Moonshiners (2011–…): Season 4, Episode 4 - Risky Whiskey - full transcript

Narrator:
Tonight on "moonshiners"...

Chico: Damn.

...A shiner blows a gasket...

I'm done, boys.

...Watchers in the woods.

Right now will be the time
for them to get me

If they're gonna get me.

Narrator: The bigger they come,
the harder they fall...

Troy: Jesse!
Come on, come on, come on!

Get back up there.

...And the law is ready
to strike.



Jeff:
Uh-oh. Uh-oh. Look.

Man: This is how
we make the moonshine!

Captions paid for by
discovery communications

Narrator: It's just four weeks
into the season,

And from the tennessee highlands
to the louisiana bayous,

The thirst for moonshine
is reaching record levels.

In kentucky's cave region,

Three shiners are closing in
on a huge payday.

Tyler:
But you know what?

There's a lot of money
worth of shine in here.

Over the past few weeks,
tickle, chico, and tyler

Have made close to $10,000
worth of tax-free whiskey.

Tyler: We got over
a hundred gallons back here,

And we got over
in that other spot.



Chico:
Remind me why we do this.

Tickle:
'cause we love it.

I love running liquor.

I don't love
the back-breaking labor

Getting it
in and out of here.

Tickle: There are thousands
of dollars worth of shine

Sitting back there in that cave,

But it doesn't make us any money

Till we can get this stuff
out here,

Get it back to virginia,
and I can get it sold.

I'll tell you what, fellas,
y'all be careful on this hill.

Narrator: They plan on bringing
all the shine to market

Over the next few days,

But the old road leading
to the cave site

Was built by shiners
generations ago,

And it's been murder
on chico's truck.

[bleep]
damn it.

That hurt.

And nightlong rains have turned
their path into a mud bog.

[bleep] dang.
Hey, watch it.

Worried about getting me
out of here

Without breaking my neck.

Chico: You know,
we got the liquor stuff run.

We're to the point where
we think we're in the clear,

And it's fixing to rain
around here, man.

You know,
I'm fighting this mud, man.

I've done enough coon hunting
to know how to do this crap.

Tyler:
Well, I'll be glad

When we get through here
to this damn truck.

Chico: Aah!

Let's go ahead
and load this up.

Tickle: All right.
Let's go.

Yes, sir.

Tickle: I don't care
whether we get out fast or slow,

As long as we get out.

[ engine revs ]

Oh, that didn't sound good.

Chico: [bleep] damn.
Mother [bleep]

Tyler: Chico's getting mad,

And you got to keep
moving forward.

Even though you got problems,

You always got to go forward.

Chico:
It's overheating.

I'm done.

That temper's the worst thing
you can do.

I know.

Tickle: Keep going.

If you don't,
you're gonna wind up in trouble.

Chico:
These [bleep] trees.

Tyler: We just got to
get it out of here.

There you go.
You about got it.

Get out of here, man.

Come on. A little more.

Screw my [bleep]
transmission.

All right.
That's good.

It's begging
for [bleep] help, man.

Yeah, it's good.

If I can get it
off this [bleep] damn tree.

You want to film me pushing
[bleep] off my mirror.

You got it now.

How long your peckers,
boys?

Just be easy on it.

[bleep] damn.

[ glass shatters ]

I'm done, boys.

[ sighs ]

Narrator: For shiners seeking
the biggest scores,

Size matters,

And in south carolina...

As far as weight concerns...

Oh, it's gonna be
a heavy son of a gun.

There ain't
no doubt about it.

...Two country boys
are going for the brass ring

With a huge, new still.

...The weight you put on.

You gonna set it down
on the table or what?

Yeah.

Early in the season,

Josh and bill
were ahead of the game...

Whoo-hoo.

...Until their still exploded...

[ bang ]

The [bleep]

...Setting them back
to square one

And costing them
thousands of dollars.

What the [bleep] man?

But these two diehards
aren't quitting.

They're going big

With one of the largest
still types ever used --

The blackpot submarine still.

