flake stand
The water-filled box that cools a still's copper worm.
Also called worm box, flakestand.
Updated September 21, 2026
flake stand pronunciation
/FLAYK stand/
Meaning
In mountain moonshine talk, the flake stand is the wooden box or barrel packed with cool creek water. The coiled copper worm sits in that water so alcohol vapor turns back into liquid and drips out the money piece. If the law busted a still, the flake stand got smashed right along with the boiler.
How folks use it
- “Keep that creek water running through the flake stand or she'll blow hot.”
- “They hauled off the worm and left the flake stand busted in the hollow.”
Origin and etymology
Old distilling jargon from Scots and British English (flake-stand / worm box), carried into Appalachian and Blue Ridge moonshine work. Ferrum College's Blue Ridge moonshine exhibit and mountain still markers still define it as the condenser cooling tub, not a snack stand.
Frequently asked questions
Is a flake stand an ice cream stand?
No. In this redneck mountain sense it is part of a whiskey still, the cold-water box around the worm.