Stabilizing Hydrolates

[Guest guest]

Hi Jan,

 

> Dear Butch and the rest:

>

> I have about a gallon of hydrolate from my distillations this year of

> 'grosso' lavender. How do I keep it from molding?. I wrote Butch and

> said my thought was freezing it or sterile filtering. I know it

> developes molds from previous runs.

>

> Jan Young

 

A Cyber Monster must have eaten your copy of the post I sent to the list

Friday ... it is below. :-P Lemme add that if you put the Hydrosol

in an old container that might contain mold spores (they can live a long

time) or in a container that has ANY moisture in it .. you can get mold

in a heartbeat cause it is immediately contaminated. Butch

 

Hydrosol Storage

Fri, 01 Aug 2003 01:39:19 -0700

Butch Owen <butchbsi

 

Hi Jan,

 

> Dear Butch, I have about a gallon on lavandula x intermedia " Grosso "

> hydrosol. How do I keep it from molding?

 

Keep it away from the mold spores. ;-p I am serious.

 

> I have 100 plants and distill the oil every year on my birthday with

> lots of help. I don't sell it but give it away. I have spritzers

> from the SKS plastic folks to put it in. If I use isopropanol it

> would smell like alcohol so that's not a solution. I could keep it

> frozen or maybe sterile filter it into sterile containers but that is

> a set up I'd have to organize. ( Maybe that's what I should do. )

 

Right you are on that. You gotta filter it anyway .. maybe often.

 

> I'd love to find out. I hope you can help me.

> Jan

 

When that Hydrosol exits the still it is PURE and UNCONTAMINATED. It

can not contaminate itself .. but you can do this with any form of mold

or microbial critters. You MUST use COLORED glass sterile containers ..

you have no choice.

 

Don't touch the rim of the container .. or the cap/lid. Keep it locked

up tight, outta sight and outta the light. Ideally, refrigerate it. It

does no more than it does for any food we refrigerate .. slows down the

growth of bacteria .. but if the container was sterile to begin with and

has not been contaminated from outside since then .. there's nothing to

be concerned about as there is no bacteria to grow.

 

A gallon of Grosso will last two years or MORE if stored properly. If

you are using an ounce a month then you might wanna top it off with a

nitrogen flush to displace the oxygen .. get a can at your local fine

wine shop.

 

Good luck .. and y'all keep smiling. :-)

 

Butch http://www.AV-AT.com