♪♪
In tennessee, a shady deal On unfamiliar turf.
We're sitting in a big, Urban environment
With a boatload Of liquor.
In virginia, temptation For an outlaw gone legal.
Um...
And in the smoky mountains,
The pressure to innovate Pushes one moonshiner
To his breaking point.
We're trying to Get this bloat--
Oh, my god!
♪♪
♪ goin' for a ride ♪
♪ runnin' to survive ♪
♪ when you're livin' Outside the law ♪
♪ we're livin' Outside the law ♪
This is how We make the moonshine!
--captions by vitac-- Www.Vitac.Com
Captions paid for by Discovery communications
I've always liked Peach brandy,
But my dad said he just Wanted me to do some rye.
You got to look at it Like this, j.T.
The whole reason he's got me Up here with you
Is so you can step Out on your own.
That sounds good to me.
In culpeper, virginia,
Tickle has returned to belmont Farms to guide j.T.
In developing his own Moonshine recipe.
-it should be good. -oh, yeah.
What do you want to do first?
You want to start Cutting them up?
First thing we need to do is go On ahead and get some water hot.
Alright.
That's going to Take the longest.
It's no big secret.
I'm on probation.
I've got people, They're watching me.
But moonshining -- It's in my blood.
It's just something I cannot stop doing.
Alright. Set these peaches on up here.
So, I'm glad tim and j.T.
Have me up here, helping him Out, because any other way
I'd be sitting out In the woods
And I'd be making Moonshine illegally.
You know, dad wants me To do this rye and all,
But then I can't really Come up with my own recipe.
I know your daddy good Enough to know this.
We got a barrel Of peaches right here.
We're going to turn it Into a barrel of mash.
Your daddy ain't going to dump A bottle of mash out.
It's going to wind up Getting run and...
If it tastes good, He'll be happy.
Alright, I'm thinking that ought To just about get us, j.T.
What do you think?
Yeah, That will be alright.
Sometimes, it's hard to work With your own dad.
That's why I like To have tickle around.
You know, he's like An uncle to me.
Alright?
Alright, you get Some water in that.
I'll start mixing That one up.
Just put a little bit Of this rye in here.
I'm working on a barrel Of peach,
And j.T.'s over there working On the rye.
I come in, and I see him Adding the corn.
I tell you what, go get us Some water for that one.
Let's see hear.And I say to myself,
"It's kind of hard to make rye Without any rye in it."
Well, I didn't know He added any rye.
I put ten pounds of rye In it.
This was extra.
Ooh.
I was only supposed To add half of it.
Not working together is where Our miscommunication come in.
Well, I tell you what.
It's a whole lot of damn Rye in there.
The rye adds a spicy, peppery Backnote to your moonshine.
You want your rye In there as a flavor,
But you don't want it to be The only thing you can taste.
I imagine the man who made Moonshine the first time thought
He was making a mistake, too.
Gonna run with this Double rye we got.
Tickle is honoring one of the First rules of moonshining --
You don't know What you got until
It's run through the still.
I never made it like this, But why not give it a try?
We'll keep on with it, But let's take that other barrel
And we'll make what your Daddy actually really wants.
Tim's really wanting to see A good rye come out of this run,
So I think the safest Thing we can do
Is mash in another barrel And do this one, too,
And we're going To see what happens.
When you done documenting, You want to get a beer?
Oh, yeah. Let's go get some.
Alright, let's let This stuff work off
And get us Something to drink.
♪♪
Let's peel these back And see what we're facing.
Over in tennessee, Mark and digger have returned
To check on their grappa mash,
Which is in the middle of a Two-stage fermentation process.
This thing's died, We're in trouble.
We're afraid if this Fermentation
Has completely stopped,
Then our grapes And stuff have rotted.
I hope it's something good Because it's been
A terrible amount of work.
Yes, it has.
Here's what's going To tell the ticket.
Looking at it initially, It's pretty pitiful.
It kind of looked like Pond scum or something.
Oh, yeah.
Yeah, it's working Like a damn beehive.
Yeah, boy.
Look at All that deliciousness.
Bubbles are a sure sign that The yeast are still alive.
