Lesson 3: It's A Kind of Magic (Tools and Brewing)
Chapter 3
~Brewing potions is a sensitive and difficult enough endeavor even if you do pay attention to easily controlled variables, so there is no excuse for letting those variables go unheeded.
~Creating a potion can also be a very dangerous process that, if done incorrectly, can lead to painful injury and, in some cases, death.
~Proper procedure and proper safety are very important.
One Shaft of Light That Shows the Way (Tools of the Trade)
~The most iconic tool used by the potioneer is the cauldron.
Cauldrons
~Potioneers often have strong emotional ties to the cauldrons they use most frequently.
~Cauldrons are made of various materials and come in many sizes.
~The three common materials used for cauldrons in Great Britain:
Pewter
Best for beginning potions work, as it is the slowest and least expensive standard cauldron. Pewter is a metal alloy that is traditionally at least 85% tin with copper, bismuth, antimony, and occasionally lead making up the rest of its composition.
Brass
Brews potions at a medium level speed, and is slightly more expensive than pewter. Potions brewed with brass tend to brew approximately 10% faster than those brewed with pewter. Brass is also a metal alloy composed mostly of the metals zinc and copper.
Copper
Fastest brewing cauldron material, and as a rule of thumb, tends to brew potions approximately 10% faster than brass cauldrons. Copper is not an alloy, but rather a pure chemical element containing atoms of all one type.
~On occasions, Gold and Silver materials are used for cauldrons in Great Britain. Rarer and a good deal more expensive.
~Other important implements:
-set of scales
-measuring cups
-ruler
-sharp knife
-cutting board
-mortar and pestle
-stirring utensil
-cauldron cleaner
~Try to sort your ingredients in order of usage and lay out your implements in a sensible, orderly manner.
The Flame that Burns (Brewing Processes)
~While the casting of charms and other spells requires a tremendous grasp of willpower and concentration, as well as precise wand movements and incantations, the art of brewing potions requires another level of patience and precision.
~It is very important to follow directions when brewing a potion in a non-research based scenario.
~Prepare ingredients in advance, at least to the extent that you can.
~Some ingredients can only display their full capabilities during certain moon phases or other celestial alignments.
~Once you have all of your ingredients, your plan of attack, and your cauldron heated, it’s time to start adding your ingredients.
~Ingredients must always be added in the correct order.
~Do not stick your wand into the potion! Hold your wand over the cauldron, say the incantation, and move your wand in slow, steady circles.
~Check whether stirring the potion in the correct direction, either counterclockwise or clockwise.
~All of this is integral, as the interaction between your wand’s magic and the magical and mundane ingredients must happen at the correct time in order to produce the desired chemical and magical reactions.
~Stirring too much will over-excite the particles, and could cause an extreme reaction.
~Potion brew time is the total amount of time it takes to brew a potion.
~The active time you spend brewing your potion is measured as Estimated Brew Time (EBT).
~After you complete brewing your potion, you need an object to store it. The common storage object used now are glass/crystal phials.
~The potion can either be poured through a funnel into the phial, or a Siphoning Charm can be used to transport it from a larger cauldron to be stored.
~Many potions can be used immediately after brewing. While, some require time to mature and for certain chemical and magical processes to “settle”.
~This maturity period is referred to as Total Brew Time (TBT).
~It is important to consult the expiration date before using a potion.
~Always label your phials clearly with the name of the potion, effect, ingredients, date brewed, expiration date, usage, and any warnings about allergies or side effects.
