How to Measure Alcohol Content

July 27, 2023

There are several ways to measure alcohol content in beer, wine, cider, mead and spirits. In this article I’m going to show you four. Specifically, I’m going to show you how to use a hydrometer, a refractometer, a digital hydrometer, and a digital refractometer. And as a bonus i’m going to show you how to... Read more

Is Moonshine Illegal?

March 14, 2023

The question is, is making moonshine illegal? The answer to this is somewhat complicated and unless the thought of digging ditches with chains around one's ankles is appealing, potential distillers better read on because in this article we're going to summarize whether or not moonshine is illegal.

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How to Make Bourbon

January 6, 2023 posted in Distilling

In this guide, we'll show you how to make bourbon whiskey from start to finish. This will include step by step descriptions of recipe creation, grain milling, mashing, fermenting, distilling, and aging, blending, and bottling. To make sure we provide the most valuable and accurate information possible, we've enlisted the help of Jesse Wilson from... Read more

How to Assemble an Essential Oil Distiller | Clawhammer Supply Assembly Guide

August 18, 2021

Essential oils are commonly known for their wide variety of uses, from aromatherapy to cooking additives. Purchasing essential oils can be expensive, however making them at home with our essential oil distiller is much cheaper. Follow the six steps below to learn how to assemble our essential oil distiller kit.    Assembly Video  *Depending on what accessories... Read more

How to Make Moonshine

November 16, 2018

I've been studying the art and the science of how to make moonshine for almost 15 years now. I've figured out how to make moonshine strong enough to fuel a rocket, but the process is much more "art" than it is "rocket science." In other words, it's only as complicated as you make it and... Read more

How to Make Bourbon with Silent Brigade Distillery

November 1, 2016

We are so excited to share our most recent chat with you. This time, we got to talk with John Brown of Silent Brigade Distillery, a relative newcomer to the distilling game. However, they've already got people talking about their Bourbon, distilled in a hand built, copper pot still. How to Make Bourbon Step by... Read more

How to Make Rum - with Stillwagon Distillery

September 8, 2016

Making Rum: An Interview with Rick Stillwagon We recently had a chance to talk with Rick Stillwagon, owner of Stillwagon Distilleries in Charleston, Oregon. Rick is a scientist-turned-distiller, who came to love the craft of making spirits through, of all things, his love of  Koi. Rick is a student of aquaculture and loves Koi fish. He... Read more

How to Make a Moonshine Still

August 9, 2016

If you're looking for instructions on how to make a moonshine still, you're in the right place. I've been building stills for almost 15 years and have a lot of experience in this area. When I made my first moonshine still the smallest piece of copper I could find was so big that I actually... Read more

Making Rye Whiskey - With Iowa Legendary Rye

July 6, 2016

An Interview with Iowa Legendary Rye: We recently chatted with Lisa Chase, co-owner of Iowa Legendary Rye, a mom-and-pop micro-distillery based in Carroll, Iowa. During Prohibition, Carroll County was home to serious bootleggers: Stubbornly self-reliant Midwestern folks who valued quality and their independence, and who’d be damned if anyone was going to take that away... Read more

How To Make Essential Oils At Home

May 31, 2016

About 700 different kinds of plants contain useful essential oils, and there are several methods employed to extract them, the most common of which are water and steam distillation. We'll focus on water distillation here. Essential oils can be costly to buy but they are relatively inexpensive to distill at home. Some botanicals store their... Read more