http://www.hogwartsishere.com/library/book/44/

Read chapters 1-4

• cauldron- generally round and metal, used to brew a potion
• Pewter - for the most basic potions and some advanced potions, the slowest of the four types. Most prone to melting and explosions. Not for longevity or strength.
  
• Copper - brews at high speed. not suitable for potions that require more than 5 hrs or specific timing. Great heat conductor. heats evenly and precisely. Good for poisons and dark potions.
  
• Brass - brew at medium speed. great for the creation of antidotes and medicinal potions.produce stronger potions,but reduces longevity. Use for potions with already long shelf life.
• Silver - Expensive. it is least prone to accidents and is the best for powerful and complicated potions.increase the longevity of a potion’s effect and shelf life.tend to last the longest. Not for simple potions. may induce more severe effects, potentially resulting in an overdose.
• Many different sizes. Size 2 is standard.
  
• thin cauldrons are cheaper and prone to leakage.
  
• cauldron stand - has three legs on which your cauldron sits or from which your cauldron hangs. Has space under it for fire. look for an adjustable one. rim of cauldron should be at chin height.
  
• potion-making kit -
  
• One cutting board - should be rectangular and ideally be made of plastic, should take up no more than a fifth of your work space.
  

• One stirring rod or spoon - should always be made of wood and never of glass, plastic or metal. Some spells require a stirring spell instead.
  

• One mortar and pestle- crushing tool, should be made of stone. most are black granite, but grey granite allows ingredients to be seen. 
• One set of scales- Potion-making is an exact science and requires precise measurements
  
• One knife - silver dagger should preferably be used. Make sure it has no rust.
  
• Ten phials - should be made of glass or crystal, need a stopper, which are usually made of cork, although glass stoppers are good.
  
• Cauldron cleaner
• A selection of common potion ingredients
  
  
• Dragon Hide Gloves - protect against burns, cuts and the effects of certain ingredients
• wand- usually required for finalizing most potions and may be required during the process of creation as well

TECHNIQUES

• Measuring -
  
• ingredients need to be measured precisely. 
• Measured by weight, length or volume
• measure all before heating cauldron. 
• liquids best measured in a measuring cup
• solids best measured by scales.
• length measured by standard ruler
• Cutting and Slicing
• fine cut or rough cut.
• use one swift movement, do not saw
• if chopping fine, cut them in smaller pieces beforehand
• slicing is usually length wise and thinly
• use dragon-hide gloves
• Crushing
• crush completely, no chunks
• does not mean flattened; it means completely pulverized
  
• Place the ingredient into your mortar and hold your pestle in a closed fist
• quick downwards stabbing motion and keep repeating this until the content is crushed
• Juicing
• make sure to keep out skin, seeds, pulp and anything else that is not juice
• done by squeezing out the liquid from the ingredient, but you might have to cut or flatten it first
• Do not directly juice into the cauldron
• always wear dragon-hide gloves.
• Heating
• add water to your cauldron prior to lighting the fire if the recipe requires you to bring water to the boil
• most cases your cauldron stand doubles as a heat source
• tap the base with your wand once and say "on" firmly for the fire to light
• should accept other commands
• confirm if your cauldron stand operates on Fahrenheit or Celsius before you use a specific number command.
• use the fire-making spell Incendio, pronounced "in-SEN-dee-oh" if stand does not have heat source
  
• Timing
• need to time almost everything when you are creating a potion
• Ingredients are added one at a time, not all at once, so the order is vital
• Maturing
• Some potions require maturing for hours, days or even months.
• great difference between Estimated Brewing Time (EBT) and Total Maturation Period (TMP)
• The EBT refers to the period of time it takes to create your potion
• The TMP refers to the period of time it takes for your potion to mature
• Stirring
• simple enough, but it’s the frequency, direction and path which are important
• Bottling
• trickiest bits, as it can result in spillage.
• need a phial and stopper
• you can usually funnel them into your vessel
• use a siphoning charm
• if your potion is a gas, you may need to hold your phial, upside down, over the potion to catch the vapor
• always wear dragon-hide gloves when bottling 

Storage

• Labeling
• Name of potion
  Effects of potion
  Potential side-effects
  Ingredients used
  Instructions on usage
  Production date
  Expiration date
• Temp and Humidity
• directly affects a potion’s and ingredient's expiration date
• advisable to keep most of your storage room or unit at a temperature
  which feels comfortable and to keep a thermometer in the room at all
  times
• smaller sections for potions and ingredients which require either cooling or heating
• located somewhere humidity is not an issue
• Light
• collection of tinted phials in which to store potions which are
  sensitive to light and then store them in a dark room, cupboard or
  drawer.
• Magically produced light is often not an issue, so the use of the spell “Lumos” can aid you in navigating these dark rooms.
• Shelf Life
• length of time that a potion or ingredient may be stored before becoming unusable
• Most expiry dates are used as guidelines based on normal and expected
  handling and exposure to external elements such as temperature and
  light. 
• no potion is nonperishable, as the ingredients all come from natural sources.
• Safety
• vital that potions and ingredients are stored safely by securing your storage room or unit with enchantments and locks.
• many ingredients are not safe for consumption on their own
• It's also very possible if you do not block access to your storage area
  that a beast or child may accidentally wander in and consume an
  ingredient or potion. If any harm were to come of this you would be held
  responsible.
  

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