I just got one of the essential extractor psii high capacity, I am really only interested in producing high quality oils as of now. I have so much access to huge amounts of rosemarry and lavender along with may other herbs and spices. I am new to this and would like any help and links to help me along the path.

I also need to get a hot plate or burner, I would like to do this in my house or in my back yard.

And then when I have got my oils I do want to move on to the hard stuff like gin and whiskey town. So any help for a newbie would be great!

thanks

Jespe:)

How would you suspend a bag of herbs in the pot? and how big would this bag be? Why would some one get this great big huge ""essential oil distiller"" (not my words but Brewhaus's words) to only be able to steam distill a tiny bag of herbs?
You can't get into the distiller to place a false bottom in it, the hole is like 2.5 inches big, once something is hung inside the still above the water there wouldn't be enough water in the still to make a proper run. Brewhaus essential oil distiller for aromatherapy is NOT an essential Oil distiller! I fell for that bag of doodoo, now I'm stuck with a whiskey distiller that I can't use, a VERY VERY expensive bag of doodoo, don't be made a fool of like I was.

I did do my homework, It was in 2003, the website has changed since than, I have it all in writing, also there wasn't much on the web nor in my small local library back than. I had given up.
I took it out of storage because I wanted to once and for all find out what "I" was doing wrong, as it ended up, in 2003 Brewhaus was advertising the still as "Essential Oil Distiller for aromatherapy" also stating "This is the method most commonly used for distillation of Essential Oils.", they also did not offer the shorter column, nor did they have the pot distiller, it is called the "essential extractor pro series" it looks just like the pro series II except the column is one piece and way too long for oils, it also doesn't have it's stainless steel screen in the column, so I can't even try and use the column for steaming. It all was a lie. they most likely had to advertise it that way to sell them legally, and I got caught in the middle of the prohibition against home-distilling.
It was my last little bit of funds, I was in an accident and had to be able to make a living, it was my last hope to be able to get my lavender harvested and turned into essential oils, because I wouldn't have fired myself if my back gave out, I had just came out of being homeless because I couldn't work the everyday after the accident and than I run into this crap, don't take me wrong it's a great still if you want to make whiskey, but I don't and I don't drink it either.
Anyways today I did more homework, and there is tons of new information out there now, which did me no good back than, yep, I trusted Brewhaus's word. and now I could make moonshine which I have no interest in and it is illegal, but still can't extract a decent lavender or rose oil, my main purpose for purchasing the "Essential Oil distiller for aromatherapy" yep, sorry about my attitude, but I'm spitting nails right now. And if I sell it, than the next person would get strewed, unless they want it for moonshine, but than it would be illegal for me to sell it for that reason. so now I just store it.

P.s. I put up a pic of it in my profile. Also here is the archived instructions that I did my homework on back in 2003, it came off of brewhaus site in 2003 http://web.archive.org/web/2003..._Series_Instructions.pdf

no that is not a dumb question, and I considered that, you would have to get some kind of stainless steel screen or wool to prevent it from falling out, the copper wool would react with many of the herbs, it would be fine, if lets say you only had a few cups of herb to extract, but if that was the case than one would buy a small chemistry lab instead of this big distiller.

The one I have does extract oils but only at high heat (in order to get the steam up the column), the quality is not good, most are horrible, some like lavender changes into a completely different chemical.. linalyl acetate changes in to linalool and acetic acid, just as an example, and it stinks, forget about lemon balm and many of the more delicate mints. I've worked with plants, some that are used to stop malaria in africa, lymes in usa and canada, cancer etc Also my favorites like lavender and rose, I don't want the chemistry changing so much that it's not good enough for it's intended purpose, even if the purpose it make things smell good.

This still is the proper still for spirits and such as far as I can tell and by all the responses that everyone gives, mine has never leaked nor has it collapsed and most likely will last for generations, just needs to have some tweaking done to get it up to par in the essential oil department.

I hope I'll be eating a lot of crow soon, because Brewhaus has stepped up and offered to solve these problems, which will help me get back on the road I was on with my 500-800 lavender plants and med herbs, and better yet it will blow the top off of the oils that some of Brewhaus users have been distilling, whatever they come up with, should blast the door open for those of us that distill essential oils and med herbs on a medium scale, it could put our oils on the same level as the big boys I'll keep ya-all updated.

I thank you for writing this, I'm starting to agree, and even though I came on to the forum like a bull in the china shop, they still allowed it to play out with many good suggestions, which helped calm the situation as well as Rick did call and assured me that all will be well, so I'm looking forward to seeing the results as well as I am looking forward for the company that will be able to offer others in my field the opportunities to distill a quality oil. At which point I will be humbled and eating crow, not to mention, share how to use their new gadgets with all of the plants I have to distill, and even willing to send samples, which at that point it would be an honor.

I'm humbled,
I forgot that there are people like that in the world,
he did tell me that some are using the stills for oregano oil and mint and that they are happy with it, and that might be why it was advertised like that back then, but I'm telling you that if they are using the same complete kit that I have, than they are going to freak when they get the opportunity to still after the improvements, unless they are distilling a couple of cups of herbs in the column. I haven't tried that yet, my papers say it's suppose to have a stainless steal screen in the column, but mine doesn't. Bayou thanks again.