Need help with Stills and Plugs and Hay

[cdsieg]

This is in response to a thread I posted on "What Is It" The link is: http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/w...-near-lake-cypress-springs-what-my-clues.html

I got answers on what the clues tell me, but no answers on these questions I posted as well. The place I need to dig is a food source for many horses and...

I want to dig more, but not at the cost of harming the hay meadow or field. Does anyone know if I dig good plugs, will I in any way hurt the grass/hay or what ever they grow for the horses? Also would a couple of large holes be better or several small holes?

Also I had been told that a still at one time was in this general area of the ranch. Does anyone know how far off a road or how close to a water source a still would likely be?

The woods here are a tangled mess of those nasty vines that kill everything in their path, they have thorn type things on them and it is so bad in some areas, that without a machete you can't even walk; I would love any tips to help me narrow down where to look! Thanks again everyone, you are all great in my book!!!

Any help would really help me out! Thanks for your time, Cindy

 

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[BosnMate]

I don't think digging plugs in a hay field or pasture is going to hurt a thing. Grass is tough and comes right back. Even if a horse pulls one of your plugs while he is grazing, it won't eat the dirt or harm the horse. Eventually the hole will fill itself. I wouldn't dig huge holes though, you want to cut plugs and replace them like in a park.

 

[Number9]

"Also I had been told that a still at one time was in this general area of the ranch. Does anyone know how far off a road or how close to a water source a still would likely be"

Do you have a stream, spring, lake, or pond in the area of the ranch? A still is located as close as possible to a cold water source to prevent the water from getting hot. Be on the look-out for black plastic pipe from 1" to 2" diameter. Also look for rusty buckets and barrels both wood and metal, also any sheet metal pieces.

This old still site was located on the side of Long Branch, Marion County, TN...

 

[cdsieg]

I don't think digging plugs in a hay field or pasture is going to hurt a thing. Grass is tough and comes right back. Even if a horse pulls one of your plugs while he is grazing, it won't eat the dirt or harm the horse. Eventually the hole will fill itself. I wouldn't dig huge holes though, you want to cut plugs and replace them like in a park.

Thanks BonsMate, it is good to know! It is really important to me to not damage this or any property I am fortunate enough to detect on. I would imagine things would actually grow better if some of the rusty treasures were removed from under the soil! I will do smaller holes then and make good plugs and hopefully I will get back to this spot next week sometime. I go in the direction of 75 Acres when it is too windy to be in the woods with the dogs. There are so many dead trees and limbs falling on windy days so it gives me a good alternative! Thank you again for your help, I really do appreciate it!

 

[truckinbutch]

Ask the landowner you got hunt permission from (?) what he/she is comfortable with . Some want no sign of digging . Others could care less if you brought in a backhoe and started digging . Least , so long as they get a cut of what you find .

 

[cdsieg]

"Also I had been told that a still at one time was in this general area of the ranch. Does anyone know how far off a road or how close to a water source a still would likely be"

Do you have a stream, spring, lake, or pond in the area of the ranch? A still is located as close as possible to a cold water source to prevent the water from getting hot. Be on the look-out for black plastic pipe from 1" to 2" diameter. Also look for rusty buckets and barrels both wood and metal, also any sheet metal pieces.



This old still site was located on the side of Long Branch, Marion County, TN...

View attachment 745773

There are several natural springs on the ranch so those have been my main starting point. I didn't think of metal sheeting as a clue and now I am trying to remember where on the ranch I found some a while back! I thought the piping would have been copper, not plastic so that is also new to me. There is an old abandoned road from the 1800's to early 1900's that runs parallel to the spring in that area of the ranch. I will have to spend more time in that area. I assumed that it was too close to the road, I thought they hid them in inconspicuous places! Thanks again for your reply, and feel free to share all the info you want with me, I am open to learning!

 

[cdsieg]

Ask the landowner you got hunt permission from (?) what he/she is comfortable with . Some want no sign of digging . Others could care less if you brought in a backhoe and started digging . Least , so long as they get a cut of what you find .

Thank you for your feedback and yes it is very important to know what the land owners are comfortable with. In my case the owners have been very open to my digging and probably would let me bring in a back hoe! I am an animal person and I would rather not find something than to mess with one of their food sources. The man who takes care of the harvesting of these acres is also very protective of this food source, so if I do it right, I won't step on his toes either!

 

[Number9]

Cindy..

In my picture, you'll notice a sheet of metal laying behind the still that's shown. This sheet metal was the second still which had been flatten. The stills were "twin 5 hun'ards"... two 500 gallon stills.. and they had 5 sets along this creek. They would use two at the same location so one could be fermenting the mash as the second one ready to run and alternate between the two. The twin stills would be able to produce about 50 gallons of liquor every 4 to 5 days. With 5 sets, they would be able to produce 250 gallons during that time.
Sites such as this were made to make money only... they didn't make Grandad's sipping whiskey!

