How to make a steam distiller from a teapot and some plumbing parts

This doesn't work very well, feel free to try to improve or elaborate on the idea. I think I'm going to get started on a copper based model next weekend.

Why would you need a steam distiller?
-Steam distillation is the main method of separating essential or volatile oils from plant material, however commercial steam distillers cost around $400 and essential oils cost a lot too. With this Instructable you can start producing essential oils for less than $40.

Step 1 Introduction

Steam distillation is a process that uses steam to distill essential oils from plant material.
Basically steam goes through plant material, where it absorbs the essential oils, then is condensed and the oil is separated from the water.

Comments

[rjohannesburg]

This is to condense plant oils? I really want to try and make some aromatherapy lotion to help me sleep at night; I've heard lavender is supposed to be good for that, but you have to get the oil. How expensive was this to build? ( I am trying to figure out if it would just be better to buy some lotion pre-made instead of making my own.) Thanks for your help.

[fearofsquirrels]

It is, but I'm afraid that the actual project never really worked right. You can try to use this as it is, but I'd recommend some modifications to the design, or a different design entirely.

[ALogan97]

How quickly does this condense? I need something that can condense steam somewhat quickly (enough to fill a large thermos halfway to 3/4 of the way full within 5-20 minutes), but don't want to spend $800 on a condenser that would probably be too big to fit into my system anyway. And did you ever do that copper coil condenser?

[R.A.T.M]

try a colling ring or really thin copper piping raped around the in side of the thermos like bewtenn the 2 walls

[fearofsquirrels]

It doesn't condense very quickly at all and I'm afraid that it wouldn't be able to fulfill what you're trying to do. In fact, this whole Instructable's pretty flawed, I've been meaning to take it down for years but, like building the condenser, it's something that I've never actually gotten around too. Sorry about that.

[PKM]

It looks like you might have melt from the condenser ending up in your final product. The traditional Liebig condenser doesn't try to contain the "cold" (water), it pipes it off and recirculates it. I would suggest you extend the narrow condensate pipe further out of the end of the condenser, so you can be sure all that ends up in your collection vessel is condensate; add another vessel to catch the water that comes out of the condenser, and pipe additional cold water into the top. Ideally you want to pipe cold water into the bottom of the condenser and remove it from the top, but then you are getting into making serious glassware- this should be a decent compromise.

[DakotaWisdom]

The problem that I see is the design of the aq condensor , you need water to flow though the outer tube. The second is try using wo pieces of pipe for your steam area. using two pieces will allow for a screen to be put in that will put a clear passaqge to your material

[fearofsquirrels]

I think that I'm going to make a copper coil condenser (maybe next weekend) and then update this instructable with it

[lemonie]

What were you trying to extract that is supposed to be dark blue? Condensers a a bit of a pain, see mine?

L

[fearofsquirrels]

I'm trying to extract yarrow flowers, for mosquito repellent. I'm going to build a copper coil condenser when I get the $$$ (I'm broke for now). How were you able to bend the copper without it kinking? I heard you have to fill it with water and freeze it first.

[ironsmiter]

How to bend copper tubing depends mainly on the type of tubing you have. If it comes already coiled, it's soft drawn tubing, and if done slowly and carefully, you can just bend it by hand. Too sharp a bend and it will kink, but for a coil, you should be fine. They also make "bending springs". Literally, a coilspring that has an inside dia JUST larger than the outside dia of the pipe. Slip it on, and bend away. around $20 at most plumbing stores, but worth it for a kink free coil. The easiest method for bending HARD tubing(comes in straight pipes) is to fill the tubing with SAND, cap both ends, then bend it on a pipe bender. With hard tubing/pipe, you're still only gonna be able to get LARGE diameter bends. But just so you know, I've never been able to get a tighter bend than a two foot diameter, without kinking at least once.

[lemonie]

At the diameter I used (8mm) you can bend it so far without significant flattening, step 2 shows how I did it (roughly).
I wouldn't expect the Yarrow extract to be blue, but I think you may be able to extract with (cold) alcohol as an alternative.

L

[fearofsquirrels]

I'm pretty sure that the yarrow essential oil should be blue http://www.aromaweb.com/essentialoilspz/yarrow.asp.

And I want to get the essential oil, so I can't do a alcohol extraction (it would pull out other stuff and be hard to concentrate). And to do a solvent extraction for essential oils uses a lot of costly solvents and could leave impurities.

-mitch

[lemonie]

Hmm, it's a mixture - best wishes with the steam distillation. The only thing I've ever distilled that was coloured was diazomethane, so if I can find any Yarrow I might have a go. L

[fearofsquirrels]

Yarrow grows everywhere where I live (In Illinois, near Chicago) and It grows in a ton of other places, so does catnip which can also be distilled. Find a site that lists some wild plants in your area and go huntin, who knows what you'll find. However Yarrow looks a little like Hemlock (So I've been told) so make sure you find Yarrow. Yarrow or Catnip make excellent mosquito repellents, but Catnip attracts cats and smells kind of funky, so I use Yarrow. -mitch

[ironsmiter]

Side note, Don't use THIS setup for distilling your bug repellant. specifically since the catnip extract is probably destined for injestion(by cat or person, either way).

An unfortunate side effect of running STEAM(or very hot water) through galvanized pipe is that Zinc Carbonate ends up dissolved in the product. In old water pipes, it's not much of a problem specifically because it is so dilute... but you're distilling! It's not gonna kill you or anything, but might cause some irritant issues with your lungs/stomach/skin if any significant quantity is inhaled/ingested/applied.

[fearofsquirrels]

Thanks for the info, I guess I'll have to try an all copper setup, maybe use a glass jar for holding the material, attach it directly to the kettle and then hook it up to a copper coil condenser. Would there be any problems with the lid on the mason jar? (You're supposed to boil it so I don't think it would leach). I'll need to totally redo this instructable

[ironsmiter]

mason jar lids should be no problem. Any NEW lids are "plain steel". Antique lids MAY be zinc coated however. Don't need to redo the 'ible. It's pretty nice for what it is and what it does. What I would advise is, when you go to make your new setup, write another ible on it! or, if it seems too similar to lemonie's ible, just post it as a slideshow, and add a link to the slideshow as step 7.5 But that's just me.

[alex-sharetskiy]

(can't click on boxes inside boxes)

[fearofsquirrels]

? I don't think you're supposed to click them, just mouse-over them.

[alex-sharetskiy]

well, i can't do that either

[fearofsquirrels]

What boxes are you talking about? The ones in the image? Can you do it on other instructables? I'm not really sure what you're trying to do. -mitch

[alex-sharetskiy]

step 4 pic 2

[fearofsquirrels]

Oh, I'll fix that. Thanks, -mitch

[Tool Using Animal]

Now this is a freaking Hack! I Love it.