Why Build Your Own
The 2 gallon EZ Kit is a you-build copper still, so your first experiment happens before any heat touches it. You put the pieces together, you see how vapor will travel, and you know every joint because you made it. That makes it a friendly place to start if you want to learn the craft one careful step at a time.
Walkthrough: Assembly
- Lay out every part on a clean bench and take inventory before you start.
- Dry-fit first. Make sure each piece seats squarely before you commit to solder.
- Clean each joint well and work slowly. Neat joints are tight joints.
- Check the fit of the EZ Seal Cap and the 3 inch thumper port before you call it finished.
Your First Run: Water Only
Run plain water before you do anything else. Fill the pot partway, bring the heat up slowly, and watch. A water run shows you where heat builds, how quickly vapor moves through the copper, and whether any joint weeps. Think of it as calibrating your lab. You learn how your still behaves while nothing is at stake.
Keeping Copper Happy
Rinse the still after every run and let it dry completely before you store it. Copper darkens with use, and that's normal. When you want the shine back, a gentle cleaning will restore it. The easiest maintenance there is: look over your joints each time you set up.
Owning a still is legal in the US, and small copper stills are used for distilled water and essential oils. Distilling alcohol requires a federal TTB permit. Always follow federal, state, and local law.
Questions while you build? Call the family shop at 603-997-6786.