No vinegary smell.
Just smells like good, Strong wine.
You know What that'll do to us
When it's still fermenting, Don't you?
It will give you The awfulest dose
Of the backdoor squirts You ever seen, don't it?
It will run through us Like a damn saw.
You'll be able to poop Through a keyhole.
We've got a 10-12, maybe 14% Alcohol content so far.
Now, we're going to want to Take this and boost it to 20-24,
25% in our Secondary fermentation.
Watch Your dern whiskers now.
Never lost a finger!
In order to kick off The second fermentation,
Mark and digger Will transfer the cool mash
To a warm mix Of sugar and water.
This should speed up The already active yeast,
Increasing alcohol content
And preserving The current flavor.
You ready to pump A little mash?
I'm ready.
I'm going to let it bounce All this around, mix up good.
Yonder it comes.
Oh, it's getting some Goody out of there.
We're adding this pumice mash Into our sugar water.
That's going to begin Our secondary fermentation.
The yeast in here Was still good
And it's going To start taking off,
And what we're hoping Is we're going to get 10,
15 more percent alcohol Out of this mash.
You down at the bottom?
Just about.
Just about shot its wad, Ain't it?
Alright.
All we got to do is cap These things back off.
Let them run a day or two.
Yeah.
That's been a pretty Good day there, hatty boy.
Yeah, it's good.
I wouldn't have nothing To bitch about.
Ah, you'd come up With something.
♪♪
I've called on An old buddy of mine.
I'm going to go over here And meet him at an old barn
And see if he'll be willing To help me a little bit.
I hope he says, "Yeah", Or I'm not gonna make my go.
After splitting with His partner mark,
Tennessee moonshiner mike Is on a desperate search
For help to finish Off his season.
Well, what are you doing up In the loft of that barn?
Is that thing Safe to walk on?
Well, I guess so.
Sure these old steps Are sturdy enough?
Oh, yeah.
I'm getting too old To break any bones.
How you been?
I'm just wonderful. How about you?
Aw, man. Making it, son.
Daniel -- he's A good friend of mine.
I trust him, but he ain't Never helped me run no liquor.
I was going to see If you'd be interested
In helping me make A couple of runs.
I need a still hand for right Now to help me get this stuff
Made and, potentially, Help me get it gone.
It's not going to be No 50/50 partnership,
'cause I just need A hand right now,
Instead of an equal partner.
I'll make it Worth your while.
Have you got A still site set up?
Yeah, I've got one set up, Not too far from here.
But, uh, you'll not see where It's at until you agree
To help me or whatever.
It's always a risk When you try to get somebody in
On your still site to help you
Because he may tell on you
Or let somebody else know What both of you's doing.
So, I got to Really trust him.
Is it secluded enough For a man shouldn't get caught?
When you're running liquor,
Daniel, you're going To take a chance
Getting caught, I don't care where you at.
Damn, man.
You know, that's a hard decision To go back into that lifestyle.
-I understand your concerns... -yeah.
...But I'm at a deadline.
I've got to Get something done.
I need an answer, Pretty quick.
Well, I've been out of the game A little while,
But, hell, yeah, I'll help you.
Alright.
You know, once you run liquor, Son, it's in your blood.
It's there to stay.
Never left.
Daniel's decided to help me, But he's been out of it
For so long I know he's rusty.
The main thing is, whatever You see and help me do,
Just don't talk to Nobody else about it.
You got my word, brother.Yeah, I'll retrain him.
Get his confidence Level back up,
And I believe he's going To work out just fine.
I appreciate it, and, uh, we'll Meet back up in a day or two.
Just let me know.
Alright, buddy.
That thing sucking In over there.
Pressure mounts On the blue ridge.
Oh, my god!
♪♪
I'm a little curious, Sourpuss.
What have you got In the little suitcase?
Oh, this little fella Right here?
-yeah. -extra pair of panties for you,
In case you pitch one of your Hissy fits and piss on yourself.
Every drop counts in tennessee As mark and digger focus
On completing their High-dollar grappa order.
Let's check this stuff Out and see
If it's ready To rock and roll.
Ooh.
It looks good, don't it?
Yeah, boy.
