Guest guest Posted May 6, 2011 Report Share Posted May 6, 2011 I have an overgrown garden because I don't want any potentially good aromatic material to go to waste (bay tree, lemon, lime, lemon verbena, tagettes, rosemary (monsters), white sage, black sage, jasmine, lantana, wormwood, lavender . . . even vetiver . . . the list goes on. I have this crazy notion that I can distill this stuff, if only for the hydrosols. Are there others who've crossed this line? I'm finding myself inexplicably drawn to those expensive copper alembics. I'd love a few pointers or talked down from the ledge. Maggie Hi Maggie - I have done some small distillations from stuff in my yard. I would totally love a copper alembic! I do, however, have a nice small still from Heart Magic that has the glass components. I have also used one of the pressure cooker-adapted stills. Distilling is definitely addictive so I won't try and talk you down from the ledge. It's also pretty easy. I have a fridge full of hydrosols, though, that I need to remember to use. Or figure out how to use I am always happy to talk about distilling and I know we have quite a few distillers in the group. Elise ------------------------------------ Natural Perfumery is the biggest, friendliest group with fantastic archives, files and links -- like an education, for free, with your best friends! Yahoo! Groups Links Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 6, 2011 Report Share Posted May 6, 2011 On Sat, May 7, 2011 at 4:15 AM, Elise Pearlstine wrote: > > > I have this crazy notion > that I can distill this stuff, if only for the hydrosols. Are there others > > who've crossed this line? I'm finding myself inexplicably drawn to those > expensive copper alembics. > > Well I know there are at least three of us down here in New Zealand who have been bitten by the bug ... ! You probably already know this blog, but I've found it full of fascinating info: http://guerilla-distiller.blogspot.com/ Best wishes Johanna Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 6, 2011 Report Share Posted May 6, 2011 Maggie, go for it. You'll have a lot of fun, and get some great-smelling stuff. If you don't get much oil, since some are low-yielding plants, at least the hydrosols can be used for body splashes, flavoring food, spritzing in the air to scent a room, etc. To all distillers out there, I'd love to hear from you in this thread, especially if you have a viable business with it, like Rivendell Aromatic's Sandy. I'm trying to compile a list of distillers for some future project. Anya McCoy http://AnyasGarden.com http://PerfumeClasses.com http://NaturalPerfumers.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 7, 2011 Report Share Posted May 7, 2011 Thank you for the reference to Rivendell Aromatics, Anya. I highly recommend distilling your own herbs. That is how I began my business. I bought a 10 liter Heart Magic Glass still and distilled my Helichrysum and Lemon Verbena and Lavender essential oils in minute quantities...with the added bonus of the hydrosols. You can do blended distillations, too. Toss some of several herbs in the alembic at the same time. Just pay attention that some are much stronger scents (like Peppermint) and add just a little of them. I would like to try Lemon Balm and Pineapple sage, too. Can never get enough of them. I love the whole magical distillation process and eventually graduated to a 50 gallon stainless steel alembic with a glass condenser and glass florentine flask separator. We just distilled 13 pounds of Ojai Orange Blossoms and got beautiful hydrosol and 1/2 ml of essential oil!. Next is a distillation of native California White Sage flowers (Salvia Apiana), and then our native Mugwort (Artemesia vulgaris. Have fun! Sandy Messori, Rivendell Aromatics www.rivendellaromatics.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 7, 2011 Report Share Posted May 7, 2011 Thanks for your words of encouragement. I'd love to talk to you about your distillation experiences. Any chance I could get your number and call you? Did you make your own pressure cooker still? I will look into the heart magic ones. Maggie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 7, 2011 Report Share Posted May 7, 2011 > Well I know there are at least three of us down here in New Zealand who have > been bitten by the bug ... ! > > You probably already know this blog, but I've found it full of fascinating > info: http://guerilla-distiller.blogspot.com/ > > Best wishes > Johanna Thanks so much for the link! Really interesting and helpful. I like their smaller stills and they are certainly affordable in the $300 range. Maggie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 7, 2011 Report Share Posted May 7, 2011 > > Maggie, go for it. You'll have a lot of fun, and get some > great-smelling