Why Lid On EasyStill Keeps Lifting

EasyStills are countertop distillers that are modeled after a tabletop water distiller, but they’ve been factory modified to also be able to distill alcohol. Think of them as kind of like a coffeemaker, but they can produce spirits instead. A common issue that first-time EasyStill users run into is the lid lifting on the unit when they’re trying to distill. There are actually a couple of reasons why this is happening to you, and they’re pretty easy to fix.

You’ve overfilled the boiler.

The EasyStill instructions recommend using 4L of fermented or cleared mash in your boiling chamber, which isn’t a lot. If you’ve gone slightly over this, it could cause the lid to lift up on the EasyStill and interfere with your distillation process. The lid lifts because either the liquid has expanded up or there are bubbles plugging where the vapor enters the condenser. When the vapor has nowhere to go, the lid will pop up, allowing the vapor to escape. If this happens, first turn the distiller off and allow it to cool completely. Then simply remove some of the mash from the boiling chamber to reduce the fill level. Then you should be good to go!

Your mash is foaming.

Foaming can be a common issue regardless whether you are using an EasyStill or another type of moonshine still, but it’s still an easy one to solve. All you have to do is turn the distiller off and wait for it to completely cool. Just like if you overfilled the boiling chamber, you’ll remove a bit of the liquid to reduce your fill level. But then you’ll also add some anti-foam agent in order to reduce foaming. Anti-foam works by reducing surface tension so that the bubbles break. It will not affect the flavor of your product, and you only need a very tiny bit of it in order to be effective. Our anti-foam is Certified Kosher, and the directions indicate that you only need 1ml per 25L. So if you’re distilling about 4L in the EasyStill, you only need about 0.16 ml to get the job done.

You can read more detailed information about the EasyStill here. If you have any additional questions, you can always contact us here. Happy distilling!