BUTANE EXTRACTION AND RECOVERY SYSTEM

Trichgnomes said:

I don't want to jack Greywolf's thread, so I'll most likely start one when I have some free time. But in short, I sampled two different CO2 extracts in a med state (with packaging, and assurance they were both made with the Edenlabs equipment).

They were both extremely expensive, one 60/g, and the other 75/g.

Each of the samples smelled and tasted of "generic hash product."
This could be chalked up to the producers using garbage stale trim for extraction material, which is likely. However, I also have a hunch that CO2 is simply not capable of making as tasty of an extract as butane is.
It costs tens of thousands of dollarss to acquire and safely use a CO2 apparatus, yet a better extract can be obtained with a 7 dollar turkey baster. Go figure...

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medicalgreen said:

I have a question for you, Graywolf,
On another thread you mentioned the use of activated carbon. Do you recommend taking the BHO as it's evaporating at room temps, and soaking some activated carbon it in, before running it through a filter, or would you recommend taking the BHO, dissolving it in ethanol first, then taking that and soaking it, then filtering?
I'm just wondering whether I should soak the Butane extract in the carbon, or the alcohol after freezing for separation of waxes etc. ?
Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

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Double Kindness said:

Grey- Check out my new bho recovery extractor unit... seems we are kinda on the same page.

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Phaeton said:

I also do butane extractions with a recovery system, but not much translates.

I normally do hexane extractions and solvent recovery with a vacuum distiller I fabricated.

For butane I take the condenser and heater outside when it is -40 and colder. The condenser is filled with hexane and dry ice blocks.
The heater is set at +5, all temps are in degrees F.

The boiling container is filled with butane, I use a can opener and pour in 6 oz refills, takes about 40 to fill the 6 quart cantainer. The butane pours readily with almost zero fumes.

The container is in a heated brine solution kept at +5 degrees, the butane boils quite nicely.

The distilling is straightforward, only real difference is the parka, mittens, and boots.
The last cup or so of butane begins turning yellow, at this point the process is stopped and that bit of leftover butane contains the stink and contamination (valve lube mostly). I toss it downwind as it will stink horribly for hours.

The clean butane is poured over a container of trimmed bud and gently agitated for 2 minutes, poured through a coffee filter and returned to the distiller. The butane is recovered and the oil is in the bottom. Most bud I use runs about 10 percent oil, the oil product is just over 90 percent THC.

As the purity goes up the oil gets thinner. I have made 99+ percent (1% yield from start) and the consistancy approached 3-in-1 lubricating oil, very thin, would not stick to the end of a paper clip. Too low a yield and too hard to smoke. Not made twice.

At no time does the oil ever go above ambient temperature. This is part of what makes butane extracts so much better than methods requiring heat.

Probably not too useful in warmer climates, but I just had to share.

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Phaeton said:

I also do butane extractions with a recovery system, but not much translates.

I normally do hexane extractions and solvent recovery with a vacuum distiller I fabricated.

For butane I take the condenser and heater outside when it is -40 and colder. The condenser is filled with hexane and dry ice blocks.
The heater is set at +5, all temps are in degrees F.

The boiling container is filled with butane, I use a can opener and pour in 6 oz refills, takes about 40 to fill the 6 quart cantainer. The butane pours readily with almost zero fumes.

The container is in a heated brine solution kept at +5 degrees, the butane boils quite nicely.

The distilling is straightforward, only real difference is the parka, mittens, and boots.
The last cup or so of butane begins turning yellow, at this point the process is stopped and that bit of leftover butane contains the stink and contamination (valve lube mostly). I toss it downwind as it will stink horribly for hours.

The clean butane is poured over a container of trimmed bud and gently agitated for 2 minutes, poured through a coffee filter and returned to the distiller. The butane is recovered and the oil is in the bottom. Most bud I use runs about 10 percent oil, the oil product is just over 90 percent THC.

As the purity goes up the oil gets thinner. I have made 99+ percent (1% yield from start) and the consistancy approached 3-in-1 lubricating oil, very thin, would not stick to the end of a paper clip. Too low a yield and too hard to smoke. Not made twice.

At no time does the oil ever go above ambient temperature. This is part of what makes butane extracts so much better than methods requiring heat.

Probably not too useful in warmer climates, but I just had to share.

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jump117 said:

Hey foaf ! Hey Gray Wolf ! Hey Double Kindness !

What temperature is liquid butane during extraction?

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jump117 said:

Let me explain my question.

The effectiveness of the solvent depends on temperature. Dissolution goes faster with higher temperature of the solvent.

Liquid butane can be heated only to boiling point, which increases with increasing pressure.
At atmospheric pressure the boiling point of butane -0,5 ° C.
Under pressure in the can butane remains liquid at room temperature.

The higher the pressure in the extractor, the higher the temperature at which butane is a liquid solvent,
the better the efficiency of dissolution.

When using a simple tubular extractor, dense packing not only increases the pressure, but also lengthens the duration of extraction.

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Gray Wolf said:

our cool (~40/50F) winter months

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