Currently running a 10lb extractor and I was wondering what other people are using to get large amounts of crude? Is ethanol extraction the option people go with to make multiple liters a week? It’s currently taking me 3-4 days just to make the crude for 1 liter. Due to being a 1 man team packing columns etc. looking for recommendations or reasoning as to why people use ethanol. Thank you
You can extract 15lbs of biomass in a $25 used beer keg using 15gal of ethanol. Possibly 3x to 5x that depending on potency.
You can get 80-85% of your solvent back if doing single pass & drip dry. Maybe 50% with 3 passes over fresh biomass.
You will need a still to keep up with that.
you can pick up a bain-marie style still for a couple of grand, or make one out of another keg for less than $200.
Edit: Meet my first production still. Her name is RSOsie. Second pic is of the parts I assembled from stuff I had lying around. First is in production a couple of weeks later. I think I was trying not to throw water down the drain already. I moved to an air cooled condenser later on.
Glacier tanks 50gal mash tun. 4500w water heater element. Beer keg. The pump wasn’t needed…but was used on her younger sister Connie
edit: that mixer bowl in the front is actually one of my favorite funnels. I don’t recall if it was outfitted with a 4" or 6" triclamp.
8 Likes
yes, folks pull vac.
although getting solvent to it’s BP is not the energy hog in this equation.
correct, open flame isn’t a brilliant idea.
which is why the “bain-marie” style was suggested 
pretty sure you can find folks here who will admit to having done it.
won’t name any names. maybe they’ll out themselves (again).
these threads should get you started.
1 Like