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Comment by kiwi brown on December 7, 2012 at 7:50am

Jill, forgot to say I have galanga ginger and also tumeric.  Become and friend and we can sort it out later, OK?

Comment by kiwi brown on December 7, 2012 at 7:38am

Oh great Jill!  Will read as things settle down a bit here.  Live on an island with a great influx of folk this time of year....including our own visitors.  Will let you know how things work out for the distilling.  Wish I could attend the workshops.....never know what can happen, eh?  

Cheers, and happy holidays

Comment by Jill Mulvaney on December 6, 2012 at 8:34am

Hi

I run workshops on distilling techniques - hydro-distillation for quality hydrosol and steam distillation for essential oil. Check our UTUBE channel Alembics NZ we have some demonstration clips of various distilling projects. Here is a link to instructions and articles to download on steam distillation on a small scale http://www.alembics.co.nz/how-to-use-your-still/steam-distillation/

Good luck - its a wonderful pastime

Comment by kiwi brown on December 6, 2012 at 7:54am

Can any one recommend a good site for finding out about steam distilling? I am assuming that is the easiest method, is this true.  I would want to start off very small.  Any comments would help.

Comment by Jill Mulvaney on May 23, 2012 at 12:02pm

Hi Sandra

You will need a still. Have a look at ours on www.alembics.co.nz

You could try a very gentle hydo-distillation using a traditional copper alembic for the sweet peas. I think the fragrance will be allusive however. Tell me what else you are growing and I can give you some ideas. I have just made 10ml of beautiful Rosemary essential oilo

as well as 2 litres of fragrant hydrosol. i do this using a 10 L Column Still. Check out my UTUBE distillations - our channal is Alembics NZ. Distilling is a joyful, rewarding and magical process.

Regards

Jill

Comment by Saundra Bennett on May 21, 2012 at 3:43pm

How do you get started with distilling.   Our gardening season is just starting and I am going to plant sweet peas because I love their fragrance.  I am interested in learning to extract the oil for use in homemade lotion (shea butter).   I also would like to get started with fruit brandies but don't really have any experience.    Any suggestions?

Thanks

Comment by Jill Mulvaney on May 9, 2012 at 9:53am

Hi Dian & Dennis

Sorry I havent replied to your comment, would have loved to have tried some Nocino! I think we will trying the Feilding one this time round. You are right about water soluble compounds from the copper. There are some things that react with copper and produce copper sulphate which is a poison. You can tell when its reacting as tiny blue bits appear. Often it because the still needs a through clean. The only time I have had this reaction was when distilling Rose Geranium there is a constituent in the plant that reacts with the copper. Copper has been used for centuries for distilling and Terry at Schnapp Dragon in Takaka - an experienced comercial distiller certainly has several beautiful working copper stills he uses for his whiskey and liquers with great success. Copper is the preferred choice of whiskey makers. It removes micobes and yeasts from the solution creating a clean distillate. Its reccommended by many distillers using stainless to run the distillate through a copper tube to deodorize it. Anyway, Id like to have both a stainless Still for Rose Geranium and my Copper Stills for our fruit brandies and other aromatic plants I distill.

Comment by Jill Mulvaney on May 9, 2012 at 9:42am

Hi Andy

You could make it yourself so you could develop or test your products. Or try Terry at Schnapp Dragon Distillery Takaka Nelson.

Comment by Andy on May 8, 2012 at 11:57pm

Hello,

I would like to produce same organic liqueur.

I'm looking for a supplier for high quality food grade ethyl alcohol.

A possible minimum purchase portion will be no problem.

Cheers, Andy

Comment by Dian & Dennis Patterson on April 16, 2012 at 4:19pm

Hi Jill & Charlie :

Interesting. Did not see you at this years N / Land Field days. Would have offered you a sample of our Nocino. We are fans of stainless steel distillation units, as we believe that there 2 copper compounds, that are water soluable, and poisonous.

Cheers,

Dian & Dennis

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