Will write this up further but anything with steam and CO2 have always been off from my experience.
For this process, We started with the product that already contains an abundance of the volatile compounds that correlate to the entourage effect, High Terpene Extract. The separated terpene layer from gas extracts also have much less THCA then normal cannabis extracts.
If you distill HTE under high vacuum, you’ll end up with a clear terpene product that can be up to 99.8% terpenes. Short paths do not work well for this process due to vapor path, condensor surface area/design, and collection issues. Due to the volatility of these compounds, distillation is started close to 0C with a condenser below -30. Collection flask is under dry ice. Distillation progression is tracked by breaking vac and smelling product.
My findings is the main mechanism that allows this separation is the previous removal of THCA from the extract. THCA is constantly decarbing, dissolving CO2 into extract like a soda. Even at the low temperatures of this distillation, it raises the vapor pressure and causes changes to the profile.
Have tested this with a range of profiles and all have captured the true taste and smell of the plant. Yield is horrible but could be atleast marginally improved.
Check out the end product on my Instagram @dabatronicus