New cart maker and need help with equipment

Hi. I’m going to be making some carts with hemp terpenes I have. The ratio I am using is .6mL to 10 grams of distillate. I use warm water and a jar and a syringe to stir everything together, I wanna switch to a magnetic hotplate I have found for a fair price but basically clueless on how to use it. Should I buy a thermal heat gun to read temps? And what kind of jars/beakers are best for mixing distillate and terps?

ahh I made an exact post like this last month when I was new new (still new)

best option is to search and read everything you can because for some reason everything is useful, like one persons tiny detail can really be it.

You could do the thermal heat gun or combine costs and get a digital hotplate that you can set to the temperature and it will heat up and hold it. It’s actually really easy to use on some middle school chemistry class shit. one button controls the spinner and the other knob controls the heat, set mine up and almost slapped myself for even trying to use the manual for how easy it is. I got mine on amazon for around 230 (but theres one cheaper) but at the same time I don’t know how accurate it is. I have to always go higher to get my desired temp but at least I can see the change on reader.

the magnet goes inside of the vials/beakers and spins around the center of the hotplate, make sure ur beaker/vial is in the center to make the magnet spin in the center.

As for the jars and beakers, yeah u got that, thats all user based but just get the ones that are good for heat.

also keep in mind if you get smaller vials you’ll need smaler magnets. Im starting with 5ml vials to actually test my 1-2ml mixtures,and using 4mm magnets to help with mixing

when I go up to 50 ml or 100 a bigger beaker and magnet will be needed.

This magnetic stirrer is what we used when we were getting started and doing small batches.

https://www.amazon.com/CO-Z-Magnetic-Stirrer-Digital-Chemistry/dp/B07T2ZCY5C/ref=sr_1_23?_encoding=UTF8&c=ts&dchild=1&keywords=Lab+Stirrers&qid=1605717956&s=industrial&sr=1-23&ts_id=318023011

Can set to desired temperature, drop in a clean magnetic stirrer and you are good to go. You can find some good graduated glass beaker sets on amazon for a good price. Just make sure they are rated for the heat you would want to be using, but I wouldn’t suggest ever going over 90 degrees celsius. Also a tip that I learned the hard way, mark your beakers with their starting tare weight.

2 Likes

I’m buying one that has a heat control and stir control. No heat dial/numbers though so I might buy a thermal gun. The jars I have picked out I believe gonna experiment though. So far the jars I get my distillate in work well to high heats only 1 getting a slight internal crack from an open flame torch. Might use that tbh.

check the one he linked above. it could be better for price and functionality. thats the second person who recommended it.

1 Like

Thank you. For mixing terps and dist don’t go over 90 f? I usually have the hot water get the distillate near water consistency and then mix terps in after taking it off heat.

1 Like

Be careful with the Corning pyrex bottles that most people use to ship distillate in. I have had problems with those cracking under the heat as well. Not a big deal to lose just 10g’s, but when it is a full kilo you’ll definitely regret it.

There is a fine line between heating up to mixing temp and over-heating and causing the distillate to burn off. Probably won’t be problem if you are just using warm water, but when it is sitting out on a mixing plate it will start to burn off above 90c for too long.

I wouldn’t use any glass that has cracks for a couples reasons.

It’s more prone to break which is the obvious one but also all kinds of shit can get stuck in that small crack and will never really be clean again

2 Likes

That’s a really low temp, how come other people recommend almost 90c(194F)??

1 Like

Whoops sorry that was for filling not mixing, but still 90F seems really low I try to go like 112F atleast, but my hotplate isn’t digital and its really hard to keep the temp steady.

2 Likes

Oops, you’re right. I totally meant 90 Celsius. I will blame it on being early and I haven’t had my coffee yet :slight_smile: Edited my previous comments.

1 Like

hahaha ok cool I was thinking to myself crap i’ve been burning my disty lol

1 Like

Honestly I have been somewhat disappointed with hemp terps. Suver 18 was the best I tried, and even better when enhanced 3 parts hemp : 1 part botanical terp. I haven’t tried many terps so I don’t know if the flavor I’ve been not liking is the steam distil or from my d8. I had a gram of HTE that i put straight into the cart. Was pretty gas. I wish I wouldve done 1 part HTE : 1 part d9 disty.

1 Like

Not that jar specifically lol. I meant the same style jars. They hold up well.

Thank you. So 90c is 194f, and thats for mixing? I’ll keep it at a low 180-190. And before i put it on the hot plate, should i heat it up in the water to get it to a thinner consistency for the stir bar? Then drop the stir bar in it?

@Nygma I get my hemp terpenes from a single source Oregon farm. They’re using CBG flower for it and I loved this batch of their terps.

1 Like

Which strain did you get? Its probably my D8. Its almost odorless but tastes pretty wretched. I think you’re good at 130-140F too if you wanna go lower.

Smell is weird but taste is fine and no weird lung feeling burn, throat burn or anything like. The farm I got it from said they don’t know why its got a weird smell and they’re asking a scientist at a Uni in Oregon. I’ll grab the specific University he mentioned. But the strains are Berry Blossom, Red Bordeaux, and Merlot.

1 Like

I might experiment at heating the dist up in water at low, to evenly heat it, then set it on a lightly warm like 100-120f hotplate with magnetic stir on. Add terps then mix for 1-3 minutes on 100F-120F to avoid burning terpenes or anything. Gonna maybe put a larger jar over the stirring jar to keep terpenes trapped.