is it illegal to own a moonshine still?

Not Legal Advice: No. It is legal to own a moonshine still or alcohol still, but illegal to produce and sell alcohol and moonshine without a proper license.

A moonshine still gets its label from the necessity to run distilling operations under cover of darkness, ideally when the moon is full. The cool night air also aids with the moonshine distillation process, as vapor is converted back into liquid form.

There are many different design variants on the basic moonshine still, but essentially it is a large pot with a tight lid and a narrow conical vent at the top. This vent leads the vapors through a coiled length of copper moonshine tubing and ultimately into a container for storage.

Authorities discovered and destroyed a 12-barrel moonshine still operation in Lowndes County, Alabama recently. Find out more here.