FIELD REFERENCE / Crafting & machines
How to Use the Evaporator in Probably Stolen
Remove solvents from a prepared mixture without confusing the residue with the liquid collected in the receiver.
Put the prepared mixture in the Evaporator's input container, supply power and run it overnight. Inspect the remaining mixture next morning. Water, alcohol and Lipobond can leave the source even when the receiver stays empty. The community machine reference ties collection to Quality: 0% recovers nothing. Fit a receiver and increase Quality to collect distillate; Solvent Recovery limits collection to alcohol.
Understand what stays and what leaves
The community item record lists nominal throughput of 300 mL per night. A large solvent volume may therefore need more than one cycle; the amount of useful residue is not itself the processing-time estimate.
The Chemist start and Retired Chemist kit include an Evaporator in the item reference. Check its condition and working slots before using it as part of a valuable batch.
| Part of the job | What to inspect |
|---|---|
| Input / source mixture | The container holding your prepared chemical batch. |
| Evaporable solvents | Water, alcohol and Lipobond identified by the chemistry guide. |
| Remaining residue | The material left in the original container for the next recipe step. |
| Distillate receiver | A separate container for recovered liquid; it is not the finished dry product. |
Evidence: Wikily: Evaporator item record · Steam: The Complete Chemist Guide
Prepare and run an overnight cycle
- Finish the preceding steps required by your chosen recipe. Scan the mixture with the Composition Spectrometer so you know what is actually present.
- Place the source container in the Evaporator's working input. Keep it distinct from any empty receiver used for collection.
- Check power, machine state and the current processing requirement. Use the demand displayed on the machine instead of guessing from another device.
- If you want to keep recovered liquid, fit a suitable empty container in the distillate slot and check the installed recovery module.
- Run the night, then inspect both containers separately. Measure the source's remaining solvents and the receiver's collected contents.
- Only proceed to the next recipe step when the source mixture satisfies that recipe. An empty receiver alone does not prove that evaporation failed.
Evidence: Steam: The Complete Chemist Guide · Wikily: Evaporator item record
Distinguish drying from solvent recovery
The Complete Chemist Guide describes the Solvent Recovery Module as a way to recover alcohol, with recovery tied to the machine's Quality bonus. It requires a receiving container; otherwise recoverable liquid is lost. The machine reference distinguishes this from ordinary mixed distillate. Its listed Quality percentage is the portion collected in the receiver: at 0%, the source can still dry while nothing is recovered. Check that value before diagnosing an empty receiver as a stopped cycle.
Our practical suggestion is to label the two containers by role before running a test batch. Measure the input before and after one night, then inspect the receiver. This separates three different questions: did the machine run, did the source dry enough, and did you recover the solvent you wanted?
Evidence: Steam: The Complete Chemist Guide · Wikily: Evaporator item record · Wikily: Evaporator and distillate
Estimate time without promising a perfect batch
At a nominal 300 mL per night, 600 mL of removable solvent represents about two base-throughput cycles. This is an arithmetic planning example, not a universal completion guarantee: modules, the actual mixture and operating state still matter.
Do not add more solvent simply because the recipe seems stuck. Read the composition first. If the problem is an unwanted solid or reagent, evaporation may remove the liquid around it while leaving that contaminant behind. The next step depends on the recipe, not on the machine's name.
Official notes describe a fix for trace moisture left in mixed alcohol batches and related dry-input handling. If an older guide tells you to spend another night on a microscopic remainder, compare it with the behavior of your installed game.
Evidence: Wikily: Evaporator item record · Developer announcements and fixes
Troubleshoot the two containers separately
| Symptom | Check next |
|---|---|
| Source is unchanged | Power, working state, input placement and whether it contains removable solvent. |
| Receiver is empty but source volume fell | Check the receiver slot and Quality. At 0% no liquid is collected; Solvent Recovery restricts the collected liquid to alcohol. |
| Batch is still wet | Remaining solvent volume versus one night's throughput. |
| Chem Finisher refuses the residue | The recipe's required contents and dryness, not just the presence of a receiver. |
| You expected clean drinking water | Use the water-treatment guide; a chemical evaporator is not a general water purifier. |
COUNTER QUESTIONS
Frequently asked questions
Does the Evaporator work immediately?
It is an overnight machine. Inspect the source mixture after the night rather than expecting an instant transformation when you load it.
Why is there no finished chemical in the receiver?
The receiver collects distillate. The useful non-evaporated material stays in the original source container and may still need the recipe's finishing step.
Will evaporation remove every contaminant?
No. The referenced solvent-removal behavior is selective. Other unwanted ingredients require the relevant recipe treatment.
Sources & evidence
Source notes identify the basis for this guide. Your current in-game tooltips and dialogue take precedence when a patch or mod changes a mechanic.
- Wikily: Evaporator item record ↗
Community item record covering nominal throughput, acquisition and receiver behavior.
- Wikily: Evaporator and distillate ↗
Community machine reference for throughput, Quality-dependent collection and alcohol-only Solvent Recovery. These are attributed data, not our own playtest measurements.
- Steam: The Complete Chemist Guide ↗
lpinch's player guide checked against release game data. Supports evaporation and solvent recovery; no claim that this wiki reproduced the experiments.
- Developer announcements and fixes ↗
Official patch notes. Used for changed behavior, including filter removal, evaporator residue and mod compatibility.
Found a discrepancy? Send the page link and supporting evidence.