Making alcohol is not far removed from chores farmers are used to. What we are doing is growing a yeast crop for the alcohol it produces. Grain is ground to make the starches more available. Enzymes are then added to break the starch down to sugars. These are the same types of enzymes that are found in saliva. The sugar is then fed to yeast plants that digest the sugar and water and produce alcohol and carbon dioxide (along with more little yeast organisms.) The yeast finally starves to death or kills itself off by overpopulation and too much alcohol. We then remove the liquid, which is alcohol and water, and distill it. The solids - the protein that was in the grain and the dead yeast organisms - are fed to animals as a protein supplement.

A Step by Step Guide to Building a Reflux Home Distillation Apparatus.... this site contains a step-by-step guide to building a relatively sophisticated home distillation apparatus that produces a highly refined distillate. The still is made from commonly available materials, with simple hand tools, and can be built for under $100.USD.

To obtain the earliest runs of sap, tapping should be completed by the middle of February in lower Michigan and by the first week of March in the northern portion of the state. Minimal trunk diameter for trees suitable for tapping is 10 inches at 4 feet above the ground. To tap a tree, select a spot on the trunk of the tree 2 to 4 feet above the ground in an area that appears to contain sound wood. At this point, drill a hole approximately 2 to 2.5 inches deep into the wood. Then insert a collection spout and tap lightly into the tree, and attach a bucket or plastic bag or a tubing line to the spout. Open buckets used for sap collection should be covered to keep out rainwater, debris, insects and other foreign materials.

Come join us for a unique dining experience, at our Nova Scotia restaurant and pancake house at Earltown, Colchester County, Nova Scotia, near Truro and the PEI Ferry.

Its appeal as a drink has risen and fallen throughout the years, but in the past decade the rise of microbreweries and homemaking kits have pushed apple cider making, especially hard cider, to a new level of popularity. A popular question regarding apple beverages is, "what are the differences?" Here is a quick synopsis:

To start off, you need some good, fresh-pressed cider. Blends of apples work well, or, 'Liberty' alone makes a fine cider. This particular batch was a blend of 'Liberty' and 'Haralson' (a locally popular apple in Minnesota). Best bet is to press fully ripe fruit, that have been picked and let 'mellow' for 7-10 days under cool, shaded cover. Remember to keep everything clean during the process to assure a quality cider!