The more I read on here the more I’m unsure in what I should purchase. I thought about getting an electric countertop still but at .4 liters an hour, I felt that was to slow.
I know the stainless in the whiskey still is going to transfer the heat better, but is there any reason as to why I should not use the still? Any other pros?
Then there’s the short path distillation set. Honestly this one scares me and I’m not sure as to why maybe the newness factor to me. I won’t have a panda or a roto vap until after I start producing. Since there’s more I can do with this set, this is what really interests me cause now I can do more than just Feco. Pros and cons to this?
A short path would probably work fine but its not really what its for, a liebig condenser is what your looking for if you want to use glass. If your doing small scale stuff and can afford it a glassware solution (heating mantle, rbf, liebig condenser) would do the job well and you can do much more stuff with it. But if you need to distill significant volumes of alcohol, a still or even better a rotovap is the best tool for the job. If you can modify that still to work with a vacuum pump you will distill much more then .4 liters an hour.
There are pros and cons to most devices not actually meant for the task at hand.
Neither of the options you’ve listed are actually purpose built for ethanol recovery…
Glass is a wonderful teacher, it’s also fragile and expensive.
You could absolutely use an (un)modified SPD, but the volumetrics for ethanol recovery and cannabinoid distillation are so different that you will almost certainly end up with a still that is either too small for your ethanol needs or (and) too large for your cannabinoid distillation needs once you get there.
Which one?
If the heating element is in direct contact with product in the still you’re looking at, can you tell me how that might go badly with 190 proof ethanol in the boiler?
I can see your point. A heating element directly in contact with 190 proof or more will likely cause an explosion. I’m definitely looking to do it safely. I’m looking at external heating sources. The vevor 3-5 gallon is what I was looking at. https://a.co/d/iHrEtPL
I was thinking more in lines of it ruining the feco before.
The thumper is probably irrelevant for solvent recovery…but would allow you to make your own solvent.
I have found copper to be too reactive for recovering solvent off cannabinoids, and that vevor is using it in a couple of places. I would avoid using it long term.
Yes, it also gives you the ability to burn your product. A baine marie obviates that risk
Direct heating generally wont go bang till the heating element is uncovered and reaches the auto-ignition temp of ethanol (350C or so), but that can happen quickly, and if there is still ethanol below the element when it happens, yes, it will make fire.
That vevor does not have a heat source, and could easily be run in a large pot of water rather than on a heat source.
I’m not sure what your budget is for this… but for reals this kind of equipment is going on auction basically every month. These units are going for less than $1000 more often than not.
So you could - watch for one. And win it. 0.4L per hour at my house would be amazing… which I what I think you are trying to do, but I might have missed that you are trying to do commercial production.
I haven’t had good success with the Vevor (some things by they are great…this was too many leaks…)
But you’ll be able to do way more with a still - especially if you want FECO and are not looking to distill the cannabinoids. @cyclopath is seriously right though - if you go for SPD to do both, it will probably be oversized for what you are trying to do for cannabinoids later.
With a still you can use it to… make your own ferments and booze. If you wanted. Which can be a real joy (if you like that kind of thing and live on a farm with extra bits).
The one I used to have (I don’t have any fruit trees just now…) I used to ferment apples, pears, and peaches. Darn that was good for cooking all kinds of stuff.
And @cyclopath really is right - the vevor you heat with the stove. My southern friends have still they heat with WOOD. You could heat this fucker in a temperature controlled water bath, if you wanted. But again, I had a lot of leaks with it, which I didn’t like.
There’s other stills from places like Brewhaus (made in Texas) and if you still want to go with a Vevor - there are models that don’t have the copper pieces, where everything is food grade stainless, and not that much more expensive either. Check them out at Home Depot.
I’m just looking to do it as close to right as possible without having to buy something that I should’ve bought first later. Like if the still isn’t good long term, I’d prefer to get something else. I’m not opposed to either option. I’d even buy the electric still if what you’re saying is accurate. Here’s the Electric still that does the .4 liters an hour.
I’m starting for home use but have an opportunity for commercial if it goes well.
I don’t think that still will do the job. That condenser is small, at the bare minimum you’ll be getting drunk off EtOH vapors flying all over the place (I’ve experienced that, it’s not recommended)
There are many different ways to skin that cat but before anyone gives you any kind of definitive advice they would have to know how big a batch you are trying to go with? How often are you planning on doing so? What budget do you have to go with? Once you give these answers there will be other questions that will narrow down your options.
Honestly, this is just to get my feet wet and to start doing it. Everything will be lower budgeted right now to show working concept and figure out what I want to do from there.
