Random issue for any of you science buffs to ponder. We are currently processing a crop of autoflower following our typical SOPs, (-30C ethanol extraction with in-line filtration, solvent recovery in a Bizzy falling film) and having a hell of a time with THCa crashing out inside the falling film (I am assuming…it is definitely soluble in ethanol and not in water). To say it has been a pain in the ass would be putting it mildly. Our solution has been to run under less vacuum than normal. We have never had this issue until switching to autoflower and for the life of me I cannot come up with any scientific reason for this to be the case. Any ideas? Anyone else ever run into this?
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I will add, this particular flower is averaging 6% THCa, so not very potent. This stuff does seem lower in terpenes than what we typically see… could that be making the difference?
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Can you elaborate your problem a bit more. Crashing out is bit vague for me to understand.
How hot are you running your falling film at maybe try turning it down
Are you sure it’s not fat/wax? -30 isn’t very cold, it could be lipids. Does it dissolve in methanol? What temperature is the FFE running at?
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@hurtus42 Yes these questions and pics would help us figure out exactly what your issue is.
sounds like fats
I too am finding that running Auto flower through nbutane is having a similar response. When extracting from auto flower it is consistently resulting in a thin yet strong viscous layer that at no matter the level of saturation results in an explosion off bubbles. I have not had this issue with any other clone grown plant. I came to this forum in search of answers as well. C