*bleep* damn, It am good.
It am?
It am good.
That's ready to make Some fine liquor, right there.
Let's cook some liquor.
The mash is delicious,
The alcohol content is great, Where we want it.
But, you know, honestly, Like the old saying,
"Just because the cat has The kittens in the oven,
That don't make them Biscuits."
My favorite part.
Watch your whiskers.
I'll leave you In the connection
But I'll get to build A little paste.
So far, this grappa project Has kind of went
The way we hoped it had.
Still, we're not out Of the woods yet.
You're never done until you Actually have liquor in the jar.
We can't stand this Not to be successful.
Procuring the pumice and Hauling it and mashing it --
It's been a tremendous Amount of work.
You know, we know we could have Made a lot of corn liquor
In the same timeframe,
And we would gain nothing If it's no good.
There's vapor coming out Of that condenser.
Yeah.
I can smell it All the way up here.
Damn sure is some vapor Coming out of there.
Yeah, boy.
It's kind of stressful, This waiting period
We're going to have Ahead of us here.
We got over a month invested In this whole process,
So now, you know, we got to see If all this labor's paid off.
Them airplanes everywhere, Ain't they?
Yeah. They don't fret me like Them helicopters do, though.
Well, them things Have always made you
A tiny, Little bit nervous.
Yeah. Oh, lord.
We got liquor coming out.
We're sitting here Lollygagging.
Let's see what it's got. Yeah, man.
That's going to be fiery hot, Right there.
Oh, yeah, it is.
Thank god that's high, High right there.
Whoa. Yes, Here we go, puss, liquor.
The second fermentation, As far as increasing
The alcohol content,
Has definitely worked, but we Don't know about the flavor yet.
Here, You do the first one.
♪♪
Boy, it don't smell terrible, I'll tell you that.
This run is the do-all, End-all for our season.
We have spent so much time On doing this,
That it's really Sink or swim now,
And it's time to see if it works As hard at being a good liquor
As we worked to make it A good liquor.
And if it's good, We're golden.
If it's not, we're dust.
Oh, it's fine liquor.
It's a little fiery But, god, it's tasty.
I can see why our high-profile, Nashville-based customers
Were excited about Getting this grappa.
Hmm. It's kind of like a vodka, But then, on that aftertaste,
It's like you've had A good wine.
It's got a little bite On the tongue.
Warms you up When it hits your stomach,
Then there comes That great flavor.
It's everything We want it to be.
We ain't drunk A thimble-full out of it
And now it's went Straight to my damn head.
We drunk a little better Than a thimble-full out of it --
John the green Giant's thimble.
♪♪
-ready to mash in? -readier than I'll ever be.
Good ol' mayhaws.
Down in louisiana, Father-daughter shiners
Patti and david are mashing in Their next batch of mayhaw shine
For a dead-drop sale with A local buyer deep in the bayou.
I like to try to keep local Business and all that,
So we're trying to sell A little bit of shine
Here in our local area.
And, on the water, you don't See a lot of police.
A lot of police ain't going To be in the bayou
With a bunch of Swampy alligators.
♪♪
Want to add them mayhaws To it?
-mm-hmm. -green and red.
Mayhaw berries are A crabapple-type fruit.
They're traditionally used To make a jelly described
As a mix between sweet Apple, mango, and pineapple.
That don't take long.
Them mayhaws are Being soft as can be.
It's not all the way around the World that you find a mayhaw.
It's usually around in our area.
It's got a real bitter Taste to it,
But when I add sugar to it, It makes it sweeter.
I'm starting To get worried, though.
I only picked so many Gallons of mayhaw.
We're getting kind of low.
Well, I thought I picked A daggone enough berries, daddy.
Dern.
I can only pick What the tree produces.
Ready to pour that in?
Ready to pour it in.
Patti and david are firing On all cylinders.
They'll need to come up With a new variety of shine
If they want to hit Their season goal.
But their immediate Focus is prepping
For the bayou dead drop sale.
What you going to do To it?
Hm.
Should have brought you Some zip ties.
Probably work better, Wouldn't it?
Would have been Quicker.
It's funny how them crabs Can get in here
And not get out With that open like that.
