Powder Keg Crab Pot

[BigBull]

You might be a true SMIB if you cook your crabs in an old stainless steel gunpowder keg that came out of the Naval Ordinance Station in Indian Head, most likely through the back gate. This one has a born on date in 1945 an my second pot has a date in the 1970s. These are perfect for a heavy bushel. Today, I cooked a 1/2 bushel and they sure were good. Many of these kegs were floating around Southern Maryland in the sixties and seventies. Even the chicken neckers used them.

 

[outrider58]

Nice! Looks like a sawn off half keg(beer).
That thing will outlive us all!

 

[44man]

Yep, every smib has at least one. Do you have the piece that goes in the bottom to keep the crabs out of the water that’s punched with 1” holes?

The boys up at indianhead made a shyte ton of them lol

Our tax dollars hard at work lol

If I remember right, the price was a bushel of #1’s

 

[Conundrum]

Nice! Big plus since you are using J.O Spice as too!

 

[DaveP]

. Do you have the piece that goes in the bottom to keep the crabs out of the water that’s punched with 1” holes?

Mine look to be under an inch.

Not very neat either, lol.
Must've been early on a Monday

 

[44man]

Mine look to be under an inch.
View attachment 427751

Not very neat either, lol.
Must've been early on a Monday

I have seen them in different sizes and some neat as a pin and some shotgunned in there lol.

Yep I am sure it depended on what day it was and who was or wasn’t watching

 

[mauser58]

Nice steam pot. My rack is the same as the one pictured above. My steam pot is a 1/2 keg S.S. I cut and put handles on. Use it on the turkey fryer burner.

 

[DaveP]

I have seen them in different sizes and some neat as a pin and some shotgunned in there lol.

Yep I am sure it depended on what day it was and who was or wasn’t watching

I remember it far back as I can remember, lol.

Not sure which one of my brothers or sisters got the pot, but I got the bottom grate.

And the 1941 dated, THICK aluminum pot, bottom is pitted BAD, can't imagine how many bushels have been in it.

Wasn't aluminum supposed to give us all Alzheimers?
I can't remember....

 

[44man]

I remember it far back as I can remember, lol.

Not sure which one of my brothers or sisters got the pot, but I got the bottom grate.

And the 1941 dated, THICK aluminum pot, bottom is pitted BAD, can't imagine how many bushels have been in it.

View attachment 427767

Wasn't aluminum supposed to give us all Alzheimers?
I can't remember....

Is your pot aluminum?

Mine have all been stainless powered kegs and stainless grates. I have had several half kegs And one whole keg but it was too big to suite me so I gave it to someone.

And yes they once said aluminum would give us all oldtimers but I would think if that was so I would have it by now lol.

 

[DaveP]

Is your pot aluminum?

Mine have all been stainless powered kegs and stainless grates. I have had several half kegs And one whole keg but it was too big to suite me so I gave it to someone.

And yes they once said aluminum would give us all oldtimers but I would think if that was so I would have it by now lol.

My current pot is aluminum. We had one of the SS kegs many years ago, think one of my siblings have it. I have the SS grate from it, pictured above, and use it in the aluminum pot, which we've also had since the '50s-60s.

 

[Engine4]

Man, I'd love to get one of those. A piece of Maryland history.

 

[44man]

My current pot is aluminum. We had one of the SS kegs many years ago, think one of my siblings have it. I have the SS grate from it, pictured above, and use it in the aluminum pot, which we've also had since the '50s-60s.

We have several really old aluminum pots also but none big enough for a bushel but I really like them for small batches of crabs.

Funny how something like that stays so long in a family. At least I think so.

I imagine if you ask around you could easily enough find another keg if you wanted one.

 

[DaveP]

The 1941 aluminum pot I have will easily hold a bushel.

You're right about stuff staying in the family. Older I get, more that sort of thing matters to me.

Lot of good memories in that pot.

 

[wreckdiver]

Very cool.

 

[44man]

The 1941 aluminum pot I have will easily hold a bushel.

You're right about stuff staying in the family. Older I get, more that sort of thing matters to me.

Lot of good memories in that pot.

Good memories are worth more than money!

 

[BigBull]

This is the racks that I have for my pot. I think the grated one was fabricated at some point. I inherited both of mine. We had 7 or 8 of them in the family at one point. Also a picture of the born on date.

 

[Jweiss013]

New want unlocked, i will have to start keeping an eye out. My current pot will do a half bushel at a time. Works fine up until youre having a party.

 

[hobiecat590]

NIce pot. My 66qt SS Cayjun does about 3/4 bushel and something bigger would be handy. I retired my alum pot becasue I was getting like 1 tbl spoon of alum oxide every time I cleaned it. BTW, if you are having issues cleaning your pot, try soaking it for an hour using 5 Star PBW cleaner. My pot looks brand new after this treatment.

 

[44man]

This is the racks that I have for my pot. I think the grated one was fabricated at some point. I inherited both of mine. We had 7 or 8 of them in the family at one point. Also a picture of the born on date. View attachment 427784 View attachment 427785

I have seen tons of these keg coolers but I have never seen a rack like that

Was it made at indianhead also?

 

[teratos]

I have one! It was my FILs. I never really paid much attention, assuming it was made from a beer keg. I learned something today.