What Is a Moonshine Still? Parts, Names, and What It Looks Like

A moonshine still is a set of connected copper vessels that heats a liquid, turns part of it into vapor, and then cools that vapor back into a cleaner, stronger liquid. A classic one has three main parts: a pot that you heat, a thumper keg in the middle, and a coiled copper worm sitting in cold water. People use stills to make distilled water, essential oils, fuel alcohol (with a permit), and spirits where it is licensed.

This guide shows you what a moonshine still looks like, what it's made of, and the name of every part, from the cap to the worm. Think of it as your first lesson as an alchemist: copper, heat and vapor, and how they work together.

What Is a Moonshine Still and How Does It Work?

A still works because different liquids boil at different temperatures. Water boils at 212°F (100°C). Ethanol, the alcohol in spirits, boils at about 173°F (78°C). Plant oils and other compounds have their own boiling points too. When you gently heat a mix, the parts with the lowest boiling point turn to vapor first.

That vapor rises out of the pot, travels through a pipe, and reaches the condenser. Cold water around the condenser pulls the heat out of the vapor, so it turns back into liquid and drips out the spout. What comes out is called the distillate. It is purer than what you started with, because the heavier material stays behind in the pot.

When a licensed distiller uses a still for spirits, the output comes in stages. The first drops are the foreshots and heads, which carry lighter, harsher compounds such as methanol (it boils near 148°F/64°C). Next come the hearts, the clean middle part. Last are the tails, which are heavier and oily. For a deeper walkthrough with a diagram, see how a moonshine still works.

• Heat: a burner or electric element warms the liquid in the pot.
• Vapor: the lightest parts boil first and rise into the cap.
• Thumper (optional): vapor bubbles through a second chamber and gets distilled again.
• Condense: the worm, sitting in cold water, cools the vapor back into liquid.
• Collect: the liquid drips out of the spout into a jar.

What Does a Moonshine Still Look Like?

A traditional copper moonshine still looks like a short row of shiny copper pieces joined by pipes. On one end sits the pot: a round or barrel-shaped copper drum on top of a burner. On top of the pot is a cap, often shaped like an onion or a dome. A copper pipe runs from the cap over to the thumper keg, a smaller copper drum. Another pipe runs from the thumper to the condenser, which is a tank or barrel holding a coiled copper tube called the worm. A small spout sticks out near the bottom of the condenser, and that's where the liquid drips out.

New copper is a bright, salmon-pink color. Over time it darkens to brown, and it can show green or blue spots if it sits wet. That's normal oxidation, and you can clean it back up. Our guide on how to clean a copper still shows the simple vinegar method.

Electric stills look similar, but the heat comes from an element built into the pot, so there is no flame underneath. Small hobby stills can fit on a workbench, while large ones can stand taller than a person.

Moonshine Still Parts Names (and What Each One Does)

Old-timers and modern distillers use a few different names for the same parts. Here is the plain list, starting where the heat goes in and ending where the liquid comes out.

• Heat source: a propane burner under the pot, or an electric heating element inside it. It warms the liquid.
• Pot (also called the boiler or kettle): the big vessel that holds the liquid you are distilling.
• Cap (also called the head, helmet, or onion head): the dome on top of the pot. Vapor gathers here before it leaves.
• Cap arm or lyne arm (the vapor pipe): the copper pipe that carries vapor from the cap to the next part.
• Thumper keg (also called a doubler): a middle chamber with some liquid inside. Hot vapor bubbles through it and gets distilled a second time. It's named for the thumping sound it makes.
• Worm: a long copper tube wound into a coil. Vapor travels through it and cools down.
• Condenser (also called the worm box, flake stand, or cooling tank): the container of cold water the worm sits in. It pulls heat out of the vapor so it turns back into liquid.
• Spout or outlet: where the finished liquid drips out into a jar.
• Fittings and clamps: unions and connectors that join the parts so you can take the still apart for cleaning.
• Thermometer (on many stills): shows the temperature so you can control your heat.
• Drain valve (on many pots): lets you empty the pot after a run.