Yeah. They're running down here.
They just crawl back up On the hill.
They can't get out Right here.
Same thing with The minnow or fish.
The indians, they used to, Down on them creeks...
-mm-hmm? -...Rivers and stuff,
They put rocks, logs,
Whatever And dam it up on a "V"
And make a big basket Down there,
And they get up stream and drive The fish into a basket.
That's how they fished.
Cut me with this And I'll be stringing this side.
So, this guy going to Leave the money first?
♪♪
You ready to do this?Oh, yeah.
She looks ready.
School's in session, and tickle Is back in the role of teacher.
It's time for him and j.T. To run peach brandy.
Oh, yeah.
Get a bucket and let's get Some over here in this still.
I've been strictly backwoods When it comes to moonshine,
But, you know, I'm outside,
I can smell the air, I can hear the birds.
It's close enough To being illegal
To make me feel Better about it.
I give it that.
Smells good already.
Yes, it does.
The very first run I ever made,
There wasn't a feeling Like it in the world.
You knew you weren't Supposed to be doing it,
You knew it was dangerous to do, And dangerous if you got caught.
It's something about that That really makes
You feel like a man.
Alright.
Let's face it.
When you're not supposed To do something,
Isn't it that much more fun?
-yes, sir. It looks good. -let me get it.
Alright, yeah, yeah.
Finish that on up there, Bro.
What's up, brother?
Man, I can't complain A whole lot about it.
I tell you what, man, I'm out.
Ah, you know what?
I don't know.
What's up, brother?
In virginia, while tickle And j.T. Run peach brandy,
Opportunity comes a-knockin'.
Ah, you know what?
I don't know, but I might Be able to help you out...
Maybe.
Give me a call in about Two weeks, alright?
-alright. -alright. Bye.
Yes, sir. -oh, boy.
Oh, yeah.
It's coming out there Like an old man
With a prostate problem, Man.
It's just dribbling.
Now, We got something going.
That's probably going to be the Last of the head, right there.
-there we go. -smelling good.
You smell the peach coming Off that thing right there.
Yeah, you definitely Smell the peach in it.
Ah, tell you what.
Let's give it a try And see what you think.
-oh, yeah. -smells good.
I smell it over here.
Smell it coming out. -ahh.
I tell you what, That's good.
It's got the peach taste To it, too.
-ooh. -I know.
That is good.
I think this tastes great
And, when all of this Is said and done,
I think tim's going to be proud Of the shine his boy's making.
That right there Is a winner.
It makes me happy, You know.
♪♪
Well, we made it, Cupcake.
By golly, I didn't Have to hold her.
Yeah, her hooves hurt.
In red river parish, patti And david are back in the woods
To run a six-gallon batch Of mayhaw shine
With pet pig, cupcake, In tow.
Was that a fun ride, Cupcake?
Cupcake -- She's my baby pig.
Last season, I bring her To the woods
And she just follows me, Like a little dog.
I think she's beginning To really like the woods.
You ready to go?
But she's not baby no more.
She's growing up.
Whoo!
She said, "I'm at home now"!
Get this show On the road.
Here it comes.
A lot of people, you know, Bring dogs to the still site,
But, sometimes, a dog Will give you away
When they start barking.
A pig don't bark.
It might oink, oink, But that's okay
Because we have wild Pigs in the woods.
Okay.
They're good to have Around your still site.
Keeps the snakes and stuff Like that run away
While you're there, So, yeah, why not have a pig?
♪♪
Alright.
It's felony time.
It's a good thing cupcake Can't jump up on this stopper.
She'd be gnawing All this oatmeal off.
I guarantee you, buddy.
Come here, cupcake.
Got you a surprise.
Here.
She's like, "I don't Trust you one bit."
Cupcake.
-whoop. -it's running, daddy.
Pour the heads off.
Well, It's what you got to do.
Might as well check the proof Of it while I'm down here.
135 proof.
♪♪
Taste the mayhaw in it.
Pretty good, ain't it?
Yeah, it's good.
Patti and david's Run yield six gallons
Of premium mayhaw shine, Which will earn them
$700 on their underwater Bayou dead drop.
