Moonshine Whiskey Still

I don't suppose that any of you have seen a Moonshine Whiskey Still, I have seen four or Five out in the Woods only one was in Operation at the time and the others had been Destroyed, Probably didn't Pay the right Man so they would destroy them. there used to be one about a quarter mile over behind our House, they have to have plenty of running Water, some are bigger than the others, they would find a stream of water and then they needed a Bank and they would dig a Hole in the Bank to fit their Pot. their Pot was round, constructed out of pretty thick Tin. some wouldn't hold much but I saw one on the Bank of the Tennessee River that I figured would hold 1000 Gallons, it was a Big one, this is when Raymond Wheeler was Sheriff over there so they didn't have to worry about somebody messing with them. Here is the way I think that it worked,' they would fill that thing probably about half full of Mash, don't ask me what Mash was because I don't know, I think it was different kinds of Grain, all I ever heard was Mash, and then a lot of Water, and a whole lot of Sugar. after a few Days the stuff inside would begin to Ferment and I have no Idea how long that they let it Ferment, but they knew when the time was right, When everything was right they would build a Fire under the Pot and it had a Copper Tube that was twisted round and around and sometimes they would put these in a 55 Gallon Drum and they called it a Worm. they had cold Water running into the 55 gallon Drum to cool the worm, and they would build the Fire under the Pot and get the Pot Boiling it would make Steam. and the top of the Pot was to where the only place the Steam could go out was through these Copper Tube, (the Worm) and the cold water would cool the Steam coming through them and it turned the steam into a Liquid, thus Moonshine Whiskey, and they had their Gallon Jugs to catch the Liquid coming out of the end of the Copper Pipe and I think that that, was about like they worked, we never owned one but Like I say I have seen them and that is my version of how they work, you would run up on them out Hunting. Oh the Sheriff would find one and they were made with Tin, wide Sheets about like you use for Valley tin on the roof of the House, instead of light Sheet metal like I said, that made them Lighter to move, but the Sheriff and his Deputies would either take an ax and cut a lot of holes in the Pot or Dynamite it this is a True Story, I have been living in Russellville 46 Years and I have heard this Story and read it in the Newspaper, one Day the Sheriff and his Deputies came across this Still that they had working and this Man was sitting on top of it watching the Still and reading the Bible. all the People that I call their Name in this whole Blog are Dead many years ago, except my Immediate Family, I used to know people for miles around, but I can go back to the old home place and I don't know anybody, all them People aren't alive anymore, in fact just about everybody I used to know are not here anymore, as far as I know there is only 4 People besides myself that finished the 9Th Grade with me are still here. the reason they quit making Moon Shine Whiskey was back when we had the Supposedly Gas Shortage in the early 70's everyone else saw that if you would only create a Shortage you could name any Price you wanted to, and there for a good while Sugar went up a little over $4.00 for five Pound, so this done the Whiskey Business in, at the time they were making Moon Shine I think you could buy 5 pounds for 39 cents. so Sugar never did go back low enough for them to start back. the Shortage Bug even got into Jar Lids, my Wife and myself would have a Garden and Can Beans and stuff and behold right about canning time there was a Shortage if Jar Lids, but the Price started to rise and then when it reached the right place there was Plenty.