Hi folks, im starting to run a passive closed loop syatem. I will be running a 1lb system whit mostly dry weed for now then later FF, butane run.
My probleme is that i live in mexico and there is no dry ice suplier where i live.
I need expert advise on how to run a system whitout dry ice. I do have a -20 chiller and have acces to fully jacketed column and solvant tank ( more expensive option) but im.wondering is -20 low enough to start running stuff until i get enough bread to buy a -60 chiller for dewaxing properly.
Or any other option?
Do i really need the solvent tank to be jacketed ?
O i can dip in bucket of frozen glycol ?
Shoot 1lb system? Send it at -20c and see what you can make. Pre freeze your column, material, sock or however you’re set up. If you’re not happy with the results you can look into extracting colder…
What’s the quality of biomass you’ll be working with? Is it aged? -20c should be plenty cold to produce some quality extracts if the input material is good.
if your starting material is good you can make extracts just fine without dry-ice. i ran a 2lb passive system for over a year without dry-ice and using just normal ice + hot water.
Im working whit Fresh Frozen, dry nug and trim run. Im planning on using the chiller for my column. Put my solvent tank at -30 in the frezzer before running.
Then use salt/ice water bath from the frezer for my recovery.
I work whit some outdoor grower down in mexico. Thing are a bit more complicated to get down here, but biomass come by the ton.
Putting your solvent tank in a non-rated freezer isn’t a great idea. Lots of folks do. We don’t have a count on how often that fails…as few who make that mistake are able to raise their hand to report the failure.
Steel shrinks, gaskets lose elasticity.
I have certainly run into dozens of leaks that only occurred once temps were dropped.
Eg two solvent tanks with ASME 6” clamps. Held 225psi for days. Pulled air in under vac at -50C.
Unfortunately we noticed that AFTER both systems were operating (we could tell we were taking on air).
We got lucky on that one (skilled operators)…and I learned to perform pressure and vac tests at operational temps BEFORE adding solvent.
Switched to tuffsteel gaskets and non-ASME clamps, because I had to break a bolt to get one of them off…
I do not recommend using lc02, even with Bizzybee equipment. I worked with a system that used bizzybee equipment and lc02, the lc02 caused a jacketed solvent tank to break (it was empty). These guys probably used too much lc02, but imagine working in a C1D1 with a machine that is releasing a high pressure burst of CO2 gas from random PRVs every 30 seconds and you can’t see what you are doing and holding your breath half the time because you just got blasted by high pressure CO2 gas. You have to wear ear and eye protection, otherwise you will get injured by the PRV bursts. You could use lc02 to make dry ice.
Just use a chiller. If that is too expensive, buy an ice machine and use absorbents.
Ok so the best will be keeping my solvebt tank outside and prechilld it whit a chiller before extracting?
Or whats would be you way to go having 9nly acces to a cheap chinese 3l -20 chiller.
-pre chill solvent tank whit chiller
-pre chill column in frezzer
Blast my column
Then set chiller on my spool tank?
I sure can do it this way but will add a few hour of prechill.
For sure will look in getting better nuts im still new to closed loop but i want to keep it max safe. I dont gave acces to a big facility i need to run on my porch my lab is not rated for gas . Last thing i want is to my family to be at risk.
I didnt look through this whole setup. but chiller coils may help on both ends. You buy a stainless coil and add the fittings. or buy the premade one from a place like hfs I have a pump to use without needing dry ice but the exit out the pump is hot and needs a coil.
I have a video of it, and the system was actually not being so crazy when I filmed this through the window, and you still see CO2 blasting every direction. I wish I got it when the whole room was full of CO2. I had to walk out of the room because I got blasted in the face with CO2 and couldnt breath and took this video and others on a lost phone to document it. I quit 2 days later, because I had enough.
lc02 as a coolant isnt a good idea, but I have to admit these guys overdid it with the lc02 and just let it run on max the whole time, and this is probably what caused the solvent tank (empty) to cave in.