So, you'll get Six gallons in here.
Pretty neat idea.
Is that little string Going to hold all this?
Yeah, buddy.
Good enough Right there.
You think this is going To work, daddy,
Because that looks Awful flimsy to me.
Oh, unh-unh.
There ain't no way In the world.
Pulling that up out of the Water, it's got to be where it
Ain't going to break.
Let me show you.
All of this has got To come up at one time.
You see how all That's not straight?
Only if you got A good suggestion.
That's about $700 Worth of liquor, daddy.
If it breaks-- are you going To swim after the man's liquor?
No. You will.
Bulljunk.
I'm too old to swim.
You better have it Right for tomorrow,
Because we got to Deliver this.
Come on, cupcake!
♪♪
I'm always nervous. You just don't be a-speeding.
Mark and digger are En route to chattanooga
To turn their batch Of grappa into $1,500.
I'm glad them blue lights Are over in that opposing lane.
That's one of them Slick-tops, too.
They sneak up on you.
They do sneaky stuff in order To catch people
Just like we do sneaky stuff To not get catched.
We're getting $250 A gallon for this grappa.
60 gallons, you know, That's $1,500.
I mean, that's a lot of money For two old country boys.
But we've put a lot of sweat, Work, and time into making sure
The customer is getting His money worth.
Yeah? -let me get this jar of liquor.
-yeah, better get me a little-- -here, you carry that.
Why do I got to carry The frigging thing?
Well, you're a little Older than me.
If we get caught, I'll do all the time.
You'll die before you Build up your time.
You beat them out of it.
We come to chattanooga tonight
To meet up with killer beaz
And deliver the grappa to him
And we're going to catch him At his show in the comedy club.
I took a country Line-dance class.
This girl was hitting on me.
She goes, "Killer beaz, Do you clog?"
I'm like, "If I ate Too much cheese."
So glad to be back On dry land.
I have been out doing shows On freaking cruise ships.
Ya'll, my little cabin is so far On the bottom of the ship,
I can hear the sonar Ping from enemy submarines.
hey, I'm killer beaz.
You guys have been delightful.
Thank you so much.
That killed. Oh, my gosh.
Man, I looked up, I said,
"Oh, I cannot believe They are getting to see this!"
I'm digging this shirt. Do they make them in men's?
Aah.
This is -- my work clothes, By the way.
You need to try a little Something we got.
-you ready for this liquor? -the grappa?
Ooh, ooh.
Dude, that is badass.
That's going to be So worth the wait.
They are going to be Ecstatic, dude.
He's just elated, How good it tastes
And he says this is exactly What the guy's looking for.
I'm going to take it To nashville tonight.
You got a way to haul it?
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I got a truck.
You brought money?
Ya'll will get paid.
Now, I still got Some stuff to do here.
I'm not quite done yet.
He approves the liquor, But we can't give it to him
Here in the comedy club.
You got us a meeting spot?
-yeah, yeah, yeah. -we're making the plan.
He's got some things to finish Up here at his show
And we'll meet up In a little bit
And we'll put this Liquor in his truck,
And we're making money, He's making a little money,
And we've got some more Happy customers.
It ain't spooky back In here, ain't it?
It sure am.
Damn. This is the place.
This is the address.
Don't get in here to where We'll get hemmed up.
I ain't hemmed up, Nowhere.
You give us a free Run out of here.
I hope he gets here soon.
I don't want to stay here Too long.
I don't want to stay here None.
Come on, beaz.
Gosh. Come on, beaz.
Gosh.
Come on, beaz.
That him?
I believe it is.
Here he comes.
Let's get this. You want to?
-beaz? -yes, sir.
Jump your bony butt up in there And you hand them to me,
And then I'll hand Them over to mark.
The moonshine's heavy.
-yeah, it is. -alright.
Oh. What the hell you doing?
Who do I make this Out to?
Make what out to?
Your -- your -- I'm paying ya'll.
You're -- you're going To write us a check?
Really? -it's a good check.
I don't give a damn How good it is.
The rule of-- -digger,
Load it back up there.
Alright, Alright, alright.
This ain't no comedy.
You should have seen The look on your face.
