Still Construction

Part of Alcohol and Distillation

Building a complete pot still from salvaged and handmade materials.

Why This Matters

A functioning still is one of the most versatile pieces of equipment a rebuilding community can possess. Beyond producing alcohol for consumption, a still purifies water, produces antiseptic, extracts essential oils for medicine, and generates solvents for chemistry and manufacturing. Historically, communities that mastered distillation gained enormous advantages in trade, medicine, and industrial capability.

Building a still is not difficult, but it requires understanding how the components work together. A still is simply a system for boiling a liquid, directing the vapor through a pipe, and cooling that vapor back into liquid. Every component must work reliably: the pot must hold and heat liquid without leaking, the vapor path must carry gas without obstruction, and the condenser must cool vapor efficiently enough to prevent losses.

The goal of this article is to walk you through building a complete, functional pot still from materials you can realistically find or make in a post-collapse environment. No welding equipment is assumed — all joints use mechanical fastening and simple sealants.

Complete System Overview

A pot still has four main components arranged in sequence:

[Pot/Boiler] → [Cap/Head] → [Lyne Arm] → [Condenser] → [Collection Vessel]

1. Pot (Boiler): Holds the liquid and sits over the heat source
2. Cap/Head: Covers the pot, directs vapor to the lyne arm
3. Lyne Arm: Angled pipe connecting the cap to the condenser
4. Condenser: Cools vapor back to liquid
5. Collection vessel: Catches the distillate

Each component is described in detail below with construction instructions.

Building the Pot

From a Pressure Cooker (Easiest)

A standard kitchen pressure cooker (15-25 liters) makes an excellent small still pot. It is already sealed, heat-resistant, and has a thick bottom.

Modification needed: Remove the pressure regulator weight from the lid. Enlarge the hole to accept a copper pipe fitting (typically 12-15mm). If you cannot enlarge the hole, solder or braze a copper adapter tube to the existing hole.

From a Steel Drum

For larger production (50-200 liters), a steel drum is practical.

1. Select a food-grade drum — avoid drums that held chemicals, paint, or fuel. Clean thoroughly with boiling water and ash regardless.
2. Cut the top: Use a cold chisel and hammer to cut around the rim, leaving a 3-4 cm flange. Alternatively, cut 15 cm below the top to create a large opening with a separate lid piece.
3. Create a lid: The cut-off top becomes the lid. Flatten and hammer a flange around its edge that overlaps the pot opening by 3-4 cm. Drill holes through both flanges and bolt together with a gasket between.
4. Add the vapor outlet: Drill or punch a hole in the center of the lid, sized for your lyne arm pipe. Fit the pipe through and seal with solder or flour paste.

Remove All Coatings

Steel drums often have interior coatings (epoxy, plastic liner, paint). These release toxic fumes when heated. Burn out the interior by building a fire inside the drum for 2-3 hours before using it as a still pot. Then scrub thoroughly with sand and water.

From Copper Sheet

If you have copper sheet (1.5-2 mm thick), you can fabricate a purpose-built pot:

1. Cut a circular bottom piece (diameter = desired pot diameter + 3 cm for the turn-up)
2. Cut a rectangular wall piece (length = circumference + 2 cm overlap, height = desired pot height + 3 cm for top and bottom folds)
3. Anneal the copper by heating to dull red and quenching
4. Form the wall into a cylinder, overlap the edges 2 cm, and rivet every 2 cm
5. Fold the bottom 1.5 cm of the wall inward, set the bottom disc in place, and fold/hammer the wall edge over the bottom to create a mechanical seam
6. Seal the bottom seam with silver solder or soft solder (lead-free only)
7. Roll the top edge outward to create a flange for the lid

Building the Cap and Head

The cap (also called the head or helmet) sits atop the pot and channels vapor to the lyne arm. Several designs work:

Simple Flat Lid

The easiest approach — a flat disc of copper or steel with a hole for the vapor pipe. Works, but provides no reflux (separation of heavier vapors) and allows liquid splashing into the lyne arm.

Dome Cap

A domed cap provides better performance:

1. Cut a copper disc 5-8 cm larger than the pot opening
2. Anneal and hammer over a concave form (a bowl, a hole in a log, a sandbag) to create a shallow dome
3. Drill or punch a hole at the apex for the lyne arm fitting
4. Hammer the rim to fit over the pot flange

The dome shape forces vapor to travel upward and over before entering the lyne arm. Heavier vapors (water, fusel oils) condense on the dome surface and drip back into the pot, improving separation.

Onion Head

The traditional onion-shaped still head provides the best separation. It requires more metalworking skill:

1. Form the lower portion as a wide dome (as above)
2. Gradually taper the upper portion inward to a neck
3. The neck transitions to the lyne arm

This can be formed by hammering copper sheet over progressively smaller forms, or by cutting and joining several tapered cone sections.

