Call about gunfire leads deputies to ‘active’ moonshine still at home, NC sheriff says

Jim C. said:
Not one of ours, I hope.

😆

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www.charlotteobserver.com
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My understanding is that having a still is not in and of itself a violation of law. You can brew your own liquor. It is selling it without the tax stamp that creates the problems.
 
sounds like something my Daddy encountered waaaay back in the day......
quote:
""They discovered “several holes in the wall” that appeared to show
the man “had discharged his firearm inside the home,” officials said."

story....
he went to a home of an alcoholic as a result of a call from the juicer's wife:
"he's going crazy. please talk some sense into him. be careful".
Daddy sat down in a chair in their living room. they were calm.
Daddy got up to answer the land-line phone.
BLAM!
the alcoholic had shot a (hidden) 16 gauge (back in the day)
into the chair where Daddy was sitting. drunk said: "Got 'im".

Daddy told me that mysterious
holes in the wall should have
given him a warning.
 
tanstaafl72555 said:
My understanding is that having a still is not in and of itself a violation of law. You can brew your own liquor. It is selling it without the tax stamp that creates the problems.
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Infamous1 said:
Just possession of mash and a still is illegal.
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Unfortunately in NC you cannot distill any spirituous liquor for any purpose without the proper permits. This includes for personal use.

In NC you can make small amounts of your own wine and beer for personal use.
 
vinegar
essential oils
distilled water
fuel

only thing you can legally use a still for.

last i heard anyways.

then there is the part you can’t be with x amount of distance to certain domiciles and buildings.

but there was a thing that passed (a TTB i think) where they get your info if you order from places that sells the distilleries and parts

but it’s been a minute and my info isn’t that current
 
I have a friend who was in the medical profession up in the wilder parts of middle Tennessee. He would occasionally get paid with jars of moonshine. It was the good stuff the moonshiners made for themselves rather than the lesser quality stuff they sold. It was good stuff.

I seem to recall a Whiskey Rebellion in the early years of our country that was fought over taxation of whiskey. I suppose it was easier to take a few gallons of whiskey to market than it was to take a few wagon loads of corn, and they could make more money off the whiskey.
 
Distilling at home is legal in Canada, or it was a few years back. I remember looking online at complete still kits that you ran on your stove in your kitchen. Growing up in VA my neighbor had one he built and he would run a few gallons in his kitchen using the peaches from his backyard trees. Peach brandy he called it. ;)


Check this out!
Amazon product ASIN B01A4EVXI4
 
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Growing up, in the woods of Alabama, everyone said my cousin Red made the best shine. Once, in about 2005, he sent me some shine in a care package to Iraq. I received it, and I proceeded to get the drunkest I've ever been.

In 40 years of existence, that is the one and only time that I have puked in my sleep. The OIC of my team sat beside my bunk all night and made sure I didn't drown in my own puke. You better believe I got the ass chewing of a life time the next morning, bright and early...

Cousin Red isn't around anymore, but I'm telling you, that was some good stuff...
 
Downeast said:
Distilling at home is legal in Canada, or it was a few years back. I remember looking online at complete still kits that you ran on your stove in your kitchen. Growing up in VA my neighbor had one he built and he would run a few gallons in his kitchen using the peaches from his backyard trees. Peach brandy he called it. ;)


Check this out!
Amazon product ASIN B01A4EVXI4
Click to expand...
That exact thing appeared in Amazon's "suggestions" for me earlier in the week.


Should I be worried? :)
 
backwoodsshooter said:
but there was a thing that passed (a TTB i think) where they get your info if you order from places that sells the distilleries and parts
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I’ve considered ordering a copper still for making distilled water and fuel of course. I would likely have it shipped to an out of state relative and go pick it up.

