Vevor 4L Water Distiller Machine

[Angelicalist]

I Recently Purchased One of these, and as I Write this I am doing the First Run to Clean it Out, just with Regular Water, it's just Distilling Water Right now, but I Thought I would Write about this for anyone who is Interested, as I have not Noticed anyone else Posting about these Machines. The Advertisement for the Machine says that it makes Alcohol and Hydrosols also, so it is a Water Distiller Machine, but it is Advertised as Functionable for those Things as well.

What I am going to be doing with it is 2 Things Basically:

1. I am going to Make Hydrosols and Essential Oils by Steeping Plants in Water and Running the Machine.

2. I am going to make Ethanol by making a Distillers Yeast Sugar Mash, and then I am going to be Making what I guess could be Called Tinctures by doing the same Process as with Water, but Steeping the Plants in Ethanol instead.

But here are the Basics of the Machine. The One I have is in Celsius, and it goes to 108 Degrees Celsius Max, and goes as Low as 30 Degrees Celsius, and I can Change the Temperature to Anything in between those. It says it makes 1 Liter Per Hour, and so Far it seems to be Working, it is going Pretty Quickly, it took about 30 Minutes to Heat up and for the First Drops of Water to Start coming out. It has a Timer on it so You can set it to Turn Off after an Hour or 4 Hours or whatever, I have it set to 3 Hrs and 30 Minutes.

It has a Safety Measure where it Turns Off if it hits like 239 Degrees Fahrenheit or whatever that is in Celsius.

When I make a Sugar Mash I will Post about it in the Sugar Mash Section, then I will Post about the Results of the Distillation here. Everything should be Simple and go Well, I am just Basically Posting this Thread to make Everyone aware that these Machines Exist, because I am not sure how many People are aware that this is a Thing yet.

[SW_Shiner]

Any pictures of the still? It sounds like its a generic copy of an Air Still. There are many many threads here about them and how they run.

[howie]

they have been around for years and are a cheaper version of the original airstill.
the temp control is useless in distilling alcohol, as you will find out, you have no control over the boiling point of liquids.
however you can control the power level.
it looks like you can split the power from the condenser lid, applying full power separately to the lid.
then use a power controller on the base to control output.
however, it will be a challenge to produce clean ethanol from this machine (same as original airstill)
it is basically a miniature pot still with no reflux ability.
read up on the basic Airstill threads for help on running it.

[Angelicalist]

Any pictures of the still? It sounds like its a generic copy of an Air Still. There are many many threads here about them and how they run.

they have been around for years and are a cheaper version of the original airstill.
the temp control is useless in distilling alcohol, as you will find out, you have no control over the boiling point of liquids.
however you can control the power level.
it looks like you can split the power from the condenser lid, applying full power separately to the lid.
then use a power controller on the base to control output.
however, it will be a challenge to produce clean ethanol from this machine (same as original airstill)
it is basically a miniature pot still with no reflux ability.
read up on the basic Airstill threads for help on running it.

You’re saying that the Temperature that is Displayed will not always Actually be the Temperature. Sure, but I still should be able to Create some pretty Pure Ethanol. I’m not Selling Moonshine, so that’s Fine. It will Work out alright.

I figured that when it said it Shuts off if it gets too Hot.

And it should be Fine for Hydrosols, which is the Main Purpose here.

[Yummyrum]

Yes it’s just the Airstill that has been around for around two decades .
No you won’t be able to produce pretty clean Ethanol .
It is a Pot still . The first time yiu run it , the distillate will be rarher stinky and taste like crap with an average ABV of around 25- 30%
You will have to rerun it many times before it gets to anything considered drinkable .

If you want clean alcohol for making tinctures , you really need a reflux still .

But yes it should be OK fir hydrosol . Just be careful that no leafy matter can bubble up and get stuck in the condenser tube and block it .

[NZChris]

You should easily get 80% with three stripping runs to 40%, then a spirit run. If off flavors are not important in your tinctures you are good to go.

[Angelicalist]

Yes it’s just the Airstill that has been around for around two decades .
No you won’t be able to produce pretty clean Ethanol .
It is a Pot still . The first time yiu run it , the distillate will be rarher stinky and taste like crap with an average ABV of around 25- 30%
You will have to rerun it many times before it gets to anything considered drinkable .

