Build a basic clay pot still
There are many ways to make a still, there are countless books available to make various types of stills to make, as there are volumes of ways to make stills out of the copper pipe, ways to buy them, etc., I will leave that up to you to research what type of still you want to make or to buy. But, if you didn’t buy materials, or cannot find them, making a clay pot still is a viable option if you don’t have the resources.
Keep in mind too, that even though this is a clay-fired still, it is illegal to even possess a still in many areas. Stills also produce flammable vapors, so you should always use caution if you decide to try and distill anything flammable such as ethanol or alcohol.
Items needed:
- Clay
- Bamboo or large leaf
- Flour and water mixture/masa mixture
How to make a clay pot still;
- Make a large clay pot, and make a hole in the side of the pot in the middle of the pot.
- Make a large bowl that will fit over the top of the large clay pot.
- Make another bowl as a collection jar.
- Either let the sun harden the clay, or you can fire the clay items.
- Place a piece of bamboo in the hole and leave the end of the bamboo in the middle of the pot, leaving the end of the bamboo several inches outside of the pot. The bamboo should be angled 45 degrees, pointing towards the ground. Note, that you can use a large leaf if you don’t have access to bamboo or a pipe.
- Place your liquid for distilling in the large pot, make sure it is below the bamboo or other tube/leaf that you are going to collect the liquid with.
- Place the large bowl over the top of the pot, and seal the top of the pot with a paste made from flour and water.
- This will complete the still.
- Next, you will light a fire under the still, and you want to control the fire so that it keeps the substance inside slowly boiling.
- You also want to have fresh, cold water available at the top. As the water heats up, take the warm water out, and place cool water back in.
- This process will help the substance inside condense into the bamboo, or other collection method you have employed.
- Note, that distilling anything that produces flammable vapors such as ethanol or alcohol can ignite if it reaches a fire, so making sure things are sealed tight is very important in the process.