How to Build a Still

An apparatus used in distilling alcoholic drinks, it is illegal by federal law to use a still for that purpose in the United States, as well as in most other countries. It is, however, not illegal to build one. Those who are curious to know how to build a still are cautioned, but may proceed as long as their intentions are legitimate.

To learn how to build a still, the required materials are as follows: a large cooking pot, a mixing bowl, a 10-ounce drinking glass, a magnet, and an 8 to 10-pound weight. One will also need a cooking thermometer. For the experiment to be conducted using the still, the ingredients needed are around 10 pounds of ice cubes, and half a gallon of table wine.

Before starting how to build a still, the materials must be examined and put in order. Particularly, one must make sure that the magnet is powerful enough that once it is placed inside the drinking glass, the glass will be held steadily in the cooking pot's center. Also, the mixing bowl should fit securely on top of the pot, and one must have a suitably accurate cooking thermometer that can gauge temperatures up to about 212 degrees Fahrenheit.

Now comes the actual assembly of the still. First, all of the materials are to be washed. Afterwards, the drinking glass is placed into the cooking pot's very center, and then the magnet is placed into the bottom of the glass in order to keep it in place. Next, the pot is placed on a stove or a burner, and the still has been assembled.

After learning how to build a still, the next step is to perform an experiment to see how it works. The half-gallon of table wine is carefully poured into the cooking pot, but one should make sure that the wine does not spill into the wine (it is recommended to use a glass that is tall enough to keep the wine from spilling into it). Then the ice is filled into the mixing bowl, and in turn the weight is then positioned on top of the ice. The mixing bowl is next placed on top of the cooking pot; a good, tight seal must be achieved between the two items in order to get the best results.

Next, the stove or burner is turned on high. Once the ingredients reach 120 degrees Fahrenheit, the heat of the stove is lowered down. The temperature must be closely monitored from here on in, allowing it to rise up to 212 degrees Fahrenheit within a period of 30 up to 45 minutes. Once this has been achieved, the heat is turned off and the drinking glass is taken out of the cooking pot. Although the result of the experiment is not necessarily toxic, one is advised against drinking it just to be on the safe side.

Again, one must be reminded that using a still for distilling alcohol is a criminal offense. This tutorial is meant not to incite others into committing felony, but as informational material made for the benefit of inquiring minds who may wish to learn how to build a still strictly for scientific purposes only.