ImStillMags wrote:
>
>
> One of the things the farms raised was sorghum. You could stop and
> watch them crushing the sorghum in the old way, with a big eared ,
> black-as-coal mule harnessed to the long arm that turned the crusher
> and a boy feeding the sorghum into the old wooden crushing machine.
> The juice flowed into buckets which were taken to the old cooker and
> poured in. The old cooker was a series of troughs one after the
> other over a wood fire and the sorgum cooked down as it flowed from
> beginning to end. At the begining of the trough the sorghum was
> clear juice. At the end of the trough the sorghum had cooked down to
> a beautiful amber and was syrup thick.




Can you make moonshine with sorghum?
Driving through the wilds of Tenn. 40 years ago we
saw a lot of stills half-hidden in the woods.

gloria p

gloria.p wrote on Wed, 27 Oct 2010 17:03:17 -0600:

> ImStillMags wrote:
>>
>> One of the things the farms raised was sorghum. You could
>> stop and watch them crushing the sorghum in the old way, with
>> a big eared , black-as-coal mule harnessed to the long arm
>> that turned the crusher and a boy feeding the sorghum into
>> the old wooden crushing machine. The juice flowed into
>> buckets which were taken to the old cooker and poured in. The old
>> cooker was a series of troughs one after the other
>> over a wood fire and the sorgum cooked down as it flowed from
>> beginning to end. At the begining of the trough the
>> sorghum was clear juice. At the end of the trough the
>> sorghum had cooked down to a beautiful amber and was syrup
>> thick.

> Can you make moonshine with sorghum?
> Driving through the wilds of Tenn. 40 years ago we
> saw a lot of stills half-hidden in the woods.

If there's sugar in the juice, you can ferment it and distill the
result.

--

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

Email, with obvious alterations: not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not

On Oct 27, 4:03*pm, "gloria.p" > wrote:
> ImStillMags wrote:
>
> > One of the things the farms raised was sorghum. * You could stop and
> > watch them crushing the sorghum in the old way, with a big eared ,
> > black-as-coal mule harnessed to the long arm that turned the crusher
> > and a boy feeding the sorghum into the old wooden crushing machine.
> > The juice *flowed into buckets which were taken to the old cooker and
> > poured in. * The old cooker was a series of troughs one after the
> > other over a wood fire and the sorgum cooked down as it flowed from
> > beginning to end. * *At the begining of the trough the sorghum was
> > clear juice. *At the end of the trough the sorghum had cooked down to
> > a beautiful amber and was syrup thick. *
>
> Can you make moonshine with sorghum?
> Driving through the wilds of Tenn. 40 years ago we
> saw a lot of stills half-hidden in the woods.
>
> gloria p

I'm sure you could, but why waste good sorghum making shine. Shine
is made from corn, not sorghum canes.

On Wed, 27 Oct 2010 17:03:17 -0600, "gloria.p" >
wrote:
>
>
> Can you make moonshine with sorghum?
> Driving through the wilds of Tenn. 40 years ago we
> saw a lot of stills half-hidden in the woods.
>
They were close enough to the road so any Tom, Dick, Harry and revenue
agent would see them? I thought moonshiners hid their stills. Maybe
they were decoys.

--

Never trust a dog to watch your food.

On Wed, 27 Oct 2010 16:15:18 -0700 (PDT), ImStillMags
> wrote:

> I'm sure you could, but why waste good sorghum making shine. Shine
> is made from corn, not sorghum canes.

Yep. Corn likker. White Lightening.

--

Never trust a dog to watch your food.

On Wed, 27 Oct 2010 17:03:17 -0600, "gloria.p" >
wrote:

> 40 years ago we
>saw a lot of stills half-hidden in the woods.

NO ONE has a half hidden still..... da law will be in your backyard
before you get to fart.

You MAKE SURE it is totally hidden.

sf wrote:
> On Wed, 27 Oct 2010 17:03:17 -0600, "gloria.p" >
> wrote:
>>
>> Can you make moonshine with sorghum?
>> Driving through the wilds of Tenn. 40 years ago we
>> saw a lot of stills half-hidden in the woods.
>>
> They were close enough to the road so any Tom, Dick, Harry and revenue
> agent would see them? I thought moonshiners hid their stills. Maybe
> they were decoys.
>


We were in the boonies, pretty far out of civilization at the time.

gloria p

On Oct 27, 6:39*pm, "gloria.p" > wrote:
> sf wrote:
> > On Wed, 27 Oct 2010 17:03:17 -0600, "gloria.p" >
> > wrote:
>
> >> Can you make moonshine with sorghum?
> >> Driving through the wilds of Tenn. 40 years ago we
> >> saw a lot of stills half-hidden in the woods.
>
> > They were close enough to the road so any Tom, Dick, Harry and revenue
> > agent would see them? *I thought moonshiners hid their stills. *Maybe
> > they were decoys. *
>
> We were in the boonies, pretty far out of civilization at the time.
>
> gloria p

I'm surprised you didn't hear a bullet whizzing through the tree
leaves over your head. Most moonshiners don't want you anywhere near
their property.

