I've been using a Vevor water distiller for quite some time and am very satisfied with the results, which come at a fraction of the cost of an Air Still. My unit features an on/off switch and temperature adjustment buttons but lacks a timer. I've not experienced any power on/offs it seems to maintain a consistent temperature. It's important to note that the displayed temperature is measured in the pot, not at the point of no return. Typically, I start at 86°C, wait for the first drops, then adjust the temperature up as needed to keep the flow rate steady. Here in England, it's completely legal to distill at home for personal use, so I can openly share that I've had many successful distillations of Rum, Whisky, Gin, White Dog, White Rum, some truly excellent Ouzo, and in a moment of madness Limoncello. I suppose you can also use it to distill water but I've got a RO filter for that!
That's great to hear! I wish mine didn't cycle on and off, but it gets the job done. Do you find it easy to take distillation cuts? I didn't realize that home distilling was legal in England. That's awesome!
@@RobynSmithPhD Home distillation is absolutely not freely legal, and matey boy up there could get in serious trouble. However, you can rectify spirit as long as you have a licence from HMRC. Edit; according to the government website, you now no longer need to hold a rectifier’s licence. However, home distillers would very unlikely be granted a licence.
If it has temperature adjustment buttons, then it DOES cycle on and off. It works the same as a house water heater. When it gets to the set temp, it turns the heater off. When the temp drops around 2 degrees below set temp, the heater kicks in until it reaches the set temp again. It keeps happening just like The Dave Clark Five said........"Over & Over Again". Another example is a hot water urn. Works exactly the same as a temp controlled water distiller. It is not an ideal way to distill spirits. You need to have the water constantly simmering.....NOT on/off/on/off/on/off. At 86°C you're starting a 'stripping run'. Bring it up to 100°C and suck out all the alcohol. Then do a spirit run at 78-80°C. Flavouring the stripping run spirit with Still Spirits or other brand flavours is not a real rum or whiskey or anything else. All you're getting is flavoured 'Hooch'. I recently read that it IS NOT LEGAL to distill alcohol at home in the UK unless you have the required licence/s and/or permission from HMRC. You failed to disclose whether or not you have those requirements.
One of the best uses of these Vevor units is making flavored 'water'. Starting with some very clean 'water' you can add flavorings into the tank and into the little filter holder thingie. Popular recipes include Apple Pie, London Dry, and a Greek style infusion of star anise.
Nice to see a review of one of the cheaper options versus the one that costs about 6x as much that you see everywhere. Love the size and convenience but the capacity seems to be the biggest downside of an air still - I noticed there was one brand that has a 900W 6L for sale on amazon that just has the on/off but no reviews on how it works with distilling "water." Seems like every little bit of capacity would help when trying to do cuts.
The small capacity is definitely a downside (but simultaneously an upside for test batches)... I think even a 6L still would have the same downsides and making clear cuts would be difficult. So I'm not sure how much of a difference the extra 2 L capacity would make. Even my 2.5 gal still seems to be too small for clear cuts. I prefer making cuts on my 5 gal still, but that obviously requires a lot bigger fermentation batches. Would this be your first still or do you have other stills you use? If you give the 6L still a go, let me know how you like it!
New water distiller here😂. Anyways, recently picked this thing up with the temperature control. Seems to be working great for a newbie like me. You will need to boost the temperature every few minutes while doing cuts. You can kind of hear when it goes off. You will also not have to run it as hot when making cuts. So you only need to bump it 1 degree every 3 minutes or so. Starting at say 190 with running low wines.
@RobynSmithPhD not much. A lot of my ferments have been taking a lot of time. It's been very cool in my house. So far, an Apple Brandy. Also, a few sugar washes with the plans of trying to turn that into gin. I am also really excited, though, for a pumpkin rum that is just about done fermenting. Every single day I check it just to see if it's completely done bubbling out. And it just seems to have a little more. Smells and tastes pretty good, though. I'm also sure, though, as time goes on. I'll probably want to upgrade to a t500 or something. But for now, I'm happy I got my little air still.