Alabamacoastie said:
I received it, and I proceeded to get the drunkest I've ever been.
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I had a coworker that would call that supping shine, a sup being half a sip. Hen again. This (cousin) wound up getting arrested at McDonalds for indecent exposure. After not serving him for not having shoes, he went out to his truck, stripped naked, put boots on, went back in and said, “%I’ve got my boots on. So now I want a Big Mac, fries and a coke”. He got arrested instead.
 
so the reason for my post earlier, which may be in error, was....
Several years ago, probably close to 20 I guess, I read an article about a guy in NC, up near Roxboro, who ran a still for private use only. I was fascinated and actually called him..., or at least got his daughter on the phone. Extremely nice people. Ran a farm. I wish my memory would click into gear and remind me of what they used the shine for. I really cannot remember. I know they were very compliant with the laws.
What prompted my comment was the fuzzy memory I thought he said in an email, that he invited the ATF to come and license him NOT because he had to have one, but because he was open about the still and they kept coming out to his place and bothering him about it. Now, I may well have been confused, but that is what prompted my comment earlier. Maybe the law has changed, or maybe my ability to remember has changed.
I do remember he gave me a standing invite to come up and look. I was just working so hard and so many hours those days I could never seem to get away.
Anyway, apologies.
 
From it being The News and Disturber, and reading the article, it was probably only a little stove top setup.
Average Joe said:
Unfortunately in NC you cannot distill any spirituous liquor for any purpose without the proper permits. This includes for personal use.

In NC you can make small amounts of your own wine and beer for personal use.
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The hypocrisy drives me nuts.
NC has a monopoly on the most dangerous drug, alcohol. Look at the stats of violent crime, domestic abuse, carnage from drunk driving, domestic abuse, etc, etc.
Yet they’re quite happy to sell it to you, whilst double dipping on their profits. The sell it at a higher margin than private vendors in other states, then add sales tax, plus alcohol tax. But it’s a crime to cook up mash or a bottle of wine they already taxed you on.
Add to that they outlaw weed so DuPont could lobby and steal the rope industry with nylon, becoming the monopolist in their market. As a burner 35 years ago, we never wanted to fight, shoot or drive. Plus the dominos drivers got tipped well.
I don’t partake of either, but the hypocrisy drives the libertarian in me bat shite guano.
Make them both illegal, or legal.
8FBCF515-DC39-48B7-A11B-838622C73A5A.jpeg
 
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And of all those people who had been drinking while committing a crime, someone tell me how many criminals use a vehicle while committing a crime? Probably close to 100%. Guns don't kill people, vehicles do. :D
 
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Get Off My Lawn said:
From it being The News and Disturber, and reading the article, it was probably only a little stove top setup.

The hypocrisy drives me nuts.
NC has a monopoly on the most dangerous drug, alcohol. Look at the stats of violent crime, domestic abuse, carnage from drunk driving, domestic abuse, etc, etc.
Yet they’re quite happy to sell it to you, whilst double dipping on their profits. The sell it at a higher margin than private vendors in other states, then add sales tax, plus alcohol tax. But it’s a crime to cook up mash or a bottle of wine they already taxed you on.
Add to that they outlaw weed so DuPont could lobby and steal the rope industry with nylon, becoming the monopolist in their market. As a burner 35 years ago, we never wanted to fight, shoot or drive. Plus the dominos drivers got tipped well.
I don’t partake of either, but the hypocrisy drives the libertarian in me bat shite guano.
Make them both illegal, or legal.
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Yea, hemp was HUGE in this country before it was lobbied to be illegal. I believe the town of Robbins (IIRC) was named/known as Hemp, NC.

The DuPont lobbying burns me up, just like refrigerants. Ain’t it amazing how they are deemed to be toxic and must be replaced with the next and greatest DuPont product right before their patent expires. 😡

@tanstaafl72555 there used to be fuel permits you could get to make ethanol (not sure if they still do it). I know for a fact that at one time the state would allow/permit for research/school projects etc. A family member of my wife built a still and ran a batch for a school project, senior project or science fair idr which.
 
hp468 said:
@tanstaafl72555 there used to be fuel permits you could get to make ethanol (not sure if they still do it). I know for a fact that at one time the state would allow/permit for research/school projects etc. A family member of my wife built a still and ran a batch for a school project, senior project or science fair idr which.
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Thank you for prompting my calcified ossified brain. Yes, it was for FUEL purposes. I (think I) remember that now. Somewhere back in the primeval mists of what used to be a "brain" I think I recall he ran the machinery of the farm on pure ethyl alcohol. That is supported by a conversation I had with an insurance client who was a Brazilian engineer, who was kind enough to send me the engineering/mechanical specs for conversion of a normal Ford motor into burning ETOH only. That happened about the same time I read this article, so it is likely.