Black pipe would be used to run the cooling water to the condenser of the still, also used to mix the mash in the stills. Most of the time a pipe would be used to run water from a higher location. They would want a drop so the water would run through the pipe without using a pump. That way they didn't have the added noise by running a pump for their water. In the old days they would make a small gutter from wood boards to carry the water from an uphill location to the still.

-Wayne

 

[cdsieg]

Cindy..

In my picture, you'll notice a sheet of metal laying behind the still that's shown. This sheet metal was the second still which had been flatten. The stills were "twin 5 hun'ards"... two 500 gallon stills.. and they had 5 sets along this creek. They would use two at the same location so one could be fermenting the mash as the second one ready to run and alternate between the two. The twin stills would be able to produce about 50 gallons of liquor every 4 to 5 days. With 5 sets, they would be able to produce 250 gallons during that time.
Sites such as this were made to make money only... they didn't make Grandad's sipping whiskey!

Black pipe would be used to run the cooling water to the condenser of the still, also used to mix the mash in the stills. Most of the time a pipe would be used to run water from a higher location. They would want a drop so the water would run through the pipe without using a pump. That way they didn't have the added noise by running a pump for their water. In the old days they would make a small gutter from wood boards to carry the water from an uphill location to the still.

-Wayne

Thanks Wayne! I found all of that interesting and this part, "Most of the time a pipe would be used to run water from a higher location. They would want a drop so the water would run through the pipe without using a pump." very informative!

Thank You once again for your help!

Cindy

 

[mical66]

Wayne has some good information there and I want to add to it if I may, coming from the hills of east Tennessee I have seen a few stills as well as a few photos of old ones . if your still that you are looking for was early enough then it would not have had black plastic pipe , because it may not have been made at that time , so what they would do is make a slough and again depending on the era and materials available they would either nail 2 boards together lengthways to form a V and run it from the still uphill to the water source using as many boards as it took to make the slough. or in other cases they would cut down small trees and use them , some trees like a black locust are sometimes heart dead or hollow and easy to clean. they would split the log ( tree ) in half and then hollow it and use it as a slough.

now this information may not help much but I spent many years tearing down and restoring antique structures for a living so have meet allot of old timers and heard some great tales , as well as seem a many things that most have forgotten and when I seen this article that I may actually share something I had to add my 2 cents

 

[Number9]

Sometimes it's the little things that will tell you where to hunt and tell you what may have been there in the past.

Don't ever think you will run up on a shiny copper still in the woods, like what you see on the TV show "Moonshiners".
The reflection would be a giveaway in short order! One of the first things that is done to a new copper still is to "age" the bright finish.
This is done by using a mixture of vinegar, ammonia, and a little salt, to give the copper a dull patina...

unless one is made for show..or as a "sample" of craft?

Tennessee Mountain "Tea Pot"...

 

[cdsieg]

Wayne has some good information there and I want to add to it if I may, coming from the hills of east Tennessee I have seen a few stills as well as a few photos of old ones . if your still that you are looking for was early enough then it would not have had black plastic pipe , because it may not have been made at that time , so what they would do is make a slough and again depending on the era and materials available they would either nail 2 boards together lengthways to form a V and run it from the still uphill to the water source using as many boards as it took to make the slough. or in other cases they would cut down small trees and use them , some trees like a black locust are sometimes heart dead or hollow and easy to clean. they would split the log ( tree ) in half and then hollow it and use it as a slough.

now this information may not help much but I spent many years tearing down and restoring antique structures for a living so have meet allot of old timers and heard some great tales , as well as seem a many things that most have forgotten and when I seen this article that I may actually share something I had to add my 2 cents

Your information is VERY helpful and much appreciated! Thank you very much for sharing that with me.

 

[cdsieg]

Sometimes it's the little things that will tell you where to hunt and tell you what may have been there in the past.

Don't ever think you will run up on a shiny copper still in the woods, like what you see on the TV show "Moonshiners".
The reflection would be a giveaway in short order! One of the first things that is done to a new copper still is to "age" the bright finish.
This is done by using a mixture of vinegar, ammonia, and a little salt, to give the copper a dull patina...

unless one is made for show..or as a "sample" of craft?

Tennessee Mountain "Tea Pot"...

View attachment 746026

I am sure that anything that is still here will be underground or smashed under a dead fallen tree! LOL I just want to find the money the hid and forgot to take it with them when the sheriff showed up! LOL