@@ericfrate2124 Ooh pumpkin rum sounds amazing! I'd love to try that! And I'd like to get a t500 as well... they seem so easy to use. I have a 5 gal copper alembic and set-up is a bit of a pain. Don't get me wrong, I love it, but I wish it had a built-in heating element to make it just a little easier to set-up and use.
Oh interesting! I don't feel the need to do that because it gets to temp relatively quickly! I wonder if it takes longer with the still spirits air still because it runs at a lower power.
I have the base model and yes cuts are in the 2-10ml quantity sometimes. Having ran several batches through it they are usually quick dirty cuts but you do get a feel for it.
Great video, Robyn! I do not have an air still and think that they only have two benefit: ease of use and price . The problems are poor condenser efficiency and lack of a way to measure vapor temperature. You covered the problems with surging due to the heating control. Most electronic heat controllers use PID controls which turn the element on and off at full power using a software algorithm which can, if properly calibrated, avoid temperature swings around the temperature set point. The algorithm will switch off power for several seconds sometimes which will slow down or stop the condensate volume. The best method to get steady distillate output is to vary the pulse width of the AC voltage going to the heating element. A household example is the old fashioned wall mounted dimmer control for incandescent lights. You can buy a pulse width modulator circuit board for higher power applications for under $50 and wire it up. But you still need a way to measure the temperature at the top of the still and you cannot connect a device like this to your water distiller. All that said, a small Alembic pot still on a gas burner is probably the best solution for small test batches. They come in all sizes. You have one that you have used for making whiskey, right? Cheers!
You're right, the ease of use and price are the pros of this air still! I do have two copper alembics that I use, but they take a lot longer to set up and clean up. And they take up a good portion of my small kitchen. So I got the air still for doing quick and small test batches.
I have one of these and have been playing with it for just about a year now. Great for small batch testing for flavoring. I forget hour long it takes but you can set it at 85ish and it will start to produce, have to bump it up in small increments throughout out during the run. The thing is damn near scorch proof. Fruits, candy bars, popcorn hasn't mattered so far. To me it's not worth running but have never regretted the purchase myself. Great video
Also something that I haven't tried with an air still, but the physics behind the principle saved some pizza and bread I was making a couple of times. I use a Dutch oven or a granite plate when baking because they hold on to that temperature. So, what if you use some ceramic balls or smooth stone in your wash when distilling in the air still? That would mean that if the power cuts off, the liquid inside is still touching hot stones and it will continue to evaporate. It's basically a buffer, just like in baking. Theoretically it should work, but practically it has to be tested to see if it doesn't throw the thermostat off so it keeps the power off for longer. Worth a try though. It keeps the whole easy to setup goal you have in mind.
I think that's a great idea! I wonder if it would throw off the thermostat. There's only one way to find out. I'll order some and give it a try next time I use the airstill!
I use my air still to run collected tails from previous runs. One I have enough tails I run. I take the collection and add it to the tails container. Once I have a high proof collected i either make flavored alcohol or add it to a wash a few days before i run the wash in a stripping run,
I've used temp probes in the vapor path and although the heat might cycle about 30 sec on 3 minutes off (IIRC I didn't write it down :( ) the vapor path probe shows nearly constant temp. I do cuts but setting the temp level to 175 or so, wait till output stops, up the temp a few degrees, taste and repeat. Works very well for my purpose but admittedly I use it mostly for gin, ouzo and absinthe (second distillations by nature)
I've only had a puke once i was trying to distill on grain and had it full. Cleaned it out and dropped total fluid to 2L not the 4L fill line and it worked just fine
Thank you very much for this honest review and additional ideas for the single power options... I was frustrated with other reviews saying you must get the over priced air still.. this is why blablabla.. looking back they probably bias to the much more expensive option.. and I never thought of cutting cord and run fan separately from heating element.. I will definitely give this a closer look now.. thank you
I haven't used the Still Spirits air still for comparison (if someone wants to get me one, I'll certainly do that comparison), but this seems to be a great option! You definitely want to make sure that the fan is at full power... that should be really easy with the right power cord! If you do this, let me know how it turns out!
