The Alaskan Bootlegger's Bible
by Leon W. Kania
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Book Summary Information
Author: Leon W. KaniaBrand: Brewcraft
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2000-06-27
ISBN: 0967452406
Number of pages: 198
Publisher: Happy Mountain Publications
Book Reviews of The Alaskan Bootlegger's Bible
Book Review: Great book from those intimidating with the beer/wine/liquor making process
Summary: 4 Stars
I gave this book 4 stars instead of 5 only because it is slightly disorganized could use another proofreading. These are not large detractors though, as the unpolished aspects of this books works well with how the author humorous, carefree approach to the art of making alcohol. Even if you never intend to make alcohol at home, the entertaining stories and ingenious alcohol-making contraptions described are worth the read.
Chapter 1 is a very basic introduction of basic fermentation process required to make all alcohols. Very light on science, but not glossing over anything important.
Chapter 2 details winemaking. This was my favorite chapter, as the author doesn't just stick with the basics, like grape wine, cider, and mead (honey wine). He details how just about anything that contains sugar/starches can be easily turned into wine, from straight sugar to tomatoes, to carrots, to milk. There is an extensive recipe list, all requiring very little money and equipment to make some very exotic "wines." Intermixed with the instruction is some great stories about milk wine bootlegging priests and what to do when you meet a bear in a blueberry patch. Great stuff!
Chapter 3 is dedicated to home brewing beer. Recipes for cheap, historical prohibition style beers are discussed as well as more conventional, high quality beers. Most of the brewing process is kept very simple and generic. While I liked this section for the prohibition recipes and exotics beers recipes like chicha, I would probably buy a more conventional home brewing book if you plan to get serious with home brewing. The methodology here seems more directed toward college students who want to brew at the lowest cost possible, or isolated people unable to get a conventional home brew kit in the mail. Not to take anything away from the authors methods- its just that most people don't do home brews out of necessity, but as a hobby.
Chapter 4 describes making your own home brewing equipment, as well as making your own malt. Like the previous chapter, this section is very interesting and is great for someone unable to get home brewing ingredients and equipment, or unable to afford them. However, very few of potential homebrewer's would go to the hassle of building a bottlecapper out of scraps of wood, when they are readily available for under $20. The section on making malt is very interesting, especially since this is a topic that most basic home brew books avoid.
Chapter 5 details basic whiskeys and many different distillation stills. The whiskey recipes themselves are traditional cheap bootleggers recipes. Real, aged whiskey is not describes, only prohibition liquor or high proof ethyl alcohol are mentioned. A variety of stills are described, from traditional pot stills, to simple stills made from modern kitchen gear like pressure cookers, crock pots, and tea kettles, to small portable stills made from a soldering iron. Enough information is given to create your own still, if that is legal where you live.
Chapter 6 is a simple chapter on making liqueurs from a base alcohol (vodka or your 'shine)and a variety of fruits, herbs, etc. This chapter is here for completeness, but does not contain anything unique like the previous chapters.
Overall, this book is perfect for diehard DIYers, cheapcollege students,people in remote parts of the world, or anybody who wants to make their own alcohol but doesn't want to get bogged down in the fun-killing science aspects. If you are thinking about making wine/beer/liquor but just aren't sure if you can handle it, this book is the perfect starting point.
Summary of The Alaskan Bootlegger's Bible
Book Description How to make beer, wine, liqueurs, cider and moonshine whiskey. The author dusts off over 30 years of experience to tell you how it's done. He not only tells how to make darned near any kind of beer, wine, liqueur and whiskey you can imagine, he also tells you how to make the equipment to do it with. Ever wondered how a still is made? There are 8 types illustrated in this book and though it's illegal to build or possess a still, the illustrations are so complete, you could easily do it! This book includes plans and operating instructions from underground moonshiner manuals used in Mid East oil fields. Some are built with components found in most home kitchens. From moonshine, homebrew, wine and liqueur recipes, to stills, make your own cappers, kegs, scales and even a malt factory from an old freezer, it's all here!Easy to read and humorous, this book entertains you with Alaskan tales and bootlegger's lore while you learn to make everything from beer and blossom wines, to horse turd whiskey and bathtub gin. If you could buy only one "make your own" book for the rest of your life, this is it. It's like getting a whole shelf of books for the price of one!
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