Herbs in Africa -
The Home Based Herbal Business.
In the first 4 articles of this series of Herbs in Africa, we have looked in
broad outline at the basic requirements for small scale operations up to 4 ha in
size. So in the next few articles we will look at micro scale operations. Herbs
as a domestic industry. The micro production may be easily scaled up to meet
small scale operations.
I have noted that in Europe, USA and the Southern hemisphere many such
enterprises have grown to the scale of small industry, whilst others have met
the requirements of a local market being quite happy to make an independent
living. Their offerings run the whole spectrum, edibles, medicinals, but most
important from a cottage industry perspective, the body care and cosmetic
market.
One may start by making small batches and circulating them in amongst family,
friends and colleagues. This would be your first marketing exercise, this to
judge likely public reaction to your products. If they are good, then one could
distribute by direct sale, mail order or act as manufacturing wholesaler and
persuade retailers to stock the products. You will need to cost the products
out. That means everything involved in the selling price of the item must be
carefully worked out.
The basic raw material is the herbs. From article 1 in this series we have
the following information as representing fair average yields per ha but only if
the crops are at the correct spacing. That information is available via the
internet from the agriculture department of most countries. For sound reasons
one should always operate on dried herb. Therefore the average dried yield
figures will translate into:
Root : 2.5kg per m3. Herb : 2kg per m3 Flower Petals : 50g per
m3
One square metre is not a large space and may be converted into boxes or
containers to grow the herbs in. Container and patio gardening is popular on a
global basis. Much valuable information may again be gleaned from the internet
with reference to what is required for that type of production.
The root and herb in the majority of cases will be the substances that are
included in the majority of the actives used in the products. There are some
preparations in which whole dried flowers are extracted, but the general rule
is, that petals are used to perfume a product. Accordingly the ratio of perfume
to product is very small in comparison to the bulk of the product.
The amount of actives in a product would be at a strength of :
(1) 1:10 ... 10 ml is equal to 1g of the air dried plant. 1kg is the
equivalent of 10 litres.
(2) 1:20 ... 20 ml is equal to 1g of the air dried plant. 1kg is the equivalent
of 20 litres
(3) In Homeopathic potencies.
In practice the starting extraction rate would be 1:1 (1kg = 1litre) if it is
to be incorporated in a lotion, cream or salve. If your intended product were a
potion then the 1:10 and 1:20 figures will give you an estimate of end product
yield.
Essential Apparatus
Much of the apparatus required for the manipulation of plant material may be
found in any reasonably well equipped kitchen.
Heat and oven proof glass ware. Weighing scales which should be accurate to
1g. Temperature controlled cook pots and fry pans. The fry pan makes a very good
water bath for temperature control purposes. Coffee grinder and Blender will be
found most useful for size reduction of the raw botanic material. Try to ensure
that all materials in contact with the solvent is either glass or stainless
steel.
If you intend to sell your products, then the minimum standard of hygiene, is
that which is expected of a restaurant kitchen.
The Solvents
The solvents are (1) Distilled water. (2) Rectified spirit 90% v/v. (3) Various
strengths of alcohol and water. There are some very sound reasons for this. One
may obtain the ethanol either by the fermentation and distillation of ones own
spirit. Rectify wine or rectify commercial spirits. (See part 3 of this series)
One may purchase laboratory glass ware which is expensive or use your ingenuity
and make your own apparatus.
Distillation Apparatus
Commercial Glassware with ground glass joints
The glassware has many advantages. It may be easily stripped for cleaning
purposes. It is light and portable and conducts heat efficiently. Major draw
backs are that it is fragile, expensive and only suitable for small batches.
Home Made Apparatus
The Key :
(A) Breakable joints for cleaning purposes.
(B) ‘G' clamps to secure the still head to the body of the still.
(C) Stainless steel frying basket. with the handle bent across the mouth of the
basket
(D) Welded lugs to support the basket.
(E) Liquid reservoir.
The apparatus as shown is a modified stainless steel pressure cooker. In its
current configuration it is used for the extraction of essential oils for small
scale use. Oils are obtained by steam passing through the material in the charge
basket.
If the basket is removed it may be used to manufacture or rectify alcohol.
With a suitable modification the apparatus may be used with a venturi tube for
distillation under reduced pressure. The apparatus is simple, robust and
relatively cheap to make.
Two construction points of importance:
(1) The still head and still body must
have a hermetic seal.
(2) The Condenser must be sized to dissipate the heat generated and efficiently
condense the vapours back to liquid. These two points are usually the cause of
failure or inefficiency in home built apparatus.
High Strength Alcohol By Freezing Out :
This is an ancient technique that preceded that of distillation, and was known
to the central Asian tribes 500 years before the birth of Christ.
Empty a bottle of wine or spirits into a suitable sealed container. Water
when it turns to ice will expand, so ensure that there is sufficient expansion
room in the container. Place the container into the domestic freezer and leave
until the water has frozen.
The unfrozen liquid is high strength alcohol. Decant it and seal it in a
glass bottle. It is volatile i.e. it is inflammable and will evaporate easily.
Freezing Point: -114.00°C. Boiling Point: 78.00°C.
This method was first bought to the attention of Europeans by Paracelsus in
his published work ‘Archidoxis' written in 1527. Francis Bacon reported as
follows ;
"Paracelsus reporteth, that if a glass of wine be set
upon a terrace in bitter frost, it will leave some liquor
unfrozen in the centre of the glass, which excelleth
Spiritus Vini drawn by fire.
The basic extraction apparatus in which you will use the solvents is shown in
Part 5 of this series.
Raw Materials
The production of salves, creams and lotions will require some or all of the
following which are used as the carriers for the active substances :
(a) Beeswax (preferably unbleached)
(b) Good quality sweet almond or sunflower oil. (It should have been deodorised
)
(c) Gum Benzoin (As a preservative)
(d) Honey and Propolis.
More information
This theme will be further explored in coming articles. Further information
may be found on my web site: www.herbdata.nz
Links:
Part 4 Dehydration apparatus
Part 3 Extraction of herbal
material
Part 2 Dehydration
Part 1 Conservation and
cooperation
Comments on this article:
I have had feedback that there appears to be a problem with the freezing out
of ethanol from cheap wine and also from a brandy which the label stated was 40%
by volume.
The brandy turned into a syrupy mass whilst the cheap wine just froze like a
block of ice. The freezing point between alcohol and water is big enough to
drive a railway engine through.
The only logical explanation is that both of the liquids contain additives
which have bound the ethanol to the water in such a way that they cannot be
separated by freezing. I know from personal experience that a wide range of
chemicals including glycerine is added to improve taste in inferior wines. If
glycerine is present in any quantity it will alter the physical characteristics
of the liquid. In that situation the only resort is to distillation.
Distillation cannot produce absolute alcohol. Maximum is 95% by volume. The
remaining 5% water has to be removed by chemical means.
Another possible explanation is that the ethanol contained is not from an
accepted plant source. For example it could be produced from milk whey, or even
wood chips. To the chemist alcohol is alcohol and is given the same chemical
formula.
I believe this to be incorrect. The physiological effects of alcohol produced
from fruits, grains and other plant parts differ from each other in their effect
on the mental state. They have a totally different effect to that of alcohol
produced by synthesis, rather than by fermentation.
Ivor Hughes.
|