Set these
right beside those other ones.

Yeah.

Bill: This is the first time
we built a submarine pot,

So we don't know
what we're gonna run into,

But hopefully,
everything's gonna go smooth.

It's gonna be
a heck of a lot lighter

Than most stills
that brew 700 gallons.

That's for sure.

Narrator:
The blackpot submarine still
was the innovation

That industrialized
illegal moonshine.

By 1925,
americans were consuming

More gallons of alcohol per year
than ever.

To meet the rising demand,
shiners needed a still

That could hold
hundreds of gallons of mash

And be built for only a fraction
of the cost of a copper pot.

Enter the blackpot
submarine still.

To this day, it remains
the most popular design in use.

Bill:
I suggested to josh,

I'll just
go by the lumberyard

And pick up
some clear white pine.

He said
he wanted to get some poplar.

Said he had a man that's gonna
rough-saw us some down.

They're gonna have to go
butt to butt with no gaps.

If that's the case,
we're in trouble.

I mean, if there's gaps,
there's no way to close.

No.

Usually, a pile of lumber --
they cut it straight.

Not in this case.

Narrator:
To guarantee a watertight seal,

The boards need to be
as straight as possible.

If we try to put it together
like this, man,

We're gonna be leaking
like a sieve through there.

I could have had those
pine boards out here last week,

You know, but josh really wanted
to go with the poplar.

You know, he does some things,

I mean,
that just grate on my nerves.

When I was getting it,
I just didn't realize.

When I said
we need straight lumber,

You didn't believe me.

Somehow
it slipped my mind.

I mean, it just...

Just one
of those details.

I thought
it was straight enough, man.

This is ridiculous.

Once we put the clamps on it,
I mean, it was so bowed up,

Got crowns, got cups.

It's just all boogered up.

We're not gonna be able
to get it straight.

I can see through it.

I can see through it.

I can stick this pencil in it.
Look.

Bill: Our budget's gonna start
getting slim real quick.

Well, you got a point.

I got a friend of mine.

He used to do
a bunch of millwork for us

When I was doing
some larger remodeling jobs.

Hopefully, he's gonna be able
to help get it planed down.

Come on, cutie pie.
Allen: Bill.

Good to see you, man.
Good to see you.

What y'all working on today?

I got some poplar boards
I called you about.

Calling to see
if we can get them planed down

And doing, like,
a groove-in-groove

And then putting a spline
in them.

A spline joint, sure.

What you gonna make
out of it?

I got --
got this family

That I've been doing --
doing some remodeling for.

They were wanting --
they'd like a --

Instead
of a cedar closet,

They were wanting
a poplar closet,

So I was gonna get these boards
cut down and stacked up

And make them a wooden closet
they wanted.

Yeah, I hate to lie to him,
but, you know,

The less people know
what we're doing, the better.

I mean, I don't want to have to
put him in a position

Where he knows too much
about what we're doing.

Did the wood come off
their land

Or there's something
they're interested in?

Yeah,
they want to build something

Made out of wood
from the trees on the land.

All right.
Sentimental value.

Yes, sir. Yes, sir.

Well,
let's get it unloaded.

Right on.

Bill: My buddy fixed us up.

He got us the cleanest,
straightest lumber

We could ever imagine
to have to build a still with.

That's smooth as a baby's butt
right there.

This is a lifesaver
because the boards we had --

They were [bleep]

Now they're perfection.

You are the man.

God, this woman is gonna love
her closet.

Bill: We get beat down.

You know, we knock the dust off
and get back up,

But it's just always one thing
after another with us.

Narrator:
Nearby, in the foothills of
graham county, north carolina...

I'm really worried that the sake
is gonna be a failure.

Narrator: ...A rookie shiner
is almost ready to admit defeat.

Lance: Maybe that's why
nobody else has ever done it.

Narrator:
Lance was trying to prove

That he could play a larger role

In jeff and mark's
moonshine operation,

But his first attempt
at sake 'shine

Yielded only a low-proof liquor.

