Moonshine Kit › Guides

Beyond Spirits: Making Essential Oils and Distilled Water with Your First Copper Still

Most people see a copper still and think of moonshine. That's fair, but it's only one use. A still is a simple tool for heat and vapor. It boils a liquid, carries the vapor through copper, and cools it back into liquid in a separate container. If you understand that one cycle, you can use the same pot to make clean distilled water or to pull fragrant oils out of lavender, mint, or rosemary.

So, can you make essential oils with a copper still? Yes. People have done it for centuries, and it's one of the best first projects for someone who has just unboxed a kit. Below we cover what you're getting into, how hard it really is, and how to run your first batches.

Why Copper, and Why Start Here

Copper has been the distiller's metal for a long time. It moves heat well, it's easy to shape and solder, and it looks good on a workbench. When you run a still, you're doing what alchemists did: you take something raw, apply heat, and catch what rises. You're also doing what a scientist does. You watch, you write things down, and you change one thing at a time.

Water and botanicals are a good way to start because they teach you the whole process with very little at stake. You'll learn how your heat source behaves, how quickly vapor builds, how the condenser handles the load, and what a steady drip looks like. All of that carries over to whatever you do with the still later.

Picking a First Still

Beginners usually go one of two ways.

Build it yourself

A you-solder kit gives you the copper parts, and you put them together. The "EZ KIT" Advanced Model with EZ Seal Cap and 4 inch Thumper Port You Solder Copper Moonshine Kit (from $379) and the 2 Gallon You-Build "EZ KIT" Advanced Model (from $379) are both made for this. If you've never sweated a copper joint, don't worry. It's a skill most handy people can learn over a weekend of practice. You'll need solder. The 1 lb. Roll of Silver Solder (from $79) is sold separately if you want it. Check each product page for the exact parts list so you know what's in the box before you start.

Start with a complete unit

If you'd like to skip assembly and start distilling right away, a complete unit comes ready to go. The 3 Gallon Copper Moonshine Still - no thumper (from $229) and the Durable Craft Distillation Unit (from $329) are good small-batch choices for water and herbs. A smaller pot is easier to manage and heats faster, and it doesn't take a mountain of plant material to fill.

How Hard Is It, Honestly?

Running a still for water or oils is easy. The hard part is patience. The common beginner mistakes are:

If you can follow a recipe and watch a pot, you can do this.

Your First Run: Distilled Water

Make distilled water first. It's the simplest way to get to know your equipment.

  1. Clean the still. Rinse all copper parts thoroughly with clean water.
  2. Fill the pot partway. Use ordinary tap water. Leave plenty of headspace so the water doesn't boil up into the column.
  3. Get the condenser going. Make sure cooling water is in place before the pot gets hot.
  4. Heat gently. Bring the water up to a steady boil, not a violent one. Water boils at about 212°F at sea level, and slightly lower at higher elevations.
  5. Throw out the first bit. Let the first small portion run off and discard it. It rinses the copper path.
  6. Collect the rest. Catch the steady drip in a clean glass container.
  7. Stop early. Turn off the heat while there's still a good amount of water left in the pot. The minerals and leftovers stay behind.

Write down how long it took to start dripping, how fast it dripped, and how much you collected. That's your baseline.

Next Step: Essential Oils

Once you're comfortable with water, it's time to try botanicals. Here is the basic method, often called hydrodistillation.

  1. Choose an aromatic plant. Lavender, peppermint, rosemary, and citrus peel are classic beginner choices because they're high in oil.
  2. Load the pot. Put the plant material in with enough water to cover it well. Don't pack it so tight that water can't move around.
  3. Heat slowly. Steam carries the plant's volatile oils up and over into the condenser.
  4. Collect the distillate. What comes out is a mix of hydrosol (fragrant floral water) and a thin layer of essential oil, usually floating on top.
  5. Separate. Let it settle, then carefully draw off the oil. Keep the hydrosol too. Many people use it as a room spray or linen water.

Don't expect much oil from your first batch. It often takes a lot of plant material to get a small amount. That's normal, and it's also why each drop feels like something you earned. Experiment with how finely you chop the herbs, how full you load the pot, and how hard you run the heat, and keep notes on each run. That's where you start working like a scientist.

Gear That Helps

A Word on the Law

Owning a copper still is legal in the United States, and people use stills for water, essential oils, and, with the proper permit, fuel alcohol. Distilling any alcohol requires federal permits from the TTB, and owning a still doesn't give you permission to make spirits. Always follow federal, state, and local law where you live.

The Bottom Line

Your first copper still can do a lot more than one thing. Start with water to learn your equipment, then move on to lavender or mint and watch oil come out of a handful of plants. Keep the heat low, stay with the still while it runs, and take notes. Each run will teach you something you can use on the next one.

Stills mentioned

The EZ KIT Advanced Model: Your First Copper Still, Built by Your Own Hands
The EZ KIT Advanced Model: Your First Copper Still, Built by Your Own HandsFrom $379
3 Gallon Copper Still, No Thumper: The Smallest Way to Start
3 Gallon Copper Still, No Thumper: The Smallest Way to StartFrom $229
1 lb. Roll of Silver Solder for Your First Copper Build
1 lb. Roll of Silver Solder for Your First Copper BuildFrom $79