Distilled water is used in alchemy both to make products and to ingest them. While you can purchase distilled water commercially, it is good to get in the habit of making a few ounces in the beginning of your studies so that you can see how the process works. It is also a safe and easy introduction to the techniques of distillation.
The equipment needed is identical to that listed in the previous chapter. Several ounces of tap or spring water will be used in place of a tincture.
The technique is identical to that described in the previous chapter. Place the water into the retort, or the large round-bottomed flask. Bring it to a very low boil. Continue until almost all of the water is out of the flask. Trace minerals that were present in the water will be left behind in your flask. Once you have completed distilling a few ounces of water, you may taste it and compare it to commercially prepared distilled water. You can also test both waters with litmus paper to see if there are any comparable changes in your homemade distilled water compared to the store brand.