If you want clean alcohol for making tinctures , you really need a reflux still .

But yes it should be OK fir hydrosol . Just be careful that no leafy matter can bubble up and get stuck in the condenser tube and block it .

I’ll be Starting with Distiller’s Yeast, so what I’m going to Start with will already be near 20%, so I should be able to get it Higher than 25% Pretty Easily.

And Noted, I’ll Keep the Water Levels under 1 Gallon for Hydrosols, so it shouldn’t be a big Problem keeping the Plant Material out. And I’ll be putting Everything Through a Coffee Grinder, so it won’t be like Big chunks of Plant Material.

You should easily get 80% with three stripping runs to 40%, then a spirit run. If off flavors are not important in your tinctures you are good to go.

I’m making Sprays and Perfumes/Colognes, so Flavor isn’t Really an Issue.

[Copperhead road]

Where does this “Plant Material” come from?
I am not familiar with Air stills in the slightest.

[SW_Shiner]

Where does this “Plant Material” come from?
I am not familiar with Air stills in the slightest.

Its a small air cooled pot still. They came out a number of years ago as a bench top still. Usually around 700w of power available. There are many threads here on running and modifying them.

[Saltbush Bill]

I’m making Sprays and Perfumes/Colognes, so Flavor isn’t Really an Issue.

Will it matter if the smell of the heads or tails carry over to your products, you might not want perfume that has a delicate hint of wet dog or nail polish remover in it.
Id also caution against making super high abv washes.
The cleanest neutral wash you will find around here is this one.
viewtopic.php?t=70585
You also need to read up on and learn about cuts and stripping runs if you want to get anywhere near a clean product using that still.

[Yummyrum]

I think you need to do it your way and then you’ll be scratching your head wondering what that residual stench is in the perfume . In fact I bet you will sniff what comes off the still after distilling your Distillers yeast fermentation and be thinking WTF is that horrid smell ? Like Salty said it will be absolutely loaded with chemical smells of fingernail polish and damp dog and carpet .

Yes , loading 20% wash in your still will produce a bit higher ABV but it won’t be like buying a bottle of 40% Vodka . That stuff is distilled to 95% to remove all the nasty stinky stuff then watered back down to 40% to sell .

Distillers yeast is a a yeast developed by the Ethanol fuel companies to maximise fuel production .It is sold by Home brew shops but is not used by anyone that wants quality Alcohol .

When yeasts are forced to ferment in high sugar concentrations , they make a lot of Ethanol , but the yeast are in stress and so they also produce excessive amounts of bad bad smells and flavours .

A simple Pot still is not able to remove these byproducts .

[PalCabral]

In fact I bet you will sniff what comes off the still after distilling your Distillers yeast fermentation and be thinking WTF is that horrid smell ? Like Salty said it will be absolutely loaded with chemical smells of fingernail polish and damp dog and carpet .

Distillers yeast is a a yeast developed by the Ethanol fuel companies to maximise fuel production .It is sold by Home brew shops but is not used by anyone that wants quality Alcohol .

I am a bit confused as to the term Distiller's yeast here, Yummy. Am I correct to assume you are interpreting it as Turbo yeast?

Why I am asking is that to me Distiller's yeasts are not synonym with the Turbo shite. They are commercial yeasts that are designed to work most efficiently in certain conditions, with certain types of sugars, temperature ranges, PH, esterification, etc. Not all Distiller's yeasts are designed just to handle high gravity and high alcohol levels.

[Yummyrum]

Yes you are right to query it . I went along with the OPs name for it but yes , I was talking about Turbo . Theres not much else that will do 20% . However Still Spirits do make a Vodka yeast in their Distiller yeast range which they claim goes to 18% .

Regardless , it is ridiculously high and even commercial distillers keep fermentation AVBs no higher that 10% to minimise “off” byproducts .

Of cause , the Home brew shop will also sell you carbon filtering equipment to try and reduce the stench . …… or you can just make a 10% clean wash in the first place .