The dedicated spirit air stills run with about half the power of a water still. But it is very easy to reduce the power of the thing by half for only a few pennies. You can put a diode in series with the heating element to cut out one half of the wave. You can also put a switch in order to bridge the diode if you need the full power. Of course you will have to unscrew the thing and lose warranty and it could be dangerous if you don't know what you're doing. You will need a diode that can withstand the mains voltage + 20% in reverse direction and pay attention to the forward current. The fan still runs at full speed after the modification so there is no problem with cooling. I run such a water still to experiment with small batches of gin. With this modification there is no scorching of the botanicals and it runs very well. I think there is no difference to the dedicated air still after the modification.
Thanks for sharing your experience with it! I don't feel confident enough in my electrical skills to make those modifications, but I'm happy to hear you made it work!
Can't a normal voltage regulator with a potentiometer do the trick? No unscrewing of the device needed. You just get an empty set of male and female outlets and some cable and you just make a separate unit like an extension cord (but with a dial in the middle). Also no soldering needed as they will all be screw in. As for this particular unit having temp control vs a simple on/off I don't think that's an issue and you need to bypass it, because the simplest bypass is having the still's controls set at max temp, then dialing what you want your drips to look like from the potentiometer, therefore it never reaches that temp and stays always on (but at 40-50% power or whatever you give it. Basically half voltage)
Yes, running without a power controller can overwhelm the seal on the lid on some Vevors. Vapor leaking from any alcohol still is a huge fire hazard, especially in an enclosed space like a kitchen. Good seals and ventilation is a must.
Mine didn't have any issues with leaking, but as @Miata822 said, it probably would have benefitted from running at lower power. The water distillers are set to run at 750 W versus the Still Spirits air still at around 300-350 W.
Great minds Robyn 😀😀 .. I bought a temp controlled air still last week funnily and did a test run with some feints... the distillate coming out was really hot to the point of steaming...I asked the vendor why, he said because of the outside air temp..it wasn't that warm but wasn't cool either ... was the air condition on when you were running your air still and did you come up with a similar situation ....?
What temp were you running the pot at? The distillate was room temp for me... I think that's because I was running the still low and slow. I don't think it was your outside air temp, but rather the temp of the pot.
Interesting question: Isn't the on/off feature kind of a reflux feature? Surely some vapor falls back down if it's not coming through at the dripping end.
Are you referring to the power cycling? I'm not sure that I would consider it a reflux feature per say, but you're right that when the power cycles off, the vapors that are condensing are falling back into the pot rather than making it through the condenser. Increased reflux is usually beneficial to the final distillate as it helps with more clearly defined cuts. But the power cycling seems like it almost has the opposite effect and blurs the cut points. This is also a tiny still, so it's pretty hard to find clear cut points in the first place.
@@RobynSmithPhD the element is on/off but the unit has temp controls. I've put a layer of marbles on the bottom to act as a heat sink and prevents scorching.
Is your vapor tube actually sealed to the lid? Meaning the little 10mm or so condenser tube. Mine is just poked through a hole in the lid, it's tight, but obviously not vapor tight. Doesn't seem to actually leak much, but it looks like a pretty bad design flaw to me when the factor robot could've welded that connection in 2 seconds. FWIW I have the non temp controlled one.
Good question! I just checked and it looks like mine has a gasket there. I'll have to remove the baffle to get a closer look. So does that gasket prevent any vapors from escaping? I'm not totally sure, but it didn't smell like there were any vapors leaking.
For ideas for your new vevor water still you might check out Jessie's channel over on Stillit. He has put some crazy things in his and has never had an issue with scorching. His Meme spirits and gin test episodes use an air still he has also played with the air still pro if you are interested on some good usage info.
Havent watched the vid yet but can say 100% that buying a water purifier and a potentiometer was dramatically cheaper than any of the options available. These are inherently small batch and i dont care what a sloppy led says. I have a dial which is perfectly repeatable for repeated small runs.
It certainly is cheaper! And, without having used the Still Spirits air still for comparison, it seems like it's a great option! I'm happy to hear you've had great success with yours! What are you primarily running on your still?
@@RobynSmithPhD Ive allegedly ran many things. I started with garbage wine (and got a decanter). Im certainly not a master but it seems that in batches this small (you just did the math) a position and method may justify the price. You are correct that the power controlls the coolant fan too but it also is an exponential slope. I put mine in the basement to approximate alleged ethynol vapor.
