Essential Oil andamp; Hydrosol Distillation Kit @ Hen of the Woods Artisan Acres, NS, Canada
Regardless of the model, before using your alembic for the first time, we recommend that you carry out a water distillation to clean out any impurities left over from the alembic construction process. Afterwards, like any piece of machinery or hardware, it is essential that you keep your alembic clean so that it lasts over the years.
If you only use your alembic once a year, you should make sure you clean it properly before storing it for the following year's distillation, which is what happens in the Iberian Peninsula after the harvest season. The cleaning process will remove sulphuric acids as well as other harmful substances that have accumulated and deposited on the walls of the still, from the pot to the coil. You can carry out the cleaning distillation with a mixture of rye flour and water.