- yesterday
Moonshiners Season 10 Episode 12
#CinemaSeriesUSFilm
🎞 Please join
https://t.me/CinemaSeriesUSFilm
#CinemaSeriesUSFilm
🎞 Please join
https://t.me/CinemaSeriesUSFilm
Category
😹
FunTranscript
00:00This time on Moonshiners.
00:09See these pillars?
00:10I'm thinking put a couple beams here, a little roof.
00:12We'll camo this and can't be seen in the river.
00:15This is the perfect place.
00:16That's 10 foot right here.
00:18We're going to be the trolls making moonshine under the bridge.
00:21You got something you want to show us?
00:23What do you think about this stuff right here?
00:26Beach.
00:27This will be the last run of the season.
00:29They ain't never run beach, but we're going to put them in the pot and see what they do.
00:36Pecans fall.
00:37We just got to figure out how we can pull this flavor off.
00:40So during this pandemic, we've done pretty good for selling a good clean alcohol that we're running off.
00:44But we're sitting in a position now that we can get a little something out there that's different that people can enjoy.
00:49Well, by God, we got a smoker full of pecans, don't we?
00:53This is how we make the moonshine.
00:59Tell it's muddy.
01:02My back end feels like it's getting squirrely already.
01:05Does it feel like it's sliding?
01:07Yes, sir.
01:08Something sliding on me.
01:10Yeah, she's getting all over the damn place.
01:12In Franklin County, Virginia, changing seasons means changing still sites, particularly Henry and Kenny.
01:19We ain't even got into the woods yet.
01:21I didn't realize it rained that much.
01:23It's come to the point in time to break this still site down.
01:26Leaves are going to be falling off the trees.
01:29Hunters are fixing to be coming in.
01:31Yeah, we still got to make a lot of liquor this year.
01:34But the last thing we want to do is get busted by the law.
01:37Where do we even start out here, boys?
01:39I think we should get the most expensive stuff on the first run.
01:43Caps, long crossover pipes, the worm.
01:46This is just in the way right now.
01:48I'll just go ahead and move some of the byrolls over there.
01:54We've got all this equipment to move out.
01:56She coming right on out.
02:00We're loading everything up.
02:01Only thing left is the boiler.
02:05There you go.
02:06We start draining everything.
02:08Mm-hmm.
02:09I thought I heard you something.
02:14I see somebody walking up.
02:25Let's get this thing out.
02:27Yeah.
02:29This guy had blaze orange on it.
02:31So I figured he was a hunter.
02:33We lose a lot of steel sites by hunters.
02:36All right, get out of here.
02:40We knew we were going to have to leave this steel site eventually.
02:43And Henry being the true moonshiner he is,
02:45he's already got his eye on another site.
02:47So we're going to drop the truck off with all our steel parts on it
02:50at Henry's house.
02:51And we're going to go check this new steel site out.
02:53A buddy of mine owns the land.
02:55He gave me permission to go in there.
02:56I think it's an amazing site, but I want to make sure of it.
02:59Because we're going to be here for a while.
03:00You know, we've got a lot of liquor we've got to make.
03:03It's right in between a river and a road.
03:06So there's not going to be any hunters right here.
03:09So we know nobody's going to walk up on our steel site.
03:12There's an old bridge that crossed here.
03:14It's built all out of rock.
03:16Yep.
03:17I mean, no.
03:18See these pillars?
03:19I'm thinking it puts a couple beams here.
03:21A little roof.
03:22We put all the steel and everything up underneath it.
03:24From the other side, we'll camo this so it can't be seen from that river.
03:27This is the perfect place.
03:29What we're going to do is basically extend this like we're building the bridge.
03:33That's 10 foot right here.
03:35So in essence, we're going to be the trolls making moonshine under the bridge.
03:38And on this lower end right here, we can keep our barrels and stuff over here.
03:41Keep the steel over here where we need a little more head.
03:43We won't be able to have no operation like what we've got.
03:46But in the winter time, do we really need an operation like that?
03:51This steel site is too small for this great big steamer rig that we've got.
03:56But we're going to have all the room we need in here to run a lot of good liquor.
04:00So right now, it's ass and elbows or it's nothing at all.
04:04It's a lot of work, man.
04:05I tell you what, I can probably call Josh and Josh can come up and help.
04:09That's a good idea.
04:10Let me give him a collar and see what he says about it.
04:13Josh builds steel sites in all different shapes, forms, and fashions.
04:17He builds them underground.
04:19He's built plenty with roofs on them.
04:21So who better to call than Josh?
04:23Hello.
04:24Hey, Josh, how's it going?
04:26What's going on, buddy?
04:27Ah, well, we down here in the woods looking at building a new steel site.
04:31Would it be possible for you to come up here and give us a hand?
04:34If you'll give me a day or two to get these steels run off, I'll be glad to come up.
04:39Sounds good.
04:40Sounds good.
04:41All right, buddy.
04:42Let me finish what I got going, and I'll see y'all soon.
04:44All right, we'll see you.
04:45Good deal.
04:46All right, we'll go.
04:47That'll work.
04:48All right, y'all got the measurement?
04:49Yes, sir.
04:5010 by 16.
04:51All right.
04:52We're gonna be doing this.
05:02Got our old morals empty now, ain't we?
05:04Yeah, I bet there ain't two gallons left back there.
05:07Nah.
05:08One state south in Graham County, North Carolina, after eight weeks of running shine with friends
05:14facing hard times in the hills, Mark and Huck head homeward to start a money-making run
05:19before the cold sets in.
05:21We've just run the last bit of our mash.
05:23We've got to take a trip back down out of the mountains here and try to get something
05:27else mashed in.
05:28So I'll save a little money to get through in wintertime.
05:32Hey, Vance.
05:33Hi, Jim.
05:34Who's there?
05:35This you, Vance?
05:38Yeah.