It doesnt run through 200 gals of water and if you care about the energy bill, then insulate it.There is a crude temp control built in, its an evaporative boiler. You, in my estimation, are over-thinking it because atmospheres seperate volume.
On a dbl distill I reached something uncomfortable to be consumed but when mixed with water in a graduated tube was called "smooth" and triple distilled became identical, (but a decent bit better) than what we called "white lightening" when I grew up reading tolkien. "low and slow" gandalf said.
temperature control needs to turn off and off thats what thermostats do ....if you want to do a stripping run just turn the temperature up it wont cycle them and function the same as the non temperature controlled unit....running a variac will be a pita as it will also slow the fan down ..ask me how I know???
Yeah, I agree that plugging the whole system into a variac will slow down the fan as well. That's why I mentioned in my video that you want to make sure to run a power cord from the fan directly to the wall so it can run at full power. That way it's just the pot that's power is being adjusted.
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I've been using a Vevor water distiller for quite some time and am very satisfied with the results, which come at a fraction of the cost of an Air Still. My unit features an on/off switch and temperature adjustment buttons but lacks a timer. I've not experienced any power on/offs it seems to maintain a consistent temperature. It's important to note that the displayed temperature is measured in the pot, not at the point of no return. Typically, I start at 86°C, wait for the first drops, then adjust the temperature up as needed to keep the flow rate steady. Here in England, it's completely legal to distill at home for personal use, so I can openly share that I've had many successful distillations of Rum, Whisky, Gin, White Dog, White Rum, some truly excellent Ouzo, and in a moment of madness Limoncello. I suppose you can also use it to distill water but I've got a RO filter for that!
That's great to hear! I wish mine didn't cycle on and off, but it gets the job done. Do you find it easy to take distillation cuts? I didn't realize that home distilling was legal in England. That's awesome!
@@RobynSmithPhD
Home distillation is absolutely not freely legal, and matey boy up there could get in serious trouble.
However, you can rectify spirit as long as you have a licence from HMRC.
Edit; according to the government website, you now no longer need to hold a rectifier’s licence. However, home distillers would very unlikely be granted a licence.
If it has temperature adjustment buttons, then it DOES cycle on and off.
It works the same as a house water heater.
When it gets to the set temp, it turns the heater off.
When the temp drops around 2 degrees below set temp, the heater kicks in until it reaches the set temp again.
It keeps happening just like The Dave Clark Five said........"Over & Over Again".
Another example is a hot water urn.
Works exactly the same as a temp controlled water distiller.
It is not an ideal way to distill spirits.
You need to have the water constantly simmering.....NOT on/off/on/off/on/off.
At 86°C you're starting a 'stripping run'.
Bring it up to 100°C and suck out all the alcohol.
Then do a spirit run at 78-80°C.
Flavouring the stripping run spirit with Still Spirits or other brand flavours is not a real rum or whiskey or anything else.
All you're getting is flavoured 'Hooch'.
I recently read that it IS NOT LEGAL to distill alcohol at home in the UK unless you have the required licence/s and/or permission from HMRC.
You failed to disclose whether or not you have those requirements.
One of the best uses of these Vevor units is making flavored 'water'.
Starting with some very clean 'water' you can add flavorings into the tank and into the little filter holder thingie. Popular recipes include Apple Pie, London Dry, and a Greek style infusion of star anise.
That's a great tip! Thanks for sharing!
Very beautiful moonshiner😘
Nice to see a review of one of the cheaper options versus the one that costs about 6x as much that you see everywhere. Love the size and convenience but the capacity seems to be the biggest downside of an air still - I noticed there was one brand that has a 900W 6L for sale on amazon that just has the on/off but no reviews on how it works with distilling "water." Seems like every little bit of capacity would help when trying to do cuts.
The small capacity is definitely a downside (but simultaneously an upside for test batches)... I think even a 6L still would have the same downsides and making clear cuts would be difficult. So I'm not sure how much of a difference the extra 2 L capacity would make. Even my 2.5 gal still seems to be too small for clear cuts. I prefer making cuts on my 5 gal still, but that obviously requires a lot bigger fermentation batches. Would this be your first still or do you have other stills you use? If you give the 6L still a go, let me know how you like it!
