Hi,
I am fairly new to this forum and was intrigued by the world of CBD-D8.
I am unfortunately not a chemist and have never tried anything like this, but I am learning new skills very quickly.
I would like to build a small plant (250ml spd + 6CFM 2step pump) for personal production of vape D8 oil at home, using food-grade acids and solvents, generating as few unknowns as possible (<5%).
It seems that the best way to get a good D8/D9 (50%) yield is to have a 1:1 isolate to water ratio, 5% citric acid by weight to isolate, and 12-hour reflux at boiling point. After washing and ph correction for the citric acid, what should be the best steps/temperatures/micron for distillation?
Thanks!
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You probably really should NOT do this. I highly recommend against it. In fact, you should just grow some weed. If you plan to convert in your home, you would be safer to just grow. Anyway, maybe you should start by looking here: Search results for ‘citric acid conversions’ - Future4200
Maybe try using the search bar with proper terms. Welcome to the forum, and please just understand that I am trying to guide you the right way, which… You should NOT do this in your home…
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@JedClampet went through this a while back, maybe look at his thread about citric acid as a GRAS catalyst.
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Thanks for your reply!
Yes, I understand the dangers of the procedure (vacuum, acid, heat, harmful chemicals), but to be fair I’m going to take all of the precautions possible, and professionally test all of the output.
I took this procedure from @JedClampet thread but I couldn’t find any information regarding the distillation part.
You should be quenching the reaction by base and getting rid of the excess reagents that way not by distilling. If you distill with the citric acid in the vessel you’ll get clusters of needle like crystals growing in various spots of your spd (the citric acid) and know that whatever passed by those clusters is “contaminated.”
After the reaction is done, everything has been neutralized, and the oil is solvent free, you just distill as you normally would.
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Are you aware that you’re looking at least 2,000 in materials to be even reasonably safe with what you are doing? Oh wait, the short path distillation system is 2,000 by itself (maybe with a pump). You can find these cheaper if you’re frugal, but I don’t think you understand exactly what it takes to produce a clean usable product…
And I’m not trying to be jerk… You’d be better off to purchase a liter from a respected slinger on this forum. It’s bound to be way cheaper, and has a little bit a guaranty. (Not much, but at least you can out them if they screw you.)
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What the fuck. Is ozone part of this SOP? Sounds familiar… 
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Wart Remover… Uh Hem… Acetic Acid
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I’m trying to build something similar to this setup:
I know this is not ideal but with 400$ I got from David a 250ml spd glassware kit with stands, cold trap and heating mantle.
I also bought this pump https://vevor.co.uk/products/6cfm-2-stage-refrigerant-vacuum-pump-220v-50hz-gas-analysis-scientific-process, hoping to keep the vacuum with the help of the grease, around 150um.
I’m planning to distillate minimum quantities of product, in the range of the possibilities given by the flask dimensions, so less than 125ml, and I already have the 99%isolate.
I’m open to criticism and I wanted to thank you for the time given to help!
A Kugelrohr (Kugelrohr - Wikipedia) might be a better route for smaller amounts of material. Maybe more affordable depending. There’s a couple other methods for small scale distillation. Try a search using those terms, and you might find something
Just trying to ensure you don’t hurt yourself over something as worthless as D8. That’s my opinion of it, and trust me I’ve had more than enough experience with it
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I studied the possibility to use a Kugelrohr looking at this concept setup, but after doing some (money)math the SPD seemed the better choice.
I agree with @NewLevelProcess, this means that after neutralizing the acid I should run a heads, mains, tails distillation?
And If yes at which temperatures/microns are the change in fractions?
Hope not to seem too dumb.
Again thanks!
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And the answer to all your questions is here just do yourself a favor and do nothing but read for many many days
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Just to put this out there, “Jedtech” for a citric acid conversion from CBD to D8 is about the least efficient way to get there. That’s where I started and after beating that dead horse for a while I switch over to P-toluensulfonic acid and had far better results.
Just because citric acid is food grade doesn’t mean it will produce a cleaner reaction. In my opinion tosic is the way to go as I always had upwards of 20% unknowns in the D8 along with large portions of D9 with citric acid reactions.
That’s not the case with tosic, after learning that distillation temp is an issue I started seeing 97%+ potency’s of my D8 distillate.
Also for you new guys messing around with this conversion please take note that this is an exothermic reaction and it will run away on you if your not carful!
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Full disclosure: “a run away exothermic reaction” in a vat of flammable solvent is a solid way to fuck up your whirled. Permanently.
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But Hey… Let’s make it in our home!
I like to make it in my side yard while listening to 80s hair bands and rockin a mullet, while telling my buddys all about how this batch is going to pay for the wheels on my 3rd Gen Camero.
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Just wanted to say that I was only looking for a “fairly safe” SOP not involving flammable solvents, fully understanding all the risks of the rxn, here’s the reason for the citric acid request.
I understand that food grade doesn’t mean less unknowns, and that it’s the least efficient way to get there, but if i had any safer SOP i would have done it.
I never thought that it could have the same efficiency and cleanliness as a strong acid like pTSA, but neither I was looking for a complete reaction to D8.
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I just don’t see clean safe D8 as something that is likely able to be produced at home (safely or easily). If you’re willing to put a fume hood in your garage and spend a ton of time reading (and a few grand on equipment) than I say go for it. Otherwise, I agree with the above statement that I think it would be more wise to grow your own weed.
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There is no such thing as safe. It’s only “safe” when the operator of the SOP knows how to perform it safely. You won’t bother to read the threads here to build the simplest of conversions. You need/want so many spoons, but we can’t give you the safety ones if you’re not willing to read and research. Don’t tell us you’re willing to do that, this thread is proof to the contrary.
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I actually agree, this thread isn’t representative of my willing to study, i posted before fully understanding the basics and I’m sorry.
May I reformulate my initial question:
What reaction would anyone suggest to a novice interested in the formation of both D8/9 to perform (in a dedicated, well ventilated space, with the appropriate equipment) involving organic acids?
I was thinking of trying this anhydrous rxn:
4g glacial acetic acid
100g CBD
1h reflux