This ain't no time To be funny.
Beaz...
12, 14, 15.
On the button.
You leave that funny *bleep* on the stage, man.
The look on your face Was awesome.
You know, all jokes aside, You know, beaz is a funny guy
And we enjoy a good laugh,
But when it comes down to this Grappa, it's serious business.
Well, seemed funny at the time. Seemed like a good idea.
I got to run. -yes, you have.
-love you, man. Thank you. -take care, man.
Alright, brother. Thank you, man.
I'll holler at you later.
Keep them -- Keep them big orders coming.
I dig this. -you got it, dude.
Just not -- just give us A little more time.
Alright. Later, man.
Beaz is a good outlet And we appreciate
What he brings to the table.
Money, money, money. Payday.
At the end of the day, we want Beaz to keep coming with them.
We like spreading Our client base
Out a little further Than just our hometown,
And if they want to come Get it, then so be it.
We'll lay it to it.
Get me home.
♪♪
Glad you can come help me, son.
I'm glad to be here. What kind of mash we running?
Apple-blueberry brandy.
It's ready to go.
Is it sour?
It's wine, is what it is.
Apple wine. -apple wine.
We're going to turn apple wine Into apple shine.
On the tennessee border,
Mike has enlisted His buddy daniel
To help him with his batch Of apple-blueberry moonshine.
It's daniel's first return to Distilling after a long hiatus.
Alright, looks like That water's quit.
It has.
You got to have Continuously cold water,
You'll boil Your worm barrel out
And it will steam out the worm, And you won't make no liquor.
We had a couple of hard rains The last couple of days.
This thing may be Pushed plum-down.
Yep, all this water Coming down
These falls pushed My pipe plum-down the hill.
I've got to repipe it In now.
You've got to redo something Because the terrain or whatever,
You got to figure something Out that's going to work
Because, if it don't work, You can't produce nothing.
What I'm trying to do is get Enough water in this line
To create a vacuum.
It pulling yet?
Not yet.
Daniel? -yeah.
I'm going to have to ask you To go all the way back down
To the still site And blow in that end.
We'll see if we can get Some air pushed up this way.
You're going to stay Right here?
I'm going to have to stay Right here with it
Until it gets to drawing.
Okay.
We've got to get This water going.
If I don't, I'm -- I'm dead.
I can't do nothing If I can't get it going.
No water, no liquor.
We're going to have to get Her unstopped somehow.
Come on, baby. Pull.
If dark catches me, I'm out here On these slick rocks.
The stakes get higher And higher.
I need this water To start pulling.
We could be hung out Here all night.
Looks like we're starting A stream now.
Yeah!
Oh, it's a-pulling now, boy.
It's the reason I brought Daniel to help me,
So we can get Things done tonight
And get out of here With some liquor.
Yeah, daniel. This is exactly the reason
I needed somebody To come here and help me.
If you weren't down There blowing,
I'd have to do both Jobs at the time,
So I'm already In debt to you, buddy.
I appreciate it, man.
Well, it's always easier With two people.
First thing's first, We got to--
-pump the mash over? -yeah.
Well, That's some pretty mash.
It ought to make Some real liquor.
It smells like it will.
I've been out Of the game for a long time,
And just the smell of the mash Brings back old memories
Of running myself in the woods,
And it's just A wonderful feeling
And I'm glad to be doing it.
Sit these out.
Here's your bag.
Start it up?
Open them up and Pour them in there.
That's going to be a lot Of blueberries, brother.
That ought to make Some good juice to it.
Hell yeah, I bet there's Five pound in there.
Just barely cover them A little bit?
Yeah, Just a little bit.
Then we'll get a fire Started on it.
Okay.
-woo-hoo, yeah! -my eyes are burning.
Get over there On that big pot
And I'm going to fire These things up.
Put the fire into it.
Yes, sir.
Now we're working, mike.
I got my apple mash Pumped over to the pot.
I got my blueberries here.
I'm going to pour them Into the thump keg
And then infuse that apple Brandy into that blueberry,
And when it comes out the worm,
It will be An apple-blueberry brandy.
Well, that's some Good-looking stuff, ain't it?
It is.
