Forest Spirits: How to Determine Alcohol Content using Steam Distillation
The detectives gather in the office, awaiting a case to solve. Cornlumbo is busily working through the cake Miss Mapple made using her great-great grandmother’s recipe.
Meanwhile, deep in the lush forest of Dorset, England, under a mossy boulder that has stood the test of time, William Josset has bottled his latest batch of spirits. William, known affectionately by locals as the “Dorset Beaver”, earned his moniker through his respectful foraging techniques, which have, over time, sculpted the landscape. His foraging led him to clear invasive species, allowing native plants and wildlife to flourish. The landscape around him has blossomed, and with it, the community has grown closer, united by a shared appreciation for the natural bounty that surrounded them.
William crafted spirits imbued with the essence of the forest. His concoctions, distilled from the rarest herbs, berries, and fruits, were legendary. In his hands, these gifts of the forest were transformed through ancient alchemy into elixirs that captured the essence of Dorset itself, from liqueurs made with cobnuts, rhubarb, hazelnuts, haws, and lovage to lovingly crafted gins made from blackberries, elderberries, and rosehips.
To celebrate his latest batch, which he intended to sell at local markets and fares, the Dorset Beaver set the scene for an evening none would soon forget. Lanterns hung from the gnarled arms of oaks and birches, casting a soft, ethereal glow that danced upon the faces of the gathered locals. As the moon climbed higher and the laughter grew louder, the potent alchemy of his spirits unveiled their hidden strength. The forest, a once serene backdrop, now seemed to pulse with a life of its own. The locals, emboldened by the liquid magic coursing through their veins, found themselves slipping from the grip of reality. Guests began enacting scenes from local folklore, professing undying love to trees, and attempting to serenade the local wildlife. One man crowned with ferns proclaimed himself king of the woodland; his courtiers were a band of giggling followers adorned with garlands of wildflowers. At midnight, the Dorset Beaver poured a large glass of his latest creation for all in attendance. The locals held their glasses high and drank the sweet red tonic bestowed upon them.
In the silence that followed, the partygoers found themselves drawn to a glowing luminescence. There, by the mossy boulder surrounded by snowdrops, a woman danced with the grace of the wind, her movements so fluid that she seemed a part of the forest itself. Lumi, as she became known, was a vision of the woodland’s essence. Her hair flowed like the cascading tendrils of willow; her eyes sparkled with the depth of starlit skies, and her wings fluttered with the gentle grace of autumn leaves in the wind.
Lumi moved among the awestruck humans, her feet barely touching the ground, her laughter a melody that seemed to harmonize with the very soul of the forest. “Lift your hearts to the beauty around you,” she whispered in a voice as soft as the rustle of leaves. As she spoke, the very air seemed to shimmer with the truth of her words, and then, as gently as she appeared, Lumi began to fade, her form dissolving into the night, leaving behind a trail of luminescent sparkles that hovered in the air like fireflies. The Dorset locals made their way to their homes with a quiet reverence for the forest and its secrets.
News of the gathering and tales of the “Enchanted Forest Festival” spread far and wide and soon got the attention of the local authorities, who were keen to understand the magical properties of Williams’s foraged elixir. It turned out that the Dorset Beaver had no idea of the alcohol content of his spirits and would, therefore, not be able to sell it to the local populace until he had made the necessary declarations. On the advice of the local authorities, William called for the help of the detectives.
Back in the office, Cornlumbo is polishing off the last of Miss Mapple’s cake as the phone rings. Shallot speaks to William Josset, who explains the situation in the forest and the need to determine the strength of his various liqueurs. On hearing the details, Eggcule Poirot is keen to investigate. He had recently helped a client uncover the secrets of sulfur dioxide analysis by testing their wine and had knowledge of testing analytes in beer. “I’m sure I can get to the bottom of the mystery contained within this man’s liqueurs,” exclaims Eggcule. “Just be sure to perform the scientific analysis before you inevitably begin your organoleptic tests; we don’t want you being taken by the forest spirits,” says Holmes to the amusement of the detectives.
The next day, Eggcule arrives at the heart of the forest, where ancient trees whisper age-old secrets and a sizeable moss-covered boulder glimmers in the sunlight. Out from beneath the boulder pops the Dorset Beaver holding a large bottle filled with a deep red liqueur. “All right, me old mucker,” says the Dorset Beaver. After getting over the appearance of this disheveled bearded fellow, Eggcule cannot take his eyes off the ruby-red liqueur held before him. “So, this is the mysterious spirit of the forest,” says Eggcule. “Well, this is one of them; I have a range of drinks. I’ve been very busy,” says William. “Right, let's get to work,” says Eggcule, who leads the Dorset Beaver out of the forest to a local laboratory where they can perform the relevant analysis.
The inside of the laboratory couldn’t have been more alien to the Dorset Beaver, who was more used to topography than chromatography. Eggcule explains how they can determine the alcohol content of his various forest spirits using a two-step method. The first step is steam distillation.
Steam Distillation
Eggcule explains that steam distillation separates alcohol and other volatile substances from non-volatile components. “This step is crucial for obtaining a clear and uncontaminated sample for accurate measurement. We must ensure all the glassware is clean. We do this using an alkaline detergent to ensure it’s free of any contaminants that may skew our results,” says Eggcule. William watches as Eggcule demonstrates the conditioning of the EasyDist glassware, running a cleaning cycle with a solution of Extran® MA01 before rinsing it thoroughly with deionized water. “Next, we must verify the distillation apparatus using a 50% vol ethanol-water mixture to ensure the equipment is calibrated correctly and ready for your spirits,” explains Eggcule.
William and Eggcule begin to test each of his spirits in turn. They precisely measure each sample, condition it in a thermostatic water bath, and carefully distill the spirit, collecting the condensate in a volumetric flask. “The heart of our quest,” Eggcule says excitedly, “is the density measurement. By injecting the distillate into an electronic density meter, we can determine the alcohol content with remarkable accuracy.”
The digital density meter hums softly, displaying the distillate's density. Eggcule explains how the results are converted from density to alcohol content using International Alcoholometric Tables. He notes that the final calculation accounts for dilution, offering the precise alcohol content of the spirits. He even shows William a modern laboratory technique that could speed up the process of making his gins and liqueurs.
Eggcule and William test each of the spirits and note the alcohol content. The last spirit they test is the mysterious red liqueur, which has an ABV of 63%. “Wow, 63%; well, I guess that explains the events in the forest,” says Eggcule. “I guess so,” says William. Eggcule then inevitably asks if he can try the ruby red liqueur. “Of course, but not here; this is not the right environment for my latest tonic; we should head back to the mossy boulder,” says William.
Eggcule and William make their way back to the heart of the forest, sit upon the mossy boulder, and pour themselves a large glass. After about 20 minutes, William turns toward Eggcule and says, “Thank you for helping me determine the alcohol content, but what about the psilocybin content? How do we measure that?” says William. “Psilocybin! You didn’t tell me it contained magic mushrooms! Oh, Mon Dieu!” exclaimed Eggcule as the moonlight broke through the canopy, illuminating the mossy boulder.