[Angelicalist]

I am a bit confused as to the term Distiller's yeast here, Yummy. Am I correct to assume you are interpreting it as Turbo yeast?

Why I am asking is that to me Distiller's yeasts are not synonym with the Turbo shite. They are commercial yeasts that are designed to work most efficiently in certain conditions, with certain types of sugars, temperature ranges, PH, esterification, etc. Not all Distiller's yeasts are designed just to handle high gravity and high alcohol levels.

They call it like "DADY" Yeast.

In fact I bet you will sniff what comes off the still after distilling your Distillers yeast fermentation and be thinking WTF is that horrid smell ? Like Salty said it will be absolutely loaded with chemical smells of fingernail polish and damp dog and carpet .

Distillers yeast is a a yeast developed by the Ethanol fuel companies to maximise fuel production .It is sold by Home brew shops but is not used by anyone that wants quality Alcohol .

Yes you are right to query it . I went along with the OPs name for it but yes , I was talking about Turbo . Theres not much else that will do 20% . However Still Spirits do make a Vodka yeast in their Distiller yeast range which they claim goes to 18% .

Regardless , it is ridiculously high and even commercial distillers keep fermentation AVBs no higher that 10% to minimise “off” byproducts .

Of cause , the Home brew shop will also sell you carbon filtering equipment to try and reduce the stench . …… or you can just make a 10% clean wash in the first place .

I am Already using Carbon Filter Packets, and I just Ordered a whole Sheet of Carbon Filter that I can Cut out and put in the Head Thing, like the Part where the Liquid comes out.

Plus, I can Cut out a Carbon Filter Sheet and Pour it Through. So I will see what Happens.

[Steve Broady]

Your use of seemingly random capitalization is… odd, to say the least. I’m not aware of any commonly available web browser or text input system which does that by default. Is it something which you choose to do on purpose?

That aside, I have a question for you. What is your goal? Are you trying to make the best quality product possible? Seeing what can be done with the still you have? Hoping to learn through trial and error? Or just having some fun regardless of the outcome? I ask because knowing your goal will help us assist you in getting there. Remember that, while this is likely all new and exciting to you, you’re not breaking any new ground here and plenty of folks on the forum have experience with everything you are doing and can give you advice on what works and what doesn’t.

[Angelicalist]

Where does this “Plant Material” come from?
I am not familiar with Air stills in the slightest.

The Plant Material comes from all over the Place, the Imphepho I Ordered came from South Africa. But it’s all Basically just Herbs that I am Grinding in a Coffee Grinder is what it is.

Your use of seemingly random capitalization is… odd, to say the least. I’m not aware of any commonly available web browser or text input system which does that by default. Is it something which you choose to do on purpose?

That aside, I have a question for you. What is your goal? Are you trying to make the best quality product possible? Seeing what can be done with the still you have? Hoping to learn through trial and error? Or just having some fun regardless of the outcome? I ask because knowing your goal will help us assist you in getting there. Remember that, while this is likely all new and exciting to you, you’re not breaking any new ground here and plenty of folks on the forum have experience with everything you are doing and can give you advice on what works and what doesn’t.

So, I just Write and Type like this, I’m not sure Why, I just Started doing it like 4 or 5 Years Ago and now it’s just like how I Write now.

And First, I just Wanted to make Hydrosols. Then with Distillation the Goal as far as Why I chose this still is to have something that kind of doesn’t cause Problems where I’m Living, and I don’t Really have a way to use a Heat Source, I can’t just set up a Still on my Stovetop where I am. Then also I just want to Learn and sure, have some Fun, but I also want to have some Good Hydrosols to use it kind of Ritualistic Sprays/Perfumes, Soap, Candles, Solid Perfume, etc. and it’s from Rare Plants, I can’t just Buy these Really.

[Steve Broady]

My reason for asking about your goals is to help us better understand what you want and guild you in the right direction.

If quality is important to you, then I would suggest that you might want to take much of the advice given here regarding flavor and drinkability, even if you never intend to drink it. After all, taste is largely smell, so making a spirit that smells good is largely the same as making one that tastes good.