stuff. If you don't get much oil, since some are > low-yielding plants, at least the hydrosols can be used for body > splashes, flavoring food, spritzing in the air to scent a room, etc. > > To all distillers out there, I'd love to hear from you in this > thread, especially if you have a viable business with it, like > Rivendell Aromatic's Sandy. I'm trying to compile a list of > distillers for some future project. > > Anya McCoy > http://AnyasGarden.com > http://PerfumeClasses.com > http://NaturalPerfumers.com Your project sounds super interesting, Anya! There are a number of distillers here in CA, I've bought from a few as well as Rivendell. Maggie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 7, 2011 Report Share Posted May 7, 2011 ---I thought I would post a reply, I have been with the group for almost 4 years now and enjoy all the information givens I have been distilling for the past 4 or 5 years in San Francisco bay area. I just got a new copper still for myself for the holidays this year. Its 80 liters and works like a charm. I also have a 20 liter stainless steel distiller. so for I have distilled lots of lavender, I grow about 200 plants,of four different kinds, rose geranium, coastal sage, white sage, rosemary, lemon and orange peels and a few more things like bay tree form both wild bay from California and turkish bay. Love every minute that I get to play with the still. Its a good investment in learning and products in San Francisco Sydney and Patches the support kittys Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 7, 2011 Report Share Posted May 7, 2011 Hi Maggie, What a wonderful idea, do your annual pruning and distilling at the same time! ;~) Go for it, you will love it! I have a glass steam distillation kit that I bought here, http://pelletlab.com/steam_distillation that works very well for my needs. So far I have distilled eucalyptus from the tree that blew over in my yard last winter, rosemary flowers and leaves, the dried flowers of calendula, chamomile, lavender and I even distilled some pomegrantes last fall. My next distillation project will be from some native plants that grow in the Mojave Desert. I am still learning (testing, testing, testing) how to get the best end product by slowing down how hard the water boils and forces steam through the plant material. I am also collecting the hydrosols at different stages and storing them seperatly.....at the begining, the middle, and at the end of each batch.....they all smell a bit different. I am keeping notes on my testing so that when I find a method that captures the best end product, I will know how to repeat that for product consistancy. Good luck in your aromatic adventures, Sheree Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 7, 2011 Report Share Posted May 7, 2011 > > I have an overgrown garden because I don't want any potentially good aromatic material to go to waste (bay tree, lemon, lime, lemon verbena, tagettes, rosemary (monsters), white sage, black sage, jasmine, lantana, wormwood, lavender . . . even vetiver . . . the list goes on. I have this crazy notion that I can distill this stuff, if only for the hydrosols. Are there others who've crossed this line? I'm finding myself inexplicably drawn to those expensive copper alembics. I'd love a few pointers or talked down from the ledge. > Maggie > Hmm, for some reason I thought you did distill Maggie. Well if you don't, then you certainly should. There are alot of small scale distillers out there. I've been doing it for quite a few years. Started out with a small, handmade still from an old fondue pot, moved up to a pressure cooker and now have a milk can still. I've been thinking about getting a little bit larger copper one recently. I use the distillates in my skin care products, sell them straight as toners, and sell some to other cosmetics makers/perfumers. It is alot of fun and the market for them is growing I think. http://www.sagescript.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 8, 2011 Report Share Posted May 8, 2011 > I love the whole magical distillation process and eventually graduated to a 50 gallon stainless steel alembic with a glass condenser and glass florentine flask separator. We just distilled 13 pounds of Ojai Orange Blossoms and got beautiful hydrosol and 1/2 ml of essential oil!. Next is a distillation of native California White Sage flowers (Salvia Apiana), and then our native Mugwort (Artemesia vulgaris. > Have fun! > Sandy Messori, Rivendell Aromatics > www.rivendellaromatics.com Sandy, wow, I've never heard of a 50 gallon stainless alembic. Can you post where that came from? I'm in the market for another still - I typically use an 8 gallon stainless still, I could use a larger one, but I also wouldn't mind buying a smaller, copper still. It could be helpful