How Do I Extract Oil From Gaharu Tree?

The Gaharu tree is known by many names, including agarwood and its botanical name, Aquilaria. It is prized in many countries because the resin it produces is used to manufacture incense or oud. The resin, called gaharu, jinko, aloeswood, agarwood, pokok karas, or oud, is used in the production of perfumes and incense and can be very valuable. The highest grades of agarwood are utilized as incense chips while the lower grades are used for the distillation of Gaharu oil.

Instructions

1

Chip the wood into small pieces and dry the pieces in the sun for two to three days.

2

Crush the dried wood chips with a hammer until each piece is only 1 to 2 mm. Soak the chips from seven to 15 days depending on the desired scent; the length of the soaking period will affect the odor of the final product.

3

Place about 10 to 15 kgs of the soaked chips into a distilling pot and add water until the water is 5 to 6 inches over the chips. Heat the water to boiling. This will take four to five hours.

4

Collect and cool the vapors that form during the boiling process. The vapors consist of a mixture of oil and water. The first vapors are the most valuable as they contain the purest oil. The distillation process will take seven days.

5

Filter the water to remove any dirt. Place the water into a glass jar. Bake in the oven at 212 F until the water evaporates and only a yellow sweet-scented oil remains.