Ethanol Extraction for Small Start Up

I used to drip dry before moving to a centrifuge and the loss would vary from 10-20%. Plus it takes for ever. A panda, for $160, to get to 5-10% loss pays for itself pretty fast!

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Aww damn…Look who went to the zoo and came back with a Panda😘

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What is the appropriate ratio of Ethanol to Biomass assuming average quality biomass?

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A gallon per pound is what most people seem to use/ what I use. You use that same gallon to re wash another pound, just make sure you are careful to maintain temps. You will lose a small amount in the biomass, so you can just add a bit more to get back to a gallon for your second extraction.

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it was chilly today…

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Is that cold enough? lve been extracting at -40C.

Probably. If you’re quick about it.

That was what the IR gun said tbe outside was after sloshing solvent around for 13min that started out at -40. Agreed well with exit trmp of solvent, as taken with probe in thermowell in solvent stream into catch tank.

All back in the day all I would do was freezer temps bio and etho and moonshine it and get gold

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So the home depot water coolers can withstand cryo temps without cracking/breaking? I keep reading that stainless steel is the preferred vessel material for these temps

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Stainless steel is always preferred but is much more expensive for people who are just doing it on a small scale. Also, true cryogenic temperatures are much lower than -40C. I have gone as low as -55C in a home depot water cooler with no complications. YMMV

Just bought 2 panda spinners, some 30L jugs and the filter bags as sugggested above, but not have the following questions.

1 - what happens if we don’t extract cold using the above discussed method? We don’t mind dewaxing because we are already doing that when we use the bho crude we usually use.
2 - how exactly do we get the trim and ethanol to desired temp using dry ice?
3 - I was in my local extraction store yesterday and the manager told me 3L/1lb wash and you can wash 3xs so basically a ratio of 1L/1lb which seems higher then what anybody in here is proposing, could somebody clarify that for me?
4 - What is the cannabinoid or thc saturation point of ethanol? wouldn’t it make sense to dip according to this number.

Thanks guys i’m finding this forum super hepful just started on it recently!

Also is chlorophyl removable via winterization/dewaxing and a carbon scrub?

Search around these questions have been asked and answered on here. Short answer is you put the material on drilyice and the dry ice in the ethanol. 1lb to 1.2 gallons, this will change based on a few things. Some where someone posted saying they used a volume of ethanol 10 times with no negative repercussions. Chlorophyll can be felt with in filtration. Use the search bar, you’ll find the answers you seek.

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I found lots of good info, the only thing I can’t get a clear answer on is the proper saturation ratio. Obviously there are assumptions in involved but were supposed to dip today and the bucket tek post while it is detailed has me slightly confused with it’s talk of volume rather than weight.

Dont over think it. Weight out 1lb of your source material already broken down. Then check the volume using a large ass Beaker or several smaller ones and boom now you know the volume per pound of that material. It will change with every batch so I just use 1 gal of ethanol for every pound of material as a starting point. If you need more measure out and add more. I start with 1.2gal/1lb

You can try and do the tests to figure out the solvent saturation point if you want but it’s expensive and time intensive so just Reuse 2-3 times. Just make sure that you are filtering out all particulate right away after the panda and before reuse. Letting even small plant particles sit in the ethanol (especially as the temps start increasing) will extract a shit ton of undesirables. Also constantly check your solvent temp keep it as low as possible at all times!! You should have enough solvent to easily dunk your bags with plenty of ethanol covering the top of the bag.

It’s all good man you’ll do fine just don’t over think it. At the end of the day there are really only 2 option: pay someone that has already learned the hard way to teach you or just go learn the hard way. Either is a good option. Both cost $$$!! No shame in breaking things and fucking up product as you learn it’s just the way it is. :joy::rofl::+1::facepunch:

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appreciate the advice man, last couple questions.

1- When you say filter out the particulate, is there anything i need to do besides just putting it in the filter bags, I thought they would filter it automatically?
2 - You say approx 1gal/1lb of material at a time, but what is the final ratio you end up, like how much total material do you end up dipping into say 1 gallon. When you said " Reuse 2-3 times " did you mean dip 1 lb new material in the same ethanol solution 2-3 times?

I used a combination of Future’s Bucket Tek and that of TheLostBioligist’s to formulate a system I thought I liked. A Panda was a great addition to the process and ultimately without it I’d have never effectively recovered my oil and ethanol from my material in time to maintain low temperatures.

Extracting is only the first step, filtering is step 1.2 if you ask me, then we go into color remediation(more filtering), followed by solvent recovery, then purging for slabs or decarbing and going to distillate. At least that’s how I understand it.

It does sound like you should read forward a bit more before you start your extracting though.

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the filter bags have ratings so depending on the micron or mesh rating it will leave a lot of plant matter in your tincture that needs to be filtered. Most bags bags are around 200 microns you will want a minimum of 20 microns for your first stage working down to 1-5 microns on your last stage.

In terms of ethanol yes 1 gal to start if more is needed add more. This volume can be used on up to 3 pounds or more. To do this you start with one pound add 1-1.2 gallons, wash, spin, filter and then reuse over a fresh lb. You will be losing ethanol in your plant mater each dunk so you will need to add solvent as needed to keep the ratio correct.

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Panda is trash can literally. They leak and hell of annoying. Use a upright laundry machine. Will last you forever, way worth the investment.

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How would those mesh bags compare to 220 micron bubble hash wash bags?

I’m currently using 220 micron bubble bags to wash in but still ending up with quite a bit of sediment even after filtering the alcohol through the finest 25 micron bag.