What is the Alchemy skill?  ^top^

Alchemy is one of Magical Arts skills. With this skill you are able to identify properties of ingredients.
These ingredients can, in combination with the required apparatus, then be used to render powerful potions, that can provide cure from diseases, fortify your attributes or restore the characters attributes.

As with any skill, Alchemy comes with a governing attribute, which is Intelligence. Like all governing attributes, it has a substantial influence on the power of your skill, in the way of increasing its effectiveness.

Why using the Alchemy skill?  ^top^

Alchemy, though it might seem difficult to understand and use, is the one most powerful skill in the game. Creating potions, hording ingredients and carrying around the required apparatus might seem a tedious task, but the benefits of not having to rely on buying potions and the immense benefit of selfmade potions that have a higher magnitude and duration, unlike any Excellent/Superb Potion you might obtain, speak for themselves.
Getting your way around and into alchemy is the key factor and might occupy some time to understand, which is actually about the only drawback that you might consider.

What do i need to practice Alchemy?  ^top^

You will require to either train your Alchemy skill by eating ingredients or obtain training from a trainer, aswell as getting hold on a mortar and pestle and ingredients to make potions yourself.

What are ingredients?  ^top^

Ingredients are mundane substances that can be retrieved from plants, dead animals, mines or bought from vendors. Ingredients can be distinguised from other items, as they will show up to 4 effects when you hover your mouse over them.

What are ingredient effects/properties?  ^top^

Ingredient effects are properties that have been attributed to such an item.
They range from restorative effects, damaging effects and fortifying effects, as they can also be found on spell and scrolls.

Are there different ingredient properties?  ^top^

There are 71 (74 with the Tribunal Expansion) ingredient properties in the standard game, which can be grouped into the following categories: Cure, Damage, Detect, Drain Attribute, Feather, Shield (from natural powers), Fortify Attribute, Resist and Restore Attribute.

Effects that are not categorized are: Burden, Dispel, Feather, Levitate, Light, Night Eye, Paralyze, Poison and Reflect.

How many effects/properties can appear on an ingredient?  ^top^

The number of effects attributed to an ingredient ranges from 1 to 4.

Where can i obtain ingredients?  ^top^

Obtain ingredients from their respective plant, animal, location or vendor, alchemist.
Detailed reference >> Morrowind Ingredients

When do grown ingredients respawn?  ^top^

Grown ingredients will respawn after a month, gametime.

When are bought ingredients restocked at their vendor?  ^top^

If you spot ingredients that an amount of 5 or higher, in the vendors barter screen, you will notice that those ingredients respawn as soon as you have bought the amount and quit the barter screen. Open it again. Voila the ingredients are back.
If the amount is lower than 5, the respawn time should be 24 hours, gametime.
For a detailed reference see the Restocking Ingredients Vendor List.

Why are ingredients stacked in 2 heaps in your inventory, instead of 1?
OR better said: What are cursed ingredients?  ^top^ update!!

The only time this will happen, is when you pick an ingredient which is cursed. They have a spell attached which will summon a Daedra or something likely, when you pick them up.
This is a flaw in the game, since you will be able to combine a ruby and a cursed ruby when creating potions. They both come from their own stack, and so you can make a potion that has all the 4 effects of rubies.
This is only possible with the cursed versions and not any other "normal" ingredients.
The other reason that multiple stacks can occur when your character has a special ingredient in his inventory, which comes from a special creature or is an ingredient that is needed as a quest item!

What are the Alchemy apparatus and what are they used for?  ^top^

Mortar & Pestle:
The one apparatus that is required is the mortar and pestle. This is the basic apparatus you need to combine two or more ingredients into a potion.
Retort:
The retort is optional and increases the magnitude and duration of all positive effects.
Calcinator:
The calcinator is optional and increases the magnitude and duration of ALL effects, both postive and negative.
Alembic:
The alembic is optional and decreases the magnitude of all negative effects. So if you are planning on creating just positive effect potions, you will not necessarily need this apparatus.
The Skooma Pipe is a very low quality alembic (quality: 0.15)!

Are there different qualities of apparatus?  ^top^

Alchemist apparatus come in different qualities, as each higher quality will improve the respective function of the apparatus:
1. Apprentice's; quality: 0.50
2. Journeyman's; quality: 1.00
3. Master's; quality: 1.20
4. Grand Master's; quality: 1.50
5. Secret Grand Master's; quality: 2.00
(listed in ascending order)
The Secret Grand Master's apparti are not present in the standard shipped game and could for now only be added with a mod.

Why are the Secret Grand Master appartus not included in the standard game?  ^top^

The Secret Grand Master apparati are simple said, overpowerful. The difference of 0.50 plus from the Grand Master equipment make potions about 30% more efficient in duration and points!
With this equipment even a moderatly good alchemist can make extremely powerful potions!
With your Alchemy skill at 100 and this equipment the effects are best shown with a quote from "Zoopster":
"So instead of a Fortify Intelligence potion that boosts INT 66 pts for 183 seconds, you now have a potion, made with the same ingredients, that boosts it by 88 pts over 286 seconds."
(Zoopster is a forum member at offical elderscrolls forums.)

Where can i find/buy/get Alchemy apparatus?  ^top^

Most lower quality apparatus can be found at vendors that sell ingredients. (see the vendorlist on this site for more information on that topic)
A Master's set can be found in the Caldera Mages guild, at the top of a little tower, and seems to be free to use and take home
There exists also some Grand Master's apparati, which can be obtained from the Secret Alchemy Master trainer, in the Valenvaryon stronghold and some of the Telvanni towers.

How and at what Alchemy Level will i see ingredient properties?  ^top^

Open your inventory and point your mouse-cursor at an ingredient to see effects. If some or only question marks "?" appear your, Alchemy skill is too low. One effect is visible for every 15 levels of Alchemy skill. Meaning, first effect is visible at 15, second at 30, third at 45, fourth at 60.

