I bet moonshine would be a good barter if shtf...from what i have found through google it looks pretty simple but they always try to sell you plans.
Any of you guys know of a free online plan for building a still?
thx.

I know you asked for online plans, but an excellent resource with so much pertinent info is the "FoxfireBooks" series. The first one has the still with several plans, drawings, photos, layouts, and advice from actual producers.
I have the first five books and do not loan these out as I am constently referring to them...cover liquer stills, food and food preserving, cabin building, tool making, and so much more...easy to read and actually enjoyable.
Just for the record, My father nand both my grandfathers, as well as my uncles and great uncles made corn whiskey. If the gubment raises taxes on liquer by a proposed 250+%, then I will too. In NC, first offense is a misdemeanor.

I second the recommendation of the Foxfire Books.

Amazon.com has them used a very low price.

In the meantime, it's still legal to brew some if you spike it with gasoline to poison it. (and if you get a permit)
You can then use that to power an automobile if you adjust the timing to account for the burn rate.

That's a good point OP.

If the poo really does hit the fan people will want anything that will help them forget how bad things suck. So having your own still, providing you could defend it from marauders would be a great plan.

My friends and I are planning a vodka distillery at our alternate location!

Since vodka you distill to 90-100% potency first, then water down, it makes the best alcohol to produce. AT this percent you can use to clean wounds (was a godsend when I tore open my hand!), washing your hair, sharpening, killing bugs, of course drinking your apocalypse troubles away, and best of all, molotov cocktails!

Stills are good stuff. You can make liquor out of pretty much anything so this is a pretty good idea. Keep a supply of yeast though, fermenting can be a tricky game without it.

Here's the way I've done it in the past, you can use any old pot with a good sealing lid and either bottles with corks or even cans with the lids to catch the liquid.

in a 20litre container mix any type of fruits or even veges to fill about 1/3 of container, add 1-2kg of sugar and about 25g yeast. fill up to 3/4 full with water. Let this mixture brew for up to a week in a warm place.

for a easy still to extract the alcohol,
you could use a old style pressure pot with the wistle removed. this is where the mixture will go.
from the pots lid use a copper tube attached to where the whistle was and allow about 1metre length going to a 2ltre glass bottle with the copper tube going through it's lid/cork, add another length of tube from that lid/cork and going to another bottle with a lid/cork. do this until you have the pot with 3 bottles lined up next to it, each with a tube going from one to the last.

use your stove or fire to heat the pressure pot so the liquid is just on the bubble. the first and second bottles will catch the not so strong and discoloured liquid, that can be reused in the pot. and by the time the liquid goes to the 3rd bottle, it should be clear and very strong{90-100 proof} to use.

I think about 20litres of mixture will make around 1litre in the 3rd bottle.

to get pure alcohol you could also try pouring metho down a frozen pipe and whatever comes through the bottom of the pipe will be pure alcohol.



[edit on 21-12-2009 by redgy]

you can by prefabricated stills used to destill water. They work great.

wow...thanks so much guys, carpenter by trade and pretty handy, i think i'll build one from the free plans triaxrob linked (thx for that).
I'm kind of new to survival...but i gather you can turn sea water to drinking water with the still triaxrob linked above?
thx.


[edit on 21-12-2009 by helltick]

Originally posted by helltick
wow...thanks so much guys, carpenter by trade and pretty handy, i think i'll build one from the free plans triaxrob linked (thx for that).
I'm kind of new to survival...but i gather you can turn sea water to drinking water with the still triaxrob linked above?
thx.


[edit on 21-12-2009 by helltick]

Your welcome, And yes you could distill water in it also.
That would make a great excuse as to why you have it. Just tell them its cheaper to distill your own water than it is to buy it.

SAFTEY NOTE> USE LEAD FREE SOLDER !!!!

[edit on 22-12-2009 by triaxrob]

Great Ideas

I have made it in the lab before for work purposes and would just like to say if you are going to make some please have a thermometer in your wash when you are cooking it

methanol is poisonous and boils at about 64.7 deg C
ethanol is what you want and boils at about 78.4 deg C (depends on sea levels in you area)

therefore the first liquid that comes out of the still will be methanol and it can kill you, just pour it down the drain or burn it, but don't drink it!

collect only the ethanol at 78 deg. C , this is the good stuff

when your temp. rises above 78 deg C you should also not use this, just dump it.

Something I remember from school is the XXX on the jug was for how many times it went through the still LOL you knew when it was good stuff if it had three x's

also best to use a hot plate or electric stove less chance of blowing up, like with a open flame!

cheers

Just keep in mind, if you actually pursue the fine old craft of distilling white liquor, that a little mistake here or there can produce a potent and lethal poison that is quite capable of killing otherwise healthy human beings in a matter of minutes.

It's not a project to be undertaken lightly.

— Doc Velocity

If you are cooking while in survival mode remember two things.
1) Potentially, you are sending up a big thermal signature. You may want to look into how bootleggers hide that.
2) Depending upon how you are doing your mash, it can make a scent plume that can be easily followed.

As a subset to #2, you will need to dispose of the mash from time to time. A hog or two will help with that, or any other grain-consuming animals.