Procedure of a Fischer esterification, in which the alcohol butan-1-ol is heated with ethanoic acid (along with acid, and some boiling chips) to produce the ester butyl ethanoate. The flask contains the reactants, and above that, a condenser is filled with a stream of cold water, which condenses gases boiled off and allows the reactants to drip back into the flask. After several hours, the reactants and products are poured into a separating flask. Water is added, which forms a solution with the remaining acid. The ester is not very soluble in water, and floats above it. The water is drained off, and the process repeated until the ester remains. The solution is then poured onto anhydrous calcium chloride, which removes water, and the resulting solution is separated from the ester by a further distillation.