New water distiller here😂. Anyways, recently picked this thing up with the temperature control. Seems to be working great for a newbie like me. You will need to boost the temperature every few minutes while doing cuts. You can kind of hear when it goes off. You will also not have to run it as hot when making cuts. So you only need to bump it 1 degree every 3 minutes or so. Starting at say 190 with running low wines.
Amazing! I'm so glad to hear it's working well for you! What have you made using it so far?
@RobynSmithPhD not much. A lot of my ferments have been taking a lot of time. It's been very cool in my house. So far, an Apple Brandy. Also, a few sugar washes with the plans of trying to turn that into gin. I am also really excited, though, for a pumpkin rum that is just about done fermenting. Every single day I check it just to see if it's completely done bubbling out. And it just seems to have a little more. Smells and tastes pretty good, though.
I'm also sure, though, as time goes on. I'll probably want to upgrade to a t500 or something. But for now, I'm happy I got my little air still.
@@ericfrate2124 Ooh pumpkin rum sounds amazing! I'd love to try that! And I'd like to get a t500 as well... they seem so easy to use. I have a 5 gal copper alembic and set-up is a bit of a pain. Don't get me wrong, I love it, but I wish it had a built-in heating element to make it just a little easier to set-up and use.
I have an air still. Great for making gin for small home batches.
great for making anything in small batches
I know some people online recommend microwaving your wash to warm it up before loading it into an air still to quickly get it up to temp
Oh interesting! I don't feel the need to do that because it gets to temp relatively quickly! I wonder if it takes longer with the still spirits air still because it runs at a lower power.
Mine goes from power on to first drips in about 15 minutes. I don't feel like that would be at all necessary.
I have the base model and yes cuts are in the 2-10ml quantity sometimes. Having ran several batches through it they are usually quick dirty cuts but you do get a feel for it.
Great video, Robyn! I do not have an air still and think that they only have two benefit: ease of use and price . The problems are poor condenser efficiency and lack of a way to measure vapor temperature. You covered the problems with surging due to the heating control. Most electronic heat controllers use PID controls which turn the element on and off at full power using a software algorithm which can, if properly calibrated, avoid temperature swings around the temperature set point. The algorithm will switch off power for several seconds sometimes which will slow down or stop the condensate volume. The best method to get steady distillate output is to vary the pulse width of the AC voltage going to the heating element. A household example is the old fashioned wall mounted dimmer control for incandescent lights. You can buy a pulse width modulator circuit board for higher power applications for under $50 and wire it up. But you still need a way to measure the temperature at the top of the still and you cannot connect a device like this to your water distiller. All that said, a small Alembic pot still on a gas burner is probably the best solution for small test batches. They come in all sizes. You have one that you have used for making whiskey, right? Cheers!
You're right, the ease of use and price are the pros of this air still! I do have two copper alembics that I use, but they take a lot longer to set up and clean up. And they take up a good portion of my small kitchen. So I got the air still for doing quick and small test batches.
I have one of these and have been playing with it for just about a year now. Great for small batch testing for flavoring. I forget hour long it takes but you can set it at 85ish and it will start to produce, have to bump it up in small increments throughout out during the run. The thing is damn near scorch proof. Fruits, candy bars, popcorn hasn't mattered so far. To me it's not worth running but have never regretted the purchase myself. Great video
Also something that I haven't tried with an air still, but the physics behind the principle saved some pizza and bread I was making a couple of times. I use a Dutch oven or a granite plate when baking because they hold on to that temperature. So, what if you use some ceramic balls or smooth stone in your wash when distilling in the air still? That would mean that if the power cuts off, the liquid inside is still touching hot stones and it will continue to evaporate. It's basically a buffer, just like in baking. Theoretically it should work, but practically it has to be tested to see if it doesn't throw the thermostat off so it keeps the power off for longer. Worth a try though. It keeps the whole easy to setup goal you have in mind.
