What's Actually in the Box? A Plain Guide to Your First Copper Still Kit

You've watched the videos and read the forums, and you keep going back to the same product pages. Now one question is stopping you: what actually shows up when you order a copper still kit, and can you put it together? This guide answers that for someone starting from zero. We'll cover what a kit is, the parts of a still and what each one does, how hard the build is, and what to do in your first week.

One thing first. Owning a still is legal in the United States. Distilling alcohol is a different matter and requires federal permits from the TTB. People also use copper stills to distill water, to pull essential oils from plants, and, with the proper permit, to make fuel alcohol. Whatever you plan to run, follow federal, state, and local law.

Kit vs. Complete Still: The First Fork in the Road

On Moonshine Kit you'll find two kinds of products, and the difference matters more than anything else on the page.

• Complete units come already built. The 6 Gallon Complete Copper Moonshine Still (from $699) is one example, and so is the Craft Distillation Unit (from $329). Someone else did the soldering.
• DIY kits, which we call the "EZ KIT" line, are you-solder kits. You get the copper parts and you join them yourself. They come in several sizes. The 2 Gallon You-Build "EZ KIT" Advanced Model starts at $379, the 6 gallon EZ KIT starts at $499, and there are 10 gallon and 15 gallon versions as well.

If you want to run your first experiment as soon as possible, a complete unit is the simpler choice. If you want to understand every joint, every seam, and every path the vapor takes, buy a kit. Building it yourself teaches you how a still works in a way you can't get any other way.

The Anatomy of a Copper Still

Whatever box you open, the parts of a still do the same jobs. Learn these words and the rest of the hobby will make more sense.

The pot

The pot is the body, the vessel that holds your liquid and takes the heat. The gallon number in a product name is the size class of the still. Larger pots hold bigger runs, and they take longer to heat.

The cap

The cap sits on top of the pot and collects the rising vapor. Several of our kits use what we call the EZ Seal Cap, which is designed to make sealing the top of the pot simpler. You'll see it named in the "EZ KIT" Advanced Model listings.

The thumper port

A thumper is an optional chamber between the pot and the condenser. Vapor bubbles through it, and some distillers use it to refine what comes out. Some of our kits include a thumper port, which is 3 inch on the 2 gallon Advanced Model and 4 inch on others, so you can add one now or later. Some complete stills are sold without a thumper, and the product name will say so.

The condenser or worm

This is where vapor turns back into liquid. The coiled copper version is called a worm. Cooling the vapor is the second half of the chemistry, and the condenser is the part that does it.

So What's in Your Box?

We'll be straight with you. The product listing for the exact kit you choose is the only place to find out what's included. Contents differ from model to model, and we would rather send you to the real list than guess here. Read the listing carefully before you order, and pay attention to anything that is sold separately.

Here are three items beginners often ask about, since they're sold as separate products:

• Silver solder. If you buy a you-solder kit, you will need solder. We sell a 1 lb. Roll of Silver Solder (from $79).
• A heat source. The Propane Burner for 6 Gallon to 30 Gallon Sized Copper Distillers (from $129) fits the larger stills. For indoor use, look at the 6 Gallon Advanced Model 110V Electric (from $999), a complete electric unit.
• A way to measure. The Hydrometer Set (from $29) measures alcohol content, and the Copper Proofing Parrot (from $119) lets you read your output continuously while it runs.

If anything is unclear, call the family that makes these at 603-997-6786. A five-minute phone call will answer more than an hour of reading forum posts.

How Hard Is It, Really?

For most beginners, the only intimidating part of a you-solder kit is the soldering itself. The basic skill is something you can learn in an afternoon:

1. Clean both copper surfaces until they shine.
2. Apply flux to the joint.
3. Heat the copper evenly, not the solder.
4. Touch the solder to the hot joint and let it flow into the seam.
5. Let it cool without disturbing it.

A good joint doesn't take strength or special talent. It comes from clean copper and patient heat, which is basic metalworking. Practice on scrap copper before you start on your kit, and expect your first few joints to look rough. That's normal.

A sensible way to think about each kit size:

• 2 gallon EZ KIT: the smallest build, with fewer large surfaces to handle. It's a good choice if you want to learn the craft on a small scale.
• 6 gallon EZ KIT: a common middle size for people who already know they're committed.
• 10 and 15 gallon EZ KITs: bigger pots for bigger plans. The process is the same, but the pieces are larger.

If soldering doesn't appeal to you at all, that's fine. Buy a complete unit and put your effort into running it.

Your First Steps

1. Decide what you're distilling and check the rules

Water, essential oils, and spirits each come with different legal requirements. Work that out before you buy anything else.

2. Read before you heat

The Distilling Data Dump (from $29) is a collection of distillation research. It's useful for learning why your still behaves the way it does, so you aren't just following steps.

3. Build and leak-test

If you bought a kit, solder it, inspect every joint, and test the whole still for leaks before it ever holds anything you care about.

4. Run something simple first

For a first run, plain water is ideal. You'll learn how quickly your pot heats, when vapor reaches the condenser, and how your heat source responds when you adjust it, and none of it carries any risk.

5. Keep a notebook

This is where you become the scientist. Write down your heat settings, the times, your cooling water, and what came out. Every run is an experiment, and the notes from one run make the next one better.

The Bottom Line

A copper still kit is a pile of copper parts that you turn into something you understand completely. It isn't complicated: a pot, a cap, a path for vapor, and a way to cool that vapor back into liquid. Your listing tells you what's in the box, and your hands and patience take care of the rest. Choose the size that fits your plans, practice your soldering, keep notes, and stay on the right side of the law.