distillation, fermenting confusion

I have been reading throughout the varies posts on the forum the last few days, in attempt to "catch up" on what has been discussed here and not repeatedly bring up old discussions.

However, from reading these posts, and reading various books i have gathering before joining, i am still left with a few doubts on the proper distillation, and fermenting procedures.

on distillation, I've gathered some methods of using a fully closed distillation process (like a alembic would do), allowing nothing to escape the cycle. but on other readings, i see using a gentle distillation, and evaporating off all but the left over salt. this way would mean to not used a closed process. any incite on this for clarification?

most of what i read in books talk about always using a closed hermetic system. yet the topic "The Seal of Hermes" by AB is quite interesting and makes sense in the way of Nature.

With fermenting, I have steadily left the containers closed shut (when using either M.D. and P.D.), but looking at many pictures, i see the container tops left open and exposed. clarification on this too maybe?

on a side note, In most of my Reading (i have not purchased RAMS yet, but just discovered it and will as soon as i can) i have done on my own, there are two short publications that stay in my mind when dealing with the steps and production of the stone.

this one

https://www.dropbox.com/s/38uspy5wcrfwhe0/Only%20True%20Way.pdf

and this one

https://www.dropbox.com/s/5ye798gbq6ae0gq/Letter%20to%20the%20True%20Disciples%20of%20Hermes.pdf

anyone read or have opinions on these two? the links only last for so long, but i will send anyone a PM if they expire.

you need to learn some basic things like what happend when a body start fermentation, types of fermentations, presure inside bodies... also basic conceps of alchemy and how much perverted/corrupt is the current state of mind of the majority of people (ideas, language, cconvictions...), and without a study of the basic elements and to understand more or less the idea of ​​what the text means...

first point, never do alchemy like a robot follow recipes, you can but near 100% you achieve nothing
alchemy is NOT a cool hobby!!!

you cook in a pressure cooker without a safety valve? or with the valve closed????

if you do robot alchemy make only what alchemist say, if say "gentle distillation" don't make a "fast (very hot) distillation"
well... without understanding what you're doing beyond the obvious...

"The Seal of Hermes" is a vessel close/fused in the neck where nothing can scape, never till you break the frask...

what type of fermentation ??? spirituous? acetous?? putrid???
if you see my post about the stranberr. water... I put in the frask, and I just dropped the cap on the neck and once in a while remove the stopper for release pressure. However the cork shot out like a rocket. I are surfing inet with the frask near me. very funny... I heard a little "boom", a "pssssssi" a "plof" and finaly the stopper in the floor with a big "crash_plofff"... all this without separating the head from the screen, only after the "crash_plofff" I turned my head and I said: "woW, the fuc_king stopper!!!" :DDDD

with putrid fermentation the air of the element in putri. is realased and also heat, so presure increases...

another case scenario, I put a matter in a flask, in this case well closed with the frozed stoppper... many space are empty so I think: possibly endure very smoothly... when a try to open the flask... well the stopper not go out (typical) but with some blows in the neck... yes some blows in the neck and the flask exploded!!! only left the neck and cap in my hands...

a method is read here and there books and more books, in the end you only follow 2, 3, 4 and no more, inclusive some alchemist when achieve the PS burn all their books, in a stupid "act of faith"

I am certainly no expert on this but I can tell you the basics as I know them. This is a very important topic as it seems that fermenting is a very very huge part of alchemy.

Basically there are two types of fermenting; one with the lid closed and one with the lid open. I don't know if it is alway mentioned which one to use but I do think it is important to know which one to use.

It seems to me that the concept of life and death are very important, fermenting being the changing of one thing from one thing when it dies, to changing and freeing things up so they can be use for life again. This happens in the chemical sense but I think it also happens in a spiritual sense. I think death frees up certain spiritual energies that can then be "put in a new container"... IF they are treated properly. Some texts mention that these things if not treated properly and captured at the right time or in the right way, will fly away.

This part is useful only if it is true and we can learn to use it practically. But if anyone is interested in a cool little story that describes this it can be found on pg. 37 & 38 of this book.

I can't teach anything practical on that yet I only bring it up because I think it is a possible element and just so we be aware of things that might be involved.

But for the practical for now I think it is just the two kinds and basically the kind of temperature that things best deday at, which is luke warm to about 105 F.

Nick also said that he thought sometimes the term "fermenting" was use for meaning that when you asign your product to a kingdom like with gold or silver towards the end of the work that it meant heating it in a crucible. Of course this could be used both the wet way (long digestion) or the dry way (crucible).

I think we could succeed at several different paths without actually know what is going on. That is what proper instructions are for. Would still be nice to know though.