Distillation 101: How to Start Distilling Flowers at Home

Distillation sounds like a complex process. It is not anymore until you understand how it works. Through this article, you will know how distillation works, 1-2-3 steps of your first distillation, and what recommended using for the first run.

What is distillation?

Distillation is an extraction process. It extracts essential compounds out of plant materials. It is the most common method for making essential oil and hydrosol.

Distillation is a heat driven water extraction. There are two ways: water distillation (or hydro-distillation) and steam distillation.

Water distillation is boiling the mixture material with water and then condensate back into liquid.

During steam distillation, water is separated from plant material. During boiling, water steam is passing though the plant material, extract out essential compounds, and then it is condensed into liquid.

As a newcomer, steam distillation is easier for practicing and also it is more efficient than water distillation. LETIME LT3000 is a novel designed steam distiller for using at home.

Steps of distillation:

There are only 3 steps you need follow to have your successful first distillation.

Step 1:  Find the plant material you like to distill and prepare for distillation. No idea about plant material yet? No problem! Keep reading this article and you will find a good recommendation to start with.

Extraction is a reaction happening between interphase.   Increasing contact between material and steam (or hot water) is critical to make maximal use of your precious material. Cut, chop or blend into small pieces is the key especially for home distillation.

Step 2: Pour prepared material into LT3000 column and assemble the whole kit. LT3000 is hand operation kit so no tool is needed to start your distillation.

Use filtered water or dechlorinated water for distillation.  Remove odors in water, such as chlorine, which can keep your product without funny smells.

Step 3: Start distillation and run condensation to collect your product. Your product is coming out from the condenser outlet. It is the end of coil tubing.

The product has a scientific name, distillate. Distillate can be oil or essential oil and “water” or hydrosol. However, hydrosol is not pure water. It contains water soluble chemicals and small amount of essential oil. Due to the dispersed oil within hydrosol, it appears milky color.

Condensation is the process cooling down the steam back into liquid. You can either manually add cold stuff into condenser so as to cool down or use circulation to continuously run cold medium into condenser for condensation.

For your first run, manual cooling is recommended because it is easy to operate and control. Ice cubes are good cooling medium to be used so as to reduce work load. Because with steam coming out cooling medium has to be added continuously once they melt and heated up.

Download LETIME Virtual Distillation (LVD) APP to practice your distillation.

Recommended material for your first distillation

Lavender buds!

Lavender is an universal use medicinal flower. It can help calm down or stimulate depends on the amount you use, reduce inflammation, relief pain, and improve sleep. The multiple uses make it perfect candidate for your first distillation.

Lavender buds are in perfect size for direct distillation. No preparation is needed!

Steam distillation with one LT3000 column of lavender buds, around 200 gram, can make you good amount of milky hydrosol plus milliliters of wonderful essential oil.

Still having questions? No problem! Ask Leo!