05:39Yeah, thanks for you.
05:40I got something.
05:41I want you to look at it.
05:43Okay.
05:44Well, we'll be out in a little while.
05:46We'll come by and check you out, sir.
05:48Okay, you come on by.
05:49I'll show you what I'm about.
05:50Come on.
05:51Come on.
05:52Drink what he's wanting.
05:53Well, we'll go see.
05:55Back early in the season, me and my dad, we run some liquor.
05:59I'm sure glad you come up here to do this with me.
06:02Well, I want to see if you know what you're doing.
06:04You could slip a bad run in on a man.
06:06Well, do you right.
06:07It's about the end of the season.
06:09We've been on the road a long time.
06:11We ain't got much money.
06:13So we just going to have to sell more liquor, you know, get what money we can and scratch
06:18us out of living.
06:19You got something you want to show us?
06:21Yeah.
06:22Come on, I'll show you.
06:23What do you think about this stuff right here?
06:26Beets.
06:27Yeah, the restaurants have closed down a lot and they couldn't sell all of them.
06:30I've heard of them mucking vodka out of them.
06:32Oh, it'll make liquor.
06:33Oh, it'll make liquor.
06:34Just don't know how to taste.
06:36But, uh...
06:38Shoot, we'll take them.
06:39Ain't never run beets, but we're going to put them in the pot and see what they do.
06:44You know, I think it might just tip you boys to run a little.
06:47May somebody help us fail them anyway.
06:49I'll help you drink it, too.
06:50Yeah.
06:51Vance rounded all these up and got plenty of them.
06:53Why not?
06:54Let's try to make us run and see how we can do with them.
06:57This will be the last run of the season.
06:59My boy's just getting slicker coming down this bank.
07:02I'd rather run with old Huck and Vance than anybody.
07:06Now, beet cutting?
07:07Yeah, we got a lot of beets to work.
07:10I know one thing.
07:13A man's inside to be red and he drinks some of it.
07:16Yeah.
07:17Vance, he's an old-timer, and it's good to have him out here, you know.
07:20He's always got you laughing about something, you know.
07:22If you got any worms, Huck, you'll get rid of them.
07:25Don't think I got any worms.
07:26How about you?
07:27I may have a few.
07:29You're awful skinny.
07:30Yeah, I know.
07:32Yeah, I got to boil these things.
07:34Get them softened up good.
07:36Get out the sugar for a mice, man.
07:38Root vegetables like beets are one of the few crops that can grow in the mountains of North Carolina.
07:44Despite their tough exterior, beets are surprisingly sweet, packed with as much natural sugars as peaches.
07:51Them there are a lot of beets here, ain't they?
07:54They've been to boil a long time.
07:56Let me see here.
07:57Yeah, they're soft enough.
07:59Mmm.
08:00Boy, them's good.
08:01I know one thing about the beets.
08:02Whew!
08:03They gonna make a lot of alcohol.
08:04I think, well, that's pretty mice, but I don't know how it'll turn out.
08:09I'm sure glad you got them beets there, Lance.
08:12Yeah, I am too.
08:13If this works, we may have to get Huck to grow some next year.
08:14Yeah.
08:15Big patch.
08:16Should I throw this?
08:17Hell no, no.
08:18Don't throw it.
08:19It may blow up.
08:20In Sevier County, Tennessee, after getting kicked off their still site at the peak of their season,
08:23they're going to beets.
08:24They're going to beets there, Lance.
08:25Yeah, I am too.
08:26If this works, we may have to get Huck to grow some next year.
08:27Yeah.
08:28Big patch.
08:29Should I throw this?
08:30Hell no, don't throw it.
08:31It may blow up.
08:32In Sevier County, Tennessee, after getting kicked off their still site at the peak of their season,
08:45Mike and Jerry rebuild in a new location to get back in business.
08:50This is Mike and Jerry's first run at the brand new still site.
08:53We're really excited.
08:54Yeah, we got a mixture of oats and barley here.
08:56Got it worked off real good.
08:58We got to get this stuff pumped over.
09:00Go ahead and break this new site in.
09:02There she goes.
09:06You know, we can mash in anything we want to, but when it comes to this column still,
09:10you're not going to have much flavor at all because this thing is designed to make good,
09:14clean, nutrient spirit to mix with anything you want to mix with it.
09:17You know, me and Jerry, we've done pretty well this year selling our regular clear alcohol.
09:22People like it.
09:23Ready to fire up.
09:24Oh, you're ready.
09:26All right.
09:27I'm going for the first time at the new site, baby.
09:29I believe this calls for a good stiff drink.
09:31We'll have one for sure.
09:33No, I got something in the damn truck we can drink.
09:35Oh, do you?
09:36Hell yeah.
09:37Some good stuff.
09:38Let's get started.
09:39You know, before the pandemic come around and all this crap hit the fan, I had an old-timer
09:43get up with me.
09:44He wanted to trade out.
09:45He had this bottle.
09:46He homemade this stuff.
09:47And so I traded him a couple of good clean jars of liquor for this.
09:50You talking about something good.
09:52Something that I really like.
09:54What did you got there?
09:55It's amaretto.
09:56Looks like a doggone dark whiskey.
09:58It's good, man.
09:59I'm telling you.
10:00That is good.
10:01It's got a lot of unique flavors to it.
10:03I know it's got almonds, peach pits and stuff in it.
10:06Kind of like a good liqueur.
10:07Like a liqueur.
10:08That's exactly right.
10:09The flavor's so good that I would like to put something like that out there, man, for
10:13people, you know?
10:14Don't have to taste identical to this, but I want it to be as good.
10:17You see what I'm saying?
10:18You know, during this pandemic, we've done pretty good for selling this good clean alcohol
10:22that we're running off.
10:23Mighty damn, it's good, man.
10:25But we're not all about just trying to make money.
