Considerations when Purchasing a Moonshine Still Online

If you are considering purchasing a moonshine still, you need to decide whether you want a

copper or stainless steel still. Nearly all stills are made out of either of these two materials.

Copper is more expensive because a higher gauge of copper must be used during construction so

the still is sturdy enough for regular use. A low gauge of stainless steel can be used because steel

is naturally a very thick, strong substance. Cost aside, copper stills win hands down in all the

other categories; you get what you pay for. Stills made out of copper provide better heat

conductivity as opposed to the poor heat conductivity of steel, the resulting moonshine you make

tastes and smells better since the copper has antimicrobial effects that steel doesn’t have, and

many feature amazing craftsmanship and double as works of art. The distillate from stainless

steel stills suffers from poor quality and aroma due to the lack of antimicrobial effects, which is

why many feature a reflux design to paper over steel’s shortcomings by yielding a high proof

tasteless distillate. Copper has been in use for ages in currency, plumbing, electrical wires and

other a multitude of other areas, and its heat conductivity, malleability and anti-erosion

characteristics are largely why. Copper removes viruses and bacteria during the distillation

process and prevents many toxic substances from ever forming in the first place.

Moonshine stills are often called many other things, including whiskey still, alcohol still, gin

still, pot still, etc. These terms are generally interchangeable and mean the same thing. However,

all pot stills are moonshine stills but not all moonshine stills are pot stills. There is a second very

popular design as opposed to a pot still which is called a reflux still, also known as a column

still. Creating moonshine with a column leads to a more pure, higher-proof alcohol. The steam

during distillation has to rise higher in a column apparatus when compared to a standard pot still.

This increases the steam pressure, which leads to a higher proof. If the column is filled with

packaging material such as the ever popular raschig rings or other materials like stainless steel

scrubbers, beads, copper scrubbers or even broken glass, this increases the steam pressure

further, which increases the proof further.

The term ‘moonshine’ doesn’t refer to any specific type of spirit, but is rather a general catch-all

term for any spirit you make with a still, be it whiskey, brandy, rum, gin, vodka, scotch, and so

on. When considering purchasing a still, the capacity of the still is of supreme importance. A

good hobby size is 4, 5, or 6 gallons. More experienced shiners may opt to go with a 10 or 20

gallon still. Keep in mind that you don’t have to distill at a still’s maximum capacity, which

means you might want to buy a larger still right off! You can buy a 10 gallon still and only distill

a few gallons if you like. When buying a still online, check the copper thickness and make sure

it’s at least .5 mm for smaller sizes (1-10 gallons), and closer to 1 mm for larger sizes (10 gallons

and up). Make sure you check your local laws before purchasing or operating a still, and be sure

you have all the accessories you need such as a heat source, a hydrometer, and some bottles such

as mason jars for catching and storing the spirits you make with your still.

Please visit http://www.moonshinestills.net for more information.