I understand many here are in the industry and creating large portions of product - I apologize in advance for cluttering up the forum with small questions. My runs consist of no more then 28g being blasted, with a Winterized yield of around 3.5 to 4grams (If I’m God Damn lucky, otherwise 2.8 to 3.5).
Certain constraints limit me to what I can produce. I understand I need a Vac Chamber and Pump, both of which I have. Though the pump is a hand pump and am wondering if this kind of equipment is adequate enough to properly purge a BHO, or Ethanol as a Winterizing solution?
Ha, I’m one of them. 1:10 is the usual ratio I’ve seen recommended for Winterizing so you can imagine a bottle of everclear will last me quite a few runs. Enough for me not to care.
If I know I am not going to make a batch of carts from a particular run I won’t bother Winterizing I will just freeze the start material and tube. So good to know my hand pump should be adequate for Butane as well.
I’ve seen folks running sub-par pumps on their vacuum oven. when they had a decent pump on site. the difference in output & throughput when they moved the good pump was dramatic.
it won’t hurt (unless you’re arthritic like I am these days), and with the very low volumes you’re purging, you might see some slight benefit, but the right solution is to get an electric pump you can leave running for hrs at a time.
I’m not gonna go digging through international cannagraphic for you to find the early Bho shatter techniques, but thin films are your friend if you don’t have vac…ethanol dramatically reduces the surface tension, such that you can pour that 4grams onto a mirror/glass or stainless surface, and get a respectable purge done with just a fan.
maybe @Graywolf or @Pangea might have that at their finger tips.
That is exactly what I’ve been doing. I do a small run, Winterize it and then the last 5ml of the Purge I drip onto non-stick thin surface and make a very thin pancake.
Then it’s light heat to keep it oozy and a fan to evap the surface Ethanol. But I am at the point now where I want to mimic the kickass shit they have in the USA. And do that that, we’re going to need some tools
Vacuum aspirators can work well, but if there’s not enough flow, there will be little to no vac. A hand pump will probably take forever to pull a decent vac on a vac chamber, but it should get you there eventually.
I have a little 3cfm 1/4 horsepower pump that works just fine for a one gallon vac chamber and running the buchner. It’s cheap enough that I don’t worry about a cold trap; I just change the oil often. Pumps like mine can be had for under a hundred all day - money well spent to save your forearms and sanity.
I remember plenty of people doing small batch purges with hand pumps and mason jars. It can be done but it’s slow and not worth all the extra effort IMO.
I have a cheap harbor freight FJC pump from 2012 that’s still used from time to time. No cold trap, changed the oil maybe once. I think I paid $80 for it.
If you’re only trying to purge a few grams, you might have some luck with a 1/2 pint wide mouth jar and a vacuum sealer attachment for a food saver. Pull a vac on the jar and set in a water bath. Not sure how deep the vac goes, but might work, especially if you have a food saver with a vac port already.