We got shot "at" more than once while hiking around in the mountains
around Sevierville and Townsend back in the day. Usually they shoot
over your head as a warning....once you hear that whine and the tick,
tick, tick, tick of a bullet going through the leaves over your
head.....you leave PROMPTLY.

On Wed, 27 Oct 2010 19:31:22 -0700 (PDT), ImStillMags
> wrote:

> On Oct 27, 6:39*pm, "gloria.p" > wrote:
> > sf wrote:
> > > On Wed, 27 Oct 2010 17:03:17 -0600, "gloria.p" >
> > > wrote:
> >
> > >> Can you make moonshine with sorghum?
> > >> Driving through the wilds of Tenn. 40 years ago we
> > >> saw a lot of stills half-hidden in the woods.
> >
> > > They were close enough to the road so any Tom, Dick, Harry and revenue
> > > agent would see them? *I thought moonshiners hid their stills. *Maybe
> > > they were decoys. *
> >
> > We were in the boonies, pretty far out of civilization at the time.
> >
> > gloria p
>
> I'm surprised you didn't hear a bullet whizzing through the tree
> leaves over your head. Most moonshiners don't want you anywhere near
> their property.
>
> We got shot "at" more than once while hiking around in the mountains
> around Sevierville and Townsend back in the day. Usually they shoot
> over your head as a warning....once you hear that whine and the tick,
> tick, tick, tick of a bullet going through the leaves over your
> head.....you leave PROMPTLY.
>
We don't have many, if any, moonshiners in sunny California - but we
do have illicit marijuana farmers and they have the same sort of take
no prisoners attitude. BTDT and it was not fun. There's nothing like
being lost in the woods after dark, and meeting the business end of a
double barrel shotgun.

--

Never trust a dog to watch your food.

On 2010-10-28, sf > wrote:

> being lost in the woods after dark, and meeting the business end of a
> double barrel shotgun.

What nonsense. Nobody uses a double barrel shotgun for protection.
When a decent double barrel costs in the thousand of dollars and an
eight shot pump shotgun costs three or four hundred bucks, a double
barrel is jes stupid. Did the guy have a long beard, raggedy hat, and
a coon dog by his side? You been reading too many Snuffy Smith
comics.

nb

gloria.p wrote:
>
> Can you make moonshine with sorghum?

I home brew mead-like-stuff from sorghum syrup. It's delicious.

I don't have a still but there's a place in Wisconsin named something
like Apple True Winery that has a license to distill it into
whickey-like-stuff. It's delicious. Moonshine is supposed to have a
flavor in the whiskey range and theirs is definitely like that. Did I
mention that it's delicious? Boy is it ever.

Sorghum mead-like-stuff can also be freeze concentrated without special
equipment. I have no clue if doing that is legal in these parts so
I've never done it. It's delicious but I like both the regular home
brew and that commercial stuff from Wisconsin better. Or words to that
effect.

On 2010-10-28, Doug Freyburger > wrote:

> I home brew mead-like-stuff

WTF is "mead-like-stuff"?

nb

On Thu, 28 Oct 2010 14:33:55 GMT, notbob > wrote:

> On 2010-10-28, sf > wrote:
>
> > being lost in the woods after dark, and meeting the business end of a
> > double barrel shotgun.
>
> What nonsense. Nobody uses a double barrel shotgun for protection.
> When a decent double barrel costs in the thousand of dollars and an
> eight shot pump shotgun costs three or four hundred bucks, a double
> barrel is jes stupid. Did the guy have a long beard, raggedy hat, and
> a coon dog by his side? You been reading too many Snuffy Smith
> comics.
>
Actually, it happened to me. I wasn't making that up. It could have
been a canon. All I know is it was a big gun and he wasn't fooling
around.


--

Never trust a dog to watch your food.

