brown_thumb
Active member
Holy schnitzel... US$3600?? 
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Isolating Cannabis Terpenes, Part II: Actual Process
- Thread starter Pangea
- Start date
clearchoiceco
Member
What are those glass oil/water separators called, for steam distilling essential oil?
clearchoiceco
Member
Oil/water receiver or separator seems to be the term. A cheap one can be had for $20-$40.
troutman
Seed Whore
Separatory funnel?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Separatory_funnel
I just received a 1000mL unit two weeks ago and it has 24/40 joints at both ends.
So I can hook it up to other lab glassware without any leaks or losses occurring.
clearchoiceco
Member
Nope, oil/water receiver, o4 separator.
clearchoiceco
Member
Bump...
I haven't tried anything yet, but I can't really think of how I'm going to work the oil/water separator into the equation with partial vacuum with the dry steam/nitrogen combo. Or if I'd be better off with a vacuum take off adapter dripping into a separatory funnel submerged in an ice bath.
I'm wondering why nitrogen gas is even necessary in the example of the previously illustrated Summit Research setup. Shouldn't the water steam in vacuum move things along?
I haven't tried anything yet, but I can't really think of how I'm going to work the oil/water separator into the equation with partial vacuum with the dry steam/nitrogen combo. Or if I'd be better off with a vacuum take off adapter dripping into a separatory funnel submerged in an ice bath.
I'm wondering why nitrogen gas is even necessary in the example of the previously illustrated Summit Research setup. Shouldn't the water steam in vacuum move things along?
clearchoiceco
Member
Nitrogen gas inlet assumed for the 3rd neck on the boiling flask having a barbed hose fitting.
clearchoiceco
Member
I imagine water can be drawn out by vacuum through the bottom for a continuous run? Or I guess get a sep funnel large enough to hold the starting amount of water + terps?
clearchoiceco
Member
Maybe mantle/flask combo is meant to run dry, and serves to simply heat the nitrogen gas? Doesn't make sense, a Graham condenser with hot water or oil might serve the purpose better.
clearchoiceco
Member
In pangaea's setup, I can't tell where the heat plate or bowl of sand is by description or pictures. Or what the oven box looks like or how it functions.
Please elaborate?
Please elaborate?
clearchoiceco
Member
This is OpenSourceSteel's.
http://instagram.com/p/BMzxxtggOvo/
Note the double triclamp connections on top of the of the jacketed pot on the bottom left. I'm guessing that is a filter plate for separating the material from the water reservoir at the bottom.
I've heard the system uses liquid nitrogen, I guess in the condenser as well as collection pot, but I'm wondering if water vapors will simply freeze and clog up the condenser eventually?Perhaps that's why such a large diameter pipe was used, I don't know.
Thoughts?
http://instagram.com/p/BMzxxtggOvo/
Note the double triclamp connections on top of the of the jacketed pot on the bottom left. I'm guessing that is a filter plate for separating the material from the water reservoir at the bottom.
I've heard the system uses liquid nitrogen, I guess in the condenser as well as collection pot, but I'm wondering if water vapors will simply freeze and clog up the condenser eventually?Perhaps that's why such a large diameter pipe was used, I don't know.
Thoughts?
clearchoiceco
Member
I'm also curious what the purpose of the sight glass is... perhaps to alert the operator when water has run out and no more steam is being produced?
N2 can speed the evaporation of the water, which will speed up the whole process, through to collection....I would consider dry distilling under vacuum with the nitrogen previous to steam distilling under vacuum. I haven't done this myself so I'm working off theory, but that would reduce the need for the oil/water separation, and I imagine there might be some slight solubility in water in those terpenoids. Though I doubt this will give anywhere near a "full flavor profile." I'm a firm believer there are some tasty water solubles.
The vacuum takeoff adapter & sep funnel combo seems logical.
No stir mechanism on that OSS distiller. The thing looks.....uh....ok? Seems like quite a chunk of water to deal with, and I would want to drain the water in small amounts like you said, as opposed to letting it accumulate all together and surely dissolving more flavor. Why wouldn't they add a drain port? Or a vertical sight glass to monitor water/terpene levels? Oh yeah, they are Open Source "Scientific" lol. Shots fired. No harm meant. Also, that post was 5 months ago, so who knows where they are at with it by now.
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clearchoiceco
Member
I know for a fact that tasty water-soluble terps are lost via water, from my past experience in ice water extracted hash (bubblebags)
live resin
Member
will this process work in a dual manifold schlenk line? freeze-pump-thaw just like you would to degas solvents?
clearchoiceco
Member
OK so, the tek that I'm using is extremely simple and easy. No wonder no one is saying a peep, it's like how people (theclearscientist, etc) used to lie through their teeth about what the process was to make "clear".
It's so simple and easy it hurts. Unless those guys are doing it some different way.
It's so simple and easy it hurts. Unless those guys are doing it some different way.
How about: dry the shit out of tasty oil, like bho. Cold trap that stream to trap the terpenes....
No vacuum, just inert N2 gas at a temperature warm enough to keep the oil viscous, and force it through the oil which may be on a filter. Just like a steam distillation - but dry - and using a tasty extract, which butane/propane conveniently provide
Please share, since you already boast simplicity.
No vacuum, just inert N2 gas at a temperature warm enough to keep the oil viscous, and force it through the oil which may be on a filter. Just like a steam distillation - but dry - and using a tasty extract, which butane/propane conveniently provide
Please share, since you already boast simplicity.
clearchoiceco
Member
Not much to share, Old Gold, you already spelled it out more or less. I'm told there is LN2 involved in Blue River's and similar setups
clearchoiceco
Member
Old Gold, I am using vacuum however, at least in my initial runs. And starting with plant material vs extract. I will try out different combinations in the coming weeks as time allows, to see what does what to what, but it appears to be extremely simple at this point.
