Would you really like to know how to make a moonshine still? To live like the moonshiners, check out this tutorial from our friends at DIY Ready.
Don’t you just hate it when you find yourself on a desert island with nothing but 20 feet of refrigerator coil, a 5-gallon bucket, and a stove? (And a mason jar with an amazing custom logo on it? – Ed.) (What is this, some twisted version of the show Lost?) Using only these and a few other simple supplies, however, we will show you how to make your own DIY Still. Stills can be used to purify saltwater into drinking water…as well as turn other stuff into a drinkable concoction we’re not legally allowed to talk about. Don’t go blind on our account, okay? And, as always, drink (water) responsibly.
Disclaimer: This is for informational purposes only and should not be used for illegal activities.
How To Make A DIY Still | Self Reliance
Supplies for making a DIY Still:
(1) Aluminum pot with an aluminum lid (we used a tamale steamer from a place that rhymes with Target…Doh!)
5 Gallon bucket
(1) Drill
(1) 1/8 inch drill bit
(1) 3/8) inch drill bit
(1) Cooking Thermometer
(1) Teflon Tape
(1) Hot glue gun with high temperature hot glue sticks
(1) Metal File
(2) 3/8-inch to 3/8-inch compression adapter (found in plumbing section
(1) 20 ft. Refrigerator coil
Ice
A stove or other consistent heat source (when using the still you need to keep whatever you are boiling at a very even temp)
Step 1: Drill a 1/8 inch hole in the lid of the aluminum pot
Throw the lid over a piece of scrap wood to make it easier and drill a hole a few inches back from the edge of the lid. 
Step 2: Wrap the thermometer with Teflon tape
Originally, we were just going to wrap the thermometer with Teflon tape to create an airtight seal, but decided we wanted to secure this thing in place even more with some hot glue (rated for high temps). You could probably get away with just using hot glue at the end of the day and ditching the Teflon.
Step 3: Place the thermometer in the hole
Thread your cooking thermometer through the hole so it sits nice and flush on the top of the lid.
Our Teflon-coated thermometer
Step 4: Secure the thermometer with hot glue
For those concerned that hot glue is a bad choice for this project (since it will be in direct contact with hot steam) it’s important to note that high temperature hot glue sticks have a melting point well above the melting point of water (100 C). This is also true for the melting point of “other liquids” (78 C). There are other adhesives you can use, including high temp silicone and even high temp resins. Just make sure whatever you use is rated for heat well beyond what your liquid’s steam will be creating.
High temperature hot glue will be fine for this project.
Step 5: Drill a 3/8 inch hole in the pot lid
Begin by drilling another 1/8 inch hole in the lid. This will act as a starter hole for the much bigger 3/8 inch drill bit. Put it roughly opposite from the thermometer across the lid. Drill a 3/8 inch hole with the 3/8 inch drill bit.
The nasty burrs are hard to see but they need to be filed off.
Step 6: File as needed
If there are any burrs, this could cause some problems when inserting the compression fitting. Take a file and grind the burrs down until they are gone.
Step 7: Insert a compression fitting into the lid
Insert the male threaded nut of the compression fitting into the hole by twisting it through from the bottom of the lid. The fit won’t be perfect, but don’t worry if it jiggles around a little bit.
The fit won’t be perfect, but that’s okay. We aren’t perfect either, but our mom still loves us.
Step 8: Seal the fitting with hot glue
This seal needs to be air tight to prevent steam from leaking through it. It’s time to bust out that trusty glue gun again! Make sure you put hot glue on the other side as well, working well around the seams.
Step 9: Attach the copper coil to the lid
Take the female-threaded nut that came with your compression fitting and place it over one end of the refrigerator coil. This end of your compression fitting has a part called a “ferrule” that comes with it. It’s a small circular ring that looks kind of like a grommet. The ferrule helps create a tight connection between the female and male ends of your compression nut.
Pretty sure the little thing is called a ferrule. Also, one of my favorite movies from the 80s was “Ferrules Bueller’s Day Off.”
Screw the female-threaded nut onto the male-threaded nut that is protruding from the lid.
Step 10: Drill a 3/8 inch hole in the bucket.
Use a 1/8 inch drill bit to begin a pilot hole in the 5 gallon bucket. Put it about two inches above the base. With a 3/8 inch drill bit, drill a 3/8 inch hole where the pilot hole is.
Yes, you are supposed to drill a hole in your brand new bucket.
Step 11: Insert second compression fitting into the bucket
Screw the male-threaded nut of the other compression fitting into the bucket.
Step 12: Make the seal water tight with the hot glue gun
Just like you did with the lid, seal this dude in nice and tight with the glue.
Step 13: If needed, tighten the refrigerator coil
If your coil is currently too big to fit snugly in whatever bucket you are using, you want to close down the coils first. Use something cylindrical to help you reshape it, like this coffee can we grabbed from the kitchen. Anything with a cylindrical shape will do the trick. Work fairly gently so you don’t ding up your tubing, pressing down on the coil rings to collapse the system to fit.
Anything cylindrical will work.
Step 14: Attach the coil to the bucket…
Check out the rest of this project on DIY Ready. Full instructions here!
Want more backwoods projects and tips? Check out these redneck-approved posts!
Fish Like A Redneck | 26 Secret Fishing Tips
Camp Like A Redneck | 14 Unique Camping Tips
10 Smart Ideas My Redneck Neighbor Taught Me
5 More Smart Tips From My Redneck Neighbor
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