Where to find herbal distiller?

[Ann Mary]

I am trying to find plans to make a small herbal steam distiller but I am not having any luck. Any ideas where I can find some plans....or an inexpensive distiller to buy?? Thanks!

[ET1 SS]

herbal 'steam' still?

I have used a pressure cooker as a still before. But there was no steam. Why would you want steam?

[Shrek]

http://www.heartmagic.com/EssentialDistiller.html

[Ann Mary]

Originally Posted by ET1 SS

herbal 'steam' still?

I have used a pressure cooker as a still before. But there was no steam. Why would you want steam?

Well, I don't really know except that the pictures of the herbs being distilled to draw out the essential oils all had steam...and the little bottle on the side where the essential oil would collect.

[kentuckyhippie]

do a google search for "crockpot still"

[PlowGirl]

The operative word here is "reasonable" in price. There are all kinds of places on the internet to buy them, starting at about 600 for a teeny tiny one. Google "essential oil distillers" and you'll see what I mean. The one I'd like to have is $1200. I'll have to just hope I come across one in a junk shop and nobody knows what it is.

[comfortablynumb]

ebay.
they sell esential oil stills but they are kinda pricey.

[Simpler Times]

Basically you need a sealed heated pot with a tube running out that is cooled so that the oils will condense then drip into a collection container. People make them with crockpots or whatever. Here is one using a pressure cooker:

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-a-still/

Here is one on a bigger scale that is made for moonshine. The principles are the same though:

http://www.users.bigpond.net.au/rowe...ew%20still.htm

[baldylocks]

Not what I would call cheap, but it is available:

http://www.brushymountainbeefarm.com....asp?pcode=350


I like the company and get bee stuff from them all the time...

[ET1 SS]

Originally Posted by Ann Mary

Well, I don't really know except that the pictures of the herbs being distilled to draw out the essential oils all had steam...and the little bottle on the side where the essential oil would collect.

Okay, I would think that boiling your herb in water would perform the same way.

[beaglady]

Not inexpensive, but these sure are beautiful. www.copperstills.com

If you want to make hydrosols, not necessarily essential oils, you can rig up a 'still' using a stockpot, with the herbs in boiling water, a small bowl inside the pot, sitting on a brick, and a larger bowl of ice covering the pot. As the water boils, the herb infused steam hits the ice filled bowl, condenses and falls into the smaller bowl. This works fine if you want to make just a few cups of hydrosol for personal use, but would probably become annoying pretty quickly if you tried to make a large quantity.

[ET1 SS]

Originally Posted by beaglady

Not inexpensive, but these sure are beautiful. www.copperstills.com

If you want to make hydrosols, not necessarily essential oils, you can rig up a 'still' using a stockpot, with the herbs in boiling water, a small bowl inside the pot, sitting on a brick, and a larger bowl of ice covering the pot. As the water boils, the herb infused steam hits the ice filled bowl, condenses and falls into the smaller bowl. This works fine if you want to make just a few cups of hydrosol for personal use, but would probably become annoying pretty quickly if you tried to make a large quantity.

So would a still that only holds a quart.

[comfortablynumb]

distilling OILS is not like distilling booze or water.... you need a different set up and variable temp settngs depending on the oil you are cooking off.