Quickribbon

Eucalyptus Oil Distillation: Hi Tech Methods!

Share

Distilling Eucalyptus Oil: the Scented Medicinal Liquid Gold

Eucalypts are multi-purpose trees. We have explored together numerous examples of it here in Eucalyptologics along time, from high value wood product uses to excellent raw timber for pulp and paper manufacture, from honey production to ornamental use, from ecological restoration to CO2 capture.

But there is one classic use, starting as early as the days of the First Fleet, that played a major role for the early expansion of Eucalyptus cultivation around the world in the era of the Fever Tree: the medicinal Eucalyptus Oil.

Just some weeks ago we were approached by some Eucalyptus fans with a crazy idea: Why not doing again what the early pioneers did and has been done since with these plants to show the people of today why Eucalyptus trees have always been considered "trees of good health"?


Eucalyptus Oil / Eucalyptus Essential Oil / Eucalyptus globulus leaf harvest in Galicia for Distillation / Aceite esencial de eucalipto / Cosecha de hojas de Eucalipto Globulus en Galicia para destileria / GIT Forestry Consulting SL / Gustavo Iglesias Trabado, Roberto Carballeira Tenreiro and Javier Folgueira Lozano / GIT Forestry Consulting SL, Consultoría y Servicios de Ingeniería Agroforestal, Lugo, Galicia, España, Spain / Eucalyptologics, information resources on Eucalyptus cultivation around the world / Eucalyptologics, recursos de informacion sobre el cultivo del eucalipto en el mundo

So, we decided it was a good idea to roam around the Eucalyptus Coastal Belt of Galicia to find a suitable place in which to collect the necessary amount of fresh eucalypt leaves to fulfill the request. And we did so using the latest local technology for harvest (Fouciño Method).


Eucalyptus Oil / Eucalyptus Essential Oil / Eucalyptus globulus leaf harvest in Galicia for Distillation / Aceite esencial de eucalipto / Cosecha de hojas de Eucalipto Globulus en Galicia para destileria/ GIT Forestry Consulting SL / Gustavo Iglesias Trabado, Roberto Carballeira Tenreiro and Javier Folgueira Lozano / GIT Forestry Consulting SL, Consultoría y Servicios de Ingeniería Agroforestal, Lugo, Galicia, España, Spain / Eucalyptologics, information resources on Eucalyptus cultivation around the world / Eucalyptologics, recursos de informacion sobre el cultivo del eucalipto en el mundo

Once harvested, selected, cleaned and sorted out, the massive initial amount of Eucalyptus foliage, rich in essential oil glands, and hence rich in raw Eucalyptus oil, was reduced to the minimum volume possible and weighted before starting a long journey away from Nova Australia!


Eucalyptus Oil Trek / Travelling Galician Eucalyptus to the Netherlands / El viaje de Galicia a Holanda de Eucalyptus para Perfumeria Eucalyptus Oil / Eucalyptus Essential Oil / Eucalyptus globulus leaf harvest in Galicia for Distillation / Aceite esencial de eucalipto / Cosecha de hojas de Eucalipto Globulus en Galicia para destileria/ GIT Forestry Consulting SL / Gustavo Iglesias Trabado, Roberto Carballeira Tenreiro and Javier Folgueira Lozano / GIT Forestry Consulting SL, Consultoría y Servicios de Ingeniería Agroforestal, Lugo, Galicia, España, Spain / Eucalyptologics, information resources on Eucalyptus cultivation around the world / Eucalyptologics, recursos de informacion sobre el cultivo del eucalipto en el mundo

And that way, the Eucalyptus Oil Trek started for those fresh leaves, all the way from Galicia in Northwestern Spain to the grounds of the EucalyptusFeest 2010 in the Netherlands!