There is nothing inherently bad about your air still, but it is not really the right tool for the job you’re trying to do. It will take some reading and research on your part to build an understanding of why that’s the case and how best to work within your limitations. Several people can (and have) offer excellent advice, but in the end it falls on you to seek the knowledge you will need to grasp the reasons behind the advice and thus make the best of it.

[Angelicalist]

My reason for asking about your goals is to help us better understand what you want and guild you in the right direction.

If quality is important to you, then I would suggest that you might want to take much of the advice given here regarding flavor and drinkability, even if you never intend to drink it. After all, taste is largely smell, so making a spirit that smells good is largely the same as making one that tastes good.

There is nothing inherently bad about your air still, but it is not really the right tool for the job you’re trying to do. It will take some reading and research on your part to build an understanding of why that’s the case and how best to work within your limitations. Several people can (and have) offer excellent advice, but in the end it falls on you to seek the knowledge you will need to grasp the reasons behind the advice and thus make the best of it.

I’m Using Carbon Filters and Everything, I Read the Advice. And I understand there are Byproducts, which is Why People Talk about People going Blind from Drinking Moonshine, I get it. But we’ll see how well it Works. I’m thinking the Best way to Deal with the Overheating, would be to Run the Machine for Only Short Periods of Time when making Ethanol.

And I can also do like a Reverse Distillation, I don’t know the Word for it, but I could put any Dirty Ethanol back in the Still and set it to a Lower Temp and Distill off Undesirable Molecules. I was already Thinking about doing this for some Essential Oils, because some have Very High Boiling Point, so I would just make an Ethanol Extraction or Water Extraction, Filter out all the Solids, I can Use a Carbon Filter, the Distill off the Water or Alcohol. And the Essential Oils with High Boiling Points should be Left Sitting in the Pot. The Word might be “Fractional Distillation”, that kind of has a Different Definition though, but this might fall under it.

I should be able to do that same Thing to remove any Substances with Lower Boiling Points than Ethanol.

So I’ll just see what Happens and see what I need to do about it as it Happens.

[TDick]

I Recently Purchased One of these,

Everything should be Simple and go Well, I am just Basically Posting this Thread to make Everyone aware that these Machines Exist, because I am not sure how many People are aware that this is a Thing yet.

Well, hell, I'll jump in here.
I may be the only person that downsized FROM a copper pot with thumper & worm TO a "Water Distiller", same as yours

Vevor water.jpg

Keep in mind, ours are 750 Watts compared to an Air Still that has 320 Watt heating.

Like yours, mine has temperature control BUT
a. like a microwave, 70% doesn't mean 70% power, it means 100% power, off then on 70 percent of the time. A subtle but important difference.
b. like a temperature gauge on a pot still (that's actually what it is), it really doesn't mean shit.
Except that, unlike off/on button Air Stills, you can regulate it somewhat.

I did my sac - sacrificial - run using a sugar/cereal mash. I didn't let it adequately clear and filled it ALMOST to the fill line.
Two NOOB mistakes regardless of what kind of still you are running.
She puked like a freshman in college.

I have since added a power controller - less than $20 and a VERY simple work around. Just an extra power cord.
Doing a stripping run, just like a copper pot on gas, I run it wide open until I collect 100 ml fores/heads.
Then dial it back to a steady drops or small stream.

When I first ordered mine, I looked around and there are other forums - frankly, more welcoming to small Air Stills than here.
A lot of Air Stills, a few Vevors, a lot of information, lots of questions, and a lot of "advice".
But it seems like most of those people are like you, just starting out, completely new to distilling. (Been there!)
And it seems they are the darlings of Homebrew $tores all over the world.
TurboYeast, TurboCLEAR, Turbo Distilling Conditioners, Carbon packets...
Everyone seems to be running Birdwatchers (no thank you) then buying additives to make it taste LIKE rum, bourbon, gin or scotch????

What you will find HERE is a lot of VERY good advice on making liquor if that's what you want to do.
And they're glad to help those willing to put in the work. Also quick to point out mistakes or at least voice a "difference of opinion".
(I'm old and have thick skin)
Under those terms, WELCOME and I'll be happy to help you out.

