Thanks, Gerry.
Hi Celtic, the perfume/necklace giving is optional, the only effect it has on the game is raising your white conscience bar.
You say you tried to use a bowl on the still -- for the honey mixture you need to use the teacup.
If there was any old ingredient left over in the still before you used it, that will affect the new mixture you're trying to make. Although the still automatically empties itself after a correct combo is made and used, it isn't possible to empty the still if you've made a mistake of some kind -- the only way out then is to go back to an earlier save before the still had the incorrect ingredient added.
Double check that you have charcoal in the still grate and that it is burning.
You should hear Valdo say "It's ready!" or somesuch when the mixture is correctly done.
With some of the "recipes" (the ones where the liquid transfers across to the equipment on the right) you need to put the lid on the still while it's brewing.
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"Bleat, Watson -- unmitigated bleat!" ~ Sherlock Holmes