[Jill The Alembics Lab]

Ive replied to your email:)

[Jill The Alembics Lab]

Yes – and the middle one too. Any interference with the vapours will increase reflux. The distillation will take longer. Keep the heat low so you collect your headshot literally drop by drop.

[Jill The Alembics Lab]

Yes, you can. I suggest packing the column with copper mesh or SS to create as much reflux as you can. The still isn’t designed for neutrals as it doesn’t have the length of the column to create enough reflux, but you will get a usable neutral at about 80%abv.

[Jill The Alembics Lab]

Hi Nicole
– well, it seems like your result was good in that it was fresh and fragrant. You could try a hydo-distillation rather than steam – your yield will be greater. What size is your still and how much did you place in the column? If you are using the column for a steam distillation leaving some twiggy bits on the create steam pathways will help. Elder flower hydrosol improves greatly with aging FYI

[Jill The Alembics Lab]

The 3L appliance still is what we call a finishing still – where you are using an already distilled spirit to make something – gin, for example. We recommend a 30L or bigger to distil spirits from a wash or grain mash. This is because the alcohol in the wash is made up of several types of alcohols and its the ethanol that we are after. It vaporises at about 78C. Methanol, which is toxic and other alcohols vaporise before ethanol – so as we are slowly heating the wash, we can take the cuts to separate the heads from the hearts. We demonstrate this is the alcohol foundation course. Most of your alcohol will be in the 300ml you have collected, but if you didn’t take the headshot out it will not be good. Its mostly water in the pot, which boils at 100C so thats why its so slow. Best not to use a small still for making spirits, and you cant get the volume to make the proper cuts and will end up with a “nasty” spirit. We have a workshop at the end of October in Auckland and Christchurch. Its all about how to make and distil a neutral spirit safely. Info here https://thealembicslab.com/product/the-yin-yang-of-distillation-auckland-oct-25-26-christchurch-nov/

[Jill The Alembics Lab]

There is more water than alcohol in the latter part of the distillation. It is what is called the tails. Some unpleasant flavours and aromas are present, along with heavier components that cause cloudiness. It’s a good idea to take fractions, so when this starts, you can discard. If you do keep it all,
you can distil it again and it will become more refined. You will need to repeat the cuts of fractions, however.

[Jill The Alembics Lab]

Sorry it has taken so long for a response!
Unfortunately, once you start using your still, it will never regain the glorious sunshine it started with 🙂 Copper is a pure earth metal that is reactive to other elements and in a constant state of change. Part of my distillation process is to clean the outside and the inside of my still – it helps focus my purpose and honours the process. I use an unfragranced creme cleaner and a nylon pot scourer and scour the outside using hot water and then rinse it well. I then polish it with a microfibre cloth. It will look like the copper pot in the image above. Some would call it an antique finish. I prefer it to the shiny copper.

[Jill The Alembics Lab]

Hi Delwyn
How to make Quintessences will definitely be in our next set of courses. In the meantime, I suggest you use 40% spirit to macerate your botanicals. Hard materials like cassia start with 150g to 750ml of spirit (agee jars are fine.) Crush your materials to get the best surface contact but don’t powder. Leave for a couple of weeks to infuse, then put the whole lot in the still and distil it. It depends on the materials, but if you want them bright and fresh, its usually about 400m,l and the abv will be about 60%. This of course, will vary as no plant material is the same. This is the process and practice and experimentation is the key to fine-tuning how each aromatic will behave.

[Jill The Alembics Lab]

You could do a stripping run without the column. The purpose of this is to reduce the water content and increase the adv. Fil the still with your wash to the river line and just distil without making any cuts. You can run this up to 100C

The next distillation you would do in the same way as our demonstration. Yje temp guidelines as per the notes.

[Jill The Alembics Lab]

Hi Jacob
I run a vinegar distillation. So that’s 1 part white vinegar (nothing special) to 3 parts water, and distil until you get about 200ml. Rinse the still out with water, wipe dry, and pack away until next time. I always give my stills the sniff test before I start a new distillation. I repeat this if they have a smell, which they often do. If you use boiling water, it’s very quick.

[Jill The Alembics Lab]

The best quality lavender comes from a steam distillation (nothing in the pot). It’s mainly monoterpenes, so the distillation will be fast. Just collect 500ml in your separator and then go again if the water is darkly coloured, it’s best to replace it with clean water.
The water left from the distillation will still be good quality.

The particles are probably fine particles. If you are distilling for hydrosol, use a filet, but you will lose some EO. If you are distilling for EO, filter the distillate, but be aware that particulate has compromised it.

Have you watched the distilling hydrosol course?

[Jill The Alembics Lab]

Hi Anne
Did you make the appropriate cuts when you distilled it in the stainless and then in the copper? If it is to unpleasant to drink flavouring it won’t solve that and it maybe harmful. Strong smelling spirit usually means the yeast was stressed in the ferment process.

[Jill The Alembics Lab]

Hi Frances
I haven’t infused Chilli in a gin, so I’m not sure. You wouldn’t want to add to much and regret it 🙂 I suggest you start with a test of 3g of chilli in 25ml of Gin. Keep adding chilli until you get the impact you are after, and then just scale up. Be sure to weigh the chilli each time you increase.

[Jill The Alembics Lab]

Hi Alona

Yes, it’s fine to drink. Cloudy means it’s so rich in aromatics that when you dilute it with water, some come out of the solution, making it cloudy. What did you proof it to? That means what was the final abv when you added the water?

[Jill The Alembics Lab]

Hi Alona

Tell us what you are distilling. If it’s spirits, the condenser can get quite warm, as this helps volatilize some of the alcohols that come off at lower temperatures. To lower the temperature you can increase the water flow in and out of the condenser or have a larger water container.

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