That's really weak.

To salvage his plan,

He has no other choice
but to swallow his pride.

How was your run?

It didn't turn out
too good.

There was just
no alcohol there.

I think
the rice just soaked it up.

You've done wasted time
here with this.

I don't want you to spend
all your time and money

On something
that's a losing proposition.

What I'm trying to say is,
is it gonna be worth it?

It may give us
a whole new client base

That we have never sold anything
to before.

I'd say on this next one,

If I doesn't work,
I'd just forget it.

Let's get at it.

Jeff:
When I first started,

You know,
I made a lot of mistakes.

I had a lot of bad runs.

If he's willing to try again,
I'm willing to help him.

Jeff: What do you think
about changing the recipe

Just a little bit?

Add a little cornmeal to it
and see what happens.

We can give it a shot,
see how it does.

Narrator:
When yeast is added to mash,

It converts sugars into alcohol.

More sugar means more alcohol.

I'll stir, I guess.

But rice alone
does not have enough sugar

To make high-octane liquor,

So jeff is using a trick
taught to him by his father --

Adding cornmeal.

Lance:
If this doesn't work

And I have to scrub this sake,
you know,

It's gonna be me being
the workhorse again.

You want to burn
these bags?

I'll lock
the building up.

Narrator: While lance has
his sights set on the future,

Just a few miles away,
a lawman has other plans.

Narrator: After finding his
surveillance camera destroyed...

Chuck: We got a .30-30.

Narrator: ...Sheriff's deputy
chuck stewart

Has reduced his list of suspects
to just one.

Coming up...

Tickle and the kentucky crew
get nowhere fast.

I'm just like this truck.

I'm sick
of spinning my wheels, man.

Narrator: The original shiner
is back in business.

And it's tim versus the law...

Of gravity.

Troy: Jesse!

Come on, come on, come on!
Get back up there.

Narrator:
Deep in the kentucky wilds...

Tyler: Let's go ahead
and load this up.

Tickle: All right.
Chico: Let's go.

...Chico, tickle, and tyler

Are trying to haul
30 gallons of moonshine

From the backwoods
to the black market...

[bleep] damn.
Mother [bleep]

...But the muddy road from their
still site left them stranded.

Tyler:
Just be easy on it.

Chico: [bleep]
damn.

And patience has worn thin.

[ glass shatters ]

I'm done, boys.

[ sighs ]

I tell you what, man.
We can't get nowhere like this.

Tickle: Unh-unh.

We can't sit here
and go through this [bleep]

You know what I mean?
No.

Tickle:
If you can't keep your cool
at about something small,

How are you gonna keep your cool
when the law's chasing you

And you got a load of shine
on your truck?

I'm done.

Hey, come on back over here
to the truck.

Let's get this thing
out of here.

Let me find my hat.

Well, I saw it right there
where you threw it.

Look straight here
by the truck,

The front wheel.

I'm done, boys.

[ sighs ]

It's making noises
vehicles ought not make.

She is pretty warm.

[bleep] damn, man.

I've boiled transmission fluid
out of the top of my overcheck.

My engine's overheating,
overflowed with water back here.

It's just
problem, problem, problem.

[ spits ]

It's just gonna cost money,
boys.

Well, we got over $10,000 worth
of moonshine run-off back there.

Yeah, but that's $10,000
worth of moonshine

When shorty here
gets it sold in virginia.

I got 7 bucks. $7.

Tickle: Well.

Chico:
That won't buy a spark plug.

It gets down to what you doing
and what you got to do.

I'm just like this truck.

I'm sick
of spinning my wheels, man.

Well, we got to
get past that.

We can't sit and think about
what's been done.

We got to go forward.

Narrator: With the truck
out of commission,

They'll have to carry
all 30 gallons of shine

Several miles
to tyler's family farm.

Chico: Let's go.

Tickle:
Let's get it on out of here.

Narrator: Each bucket weighs
more than 40 pounds,

And there's 14 more
back at the cave.

