I realize that some distilling companies ask their customers to do some basic distilling research before even contacting them with any questions. Therefore, this audiobook is a great way to learn the basics. You sit down with one of your best drinks, light up your cigar or pipe and listen to this and I guarantee you’ll know what you’re talking about when you contact them with questions.

I recommend this audiobook not only to beginners but also to those who think they know what distilling is all about. I am speaking for myself. I thought I knew a lot, it’s just to show you, you’re always learning and there’s plenty of room left. For example, I didn’t know that the word “ZYMURGY” means the art of fermentation. Now yes.

It starts with the history of distilling, how it started in Italy, and then a year later, a Prince taxes alcohol. Alcohol is what everyone wants, he says, so the authorities want to tax us, saying they are protecting us. Then he moves on to the new urban moonshiner, who doesn’t do it for profit but as a hobby.

He talks about his teenage years, meeting a man in Kentucky with a still in a barn, who told him the story of moonshine. The three years of her hanging with him and everything she saw.

Then he talks about all the adventures of his life meeting people who make him shine like grandpa’s tequila and aunt’s grappa. Parts where he pulled out a jar of apple pie and what happened.

He talks about the basics of distillation, fermentation, and aging. It tells you all the lingo. How it works, definitions, what you need, how it is done, and with what, the new yeasts that are coming out. Old and new school ways of distilling, all that covers. He checks all the ingredients. Steps to perform, in simple instructions. He also has some recipes that he is reading, easy for beginners. He goes into the temperatures and how important this is.

He talks a bit about the science, about what happens in the distillation. Your relationship with your still, keeping an eye on how hot the steam is and how cool it gets. Teach him about monitoring. How to run your still, gives you steps. He talks about the sills and how they always have to be removed and will give you the basic percentages of the amount of washing. It is a must pay attention to. You learn the rules. He talks about all the outages and how to know where you are. How to smell it and how it will smell. Also, how to aromatize, filter and age. I don’t want to give away the book, but he has a common sense approach to making your cuts.

Distilling, like cooking, is individual taste, and by no means the best way. It talks about all the different personalities out there when it comes to personal distilling. There are different types of distillation, such as steam for example. Go into each of these.

This audiobook comes with a PDF with all the types of frames, with images, you can see how each one is built.

Get into some advanced concepts. For those who want something extra.

He goes into every design of every type of still there is, from pot stills, knockers, reflux, lyne arm, drool box, water jackets, pans or woks from your kitchen, and kettle stills. My favorite is reflux yet! He tells you which one is best for what kind of product you want.

I like when you talk about freeze distillation (alcohol doesn’t freeze so it can be separated from fermentation). This is very nice. This is a distillation technique used in places like Alaska, Eskimos, etc. You don’t have to use a still. You can leave a 20 gallon bucket of beer wort and it will be 90% frozen and have a clear liquid on top. What will the alcohol be?

He talks about abv and techniques of how to get high proofs.

How to make easy homemade frames with diagrams, come with this.

It gives you shopping lists and tasks. Where to buy your supplies tells you too.

Things like hazards like proper room ventilation or fire and seals. Get into it all in this audio. He says take care, don’t be sorry. Learn the basics well.

I love the recipe section. What exactly is whiskey. All the different types and what’s in each. Try them all. This guy uses fans and all the basics for distilling. For the home distiller wrote this.

Talk about legality and laws. He talks about this and why is this. I see his politics here. He assumes this book is to entertain you.

I hear all the time what he says about the myth of moonlight and blindness. It’s like the protein myth, you need meat for protein is what’s killing us Americans with heart disease. Same with moonshine and going blind. This is government propaganda made in the 1920’s to scare people. He explains this and talks about the grain of truth in this, the tiny grain.

Moonshine talks about it all below. What is, how any fool can do. The proof of the blue flame, he teaches it to you.

The last part is all her recipes. He gives you some books to read, which he recommends. I also recommend them. People ask me all the time for recipes. I can send them here.

I heard this a few times while working. I had some lost listeners with me who enjoyed it too. I look forward to your next book.

Thanks for reading my book review. Support people like Jeff King who have been adding solutions to the distillation for many years and not expecting anything from the public. Passionate about distilling.

happy distillation

Home Distiller Workbook by Jeff King – Book Review by Anthony Zaca. This is my review of the audiobook.