10:27We're sitting in a position now that we can get a little something out there that's different,
10:31tastes good, that people can enjoy.
10:33The real base of this stuff is the almonds.
10:36I wonder if we can make something near or damn close to that good a damn taste, say, maybe
10:40with pecans.
10:41You know, where I come from in Mississippi, we've made out of pecans all the time.
10:45We're in the mountains of Tennessee.
10:46Where are we going to find pecans at?
10:47Pecan trees grow here, too, just like damn walnut trees do.
10:51Hmm.
10:52Get this run knocked out.
10:53We'll go get us a bucket full.
10:54That's exactly right.
10:55Got to get the liquor run off first, don't we?
10:57Yeah, she won't be long now.
10:59There she flies.
11:00How does it smell?
11:02It smells good.
11:03It smells hot.
11:04Let's have us a horn of this good stuff over here.
11:06Oh!
11:07This amaretto is very complex.
11:10I can taste cherry in it.
11:11You can taste the almond nuttiness, the bitterness in it.
11:14It almost tastes like it's got a roasted coffee bean in it somewhere.
11:17Ah, damn, that's fine.
11:19That'll make your sticker peck out right there.
11:21You know, we are moonshiners, and we like to think outside the box and come up with something
11:26creative, you know?
11:27Get out of the heads.
11:28Oh, it's good and clean now.
11:30Yeah, I'm joking.
11:31We're running a clean, neutral spirit from oats and barley today.
11:36It virtually has no taste whatsoever, so we're going to be able to infuse flavors through
11:40this alcohol to make it taste like we want it.
11:43Mmm.
11:44I think I like it, too, damn good.
11:45Mm-hmm.
11:46Don't want to sit down there a little bit.
11:47You ass lick.
11:49In Mississippi, my grandma used to roast down pecans.
11:53You talking about good?
11:54If you can extract the oils out of it to infuse it with our alcohol, that'll be some damn
11:58good stuff.
11:59We're ready to swap her out, ain't we?
12:01There we go.
12:02We're going to have to do a little research and development on this.
12:05I mean, there's sure there's going to be a lot of trial and error, but, you know,
12:07hey, that's the way our first rocket was built.
12:09You want you another ship?
12:10Open your damn mouth.
12:11Open up.
12:12Yeah, you know, we're going to yield about 15 gallons today here on this run, and tomorrow,
12:17we're going to go find some pecans to pick.
12:18Looks like we're about full here, Jerry.
12:20It's the end of the run.
12:21Let the pressure off.
12:23Woo!
12:24Ha-ha!
12:25Damn pecans.
12:26That's going to make some damn good liquor.
12:29Coming up...
12:31You see the oil?
12:32That's where you get all your flavor out of.
12:34If we can get all the oils and stuff extracted out of these pecans, it's going to pack a powerful
12:39punch.
12:40There's plenty of flavor in that nut.
12:41That's what she said.
12:42Why did I not figure that was coming?
12:53What we doing, old boy?
12:55Joshua.
12:56Good to see you, boys.
12:57Good to see you, too.
12:58Good to get on, John.
12:59What's up, buddy?
13:00You been on the road?
13:01What y'all got going on?
13:02Nothing safe.
13:03We got on the back of the truck there.
13:04I brought you boys a little present, a little surprise.
13:09In Franklin County, Virginia, Carolina Shiner Josh makes a late season trip to help Tickle
13:15and the Laws build a sheltered site, and he brings a taste of home.
13:20Wow.
13:21Oh, yeah.
13:22Those will do, won't they?
13:23Mm-mm.
13:24That's the good thing about having a steel site and an apple orchard.
13:27They finished all their picking, and I've had apples coming out of my ears.
13:30I just figured I'd hook you boys up.
13:32Even though I make brandies and stuff, these guys, they're experts at everything that they
13:37got going on.
13:38So I figured with the damn season drawing to the end, I figured I'd bring them some apples.
13:42Juicy.
13:43We're gonna make some whiskey.
13:44Make some whiskey.
13:45Yeah.
13:46Good.
13:47This'll work.
13:48I think they'll do the job.
13:49I've got something else I'd like for you to look at, too.
13:50What you got?
13:51Josh, everybody knows he's a master of this guy's underground outfits and all, and what
13:54we're getting ready to build is not completely underground, but it's enough for me to have
13:58a little bit of concern.
13:59We got a little spot we found, and we're gonna come here like this.
14:02Now, this is all rock.
14:03You know, not much of an artist, but...
14:05And there's some pillows, some huge round pillows where the bridge came across.
14:09The bridge is gone.
14:10What do you mean, bridge?
14:11There was a bridge across this river.
14:13A long time ago, a bridge went across the river.
14:15I see.
14:16This was a bridge that goes across here, and this is the river flowing underneath.
14:19Exactly.
14:20We've got to put a roof on it.
14:21We've got to put a tin on it.
14:22Josh does what will support it a whole lot better than we do, so I'm hoping I can get
14:25him down and help me build it.
14:26Do you have a plan on exactly what you're gonna use?
14:30Well, it's about a 16-foot span.
14:31That's right.
14:32How far?
14:3316 or 18 foot.
14:34So we're gonna have to scab some lumber.
14:36Yeah, because we don't have anything.
14:37Right here's what we got.
14:38It's pretty flattering that Henry and Kenny and Tickle would have me out here helping
14:42them and ask me for any advice on anything making moonshine.
14:45I'm thinking we're probably gonna have to put maybe three together with these short ones.
14:48But then again, we'll use that aluminum top.
14:50I believe it'll hold.
14:51No more weight, and we're gonna be putting on these things.
14:53It'll be fine.
14:54We'll just scab them all together, slap this thing together, and it'll be fine.
14:57This spot we got is small, so we're gonna have to go with a smaller still.
15:01We've got a little small submarine still.
15:03Wanna take a look at it?
15:04Yeah, I don't mind helping you do all this, but Tickle's the carpenter.
