Concentrates for Noobs - Q&A

pigfoot

Dabs are vapor too!
I've made the best shatter on earth taste like ass by dabbing at too high a temp. Just putting that out there.

No actually, and this is why I was disappointed, it was pretty much a thick golden oil and extremely sticky. It also smelled heavenly. It might of been the temperature of the nail as you said. I think back then I was doing like everyone does in the YouTube videos...

In my limited experience, if you overheat (combust) it will taste like crap. Not familiar with the dabbler, but you could get a China dab rig cheap.......just sayin'. That's funny about youtube, I once saw a vid of two young ladies, and they start torching their nail, and they're talkin' away.....and torching....and more talking....still torching...the thing has been glowing for a while now....more talking...and they're like "ok" it's ready! And they hit it right away....ickk.
 

sasNW

Well-Known Member
I am new to BHO/wax I think it taste terrible and I am buying from a dispensary, the good stuff. I bought the Dabbler and it's easy to use and a good product. I just don't like the taste of the BHO/wax.

I am mixing it with my herb in my Solo tastes much better that way, especially if you have good tasting herb like like Lemon Haze.

The price at a dispensary is 2 grams of BHO for $25 dollars. I'm sure the black market is probably double if you can even get it.

I've tried a few different kinds and they all taste awful by themselves. That's been my experience.

Good god where can you get Bho for $12.5 a gram?!? My favorite shop just had a sale on shatter for $20 a gram and that's the best price I've seen in my 5 years of having a card in Seattle
 
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Bouldorado

Well-Known Member
LOL. I wouldt trust BHO being sold at 2g/$25, but thats in my area.

wholesale price for shatter probably isn't much more than that, so it's possible the dispensary just isn't profiting much (might even be losing money). however I agree with you that I wouldn't trust $12.5 gram BHO
 
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SunnyHours

Well-Known Member
I am new to BHO/wax I think it taste terrible and I am buying from a dispensary, the good stuff. I bought the Dabbler and it's easy to use and a good product. I just don't like the taste of the BHO/wax.

So it is possible that I dislike the taste but still, I shouldn't be tasting something that feels like burnt plastic.
I'm guessing it more like I dislike herbs that taste like Pine. I'll still vape it if it's passed around, but I won't find that it has a chemical taste. Didn't taste like butane either.

Is it possible to produce good tasting BHO without a vaccum? Or would I be wasting buds and time? What could I use to seal between the downstem and the butane nozzle?
 
SunnyHours,

farscaper

Well-Known Member
So it is possible that I dislike the taste but still, I shouldn't be tasting something that feels like burnt plastic.
I'm guessing it more like I dislike herbs that taste like Pine. I'll still vape it if it's passed around, but I won't find that it has a chemical taste. Didn't taste like butane either.

Is it possible to produce good tasting BHO without a vaccum? Or would I be wasting buds and time? What could I use to seal between the downstem and the butane nozzle?
I produce fine tasting extracts without vacuum. I just run very small amounts (ie 4gr) so as to ensure an easier purge. using a minimal amount of butane helps too. I think I get 10 15 runs per can of capital running 4gr at a time.

btw abandon the downstem and just get a stainless steel turkey baster.

will × research = way
 

herbivore21

Well-Known Member
Effective heat purge with even ISO will negate the need for vacuum. All that is required is a heating setup that will heat the vessel full of solution (ISO + terps/cannabinoids) at a stable 70 celcius or so for guaranteed shatter every time, completely purged, no bubbles. Even with 1oz or 2oz runs!
 

Bouldorado

Well-Known Member
So it is possible that I dislike the taste but still, I shouldn't be tasting something that feels like burnt plastic.
I'm guessing it more like I dislike herbs that taste like Pine. I'll still vape it if it's passed around, but I won't find that it has a chemical taste. Didn't taste like butane either.

Is it possible to produce good tasting BHO without a vaccum? Or would I be wasting buds and time? What could I use to seal between the downstem and the butane nozzle?

