Step 2 - Distill

Step 2 - Distill 

Introduction

Distillation is a process of separating alcohol from water using heat as a catalyst. This was accomplished in the original RSO recipe by using a Crock Pot, Rice Cooker, or other electric cooking appliances. These devices are considered open boilers as they vent the evaporated solvent into open air. Larger extractions can use a small countertop Moonshine Still on a hotplate or a standalone water distiller with heating element and built-in condenser. 

WARNING: DO NOT DISTILL ANYWHERE NEAR OPEN FLAME. Always distill in well ventilated spaces using electric heat. The fumes from the solvent are very flammable.

A Simple Hack

This process uses Distilled Water to assist boiling out the alcohol. In the past, water in the wash has been avoided until the final purge. Its presence now plays a big role in cleaning and protecting the oil. Distilled Water provides two benefits. The ion-free water pulls water-soluble compounds out of the oil and provides heat protection through vaporization effectively holding down the temperature. This way, the oil isn't overheated during the bulk alcohol reduction. The end result are oils purged of most polar and semi-polar compounds leaving the oils in a purer state that is easier to winterize. 

Procedure

Basic concept - Pour the clean wash into a boiler, add some water, and boil away the alcohol. Once it reaches 93c/200f, turn off the heat, let it cool down. Add ice to the boiler to bring it down to 10c/50f. Use a fork to secure the floating oils to the boiler walls. Pour out the waste water while retaining sediments in the boiler. Dissolve the oils with Ethanol and you're ready for the next step.  That's the simple explanation. Here are the details for each type of distiller. 

Three different classes of devices are available for distilling down the oil.

1. The first is an open boiler run as a single pan or a double boiler setup. 

2. The second device is a moonshine still that is the only device properly engineered for alcohol recovery. 

3. The third device typically used is a consumer water distiller. Water distillers are popular for trying to recover alcohol, but are not setup correctly so up to 1/3 of the alcohol vapor will be lost into open air.  

The double boiler approach allows the distilling temperature to be maintained at a constant level. It's the added water that limits the heat.  The above images show the boiler setups that doesn’t recover the alcohol. If you have large batches or wish to recover the alcohol, then a small Moonshine Still is in order. Again, its all about controlling the temperature. Crock Pots, Rice Cookers and Water Distillers are harder to control the input heat; you get whatever the device is designed to deliver.  Here's a simple procedure -

• Fill the boiler with the wash

• Boil off 3/4ths of the alcohol then pour in the 125ml/Half cup of Distilled Water.

• Once the top boiler reaches 93c/200f, distilling is done, turn off the heat. 

continue to the Common Ending below..

Using a moonshine still is very straight forward. As shown above, the still has two hoses on the right for circulating water through the condenser, and a tube on the left for collecting the alcohol into a capture jar. Out of sight in the bucket is a little 3 watt aquarium pump that drives water into the condenser. Here's the procedure for using this setup - 

• Add 375ml/1.5 cups of distilled water to the boiler.

• Add the wash. 

• Set the lid and condenser in place and latch it down.

• Power up the water pump and turn the hotplate to full power.

• Watch the temperature gauge. Once it reaches 80c/178f, turn the power down to 1/4 to 1/3 power. The alcohol will start dripping into the collection jar. The output will range from slow dripping to a continuous stream depending on the amount of power. Proper power setting will be in the middle where the stream cycles between dripping and flowing.

• Once the temperature rises above 85c/185f, swap capture jars. 

• Turn off the power once the temperature reaches 93c/200f. Let it cool down for 10 minutes.

• If possible, set the boiler in a sink or bathtub with cold water.

Continue to the Common Ending below

The better water distillers have a temperature control panel on the front allowing you to set the ending temperature. Simple On/Off devices offer no ending temperature control, so these units may go dry by boiling off all the water before shutting down. This will cook the oils, not a good thing..

Best way to use a water distiller is to set the Stop Temperature to 85c/185f. Let it shut down. Wait 10 minutes,  then unplug and remove the condenser. Add another cup of water, replace the condenser, then set the new ending temperature to 93c/200f and let it run till it stops.  Here's the procedure - 

• Add 1 cup of distilled water to the boiler.

