A (likely) unsolvable problem with ethanol extraction (keep them terps!)

So what temp would I go for decarbing under vacuum to achieve solventless crude?

Can you re run it through a reflux still and achieved desired proof ?

I would usually say yes, because 95% ethanol (“azeotrope”) is the desired proof.

However, if I recall correctly, you’re asking about Isopropanol, and aiming for 99.5% which is higher than you can achieve with distillation (~91%).

Which is why you were pointed at molsieves.

You could also google “salting out”.

why do you find Iso preferable?

https://future4200.com/uploads/default/original/2X/4/400e761ed2e3ddd927d284757e162accc3aa8f5f.jpg

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Got ya , makes more sense now. So I’m basically achieving 180 (90%). Would 180 severely diminished % of soak yields ? Mainly iso because for the price. Tons of good info from that link forsure. Was focused on getting this rough cut step done and making more appropriate decisions after that.

don’t use a gas oven lol!

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Nahhhh its all electric. No flames at all on my oven.

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I’d have a hotplate area setup near a window if I had a gas oven.

I’ve recreated this experiment 3 times in the last month using regular material, you’ll lose color but you’ll retain most the terps.

I place it on dry ice for 30 seconds prior to the flip not runny at all. after the second 30 mins on the flipped side i take it out and i dab it. honestly i see no need to purge unless you taste alcohol. but by doing what i do t’s mostly flavor town.

I’d still argue you’re primarily purging not decarbing… although there is probably a line there that you’re dancing pretty close to.

Without analytics I’m just guessing.

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I’m not arguing that i’m purging not decarbing i thought baking down an oil in a regular non vacuum oven nmw is pretty much decarbing, i thought purging was specifically left to vacuum chambers/ovens, my bad on that

i should get my next batch tested for terps

Your goal is to get rid of the solvent?

Or to make it orally active?

You don’t need it decarbed, you do want it purged…

I agree you’re going about it non-traditionally, and achieving some of one while aiming at the other.

Given that the purge is deliberate/the desired outcome, and any decarb is a side-effect, I know how I would label the process.

Not really concerned if you want to call it something else.

Crawling back in my hole… :zipper_mouth_face:

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To get rid of solvent and to keep terps.

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Here in California, residual solvent testing is the problem with incomplete purging. If you can pass that and keep your terps, that’s great. The lighter mono terpenes will burn off first, if so your profile may be lower in pinene, myrcene and limonene on the assay. Good luck and could you post your terpene profile if you get one?

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Depends on if I can. I do personal runs and the place that tests wants an 8th as a test sample, for testing thru hplc and if I’m gonna sacrifice an 8th of eho I wanna make sure its worth it. So if anything I’ll purge it @122 for three days and flip it at 12 hours before I send it in.

And they charge extra for terp testing

Are you in California? I have the plug on a company that I trust with my broader, detailed terpene samples (I do a rough profile from 15 or so standards I have). They’re very reasonable, as low as $50.

Massachusetts

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I don’t know anyone in that market. Testing prices and turnover times suck, sorry. Make friends with a chemist at a drug firm…

Okay, I aquired better material, i switched BP to 30°c and switched to using my round bottom 6" splatter platter inside the very 2L mantle used to rotovap after the rotovapping which was done at 30° c. so i was able to watch the rest of the alcohol come off of the platter and oil to the point where i was able to pour it onto parchment and into the oven. with 0% splash back in the oven.

the first flip is in an hour at 9pm after 24 hours in my vacuum oven.

-caution i had all my wondows open for ventilation and i had to wear gloves for the pour out as well as close monitoring to be able to take it off the mantle when its at the beans and gravy look-

I have set up a custom falling film evaporator with a custom low-temp fractionating column. I have only run a few trials so far, but I seem to be able to collect a fairly terp-free ethanol distillate; In this system the terpenes mostly seem to stay behind with the remaining 5% or so of residual ethanol. I have no spectral data to back up this observation; only my nose. If the terpenes are truly forming an interfering azeotrope as suggested before, I would not expect that fractional distillation would be effective., but it seems to work for me so far. I have read through most of this thread and have not seen anybody posting their results with a an efficient fractional distillation I did see the suggestion that it would not work. Does anybody have some data, or experience with really efficient stills?

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I totally agree with this approach. however, I think that IDCO would not be my choice for certified organic extraction. We can heat the material in other ways. Microwaves are probable the best practical heating method, but terrible marketing. Does anyone know of drying systems that collect terpenes and decarboxylate in the process?

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