Wet material is a big problem. For me, the jury is out on steam-stilled hemp terps. Basically, if growers can produce hemp flower that smells great, tastes great and gives me the “entourage” I’m looking for, I’m down. Steam-stilling shouldn’t destroy cannabinoids, but it can be lower yielding.
Let me get going and I’ll trade ya samples.
I don’t hate microwave in theory, but Medizin in Vegas uses it. I had a bad experience with one of their pens. I spent top dollar on one of their pens and it tasted like a blend. I had to give it away.
In the microwave’s favor, it is easy to use. So if you just want to slap the cannabis terp label on your stuff, go for it. Just be prepared with a good drying system or risk ruining the starting input.
The other reason that I hesitate is that I did demo a commercial one and was disappointed. It’s basically a fast steam still. The beautiful lemon forward material came out smelling like screwed up lemon peels derived essential oil (as if I had stilled the lemons with leaves still attached). It had way too many of those steam still off notes. You steam stillers know what I mean…if not, I got access to hella free lemons.
The model I tried was designed for essential oil chemists with instrumentation at their beck and call. If I do end up trying it again, I’ll build my own. There are plans on the internet with exact specifics for microwave systems.
To summarize, I was made to believe that I would get out $150+/g material which came out as $50/g if I’m lucky. I’m waiting to hear back from someone I gave samples to. If they buy it, I still wont break even. The company I work with currently won’t use it.
So before you demo or buy one, do a careful steam still of the material you’re going to use. Compare smell, taste and analytics and let the demo crew know what they have to beat. If people make the blanket claim that it’s always better, they’re trying to sell you one. Make them prove it.
Bottom line, anyone can buy a turnkey microwave or steam still, but making good essential oil from any method isn’t always obvious. Sorry to be such a negative Nathan, but been made into an essential oil snob; if you tasted as many pens as me, all flavored with all different grades of essential oils, you’d be this way too.
So happy terping everyone! Good steam still is better than tricking someone with a static blend. I hope to publish something useful late this year.
I have an Ethos X and have played with several variables. It is certainly possible to make shitty terps with microwave, but I’ve also made MV terps that are colorless and taste just like the flower. MV terps smell “steamed” in bulk, but when diluted in oil they pop. The hemp terps I made from the WIFE strain smelled and taste like platinum cookies to me
How does one go about acquiring some samples or a small amount from you? I would be very interested in trying them out.
@drjackhughes if you have any available for testing, I would also be interested in giving them a whirl
That’s what I demo’d.
What diluent if you can say. I prefer to terp at lower percents with the ones I make. My stinky lemon terps are water clear too…
I’ll get some out as soon as I can. Maybe end of the month, beginning of March? I’ll message people who ask in the thread when I’m green lighted.
I’m screwing around with appropriate packaging. Since they can be so pricey I want to teach people how to best use and store them, maybe provide a small kit with each one. I’m also seriously looking at a “loop” type system where the packaging can be conveniently returned and reused. I’m committed to reducing packaging waste.
So let me ask the lawyers if it’s ok to send free samples or if I have to wait.
Happy terping!
I’ll be glad to donate, if need be. Everyone’s time is worth something.
Having a return for the glass and discounts for refills would be cool, too.
I misspoke, diluted not diluent. Using anything more than 1-2% MW steam terps is overkill…where as i normally use 5%+ for plant based mixes.
Wow, lotsa diversity on this terping level. I know one company that does 15% in their own hardware. I’ve seen 8-10% in Ccell and 10-12% in PAX. I’ve seen, but personally don’t like the taste, a 5% blend with 5% botanical imitation.
I love the 1-2% number from an economic standpoint. It would make high quality material less of an economic burden! This is vape dilution or other extract? Type of hardware? If you can divulge…some ppl like to keep this a trade secret.
Thats vape cut but its pretty stiff. Those terps were made with the Ethos X I posted on IG. @drjackhughes
I’d be very interested in this- I’m currently doing botanical blends to mimic hemp strains in carts for a client- 2300 carts this month- please reach out if we can connect on this!
I’ve got beautiful steam distilled hemp terpenes. LMK if you are interested in getting a sample.
what is the difference between hemp terps and cannabis terps? cannabis terps have strain name (silver haze, bubble gum, og kush, etc)… don’t know about hemp terps… new to them.
Hemp essential oils are from hemp flowers on the tall, industrial version of cannabis sativa that was bred for its fibers. Cannabis (maybe we call them) derived essential oils are from the higher buds of THC varietals that you know and love. As far as my nose can tell there’s not as much variety in hemp oils (yet) - maybe because the breeders didn’t care about this aspect of the plant?
It’s basically not anything you’ll find to be awesome in general because the majority on the market are from hydro distillation. Miracle botanicals sells one on amazon for ~$10/g that’s ok.
-begin long rambling aside-
We pulled some using a different methodology, and more expensive flower, that prevented the off flavor degradation one tastes from hydro distillation. Ultimately the essential oil yields were too low to justify it. I’m hoping that some hemp breeders can get the cost of flower down so I can revisit this oil. It won’t sell for very much but it should be better in CBD pens than what’s out now. I put out a request for this type of material a few days ago. So we’ll see.
-end rambling-
Bottom line, try various price points and learn the way they produced it. I posted about pesticides in hydro distilled oils so don’t go buying 2L off the internet unless they let you return it if it spikes for pesticides!
Our steam distilled terps are from the cultivar Electra, seed from Oregon CBD. Super fragrant, resinous and delicious. This hemp was bred for flower and terps. Smells like the fresh flowers in the field.
What about raw material? I’m passing on steam stilled.
We do have a bit of biomass & flower available. What are you interested in and what state are you in?
I may have lost a pound in the mail once… just disappeared. No thank you note or nothing… Even got my hundred dollar insurance refund…
California. Bay Area.
Can I ask how to find the links to those Canadian or French Terepenes