Tabletop Distillation Kit (2 quart)

Product SKU EQU022

If you have visited our farm before then you probably saw this still in action. Even when we run our 77-gallon commercial still this 2 quart tabletop still is just as popular. Read more about it and it'll be easy to understand why.

The number one reason for its popularity is that it's made entirely glass. Not only does that make it incredibly easy to clean it means that the entire distillation process occurs right before your eyes. Kids and adults alike are simply enthralled by seeing it in action. We've had dinner guests while the still the was running and found that men and women alike are very interested in watching how it works.

It has a very compact footprint. Another reason for the high demand for these items is how little space it takes up. You can make essential oil and floral water using about one square foot of space.

It's easy to assemble and operate. This still is nearly a 'set it and forget it' distillery. The receiver has an ingenious design that extracts a large portion of the hydrosol automatically.

It's also very efficient. The kit comes complete with a readily-available, easy to replace electric burner. It uses very little electricity and water. Read my tip below to save even more water.

This kit is great for home gardeners, hobbyists and teachers as well as massage therapists, aromatherapists and homeopaths.

The diagram to the right shows the distillation process. The lower chamber is filled partway with water and placed on the electric burner which is set to 'high'. The plant material is inserted into the top chamber, called the retort, and placed on top of the lower chamber. The stillhead, condenser and receiver are then attached.

Steam created by the boiling water rises up through the lower chamber heating and saturating the plant material. When heated the plant material releases its essential oil and is carried up and over through the stillhead.

Then the steam enters the condenser which is particularly ingenious. It consists of a tube inside a tube; the inner tube allows the steam and liquid pass and the outer tube creates a pocket for cooling water two tubes that cooling water travels essentially creating a 'jacket' of cooling water and the steam forms droplets. Those droplets run down into the receiver and the liquid naturally separates into essential oil on the top and hydrosol on the bottom.

In addition to essential oils you also get floral water (hydrosol). Hydrosol is created during the distillation process. Hydrosols share many of the same properties as essential oil but they are water-based. A big benefit of hydrosols is that they tend not stain fabrics such as linens and pillowcases like oils can.

Tip: Save water by recirculating. The small hose that brings cool water in is typically fed by a tap. And typically the hose that expels the warmed water is allowed to drain into a garden (or worse) down the drain.

We suggest using a bucket and a very small pond pump. I'm sure you can get both for under $15. I recommend not getting the smallest pump you can find, but close to it. Fill the bucket with cool water, probably from your hose. Remember, this water never touches the distillates so contamination is not a concern here. Place one end of a hose on the pump and the other end onto the lower bib on the condenser. Place the other hose on the upper bib on the condenser and let the other end dangle in the bucket.

Completely assemble the still and turn the pump on. The glass jacket around condenser will fill with water and circulate it back into the bucket. During the distillation check the temperature of the upper portion of the condenser. If it gets really warm to the touch then you'll want to cool down the water in the bucket. You could simply add ice but I think even this is a waste. I use 'blue ice' or a similar product. This works just fine.

I'd love to hear some comments or questions so please feel free to post here.

If you are regularly distilling more than a 5 pounds of material you may want to consider the larger still. At 5 quarts the larger still is more than double the size and only $125 more. If you're unsure which size to get just call us and we'll help you pick a size.