I ain't gonna lie to you.

It's gonna take so long,

I'm afraid all this liquor's
gonna evaporate

Before we get it
back out of here.

Tyler:
Let this damn thing cool off.

We'll get it out of here,
and, you know,

We'll get to the house.

Tickle:
We'll get it taken care of.

Narrator:
While the kentucky crew
is stuck in the mud,

Over in graham county,
north carolina...

...Legendary shiners
jim tom and roy

Are blazing a comeback trail.

Let me give that
a little eyeball.

Jim tom has already finished
the main still pot and the cape.

Now it's time
for the cap and arm.

No, I'm just joking.

[ laughs ]

Let me see how close
I did get it.

Well,
there went the top on.

Now...

Arm.

...Got to build my arm
to come from the cap.

Narrator:
After 50 years of experience,

The master has developed
some trade secrets

To ensure a leak-proof seal.

[ laughs ]

Don't it?

[ both laugh ]

You ready for a hot dog?

Yeah,
I'm ready for something.

Okay, then.

We'll head for the timeout
where the women work.

Let's go
before I fall down.

I'm getting weak.

Narrator: 100 miles away...

Moonshine heavyweight tim smith

Is attempting to bring old
techniques to a modern facility.

Tim: I got a doubler here,

And you got to have a doubler
to make climax moonshine.

Narrator:
Tim faced a major setback

When arson forced him
out of kentucky.

He set up shop
with a new partner

At a distillery
in north carolina.

What do you need?
I need to make more product.

But for all
its high-tech equipment,

It's not set up
to make tim's moonshine.

That's good.

Yeah. Huh?

Is this your invention
that's supposed to be low-tech?

Yeah.
Well, I'm a high-tech redneck.

[ laughs ]

I'd like to see how you're gonna
hook this up in there

Where it looks pretty
and it fits.

No one will notice it.

All right.

Troy:
I'm still a little doubting

That this thing's gonna be
stable enough

And not disrupt
the rest of the still.

I'm worried about shaking
the still to death

When this gets
way up in the air.

I know. It's a thumper.

So we're gonna have to
stabilize it.

I know.
Don't you worry about nothing.

Narrator:
The doubler, or thump keg,

Is a barrel fitted between
the pot and the condenser.

Alcohol vapors
from the heated mash

Rise into cap
where water vapor condenses

And drops back into the pot.

The partially distilled
alcohol vapor

Then travels to the thumper

Where any additional water
it contains

Has a second chance to condense

And fall to the bottom
of the keg.

The purified alcohol vapor
then moves on to the worm

Where it condenses
into liquid moonshine,

The proof effectively doubled.

All right, just about go.

Troy: Right. Okay.

This cost more than
the biggest still I've ever had.

You're kidding.

Yeah, 'cause I always get
some stuff and put it together.

'cause you didn't care
how it looked?

I don't care no matter
what it looked.

It's what counts is
on the inside, not the outside.

[ laughs ]
chrome don't get you home.

Chrome don't... [ laughs ]
chrome don't get you home.

It just looks pretty
when you're broke down

On the side of the road.

Oh, my god.

We good?

Yeah.
Okay.

You ready? Here we go.

All right,
how about that now?

The thump keg weighs
over 2,000 pounds

And will be hanging

Directly over troy's
$50,000 custom still.

Any damage to the still
during installation

Could shut the distillery down
for weeks,

Costing hundreds of thousands
of dollars.

Troy: Oh, you better go --
whoa. Whoa.

He's pretty dang close
to that copper.

Tim: Just tilt it in.

You got 1 inch.

That's good.

Oh, I'm not sure
about this.

No dropping tools
on the copper still.

I don't think
you could hurt that still.

Troy: Yeah, you can.
That's just copper. It's all...

No, you can't hurt it.
You can't hurt it.

You could hurt it.

I know I have to work with troy
and build up that trust.

We went through this
with steve beam at limestone.

You know,
it's just the beginning.

All right,
which way you going?