15:07Where the heck is he at?
15:08He's a master carpenter, but he's got other talents too.
15:11You'll see when he gets back.
15:12And we're gonna have plenty of help.
15:13We're gonna get that son of mine, Paige.
15:15Yeah.
15:16Sort of introduce him to this building part.
15:18I can't get him.
15:19It really ain't that big.
15:20What we got a building ain't that big.
15:21Paige's a good worker.
15:22Man, it's great Josh this year.
15:23We've got him helping us.
15:24I'm bringing my son Paige in to help us.
15:28This part that I'm using, it's about two inches of burn on the bottom of it.
15:31The sides are still good.
15:32So all we're doing is replacing the bottom.
15:34No, this is a buddy of mine still.
15:36He died, accidentally got shot, died.
15:39We always salvage whatever we can.
15:41We use sides.
15:43We don't throw anything away.
15:44We got the top for it.
15:45We just don't have the bottom for it.
15:46That stuff scorches on the bottom.
15:48It doesn't want to come off no matter what you do.
15:50This steel that we're gonna use is a buddy of mine.
15:52He's real close to me.
15:53We were like brothers.
15:54And he was accidentally shot and killed him.
15:57And his wife came to me and said,
16:00Henry, Flutie had this steel and he wants you to have it.
16:03If anything ever happened to him.
16:04And it's dear to me.
16:05It's real dear to me.
16:06And I can't wait to use this fire to steal up and use it just in memory of him.
16:11Look right here at the damage.
16:13I almost burnt his side completely out on it.
16:15Mm-hmm.
16:16Fire coming through.
16:17Yeah, his block came out.
16:18The fire was probably looping over.
16:20It started to get into the side a little bit to see the charcoal.
16:28Come on.
16:29Check this bad boy out.
16:32Hell yeah.
16:33We got us a pot.
16:34Now that our steel is built, we're moving on in to the steel site and get ready to rock and roll.
16:38Well, I believe we got us a pot now.
16:40Yep.
16:41And as far as tickle, I can't wait to see what he's got going on.
16:44I'm gonna take it to your tank, Jackson.
16:46The infamous tickle.
16:47How's it going, boss?
16:48What's going on, brother?
16:49Good to see you.
16:50Good to see you.
16:51I got what you asked for here.
16:52I got a little something for you too.
16:54We got sausage, chorizo, I got bratwurst, and ham steak.
16:59Look how dark red that meat is.
17:01I tell you what, that sounds like a fair trade for this.
17:04Think about that right, Chandra.
17:05Got a good bead on there, don't you?
17:11Ooh, doggie.
17:12That's some fine chun right there.
17:13Yes, sir.
17:14That'll do it, won't it?
17:15Well, I tell you what, I know people in my world.
17:17I'm interested in knowing the people in your world now.
17:19I know all kinds of barbecue icons in all the different regions of flavor.
17:24And these guys, they're not in magazines.
17:26They don't have restaurants.
17:28Every back road around here has got a barbecue.
17:31And I know the inroads to get to all of them.
17:33This looks like the start of a beautiful friendship to me, Tank.
17:45We'll get up under these trees good.
17:46I'd say we'll get all we need.
17:48Across the state line in Sevier County, Tennessee,
17:52Mike and Jerry are harvesting pecans to flavor a new amaretto-inspired recipe.
17:58You know, there's not a hole down a lot of pecan trees in Tennessee.
18:02But I do know where there's a small grove down by the river.
18:05I tell you what, this is the right time of the year for them.
18:08So you don't want to take these green ones right here.
18:11They're still encased in their hull.
18:13When they turn brown, they'll open up and actually drop the nut out of the hull.
18:17Like these right here.
18:18Well, the reason I know a good bit about pecans is that I grew up in Mississippi.
18:22And we spent a lot of our time gathering up down pecans for pies.
18:26That was a big staple down there, you know.
18:28Yeah.
18:29Well, it still is to this day.
18:31Nuts have been used to flavor alcohol for centuries.
18:35Medieval monks made the first alcoholic liqueurs,
18:39secretly blending herbs, nuts, seeds, and even tree bark to make their potent concoctions.
18:45Amaretto was born in Italy, made from the bitter kernels of almonds, apricots, and peaches.
18:52When broken down, the bitter component in these kernels
18:56produces both toxic cyanide, most of which is eliminated during distillation,
19:01and benzaldehyde, the organic compound that gives amaretto its nutty flavor.
19:07Watch this right here.
19:11Look at the pecans falling.
19:15Grab my bucket.
19:16Caught one, didn't you?
19:17Tell you what, right now I'm feeling very lucky.
19:20Look at them, man.
19:21They're just all over the damn place.
19:23Because, you know, pecan trees, every single year they don't bear.
19:26You'll have a real good year, then you'll have a year where they only have a handful of nuts on them.
19:30We're just gonna figure out how we can pull this flavor off.
19:32Exactly.
19:33These little jokers here is gonna be hard to get in.
19:35But they got a flavor like none other, though.
19:37Anything harder to get in always seems to be better.
19:40Those are really good.
19:42Jerry, I just hope we can make it good in some alcohol.
19:45You know, with everything going on today, anytime we can get something for free, it's a win-win for us.
19:50We don't have to go out, spend our hard-earned money, and we can still make top-shelf premium liquor for half the damn price.
19:57What are you doing sitting down eating the damn pecans for?
19:59Well, they're pretty damn good.
20:00He's just like a damn squirrel.
20:02All the time wanting to gnaw on some nuts some damn where.
20:05From the ground to hand to the jar, baby.
20:07If you went to the grocery store and bought 10 gallons of pecans, even unshelled, this would be hundreds of dollars worth of pecans.
20:15And we got them for free.
20:18So what do you got on your mind as far as extracting flavors?
20:21Well, I don't know quite yet.
20:24I've never made an alcohol flavored with any kind of nuts.
