I did quite a bit of research in figuring out which alcohol still to buy. I thought I would share my thinking regarding how I went about finally deciding on this particular still.
The first consideration I had was what material the still should be made of.Almost all alcohol stills are made of either copper or stainless steel. The vast majority of stills are made from copper and relatively few stills are made entirely from stainless steel.
Those still makers that use copper will claim that they use this material because it is traditional for stills and because it provides quick thermal conductivity.And on both counts they are correct--prohibition era moonshine stills were often made of copper and copper does provide fast heat conductivity.
However, I feel that fast heat conductivity is really not important for a still because stills are used at low to moderate temperatures and distilling sessions tend to be relatively long.I really can't see a need for a still to heat up a bit quicker by using copper material rather than stainless steel.When a distilling session is going to last 45 minutes or so, what's the point of shaving off 30 seconds from that?
And as far as the traditional use of copper in stills, to me, personally, that just doesn't matter that much--what's more important is effectiveness, and I just don't see copper being more effective (plus it's a pain in the rear to clean.)
I suspect the real reason most makers of stills use copper is because it is easily malleable.Most still makers are relatively small operations out of a small workshop.Copper can be easily molded and formed in a small workshop without super elaborate tooling, unlike stainless steel which requires industrial equipment and tooling to mold and stamp.Also copper is a lot easier to join, requiring a low temperature solder, unlike stainless steel which requires high temperature welding.
And this is where I saw the primary DISADVANTAGE of buying a still made of copper: it is joined by solder. The problem is that most solder is lead-based, which would obviously be terrible to use in a still because it would leach lead into the distillate. Now most copper still makers claim they use lead-free, silver solder.And I would like to believe them, but I worry, because there is no way to know for sure they are using that more expensive silver solder.You really have to take them at their word, because it's not like moonshine still makers are regulated by the government. There are no inspectors going around making sure the solder is lead free.I suppose in theory, I could take a copper still I purchased to some kind of lab for testing to make sure it's lead free, but honestly, I wasn't willing to go through that hassle.
So to my mind that left stainless steel as the material of choice because stainless steel can only be joined by welding which is a high temperature, inherently lead-free process. In welding, stainless steel is heated to the melting point to join pieces together. Hence there is no potential for lead because only stainless steel is used in the joining process. No solder used means no potential for use of leaded solder, which means no potential for lead getting in the distillate. For me, this peace of mind meant I would choose a still made of stainless steel.
Next I looked at several of the stainless steel alcohol stills out on the market. Some of these mere mostly stainless steel but would have a few components which were copper and so I nixed them.And others were mostly stainless steel but had a few components made of aluminum. For example there is an alcohol still being sold here on Amazon by a different still maker, which has an aluminum diffuser plate. The experts seem to split on whether or not aluminum is a safe material for cookware. (Aluminum in the brain has been correlated to Alzheimer.)Some say there is no leaching of aluminum into food when you cook, hence aluminum cookware is safe. Other experts think it's not worth the chance and you should avoid cooking food in aluminum. As far as my cookware goes, I've decided to error on the side of caution and go with aluminum-free cookware, so for me it made sense to get an alcohol still without any aluminum components.
That left the few still makers who use only stainless steel in all of their components.Ultimately I wound up going with TableTopStill because it seemed like it would be the simplest to use.
A lot of the other alcohol still makers explain their products and the distilling process with all sorts of highly specialized language and jargon - columns and packing and reflux and so on. After reading a bunch on the Internet about distillation, I could eventually begin to decipher some of this terminology, but to get started I really wanted something that would be straightforward and would not involve a huge learning curve.I liked how straightforward TableTopStill seemed:simple design and clear language, instead of all the jargon.
Also, other stills required running water hook-ups, to accomplish the cooling process in distillation.That seemed like a massive headache, searching for the proper couplings to hookup to my faucet.Or if they had a pump system for the running water that seemed like a huge mess and really unappealing (okay, I'm a bit of neat freak.)TableTopStill doesn't require any running water. Instead, it has a separate cooling chamber where you put ice cubes, which cools the distillate.What a brilliant design solution!
When TableTopStill arrived, it met all my expectations and then some. The setup was a snap and the instructions were easy to follow.The use of ice cubes in the cooling chamber works extremely well.Like they claim, I was distilling in no time.What's more, I was impressed with how well made their product is.The boiling and cooling pots have obviously been professionally manufactured and the whole set-up looks quite sharp on my kitchen stove.Plus I like the small size which doesn't take up a huge amount of room (some of the other stills I looked at were monstrous structures.)And finally, it turns out distilling is just plain fun. I've found a new hobby and could not be more pleased.
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Stainless Steel Alcohol / Moonshine Still by TableTopStillProduct Description: TableTopStill is the EASIEST and SAFEST way to make your own hard alcohol at home. EXTREMELY EASY TO USE: Clearly written and well illustrated instructions will have you distilling your own alcohol spirits in no time. And unlike most alcohol stills on the market today, TableTopStill requires NO running water--you simply add ice cubes to the smaller secondary cooling chamber. This eliminates the need for complicated cooling tube hookups and pumps that most other stills require. COMPLETELY SAFE: All components are made of Type 304 stainless steel which is the material of choice for large commercial distilleries. This is because Type 304 stainless steel does not alter the taste or smell and never leaches into the liquids you are distilling. ATTRACTIVE, COMPACT DESIGN: The design is attractive, featuring clean lines, premium mirror-finish stainless steel and no unsightly cooling tubes and pumps. Plus the compact size makes it easy to handle; it will not take up a lot of room when you use it; and it easily packs away for storage. IRONCLAD MONEY BACK GUARANTEE: An entirely risk-free 90 day trial period. If you are not completely satisfied, simply return it within 90 days for a full refund, including all shipping costs both ways. PLEASE NOTE: The white hot plate in the photos is NOT included. ALSO NOTE: In the US, it is legal to buy an alcohol still; but it is illegal to use a still to distill alcohol without the proper licenses and permits. Buyer assumes all responsibilities for following all laws and for obtaining all of the necessary licenses and permits.
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