Whoa, whoa.
Man: There we go.

All right.
Careful.

He's awfully close
to those pipes.

That's okay.

Do I go up a little bit?
Go up.

Geez.

Shh.

One boss.

I would feel better
if y'all would hook a chain

Up to that thing.

[ laughs ]

Okay, I'll find it.

Troy:
Jesse, are you all right?

I'm trying to keep the base
from clinging.

Okay, okay, okay, okay.

That thing
is getting ready to fall.

Jesse!

Come on, come on, come on!
Get back up there.

Narrator: Coming up,
a partnership pushed too far...

My building looks like
a god-dang bomb went off.

I didn't touch nothing
in your building.

...And a rookie defends
his turf.

Right now would be the time
for them to get me

If they're gonna get me.

Tim: All right.
Which way you going?

Narrator: In a north carolina
distillery...

Troy: Careful.

...Tim's plans are about
to come crashing down.

That thing is getting ready
to fall.

Jesse!

Come on! Come on!
Come on! Come on!

Get back up there.

This thing has slipped.

It shifted.

Tim:
All right. Let's go up.

Okay, you got it?
Brace it there.

Okay.
Come forward a little bit.

Whoa. Whoa.

Just stabilize this.

Troy:
Be careful. Whoops. Oh.

Okay.

I'm a little, like,
not too sure about having this,

You know, hillbilly thumper

Now attached
to our cool-looking still.

But I'm grateful we got through
this part of the day.

[ chuckles ]

Narrator: Tim's new setup
will triple his production.

Well, it sure looks different,
I'll tell you that.

I know
it's different, but --

I mean -- and you don't think
that's gonna be shaking?

Well, when people come
and they hear it,

They're gonna say, "that's
real moonshine being made."

It's thumping and it's rattling
and they know,

"oh, this is the real deal."
[ chuckles ]

Well, I'm telling you,
I'm just praying.

It'll be okay.

Just over the state lines...

Two shiners are modernizing
by taking a page from the past.

Josh: [bleep] that's gonna be
a big old still.

Before tackling
the 750-gallon pot,

They're going to build
the worm barrel and the thumper.

Bill: We had a little bit
of a hiccup yesterday,

But now me and josh getting
along mostly better today.

That's mostly because
I'm keeping my mouth shut.

Josh: This thing's
gonna be bad, dude.

Narrator: While many shiners
use a cheap polyethylene barrel

To hold the condenser worm,

Bill is going to push
his carpentry skills

To build a custom wood barrel
from rough-sawed planks.

Easy, bill.

I built it sturdy.

Bill:
Well, our worm barrel --

I've got a bunch of 2x6s
I'm gonna stand on end.

I got bevels cut on them.

Put them together and hopefully
she's gonna fit tight.

Ho yeah!

Like a glove.

Narrator:
With the worm barrel finished,

Josh and bill move on
to the thump keg,

Which they're building
out of an old whiskey barrel.

All right, I need a file.

Somewhere in this pigsty
is a file.

Can't find what I'm looking for
'cause I can't see.

Damn.

Now that one
done quit working.

[bleep] it.

You got a file?

All right,
I didn't say nothing.

I'm 'bout to get
aggravated, man.

Ungh!

Please take that camera
off of me, man.

Every time
we build a still,

This is what my place looks like
when you go home.

And here I got to clean
all this mess [bleep] up.

My building looks like
[bleep] bomb went off.

I didn't do that
to your building.

I ain't touched nothing
in your building.

I am not bitching at you,
I'm just saying I'm aggravated

'cause I can't get in,
out of my building.

All my drop lights
have burned out.

I ain't got no [bleep]ing
light bulbs.

Just a little frustrated.

Can't find my file.

Pisses me off when [bleep]
ain't where it's supposed to be.

And I can't even
walk into my building

Without tripping, man.

It's just...
Enough to make me crazy.

Can't work like this.

Bill: I mean, if josh would have
caught me on a bad day

When he come out hollering,
screaming,

Trying to blame it on me
that his shop was a mess,

I mean, I'd likely
be wanting to fight him.