20:28Me personally, all I've ever done was gather them, bust them, and eat the basket.
20:32Yeah.
20:33My grandma and them want it done all the candies and pies.
20:36We've got to come up with how we're going to do this.
20:40You see the oil?
20:41I mean, that just about dripped off my finger now.
20:45When you smell that oil, that's where you get all your flavor out of.
20:49Well, we just need to get the flavor to it.
20:51I'm thinking we'll make like extract more.
20:53Extract.
20:54That way it won't take a whole lot.
20:55Get us a good flavor profile going on.
20:57I tell you what, if we can get all these busted and get all the oils and stuff extracted out of these pecans,
21:03it's going to pack a powerful punch.
21:05There's plenty of flavor in that nut.
21:06Yeah, that's what she said.
21:08Why did I not figure that was clean?
21:10Coming up, we'll put some brown sugar in there.
21:14Making this barbecue sauce up, it's a whole lot like mashing in.
21:18You've got to have the right ingredients and the right procedure for everything to come out perfect.
21:24There is one more ingredient.
21:26Some 100-proof rye.
21:28That's what puts the kick in it right there.
21:33Oh, damn.
21:35That's the other day.
21:41Whew.
21:42Trying to hand up on it.
21:43Before we create an extract out of these pecans,
21:45we decided we're going to lay them out on cookie sheets, smoke them,
21:48and try to infuse that type of flavor into our alcohol.
21:50Well, by God, we got a smoker full of pecans, don't we?
21:53People love eating smoked pecans.
21:55When you pass a little smoke through anything, it's delicious.
21:58It adds another whole depth of flavor to whatever you're preparing.
22:02I'm actually using pecan wood pellets that are made from the limbs of the pecan trees,
22:06which has that nutty, smoky flavor to them as well.
22:10That's already smelling good.
22:12This damn thing's going to be delicious, man, with that smoke rolling through them.
22:15You know it?
22:17Damn, that smells good, don't it?
22:18It smells like a dang popcorn.
22:19It does smell like popcorn.
22:21I want to tell you what, if we could catch that smoke pumping in a jar,
22:23that'd be the damn thing to do, wouldn't it?
22:25How do we get the smoke into the damn alcohol?
22:27It's pumping in here.
22:28It's bloated in here.
22:29You think that'll really damn work for us, or...?
22:32I'll get this.
22:33You ever sit by a campfire?
22:34All the time.
22:35What does your clothes smell like the next morning?
22:37Fire.
22:38Smoke.
22:39Wood.
22:40The smell's there.
22:41I would say it might attract the jar, the glass, the liquor, the water that's in the liquor.
22:48It's got to collect a little bit of it.
22:51We can try it.
22:52We already got something to pump it over in there while they're smoking.
22:55Me and Jerry, we've already got the alcohol running, man.
22:58We got a neutral grain spirit here, so we'd like to experiment to see if we can make a good tasting drink.
23:04You want the lid?
23:05Yeah, hand me the whole tote.
23:06The whole tote.
23:07The whole tote.
23:08The whole tote.
23:09We're going to try to trap this smoke and then induce it into the alcohol itself.
23:12This one we're going to do is cut a hole right here in this tote.
23:17Damn, Jerry, you just ain't another pretty face, are you?
23:23Mm-hmm.
23:24Drop that over there.
23:26Snap a ring.
23:27Look at you go, boy.
23:28We've got an air mattress pump.
23:31It's designed to go on a mattress, so this will be the intake.
23:34And just turn it on.
23:36It blows the air out of it.
23:38Let me fire this bad boy up.
23:40What about our hose?
23:41Oh, it is coming out of there.
23:42Look at that.
23:43Look at that.
23:44Look.
23:45This is smoking out of there.
23:50My God, that's got a real aroma to it, don't it, Bubba?
23:54It smells even better coming out of the alcohol than it does out of here.
24:03Hell, yes, you can taste the smoke in it.
24:05Smoke is there.
24:06It is there for sure.
24:13I'll be that good.
24:14You can taste it, can't you?
24:15That's got a good, subtle, just a good, subtle, smoky taste to it.
24:18It does.
24:19It's almost put across the popcorn and good liquor.
24:22I'm telling you.
24:24Pretty much makes it taste like an aged alcohol that's not colored.
24:29It's like you've poured your whiskey over into a charred barrel.
24:32Take them nuts and squeeze out a lot of them.
24:34A few drops out in each jar.
24:36Man, I think I'll be at the top shelf.
24:38We've got to start.
24:39We've got something in the alcohol right now.
24:41You can actually take a shot of that right there and enjoy it.
24:43I'm going to get drunk on smoked liquor.
24:57Mmm, yeah, that's got a good smell.
24:58Do you smell that?
24:59It smells like them old timers used to canned beef.
25:02Look out the bubble.
25:03Look at that head on it there.
25:04Oh, it's got a color.
25:05Oh, yeah.
25:06Hell yeah.
25:07In Graham County, North Carolina, after teaming up with Mark's dad, Vance, Mark and Huck are
25:13attempting to turn 400 pounds of free surplus beets into a late season payday.
25:19We ain't never run beets before.
25:23Let's run liquor.
25:24We're going to put them in the pot and see what they do.
25:28Well, the beets, they smell good.
25:30It's got a real good color to it.
25:31About a pretty color I've ever set up.
25:33I just hope we can sell it all.
25:36Boy, it sure is good to be back out here running again.
25:40Boy, it is.
25:41You know, we do it the old-timey way.
25:43Most people do it to use gas and all that stuff.
25:46We're making it like it used to make.
25:48Yeah.
25:49Only thing, you ain't got that G-man as bad at you.
25:51That's right.
25:52Revenue.
25:53That's right.
25:54Back when I started, son, you had to watch what you were doing.
25:56Yeah.
25:57You'd be on the chain game.