KOALA Eucalyptus Nursery, cold hardy Eucalyptus in the Netherlands / de Groene Prins exotic plant nursery, cold hardy Eucalyptus in the Netherlands / Eucalyptusfeest 2010 / GIT Forestry Consulting SL / Gustavo Iglesias Trabado, Roberto Carballeira Tenreiro and Javier Folgueira Lozano / GIT Forestry Consulting SL, Consultoría y Servicios de Ingeniería Agroforestal, Lugo, Galicia, España, Spain / Eucalyptologics, information resources on Eucalyptus cultivation around the world / Eucalyptologics, recursos de informacion sobre el cultivo del eucalipto en el mundo

There in the EucalyptusFeest, Mary Rouw (EucalyptusKwekerij KOALA) and Hans Prins (de Groene Prins Kwekerij) had assembled a jungle of exotic plants that visitors could look at, touch and talk about while the Didgeridoos played. Among the ornamental plant stock, Mary's cold hardy Eucalyptus, suitable for gardening in the Netherlands, brought to the event from KOALA Nursery grounds for the amusement of those suffering from Aussie fever.


Eucalyptus Oil Distillation / Henk Ploeger loading Alembic with Galician Eucalyptus globulus for essential oil distillation / Koala Eucalyptuskwekerij / de Groene Prins Kwekerij / GIT Forestry Consulting SL / Gustavo Iglesias Trabado, Roberto Carballeira Tenreiro and Javier Folgueira Lozano / GIT Forestry Consulting SL, Consultoría y Servicios de Ingeniería Agroforestal, Lugo, Galicia, España, Spain / Eucalyptologics, information resources on Eucalyptus cultivation around the world / Eucalyptologics, recursos de informacion sobre el cultivo del eucalipto en el mundo

And then Henk Ploeger (aka Henk the Alchemist) started doing his thing: the Eucalyptus leaves left their bags and landed in the Alembic, getting ready to be well steamed in order to extract the Eucalyptus Oil contained within. Not so different from how the Eucalyptus Oil Industry started back in Australia in the 1850's.


Eucalyptus Oil Distillation / Catharina Ploeger sealing Alembic for Eucalyptus globulus essential oil distillation / Koala Eucalyptuskwekerij / de Groene Prins Kwekerij/ GIT Forestry Consulting SL / Gustavo Iglesias Trabado, Roberto Carballeira Tenreiro and Javier Folgueira Lozano / GIT Forestry Consulting SL, Consultoría y Servicios de Ingeniería Agroforestal, Lugo, Galicia, España, Spain / Eucalyptologics, information resources on Eucalyptus cultivation around the world / Eucalyptologics, recursos de informacion sobre el cultivo del eucalipto en el mundo

"Trasmutation" of such raw biomass as Eucalyptus leaves are into the desired small fraction of Eucalyptus Oil means, as for any essential oil, the need of as closed a circuit as possible to avoid the loss of volatile fractions. That is the reason Catharina seals the Alembic chamber with hi tech materials (Rye Flour Method), which will become solid as cement as soon as dry. And once this is done... the fun starts!


Eucalyptus Oil Distillation / Alembic for Eucalyptus essential oil distillation / Destilado de Aceite Esencial de Eucalipto / Uso de alambique para destilado de aceite de eucalipto / Koala Eucalyptuskwekerij / de Groene Prins Kwekerij// GIT Forestry Consulting SL / Gustavo Iglesias Trabado, Roberto Carballeira Tenreiro and Javier Folgueira Lozano / GIT Forestry Consulting SL, Consultoría y Servicios de Ingeniería Agroforestal, Lugo, Galicia, España, Spain / Eucalyptologics, information resources on Eucalyptus cultivation around the world / Eucalyptologics, recursos de informacion sobre el cultivo del eucalipto en el mundo

The Eucalyptus Oil Fest process is simple: boiling water produces steam, which flushes through the load of Eucalyptus leaves, heating the contents of the oil glands, which volatilize and are carried on by the steam away from the chamber through the funnel, until reaching the serpentine. As that last part of the circuit is cooled, the oil rich steam condensates and becomes a liquid hydrolat: oil rich essential water, or crude Eucalyptus Oil.


Eucalyptus Oil Distillation / Hans Prins watching Henks Alembic distilling Eucalyptus globulus essential oil at de Groene Prins nursery / Koala Eucalyptuskwekerij / de Groene Prins Kwekerij / GIT Forestry Consulting SL / Gustavo Iglesias Trabado, Roberto Carballeira Tenreiro and Javier Folgueira Lozano / GIT Forestry Consulting SL, Consultoría y Servicios de Ingeniería Agroforestal, Lugo, Galicia, España, Spain / Eucalyptologics, information resources on Eucalyptus cultivation around the world / Eucalyptologics, recursos de informacion sobre el cultivo del eucalipto en el mundo

Like a kettle brewing tea, the Alembic must boil for time enough as for the steam to extract the major fraction of oil from the load of Eucalyptus leaves. Time enough to share funny exotic plant stories and to wonder if there will really be some visible outcome from this.