But not today.

Josh: I got two or three
big files, man.

I don't know
where they are.

I got metal files
and wood files.

Here's --
here's a big metal one.

Where'd you see that at?

Right there.

Think I'm going blind.

I wasn't gonna let him
get to me.

If we end up, you know,
going toe-to-toe

Then fighting in the dirt
every time we get screaming,

We'll never
get this project done.

If we don't get this thing
built, we're sunk.

Narrator: In the mountains
of north carolina...

See if this works
with the tweaks we made to it.

Narrator: ...Lance is taking
one more shot at sake shine

With a hybrid cornmeal-rice mash

Designed to produce
higher proof liquor.

Well, it's full.

Get it capped,
get a fire under it.

[ gas whooshes ]

Getting my oatmeal mixed up.

Narrator: To seal any dangerous
vapor leaks in a still,

Shiners use a simple paste made
from flour, oat bran, and water.

Lance:
I really don't want to fail,

It being my first chance
to let people see

That maybe I can make
a little bit

Of decent-tasting alcohol, too.

It's getting close.

We should be running
any minute now.

Narrator:
Lance is trying to prove

That he can make it as a shiner.

But lighting a still without
someone watching the perimeter

Is a foolhardy act that's
put many a shiner in prison.

...Gonna get me.

[ branch snaps ]

[ heart beating ]

Huh.

Heard what sounded like
some footsteps.

[ gun cocks ]

[ branch snaps ]

Narrator: Coming up...

Tyler: I think this one's
a little more suitable

For what we're gonna do.

Narrator:
On the road again in kentucky...

We're just to the point
where we got to do

What we got to do to get out.

Tickle: Let's get it done.

Narrator: ...And home upgrades,
moonshiner style.

They can actually get a warrant
from a smell,

To open the building
and come in.

There it is.

Narrator:
In a wooded clearing,

A young shiner is trying
to make a name for himself.

It's getting close.

Narrator: Lance is perfecting
his recipe for sake shine.

But he may have company.

[ branch snaps ]

Huh.

Heard what sounded like
some footsteps.

[ gun cocks ]

Guess it's all clear.

I don't hear it now.

But it should be running
any minute.

Any minute now.

Oh, it's a running.

That's good and clear.

Narrator:
Lance needs the sake shine

To reach at least 100 proof...

Or the product will never sell.

We're all -- it's right at 100,
so that's perfect drinking.

Now I can at least go to them
and tell them that it produced.

I quit drinking,

And now mom and dad,
they're my taste tester.

I was pretty worried
that it was gonna turn out

Like the first run,
not give me no alcohol,

But putting the cornmeal in
definitely worked.

We'll just have to wait and see
what dad thinks,

Make sure it has
a good sake flavor.

What you up to?

Well, I got it run.

Seems to be
high enough proof.

Looks good.

It come out
nice and clear.

Smells real good.

Yeah.

I believe
it done pretty good.

Proud of you.

Well, thank you.

It made me feel great,
like winning a marathon for me.

Narrator: But there's no time
for lance to savor success.

Jeff: We've been a working
on everything else

And working on the still,

And our seasons
are clicking away.

With their operation growing
too large to hide in the woods,

The guys are in a race
against time

To transform an empty warehouse
into a still site.

I want to see what that thing
will produce, don't you?

Mark:
Yeah. It's about time.

Narrator: The warehouse
will make it easier

To run
their industrial-size still.

But with convenience
comes the danger

Of abandoning
the natural cover of the woods.

Augh!

[ grunts ]

Lance: Yeah, we've got to be
extremely careful

Just coming in and out

Because one person --
that one right person --

Sees us come in here,
everything is gone.

[ lock clicks ]

Get in here.

There we go.

We got to figure out where we're
gonna put our line in first.

Then where to black out
the windows.

Put them high enough
we won't be hitting our heads.

Yeah. Yeah, I don't want to
run into them.

Yeah.