Building the Lyne Arm

The lyne arm connects the cap to the condenser. It should:

• Slope downward from the cap to the condenser (2-5 degree angle minimum)
• Be smooth inside with no pockets where liquid can pool and block vapor flow
• Be long enough that some cooling occurs (partial condensation in the lyne arm improves purity)

Construction: Use copper or steel pipe, 15-25 mm diameter for small stills, 25-40 mm for larger ones. Bend to the required angle by filling with dry sand (prevents kinking), plugging both ends, and bending slowly around a form.

Anti-Kink Technique

Fill the pipe completely with dry, fine sand. Plug both ends tightly. Heat the bend area to dull red (for copper). Bend slowly and evenly around a log or barrel. The sand supports the pipe wall internally, preventing it from collapsing into a kink. After bending, unplug and pour out the sand.

Joining the Lyne Arm to the Cap

If the pipe fits snugly into the cap hole, solder it in place (lead-free solder). If the fit is loose, create a collar:

1. Wrap a strip of copper around the pipe at the insertion point
2. Solder the strip to the pipe, building up the diameter until it fits snugly in the cap hole
3. Apply flour paste or pitch around the joint for a vapor seal

Building the Condenser

The condenser is where vapor becomes liquid. Two designs are practical:

Worm Condenser (Coiled Pipe)

The traditional design — a coiled copper pipe submerged in a barrel of cold water.

1. Select tubing: Copper pipe, 10-15 mm diameter, 3-5 meters long
2. Fill with sand: Pack tightly to prevent kinking
3. Coil the pipe: Wrap around a log or barrel (15-25 cm diameter), creating a spiral with 5-10 turns
4. Remove the sand: Flush with water
5. Install in cooling vessel: Place the coil inside a barrel or bucket. The vapor inlet enters from the top, the liquid outlet exits at the bottom through a hole in the barrel wall

The cooling water should enter at the bottom and overflow at the top (counter-current flow). This maximizes cooling efficiency.

Sizing guide:

Still Pot Size	Coil Diameter	Tube Length	Tube Diameter
10-20 L	15 cm	3 m	10 mm
40-60 L	20 cm	4 m	12 mm
100-200 L	25 cm	5-6 m	15 mm

Tube-in-Tube Condenser (Liebig Condenser)

A straight pipe inside a larger pipe, with cooling water flowing between them. Simpler to build if you have two sizes of pipe:

1. Select an inner pipe (12-15 mm) and an outer pipe (30-50 mm), each 60-100 cm long
2. Center the inner pipe inside the outer pipe
3. Seal both ends around the inner pipe with solder or cork
4. Drill holes near each end of the outer pipe for water inlet (bottom) and outlet (top)
5. Vapor enters the inner pipe at the top, liquid exits at the bottom

This design is less compact but easier to clean and build.

Assembly and Testing

Putting It All Together

1. Place the pot on a stable surface over your heat source (fire pit, brick firebox, or stove)
2. Ensure the pot is level — tilting causes uneven heating and boiling
3. Attach the cap/head to the pot. Seal with flour paste for first tests
4. Connect the lyne arm from cap to condenser inlet
5. Position the condenser and fill cooling water
6. Place the collection vessel under the condenser outlet
7. Ensure the collection vessel is open to atmosphere (not sealed)

Water Test Run

Before distilling anything valuable:

1. Fill the pot half full with plain water
2. Bring to a boil
3. Observe:
   • Steam escaping from joints? Note locations and reseal
   • Condensate flowing from condenser? If not, check for blockages
   • Cooling water warming up? If too hot, increase cooling water flow
   • Any hot spots or structural problems?
4. Measure the condensate flow rate — aim for 2-4 drops per second for a 20-liter pot
5. Run for 30-60 minutes to verify all joints hold under sustained operation

First Alcohol Run

1. Fill the pot no more than two-thirds full with fermented wash
2. Heat gradually — bring to temperature over 30-45 minutes
3. Discard the first 50-100 ml of distillate per 20 liters of wash (this is the “foreshots” — contains methanol and other harmful compounds)
4. Collect the “hearts” — the main run that smells clean and tastes smooth
5. Stop collecting when the distillate begins to taste thin or develops off-flavors (the “tails”)
6. Allow to cool completely before disassembling

Maintenance and Care

After each run:

1. Drain and rinse the pot with clean water while still warm
2. Flush the lyne arm and condenser with clean water
3. Remove flour paste sealant (it attracts mold and pests if left)
4. Dry all copper components — moisture causes verdigris (copper corrosion)
5. Inspect for cracks, loose joints, or thinning metal

Every 10-20 runs:

1. Boil a dilute acid solution (vinegar or citric acid) in the pot to dissolve scale buildup
2. Run clean water through the entire system
3. Check the condenser coil for pinhole leaks by plugging one end and blowing

Store the still disassembled in a dry location. Copper develops a green patina (verdigris) in damp conditions — while this is not structurally harmful, it should be cleaned before use as it is mildly toxic.