What Is a Moonshine Still Made Of?

Most traditional moonshine stills are made of copper. A well-made one uses copper sheet for the pot, cap and thumper, copper tube for the pipes and worm, and solder to seal the seams. Some modern stills use stainless steel, and some mix the two, such as a stainless pot with a copper cap.

Two things matter most: how thick the copper is and what holds it together. Copper is measured in ounces per square foot or by gauge. Thicker copper holds its shape, resists dents, and spreads heat more evenly. Thin copper can warp or wear through faster. Learn more in what thickness copper for a still.

The solder matters just as much. Some old soft solders contain lead, and lead has no place in anything that touches food or drink. A safe still should be joined with lead-free solder. Here's why we're picky about it: is your still safe?

At American Copper Works, every still is hand built at Fort Wilkins in Pittsfield, New Hampshire, from thick 20 oz, 22 gauge American copper. That's much heavier than the thin copper on cheap imported stills. We join every seam with lead-free silver solder, and each still is cut, rolled, formed, soldered, tested, adjusted and inspected before it leaves the building.

What Is a Copper Still, and Why Use Copper?

A copper still is any still where the parts that touch the vapor are made of copper. It's the classic design, and copper has been the distiller's metal for centuries for good reasons.

• It moves heat well. Copper spreads heat fast and evenly, which helps prevent hot spots and scorching.
• It cleans up the vapor. Copper reacts with sulfur compounds that form during fermentation and holds onto them, which helps remove harsh, rotten-egg smells from the final product.
• It's easy to shape. Copper can be rolled, hammered and soldered into pots, domes and coils by hand.
• It lasts. Thick copper that is cleaned and cared for can stay in service for many years.

What Are Copper Stills Used For?

Copper stills have more uses than most people think. Stainless steel is cheaper and tough, but it doesn't do the sulfur cleanup that copper does, which is why so many distillers still choose copper. I'm Alchemist G.G. Wilkins, and I'll be honest: once you've run a heavy copper still and felt how evenly it heats, it's hard to go back.

Here's the legal picture in the United States. Under federal law it is legal to buy and own a still of any size and to use it for distilled water, essential oils and other non-alcohol uses. Distilling alcohol at home for drinking is not legal without a federal permit from the TTB, even for personal use. A free TTB fuel alcohol permit lets you make ethanol for fuel. State and local laws vary and can be stricter, so check yours. We don't give legal advice, but our guide are stills legal to own? explains the basics.

• Distilled water: boiling water and condensing the steam leaves minerals and many impurities behind.
• Essential oils: steam passes through plant material like lavender, mint or pine, carries the oils over, and they separate from the water in the jar.
• Hydrosols (floral waters): the scented water left over after making essential oils.
• Fuel alcohol: with a free TTB fuel alcohol permit, you can make ethanol to use as fuel.
• Spirits: whiskey, brandy and moonshine, but only by distillers who hold a federal permit.
• Display and teaching: a copper still is a striking piece for a bar, shop or classroom.

Types of Moonshine Stills We Build at Fort Wilkins

Once you know the parts, choosing a still gets much easier. Here are the main types we make and sell:

Every copper still we build is covered by a lifetime warranty. Orders check out through our sister store, MoonshineStills.com. Not sure which one fits you? Call and talk to the owner directly at 1-502-337-3944.

• Complete copper stills: pot, thumper and worm/condenser all included. See our moonshine still kits complete with thumper.
• Electric stills: 110V or 220V models heated by an element instead of a flame.
• Flame Flow™ stills: our patented design (U.S. Patent 10,561,960), built for faster heat-up, more even temperature, less wasted propane and less scorching.
• EZ KIT DIY stills: you do the soldering yourself and build your own still.
• Parts: burners, heating elements with controllers, silver solder, hydrometers, and individual pots, thumpers and condensers. Browse moonshine still parts and accessories.