On Oct 28, 7:45*am, Doug Freyburger > wrote:
> gloria.p wrote:
>
> > Can you make moonshine with sorghum?
>
> I home brew mead-like-stuff from sorghum syrup. *It's delicious.
>
> I don't have a still but there's a place in Wisconsin named something
> like Apple True Winery that has a license to distill it into
> whickey-like-stuff. It's delicious. *Moonshine is supposed to have a
> flavor in the whiskey range and theirs is definitely like that. *Did I
> mention that it's delicious? *Boy is it ever.
>
> Sorghum mead-like-stuff can also be freeze concentrated without special
> equipment. I have no clue if doing that is legal in these parts so
> I've never done it. It's delicious but I like both the regular home
> brew and that commercial stuff from Wisconsin better. *Or words to that
> effect.

I found this sorghum beer by Googling around....is this what you are
talking about.?

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/741/26368

I also learned that sorghum beer and brews are big in South Africa.
Who knew?

On 2010-10-28, l, not -l > wrote:

> extrapolate that Doug's "mead-like-stuff" would made in the same manner as
> mead, using sorghum instead of honey.

You extrapolate. I'll jes ask.

Doug, is it all sorghum or honey+sorghum, in which case the later
would technically still be mead.

nb

In article >,
sf > wrote:

> On Thu, 28 Oct 2010 14:33:55 GMT, notbob > wrote:
>
> > On 2010-10-28, sf > wrote:
> >
> > > being lost in the woods after dark, and meeting the business end of a
> > > double barrel shotgun.
> >
> > What nonsense. Nobody uses a double barrel shotgun for protection.
> > When a decent double barrel costs in the thousand of dollars and an
> > eight shot pump shotgun costs three or four hundred bucks, a double
> > barrel is jes stupid.

http://big5sportinggoods.shoplocal.c...tion=detail&st
oreid=2503823&rapid=0&listingid=-2085659761&offerid=

US$249.99

You don't need a "decent double barrel" to scare somebody off of your
marijuana patch.

> Actually, it happened to me. I wasn't making that up. It could have
> been a canon. All I know is it was a big gun and he wasn't fooling
> around.

Not that everything you read in the newspaper is true, but they don't
print random word of mouth stories. There have been plenty of stories
in the papers about this kind of thing. The saddest one I read was
about a local ranch. Dad wouldn't let his daughter (mid twenties) drive
around their ranch without a gun. Too many people trying to start
marijuana patches on their own property!

--
Dan Abel
Petaluma, California USA

On 2010-10-28, Dan Abel > wrote:

> in the papers about this kind of thing. The saddest one I read was
> about a local ranch. Dad wouldn't let his daughter (mid twenties) drive
> around their ranch without a gun. Too many people trying to start
> marijuana patches on their own property!

The saddest one I've heard was over twenty yrs ago when Mendocino
County was jes gearing up. Some hiker ended up in a hospital bed with
no leg cuz of a 30-06 round to the knee from a grower he never saw.
Unfortunately, this kinda thing is old news.

nb

On Thu, 28 Oct 2010 14:57:15 GMT, notbob wrote:

> On 2010-10-28, Doug Freyburger > wrote:
>
>> I home brew mead-like-stuff
>
> WTF is "mead-like-stuff"?
>
> nb

stuff that's kinda like mead?

your pal,
blake

On Thu, 28 Oct 2010 13:15:05 -0400, blake murphy
> wrote:

>On Thu, 28 Oct 2010 14:57:15 GMT, notbob wrote:
>
>> On 2010-10-28, Doug Freyburger > wrote:
>>
>>> I home brew mead-like-stuff
>>
>> WTF is "mead-like-stuff"?
>>
>> nb
>
>stuff that's kinda like stump lube?
>
>your pal,
>blake

Really?

notbob wrote:
> l, not -l > wrote:
>
>> extrapolate that Doug's "mead-like-stuff" would made in the same manner as
>> mead, using sorghum instead of honey.
>
> Doug, is it all sorghum or honey+sorghum, in which case the later
> would technically still be mead.

I've brewed batches both ways. All sorghum, 3 parts sorghum 1 part
honey. Currently about to go from primary fermentation to the bottles
is a 3-part-1-part plus apple skins apple flavored mead-like-stuff.

I've also brewed mead-like-stuff from all maple syrup, 3-to-1 maple and
honey, and for that matter actual mead with all honey. What can I say,
I like mead. I like sharing mead. Mead. Mmmmead. Mmmmmm mead.
Yum.

