6% biomass to crude oil expectation... What to expect

Canadian here trying to build out a forecast on an indoor hemp grow.

We expect to produce 10,800lbs of 6%CBD biomass. Using Co2 extraction, how many lbs of crude oil should we expect. Processing further, how many lbs of distillate should we expect? And further, how many lbs of isolate to expect.

Is there a golden rule or industry standard on biomass refinement?

Use kilos. You’ll less confused when comparing pricing.

5000kg of 6%… so at most 300 kgs
Roughly 70-85% yield depending on co2 extraction parameters (highly dependent).
Roughly 75% after winterization/decarb.
Then further losses to distillate/isolate. If you’re doing co2 extraction, you’re better off going to a broad spectrum or full spectrum product.
75-90% efficiency for T removal.

All in you could be down to 30-45% of your 300kgs.

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I estimate around 150 liters of distillate and 75 to 90 kg of isolate

Why CO2, you’ll have higher yields and higher quality with traditional solvents

I think adding solvent wash and extraction process to 10,000lbs would be a considerable amount of labor to factor into his overhead. On top of him having to invest in over $100k in equipment he likely still needs if he’s running a CO2 facility.

Ethanol extraction has comparable start up and labor costs to CO2 extraction, runs are much faster, and the product is much higher quality. Chilled ethanol extraction(-40C) avoids the need for de waxing/winterization altogether.

For CBD Isolate production, CO2 is not the way to go for all the reasons mentioned, from my years of experience making Isolate. You’ll make a dark red distillate and get lower Isolate yields.

Just a recommendation from a stranger on the internet.

We have units that can do that 11,000lbs in a day and a smaller one that can do it in a week available with 90-120 lead times as well

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I totally get that on the labor portion, but I still figured if his facility is already built for CO2 there’s going to be a lot of equipment being put to waste and potentially some other equipment he will have to invest in.

If he’s set up for it, using ethanol or other co-solvents can assist CO2 to help produce a higher quality extract.

CO2 can be done right but it’s slow and almost nobody is making the same quality extracts comparable to other solvents. I’ve worked with 2 in all of North America that have produced a good crude for Isolate production, while dozens of others produce the lowest quality extracts I’ve worked with

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If you’re extracting with co2 you’re probably not headed to isolate as the final product. And it can be very efficient if dialed in properly. $0.02

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All the above makes sense
But what i find astonishing is why pick a strain with 6% cannabinoids for a indoor grow
I mean 18% cbd is easily within grasp

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Up here in Canada where only certain strains are available/legal. Any info on Canadian availability?

Thanks for the info.

How would these numbers change if we were to use ethanol extraction?

First objective is to extract into a full-spectrum distillate. After that, isolate refinement.

Legal as there is a list of strains allowed by the governement to be cultivated like in the EU ?

That’s not necessarily true, supercritical CO2 is more than capable of a full extraction. Every time we’ve tested our post extraction biomass it comes in at <1%, and has been 0% on occasion.

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Spot on assessment, seconded

You’re going to have the best luck going with traditional solvent extraction if your goal is to produce anything but crude. CO2 crude requires a BUNCH of post processing that cryo ethanol, or hexane extraction with inline chromatography, would not require.

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Long story short, if you dropped 10,800lbs of 6% off at my CO2 lab, I would expect to get 295kg of 50% CBD (~55% Total Cannabinoids) winterized and decarbed crude.

Could maybe squeak a little more out but the quality would suffer, could maybe refine it a bit and quality would increase but yield would suffer.

Yes but they never sell these units with
Fine operaters like yourself :grin:
Making it a probabilaty isseu

Kind words from someone such as yourself, thanks!

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Yes that is exactly it. Similar list as well.

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