Is there a chemist/biologist in the room

[KC]

I don't know if it's just in my head but I think. It tastes marginally better. It's been awhile since I've used it tbh. I've got one bottle left but that'll be my last. 

Last food grade ethanol was under 90 quid for 5 ltrs (with mothers day discount)

[joba]

when decarbing the CBD oil you need a bit higher temepratures 130-140C cbd crystals are tiny compare to thc crystals so hard to see if the decarbolization is finished

 

 

[nop]

9 hours ago, Topdeck said:

Before I made my own ethanol, I used to buy Spirytus polish vodka 90%+ proof. Pricey, but common in all good polish supermarkets in the UK, excellent quality and perfect for what you need. 

 

Any idea what percentage your hitting and(iyo) how does it compare to Spirytus?

[nop]

4 hours ago, KC said:

I don't know if it's just in my head but I think. It tastes marginally better. It's been awhile since I've used it tbh. I've got one bottle left but that'll be my last. 

Last food grade ethanol was under 90 quid for 5 ltrs (with mothers day discount)

 

I wonder if you could tell the difference in a blind taste test.

 

I know what you mean though, the clear glass traditional alcohol bottle with label seems somehow more appealing/safer than the cheaper alternative which looks like a bottle of bleach or other dangerous chemical.

 

Are they both not supposed to be the same thing?

[KC]

@nop They're both 95% grain alcohol (non denatured) so yes as far as I know they are, at least on paper. There is also an American one you can buy called Everclear, again same sort of thing.

 

 

[Topdeck]

4 hours ago, nop said:

 

Any idea what percentage your hitting and(iyo) how does it compare to Spirytus?

I get 92% consistently using a turbo500 still made by still spirits. The vodka is top notch, I'd accept a Pepsi challenge vs spirytus on my vodka any day of the week! 

Best thing is that each run yields about 4-5 litres of 92% vodka and the ingredients cost £15. No skill required. I do one run a month so in a year I make approx. 50 litres for about £180. To buy it as Spirytus would cost about £2-£3k!! I've been doing it for years so the savings are ridiculous. 

 

To buy all the kit brand new is about £600 all in.... but picked mine up for half that on auction site. 

 

It's also bloody good fun to make, and from it I make 40% gin, whisky, bourbon etc as well as meds/oil and even top notch shatter for several friends. 

[whoknows]

What I would say is that in the end you are looking for an edible product so use food safe items to extract. Ethanol, coconut oil, olive oil, ghee and butter are all good. Butane, isopropyl alcohol etc are poisons. Unless you will test each batch of yours for residues and chemicals avoid using poison to prepare your food or medicine.

[Cajafiesta]

I'm a little late to this party, but I've got a small amount of experience.  So, you know...why not...

 

I'm not a scientist, so this is just what I've tried.  I haven't died yet, so there's that...

 

Definitely do your own research.

 

 

I'm not sure if the USA terms/way of labeling will cross over to the UK, so take that for what it's worth.

 

 

I will say that, in the states, we have what's called a MSDS.  Material Safety Data Sheet.  Every product that is potentially hazardous, in the US, has a MSDS.  It lists material composition, first aid, etc.   You can reference the MSDS for products to see what the composition is, by percentage, of what.  This is ALWAYS the most reliable way to judge what you have and what you're dealing with. If documentation exists on the product, it will tell you how to use it appropriately.  

 

In the states, "rubbing alcohol" is a term used for a PRODUCT, not a material. It can be Ethyl, Iso or a mix of alcohols, sometimes "denatured."  RUN from anything that contains the term "denatured" or that the MSDS lists "Methanol."  Methanol is added to denatured alcohol and some "rubbing" alcohols in the states to prevent consumption.  If you drink Methanol, it will fuck you up good and proper. 