I even have the store bought stuff some times but mead is at its best
when home brewed and drunk out of a hand decorated drinking horn hanging
out with friends. The friends help handle the fact that if I drink a
liter of beer or the equivalent alcohol content of mead in a week it's a
lot. Six of us together can end up going through a gallon, plus or
minus.

One advantage to the all-sorghum and all-maple versions is one of my
friends is deathly allergic to honey. Throat seal shut sort of
allergic. It's extra fun to be able to make home brew that she can
have when she's around.

On 2010-10-28, Doug Freyburger > wrote:

> All sorghum, 3 parts sorghum 1 part honey.

Mead

> is a 3-part-1-part plus apple skins apple flavored mead-like-stuff.

Mead

Melomel -- is made from honey and any fruit. Depending on the
fruit-base used, certain melomels may also be known by more specific
names (see cyser, pyment, morat for examples).


> I've also brewed mead-like-stuff from all maple syrup, 3-to-1 maple and
> honey.....

Mead

Acerglyn -- A mead made with honey and maple syrup.

> and for that matter actual mead with all honey. What can I say,
> I like mead. I like sharing mead. Mead. Mmmmead. Mmmmmm mead.
> Yum.

Me too. I should make some mead. Easier than brewing beer, which
take at least 6 hrs per batch. I've got the corny kegs.

> I even have the store bought stuff some times but mead is at its best
> when home brewed.....

Agreed. My brewing mentor was a mead freak. Used to make straight
meads and blackberry melomels. I had no clue till I tasted his 3-5 yr
old meads. To die for!

> One advantage to the all-sorghum and all-maple versions is one of my
> friends is deathly allergic to honey.

Makes sense. Do mead-type-stuff's (MTS) ferment and turn out the same
(abv) real meads, what with them lacking that authentic bee poop and
all?

nb

notbob wrote:
> Doug Freyburger > wrote:
>
>> I've also brewed mead-like-stuff from all maple syrup, 3-to-1 maple and
>> honey.....
>
> Mead
>
> Acerglyn -- A mead made with honey and maple syrup.

Okay. Rather than tracking all of the different Old Saxon words for it
I use the less accurate catch-all of mead-like-stuff.

> Me too. I should make some mead. Easier than brewing beer, which
> take at least 6 hrs per batch. I've got the corny kegs.

I've got a new 5 gallon carbouy that needs a batch. New to me it looks
almost antique.

>> I even have the store bought stuff some times but mead is at its best
>> when home brewed.....
>
> Agreed. My brewing mentor was a mead freak. Used to make straight
> meads and blackberry melomels. I had no clue till I tasted his 3-5 yr
> old meads. To die for!

Store bought meads tend to run sweet and high alcohol. My personal
tastes tend to run dry and low alcohol. The low alcohol bit has the
advantage of shorter time from the start of the cook to the end of the
secondary fermentation. The batch in process now I targetted just above
10% alcohol and it's gotten an extra month fermenting.

>> One advantage to the all-sorghum and all-maple versions is one of my
>> friends is deathly allergic to honey.
>
> Makes sense. Do mead-type-stuff's (MTS) ferment and turn out the same
> (abv) real meads, what with them lacking that authentic bee poop and
> all?

Both maple syrup and sorghum make good servicable meads. There are
subtle flavor differences but both are obviously mead on the first sip.

The place Apple True Winery in Wisconsin that makes the whiskey like
stuff from brewed sorghum ends up with a product that's more like
whiskey than like brandy. Whatever is the subtle difference in the
normal strength mead gets concentrated into the 86 proof stuff.
Whatever the difference yum.

On Fri, 29 Oct 2010 16:42:37 +0000 (UTC), Doug Freyburger
> wrote:

> The place Apple True Winery in Wisconsin that makes the whiskey like
> stuff from brewed sorghum ends up with a product that's more like
> whiskey than like brandy. Whatever is the subtle difference in the
> normal strength mead gets concentrated into the 86 proof stuff.
> Whatever the difference yum.

Never heard of that brand. Do you buy direct?

--

Never trust a dog to watch your food.

On Oct 29, 10:16*am, sf > wrote:
> On Fri, 29 Oct 2010 16:42:37 +0000 (UTC), Doug Freyburger
>
> > wrote:
> > The place Apple True Winery in Wisconsin that makes the whiskey like
> > stuff from brewed sorghum ends up with a product that's more like
> > whiskey than like brandy. *Whatever is the subtle difference in the
> > normal strength mead gets concentrated into the 86 proof stuff.
> > Whatever the difference yum.
>
> Never heard of that brand. *Do you buy direct?
>
Their website sucks


http://www.aeppeltreow.com/