25:58Yeah.
25:59I still don't want to get caught.
26:00No, but I mean back then, they'd come and hunt you.
26:02Yeah.
26:03Times have changed.
26:04Yeah.
26:06Boys, I believe I'll go over here and check this thing.
26:08It ought to be getting pretty close.
26:11Yeah, boy.
26:12There she comes.
26:13Looks like that head's about ready to come off.
26:15What do you think?
26:16Yeah, lay it to it, Vance.
26:17Down the drain.
26:18There you go.
26:19I don't like to throw it away too much of this stuff.
26:21That's them old heads.
26:22Throw it away.
26:23Oh, that looks good.
26:24You know it.
26:25Ain't nothing in that.
26:27That makes you feel like you did, but you didn't.
26:28That's right.
26:29I'll tell you what.
26:30Now, if you just want to get drunk, I mean blistered, that right there would do it.
26:34Let me see this.
26:35Tell me what you think.
26:36Pulling out of the bed, I'll tell you.
26:37I'll tell you.
26:38I'll tell you.
26:39I'll taste some alcohol there.
26:40I'll taste some alcohol.
26:41Yeah.
26:42A lot of little strange tastes that people don't recognize.
26:43You can taste a little hint of a beet, but you can taste that earthy taste.
26:44If you like beet, you'll probably like it.
26:46If you like beet, you'll probably like it, and if you don't, you might not.
26:50But a lot of people just, if you give them a drink before you sold it to them, I don't
27:02think they would bite, a lot of them.
27:07The sails are over here.
27:12before he sold it to him, I don't think he would bite a lot of them.
27:15To sell this stuff, he might need to add a little something to it.
27:18He might.
27:19But get us a lid and cap that off.
27:21Cap that thing off and pull that far, we'll get out of here.
27:24I don't know what we're going to do, but we've got to figure out
27:27how to sell this liquor, that's all I know.
27:33You think we need three buckets?
27:35We might. We'll get three if we can get them.
27:37Deep in the mountains of western North Carolina,
27:41Mark and Huck are trying to salvage a 30-gallon run of beet vodka
27:45using an old-time flavoring trick.
27:48It's lucky that we had these pires.
27:50Daddy-in-law, he sure took care of these old trees.
27:52He passed away and gone, but he's still helping us out.
27:55Me and Vance and old Huck, we made one run off these beets,
27:59hit some pretty good liquor, had a lot of good alcohol in it,
28:02but the taste didn't quite suit us.
28:04And Huck's headed over to his father-in-law's place to get some pires.
28:08We're just going to put them in the thumper, mix in with it,
28:11see if we can get a little better taste.
28:13This is the only thing I know to do,
28:15is just try to flavor it up in the thumper.
28:17My father-in-law's had these power trees and apple trees and stuff,
28:21but it all got a real good flavor.
28:23Them old-timers, you can see sign up through these mountains.
28:26Oh, yeah.
28:27Been here hundreds of years, what they've done.
28:29Oh, yeah.
28:30That ought to be enough, aren't it, Huck?
28:32That ought to flavor two runs, aren't it?
28:33Yeah.
28:34Oh, boy, it's back again.
28:39Back again, Vance.
28:40You ready for me to like this, boys?
28:42Yeah, a lot of it.
28:43Yeah, I was reading early for them.
28:45We ready for the pires, Mark?
28:47Yeah, it wouldn't hurt to get them ready.
28:54Make your hands sticky, won't it?
28:56Yeah, that's a lot of juice in them pires, you know?
28:58They are.
28:59Sure.
29:00We just put the pires in the mash.
29:01It's just going to strip most of the taste out of it,
29:03so we're going to put it in the thumper.
29:05You get a better taste on the other end that way.
29:08Well, that's got it.
29:09All we got to do is wait on it now.
29:10Yeah.
29:11And how'd that ever turn out when you was on the road?
29:13Well, I'm just glad we got to help some of our old buddies out
29:16and it changed things up, but we've had a lot of fun.
29:19Oh, yeah.
29:20And I ain't kidding.
29:21I'm glad we done it.
29:22Yeah, man.
29:23And I ain't kidding.
29:24About the end of the season.
29:25It changed my way of living for the next three, four months,
29:28you know, I'll be in the woods hunting.
29:29We need to sell this liquor to survive until next season.
29:34Boy, that's a running.
29:35It is, huh?
29:36Yeah.
29:37Them heads off fire, Vance.
29:40Boy, it's got a good smell.
29:42Yeah.
29:43It's getting cool anyway.
29:44Yeah, that'll do it.
29:50Mm-hmm.
29:51Damn, that's fat.
29:52Man, they need to cut a little down to about 101 to drink.
29:55Yeah.
29:56It'll have proof itself down as it goes.
29:58A wild one.
29:59Watch out of good flavors.
30:00It gets proof downright.
30:01It ought to be pretty good.
30:02Even at a high proof when it first started coming out,
30:04you can taste the pairs in it.
30:06I know the lower the proof got, the better flavor we was going to get.
30:10I think it's going to be a pretty good drink.
30:12It's got a pretty good beef.
30:14Yeah.
30:15It's about proof itself.
30:16I've had a lot of good years of making moonshine,
30:19but I swear I believe this year is about the best year we've ever had.
30:23Yeah, boy, it was good to see some old buddies.
30:26He lives way back, don't he?
30:28Yeah, boy.
30:29I used to stay in the mountains for weeks at a time for myself, you know.
30:32Stay out there long enough, you get lonesome.
30:35I'd like to see your friends coming.
30:37Hey, bass.
30:38We didn't scare you, didn't?
30:40Nah.
30:41It's pretty hard times the way it is.
30:42True friends really helps one another.
30:44That's just the way we are around here.
30:46That'll hold me seven days.
30:48Old rough roads and the work, it's worth it.
30:52That's love liquor there, huh?
30:54You are a good friend.