Just enough to infuse it.
Alright.
I'm trying to create a taste Where you'll taste
Both flavors in this one liquor
And I'm pretty sure It turned out pretty good.
Alright, man. Let's get a cap on this thing.
Alright.
Then we come over here And you reach it across to me.
Alright.
I'll help you line it up.
That's going to be Pretty good, ain't it?
Pretty close.
I'm so tickled to have Daniel out here with me,
Somebody out here with me To make this run.
I've been by myself For so long.
Boy, I sure am grateful To have you out with me tonight.
I've been out here a good While by myself.
It's good just to have Company around.
I'm telling you, buddy. It makes the time go by faster.
It does.
You know, it ain't all About making profit.
It's about catching up With a buddy
And just sitting around And having a good time,
But yet, doing what you got To do too to make your money.
Daniel, you might want to go Over and look at that
And see if it's getting Close to running.
Alright.
Oh, yeah.
-is it running? -it's running.
Alright.
Oh, yeah.
What's it smell like?
Is it good?
Ooh, it smells like Apple-blueberries.
We're running our liquor.
Everything's looking good.
We better catch them head.
-alright. -ready?
-yes, sir. -yeah, buddy.
I've never done An apple-blueberry brandy.
It's a big deal For me this year.
You know, I'd say we'd get 15 out of this run here.
Yeah.
Be easy to get 15 gallons Of good, uncut liquor.
Man, is that thing's Sucking in over on me?
It is, ain't it?
I've created a vacuum.
Hold your thumb over that.
We got to blow that Thump keg back out.
Son of a bitch.
-hot? -hell, yeah, it's hot!
It will blow her Out of there.
If it don't, we can't Make no liquor.
I hear it blowing out.
I'm trying to get This to blow--
Oh, my god!
♪♪
When thanksgiving comes,
It's chico's job to put A bird on the dinner table.
Just pick one out And tell me which one out
And then we'll go From there.
Give me one of them big, Fat, black ones.
What, that big one Right there?
Yeah, he will work.
Here, boy.
Yeah, you want me To do him up for ya?
Yeah, if you're carrying him. What are you going to do?
Cut his head off?!
-yeah. -let me see him.
Poor little fella.
I got other ways to get My turkey, believe that.
Don't look at that bird.
I'm sorry, man.
Just be still.
This is your future. You got one.
He's done.
Now, you good?
We homies?
That's right.
Nah, you good. Calm down.
Aww, man, you better not be Doo-dooing in my drink.
That thing's sucking in.
We got to blow that Thump keg back out.
Trying to get this to blow--
Oh, my god!
Shut her down! -good god.
That's the first time I ever blown a cap, mike.
Oh, my god.
On the tennessee border,
A critical error triggers A dangerous explosion.
Too much to undo this. Try to get the cap back on.
I go hearing these Pops and cracks.
All of a sudden, The damn cap blowed off.
Unscrew it, we got to Straighten the cap back out.
♪♪
Mike's underfilled pot And thumper allowed
A heated mass Of pressurized air
To move rapidly Through the still.
This created a low-pressure Environment in the thumper,
Causing it to collapse.
In an attempt to remedy The situation,
Daniel blocked the flow of steam At the mouth of the condenser.
This sent a wave of increasing Pressure back to the pot,
Blowing the unsecured cap Off the still.
If this occurred further Into the run,
The high-proof alcohol vapor
In the still would have Caused a fireball explosion.
This is bent To *bleep* back.
It will be alright.
You know how much money I've got tied up in this rig?
-yes, sir. -I can't afford to lose it.
We lost a lot of liquor When the steam come off,
And mike has a lot Of money in it.
Damn thing.
Let's get the cap back on it And fire it back up
And bring the heat down
And just run it slow Until we get done here.
Alright.
Here we are, blowing caps, Sucking thump kegs in.
I can only imagine What daniel's thinking.
Thank god I got somebody Out here with me tonight.
I ain't never had so much Damn trouble in my life.
A lot worse could have Happened tonight.
Mash could have Sprayed all over us
And just rolled our skin Off our backs tonight.
That's good right there.
