I’ll definitely look into modifying my system for bottom flood. I thought that bvv offering was gimmicky when I first got into it— evidently not
No chance the material is spent. I know the grower very well
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That’s all you.
I always pull from the tops of my columns after dumping. Added that functionality to my 2015 PX1 right after adding bottom flood. Comes stock on most certified rigs these days. The real pros will heat the jackets on those columns too.
The less solvent you loose per run, the safer your process is, loosing less than a LB on a 100lb solvent drop can be achieved. If that’s what floats your boat.
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I do heat the columns between switching as well. The first time I spilt half a gallon of butane on the ground I knew I was doing something wrong lol
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Hey man, theres a lot I haven’t seen, not at all saying its wrong.
Like I said the main thing I think is happening to him is not enough gas passing threw the material. If there is a temp/pressure issue then if he avoids recovering threw the column 1 run he can see if its being trapped in the column due to pressue from the temps being wrong. Or at least that was my thought.
His objective is higher yeild, in my first reply I said in my experience yeild only had 2 factors. The amount gas passing the material and material quality.
actually it’s the amount of liquid solvent that passes through the material. passing the gas phase through the material doesn’t do a whole lot…
temp of that liquid solvent, and residence time (soak) will also affect the percentage of target (and off target) that is pulled.
again, its the liquid that counts (and I get that you know that, but precision counts when describing things on the interwebs).
You said you’ve never heard of folks recovering from the tops of their columns…now you have. no value judgement. just facts. it’s a thing.
I’d say the correct objective is higher extraction efficiency.
given the same input repeatedly, higher yield is a decent proxy for higher extraction efficiency, but extraction efficiency is about cannabinoids in vs cannabinoids out rather than raw resin weights (follow the cannabinoids, not the cadabinoids).
running warm solvent can absolutely increase raw yield by extracting more fats and waxes, chances are it will also extract more of the cannabinoids from the starting material, but the final potency will likely suffer without dewaxing or winterization.
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if you’ve still got that much solvent in your columns when done dumping, that is absolutely your issue… heating the columns to recover a 1/2 column full of solvent means you’ve left most of your target behind.
how much material are you fitting into that 4x 24 column? you called this a 5lb machine, but that’s a nominal 2.5lb column in my books. probably 2lb if you’re not packing it hard. if you’re getting much more than that in there, then I’d suggest you back off on the packing a bit.
getting a good feeling for what a column full of solvent weighs, and looks like in your receiver (bottom flood a column with solvent with & without the coil so you know the volumes/weights) might well be informative. so you know when the column is full, and you know what it looks like when you have ALL of it in your receiver (you can even just run a known weight of solvent into your receiver…)
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This is good advice. Sometimes it’s better to just pack the column as much as it can go and not stuff the shit out of it.
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I normally fit around 2lb in it or a little less. I have always thought the amount of remaining solvent was an issue, but haven’t had too much success getting it out. Is applying a bit of nitrogen to the top of the column pretty much all I could do?
Two lb’s dry, I should add. Around 6-7FF
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If you expand the description, there’s a volume calculator for solvent in a spool. You can plug in the pipe diameter and the length, pick type of gas, and it will give you some estimates.
Also gives a pack weight for materials too.
Bvv I know, but the tool is pretty neat.
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that sounds like the appropriate loading. packing too tight can cause issues, but that doesn’t sound like where you are.
yes, pushing the column clear with N2 is a reasonable response. a hot solvent (gas phase) push is another. the advantage of the hot vapor push is you don’t have to vent it before recovery.
putting your scale under your receiver to get a measure of how much solvent you’re actually getting through (vs into) your column might get you some insight. even filling your column with water, then dropping it into your receiver and engraving “one column full” on the inside of your receiver might be informative.
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2-6% is standard yield for fresh frozen. 10-30% is average for dry depending if trim or whole plant. Exceptions for both of course but the vast majority fall within these ranges.
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The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, nor to worry about the future, but to live the present moment wisely and earnestly. — Buddha
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Seth has been dropping some 
quotes lately!
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so have you figured it out?