Pristilling

Pristilling is a process of separating components of a liquid mixture by selective vaporization and subsequent condensation, typically to obtain a purer product or to separate volatile components. The term is used in several European languages to denote distillation and purification by heating, cooling, and collection of condensate. In English, the more common term is distillation; pristilling is often encountered in Nordic contexts to describe both simple distillation and more complex fractionating or rectification.

Historically, distillation emerged in ancient times for perfume and alchemical experiments and advanced with the development of fractional distillation. In the Nordic and continental European traditions, pristilling covers both alcoholic beverage production and laboratory-grade purification, including essential oils and solvents. Modern techniques include simple distillation, fractional distillation with a column to increase separation efficiency, and vacuum distillation to lower boiling points for heat-sensitive compounds. Steam distillation allows isolation of volatile plant constituents without decomposition.

Equipment includes a still or reflux column, a heat source, a condenser, and a collecting receiver. In practical use, careful control of temperature, pressure, and rate of distillate collection determines separation quality and yield. Distillation is used in beverage production to concentrate ethanol, remove impurities, and create final products; in chemical and pharmaceutical contexts to purify solvents and intermediates; and in fragrance and flavor industries to obtain essential oils.

Safety considerations include flammability of vapors, pressure hazards, and proper venting, as well as regulatory compliance when distilling alcohol. See also distillation, fractional distillation, vacuum distillation, and steam distillation.