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picostill
instruction
unboxing
setup
manual
Congratulations!
You’re about to take your beverage making to the next level. Our
craft beer brewing appliances not only help you produce the perfect
pint--with the PicoStill accessory, they're also about to help you make
your distilling dreams come true. Use the PicoStill to distill hops,
citrus, and other botanicals, and if your distilling license is in working
order, spirits, too!
celaning assembling troubleshooting
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important
legal
information
PicoBrew, Inc. does not advocate the violation of any federal or state law, rule, or
regulation. All the products we sell, including the PicoStill, are intended to be used
in accordance with the proper licensing or permitting procedure of the respective
jurisdiction of the user. By your purchase of our products generally, and the PicoStill
in particular, you expressly acknowledge and agree that you understand that your
purchase and use of a PicoStill is subject to these laws, rules, and regulations, and that
you will fully comply.
We also advise you that, as a manufacturer of distilling equipment, we are obligated
under federal law to maintain a record of where we ship each unit that we manufacture.
The federal government may demand that we produce these records at any time; and
should we be ordered to do so, we will be obligated to identify the name and address of
each purchaser, including you, who has received a shipment that includes a PicoStill. The
federal government may thus become aware of your purchase and use of equipment
that is capable of distilling spirits, regardless whether you use it for that purpose or not.
You should also know that in the United States both federal and state laws govern the
procurement and use of equipment capable of distilling spirts, like the PicoStill, and
that you are obligated to comply with both. State laws may be as or more stringent
than federal law, but not less so, and in some cases may even prohibit the purchase of
distilling equipment regardless of intended use.
Under federal law, stills are legal to own for purposes of distilling water and essential
oils. It is otherwise illegal under federal law for individuals to produce alcohol for
consumption without first obtaining a federal distilled spirits plant (DSP) permit. The
DSP is available only for commercial operators. Federal law does not provide any
exemption for the production of distilled spirits for personal or family use.
We offer the foregoing as general guidance about certain laws that may apply to you and
your use of a PicoStill. We do so with the understanding that this is for your informational
purposes only; that we are not warranting its completeness or accuracy; that applicable laws
may change with or without notice; and that you can and ultimately should consult a legal
advisor who has knowledge about the laws that currently apply in your specific jurisdiction. Do
not expose PicoStill upper unit to water! Electronic circuits are under the cover. Gently wipe
exterior with a damp cloth to clean, do not use any solvents.
Do not operate PicoStill in presence of open flame or other heat sources when distilling
alcohols. Vapor ejection port can emit potentially flammable vapors.
Do not allow collection jar to fill to more than 90% capacity. Liquids can be drawn into the
vacuum pump, significantly shortening its life and potentially voiding warranty.
Do not brew beer with the gray racking connector installed. Pressure can build up in the Pico
keg and potentially cause damage.
PicoStill is designed to only distill water and ethanol-containing washes. Do not attempt to
distill with solvents or any other hydrocarbons including propane, butane, or hexane. Spirits
distillation instructions pertain only to licensed distillers and those who live in regions where
alcohol distillation is legal. Use at your own risk. Alcohol distillation can produce potentially
poisonous compounds such as methanol, acetone, etc. Ethanol can be poisonous if ingested in
sufficient quantities.
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important
safety
information
ALWAYS operate in a room with adequate ventilation. This still is
designed to prevent dangerous quantities of flammable vapors from
escaping, if used properly.
PicoStill is designed to work in an indoor environment with an ambient
temperature below 80 °F (27°C) Since PicoStill operates at low
condensation temperatures, performance may be hindered at warmer
temperatures.
To minimize the risk highly flammable vapors escaping from the exuast
port, the PicoStill will automatically shut down if the temperature near
the exit (T2) exceeds 95F. In addition to this feature it is recommended
that the user attach a tube to the exit port, allowing the gasses to
bubble through water, as shown in the picture.
Do not expose PicoStill upper unit to water! Electronic circuits are under
the cover. Gently wipe exterior with a damp cloth to clean, do not use any
solvents.
Do not operate PicoStill in presence of open flame or other heat sources
when distilling alcohols. Vapor ejection port can emit potentially flammable
vapors.
Do not allow collection jar to fill to more than 90% capacity. Liquids can be
drawn into the vacuum pump, significantly shortening its life and potentially
voiding warranty.
Do not brew beer with the gray racking connector installed. Pressure can build
up in the Pico keg and potentially cause damage.