You haven't yet said what your favorite spirits are. My Early On advice
Look through basic Tried & True sugar wash recipes like Shady's and Teddy's FFV.
And look at Rums. I haven't gotten there yet but on my list:
viewtopic.php?f=101&t=70778

Even if it's not a sugar wash, read through mash prep and the distillation process just to learn.
Years ago I saw Jimbo's Wheated Bourbon. I started reading and it made sense as in, "yeah, I get it. I can do THAT."
Then read through the entire thread at least a couple of times, paying attention to problems people have and asked yourself,
"How would that apply to this still?"

One other thing. It's a one gallon still. When you make up your wash make up at least 4 gallons or 18 liters.
That makes enough for 4-5 stripping runs - DON'T OVERFILL!!!! Then you can do your spirit run.
And while your wash is fermenting - read READ READ!!!!

[Angelicalist]

I Recently Purchased One of these,

Everything should be Simple and go Well, I am just Basically Posting this Thread to make Everyone aware that these Machines Exist, because I am not sure how many People are aware that this is a Thing yet.

Well, hell, I'll jump in here.
I may be the only person that downsized FROM a copper pot with thumper & worm TO a "Water Distiller", same as yours
Vevor water.jpg

Keep in mind, ours are 750 Watts compared to an Air Still that has 320 Watt heating.

Like yours, mine has temperature control BUT
a. like a microwave, 70% doesn't mean 70% power, it means 100% power, off then on 70 percent of the time. A subtle but important difference.
b. like a temperature gauge on a pot still (that's actually what it is), it really doesn't mean shit.
Except that, unlike off/on button Air Stills, you can regulate it somewhat.

I did my sac - sacrificial - run using a sugar/cereal mash. I didn't let it adequately clear and filled it ALMOST to the fill line.
Two NOOB mistakes regardless of what kind of still you are running.
She puked like a freshman in college.

I have since added a power controller - less than $20 and a VERY simple work around. Just an extra power cord.
Doing a stripping run, just like a copper pot on gas, I run it wide open until I collect 100 ml fores/heads.
Then dial it back to a steady drops or small stream.

When I first ordered mine, I looked around and there are other forums - frankly, more welcoming to small Air Stills than here.
A lot of Air Stills, a few Vevors, a lot of information, lots of questions, and a lot of "advice".
But it seems like most of those people are like you, just starting out, completely new to distilling. (Been there!)
And it seems they are the darlings of Homebrew $tores all over the world.
TurboYeast, TurboCLEAR, Turbo Distilling Conditioners, Carbon packets...
Everyone seems to be running Birdwatchers (no thank you) then buying additives to make it taste LIKE rum, bourbon, gin or scotch????

What you will find HERE is a lot of VERY good advice on making liquor if that's what you want to do.
And they're glad to help those willing to put in the work. Also quick to point out mistakes or at least voice a "difference of opinion".
(I'm old and have thick skin)
Under those terms, WELCOME and I'll be happy to help you out.

You haven't yet said what your favorite spirits are. My Early On advice
Look through basic Tried & True sugar wash recipes like Shady's and Teddy's FFV.
And look at Rums. I haven't gotten there yet but on my list:
viewtopic.php?f=101&t=70778

Even if it's not a sugar wash, read through mash prep and the distillation process just to learn.
Years ago I saw Jimbo's Wheated Bourbon. I started reading and it made sense as in, "yeah, I get it. I can do THAT."
Then read through the entire thread at least a couple of times, paying attention to problems people have and asked yourself,
"How would that apply to this still?"

One other thing. It's a one gallon still. When you make up your wash make up at least 4 gallons or 18 liters.
That makes enough for 4-5 stripping runs - DON'T OVERFILL!!!! Then you can do your spirit run.
And while your wash is fermenting - read READ READ!!!!

Mine is the same One as in the Picture, so Yeah, we Probably have the Exact same One. But You said Yours has like a % Power. On mine all I have Noticed is a Degrees Celsius and a Timer, maybe I haven’t messed around with it enough yet to Notice. And Yeah, I thought the Temperature wasn’t going to be Completely Accurate when I Read that it Turns off if it Overheats.

I’ll look into a Power Controller, I’m not sure what that is, but it seems Self-Explanatory. I’ll look it up when I get Off Work.

