Civil War Era Pot Still

Rifling around an antique mall in the country pays off. I came across this VERY tarnished pot still which was being sold as a spittoon. It just looked to big (5 gallon) for that. I took it home with me and cleaned it up leaving just enough patina to look old and saw a lot of hand hammering and braising. I suspected it to be a still even though it was missing the head, column and piping. A trip to out local auction house confirmed my belief that it is/was a pot still dated between 1840 and 1870. I've pressure tested it since then and it would still be able to produce. Since I found it in northern VA, I'd like to think of this as a portable still the confederate army might have carried around. 5 gallons of corn mash can produce up to a gallon of 160-180 proof white dog. I love history.