 

You should be looking for Ethyl Alcohol/ Ethanol ( this is what food grade booze is) or Isopropyl Alcohol/Isopropanol. The MSDS for safe Isoprpyl should only list Isopropyl Alcohol (Isopropanol) and water. The higher the percentage, the better.  If you're making small batches, the path of least resistance is to find 90%+ Isopropyl Alcohol or hit your local liquor store and find 190 proof (95%) Ethanol ( branded as Golden Grain, Everclear in the US.) The high-octane clear booze is the most certain product if you want to be sure you're likely not gonna die.  Searching for 100% alcohol would be ideal, but I feel like it's more difficult to source and is more expensive, as it's generally "lab" grade stuff.

 

RSO/Alcohol (ethanol, isopropyl) extraction- Having flower, vessels, alcohol freezing cold is a good idea.  As previously mentioned, the "alcohol, ground flower, glass jar" extraction method, in my experience, is a thorough extraction.  Probably too thorough if you're concerned about clarity etc.  I've only done it a couple times, and im definitely no expert, but in my attempts the alcohol will strip chlorophyll and net a green liquid. This thoroughness-of-extraction seems to be reducible or increasable depending on how long the material is in contact with the solvent.  I've netted a nice gold/honey colored extraction once with Alcohol by only leaving the material in contact with the alcohol for a very brief time with minimal agitation. You can evaporate the solvent out at room temp ( takes longer)  or you can use gentle heat in the form of some kind of indirect heat. These alcohols boil at 170-180F (77-82ish C) so as long as you hit and stay at that temp for "long enough," in theory, all ( the great majority) of the alcohol should be removed.  In theory.  I've never had anything tested. Double boiler, crock pot, rice cooker...whatever will work.  Keep in mind that all these products contain water, which boils at a higher temp than alcohol.  That's a consideration, too.  Not as significant if you intend to ingest this. more significant if you intend to smoke it. I've gone the heat evap route, and it works.  The RSO will be dark and decarbed to some extent when you're done. I've also carefully evaporated it directly in a non stick skillet as i was after a thorough decarb.  This worked well for oral consumption routes. You can rub the stuff on a joint, dab it, too, but it's got  fair bit of dissolved solids in it. I wouldn't call it a pleasant smoke, but its effective.

 

 

I've done butane extraction a couple of times, too. DO NOT DO THIS INDOORS.  MANDATORY OUTDOORS ACTIVITY WITH GOOD AIRFLOW FFS! NO OPEN FLAME HEAT SOURCES.  For me, this is definitely the way to go if you're after shit that's pretty and/or you want "dabs."  I blast small amounts with very refined butane.  Everything frozen.  Collect the butane coming out of the blast tube into a glass jar and allow it to evaporate.  Butane boils at room temp.  Once it's reduced to a thick syrup consistency, I make a tray out of parchment paper, contained in a silicone tray and pour it into the parchment. It then gets placed into a vacuum chamber with a gentle heat source (waterbath electric skillet) under it.  I hold it under full vacuum at 100F (38ish C) or so for an extended amount of time.  Essentially until I "think" it's clean. I'm looking for a significant viscosity increase at 100F with little to no bubble action happening to signal it as "done." The idea of the temp is that it makes the extract less viscous, which makes it easier for the material to purge the butane under vacuum.  If you do this without heat it will purge much slower and probably not purge thoroughly.  The butane has a really hard time boiling out of the extract when it's super thick and sticky. It tends to make clusters of bubbles that never pop and make a mess. This takes HOURS and HOURS. If you're unsure, go longer.    This is not reliable or scientific, but the results seem favorable.  I get no strange tastes, the result the few times i've done it have been a visally appealing honey gold, transparent shatter. I will say that terpenes seem to be less than "in your face." But that's perhaps due to the fact that I've used trim from my grows that, as I'm learning, are way off on temp/RH, so the lack of terpenes could be fully or partially due to beginning material.

 

 

Again, I'm not a scientist.  This has worked for me in the past, and I'm not dead.  Of course, that doesn't mean that this is correct or safe.  Caveat Emptor.

[Ajimango]

On 07/05/2021 at 0:53 PM, nop said:

 

Do you know of any reliable UK suppler of foodgrade etoh?

 

Liquid essences Rackheath. I've not bought from them but products look ok and reasonable prices.

[growinggold]

Big liquid I bought 3x evaclears at good value with the discount they doo of you sign up for emails.