I may have another project for the QM. I want to consult with P'Sam on this one.I am planning to process two ounces of hemp for CBD tincture. It's been recommended I process as for Green Dragon then use the QM to reclaim the alcohol. I'm feeling lazy and want to know if I can use the QM for more of the process. If eight hours in the QM decarbs cannabis it surely would decarb the hemp CBDa to CBD. I previously made the same thing I'm trying to make now, but with 1/2 ounce of hemp so I didn't need copious amounts of alcohol (Everclear 190). The ounces will take much more alcohol so I'd like to reclaim most of that.
This is the response to my question about using the QM for the entire extraction. The updated plan is to process as for Green Dragon and reclaim the alcohol with the QM. I will be processing an ounce of "AC/DC" hemp to make another CBD tincture with a tiny bit of THC. I'll add some THC tincture to the finished Hemp tincture. My last batch was a 1:12 ratio, THC to CBD. Two ml- 2 mg THC, 20 mg CBD- every 4 to six hours for my aging back works well. I can actually tell a difference when I use it. I wouldn't process any of it in the QM if I wanted to retain all the possible CBD except to reclaim unless I decarbed it first and then I would be leery. With the extraction the QM is continually running the alcohol through it over and over again. That's the soxhlet process and it changes CBDA to CBC, CBG & THC but not CBD. The reclaim is just the heat causing it to evaporate. By the time it's ready to be reclaimed the decarb and cold processing will have the CBD locked in. Besides, processing it for even just 8 hours is going to give you a dirty extract with all that chlorophyll and other nasty stuff.
It's been my experience to date that when allowing the QM to decarb as part of the process, no CBD isomers of any kind are found. That soxhlet extraction process "isomerizes" the CBDA into CBC, CBG & even THC. This is great if you're wanting high-THC full extract oil but doesn't seem to be what a person would want if CBD was the goal. I've never used the QM for a high-CBD oil so I can't say for sure what the outcome would really be. The QM makes a point to say that it isomerizes CBD into THC which would defeat the purpose of the desired product. However, CBD is more stable than CBDA and it may withstand the process if it has been decarbed first and the processing for shorter than 24 hours. This could be an opportunity to find out and trim would be a more suitable resource than flowers. I have seen no info on any aspect for processing high-CBD oils. You could fill in some blanks if you're game.
I got my QM out to reclaim the alcohol from my hemp and the wires in the base were fried and broke. I wrote Mary Ann to inquire about sending it back to be rewired and she said she would send a new one. This is awesome customer service. I had one of the first ones made and they subsequently upgraded the wiring.
Received the new QM base and I'm back up and running. This was fast and as I said great customer service.
Hello guys and girls, I have been trying to find a place to buy this ISO-3 quartermaster but have no success so far, all links seem to have been eradicated. Can anyone send me in the right direction ? Thanks
I don't believe they are in business anymore. You'll probably have to find a used one. They also made the ISO-4 called the "Kilomaster" for larger batches, up to 5 pounds, I think.
thanks friend, I'll read the book and see whether I can make one myself. the concept sounded real great. have a great new year
The same to you. It's a low temp soxhlet extraction. It actually uses a light bulb for heat and it works pretty well. It makes great FECO but that's about all it does. People that have them tend to find them useful at times although even the alcohol recovery is slow and obsolete but it does work. There's a condenser that cools the alcohol fumes as they evaporate and so you have fresh alcohol running through your material. It gets everything out. I gave mine to a friend who uses it 3-4 times a year to make a supply of FECO oil. It decarbs while it's extracting, too.
It's hard to believe how old this thread is! I pulled out the Quartermaster this afternoon. I've been gifted some low potency home grown and was wondering what to do with it. Finally thought of using the old Iso 3 again. I don't have but about a half an ounce, but there's more where that came from. if I can produce a stronger product the grower may be interested in processing more of his crop. I was looking forward to this guy's grow as I thought he would be growing fire. Turns out he can't be bothered with the drying and curing part so the cannabis is just not good enough to smoke. He's got a lot of it, too.
It's funny. I got COVID so my friend and I haven't gotten set up and running. What he's finding though is that his poor potency cannabis is actually pretty good once it cures for a few months. In the meantime I'm reading this thread again. I sure do miss @PsychedelicSam!