Are you familiar with that phrase, "do as I say, not as I do"? Well, this is a case of that. I'm telling everyone to read the manual all the way through a time or two first and yet I missed that whole FAQ section. If I had read that I wouldn't have had to think so hard about how to get the alcohol to collect properly. I figured out all the things they mentioned on my own, even to the point of using a level to check it. It's good to know that I was correct in my assumptions but I could have saved a lot of time by just reading. I'll still ask about the bulbs.
I think so, too. That's one of the things I want to look at when I do the temperature chart. With incandescents being phased out, another wattage may be what's available at the time.
I didn't think I had enough everclear but after Sam commented about how little solvent is used I find I do have enough so I am starting my first batch. I am using 40 grams of decarbed strawberry ice but when I put the small round filter in the extraction vessel I could see there is no way that filter is large enough. I had some really large coffee filters (Probably 18") so I ended up using one of those. this filter came over the top so I cut it down so it would be below the rim. I don't see how you could ever load that up with a half pound? It's doesn't seem large enough. I didn't grind up the bud so it was pretty fluffy so I had to pack it down quite a bit and that wasn't even 2 oz of material.
When it comes above the large round filter you're supposed to line the rest of the container with the unbleached paper towels. It's in the manual. Use 2 layers of towels around above the filter. Also, after you've moistened the material, take a 500ml flask or the 250ml beaker or something else with a flat bottom and tamp it down, not tight but level. Packing it down is part of the process and is probably something you'll need to get a feel for as you go along. I thought the same as you, thinking how in the world it would hold a half pound but I guess it will. So how much alcohol did you add to the bottom and altogether? Shut it down and look at it in a couple of hours to see how it's working. Be sure the center piece isn't touching the sides of the big filter for optimal results.
What I am planning to do with my Quartermaster is use a light dimmer to dial in the temperature. That way I can move the bulb closer for distillation and dial the temp down for reclaiming. Sent from my iPad using Grasscity Forum
I'm here! I got the thumbs up from the lab @PsychedelicSam . I should have results in a few weeks. Panama Red is good to go, so I'm game if anyone wants to run some tests. Let me know what we should try. We'll set a baseline. Small kine though only a couple oz. I'm going to process some Black Lime Reserve via the dry ice wash this weekend. Let me toss this out there, what about using a lower wattage bulb for lower temps?
I was discussing that with someone else. You could also use a hotter bulb like a 100W and just have it at max for the distilling without needing to move the bulb. It's hard to tell just how far or close the bulb is to the bottom of the container so I'm finally going to make a chart with those measurements. A rheostat would make that simpler but it will need to be able to take some heat. The base gets pretty hot during the distillation.
A lower wattage would work for that but just lowering the bulb a half inch really makes a big difference. I've found that out during this marathon session distilling 80 proof to 190. I've discovered a lot trying to adjust. The bulb moves easily. For those of us more technically challenged I'm sure practice will be means of mastering it. Are you going to make a full extract or a finer toking oil? I can probably think of some tests.
On the BLR I'm going for a clean dab end product. The panama red is fair game, so let me know what you have in mind. I'll set some flower aside for our baseline.
Are you having the inactive oil you made earlier tested? I have test results from a 24 hour session and was going to do a "selective extraction", as they call it in the manual, to try to get a higher THC and cannabinoid total. The idea is to have less of the polar compounds, leaving more room for cannabinoids. Yield will be lower but percentage higher. I was planning to do a 12 hour instead of 24 hour cycle and take a sample at 6 hours and then another at the end to have tested and compared and then the final oil for percentage. One last test in that series would be to have a bud tested for residual cannabinoids. It's going to be a while before I get a chance to make another good batch so if you want to pick any of those up, it could improve our understanding quicker. I've got some small terpene rich Green Dragon projects coming up from natural decarb and will be trying to turn those into concentrate and I have no clue how to get the best results so I'll be interested in how your dab product turns out. My Dragons are made in a similar but simpler freezer method as they outline in the manual and I know the potency is there but I know crap about concentrates other than RSO and they always turn out potent but gooey. It's going to be interesting.
I don't have a device but I've read the book. Hope you guys don't mind if I tag along while you're figuring out your new toys. Looks like fun!
PSam, how are you measuring the proof of your alcohol? I am going to reread the manual today to see if I missed instructions. I googled the subject, but the answers were not simple enough for me.
The Kit includes a proofing hydrometer (along with thermometer ) and the proofing graduated cylinder that you put alcohol into and that the proofing hydrometer floats inside of the cylinder by slowly sliding it into the top and letting it float. Check out Link It will give you an idea of how it works How To Use A Hydrometer in Winemaking | Wines And Winemaking.com
Thanks, STIGGY, that helps. I hadn't even pulled those items out of their box. I guess I'll check the specific gravity of my Extractohol and Everclear to see what I should aim for when increasing the proof of a lower proof alcohol. I just set up to reclaim the alcohol from the spent material that I just used. The alcohol was finally dripping clear this morning. I have other alcohol soaked cannabis to process. I had not read about reclaiming the alcohol left in the herb until yesterday. I put in in the bottom of the processing vessel and put the eight ounce collecting jar on top of the herb. I read that this part of the process is very slow. When that is finished the cannabis should be dry and crumbly. Then I will combine all of the alcohol from this run and reduce to tincture strength. This will be a whole bud tincture with all of the stuff extracted from the bud intact. This will be an active tincture as it was decarbed prior to extraction. If we could stop processing cannabis for a day or two we could make our distilled water for the condensing tower! I cleaned some of the mineral buildup from mine this morning, but it needs to soak in the vinegar for a bit. I wanted to get started so I didn't do that this morning.
Sam is in the process of nailing down the reclaiming of the Ever clear as we speak So I will let him advise further
You can see how the Hydrometer works by testing some of the 190 in the cylinder and using the alcohol hydrometer to proof it yourself should be 190 proof or very close Than save the EC for later use. I plan on doing that just to check mine out for accuracy . I have a really good Hydrometer from my old days....... I will check them against each other. Just don't fill the Graduated cylinder up to far and drop the hydrometer in it will overflow and waste the EC
Joker.... please post your results when you are finished with this step. so you put the collection vessel right on top of the herb?