Eucalyptus Oil Distillation / Henk Ploeger inspecting crude Eucalyptus globulus essential oil after distillation / Koala Eucalyptuskwekerij / de Groene Prins Kwekerij/ GIT Forestry Consulting SL / Gustavo Iglesias Trabado, Roberto Carballeira Tenreiro and Javier Folgueira Lozano / GIT Forestry Consulting SL, Consultoría y Servicios de Ingeniería Agroforestal, Lugo, Galicia, España, Spain / Eucalyptologics, information resources on Eucalyptus cultivation around the world / Eucalyptologics, recursos de informacion sobre el cultivo del eucalipto en el mundo

And there it is the visible result, once the excess water content of the crude oil mix is removed, for the amusement of oil distillers and surprised visitors. Essence of Galician Eucalyptus, organically made in the Netherlands.


Eucalyptus Oil Distillation / Eucalyptusfeest 2010 / Koala Eucalyptuskwekerij / de Groene Prins Kwekerij// GIT Forestry Consulting SL / Gustavo Iglesias Trabado, Roberto Carballeira Tenreiro and Javier Folgueira Lozano / GIT Forestry Consulting SL, Consultoría y Servicios de Ingeniería Agroforestal, Lugo, Galicia, España, Spain / Eucalyptologics, information resources on Eucalyptus cultivation around the world / Eucalyptologics, recursos de informacion sobre el cultivo del eucalipto en el mundo

Success then at the EucalyptusFeest 2010. Not surprising if we consider Eucalyptus globulus has been, for a long time, one of the most widely cultivated species used for essential oil production due to the abundance of oil glands in its foliage, and the richness of that oil in the desired aromatic compound: cineole.


Contact / subscribe to Eucalyptologics

Contact GIT Forestry Consulting / Contact Eucalyptologics / Contacto GIT Forestry Consulting / Contacto Eucalyptologics / Lugo, Galicia, Spain, España / Eucalyptologics, information resources on Eucalyptus cultivation around the world / Eucalyptologics, recursos de informacion sobre el cultivo del eucalipto en el mundoContact GIT Forestry Consulting - Eucalyptologics


EUCALYPTOLOGICS: GIT Forestry Consulting Eucalyptus Blog / Information Resources on Eucalyptus Cultivation Worldwide / Forestry Engineering, Eucalyptus Seed, Eucalyptus Plants, Eucalyptus Wood, Eucalyptus Honey, Eucalyptus Essential Oil, Eucalyptus Forests, Eucalyptus Plantations, Eucalyptus Timber, Eucalyptus Lumber, Eucalyptus Furniture, Eucalyptus Veneer, Eucalyptus Plywood, Eucalyptus MDF Board, Eucalyptus Cellulose, Eucalyptus Paper, Eucalyptus Biomass, Eucalyptus Energy, Eucalyptus Floristry, Eucalyptus Foliage, Eucalyptus Garden / Ingenieria Forestal, Semilla de eucalipto, Plantas de eucalipto, Madera de eucalipto, Miel de eucalipto, Aceite Esencial de eucalipto, Bosque de eucalipto, Plantacion de eucalipto, Muebles de eucalipto, Tablero de eucalipto, MDF de eucalipto, Celulosa de eucalipto, Papel de eucalipto, Biomasa de eucalipto, Energia de eucalipto, Ramillo Verde Ornamental de Eucalipto, Jardin de Eucalipto / GIT Forestry Consulting, Consultoría y Servicios de Ingeniería Agroforestal, Galicia, España, Spain / Eucalyptologics, information resources on Eucalyptus cultivation around the world / Eucalyptologics, recursos de informacion sobre el cultivo del eucalipto en el mundoGIT's Eucalyptology Topics

© 2007-2010 Gustavo Iglesias Trabado. Please contact us if you want to use all or part of this text and photography elsewhere. We like to share, but we do not like rudeness.

0 Comments by our readers :::


GIT's Eucalyptology Topics
Subscribe via RSS Subscribe via e-mail