• Pour the wash into the boiler.

• Install the condenser and plug it in to the base.

• Set up the capture jar.

• Power up and set the Stop Temperature to 85c/185f.

• When it stops, let it cool for 10 minutes then unplug the condenser and remove it from the unit.

• Add 1 cup water.

• Restart the distiller and set the Stop Temperature to 93c/200f.

• Let it boil for 5 minutes then turn it off. 

Continue on..

Common Ending

All three devices will have oil in various states. You could have floating oil, oil adhering to the boiler walls, or black sediments floating at the bottom. Here's how to collect the oil -

• If possible, place the open boiler or moonshine still in a sink or bathtub of cold water. Add a couple handfuls of ice into the boiler to bring the temperature down to 10c/50f. The oils will solidify. 

• Use a fork to press any floating oil against the cold boiler walls. 

• CAREFULLY pour out the waste water through a linen-like paper napkin or No.4 coffee filter. This will catch loose  sediments. Try not to pour out the sediments. They are heavier than water and will quickly settle.

• Rinse the boiler with cold tap water. Drain the water through the napkin to catch any final sediments.

• Allow the boiler to dry. Rinse the paper napkin then let it dry. Damp dry is good enough..

• Place the paper napkin in a small jar. Add 1-2oz warm ethanol and shake to dissolve all the oils. Press the ethanol out of the napkin using a Garlic Press or potato masher. Wringing out the napkin with fingers is messy..

• Dissolve the oil off the fork & thermometer in this warm ethanol.

• Pour the alcohol used to clean the tools into this boiler. Quantity should be approximately 10 parts alcohol to 1 par oil.

• Warm up the boiler using the hot plate or hot water in the sink or tub. For water distillers, turn on the power for a few seconds. Do not let it boil.

• Use a silicone spatula to dissolve the oil in the warm alcohol.

• Pour the oil laden alcohol in a small metal bowl for the upcoming Winterize step.

• Pour an ounce more Ethanol in the boiler to clean it up. Pour this alcohol in a small jar for the freezer.

You now have a bowl with the dissolve oils and a small jar with about an ounce of alcohol. 

Troubleshooting

1) No floating oil at the end.  

In most cases, once distilling ends, there is oil floating on the water surface and adhering to the boiler walls. Then there are times the floating oil has balled up and sunk to the bottom as sediment. It's all good. The sediments can be thought of as miscelles with a polar surface and non-polar insides. This is why the sediment will not attach to the body of oil.  It's skin is made up of polar compounds keeping the oils apart. Use cold temperatures and you can save both. Line a coffee filter basket with one layer of linen-like paper napkin or a No4 coffee filter. Once the waste water is chilled down to 10c/50f, pour the waste water through this filter to capture the sediments. This filter will be cleaned up in the above 'Common Ending' paragraph.

Tips and Tools

Tip: Using a Moonshine Still:

When using a moonshine still to recapture the alcohol, the temperature will rise to alcohol's boiling point and stay there for a long time. The length of time is determined by the ratio of alcohol to water. Once the ratio starts leaning towards water, the temperature again starts to rise. Once you see the temperature rise, swap out the capture jar. This first jar will hold the maximum concentration of alcohol, either 91% Isopropyl or 95% Ethanol. The second jar will be diluted down to about 70% alcohol once the temperature reaches 93c/200f. By stopping at 93c/200f, very little water will be boiled into the alcohol.

Tip: Using a Water Distiller:

When using a water distiller to recapture the alcohol, its critical to use one with a programmable ending temperature.  Simple units with an on/off button do not give you control to shutoff, thus may boil off all the water and cook the oil.  

Power up the unit and set the ending temperature to 85c/185f. The unit will run up to alcohol's boiling point and stay there for a long time. The length of time is determined by the ratio of alcohol to water. Once the ration starts leaning towards water, the temperature starts to rise and the unit will shut down. At this point, let it cool for 10 minutes, then unplug the condenser and remove it completely. Add 1 cup of distilled water, then power up the unit for 5 minutes. This will get rid of any remaining alcohol. 

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