What quality starting material are you using (trim, mid-grade, or top-shelf; fresh or cured)?
What type of butane do you use?
What do you filter with?
What do you blast into?
How are you purging?

You don't really have to answer all those, but as you can see there's a lot of variables that go into making oil.
 
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Caligula

Maximus
So it is possible that I dislike the taste but still, I shouldn't be tasting something that feels like burnt plastic.
I'm guessing it more like I dislike herbs that taste like Pine. I'll still vape it if it's passed around, but I won't find that it has a chemical taste. Didn't taste like butane either.

Is it possible to produce good tasting BHO without a vaccum? Or would I be wasting buds and time? What could I use to seal between the downstem and the butane nozzle?


Actually I've heard more than one person say too hot a dab tastes exactly like burning plastic. Typically relating to in seasoned quartz but not exclusively.
 

SunnyHours

Well-Known Member
Guess I'll need to do another run then. Any idea of something I can stick between the side of a glass downstem and the nozzle of the butane can?

In any case I was using a Highly Educated Ti v3 nail. I know this is a stupid question but when I heat up the nail, I heat it till it's red hot and then how long should I wait before the dab. Like 10-15 secs?
 
SunnyHours,

Caligula

Maximus
Guess I'll need to do another run then. Any idea of something I can stick between the side of a glass downstem and the nozzle of the butane can?

In any case I was using a Highly Educated Ti v3 nail. I know this is a stupid question but when I heat up the nail, I heat it till it's red hot and then how long should I wait before the dab. Like 10-15 secs?

Given that I've only dabbled (lol) with quartz, I'd have to defer to someone with more experience. Perhaps @Deadshort480 or @mvapes can answer that better than I.

Of course I also use a $20 (Amazon) IR thermal sensor to measure my nail so I don't dab too hot or too cold. I find about 700°F is good for most concentrates. Retains most of the terps (flavor) while being hot enough not to waste much oil.

Needless to say if you dab right after its red hot, that's way too soon.
 
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SunnyHours

Well-Known Member
Would Silicone or Tygon tubing resist degradation from Butane?
It won't be directly in the path but I'd rather be sure...I used a piece of elastic to seal the downstem...maybe that's why it tasted like plastic?

Also is using really sugary leaf a good idea?
 
SunnyHours,

thisperson

Ruler of all things person
wholesale price for shatter probably isn't much more than that, so it's possible the dispensary just isn't profiting much (might even be losing money). however I agree with you that I wouldn't trust $12.5 gram BHO

I went to a dispensary and they were having a donate one get one sale on all concentrates.

It came out to 10 for a half g when you picked up half a gram for 20. Since they would give you one full gram for 20. They didn't change their prices which I thought was pretty good.

At 10 dollars a gram though the dispensary isn't making money and I'd be like, this could be bad product. So I agree with everyone else who told you that.

I did want to let you know however that the dispensary's second in command (who I spoke to for a bit) said that they make all their own BHO and that when sellers come they want a lot of money but they will only buy if it's acceptable price at 15 dollars a gram. So yeah, I think it could get that cheap. Especially if quality varies.

They state they only go for quality, and their BHO is decent but nothing that's amazing. I've found better cheaper extracts looking around. Just that that DOGO!

And I wish every day was 12 dollar wax grams. Weed that cheap? Lucky you. Makes me eager to start growing for me.
 

mvapes

Scratchin' Glass!
Accessory Maker
You can absolutely use just heat as a purge element but let me ask you this, how long are you letting it sit? See, this is the part where most become impatient and resort to the fucking sizzle technique to reassure themselves that the product is safely extracted.

The shortest length of time I've ever been able to successfully extract all the butane from my product (and I test it with a gas detector wand) was about 6 hours with decarbonizing.. But, I usually purge in a vac at about 105 for two days. If I was using a simple heat purge I would double that but that's me, I don't like inhaling tane at all. Call me crazy...

