top of page

2 Litre Q.C. Still - Plus

£1,295 + VAT

     

Perfect apparatus for producing small quantities of essential oils

​

Stirring facility allows resins and gums to be distilled.

 

Special design allows accurate assays of both lighter and heavier than water essential oils

​

Kit comprises complete laboratory control Still

​

Quick and easy assembly of British custom-made glassware

 

Pyrex borosilicate glass - all hand blown in England

 

All electrical components EC approved to assure complete safety.

 

110v systems available on request.

qcstillstirrer.jpg

More Information

Glass Quality Control Still – Plus

 

This apparatus has been designed exclusively for small-scale hydro-distillation, so is perfect for determining the perfect time to harvest your crop and ensure optimised essential oil yields. The additional stirring capability means that it can also be used for resins such as Myrrh and Frankincense: it can also be used for slow distilling plants such as roots and barks. In this case, the continuous agitation will usually increase the yield, whilst reducing the distillation time dramatically.

 

It can also be used for simple testing of potential plant materials to see if there is a worthwhile yield of essential oil - and if the oil has characteristics that would enable it to be used in your next fragranced product! 

 

Our clever design means that the oil separation system can also cope with those ‘awkward’ essential oils that are heavier than water - or for difficult oils like myrrh that become heavier as the distillation progresses.

 

We have taken the cleaning process into account too – the 100mm flanged glassware allows perfect access to ensure the flask remains scrupulously clean and ready for your next distillation.

​

The additional side-sockets allow access for the stirrer paddle and a separating flask or other component could also be added in the future, should the need arise.

​

​

Apparatus: The Q.C. kit comprises the following items:

​

  1. High quality CE Approved 2000 ml Heating Mantle with integral control panel

  2. Pyrex 2000ml round bottom flask with 100mm flange opening. 

  3. Pyrex flange lid 100mm with central socket and an angled side arm socket.

  4. Pyrex custom-made Dean & Stark apparatus for essential oil separation and removal.

  5. Pyrex  ‘Graham’ condenser to fit the Dean & Stark apparatus.

  6. Stainless steel clip to secure the two flanges together.

  7. Heavy duty laboratory support rod 10mm diameter.

  8. Customised clamps (2) with integral adjustable bosses.

  9. Silicone grease for the ground glass joints.

  10. Flexible tubing 8mm internal diameter for the condenser.

  11. Laboratory 230V overhead stirrer motor.

  12. Laboratory stirrer paddle.

  13. Pyrex glass stirrer gland to fit into the angled socket in the flange lid.

  14. Glycerine to form a seal in the stirrer gland.

  15. B24 stopper to seal socket in flange lid if stirrer paddle not used.

​

Assembly and operating instructions:

​

Full details are provided with every order. The only utility requirements are

  1. A 230V standard power supply for both the mantle and the stirrer motor.

  2. A cold running water supply and a suitable drainage point.

More Information

 

 

What is it?

 

This Still comprises a boiling vessel with 6 elements at the base and a basket inside. A tall steam collection cone is fitted on top of the boiling vessel that carries a bend at its top that then joins onto an open horizontal 4” tube. This tube ends in a 90° bend that points downwards and this then joins on to the condenser with a 4” screw fitting.

 

​The condenser is a beautiful piece of kit with 36 narrow (8mm) thin-wall tubes fitted equidistantly within a 4” diameter stainless outer tube: there are 3 sets of baffles fixed at set intervals to make the water ‘chicane’ and maximise agitation and therefore improve its cooling capability. There is a cone at the base of the condenser to direct the distillate into the glass Florentine fitted directly underneath.​

 

How it Works:

 

The water boils, the dry steam goes through the plants in the basket collecting a bit of essential oil on the way and continues up the cone: at the top it turns 90°, goes through the top pipe and then heads down through the 36 pipes in the condenser. Since these pipes are surrounded by cold water, the steam then condenses into liquid and drops into the glass Florentine that is placed underneath. Here any oil present will separate and float to the surface, while the condensed water then trickles back to the boiling vessel via the S trap mounted a few inches up from its base.

 

​How to Operate:

 

Lift off cone/condenser unit and slide to one side and remove basket. Fill vessel with 40 - 50 litres of water, enough to cover the elements with say, an inch of water on top. Line basket with muslin and fill it with the material you want to distil e.g. lavender - and place it back inside the boiling vessel. Some form of lifting apparatus will be required e.g. simple sliding block and tackle. ​Slide cone/condenser unit back and lower onto boiling vessel, lock the clamps so that it all becomes one unit and turn on the heat. The Still has a wrap-around fabric insulation jacket made in two sections and one goes over the cone whilst the other goes around the boiling vessel. As the Still heats up, you can turn off some of the elements until a nice rolling boil is achieved. Make sure water is gently flowing through the condenser to keep it cold and the distillation continues until the oil layer in the Florentine stops growing. Then turn off heat and water and remove oil.

bottom of page