So let wrap this up on what i learned. I hope the failures shown in this thread will help out members in the future so im going to list a bunch of stuff i wish i would have done differently or learned throughout the process! This list wont be in any particular order just spitting out the thoughts as i have them and will update this post as i think of more!
Pre-run thoughts
- I think the first and foremost thing i would have changed is my fear for the process. While the process could look daunting at first. It merely a process where you watch a “number” which is the head temperture. And change the receiving flask when you short path head hits a point.
I think the fear comes from the amount of concentrates or raw material one run can take. Usually it takes thousands to tens of thousands worth of raw concentrates just to run. That can be a pretty scary bet for some.
- Next is the notion that Chinese glass cant do this properly nor get down or maintain an adequate vacuum. I understand that i see some peoples process down in the single digit micron range. I cant recall seeing a person using GL fittings getting that low on first pass though. People have been using chinese glass for decades. Maybe not in the cannabis industry but in just about every other industry. I feel like if i really had a bit of time and a tank of helium. I really could have pin pointed my leak or problem and got my system below 87 microns. This was just rushing. Literally i spent absolutly NO TIME trying to fix this. Once i saw my system empty was under 100 microns. I stopped right there knowing id be starting much lower than i see people start.
I feel as cannabis users…we are inherently a bit lazy. Im the laziest piece of work there is…If there is a “work smarter not harder option” the cannabis user usually picks that option…Why…why else so they have more time to dab! LOL
- While we are on the subject of vacuum. Find an adequate vacuum pump for your application THEN buy 2 sizes up. LOL This might have help me achieve that low vacuum. Yes, my vacuum pump might have been overkill for my system but it made the job super easy and i bought my pump USED. Flushed per the directions in this thread and my pump was pulling to ultimate vacuum
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While we are still on Vacuum…buy a real vac gauge. How the hell are you going to know you have a leak or are even capable of distilling cannabis with a possible high vac level if you dont know the vac level to begin with. Really i cant even understand how people get around this. This was probably my biggest confidence is my system was under 100 microns which i see a lot of people start in the 200-300.
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Next dont buy shitty lab stands like i did. My lab stands sucked and i had a fear of my cheap $500 glass set up was going to fall.
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While we are on dont buy stuff…dont go stupid overboard like i did. I fucking bought every single filtering aid i read on this site. I was taking 2+ year old material that was improperly stored and trying to make gold out of it…LOL That dont happen. Filtering aids are going to help filter. They will not turn water into wine. This could have saved me a few 100.
Not to mention i bought 3x identical vacuum pumps…musta been stupid high that night and thought “what a wonderful idea…lets just buy 3x of them cause they are a great deal, what happens if i wreck on the first run?”
The 7l heating and cooling circulator MIGHT be on that list too, but i dont know if a pool pump would circulate 80c water like my circulator did yesterday…so this might be good, but i could have just bought a HOT WATER one for half price. I bought mine only for $800 shipped and i think it will come in handy for my CLS as well
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Find a way to vent your vacuum pump outside. This is another must do!
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I bought a fancy kangaroo traceable thermometer but it just gave me issues. the $3 cheap mercury head thermometer worked and was my origanal source of vacuum leak was the kangaroo thermometer adapter. Once i change the thermometer for a thicker mercury one. My vac levels got sub 100. Sometimes cheaper is better.
During Run
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This is probably the most important detail. DO NOT WALK AWAY FROM YOUR SHORT PATH FOR THE FIRST HOUR OR SO. This is how my round 1 ended. i literally turned on the vacuum walked over toward my dab rig for a hit and BAM! OIL IN MY HEAD ALL THE WAY THREW TO MY RECEIVING FLASK! Literally under 10 seconds. This would have saved me a ton of time and frustration yesterday. i didnt realize how fast a problem or error can happen.
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If this is your first time. You might want a vacuum vent valve close and handy. Even though i had one. The first time i didnt realize how fast a problem can happen. When i read Summits Short Path SOP. I wondered why you want certain vac levels at certain temps. This is to prevent your oil boiling over into your short path head if your like me and unsure of what impurities still lurk in your oil. You will need to throttle your vacuum till around 100c if you suck at decarbing and dewaxing like i apparently do…Even though i followed the GLG decarbing SOP and added time to that on top of whats stated.
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I had fiberglass rope around my BF when i started. Ive never seen even what happens. This was a mistake. Once i learned what to look for when my BF is boiling over…I was able cover the rest of my BF with Aluminum foil for the rest of the run. Even though this is counter productive and your probably gonna lose a % of THC to CBN. Your learning. This isnt gonna go perfect first run…Its a bumpy road ahead.
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Run slow. And when i say that. I mean once you get past 140C only raise your mantle temps buy 10C a time and chase your mantle up to the thc BP. This really dont take long. I looked back at my notes from yesterday. I started round 2 at 10:45am by 12pm. My head temp was 130C i saw a sudden and real sudden thicking of the concentrate coming from the head and knew i was close to the THC. By 12:15, I was on the THC(first time my short path head broke 155C). And at 12:30 i rotated my flasks to the body flask. It doesnt take long to get there. It takes long to collect. So dont rush!
I had my condenser on 30C till i saw that change at 130C on the head temp…then i raised my condenser to 50C which i felt was too cold still. My short path head kept clogging with oil. so i eventually raised it to 80C. This is where a heat gun is almost essential for me at least with chinese glass. i dont know if everyone experience the clogging but it was a pain in my ass all day until roguelab’s tip of the day! After this. my run when ultra smooth.
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Heres another tip. Test your condense fittings before you run. I noticed one of my fittings was leaking. I was able to catch it quick because after my round 1 fuck up…i didnt take my eyes of this apparatus for hours after. I was able to wrap it with a paper towel which worked till the end of the run.
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Heres another thing i had a big fear of. Turning the cow to different receiving flask. I kept reading what summit said about this and how unsafe it was. By the way he was talking, i thought this was going to have major resistance and hard to more…NOT AT ALL This is a greased joint that moved super easy and one of my biggest fears was stupid!
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It was a bit hard for me to see the red when i happened. I might have switch my flask a tad bit premature but once the head temperature hit 170C or so. The color was noticeably red, and i was happy i had switched earlier.
Post run
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Buy a Ultrasonic cleaner. A large one. I bought a 30L one think it was super overkill. It wasnt. There was nothing i wanted to less then clean all this glassware after running for so many hours. Its was so easy to rinse most of the stuff out with acetone…then throw it in the ultrasonic cleaner with alconox. This was so worth the $250 i paid… I would have just about paid someone $100 to clean up after me yesterday…but this made the job super simple and my glass ware looks spotless.
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Probably not needed but it came in handy was a nice lab drying rack. I got mine off amazon for $90 and it made drying my now clean glass and keeping it very organized.
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Splurge for some kem wipes. I didnt and i really didnt like using a lint free paper towel and acetone. They arent expensive and first on the purchase list for me.
Ill update this as i think of more things i learned. This should help out an of our begnneers like me and hit me up if you need help…the people here helped me…time to pay it forward! thanks for viewing ask all you want.