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what's
Column Caps (2) with
Silicone Cleaning Hose
in the
unboxing
PicoStill Unit
Power Supply
5L Keg
Sight Glass
Collection Jar and Lid
Borosilicate Glass
Botanicals Column
Copper Column
Copper Mesh Column
Packing
Stainless Steel
Chamber Screen
Steel Inserts
Copper Column
Connector
Copper Vapor Arch
with Grommet
Extra Vacuum Plugs
box
• PicoStill Unit
• Power supply
• 5L keg
• Sight glass
• Heads collection vial
• Check valve
• Collection jar and lid
• Borosilicate glass botanicals column
• Copper column
• Copper mesh column packing
• Stainless steel chamber screen
• Column caps (2) with steel inserts
• Copper column connector
• Copper vapor arch
• Silicone vapor arch grommet
• Silicone cleaning hose
• Extra vacuum plugs
setup
cleaning assembling troubleshooting
6
Heads Collection Vial
picostill instruction manual
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Page 5
setting
up your
picostill
Connecting PicoStill to Wi-Fi
1. Power on your Pico C, connect it to your Wi-Fi network
(see Pico C manual for details). You Pico C will update
itself with the latest firmware. Important: make sure
that you use your equipment in an area with a strong
Wi-Fi signal.
2. Power on your PicoStill and wait for the green and
yellow LEDs to illuminate and stay on.
3. From the main menu on the Pico C, select ‘Utilities’ and
then Pico Still.
4. Follow the on-screen prompts to set up manual
distillation.
If you encounter problems connecting your PicoStill, you
may see an error state on the PicoStill LEDs. Below is a list
of possible connectivity errors:
unboxing
setup
cleaning assembling troubleshooting
LED Pattern What It Means
Steady red light + 1 yellow blink SSID not found
Steady red light + 2 yellow blinks Invalid Wi-Fi credentials
Steady red light + 3 yellow blinks Connection attempt has timed out
Steady red light + 4 yellow blinks No internet detected
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picostill instruction manual
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Page 6
assembling
your
₁
Place the keg cozy on the 5L brew keg and then
set the PicoStill unit on top of the brew keg
unboxing
picostill
Important: NEVER operate PicoStill without the steel inserts
installed in the column caps. Caps can collapse under vacuum,
potentially breaking glass components.
setup
cleaning assembling troubleshooting
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picostill instruction manual
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Page 7
2
Insert the heads trap beneath the infusion
chamber, making sure that it is firmly seated.
Next to the heads trap insert the check valve.
₃
Insert the sight glass securely under the silicone
lip of the heads trap.
unboxing
setup
cleaning assembling troubleshooting
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picostill instruction manual
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Page 8
₄
Seat the steel inserts into the column caps,
making sure that the silicone indexing tabs pass
through the insert.
₅
Insert the copper column connector into one
of the column caps. This will form the bottom
column cap.
unboxing
setup
cleaning assembling troubleshooting
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picostill instruction manual
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₆a
For distillations with the glass botanicals
column.
With the lipped end oriented downward,
attach the glass botanicals column to
the bottom column cap. Then, place the
stainless-steel chamber screen into the
bottom of the column.
₆b
For distillations with the copper
fractionating column.
1. Attach the copper column to the bottom
column cap.
2. Place the stainless-steel chamber screen
into the bottom of the column.
3. Loosely pack the copper mesh into the
copper column.
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setup
cleaning assembling troubleshooting
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picostill instruction manual
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₇
Securely seat the upper column cap over the
top of the column. Make sure that the copper
mesh packing does not interfere with the
sealing surface.
₈
Insert completed column into the PicoStill unit
by inserting the copper column connector at the
bottom of the column into the hole at the top of
the PicoStill as shown.
unboxing
setup
cleaning assembling troubleshooting
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picostill instruction manual
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Page 11
₉
Attach the vapor arch grommet to one end of the
vapor arch and then insert that end in into the top
of the column. Attach the other end of the vapor
arch to the top of the condenser column.
₁₀
Attach the two silicone hoses to the underside
of the heads trap.
unboxing
setup
cleaning assembling troubleshooting
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picostill instruction manual
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Page 12
₁₁
Screw the lid onto the collection jar and then
insert the two hose ends into the lid.
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18-0316
© PicoBrew Inc, 2018
www.PicoBrew.com
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