For years, Moonshiners has followed a rugged group of outlaw distillers as they battle weather, wildlife, tight-lipped rivals, and the ever-present threat of being shut down. But Season 13 brings a new challenge — one that even the most seasoned shiners didn’t see coming.

This time, the biggest enemy isn’t the law or the elements.
It’s the cost of staying in business.

As inflation spikes, materials become scarce, and operations grow more ambitious, the shiners are staring down the most expensive season in the show’s history. And fans are asking the same question: Where is all the money actually going?

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Equipment Costs Have Skyrocketed

Traditionally, Moonshining was a cheap, grassroots operation — scrap copper, salvaged barrels, handmade columns, and backwoods setups hidden from unsuspecting eyes. But the world has changed, and so has the show.

Many of the top shiners — including Mark & Digger, Tim, and Josh — are upgrading their rigs with more efficient systems. What would’ve cost a few hundred dollars a decade ago now runs into the thousands.

• Custom copper stills: $3,000–$10,000 depending on size

• Water pumps, hoses, fittings: double the price of previous seasons

• Boiler upgrades for higher proof runs

• Transport trailers modified for mobility and secrecy

And that’s before factoring in the huge spike in metal prices over the last three years. Copper — the lifeblood of moonshining — has jumped to nearly double the price of 2019.

For shiners, that means even repairing their rigs is a luxury.

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Grain, Fruit, and Sugar Prices Are Crushing Their Budgets

Moonshine starts with simple ingredients — but in 2025, nothing is simple anymore.

• Sugar prices are at a 12-year high

• Corn is up due to droughts and export demand

• Fruit mash costs have exploded

And when you’re producing hundreds of gallons a season, every bag of sugar or bushel of peaches adds up fast.

Mark and Digger say they’ve never spent this much on mash, and Josh’s fruit runs — once a profitable specialty — now cost more to produce than ever before.

It’s turning moonshining into a financial gamble rather than a clever outlaw hustle.

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Keeping Hidden Locations Has Become a Full-Time Job

A still site used to be a place in the woods, deep enough that nobody stumbled onto it. Today, everything is different:

• Drones are everywhere

• Hunters use trail cameras

• Hikers track their routes with GPS

• Wildlife officers patrol more aggressively

To stay hidden, shiners are rotating sites more frequently, hauling gear longer distances, and using more fuel than ever before.

Josh Owens and the Laws boys have spent more money on trucks, trailers, camouflage gear, and fuel this year than any previous season. Even protecting their mash barrels from bears has become expensive — reinforced lids, stronger straps, and new transport methods.

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Legal Businesses Bring Their Own Financial Burdens

Some shiners are no longer strictly illegal. Tim and Digger’s legal distilling operations — while safer — come with new costs:

• Licensing fees

• State inspections

• Commercial equipment

• Warehouse rent

• Bottling and packaging

• Marketing

• Shipping

Legal moonshine might earn more, but it also costs more — and it’s eating up their Season 13 budget like never before.

The irony isn’t lost on them: sometimes it was cheaper to be an outlaw.

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Health, Injuries, and Repairs Add to the Pressure

Moonshining is dangerous work — and the toll is becoming more visible this season.

Josh Owens’ recovery from his racetrack accident continues to drain money and time. Repairs to bikes, trucks, stills, and damaged equipment now pile up faster than profits. Mark and Digger spend more on safety gear. And with the crew aging, medical needs aren’t cheap.

This year, staying healthy and upright is costing more than ever.

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So Where Is All the Money Going?

To put it simply:
everywhere.

• Equipment

• Ingredients

• Hidden locations

• Fuel

• Legal operations

• Medical bills

• Vehicle repairs

• Higher production demands

This season’s moonshine might be some of the best they’ve ever made — but it may also be the most expensive they’ve ever produced.

And that raises a critical question the shiners themselves are beginning to confront:

Is moonshining still worth it?

As Season 13 unfolds, that question hangs over every run, every risk, and every bottle they pull from the still.

One thing is certain:
The Moonshiners have never had more on the line.