I have the Summit Research 10L hard pipe system with 2 Edwards 28 pumps
I like to run low and slow to pull the best material, but the problem is my runs are taking 2-3 days to complete.
I just ordered a 2nd cold trap from Summit so I can run hot tek, and while talking to them I picked their brain asking what I can do to improve my run times. I was personally thinking getting a big boy pump like the GVD80 and having that to go along with my 2 smaller Edwards. They didn’t seem to think that will do much in terms of improving run times. What they instead suggested is to keep my system with the 2 pumps I have and get their Summit Apollo vacuum controller with a nitrogen/argon system.
What do you guy think? I will take any suggestions on help to improve the run times.
What do you mean by low and slow ? What is your boiling flask set at? What is your vapor temp? What is your condenser set to and what vacuum level are maintaining?
Its almost always the case that a short residency time will give you far better results than a low and slow approach. On my 12L I generally take 5-6 hours on a full run. Using a Welch CRV 16 pro.
I’m a noob still so sorry if some stuff sounds off
I stay at the lowest temps possible and don’t go up till there’s no more flow. I usually pop low and come out of the terp fraction and start collecting oil at 162. So what I do is I only bump the temperature up when the reaction is slowing down and I usually finish at 200. So for example once I start collecting disty at 162, I will keep the boiling flask at that temp till it slows down, then I will keep bumping it up by 3 degrees till I am done. I stay at each temp till flow slows down and bump up by 2-3 degrees till I am done.
The problem is this takes me 2-3 days non stop to finish. This is how I was taught to do it
What is your boiling flask set at? What is your vapor temp? What is your condenser set to and what vacuum level are maintaining?
That all changes in this method. The vac I am able to maintain 90 microns pretty much the entire run
If I am doing anything or everything wrong I am all ears
I have never heard of that method. Sounds extreme.
Like Wolf Extracts said, short residency time is better.
Low and slow(gradual) is good to start getting up to the heads(because everything is still volitile), but when your at your mains you want to find your sweet spot and go for it.
If you’re collecting your mains starting at 162…try this. Let your desried fraction really start to come over at that temp and then begin ramping to 190. Your temps arent far of my own. However when i begin to pull oil around 160-180 (boiling flask) I immeditately jump to my highest set point. So for me once I’m steady in my cut at 170c I immediately jump to 200c for my first passes. I think if you give this a try you’ll see dramatically reduced run times. I know for sure the shorter residency time will give you better results than a 2-3 day low and slow distillation. THat long under vacuum and heat I guarantee you’re isomerizing a ton of cannabinoids.
You seem to be doing most things correctly, just being a little sheepish about your ramp times and temps. Be a bit more aggressive with them and youll be well on your way. 90 microns is excellent.
Will my quality get affected by a jump that big from 162-190?
I was taught this mega slow method to mainly capture the good, and that going up too fast you will pull the nasty in your main body. Is this true?
Also minor side question, is a mantle dome shield worth investing into? My main flask is currently naked each run. I see some people wrapping fire rope around theirs, but I never seen the shield in any lab.
It really is like @Defender stated above. Its important to be patient with your volatiles, but once youve reached the main body you can be much more aggressive. With my system, a 12L Full bore kit from lab society, going into a -112F mechanical coldtrap to a welch CRV 16 pro Ill achieve my main body around 170c boiling flask, 145c vapor temp, then once I know I’m for sure in my desired fraction and the majority of voltiles and non desirables are done coming over I’ll rotate my collection flask and ramp my mantle immediatley to 195c. Leaving it there for 95% of the run and pushing to 200c when I know I’ve hit my tails. Learn your system, but with a quality mantle you can easily jump 20 degrees at a time. If you try that with a sub par chinese mantle…you’re gonna have a bad time. Fsho.