Filed August 10, 2009 at 6:52 pm under Grog and Salmagundi and Rum Runnin' by TJ
Having lived in the Carribean for some time, my Cuz Tom is always good at coming up with yummy rum drinks, and he has really got me hooked on his “Flavor of the Summer”. Mt. Gay Rum is a rum from Barbados that is aged in Ky. burbon barrels, giving it a sweet, peaty, somewhat buttery flavor. It definetly stands out from all others. So, now without further ado, here’s the recipe straight from Tom’s keyboard:
Use a doubles size glass. Fill it 3/4 full of ice. Slice of fresh lime and sqeeze. Pour the glass 40% full of Mt. Gay Rum (50% for trained professionals) and then fill the remainder of the glass with tonic water. Stir and enjoy!
Filed August 10, 2009 at 6:18 pm under Grog and Salmagundi and Rum Runnin' by TJ
Hey all, I’m back. Triathlon season is winding down, Summer is nearly over, soon countless flocks of hillbillys, your’s truely included, will be flocking to the woods in search of squirrel, deer, turkey and most importantly, guy time around the campfire in Deer Camp. Once the hunt for the day is through, and the air starts to get a chill, one must do whatever necesary to shirk the cool from their bones and enjoy the company in the tranquility of the woods. One of the best “anti-freezes” I have found is a little nip of the White Lightening. There is nothing better than the sweet taste of corn to warm the bones. Just don’t stand too close to the fire while doing so. Not that it’s that flammable (it is), but more from a personal safety issue if you happen to imbibe a bit too much, you just may fall into the fire – the stuff can be that strong. Here’s one of my favorite recipes for making this. Unfortunatly, it requires distillation, which is illegal in most places AND is dangerous if you don’t know what you are doing, so don’t try this at home.
Additional Disclaimer: I am not really talking about distilling alcohol for personal consumption, I am mearly describing the process of distilling alcohol for use as a bio fuel. Yeah, a bio fuel. Anything I mention here is just an educational study designed to explain complex chemistry processes.
In making “Mountain Dew” or “White Lightnin’” the first step is to convert the starch of the grain into sugar. (Commercial distillers use malt.) This is done by “sprouting” the corn. Shelled, whole corn is covered with warm water in a container with a hole in the bottom. Place a hot cloth over it. Add warm water from time to time as it drains. Keep in a warm place for about 3 days or until corn has 2 inch sprouts. Dry it and grind it into meal. Make mush (or mash) with boiling water. Add rye mash that has been made the same way, if you have it.
Yeast (1/2 pound per 50 gallons of mash) may be added to speed up the fermentation if you have it. Without it, 10 or more days will be required instead of about 4. In either case, it must be kept warm.
When the mash gets through “working” or bubbling up and settles down, it is then ready to run. At this stage, the mash has been converted into carbonic acid and alcohol. It is called “wash” or beer and it is sour..
The “cooker” consists of two main parts, mainly the top and the bottom. After the mash is put inside, the top is pasted on with “red dog chop” or some other paste. This is so that if the fire is too hot and pressure builds up, the top will blow off preventing an explosion which might wreck the still.
In the top of the cooker a copper pipe, or “arm” projects over to one side and tapers down from a 4 or 5 inch diameter to the same diameter as the “worm” (one or one and a quarter inch).
To make the “worm, ” a 20 foot copper pipe is filled with sand, the ends are stopped up, and it is wrapped around a fence post. The sand prevents “kinking” of the pipe. The spiral or coil, called the worm, is then cleaned and attached firmly to the end of the arm in such a way that it is down inside a barrel. The barrel will be kept full of cold, running water. Of the water runs in the top and out an opening at the bottom, it can circulate better.
A fire under the cooker causes the spirit to rise in vapor along with the steam. it goes into the arm and then the worm where the cold water causes condensation. This is collected at the end in a container.
The first run off, or “singlings”, is weak and impure and must be redistilled to rid it of water and rank oils.
For the second run off, or the “doublings, ” the cooker is cleaned out and the singlings, along with some water, is heated and run through again.
The first quart will be far too strong (about 200 proof) and toward the last it will be weak (about 10 proof). The skill is in the mixing to make it 100 proof.
If a tablespoon of the liquid does not”flash” or burn when thrown on the fire, there is not enough alcohol left to bother running any more.
To test for the right proof, a small glass vial is used. When the small bubbles rise properly after the vial is tilted and when they set half above and half below the top of the liquid, then it is the right proof. The liquor is then filtered through charcoal and is ready for consumption.
There are many ways of making moonshine. This is just one way. For other ways, check with your nearest revenuer.
 Note/Disclaimer: 100 Proof bio fuel is adequate for your car. Don’t drink this, it is illegal to make, illegal to have in most areas.
Filed February 21, 2006 at 10:19 pm under Rum Runnin' by TJ
While at the Indianapolis Boat, Sport and Travel Show over the weekend with Rich, I got a chance to chat with a Coast Guard Officer for a little bit. He gave me a couple of handouts that answered my long running question of what safety stuff I need on my boat (legally) and what other stuff would be recomended. I’ve created a page that lists these items. You can find the link on the sidebar (or click here), be sure to check it out, as you may be suprised. I just found out last summer that I needed to carry a type IV throwable personal flotation device (PFD), basically a white floatation seat cushon, and only found that out after getting pulled over for an equipment check (or was it for a drunk check?).
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This sign was leaning up next to a boat at the show. I’m almost sure it was a message that Julie left for Rich.
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Filed February 18, 2006 at 5:54 pm under Rum Runnin' by TJ
The Rum Runner just came home today. It’s now wearing a custom bow and cockpit covers. They look great, and I had no issues trailering with the covers. Now to convince Momma to trailer it down to Florida next month when we go.
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Ain’t she pretty? I also had the bottom acid washed, as well as some warranty work taken care of. If I’m gonna drop it in the big pond, I’m gonna need to add GPS, a marine VHF radio and get some charts. I think it’d be approporate for a trip down Hawk Channel all the way to Key West, though I think it is probably too small for a run to Bimni from Miami. Maybe a few years ago when I was younger (dumber?). What would actually be a blast would be a run from Ft. Myers or Naples down to Key West across the Gulf, but again, that is REALLY pushing it for a boat like this (though probably more doable than the Bahamas run, with the right setup).
Speaking of a good setup, what are the legally required equipment for a boat for island hopping in Florida?  As I am not one for just getting the minimum stuff, what else should one carry on their boat for island hopping?Â
