Vacuum distilling any flammable liquid is sketchy, because the vapor goes through the pump, and most vacuum pumps like the kind you get at places like harbor freight use a piston based pump mechanism... Because that is the cheapest way to do it. Compressing flammable vapor in the pump can cause an explosion!
Other problems are that rubber and plastic seals in the pump can be degraded by solvents as well. I have thought about doing this as well for DMT and other extraction processes, but the risks using a pump like this outweigh the rewards I believe.
More expensive high speed impeller vacuum pumps might be able to do this safely in a proper environment where there are no sparks, but I would be very careful doing this sort of thing.
Rise, thanks for the positive vibes! I shall endeavour to post anything that will help us spread the love and truth of our work here at Mycotopia, and I hope everyone will do the same!
UPDATE: I did some reading of laboratory procedure for using a vacuum pump when suctioning volital and flamible liquid. You can do it, but it must be with a vacuum trap, one that condenses 90% or more of the volital substances. It must be done under a fume hood too. The vacuume pump must have good pump oil inside. You must have a stop-cock valve between the pump and the apparatus, and you must always shut the valve before turning off the pump. The oil should be changed if volital substances get into the pump.
If you can swing those things, I would still put a flame sheild between myself and the apparatus. I would do it in an outbuilding and not my house.
Edited by SteampunkScientist, 26 December 2016 - 10:31 PM.