The pages that follow contain a step-by-step guide to building a relatively sophisticated distillation apparatus from commonly available materials, using simple tools, and at a cost of under $100 USD.
The information contained on this site is directed at anyone who may want to know more about the subject: students, hobbyists, tinkers, pure water enthusiasts, survivors, the curious, and perhaps even amateur wine and beer makers.
Designing and building this apparatus is the only subject of this manual. You will find that it confines itself solely to those areas. It does not enter into the domains of fermentation, recipes for making mash, beer, wine or any other spirits. These areas are covered in detail in other readily available books and numerous web sites.
The site contains two separate design plans for the stills. And while both can be used for a number of distillation tasks, it should be recognized that their designs have been optimized for the task of separating ethyl alcohol from a water-based mixture.
Having said that, remember that the real purpose of this site is to educate and inform those of you who are interested in this subject. It is not to be construed in any fashion as an encouragement to break the law.
If you believe the law is incorrect, please take the time to contact your representatives in government, cast your vote at the polls, write newsletters to the media, and in general, try to make the changes in a legal and democratic manner.
As a final word, if you decide to build a still like this, you will be on your own. It is distributed WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.