Now @SunnyHours - what do you want to use the piece of silicone for? I'm a bit confused about that part. As far as the nail I think your right on track - glow - 10 or 15 seconds to cool should be perfect. Now, if that fucker sizzles at that point there's a chance your wolfing down tane soup. Sometimes, even if the lighter method (not a good test) works and your still having that sizzle sound 90% of the time there's some tane in there.

It's so exciting that we can all help each other with our experiments but FC is my fucking home. Be careful taking advice or offering advice without knowing the real deal. I don't want to see anyone get hurt here, feel free to look up the numerous deaths in users died from inhaling butane.

I actually care about you guy's, if anyone wants advice please hit me up at anytime. You could even get me on Kik as I'm mvapes there and IG as well.

This is some dope sour lemon honeycomb from a lab and guess what....

3b1272fe-de8a-43ba-8771-237ade0bab80_zpse7qvjzde.jpg


Still has tane in it.

20140616_132121_zps6ljluj7q.jpg


Yellow is a small trace of gas.
 

aesthyrian

Blaaaaah
What's that fancy testing tool you're using?

It would fun to use that to see how many food products trigger it.
 
aesthyrian,

farscaper

Well-Known Member
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farscaper

Well-Known Member
Whats the PPM cutoff for detectable limit on that thing?
actually im kinda sad to say the cheaper ones wont advertise under 500ppm. many at 1000 sensitivity. I havnt looked at $100 or more costly models so they most likely have far greater sesitivity...
report later.
 
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Bouldorado

Well-Known Member
Would Silicone or Tygon tubing resist degradation from Butane?
It won't be directly in the path but I'd rather be sure...I used a piece of elastic to seal the downstem...maybe that's why it tasted like plastic?

Also is using really sugary leaf a good idea?

Any material you use other than glass or stainless, you should absolutely consult a chemical resistance guide to see if it will react with your solvent.

Sugary leaf isn't a bad idea but you probably won't get the best yield

also @mvapes would love to see a link to that detector
 
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farscaper

Well-Known Member
now correct me if im wrong but I think @mvapes is using one of these or something similar.
http://www.joyfay.com/new-high-sens...or-dy80.html?gclid=CLXV66bj_74CFWQQ7Aod1DcAYw
but that site doesnt list butane as one of its detection features (only methane and natural gas) but it also doesnt list its ppm rating. so we can assume that if it tests yellow Thats Bad! definitely some tainted green wax.

this one here can read down to 50ppm sensitivity (only tested on methane) and has butane listed on I
s features.
http://www.testersandtools.com/UEi-Instrument-CD200-Combustible-Gas-Detector.php

and then we get into these which are varing on price, but at this point were talking scientific equiptment really.

https://www.google.com/search?q=combustible gas detector&client=ms-android-uscellular-us&espvd=1&source=univ&tbm=shop&sboxchip=Shopping&sa=X&ei=0JufU9zSO8bI8wGn4YDIAQ&ved=0CBwQsxg&biw=360&bih=567#spd=990367621187277931
 

Bouldorado

Well-Known Member
I wonder how accurate the detectors are on semi-solids (shatter, wax). Not a chemist, but I would imagine semi-solids need to have a higher butane ppm than a liquid or gas to pass the detector threshold.

I read some reviews on detectors and some people said they would light up on random materials, e.g teflon tape.
 

farscaper

Well-Known Member
seems like whatever you test would have to offgassing a (chemical signature) before it would read it... but again, you can see the sweep of quality and price goes up with tech sensitivity.

most of the large expensive ones are only so becuase they are testing for more than just butane.

really gas chromatography is probably the only true test...

kinda like the diffrence between women peeing on a cheapy pregnancy test stick or going to the doctor for a lab analyzed test.

edit: while looking on aliexpress I stumbled across this... idk about the silicone type... it would be cool in Teflon! but figure a way to get this type pad inside you chamber abd your set. heated purge pad.

http://m.aliexpress.com/item/1351773427.html

operationally safe up to 400°F(204°C)
 
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