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pscyanescens
The Raindancer



Registered: 12/14/06
Posts: 1,397
Loc: Santa Cruz, CA
Last seen: 2 years, 1 month
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Steam distillation of essential oils.
#6679286 - 03/17/07 03:15 AM (16 years, 11 months ago) |
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OK i don't expect much feedback but i was wondering if anyone out there is familiar with the process of extracting essential oils and aromatic oils. I am trying to make a concentrated spearmint oil. I made a glass steam distillation apparatus and gave it my first run today. I am most curious about how to regulate temperatures to obtain the purest most natural smelling and possibly tasting oils.
I heard that steam distillation was one of the best ways to extract just the aromatic oils. Are there some other methods that i might want to try rather then steam distillation?
-------------------- ---------------- "With an abundance of Cyanescens... i would never touch another Cubensis again."
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Luddite
I watch Fox News


Registered: 03/23/06
Posts: 2,946
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Re: Steam distillation of essential oils. [Re: pscyanescens]
#6679402 - 03/17/07 06:40 AM (16 years, 11 months ago) |
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zorbman
blarrr


Registered: 06/04/04
Posts: 5,952
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Re: Steam distillation of essential oils. [Re: pscyanescens]
#6679645 - 03/17/07 09:56 AM (16 years, 11 months ago) |
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I wonder how it would be to just squeeze the plant material into a narrow flask since oil floats on water you could just scoop out the oil into a separate container.
-------------------- “The crisis takes a much longer time coming than you think, and then it happens much faster than you would have thought.” -- Rudiger Dornbusch
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pscyanescens
The Raindancer



Registered: 12/14/06
Posts: 1,397
Loc: Santa Cruz, CA
Last seen: 2 years, 1 month
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Re: Steam distillation of essential oils. [Re: zorbman]
#6685160 - 03/18/07 08:53 PM (16 years, 11 months ago) |
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Cold pressed oil only works with certain types of plant material. I have only heard it mentioned with nuts. Almond to mention one type of cold pressed oil.
It is good to have a thermometer to monitor the steam going in the vessel containing the herbs, and a thermometer for the steam exiting into the condenser. If you have a proper apparatus that is insulated correctly you can lower the atmospheric preassure with a vacuum pump causing the water to boil at a lower temperature, this will help to get rid of any burnt smells.
However i did my first run yesterday and i obtained some orange oil extract and it smelled excellent and exactly like a orange concentrate should. It was a very very small amount of oil that came out of 35 grams of dried peels. So small that it is going to be quite a task separating the oil from the water.
http://www.heartmagic.com/EssentialDistiller.html
-------------------- ---------------- "With an abundance of Cyanescens... i would never touch another Cubensis again."
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