Probably 1-3 gallons is what I’ll start with. Since this is to get my feet wet, I still don’t have an inkling how long this will take start to finish for me so the frequency is dependent on that. Probably $300 for this part I feel is decent?
Well… $300 is very much a significant limiting factor. Something like this might be an option for you-
VEVOR Alcohol Still, 3 Gallon, Stainless Steel Alcohol Distiller with Copper Tube & Build-in Thermometer & Water Pump & Twin Bubble Airlock and Carboy Bung (Pack of 2) Amazon.com
Me personally I would not put it on “direct” heat source. I would get a pot that’s much bigger than that and put some water in it then put your distillation apparatus inside of the [hot] water (keep in mind as your apparatus evaporates away the alcohol it will tend to float in the water and thus keeping weights on top maybe a smart thing to do).
By the way… If you are considering using this-
VEVOR 1.1Gal Water Distiller, 0.3Gal/H, Distilled Water Maker Machine 750W 0-99H Timing Set Temp Display, 304 Stainless Steel Countertop Distiller Plastic Carafe Cleaning Powder 3 Carbon Packs, White Amazon.com
My experience with it is that sooner or later when you’re not sitting there staring at it it will start decarbing inside and you will end up with a big nasty foamy mess.
Rso/alcohol extract has alot of compounds that really aren’t suitable for consumption. In fact the majority of consumers prefer not to use rap/feco/alcohol due to the increase in gastro issues that result from consumption. The healthiest way to consume is distillate, even with a full profile. Either or the safest and most effective way is by using a short path and making distillate. It is generally flavorless, more potent, has more concentrated minors, and is completely bioavailable. It should be criminal to sell feco/rso that is black tar that hasn’t been further processed and refine to a edible product free from contaminants. The only people telling you this is okay are lazy ducks who don’t know jack shit about this industry and consumers. Lazy people will always skip steps and lie to customers about the product. Distillate is the safest way to consume, and it is very potent, and more effective for pain and relaxation than any feco/rso. Raw feco and eao also causes stomach problems to consumers and it should be avoided. There’s no such thing as “full profile feco/rso” in the argument that it is a full profile available. The concept these pushers don’t want consumers to know is that unprocessed Rso/feco is simply just garbage made by people who don’t care about the consumer and refuse to take the time and filter the product and distill it. The full profile comment just me as they refused to take the extra steps to make it properly. It’s a coin they stand on thinking it makes them more smug and valuable, but it actually makes them less valuable of a extractor and purposefully seller or lazy products. Feco/rso has more non edible non consumable products in it than you think. That’s why it makes the majority of people sick. It also has a very weak therapeutic effect when it comes to actually working for the human body. Whereas distillates are so incredibly bio active that you get your money’s worth with every dose you take. Unlike unfiltered extracts that aren’t as good or therapeutic.
There are all kinds of weird things people sell. Distillate is odorless and flavorless generally. When added to foods or for consumption it has no flavor and the food tastes as it should. Not like rotten weed leaves baked out on a oven of some lazy person making food with who knows what starting product. If you are buying distillate that tastes like ass you should stop buying it instead of adding things to the mix further.
I will agree that distillate does not taste as bad as RSO. But it is definitely not flavorless and you can absolutely tell when it’s been added to a product if there are no bitter-blockers added
No that’s not true. You may be referring to poorly made stuff or the foot smelling distillate that comes off sloppy wipers.
Thca does not have a odor. When you decarb it, you are only losing carbon dioxide I believe. This compound present or lost on the molecular cannabinoids group has no odor.
The odors or flavors you may be referring to are from leftover mixed fractions. If you can distill to a very high potency, the remainder compounds that may smell are no longer present. If you wipe the product under vacuum often you get a runny, gel like smelly product due to mixed fractions being taken.
Also in a cookie or a brownie or whatever based on concentrations present they are usually well below 1/4 of a gram as a 250mg dose isn’t being sold regularly. Made at home yes up to 500mg per edible content. You cannot smell or taste that low of a concentration.
I think you’ve encountered some filthy distillate, my greatest sorrows I have for you. I think you should try again with some other distillate. Myself and many others don’t taste anything of distillate in edibles.
I think what you are referring to is the powdered sugar substitute that are not sweet. Some companies spray and mix distillate into these powders becusee it can be dosed on powder form, making baking measurements easier on a home scale when they are doing small batches. I have seen and heard many people do this because some other chef showed them how to and that’s how they know to take say 100 grams of distillate and put it in one to four powder concentration and every lb of brownies takes a half of a cup scoop. It’s a old method used when people would powderize distillate. Now lab techs generally just melt it down into the butter. Butter blockers are probably used with bad distillate made from bad systems that just produce bad distillate.