What Size Copper Still Do I Need? A Gallon-by-Gallon List for Every Kind of Project

A still is a small lab you can put your hands on. You load the pot, add heat, watch vapor climb through copper, and decide exactly where each cut begins and ends. The first choice in that experiment is size. Get it right and every run feels manageable. Get it wrong and you end up with a pot too small for what you want to try or too big to heat and handle comfortably.

This guide is set up as lists, so you can scan instead of wading through paragraphs. Pick the list that matches how you think: size, budget, heat source, or what you plan to distill. Each one uses the stills we carry, with their starting prices.

A quick note before you shop: owning a copper still is legal in the United States. Distilling alcohol isn't legal without the right federal (TTB) permits. Whatever you make, you're responsible for following federal, state, and local law.

Three questions to answer first

1. What are you distilling? Water, essential oils, and permitted fuel alcohol all have different needs. A small pot suits careful experiments, and a large one suits volume.
2. How will you heat it? Propane, electric, or a FlameFlow™ design. Your kitchen, garage, or workshop may decide this for you.
3. Do you want to build it or run it? EZ KITs are copper stills you solder yourself. Complete units come ready to set up.

List 1: Copper stills by size

Small batch: 2 to 6 gallons

Small pots are good for learning. You can run more trials, watch the changes closely, and adjust from one batch to the next without much fuss.

• 2 Gallon You-Build "EZ KIT" Advanced Model with EZ Seal Cap and 3 inch Thumper Port, from $379
• 3 Gallon Copper Moonshine Still, no thumper (Flash Sale), from $229
• 6 Gallon Complete Copper Moonshine Still with Thumper and Worm, from $699
• 6 Gallon Advanced Model 110V Electric Moonshine Liquor Still, Complete, from $999
• Patented 6 Gallon FlameFlow™ Technology Copper Moonshine Still, from $1199

Mid-size: 10 to 20 gallons

This is where many hobbyists end up. A pot this size gives you room to work, and one person can still look after it.

• 10 Gallon Complete Copper Moonshine Still Distiller, from $899
• 10 Gallon Advanced Model, Complete 220V Electric Copper Moonshine Still, from $1249
• Patented Brilliant 10 Gallon FlameFlow™ Technology Copper Moonshine Still, from $1499
• 15 Gallon You-Build "EZ KIT" Advanced Model with EZ Seal Cap and 4 inch Thumper Port, from $629
• 15 Gallon Copper Moonshine Still, Advanced Model with EZ Seal Cap and 4 inch Thumper Port, Complete, from $1049
• 15 Gallon Advanced Model 220V Electric Copper Moonshine Still, Complete, from $1299
• 20 Gallon Complete Copper Moonshine Still, Craft Distillation Unit, from $899
• 20 Gallon 220V Electric Advanced Model with EZ Seal Cap and 4 inch Thumper Port, Complete, from $1199

Large: 25 to 30 gallons

• 25 Gallon Advanced Model Pure Copper Distiller, from $1100
• 30 Gallon "EZ KIT" Advanced Model with EZ Seal Cap and 4 inch Thumper Port, from $699
• 30 Gallon Advanced Model Copper Moonshine Still, Complete Pure Copper Distiller, from $1200
• Patented 30 Gallon Flame Flow™ Moonshine Still, Complete, from $2999

Serious volume: 50 gallons and up

These are for people who already know their process and need capacity. They also need the right permits and the right space.

• 50 Gallon Advanced Model Complete Copper Distiller with 10 Gallon Thumper and 10 Gallon Worm, from $1900
• 60 Gallon "EZ KIT" You Solder Copper Moonshine Kit, from $1200
• 100 Gallon "EZ KIT" You Solder Copper Moonshine Kit, from $1699
• Massive Craft Distillation Unit, Complete Copper Distillation Unit, from $2699

List 2: Copper stills by budget

Under $500

• 3 Gallon Copper Moonshine Still (Flash Sale), from $229
• Durable Craft Distillation Unit, from $329
• 2 Gallon You-Build EZ KIT, from $379

$500 to $1,000

• 15 Gallon You-Build EZ KIT, from $629
• 6 Gallon Complete with Thumper and Worm, from $699
• 30 Gallon EZ KIT, from $699
• 10 Gallon Complete Copper Moonshine Still, from $899
• 20 Gallon Complete Craft Distillation Unit, from $899
• 6 Gallon 110V Electric, from $999

$1,000 to $1,500

• 15 Gallon Advanced Model Complete, from $1049
• 25 Gallon Advanced Model, from $1100
• 20 Gallon 220V Electric, from $1199
• 6 Gallon FlameFlow™, from $1199
• 30 Gallon Advanced Model Complete, from $1200
• 60 Gallon EZ KIT, from $1200
• 10 Gallon 220V Electric, from $1249
• 15 Gallon 220V Electric, from $1299
• Brilliant 10 Gallon FlameFlow™, from $1499

$1,500 and up

• 100 Gallon EZ KIT, from $1699
• 50 Gallon Advanced Model with 10 Gallon Thumper and Worm, from $1900
• Massive Craft Distillation Unit, from $2699
• 30 Gallon Flame Flow™ Complete, from $2999

Budget tip: the EZ KITs cost less because you do the soldering. If you like working with copper, that's part of the fun.

List 3: Copper stills by heat source

Propane

Propane gives you direct, visible control over the flame. Our Propane Burner for 6 Gallon to 30 Gallon Sized Copper Distillers (from $129) is made for pots in that range, which covers most of the small, mid-size, and large stills above.

Electric, 110V

• 6 Gallon Advanced Model 110V Electric, from $999

Electric, 220V

• 10 Gallon Advanced Model 220V Electric, from $1249
• 15 Gallon Advanced Model 220V Electric, from $1299
• 20 Gallon 220V Electric Advanced Model, from $1199

Already have a still, or ordering one that isn't electric? The 110v and 220v Electric Heating Element with Controller (from $349) can be added to your order.

FlameFlow™

• Patented 6 Gallon FlameFlow™, from $1199
• Patented Brilliant 10 Gallon FlameFlow™, from $1499
• Patented 30 Gallon Flame Flow™ Complete, from $2999

List 4: Copper stills by use

• Distilled water: A small or mid-size pot is easy to run often. Try the 3 gallon, 6 gallon, or 10 gallon complete units.
• Essential oils: Plant material takes up room in the pot. Many people find that a mid-size still, around 10 to 20 gallons, leaves enough space to experiment.
• Fuel alcohol (with a permit): Volume matters here. Look at the 25 to 30 gallon units or the 50 gallon and larger stills.
• Learning the craft: Start with the 2 Gallon EZ KIT. You learn the still by building it, then learn your process by running it.

So, what size copper still do you need?

If you're new, start small to mid-size. A 6 or 10 gallon still lets you control every variable without fighting the equipment. If you already know your process and have your permits, go by the volume you actually plan to run. Then choose the heat source that fits your space. If you're stuck between two sizes, call the family shop at 603-997-6786 and talk it through with someone who builds these.

Get sale alerts

Prices change, and some stills show up as flash sales, like the 3 gallon unit above. Sign up for The Distillers List sale alerts and we'll email you when a still on these lists drops in price. That way you can buy the size you want for less.