30:56That's what we're doing it for.
30:57Help some of our people that's in this county right here.
31:00I ain't really sold no moonshine, but it's been as fun a year as I've ever done.
31:05I said the other day, I got on my knees and prayed.
31:08I said, Lord, send somebody in here to run me around.
31:11You don't ever know what's going to happen nowadays, but as long as I'm here in these mountains with my people, I think everything will be okay, you know.
31:23I believe we done good.
31:24What do you think?
31:25I know we did.
31:26We've got a little bit of liquor that we can deal with this winter now.
31:29Yeah.
31:30Have a little bit of sale anyway.
31:31You know when they see us coming, they'll be as small as they've been eating sawbri.
31:35Yeah.
31:36Yeah.
31:37Well, let's load up, boys, and get out of here.
31:39Hunting season is all I know.
31:41Yeah, but after hunting season, we need to far up again, don't we?
31:44We will.
31:45Okay.
31:46Josh, you ought to be on your way.
32:00I don't want to be standing on the side of this road too long.
32:02People see us.
32:03Yeah.
32:04There he is.
32:05Wintertime's coming on.
32:06We found this site.
32:07It's beautiful.
32:08All we got to do is build it in, camo it up.
32:11I made it.
32:12I made it.
32:13What's up, Mr. Page?
32:14With Josh and my oldest son, Paige, we should be able to get the job done.
32:18Let's get her done.
32:19All right.
32:24We'll take this lumber here.
32:25We'll build right over the river and make liquor all winter long.
32:29Make winter all liquor long?
32:30Yep.
32:31Yep.
32:32Make winter all liquor long.
32:33Let's get some lumber out and we start building.
32:35Got it.
32:36We get screws, chainsaw, drills, and that little saw horse.
32:40Right here, Paige.
32:41All right.
32:42Take one of them four-foot pieces and put it right here.
32:46Josh, you lose a finger like that.
32:50All right.
32:51While y'all doing that, I'm going to mark another one of these four-foot.
32:57All right.
32:58You know what?
32:59I think I'm about hungry.
33:00Josh, give me a hand with this thing over here.
33:01All right.
33:02I knew today was going to be a very long day.
33:06What part of the steel is that?
33:08It's a smoker.
33:09This thing runs like one of the old wood-fired steels.
33:12I decided to bring my smoker out here and really feed these boys good.
33:16Let me get a fire going.
33:18I've had a lot of chances this year to reflect on the shared history of barbecue and moonshine.
33:25All right.
33:26Here we go.
33:27There's a whole lot of similarities there.
33:29And this year, I really took it upon myself to go out and cook with some of the best pitmasters in the country and really learn a whole lot more about moonshine and barbecue history.
33:39When it starts smoking you out real bad, you know you're getting close.
33:43And one of my favorite things to smoke up on the grill is good old country-style pork ribs.
33:49If I'm going to cook ribs, I got to make some barbecue sauce.
33:52Get on the other side, Paige.
33:54Paige is strong as a damn bull a lot.
33:56So this will be fourth generation right here.
33:58Fourth generation moonshiner.
33:59My oldest son, Paige, he's 18 now.
34:02And I'm dying to hand down this tradition.
34:04My dad taught me.
34:05His dad taught him.
34:07Hack to me, Paige.
34:08Now I've got the opportunity to teach my son.
34:10It's more to making liquor than actually making liquor.
34:13You've got to learn how to build a site.
34:15That's as important as making liquor.
34:17All right.
34:18We're in.
34:19Starting out with tomato sauce.
34:21All right.
34:22Making this barbecue sauce up, it's a whole lot like mashing in.
34:26I'm going to put some brown sugar in there.
34:29You've got to melt all that sugar in just like when we're making shine.
34:32You've got to have the right ingredients in the right order and the right procedure
34:37for everything to come out perfect.
34:40And there is one more ingredient.
34:42Some hundred proof rye.
34:44It's got sweet white corn in there.
34:46So you've got pepper on the front and sweet on the back.
34:49All right.
34:50Oh, I can smell that already.
34:52That's what puts the kick in it right there.
34:54For the roof, we could build some rafters around through here.
34:57Let's check out these boys that we laid out here and see if that's what she's talking about.
35:00When you get four or five men together that know what they're doing, I mean, you get some work done fast.
35:06That ain't too bad, really.
35:08Let's take another one each page and see what it's reaching.
35:10Look it right there.
35:11You can see that's about starving.
35:13Yeah, I could use a little something deep myself.
35:16All right.
35:17That's a good start.
35:18Can't have a good barbecue without some good smoke.
35:21All right.
35:22Let's get some ribs on here.
35:24Oh, yeah.
35:25Gotta love that sound.
35:26And we'll give them some room to breathe.
35:29The way the smoke can wrap around them evenly.
35:32All right.
35:33Boy, them things look good right there.
35:36All right.
35:37Well, I reckon I can go see if these boys need a hand.
35:40That's going to take several hours right there.
35:45All right, fellas.
35:46I got sauce made and meat on the grill.
35:49I'm about to starve, boy.
35:50Country-style pork ribs.
35:52No, I've never had barbecued ribs in a steel.
35:54I might ought to stop.
35:55I'm spoiling.
35:56No, I work better when your belly's full, don't you?
35:58I don't know.
35:59I tend to take a nap when I get full.
36:10Last, you want to get chew?
36:11No, I can't already cut that.
36:12Give me a stump to burn.
36:13You grow that stuff?
36:14No, I used to, but I don't buy it anymore.
36:17It's just an old twist to the back.
36:19I used to chew it a whole lot.
36:20I lost my bottom teeth.
36:22Yeah.
36:23You know the old people, years ago,
36:24they used to feed their kids the back of the worm.
36:26Yeah.
36:27You ever swallow any of it?
36:28I've swallowed like that.
36:29You'll be worm good.
36:30That's for sure.
