video (or book) that you have had the misfortune of viewing? Please let us know in the comments below - so it can be avoided by the rest of us...

Predictions For 2010

The National Inflation Association is pleased to announce its top 10 predictions for 2010.

1) We will learn the 2009 holiday shopping season was a bust.

The Commerce Department reported seasonally adjusted November retail sales up 1.3% from October. However, if you apply the average seasonal adjustments that were used during the years 2006 and 2007, which account for a normal spike in November sales due to the holiday shopping season, retail sales were actually down 1.3% in November.

NIA believes any year-over-year increase in 2009 holiday season retail sales will be bottom bouncing from 2008 and not an indication of an economic recovery. Most likely, adjusted for inflation, retail sales will be flat over a year ago. We expect to see a sharp sell off in many retail stocks, as a full economic recovery appears to be already priced into their share prices.

2) We will see a major decline in the Dow/Gold ratio.

The Dow/Gold ratio is currently 9.3, having bounced from the low of 7 it saw in early 2009. We are likely to see a decline in the Dow/Gold ratio to below 7 in 2010.

Many people who have bought U.S. stocks on the bet of an economic recovery, will soon realize the economy is not recovering and stocks have been rallying only due to inflation. Although some people selling stocks may once again mistakenly move to the U.S. dollar as a safe haven, we believe an increasing amount of people will avoid the U.S. dollar and buy gold as a safe haven.

3) We will see a sharp decline in the Gold/Silver ratio.

The Gold/Silver ratio is currently 64, above the average of the past 100 years of 50. Between the years 1,000 and 1,873 when silver was used as real money, the Gold/Silver ratio traded between 10 and 16. In recent history, the Gold/Silver ratio dipped below 20 on two occasions, once in 1968 and once again in 1980.

NIA believes silver prices will continue to outperform gold in 2010, as the world once again begins looking at silver as money, instead of just an industrial metal. The Gold/Silver ratio could decline to below 50 in 2010.

4) The U.S. Dollar Index will see short-term bounce, then huge crash.

We are at a point where there are more people who are bearish on the U.S. dollar than ever before, which means from a technical standpoint it is overdue for a short-term bounce. However, we would not consider going long the dollar even as a trade. A huge crash in the U.S. dollar could occur at any time.

The world has become flooded with U.S. dollars. Foreigners currently hold over $10 trillion in dollar-denominated assets that can be dumped at any time. With the Federal Reserve continuing to expand its monetary base to record highs, as soon as banks begin lending their excess reserves we could see a spike in consumer prices and a rush to get out of U.S. dollars.

5) Oil will rise back above $100 per barrel.

Losing Our Freedoms

More and more bills are being passed thru Congress and the House of Representatives that either limit or eliminate our rights as Americans. These bills are worded in such a manor that they sound as if in the best interest of America. However, a large percentage of them have words and phrases in them allowing them to be interpreted in meaning other than what the original intent was. This is very frightening to people like us. One such bill that is currently attempting approval is H.R. 2401, or the ‘No Fly, No Buy Act of 2009’. This act states that any person that is on a DHS Watch list (anyone that is possibly linked to terrorist organizations) that is banned from boarding aircraft also are banned from not only purchasing firearms, but also from just being near them, basically treating these people as if they had been charged with felonies, and, if found guilty of breaking this law, if enacted, shall be fined and/or imprisoned. The prelude of this bill states, “To increase public safety and reduce threat to domestic security by including persons who may be prevented from boarding an aircraft in the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, and for other purposes.”

The last phrase, ‘for other purposes.’ can be viewed, interpreted and translated to mean any number of things, and this is a very large threat to the sovereignty of all Americans’ rights. And this bill is not the first of this kind.

The bill H.R. 645 ‘‘National Emergency Centers Establishment Act’’ is far more scary than that bill. H.R 645 establishes “national emergency shelters on military installations”. Once again, one could view this bill in many ways, and the format in which it is presented aims this as a good thing. If used properly, this bill would house persons subjected to natural disasters on the closest military installations until their homes can be rebuilt. That’s not such a bad thing, now is it? However, once again, the way it is worded could also indicate that this bill could forcibly relocate people from their homes “in the name of national security and public safety”.

You can look up and view these bills for yourself online, and interpret them however you choose, but, while they may be used for good doing right now, in the end they will be the way that all those who oppose the New World Order and One World Government will be rounded up and executed.

So if you are frustrated at the loss of freedom and responsibility in America, while the growth of government and taxes continues unabated and if you want to live in strong communities where your rights are respected, and people exercise responsibility for themselves and in their dealings with each other, then ATU 757 is for you.

I am currently seeking patriotic White Oregonians who are concerned with the direction this country is heading and would like to prepare with others of like mind, to protect yourself, your family, community, state and country. The post on this blog you’ll find articles from the media about the government and the economy that you may have missed and articles on survival that I’ve written for those just starting out and trying to workout the basics. It unpacks the basics of survival planing and a lot of the decisions and strategies that you’ll want to consider when starting out, or to become better prepared, even if you have most of your preps in order now.

If you have a blog or web site feel free to link or repost this page on your site.
Also feel free to contact me at 503-232-9144 if you would like to contribute to this blog. My name is Jonathan Hunt