I think that's a great idea! I wonder if it would throw off the thermostat. There's only one way to find out. I'll order some and give it a try next time I use the airstill!
I use my air still to run collected tails from previous runs. One I have enough tails I run. I take the collection and add it to the tails container. Once I have a high proof collected i either make flavored alcohol or add it to a wash a few days before i run the wash in a stripping run,
Addendum: I run my air still at 195 F for 4 hours. I take what i have and discard the remainder.
Using the air still to do a tails run is a great idea! How much distillate do you end up collecting after 4 hours?
"I'm going to try not to spend too much time on these" please do! I would watch a video of a full breakdown
Amazing! I'll keep that in mind for next time!
I've used temp probes in the vapor path and although the heat might cycle about 30 sec on 3 minutes off (IIRC I didn't write it down :( ) the vapor path probe shows nearly constant temp. I do cuts but setting the temp level to 175 or so, wait till output stops, up the temp a few degrees, taste and repeat. Works very well for my purpose but admittedly I use it mostly for gin, ouzo and absinthe (second distillations by nature)
That's good to hear that it works well for your spirits! It seems like the air still is a great still for botanical spirits.
I've had mine for 2 year. Never had anything scorch even with solids in the wash.
That's great!
I've only had a puke once i was trying to distill on grain and had it full. Cleaned it out and dropped total fluid to 2L not the 4L fill line and it worked just fine
That's good to know! Thanks for sharing your experience with your air still!
Thank you very much for this honest review and additional ideas for the single power options... I was frustrated with other reviews saying you must get the over priced air still.. this is why blablabla.. looking back they probably bias to the much more expensive option.. and I never thought of cutting cord and run fan separately from heating element.. I will definitely give this a closer look now.. thank you
I haven't used the Still Spirits air still for comparison (if someone wants to get me one, I'll certainly do that comparison), but this seems to be a great option! You definitely want to make sure that the fan is at full power... that should be really easy with the right power cord! If you do this, let me know how it turns out!
The dedicated spirit air stills run with about half the power of a water still. But it is very easy to reduce the power of the thing by half for only a few pennies.
You can put a diode in series with the heating element to cut out one half of the wave. You can also put a switch in order to bridge the diode if you need the full power. Of course you will have to unscrew the thing and lose warranty and it could be dangerous if you don't know what you're doing. You will need a diode that can withstand the mains voltage + 20% in reverse direction and pay attention to the forward current. The fan still runs at full speed after the modification so there is no problem with cooling.
I run such a water still to experiment with small batches of gin. With this modification there is no scorching of the botanicals and it runs very well. I think there is no difference to the dedicated air still after the modification.
Thanks for sharing your experience with it! I don't feel confident enough in my electrical skills to make those modifications, but I'm happy to hear you made it work!
Can't a normal voltage regulator with a potentiometer do the trick? No unscrewing of the device needed. You just get an empty set of male and female outlets and some cable and you just make a separate unit like an extension cord (but with a dial in the middle). Also no soldering needed as they will all be screw in. As for this particular unit having temp control vs a simple on/off I don't think that's an issue and you need to bypass it, because the simplest bypass is having the still's controls set at max temp, then dialing what you want your drips to look like from the potentiometer, therefore it never reaches that temp and stays always on (but at 40-50% power or whatever you give it. Basically half voltage)
I tried one. Sent it back due to a leak at the lid. My wife was not happy about the smell of the rum wash distillate vapor in the kitchen.
Yes, running without a power controller can overwhelm the seal on the lid on some Vevors. Vapor leaking from any alcohol still is a huge fire hazard, especially in an enclosed space like a kitchen. Good seals and ventilation is a must.
Mine didn't have any issues with leaking, but as @Miata822 said, it probably would have benefitted from running at lower power. The water distillers are set to run at 750 W versus the Still Spirits air still at around 300-350 W.
Great minds Robyn 😀😀 .. I bought a temp controlled air still last week funnily and did a test run with some feints... the distillate coming out was really hot to the point of steaming...I asked the vendor why, he said because of the outside air temp..it wasn't that warm but wasn't cool either ... was the air condition on when you were running your air still and did you come up with a similar situation ....?
