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Snowy River Lavender’s Distillery Processes

The final pack ensures the flower is packed evenly right to the edges all the way to the top of the chamber. If the pack is not even the steam will naturally take the easiest way out neglecting the more compact areas.

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From field to cellar: a chronology of lavender distillation

Once the harvested flower is brought to the distillery, it is important to make sure it enters the still in premium condition. The flower is laid out on tarps, cleared of any extraneous plant matter and tossed with a pitch fork, to assist air circulation around the flower. This helps to maintain fresh condition, or, if progress to the still is delayed, allows the flower to gently air dry. Lavender can be distilled fresh or dry and while we work the flower close to still time, sometimes it is more desirable to get the flower off at the right time and to dry it. When this is the case, the flower needs to be turned twice daily if drying is to be successful.

 

Before distillation: fresh cut flower spikes ready to be packed into the still.
Before distillation: fresh cut flower spikes ready to be packed into the still.

Along with care of cut flower, packing the still is critically important to successful distillation. If the flower is not compacted evenly in the distillation chamber, the steam will naturally find the easiest path out and steam will not envelope all, of the flower. Because we are small scale distillers we compact flower into the still by way of stomping.

Once packed, the distillation chamber is swung into place on to the still base. The still set is completed when the condenser lid is clamped into place. Once set, steam is pumped into the distillation chamber and distilling is underway. Distilling demands care, knowledge, vigilance and record making. Our distillations run 2 hours for the lavenders, and two and half for the lavandins, after which, the still is unloaded and the process is set to go again.

After distillation: the beautiful purple spikes leave the still as lavender straw. This straw is composted and returned to the farm to sustain fertility
After distillation: the beautiful purple spikes leave
the still as lavender straw. This straw is composted
and returned to the farm to sustain fertility

Essential oil is tapped into amber glass bottles and hydrosol into heavy duty plastic cubes. Both are cellared cool, dark and airtight. Essential oils are allowed to sit for 2-3 months and then go through a drying out process where any residual hydrosol is removed. When rebottled the head space above the essential oil is filled with nitrogen vapour to prevent any oxidisation. Both essential oils and hydrosols are cellared for twelve month before being released for sale.

Pre-Distillation Processes

Cut flower, turned and aerated, fills the distillery shed ready for a day’s distilling.
Cut flower, turned and aerated, fills the distillery shed ready for a day’s distilling.
Packing the still so that the plant matter is evenly compacted in the distillation chamber is critically important. The aim is to slow the trajectory of stream through the chamber so that it envelopes equally all the flower. Compaction is achieved by stomping.
Packing the still so that the plant matter is evenly compacted in the distillation chamber is critically important. The aim is to slow the trajectory of stream through the chamber so that it envelopes equally all the flower. Compaction is achieved by stomping.
The final pack ensures the flower is packed evenly right to the edges all the way to the top of the chamber. If the pack is not even the steam will naturally take the easiest way out neglecting the more compact areas.
The final pack ensures the flower is packed evenly right to the edges all the way to the top of the chamber. If the pack is not even the steam will naturally take the easiest way out neglecting the more compact areas.
The distillation chamber is manually swung onto the still base using a fulcrum. This takes a lot of strength. Once in position the lid with the condenser are clamped into place ready for distillation to begin.
The distillation chamber is manually swung onto the still base using a fulcrum. This takes a lot of strength. Once in position the lid with the condenser are clamped into place ready for distillation to begin.

Distilling

The still in operation – control of the still is manual and demands skill and vigilance. It is necessary to distil in an open but protected shed. The white cube is for tapping off the hydrosol.
The still in operation – control of the still is manual and demands skill and vigilance. It is necessary to distil in an open but protected shed. The white cube is for tapping off the hydrosol.
As distillate fills the separatory vessel, essential oil rises forming a golden band at the top. Hydrosol, at first a cloudy, soon clarifies and is tapped off many times before the oil is decanted into an amber glass bottle.
As distillate fills the separatory vessel, essential oil rises forming a golden band at the top. Hydrosol, at first a cloudy, soon clarifies and is tapped off many times before the oil is decanted into an amber glass bottle.
Distillate leaving the stills condenser - under normal circumstances this end is covered to protect the distillate as it enters the separatory vessel.
Distillate leaving the stills condenser - under normal circumstances this end is covered to protect the distillate as it enters the separatory vessel.
Alchemy, the band of gold is pure and precious lavender essential oil. The flower in the background will soon also be this precious liquid.
Alchemy, the band of gold is pure and precious lavender essential oil. The flower in the background will soon also be this precious liquid.

Post Distillation

Record keeping is an important part of each distillation. While we have always kept records, since our 2013 distilling season records have been systematised so that each distillation can be traced to an exact bottle in the cellar. It is our aim to maintain the integrity of each distillation.
Record keeping is an important part of each distillation. While we have always kept records, since our 2013 distilling season records have been systematised so that each distillation can be traced to an exact bottle in the cellar. It is our aim to maintain the integrity of each distillation.
It is usual for some hydrosol to be residual in the essential oil after the tapping off process at the still. After a couple of months settling time in the cellar, this hydrosol manifests as small bubbles at the bottom of the bottle. This is common to all boutique distillations where each charge of the still is treated as a discrete process. This differs to the more industrial method of a continuous distillation, where product from one distillation merges into the next with separation also a continuous process.
It is usual for some hydrosol to be residual in the essential oil after the tapping off process at the still. After a couple of months settling time in the cellar, this hydrosol manifests as small bubbles at the bottom of the bottle. This is common to all boutique distillations where each charge of the still is treated as a discrete process. This differs to the more industrial method of a continuous distillation, where product from one distillation merges into the next with separation also a continuous process.
Hydrosol bubbles are removed by decanting the essential oil back into a separatory vessel allowing the hydrosol to settle. This process is called ‘drying out’ and it takes vigilance and good reflexes. All our essential oils go through this process before it is released for sale.
Hydrosol bubbles are removed by decanting the essential oil back into a separatory vessel allowing the hydrosol to settle. This process is called ‘drying out’ and it takes vigilance and good reflexes. All our essential oils go through this process before it is released for sale.
Essential oils and hydrosols are stored dark and cool in a dedicated cellar. After the drying off process, the headspace in each bottle of essential oil is filled with nitrogen vapour. Nitrogen facilitates the oxygen free environment in which the essential oil can rest until it is sold or used.
Essential oils and hydrosols are stored dark and cool in a dedicated cellar. After the drying off process, the headspace in each bottle of essential oil is filled with nitrogen vapour. Nitrogen facilitates the oxygen free environment in which the essential oil can rest until it is sold or used.