A home distilling kit bundles a still with the fermenter, yeast, carbon and measuring gear needed to run it from day one. Complete kits start at $769 for the air cooled Air Still and reach $1,799 for the T500 Pro copper system. Every kit here is in stock and ships Australia wide. Compare every option in our alcohol distiller kit guide, or use the short version below.
Three questions that decide the kit
Before you compare models, answer these in order. They narrow 57 kits to two or three.
Do you have a tap you can run for four hours? Air cooled stills need no plumbing. Water cooled stills need a running tap for the whole run, and a T500 draws roughly 200 litres per batch. If you are in an apartment, on tank water, or under restrictions, air cooled is the only workable answer.
How much space? The Air Still family has the footprint of a kettle and runs off a power point. The T500 stands about 133cm tall in reflux configuration, which rules out a bench with a cupboard above it.
How much per batch? An Air Still handles 4 litres of wash per run and yields about 2 litres at 40%. The 25 litre systems yield around 8 litres at 40% from one wash.
Reflux or pot still
Pick on what you want to drink, not on price. A reflux still passes vapour up a packed column where it condenses and re-evaporates repeatedly, stripping flavour out. The result is clean neutral spirit up to 93% ABV, which is the base for vodka, gin and every essence-flavoured spirit. A pot still takes a single pass and carries flavour through, which is what you want for whisky, rum and brandy where the character is the point.
Most people start with reflux because essences give the widest range of results quickly. The Air Still Pro does both modes at the press of a button. On the 25 litre systems you swap the condenser top instead, and plenty of distillers end up owning both.
The ranges
Air Still and Air Still Pro, from $579. Benchtop, air cooled, 4 litre capacity, no plumbing. The Air Still 4L is $579 on its own, or $769 to $899 as a complete kit. The Air Still Pro adds reflux mode for cleaner spirit at up to 90% ABV, an automatic foreshots vial and a botanical basket, from $1,099 alone or $1,539 to $1,669 as a kit. Under the 5 litre threshold, so no ATO permission is needed to own or use either.
T500 and T500 Pro, from $1,099. The 25 litre reflux standard. Water cooled, recovers about 95% of the alcohol in a wash at up to 93% purity. The stainless T500 runs $1,429 to $1,579 as a kit, the copper T500 Pro $1,649 to $1,799. Copper reacts with sulphur compounds during the run for a cleaner result. Add an Alembic dome later to convert the same boiler into a pot still.
Alembic pot stills, from $769. For flavour. The dome top and pot condenser fit the same Create+ 25L boiler as the T500, or come bundled as the Alchemist Series at $1,199. The Rum, Gin, Vodka and Whiskey Distillery Kits pair a still with the essence pack for that spirit, from $1,739.
Craft and Ultimate kits, from $2,299. Copper T500 Pro and Alembic dome on one boiler, so reflux and pot distilling from a single setup. The Ultimate kit adds a Grainfather G30 for all-grain washes at $4,499.
Grainfather all-in-one systems, from $1,089. Brew and distil from the same unit. The G30v3, G40 and G70v2 take a distilling lid and Alembic attachment, so one purchase covers beer, wash and spirit.
Stainless stills from $259. Budget 12 to 70 litre units for water, essential oils and spirit. Anything over 5 litres needs free ATO still permission before assembly.
What is in a complete kit
The still itself, a fermenter sized to the batch, distiller's yeast, carbon for filtering, a hydrometer for the wash and an alcometer for the spirit, plus cleaning and sanitising agents. Buying these separately afterwards costs more than the kit did. What is almost never included is the sugar for the wash and the flavouring essence, so budget for both.
Consumables after that run about $107 per 25 litre wash with a Classic 6 Batch Pack and our dextrose, roughly $9.30 per 700ml bottle of neutral spirit before any essence. Supermarket sugar brings that under $4. Our complete guide to home distilling covers the full process from wash to bottle.
The rules
Owning and using a still in Australia is legal. A still of 5 litres or less needs no permission at all, which covers the Air Still range. Above 5 litres you apply to the ATO for still permission, which is free. Distilling water, essential oils and botanical extracts needs no licence. Distilling spirit requires a free excise manufacturer licence from the ATO. Full detail is in our guide to the ATO rules for home distilling.
Quick answers
What is the best home distilling kit for a beginner?
The Air Still Pro for most people. Under the 5 litre threshold, no water connection, both reflux and pot modes, and a small enough batch that a mistake costs 4 litres of wash rather than 25. If you already know you want volume and have a spare tap, start on the T500 and skip the upgrade.
Do I need a water supply?
Not with an air cooled still. The Air Still and Air Still Pro use no water for cooling. The T500, Alembic and Grainfather systems are water cooled and need a running tap, using roughly 200 litres per reflux run.
How much spirit does one batch make?
An Air Still yields about 2 litres at 40% from an 8 litre wash over two runs. A 25 litre system yields around 8 litres at 40% in reflux configuration, less in pot configuration.
Can one still do both reflux and pot?
Yes. The Air Still Pro switches modes with a button. On the 25 litre systems the Create+ boiler accepts either a T500 reflux column or an Alembic dome, so one boiler does both jobs. The Craft kits include both tops.
Do I need ATO permission to buy a still?
Not for the Air Still range, which is under 5 litres. For 25 litre systems the boiler and condenser are sold separately and are not a still until joined, so no permission is needed to buy the parts. You apply for free still permission before assembling them.
Can I use the same still for essential oils?
Yes, and it needs no licence. An Alembic pot still on a 25 litre boiler suits oils best. Clean thoroughly between runs, because essential oil residue carries into the next batch. See essential oil distillation for purpose-built units.
