Fermentation is used intentionally by c. 8000 BCE to create honey mead , a blend of fermented honey and water. Yeast is crucial to...

Ethyl alcohol, or ethanol, is the primary ingredient in alcoholic beverages. A clear, colorless liquid, it has a chemical formula of...

Tartrate crystals appear on the bottom of a wine glass or in a bottle of grape juice, created by a reaction of tartaric acid. Reference...

Red and white tartar are ingredients used by ancients and yet today. Alchemists have great interest in salts, waters, spirits and...

Preparation of a Golden Spirit of Wine, a medicinal potion, is a recipe from the writings of Dutch-German alchemist Johann Glauber . He's...

Lixiviation or leaching is an ancient process alchemy still used today in making tea, extracting dyes and ores. Lixivium is a general...

Ammonia is a simple versatile compound vital to life on Earth. Here's the info on its formation, historical significance, potential...

The mortar and pestle as a unit is about 35,000 years old. With many varieties available today it's important to choose the best mortar...

Spirit of wine, or spirits of wine, is a common alchemical ingredient in medical remedies and recipes of chemical transformation. This...

Carbuncle has many meanings. Today it most often describes a deep red almandine garnet gemstone cut with a smooth, convex face or...

Hydrogen Peroxide (H₂O₂) is one of the most versatile chemicals today due to powerful oxidizing properties and a wide range of...

Litharge (PbO) is a lead oxide mineral with an alpha and beta structure. It's among the most prominent of the lead oxides known due to...

In the Renaissance new healing treatments come to light, many based on ancient medicine. In the 17th and 18th century these include...

Born in Ireland in 1627, Robert Boyle plays a significant role in the 17th century "scientific revolution". His groundbreaking...

Distilling essential oil can be used for aromatherapy, in cuisine, beauty, healing or to set a mood. Here's the methodology to capture...

Johann Rudolf Glauber is a German-Dutch polymath who revolutionizes the scientific world with groundbreaking discoveries and innovative...

Arcanum Duplicatum is known by many names: sulphate of potash, arcanite, potash of sulfur, potassium sulfate. An inorganic compound, it...

Ardent Spirits in alchemy are liquors obtained after repeated distillations from fermented fruit and vegetables. They are thus called...

Oil of Brick is known as Oil of Philosophers by alchemists and Oleum de Lateribus  (Oil on the Sides) by apothecaries. This medicinal and...

Arcanum Joviale is an alchemy medicine made of metal salts, taken to induce sweating. While the term sudorific is introduced in 1626,...