My first cbd run in the short path

Hash and Stuff Distillation
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hey guys I have some odd questions regarding my first cbd flower run in the short path ,

q1 do I need to activate cbd like one would thc before the run

q2 what temp to fraction off cbd

q3 any tips or tricks or even links that will help me more on this topic

I’ve been searching constantly for answers but cant seem to get direct ones , sorry for asking to be spoon-fed but any tips will be much appreciated …like the saying goes measure twice cut once.

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1 - yes you need to fully decarb and de gas your oil prior to distillation. Otherwise youre fighting offgassing and decarb reactions at the same time.

2 - temp will be highly dependent on your material, vac depth, and cannabinoids present.

3 - you should do a terp strip at a higher vacuum before a second pass, with a deeper vacuum. Clean all glass in between. Id even recommend a second winterization based on your level of expertise.

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The terminology you are using implies a 5-20L round bottom flask, most of the current tech uses wiped or rolling film. I will answer assuming the round bottom flask but feel free to post a picture of your equipment.

  1. Decarbing is recommended but not required. If you don’t decarb before your run, you will have to run slower. A 20L run could take 12-16 hours to complete without decarbing first. There should be some starting point decarb temps you can find online, you decarb till there are no bubbles forming.
  2. Depends on your vacuum depth. I would suggest going slow. 1-2 degree increase, wait 15-30 minutes, if nothing comes out, increase 1-2 degrees. Eventually, you will hit a fraction where a lot comes out, 160 C +/-40 C. That is your CBD fraction. Note the temperature and vacuum depth. On the next run, you can do 5-10 degree advances until 10 C before that point, then walk it up slowly again. As you get more confident you can go faster but don’t skip stages where material is coming out, there is a very real risk of the oil rapidly expanding and shooting out of your short path.
  3. Look up the term bumping in terms of distillation. Your magnetic stir bar is your site of nucleation. Slowly walk up its speed and ensure it is spinning. It will help keep you safe.
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Most consider decarb and devol (removal of volatiles) mission critical before distillation. Yep, you can skip those steps, but it is definitely not recommended.

Searching for “activate” won’t get you anywhere. You’re decarboxylating. “Activate” is a term used by folks making pot brownies at home. If you want to learn the science, you have to first learn the correct terminology.

Try reading through the links posted here Need some direction on starting with Δ9 distillate - #13 by oscar

For your purposes, there is very little difference between the distillation of THC vs CBD

Yep, except you’re trying to perform fractional distillation…the GOAL is more than one cut…

Edit: looking at your post history, it seems you have got some THC distillation under your belt. Temps won’t be identical for CBD, but they are close enough that you can’t separate CBD from THC, so just using the visual cues you use with THC will get you there.

Can you give a us a description of decarb that shows you understand why skipping that step is going to make the job more challenging? (Hint: https://www.facebook.com/reel/533349499708640/)

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