Jeff:
We got to have light before
we can see what we're doing.

And you can't run a liquor still
in the dark.

Narrator: To run the still
late into the night

Without fear of discovery,

They'll black out the windows

And string lanterns
across the rafters.

Mark: We might as well
light that lantern, captain.

Both: Yep.

That'll light the still area
pretty good, won't it?

Pretty bright.

Narrator: Even with the windows
blacked out,

The telltale smell
of corn mash cooking

Could tip off the neighbors
and get them busted.

They can actually get a warrant
from a smell

To open the building
and come in.

Let me get you one
of these lanterns down, mark.

[ sighs ]

Narrator: To cover their scent,
mark's installing

A carbon-filtered
ventilation system.

Odors and fumes from the still
are sucked up through a vent

And travel through a duct
to a fan,

Which pushes the fumes

Through three layers
of activated charcoal.

By the time
the exhaust hits the open air,

There'll be no trace
of the illegal activities

Going on inside.

Mark:
Where you want it at?

Jeff:
That'll work right there.

Right here?
Yeah.

There it is.

You did well, mark.

That'll work.

Let's get out of here.
Okey doke.

It'd be bad, after all the work
we've already done,

To get caught now.

Narrator:
While the north carolina shiners
are moving forward...

Over in kentucky,
tickle, chico, and tyler

Are trying to get back in gear.

Y'all come on, I'll show you
this tractor up here.

Chico:
We all wanting to get paid

And it just feels like
we're running in place.

We're spending money
and ain't none coming back.

Tickle: All right, let's see
what you got up here, bro.

Narrator: They still have
70 gallons of whiskey

Back in their cave.

Tyler: You know what?

There's a lot of money
of worth of shine here.

And after chico's truck
broke down

During their last run,

Tyler came up
with a backup plan.

I think this one's
a little more suitable

For what we're gonna do.

Yeah!

Yeah,
that can get back there.

I can see that.

Tickle: Now, tractor ain't gonna
just haul it just on its own.

We're gonna have to build
some sort of rig or something

To put on this tractor
to haul all this liquor in.

What was in these?

They've had a little alcohol
in them before.

[ chuckles ]

These barrels
have seen alcohol before.

Ooh!
I'd be damned if they ain't.

Tickle: Won't lie to you,

Sure is handy having two,
great big old fellers around.

[ laughter ]

See, that'll sit.

Get your nut on it.
We'll tighten it on in there.

Something we can help strap
them barrels to

Or something keep them
from falling out?

Tyler:
Oh, yeah. Look at that.

There you go.

Set you a barrel up there.

To the front.

And then
you can lock it down tight.

Yeah,
raise it up on that.

You know
she's holding good.

Chico:
Get down on it.

That's good enough.

Them ain't going nowhere.

No, they ain't
going nowhere.

We'd be hauling
some precious cargo,

But the good thing --

You're looking about $11,000
worth of shine right there.

Oh, yeah. Or more.

Chico: You know,
that's a big charge

And that's a big loss
if we do get caught.

There's risk in everything
you take,

And we're just to the point
where we've got to do

What we got to do to get out.

Well, we got
a whole lot of work to do, boys,

And we're standing here.
Tickle: Let's get it done.

Narrator: Coming up...

Josh: There's no way in hell
I'm doing that!

Josh and bill go head-to-head.

It's the only damn spot
we could find!

Don't give me
that horse[bleep]

And the law hits close to home.

Jeff:
Uh-oh. Uh-oh. Look.

Yeah.

Narrator:
In south carolina...

Bill: Man, you gonna sit
on your ass this whole time

I'm gonna build
this thing?

...Josh and bill are building

Their new
black pot submarine still.

Look man, there can't but one
of us running that damn router.

And from the looks of it
right here,

It don't look like
either one of us can.

But the project's
ambitious scale

Has worked the two shiners
to the bone.

Fuses are short.

Bill: [ blows ]
this thing's gonna be perfect,

No matter how bad
you try to mess it up.