So I’m Guessing when You say You Collect 100ml Fores/Heads, You are saying You Run it and Throw away the First 100ml that comes Out. I’m also not sure what Stripping or a Spirit Run are yet, but I’ll Read Up on it. It seems like You are saying to Basically Run it 4 Times, then Rerun it with a Little under a Gallon in it Collected from all 4 Runs, with the Final Run being a Distillation again of Everything that was already Distilled. I can do that. Right now I Only have a 1 Gallon Carboy though, so I’ll be Starting with Smaller amounts. And I won’t fill it up to the Fill Line, Thanks for the Tip.

I’ll Read Through some Threads about Washes and Things too.

I don’t Drink a lot, but the Past like 8 Years when I’ve Drank Liquor, I’ve gotten Tito’s most of the Time. And I know they are Distilling like 8x or something on Their’s so it’s a Better Quality, so I get the idea of Multiple Distillation Runs from that Perspective. But also I like the Concept behind Bitters, I don’t have a Favorite and I haven’t Tried many. I have a Couple Recipes though, there are these Concepts Called “Oilahuasca” and “Space Paste” that I’ve been looking into.

Any Other Advice would be Appreciated, Thanks for Posting in the Thread.

[NZChris]

For any sized pot still, a fermenter of at least three times the volume is needed unless you are happy to spend weeks making your products.

[TDick]

For any sized pot still, a fermenter of at least three times the volume is needed unless you are happy to spend weeks making your products.

Chris, I finally had that Doh! slap yourself moment!
Right now I'm comparing the usual 3 Stripping Runs: 1 Spirit Run to doing =/- 5 gallon fermentations with 1.5 Distillation.
I mean it's a 19 Liter batches compared to running 20 Gallons for my pot still! Easy Easy!

Mine is the same One as in the Picture, so Yeah, we Probably have the Exact same One.

But You said Yours has like a % Power. On mine all I have Noticed is a Degrees Celsius and a Timer, maybe I haven’t messed around with it enough yet to Notice.

Any Other Advice would be Appreciated, Thanks for Posting in the Thread.

What I meant was in order to reduce the temperature, the unit does not reduce the power to the heating elements to a percentage of that 750 Watts.
Instead, it cuts it off to zero - I guess - and then crank it back up to that 750. In other words power to the element is all or nothing.
This helps:

power control.jpg

Power cord to the heating element goes to the box, an additional cord powers the cooling fan running continuously at full power.
As I said, at first run full power until the foreshots have run, then reduce power by percentages until the steady stream becomes a trickle.
Practice Practice Practice.

Heres a video of a legal rum distiller and how she uses the same equipment you and I have.
I think she explains it better that I can:

[PalCabral]

The Airstill and the Vevor copy are practical tools for botanical runs and test runs where a small volume of product is all you need. I use a small Portuguese Alamabique, Natalia, that hold 6L for these purposes and that works just fine too.

But as Chris is on to, the small volume will soon wear you down if you want to scale up the production. Mind you, that can be said about any size still you buy. Buy a 25L rig and chances are you will want a 50L boiler 6-12 months later.

[NZChris]

The Airstill and the Vevor copy are practical tools for botanical runs and test runs where a small volume of product is all you need. I use a small Portuguese Alamabique, Natalia, that hold 6L for these purposes and that works just fine too.

But as Chris is on to, the small volume will soon wear you down if you want to scale up the production. Mind you, that can be said about any size still you buy. Buy a 25L rig and chances are you will want a 50L boiler 6-12 months later.

Adding a preheater is a much more efficient way to speed up production. I reckon I could cobble together a preheater for my Air Still with pots from charity shops and some copper tubing. I might already have most of what I would need in the shed. Maybe a project for if I’m particularly bored?

[PalCabral]

Is lag time for heating really an issue in a 4L Air Still?

[Yummyrum]

Angelicalist .
I’ve been searching around for this diagram for you . Took me a while to find it . It shows a process that may help you achieve better results .

IMG_2939.jpeg

From this place …… and others

https://bryggforum.nu/download/public/A ... f%20SS.pdf

[Angelicalist]

For any sized pot still, a fermenter of at least three times the volume is needed unless you are happy to spend weeks making your products.