36:31Yeah.
36:36Yeah, let's get this mesh.
36:37I have a steel site.
36:38You can slide it all the way down here.
36:41Hey, Paige, pull this on back this way.
36:43Yeah.
36:44There you go.
36:45We got the build finished.
36:46Now we're going to have to do a whole lot of camo work.
36:48That's pretty good on this side.
36:50We got some camouflage netting and leaves.
36:52Just camouflaging it really nice.
36:54It looks good.
36:55Here is where the match is going to happen.
36:57That was still under here, camoed up.
36:59We're going with a small outfit too.
37:00So small space right here with that high price look is all we need.
37:04Tell you what, fellas.
37:05I'm going to go check them ribs out and see what they're looking like.
37:08About the time Henry, Kenny, and Josh is putting the finishing touches on this steel site,
37:13the ribs is ready to come off of the grill.
37:16All right.
37:17That looks mighty good.
37:18Yes.
37:19What do you think of that?
37:20Y'all can't have any.
37:21Now that Josh has helped us build this site,
37:23it's time that we turn our attention to a winter project.
37:27Something maybe a little bit smaller, batch.
37:29Also, we got to figure out what the hell we're going to do with all these apples that Josh
37:33brought us.
37:34Who taught you how to cook?
37:35Penitentiary.
37:36Well, my daddy told me one time that I was so darn ugly I better learn to cook.
37:40I might not find a woman to do it for me.
37:42But luckily I found me one.
37:44Oh yeah, looky, looky here.
37:56They're nice and caramelized, Jerry.
37:58We've got to do something creative here to try to get these oils out of these pecans.
38:03Get our welding together.
38:04Yeah.
38:05Jerry come up with the idea to say, well, let's press the oil out of them.
38:10To extract all that oil and we can get the most amount as we possibly can.
38:14Gonna do it?
38:15I believe so, Bubba.
38:16You know, I have a hydraulic press.
38:18Woo!
38:19Just had to make a pressing jig.
38:23And if we can just get some earls out of them pecans, we'll be in high damn cotton.
38:28Load that bad boy up there.
38:30All right, here we go.
38:31Come on, baby.
38:32Look in there.
38:33Look in there.
38:34All right, baby.
38:35We got oil.
38:36That's a tail oil, wasn't it?
38:37We got it running out the back.
38:38Woo-hoo!
38:39We got oil coming out.
38:40Holy damn.
38:41Tasty.
38:42Mmm, damn almighty, that is fine, boy.
38:45Oh my God.
38:46Oh my God.
38:47Oh my God.
38:48Oh my God.
38:49Oh my God.
38:50Oh my God.
38:51Oh my God.
38:52Oh my God.
38:53Oh my God.
38:54Oh my God.
38:56Oh my God.
38:57Oh my God.
38:58Oh my God.
38:59Oh my God.
39:00Oh my God, dude.
39:01That is phenomenal.
39:02I can about drink that by itself.
39:03It's got kind of a smoky, burnt, nutty flavor to it.
39:08I don't feel like that we're going to have to add a whole lot per jar of alcohol to get
39:12this flavor because this oil is, I mean, super concentrated.
39:16Damn.
39:17That is a...
39:18That's a pecan pancake right there.
39:20It's almost dry.
39:21I love it.
39:22It will.
39:23Here we go.
39:24Tail's off.
39:25I'd say that's about enough for a taste, ain't it?
39:29It goes for him to shake.
39:30Ain't no need wasting something if it ain't going to turn out.
39:32You pour it from drops anyway.
39:36We got to be careful with this oil because we don't want to mix too much and just overpower
39:40it.
39:41It's just, it's got to be there, but yet it's got to be a drink of liquor you want to take
39:44a good shot of and have that flavor on the back note.
39:50It tastes like pecan.
39:51It's got the smoked flavor in it.
39:52It's really damn good.
39:53I like to try it.
39:54It's crazy, ain't it?
39:55It's in there, ain't it?
39:56What's there?
39:57It's in there like a hair in a biscuit.
40:01I love it.
40:02I think it's great.
40:03It's even got that little bit of a charry taste to it as well.
40:08I never thought we'd ever accomplish it.
40:10Right there it is.
40:11But I'm tickled to death with it.
40:13I mean, I like it.
40:14I'm satisfied with it.
40:15You know what the damn main goal is here today?
40:18Me and Jerry's pulled this off.
40:20We figured out how to put pecan flavor into alcohol and we nailed it down.
40:24So make sure we get all that oil off the bottom there.
40:27Damn, you spilling our damn oil, Jerry.
40:32I damn enjoy our slicker son.
40:34Oh, I say it is.
40:35It's got oil on it.
40:36It's costly, huh?
40:37Yeah.
40:38Damn, you clumsy today, ain't you?
40:40No, you won't.
40:42Next time on Moonshiners.
40:45Need to drive all over East Tennessee trying to find jars.
40:48A jar shortage to a moonshiner is about as desperate as it gets.
40:52We've committed 1,500 jars of expired mayonnaise.
40:56This is the messiest that I've ever fooled with in my life.
41:00This ain't fishing.
41:01We've got to come up with another plan.
41:03Thinking of something new 400 years ago, this guy Thorpe,
41:07he made the first whiskey in North America.
41:10He's talking about the first alcohol that was distilled in America.
41:13I want to recreate what he did 400 years ago.
41:16This is something special.
41:17It's an expedition back in history.
41:19What would be a chance you'd have tomato paste and lemon juice?
41:22Gary, what the hell do we need down with tomato paste and lemon juice for?
41:25I've heard of this recipe called bird watchers.
41:27Slice in the miters.
41:32You better me.
Recommended
50:30
|
Up next
41:35
41:35
41:35
41:35
46:40
45:40
45:40
45:40
0:31
54:07
40:03
31:50
42:35
1:23:04
53:34
1:02:09