Distillation Attempt #2 and Hydrosol

Last weekend, after making modifications to our design, we made another attempt at distillation.  Mark attached a separate hose to the top of the pressure cooker and also modified the coiled copper cooling section so that gravity could help pull the the steam and resulting distillate through to the funnel. The modifications worked beautifully -- the attached hose and copper coiling quickly brought the distillate into the funnel and we could see a thin layer of oil forming on the top.  But as we were emptying the funnel, the oil layer got smaller and smaller and finally disappeared altogether.  We were perplexed so I read as much as I could find online and I think there might be a few issues going on here:

1. We need to let the distillate set for 10-15 min before trying to drain.  But because our funnel fills up pretty quickly, we might need a separate container to capture the distillate during the boiling process.
2. We are boiling too hot and too quickly.  I read that we should maintain a slow boil and that it should boil for maybe 2 hours.  I think we kept it at a rolling boil and were ending the process too early (an hour or less).  
3. Apparently fresh plant material is great for hydrol but perhaps not so great for oil.  Several blogs referenced a distillation process specifically for hydrosol where fresh plant material was used.  We will try with dried plant material next time and sse what happens.

I would also like to replace the radiator hose coming from the pressure cooker with a copper hose -- and Mark wants to modify the hose to be more of a funnel shape as well

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In the end, we did get more beautiful hydrosol -- both lavender and rose geranium -- and I’ve had fun researching the many uses and benefits of hydrosol. It actually has many of the same benefits as the essential oil (since there is a small amount of essential oil in the hydrosol), but in a milder form. Is is an astringent and can be used for skin care products or taken internally as a tonic.  According to the National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy. hydrosols have these healing benefits for the skin:

• Serve as hydrating components in a product, e.g. cream, cleanser, etc.
• Effective toners
• Anti-inflammatory, cooling
• Wound healing
• Safe for infants and young children in baths (1 tbsp) or spritzers.

It’s also really great to just spray into a room to freshen it up, use as an ironing spray or spray on sheets.  

Think of the possibilities!!

Coming soon -- Distillation attempt #3 -- and Hydrosol for purchase in our online store!

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