How to Distill Cedar

Steaming the Cedarwood

• 1

  Grind up pieces (branches or bark) of cedarwood using a pestle and mortar. Ten grams of cedarwood is a good starting point. The drier the wood the easier it will be to crush it up.

• 2

  Place cedarwood into a glass heat resistant beaker and add one third of a cup of plain tap water. Keep the cedar from floating to the surface by placing a small rock or heavy stone on top of it (remove before distilling). Remember, the stone will increase the water level so be sure to use an appropriately sized container.

• 3

  Allow the cedar to soak in the water for at least twenty minutes. This helps soften the wood and prepare the cedar for the steam distillation process.

• 4

  Attach the glass beaker to a condenser using a vacuum adapter. This is the type of glass condenser found in science classrooms and can be picked up at stores offering science related equipment or school supplies. The clamps and vacuum adapter will be available at the same store.

• 5

  Heat the condenser where indicated by the particular model's instruction booklet. Use a simple classroom style heat mantle or small gas burner. Be sure to heat the liquid and utilize the vacuum as described in your particular model's booklet. Keep a close eye on the heat to avoid frothing of the cedar.

• 6

  Continue to heat the water soaked cedarwood until you have collected approximately a quarter of a cup of liquid in the condenser. Be sure to switch off your heat mantle before proceeding to the next step.

Extracting the Cedar Oil

• 7

  Pour the distilled liquid in a separatory funnel already attached to a sturdy stand. Wear gloves and goggles when transferring the hot liquid. Again, laboratory equipment is available at specialty and education supply stores.

• 8

  Add two teaspoons of methylene chloride into the funnel and watch as the two liquids separate. The cedar-filled liquid will have particles of organic matter.

• 9

  Remove the cedar matter into another separator funnel and add two teaspoons of methylene chloride to extract any remaining water from the cedar matter.

• 10

  Place the cedar matter into a clean glass beaker. Add two grams of sodium sulfate and let it sit for at least 15 minutes to ensure complete dryness of the cedar material.

• 11

  Set a quarter of the cedar matter into a clean test tube and use steam (not water) to create the sticky solvent that is essential oil. Create the steam by boiling water in the same method as distillation process, but use a piece of rubber tubing to direct the steam into the test tube.

• 12

  Repeat the step above until all of the dry cedar matter is added to the test tube and reduce to a sticky oil by use of steam. This is your cedar oil.