Mike is a more High-strung person than I am,
But, uh, I gave mike my word
I'd help him run the liquor Here today, and I will.
Hurry up. We got to get The pressure back on it,
So it don't Suck my still in.
That's five gallons we got.
I'm not leaving here Until it's done,
So I'm going to go Ahead and tell you.
We lost so much dag-jim Steam off the pot.
I'm about to have a damn Panic attack out here.
-I'm a nervous wreck, man. -I'll tell you what.
This is a very dangerous job,
But I'm just thankful we got Our life to run another day.
I'm just calming down.
I still feel a pulse In the rear end of my ass.
Yes, you need me to go get You some toilet paper, brother?
As a matter of fact, I thought I felt something
Warm running down my leg.
That's what I figured.
I didn't anticipate all this *bleep* go bad.
All I can say at the end Of the night,
This was Daniel's training day.
Fill this up a little bit, take In some horn, see how it tastes.
Well, hell, I wouldn't dare Sell nobody nothing
That I wouldn't Drink myself, anyway.
Phew, god almighty, Damn, that's hot.
Let me try it.
You can taste the apple And the blueberry.
You taste the apple Right off the bat.
The blueberry's on The back of it.
You ain't going to drink that. You right.
That's 140, '45 proof.
It's hot, ain't it?
It is. It's hot.
You can taste both blueberry And apple in it.
Still get a little hot,
But I think I hit the flavor And the taste just right.
That's my biggest thing, Though, is to taste
Both of the fruits in it,
And once it tempers down A little bit, it will be good.
Daniel proved himself To me tonight,
And he's really good Under pressure,
And I like to keep him around
To get him to help me Out some more.
That bucket's about full.
Yes, 10 gallons.
I guarantee it to you.
That proof's going To be dropped.
We're not going to get The 15 out of it.
Tonight, we may be able To just settle with this,
And just count Our losses.
I've lost five gallons of liquor And $750 worth of profit,
But we got 10 gallons Of liquor to try to sell.
We'll kill the lights And get out of here
And live to see Another day.
♪♪
Make sure there ain't Nobody out and about.
Let's go.
Well, let's get The boat launched.
In louisiana, patti and david Are making a dead drop sale
In a nearby bayou.
It's a small six-gallon order For a loyal local customer.
Today, we're fixing to do A lake drop, is what I call it,
And we're just trying to get A little money in our pocket.
For this sale, Patti and david will be using
A submerged dead drop At a predetermined location
The buyer sinks the money In a mason jar,
Which is connected by A thin rope to a plastic bottle
Floating on The water's surface.
Once the moonshiners Locate the bottle,
They'll swap the cash For the crate of shine,
Which the buyer Will later retrieve.
Alright.
This place where We're going is so isolated,
Very few people Has ever seen it.
A good place to do A lot of dropping.
Yeah.
You ain't going to see Nobody up in here.
You got to be careful Right in here.
You don't want to get on One of them sandbars.
You're going to have To jump out.
That's bullcrap.
You driving, You going out.
It's hard being A moonshiner in louisiana.
I mean, you got the snakes, The alligators,
And now we got to Take our time
To make sure we hit That channel just right.
It's just another obstacle That we have to get through
To be able to make this sale.
-there it is. -dang.
That sure is massive, Ain't it?
Ain't no missing that one.
It's a good drop place, Right here.
That's the bottle. Right there.
-get it? -yep.
And there's our money.
Count it. See if it's there While I untie this.
$700. That's what we wanted.
Now let's give him What he wants.
Don't flip this over.
Hell to the yes, and that's how The people in the bayou roll,
Ain't it? -that's it, buddy.
Finally got that drop done.
I like to work low-key Like that.
That way, we're not seeing face To face with these buyers.
If they've seen you, that's how Your face gets out to the law,
So it's best to always,
You not being seen Or anything like that.
Next time on "Moonshiners"...
All I've got Is ten gallons.
...Supply isn't meeting demand In tennessee.
Don't want that bull... I need 15.
I ain't got a clue Who this guy is.
I don't how this sale's Going to go.
And a cross-country bootleg Goes up in flames.
This ain't happening! All my stuff's burning!
Look!
This is the trip from hell!