What temp were you running the pot at? The distillate was room temp for me... I think that's because I was running the still low and slow. I don't think it was your outside air temp, but rather the temp of the pot.
I run my air still pro in 37çelsius high humidity and distillate is drinkable temp coming off still
Where did you get that adorable mic?
I got it from Mardi Gras during the Tucks parade! It was the most useful throw I got during MG!
Interesting question: Isn't the on/off feature kind of a reflux feature? Surely some vapor falls back down if it's not coming through at the dripping end.
Are you referring to the power cycling? I'm not sure that I would consider it a reflux feature per say, but you're right that when the power cycles off, the vapors that are condensing are falling back into the pot rather than making it through the condenser. Increased reflux is usually beneficial to the final distillate as it helps with more clearly defined cuts. But the power cycling seems like it almost has the opposite effect and blurs the cut points. This is also a tiny still, so it's pretty hard to find clear cut points in the first place.
Nice Video
Thanks!
Ive been running two for a while. There are better stills but not by much and honestly id prefer 4 of these than one "proper stll"
That's great to hear! Do yours also have the temp controls? Or are they the on/off version?
@@RobynSmithPhD the element is on/off but the unit has temp controls. I've put a layer of marbles on the bottom to act as a heat sink and prevents scorching.
Is your vapor tube actually sealed to the lid? Meaning the little 10mm or so condenser tube. Mine is just poked through a hole in the lid, it's tight, but obviously not vapor tight. Doesn't seem to actually leak much, but it looks like a pretty bad design flaw to me when the factor robot could've welded that connection in 2 seconds. FWIW I have the non temp controlled one.
Good question! I just checked and it looks like mine has a gasket there. I'll have to remove the baffle to get a closer look. So does that gasket prevent any vapors from escaping? I'm not totally sure, but it didn't smell like there were any vapors leaking.
For ideas for your new vevor water still you might check out Jessie's channel over on Stillit. He has put some crazy things in his and has never had an issue with scorching. His Meme spirits and gin test episodes use an air still he has also played with the air still pro if you are interested on some good usage info.
Yeah, I follow his channel and all the meme spirits he makes are very amusing!
That’s the one I have!
It's pretty great!
Havent watched the vid yet but can say 100% that buying a water purifier and a potentiometer was dramatically cheaper than any of the options available. These are inherently small batch and i dont care what a sloppy led says. I have a dial which is perfectly repeatable for repeated small runs.
It certainly is cheaper! And, without having used the Still Spirits air still for comparison, it seems like it's a great option! I'm happy to hear you've had great success with yours! What are you primarily running on your still?
@@RobynSmithPhD Ive allegedly ran many things. I started with garbage wine (and got a decanter). Im certainly not a master but it seems that in batches this small (you just did the math) a position and method may justify the price. You are correct that the power controlls the coolant fan too but it also is an exponential slope. I put mine in the basement to approximate alleged ethynol vapor.
It doesnt run through 200 gals of water and if you care about the energy bill, then insulate it.There is a crude temp control built in, its an evaporative boiler. You, in my estimation, are over-thinking it because atmospheres seperate volume.
If you are concerned about the runover-spillover of products, you obviously know the concept of low-wine. You can get as refined as you choose.
On a dbl distill I reached something uncomfortable to be consumed but when mixed with water in a graduated tube was called "smooth" and triple distilled became identical, (but a decent bit better) than what we called "white lightening" when I grew up reading tolkien. "low and slow" gandalf said.
It's no going to rival 12 year old Glenfiddich any time soon.
Haha probably not!
It's a water distiller, not even designed for spirits
Straight from Vevor's website: "Apart from distilling water, it can be used to make alcohol and essential oil as well."
temperature control needs to turn off and off thats what thermostats do ....if you want to do a stripping run just turn the temperature up it wont cycle them and function the same as the non temperature controlled unit....running a variac will be a pita as it will also slow the fan down ..ask me how I know???
Yeah, I agree that plugging the whole system into a variac will slow down the fan as well. That's why I mentioned in my video that you want to make sure to run a power cord from the fan directly to the wall so it can run at full power. That way it's just the pot that's power is being adjusted.