Preparation
of the flamboyant spirit of wine

A copper gear (container) should be constructed so that the removable middle part can be removed if needed, also those above and below the holes (BC see drawing).

On this vessel a still with tube will be mounted; all made of copper except the receiving carboy which will be of thick glass and must be large in size. This carboy will be placed in a wooden tub, filled with cold water. The top of the carboy will also be cooled by damp cloths and these will be frequently renewed by other damp cloths in order to maintain the effect of the cold.

Also the wooden tub will be provided with a tap, so that the water can be evacuated and replaced with fresh water whenever necessary.

When everything is ready, the preparation for the spirit of wine is introduced into the machine through the lower series of holes (B). When the level has reached just below the level of the holes, it is lit and the alcohol ignites. Then the vent holes force the mercury upwards and the cold water causes it to liquefy and so pass from the still and down into the receiving carboy. So this is our ready-made flamboyant wine spirit. But it is necessary to take care without negligence of all the details of the cooling and to take care to add the aquam vitae (water of life), each time, that it goes down too much below the holes.

IN SPE AND SILENCE

By Frater Basili Valentini,
Chemical Texts Vol II
"Offenbarung des verborgenen handgriffen"
Edition Neumann & Wolff Hamburg 1677

Page 338

On the following pages is a very interesting preparation of the spiritu vini said to have been developed by Basil Valentin which was written in his Collection of Works. Hamburg 1677.

The figure depicts Basil's apparatus as it may have been:

A brass instrument
B lower set of holes
C series top of all
D sleeves to regulate the influx of air
E neck of the still
F still head
G still arm
H thick glass carboy
I wooden tub
J tap

On the next page you are shown a modern device by which the Flaming Spirit of Basil Valentine can be extracted.

The partial oxidation of the alcohol takes place in the horizontal tube where the copper mesh acts as a catalyst for the reaction:

2 C2H5OH + O2 -> 2CH3CHO + 2H2O

From this we can deduce that the Esprit Flamboyant de Vin de Basile Valentin consists of a mixture of alcohol and acetaldehyde (or ethanol).

Acetaldehyde is a very volatile liquid with a boiling point of 21°C.

Linus & Peter Pauling
Freeman 1975 Page 424

It may be suggested that the modern spagyrist may produce his Flamboyant Spirit of wine by:

1 – Buy acetaldehyde and ethanol
2 – Mix these in a certain proportion
3 – Take them together for distillation