What Skill level do i need to practice Alchemy?  ^top^

Actually you can start out with zero as with any other skill.
At least level 20-30 is where the skill starts to get useful, the higher the better. Only around Skillevel 50-60 will you be able to see all ingredient properties.

How do i train my Alchemy skill?  ^top^

You can either eat ingredients, get a Trainer to teach you the alchemy skill or last but not least, practice by making your own potions or eating ingredients.

Does my Intelligence or Luck have any influence on my alchemical skills?  ^top^

From all the things needed for alchemy, the characters intelligence is the highest multiplier when it comes to determine the duration and points that go into a potion. High intelligence, possibly achieved through drinking potions themselves, are the key to extremly powerful potions.
Luck has a small influence in anything you do with skills in Morrowind, so it also has in an influence on the successrate of your potion creation.

How do you mix potions?  ^top^

Drop any of the Alchemy apparatus from your inventory onto your character portrait.
A menu will appear where all the apparatus will be shown, that are present in your inventory. Below those there are 4 free slots where you can place ingredients by clicking on the respective slot. Clicking on the empty slots you can select ingredients, and the desired ingredient will put in the selected slot. One slot can hold more than one ingredient of the same type!
An effect will be added to the potion, if 2 at least effects of the selected ingredients match. With this procedure potions with a maximum of 5 effect can be created. A maximum of 4 ingredients can be used to create a potion. Last but not least, before pressing "Ok", you can name the potion. If no name is given, this menu will provide a name of its own for the new potion.
For more recipe experimenting see these 2 links:
Dwemer Potion Machine
Simple Potion Recipes

How are duration and points that go into the potion effects, calculated?  ^top^
As nobody besides Bethesda knows what the exact potion generation formula is, i will just list some general information concerning that here.
The quality and the kind (Retort, Calcinator) of apparatus have an effect, your amount of alchemy skill and MOST of all the characters intelligence attribute! One rule, the higher/more the better!

Do potions of the same kind stack?  ^top^
Yes potions of the same kind do stack in duration and points values, though it does not count for all kinds of potions. For example Levitate does not stack, but all the Fortify and Restore attribute effects do!
So there is nothing in the way of some insanly high attributes.

Are there ingredient effects/properties, that can not be made into a potion?  ^top^
Those effects are Damage Intelligence, Resist Fatigue, Vampirism and Weakness to Poison.

Whats wrong with those Fortify Attribute potions?  ^top^
Some of you who have been using Alchemy extensively, might have noticed, that drinking alot of Fortify Fatigue or Health or Personality potions can somewhat be very tiring or deadly.
The fact is that the amount of points those potions give the respective attribute will be returned to you in the exact negative value, when their effect turn off.
For Fortify Personality this is calculated as a minus you get on how well someone likes you.
If you used a Fortify Personality potion and then talked to someone, you will notice he doesnt like you at all the next time you return to the same NPC.
So you either do not "abuse" their effect to higher amount or you stick to using Restore Fatigue and Resoter Health potions instead.

Whats the difference between Restore and Fortify Attribute potions?  ^top^
This question popped up a while ago on the Elderscrolls forums. Though the difference should be clear, there is a little twist in the understanding.
Restore potions like the Fortify potions have points and duration, but the difference is, that Restore potions will restore the given points over the duration to the base value of the respective attribute, no matter if it is drained or not or gets drained again. If the attribute is at its base value it will just stick there and restore "0".
Fortify potions raise the attribute over its base value and that higher value returns to the base value after the potions looses its effect.
Unlike the Fortify potions it will not return to the amount it had before the potion took effect. So you wont be stranded with a minus after the potions effect seizes.

Why can I not make potions with multiple Fortify Attribute or Restore Attribute effects?
"Fortify Attribute" counts for alchemy purposes as a single effect. Internally, "Fortify Strength" is "Fortify Attribute: Strength", "Fortify Endurance" is "Fortify Attribute: Endurance", and so on. Because of this, you can't fortify more than one attribute with a potion; and the same applies to Restore Attribute.

What about the myths, that have popped up about the Alchemy skill?  ^top^

Can Skooma be made with the Alchemy skill?  ^top^

Nope there is no way to make Skooma out of any ingredient combination. Sorry for you, you addicts!!
Their have been numerous rumors in this direction, which might point to the little Skooma Lab north of Vivec. But no recipe has found yet and those that claim to have found one, wont tell. So there simply is no way to make Skooma, as those are just bedtime stories for young Alchemists.

Can a Vampire Potion be made with the Alchemy skill?  ^top^

Since vampire dust is the only ingredient with the effect "Vampirism" there is no possible way to make Vampire potions in the standard game. Though there is a mod around that can let you make such a potion.

Is it possible to contract Vampirism respectivly become a vampire by eating vampire dust?  ^top^

Some people seem to have made the conception that this is possible. Sofar it has not been proven and is so considered a mere speculation.
First of all "Vampirism" is not the first property of vampire dust and can so not have an effect on you when eaten. That is at least what the game rules say.

A way to find out, if there is any proof of this myth, would be to get your alchemy skill to 100 and your characters intelligence and luck up to some insane few thousands points with potions. Then eat alot of vampire dust, without having any fights before or inbetween with vampires, since else you might just have contracted vampirism from the vampires and not the ingredient.

Another fact that this idea would be a mere myth, is that whoever tells you about this, will have had contact and fights with vampires and will mostly then have tried eating the vampire dust found in the vampires corpse. So they will have contracted vampirism from the vampire and not the dust, though it might seem otherwise (or wishing to be seen otherwise).
Further investigation is going into this, since it would be funny to be a part time vampire.