if we accumulated links to stills. I know there are getting to be more and more available. Mine is from milehighdistilling.com http://www.sagescript.com microbiology, distillates, botanical skin care Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 9, 2011 Report Share Posted May 9, 2011 > It could be helpful if we accumulated links to stills. I know there are getting to be more and more available. > Mine is from milehighdistilling.com yes please can we compile the still links? although your mile high link doesn't work. thanks! Zee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 9, 2011 Report Share Posted May 9, 2011 Hi , My still is from Floragenics. Email: info@... www.floragenics.com or www.floragenics.net Sandy Messori, Rivendell Aromatics www.rivendellaromatics.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 9, 2011 Report Share Posted May 9, 2011 > > ---I thought I would post a reply, I have been with the group for almost 4 years now and enjoy all the information givens I have been distilling for the past 4 or 5 years in San Francisco bay area. I just got a new copper still for myself for the holidays this year. Its 80 liters and works like a charm. I also have a 20 liter stainless steel distiller. so for I have distilled lots of lavender, I grow about 200 plants,of four different kinds, rose geranium, coastal sage, white sage, rosemary, lemon and orange peels and a few more things like bay tree form both wild bay from California and turkish bay. Love every minute that I get to play with the still. > Its a good investment in learning and products > in San Francisco > Sydney and Patches the support kittys > > Hi : I'm glad to see your post, we haven't heard from you in some time. Are you producing oil for sale? Hydrosols? Tell me more about the support kittys ;-) Anya McCoy http://AnyasGarden.com http://PerfumeClasses.com http://NaturalPerfumers.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 9, 2011 Report Share Posted May 9, 2011 > > >> It could be helpful if we accumulated links to stills. I know there are getting to be more and more available. >> Mine is from milehighdistilling.com > > yes please can we compile the still links? although your mile high link doesn't work. > > thanks! > Zee Hi Zee, : It would be wonderful if someone could compile the links, and put the findings in the Links section of the group, under a heading of Distillation. Anya McCoy http://AnyasGarden.com http://PerfumeClasses.com http://NaturalPerfumers.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 9, 2011 Report Share Posted May 9, 2011 > > > > > ---I thought I would post a reply, I have been with the group for almost 4 years now and enjoy all the information givens I have been distilling for the past 4 or 5 years in San Francisco bay area. I just got a new copper still for myself for the holidays this year. Its 80 liters and works like a charm. I also have a 20 liter stainless steel distiller. so for I have distilled lots of lavender, I grow about 200 plants,of four different kinds, rose geranium, coastal sage, white sage, rosemary, lemon and orange peels and a few more things like bay tree form both wild bay from California and turkish bay. Love every minute that I get to play with the still. > > Its a good investment in learning and products > > in San Francisco > > Sydney and Patches the support kittys Hi , I'm coming to San Francisco today actually, staying in the Bay area and wonder if I might talk to you? Call you up or something? I'm very interested in operating the 80 litre still. my email is . I'll be in SF for just over a week, out of New Zealand! cheers Francesca Pacific Perfumes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 10, 2011 Report Share Posted May 10, 2011 > ---I thought I would post a reply, I have been with the group for almost 4 years now and enjoy all the information givens I have been distilling for the past 4 or 5 years in San Francisco bay area. I just got a new copper still for myself for the holidays this year. Its 80 liters and works like a charm. I also have a 20 liter stainless steel distiller. so for I have distilled lots of lavender, I grow about 200 plants,of four different kinds, rose geranium, coastal sage, white sage, rosemary, lemon and orange peels and a few more things like bay tree form both wild bay from California and turkish bay. Love every minute that I get to play with the still. > Its a good investment in learning and products > in San Francisco > Sydney and Patches the support kittys > Wow, sounds like you have quite an operation with an 80 L still! Just curious, does it cost much to fire it up for the duration of your distillation, which is probably around 6 hours? Maggie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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