Freeze dryer for solvent purge

Hash and Stuff Pre/Post-Processing
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I didn’t get much on the search bar, but anybody have feedback/experience using a freeze dryer for purging solvents from concentrates (hydrocarbon)? Instead of a vacuum oven. I know they get pretty cold but they also go up to about 125f

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100f with vac will get the job done…

“cannabusiness” ?!?

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Kind of what I was thinking.

Sorry selected the wrong category. I’m a nube here lol🤦‍♂️

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I’d be worried about the frozen drum condensing solvent vapors. The area between trays is small so any muffin action will have to be watched to avoid a mess.

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What is your Reasoning for wanting to do this?

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There’s no good reason to do this.

  1. Do you know the exist path of your freezer dryer and have you verified no ignition surface?
  2. Where will the evacuated solvent re-condense?
  3. How is heat transferred to the shelves? Will the extract remain liquid long enough to release solvent?
  4. What is the pump rated for?

I’m already skeptical of Harvest Right because of their disdain for our industry. I don’t know the answers to the questions above, but you should before you try this.

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Thank you for talking sense Ma’am. I hope you had a wonderful holiday

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Not to mention the super unethical way they nerfed the software on the home model to give birth to the ‘pharma’ but distract people WITH A SHINY NEW FINISH! OOOH SHINY DON’T LOOK AT THE BRAINS THOUGH CUZ THEN YOU’LL FIND OUT THE GUTS ARE THE SAME!

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No money for Harvest Right. Just don’t do it.

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Thanks everybody for the input.:pray: As you can tell I’m a nube, but was thinking could add a cold trap. I was initially just wondering if there was any potential advantage over a vac oven.
From what I understand, they heat with a pad under the shelf which may be too close to the tray.
Another good point was how close the shelves are, looks like it would indeed be a mess if something muffined up even a little.
Will probably just stick with the 3.2 cu ft vac ovens we have coming.
@Sidco_Cat thanks for the info on the company😬

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What are some other options?

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Depends on scale. For smaller, Harvest Right equivalent, I’d go with any of the importers. Fire larger scale, where it gets interesting, I’ve got my eye on these guys https://us.hollandgreenscience.com/

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You know there’s a glg member that has a freeze dryer for 15k …

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tad…
check the vacuum of your submicron freeze dry pump…make a note.
put your freeze dryer out side,
add about 100 ml hexane to a container,
“attempt to freeze dry it.”
whole experiment is over in 10 min.

recheck the vacuum of your submicron pump…

should answer your question

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In other words, your pump is gonna huff all the solvent.

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Do tell

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@Apothecary36 has stainless that can be adapted to a moderately larger unit with proper ancillary I believe.

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Let’s hear more about that! We need an alternative

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Hey Cat,

I’m gonna grab this beast out of storage and freeze dry some hash later in the week. It’s about time I show what the system is capable of producing.

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@TRIPPIE
does anyone clearly understand the design of a “freeze dryer”?

vs a Vacuum chamber…heated or cooled…
vs thin film evaporation
vs distillation
all with or without the aid of vacuum…

now vacuum “purging” of small amounts of solvent trapped in a viscous
fluid??? another thing…
but if the mobility of the “trapped” solvent in inhibited by the
viscous - metacrystalline- crystalline nature of the “fluid”/'Solid"
at hand…it would make a certain amount of sense to heat the
“fluid/solid” …capisce? Thus…we may have to consider such a beast
as an “oven”. The nature of the “vacuum” origin was pointed out above.
It is a “huffer” .