Older material darker oil? Why is this happening?

Ok, before jumping to conclusions bare with me. I cropped a nice DWC crop and blasted a small test slab (aprox. 8gr). I made it using my tek for shatter (the same one I always use) using N-butane to exrtract. Then 72 hrs in vacuum oven at -29.5 in. Hg, temp between 91-93 deg F. slab surface temp. (flipping every 12 hrs). Anyway I cropped a few different strains. One being “Gorilla Glue #1”. This is the strain I did the small sample slab of. I dried the herb slowly, but thoroughly for about 12-14 days. No cure. Getting to the point, the oil came out almost clear at first, still after days of purging under vac. It was lighter color than honey, and extremely stable (like glass). I put the remaining material in glass canning jars and cured it for about six weeks, then it got packaged in freezer bags and stored in a cool, dark, dry area for another month or so before I decided I wanted to make another “Gorilla Glue #1” slab. Mind you it hasn’t been a crazy amount of time between making these two slabs. Around 3 months. So it is not like it is old degraded cannabis. I use buds also, because all I do is make concentrates. I used the identical tek. The identical starting material, and identical N-butane from the same supplier. The problem is this time around the color of my slab was several shades darker. I have seen other concentrate companies store their starting material in freezer bags, waiting to be extracted. So I thought it was ok. Oh and the first slab was some of the best tasting shatter I have smoked! The second identical slab had maybe half as much flavor. I can’t believe that short amount of time would degrade my material so much. Losing the terpenes that fast amazed me also. So what am I doing wrong? Please help me make better concentrate. Do I need to run it all as soon as it is dry? I still have like 5 lb in freezer bags. The darker shatter seems to be just as potent. Idk. Any feedback would be much appreciated! Sorry for the long header. Forgive me.

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The one one the left is slab 1./ “Disregard slab on right” (that is another story)/

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This is slab no 2. Same everything just 3 months older. Not sure why such a dramatic color change, and loss of terpenes and flavonoids

Maybe ice formation on the nugs during storage? Darker color usually indicates a more ‘full spectrum’ extraction which means there may have been more polar compounds captured durring extraction - IE the ice melted and created more water in the system?
I’m not sure how well the trichomes age during curing but I do know the lighter Slabs are almost always ran with fresh material.
My 2 cents

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which takes me to water in the 'tane.

@KidKannabi5, do you have molsieves? have you dried them recently?

edit: what do you think happens during that 6 week “cure”?
(chemical changes. some may result in color…)

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They are stored at between 57-60 degrees Fahrenheit, sealed, and in complete darkness. Then repeated the exact same tek. You may be right, but I still wonder. Thank you for helping me figure this out. It may change the way I harvest and store.

I still have all this to run…aprox 5-6lbs flower.

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what are you using for an extractor?
obviously not a 4x48 column (fits 5lb).

is that a no on the molsieves?
are you using a CLS?

edit: empty cans lying on the floor suggest no.

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freezer bags. no freezer. so not ice.

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As a CLS operator I would say that the fresher the material the better but only if you’re utilizing the right equipment, such as a molecular sieve as cyclopath instructed. Open blasting leaves too many variables that you can’t control I would suggest you look into a used cls they go for cheap if you are in a rec legal state

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Machine trim will always result in a dark return. Or so was the excuse 2 extractors have me.

Old material will also, due to degradation of the matierial.

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I’ve never heard that machine trimmers degrade biomass but I’ve also never ran machine trimmed material either :man_shrugging:t3:

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they open cells. which leak undesirables.

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Yeah, I’ve never had machine trimmed material not come out a little darker, at least. And if it’s machine trimmed AND older material it’s just going to be a mess.

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I work only six weeks after harvest material is cured/ Dried in Cotton tents and frozen before use (butane )
If a batch stays in open air ( cured ) for more than six weeks i get the same color variation so i stop making bho end products
Another 6 weeks so 12 after harvest i stop
Making Distillate do My clean up sop s were very basic Brine wash / hexane
Winterize -40 C thats iT
So i guess the curing conditions are to be looked at
Having Some evidence that curing with infra red light on helps Maybe someone with that sort of knowledge can explain

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I run a cannabis trimming service with 2x twister t4 units. On top of being a grower, extractor, consultant, etc.

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If you look at the pic. It is not trim.

Open blasting. I feel like you have more control. Other than wasting alot of butane, you can see the process and adjust according. Imo

Thank you for your response. That is the kind of info I’m looking for. I appreciate the help

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Gotcha, i was just backing up my machine trim = dark extracts from my exp.

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