You're a pain in the butt
sometimes, man.

Each of the seven-foot
by three-foot sides

Will be screwed together
from individual boards.

Then cut into
the distinctive submarine shape.

You're like a surgeon
with that thing.

Man!
That's beautiful.

A stainless-steel sheet

Is then tacked on
to the edges of the wood

To form the sides
and complete the pot.

Bill: We got our little
side braces put in.

Kind of halfway,
mostly squared it up

And we can kind of get
the basic shape of this thing.

It'll be easier
to put back together

Once we get in the woods,

But it's...
Coming together nicely.

All right.
Let's pick it up.

Just pick it up.

[ grunting ] oh, god.

[ grunts ]

Naw, there's no way
we're toting this entire thing.

It is so tedious
to put a still together.

I wanted to get as many steps
together here at the house

As I possibly could.

Let's get it in there like this,
for real.

Naw. Hell no.
Yes.

No.
Yes.

He really thinks
that we're gonna drag

That whole still
through the woods.

It ain't gonna happen.

We can carry it in
like that.

Naw, naw, naw.

Listen, we could turn it up
like this

And carry it
right up the creek like this.

We do not have to
take it --

Or we can
take it back apart.

No.

[ scoffs ]
dude, there is no way in hell.

You're gonna find you
another helper

Before I drag this thing in
in one piece.

We could finish building
this thing

Right here in the yard
and get it all ready to go,

But bill ain't having
no part of that.

Hey, whatever.

Let's go ahead and put
the metal on it and everything.

Hell no.

I swear I think we ought to
tote it in there in once piece.

There's no way in hell
I'm doing that!

Why?

Because
it's way too much weight

To be trying
to get through there.

You're being a pansy,
for real.

I am not, man.

This thing weighs
300 pounds.

It don't weigh 300 pounds.
I'm not.

I'm flat out -- I'm not.

I'm not gonna tote
the damn thing

Through the woods
in one piece.

It's 250.
Bill: Our still site,

We got to go up hills
and over slippery rocks.

It's just way too big
and way too heavy

To be dragging
through the woods in one piece.

I ain't gonna do it.

And...The reason I agreed
for that spot down there

Was that we weren't gonna
bring it in one piece.

No, the reason you agreed
on that spot

Was because it's the only
damn spot we could find!

Don't give me
that horse[bleep]

30 yards back downstream
where I wanted to put it, yeah.

There is absolutely no need
in damn busting our backs

To damn drag this whole thing
in there.

I feel like --
all right.

I ain't gonna argue with you
no more. Fine.

Well, good.

Let's do it your way.

Right on, man.

Another great day.

Narrator: In the mountains
160 miles to the west...

Jeff:
We are getting very close.

Just got to finish up
a few little odds and ends

On the building.

Narrator:
...Mark, jeff, and lance
are headed to the warehouse

They've converted
into a still site.

They need to finish
the ventilation system

And install security cams.

I ain't never fooled
with nothing likes this.

That'll give us
a set of eyes on the outside

While we're on the inside.

Yeah, and it has to be real easy
for the cops to surround us.

Least we'll have a little
heads up they're a coming.

We've been working our butts off
trying to get everything ready.

All we got to do
is get moved in...

Get some nights worked off.

We're ready to go.

Uh-oh. Uh-oh. Look.

[bleep]

Narrator:
Next time on "moonshiners"...

That ain't good.
What ain't good?

...Tough breaks in kentucky.

Tickle: We've got a lot of shine
right there.

If we get caught with it,

It could go
right down the drain.

[ grunts ]

Narrator:
North carolina barn storming.

Jeff: We got to get to start
getting our money.

Or we're gonna be broke
this winter.

Lance: If it goes good, this'll
be our biggest season yet.

If it goes bad, we're done.

I ain't [bleep]
doing this [bleep]

Hold up, man.
I'm going --

[bleep]

Narrator: And josh reaches
his breaking point.

I'm going home!

I've had a hell of [bleep]
damn day, and I'm done.