Unfortunately, my life is littered with "projects" like this which grabbed my attention and focus and interest, and then just never went to fruition. I remember thinking that it was unfortunate that there were not 80 hours in a day to get all the stuff "learnt" that I was interested in. Now that I actually have more time, I find I am just too tired, or too aware of the brevity of life, to chase this stuff down.
 
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tanstaafl72555 said:
Unfortunately, my life is littered with "projects" like this which grabbed my attention and focus and interest, and then just never went to fruition. I remember thinking that it was unfortunate that there were not 80 hours in a day to get all the stuff "learnt" that I was interested in. Now that I actually have more time, I find I am just too tired, or too aware of the brevity of life, to chase this stuff down.
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PHDs, projects half done. I got a yard full myself, fully understand.
 
Downeast said:
Distilling at home is legal in Canada, or it was a few years back. I remember looking online at complete still kits that you ran on your stove in your kitchen. Growing up in VA my neighbor had one he built and he would run a few gallons in his kitchen using the peaches from his backyard trees. Peach brandy he called it. ;)


Check this out!
Amazon product ASIN B01A4EVXI4
Click to expand...
The black sheep side of my family has a saying. If you are putting fruit in your liquor, you're hiding the fact that you don’t know how to make good liquor 🤣. But after career choices, they’ve disowned me 😕.
 
noway2 said:
I’ve considered ordering a copper still for making distilled water and fuel of course. I would likely have it shipped to an out of state relative and go pick it up.


I had a coworker that would call that supping shine, a sup being half a sip. Hen again. This (cousin) wound up getting arrested at McDonalds for indecent exposure. After not serving him for not having shoes, he went out to his truck, stripped naked, put boots on, went back in and said, “%I’ve got my boots on. So now I want a Big Mac, fries and a coke”. He got arrested instead.
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Why, go over to surplus and make friends with them. Pick up all the glass ware, rotators, and heaters needed. Glass distilling doesn't impart any extra flavors.
 
Had a farmer neighbor back in the '80 that had a permit to make ethanol fuel. He had to keep all types of records and basically prove that none was being consumed by people. He didn't do it very long, said there was too much paperwork to make it worthwhile.
 
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I knew some farmers ~ ten years ago that were making a lot of money making shine off of their crops, then shipped it to multiple NY City bars. Apparently it was the hot thing up there.
I learned it when I was getting feed for horses & cows and asked if that's what brought in the money for their multiple VERY expensive to own and run toys.
 
Get Off My Lawn said:
I knew some farmers ~ ten years ago that were making a lot of money making shine off of their crops, then shipped it to multiple NY City bars. Apparently it was the hot thing up there.
I learned it when I was getting feed for horses & cows and asked if that's what brought in the money for their multiple VERY expensive to own and run toys.
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Back in the 40s and 50s here in Chatham there was a very prolific moonshiner. His goods were shipped to Northern states every two weeks.

He was caught once and at the trial, the judge said the he was going to make the fine so high that it would ruin the shiner. The fine was $10000. When the judge finished the judgement, the shiners wife opened her purse and counted out the $10000 to the court. The roll of cash she put beck in her purse didn't look any smaller after she counted it out.
 
One can produce some high octane juice by freezing. Make apple wine or any other fruit wine. Freeze it.
Alcohol doesn't freeze. What remain unfrozen at the center is the high octane juice. This is how apple jack is made.
Since one it not "distilling" to make alcohol that is already made, one can claim try to claim an exemption?
Home distilling should be completely legal. Home brewing beer used to be illegal. Time to end prohibition.
 
About 2 miles as the crow flies from my first wife's uncle's house is Broadslab Distillery. Revenuers destroyed at least two stills of his while my wife was still alive, so before 1993. Now they're probably all invested in the Distillery, and it's probably making his recipes. I have to admit I never tried his moonshine, because it would make him and my father-in-law, his BIL, crazy as hell when they got into it. And they could go from stone cold sober to slobbering drunk in 10 minutes - and I mean slobbering, knee-walking drunk. I'd hate to even guess at the proof.
 
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