If i extract with ethanol & distill under vacuum in a rotovap at 35-40.C, will i lose Terpenes? Some say yes & some say no… Just want a clear answer on this. Terpenes shouldn’t be volatile at this low temperature
Under vacuum is different. And the answer is yes and no. Some will stay, but most will be lost.
Distill in rotovap? Or an actual distillation?
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35c is my max at normal pressure.
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Once compounds are distilled under vacuum their boiling points are lowered
So not only your ethanol boils of at a lower temperature but your terps will also have a lower boiling point
Now the question is do you have terps in that oil that have the same or lower boiling point as ethanol at normal atmospheric pressure
And fact is taste and scent are not only terps but several compound wich still need to be identified and of wich their boiling point is still unknown
A way to test if compounds are lost
Is by distilling your etho in a glas distillation setup with a dryice coldtrap
And smell the etho afterwards
If it has a scent you will know something more than etho has left your oil
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That is unfortunate… So one could say that pretty much all ethanol extracts are devoid of Terpenes then? Is there a way to separate them from the distilled ethanol perhaps?
No, @enoah, I would not go that far. I have made wonderful smelling ethanol extracts that have plenty of terps still present. There are many ways to preserve the terps and reduce residence time in the alcohol distillation and decarb steps. The less time at temperature you have, the more terps will be left in your extract.
That being said, ethanol extractions will never be as loud as hydrocarbon extractions. If that is what you are expecting, or hoping for, the higher boiling point of ethanol will keep you from achieving your desired end product.
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Try starting here…
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