Chris, I finally had that Doh! slap yourself moment!
Right now I'm comparing the usual 3 Stripping Runs: 1 Spirit Run to doing =/- 5 gallon fermentations with 1.5 Distillation.
I mean it's a 19 Liter batches compared to running 20 Gallons for my pot still! Easy Easy!

Mine is the same One as in the Picture, so Yeah, we Probably have the Exact same One.

But You said Yours has like a % Power. On mine all I have Noticed is a Degrees Celsius and a Timer, maybe I haven’t messed around with it enough yet to Notice.

Any Other Advice would be Appreciated, Thanks for Posting in the Thread.

What I meant was in order to reduce the temperature, the unit does not reduce the power to the heating elements to a percentage of that 750 Watts.
Instead, it cuts it off to zero - I guess - and then crank it back up to that 750. In other words power to the element is all or nothing.
This helps:
power control.jpg
Power cord to the heating element goes to the box, an additional cord powers the cooling fan running continuously at full power.
As I said, at first run full power until the foreshots have run, then reduce power by percentages until the steady stream becomes a trickle.
Practice Practice Practice.

Heres a video of a legal rum distiller and how she uses the same equipment you and I have.
I think she explains it better that I can:

Ok, that makes sense. I am looking into a Power Controller, I think I found one, called an "Electronic Voltage Regulator" on Temu.

And Thanks for the Video, this is all Helping a lot.

The Airstill and the Vevor copy are practical tools for botanical runs and test runs where a small volume of product is all you need. I use a small Portuguese Alamabique, Natalia, that hold 6L for these purposes and that works just fine too.

But as Chris is on to, the small volume will soon wear you down if you want to scale up the production. Mind you, that can be said about any size still you buy. Buy a 25L rig and chances are you will want a 50L boiler 6-12 months later.

Ok, Thanks, Yeah, I don't need a Whole lot Right Now. I am just Making Candles and Soap and a few 5ml Spray Bottles of Perfume/Cologne, and a few 30ml Spray Bottles of like White Sage Spray for Now.

The Airstill and the Vevor copy are practical tools for botanical runs and test runs where a small volume of product is all you need. I use a small Portuguese Alamabique, Natalia, that hold 6L for these purposes and that works just fine too.

But as Chris is on to, the small volume will soon wear you down if you want to scale up the production. Mind you, that can be said about any size still you buy. Buy a 25L rig and chances are you will want a 50L boiler 6-12 months later.

Adding a preheater is a much more efficient way to speed up production. I reckon I could cobble together a preheater for my Air Still with pots from charity shops and some copper tubing. I might already have most of what I would need in the shed. Maybe a project for if I’m particularly bored?

I'm not sure what a Preheater is, I'll have to look into that.

Is lag time for heating really an issue in a 4L Air Still?

I don't think so, it Only took 30 Minutes to get going.

Angelicalist .
I’ve been searching around for this diagram for you . Took me a while to find it . It shows a process that may help you achieve better results .

IMG_2939.jpeg

From this place …… and others

https://bryggforum.nu/download/public/A ... f%20SS.pdf

Ok, that looks like what I was kind of Picturing that I would have to do, Thanks for the Diagram. I will Probably be Starting with Smaller amounts than Pictured in the Diagram since I Only have the 1 Gallon Carboy for now, but I'll Scale up a Little bit Eventually.

[Stump Lake]

Hey Angle.. I just wanted to say I'm using one of those Vevor 4L AirStill with a power controller. I love it. It's good for, what it's good for.

What I'm using it for is making Gin and Absinthe. I make my base in a 15.5 gal keg still. I use the AirStill for my final botanical addition.

[Angelicalist]

Hey Angle.. I just wanted to say I'm using one of those Vevor 4L AirStill with a power controller. I love it. It's good for, what it's good for.

What I'm using it for is making Gin and Absinthe. I make my base in a 15.5 gal keg still. I use the AirStill for my final botanical addition.

It Sounds like it Works Good for Botanicals, You’re like the 3rd Person now to say it Works for Herbal Extractions, so I’m Thinking it’s going to be Perfect for what I’m doing.

Thanks for Posting about what You’re using it for.