OMG what have I done? e-liquid not working

[MT]

Firstly,thanks for having me here, this my first post and I am an absolute newbie.

So, Hi everyone :-)

I made a batch of e-juice today. Its my second time and the first lot was good. I did a 48 hour soak.

This time I did a 10 minute quick wash.

1/2 oz bud (60g)
Decarb at 100C for 40 mins
Quick 10 min wash in 95% Ethyl wheat alcohol
Filter through coffee filter paper
evaporated 3/4 of alcohol
added 20ml of ready made vape juice
evaporated remaining alcohol.

Got a few brown powdery particles in the oil (should i remove this?)

Getting no noticeable hit after 20 or 30 draws

Have I added too much oil for 1/2 oz bud?

Any other suggestions please. Just about to try again but its an expensive mistake.

Thanks very much

MT

 

[Baron23]

Firstly,thanks for having me here, this my first post and I am an absolute newbie.

So, Hi everyone :-)

I made a batch of e-juice today. Its my second time and the first lot was good. I did a 48 hour soak.

This time I did a 10 minute quick wash.

1/2 oz bud (60g)
Decarb at 100C for 40 mins
Quick 10 min wash in 95% iso
Filter through coffee filter paper
evaporated 3/4 of alcohol
added 20ml of ready made vape juice
evaporated remaining alcohol.

Got a few brown powdery particles in the oil (should i remove this?)

Getting no noticeable hit after 20 or 30 draws

Have I added too much oil for 1/2 oz bud?

Any other suggestions please. Just about to try again but its an expensive mistake.

Thanks very much

MT

Brother...please don't take this wrong....but if you don't have a heated vacuum oven then you ain't getting all of the ISO out and I personally wouldn't vape it on a bet.

As to why you aren't able to vape it? Dunno. Maybe the hardware?

 

[MT]

I am using non denatured 95% wheat alcohol food grade pure Ethyl. Is there a problem vaping traces of this stuff?

I have heated it at low temps with a fan blowing over it. Does this method not work?

Thanks for your comments. As I said i am a complete beginner so all advice is much appreciated.

 

[Baron23]

Ethyl is fine. But in your original post you said ISO which is a very different animal and one needs to be very careful to fully purge it before vaping. Vaping ISO is not good.

Now this is just my opinion, but I really don’t think ISO should be used by home hobbiests. I know there will be some here who disagree and do use ISO, but I think you really need to know what you are doing with it.

Ethyl alcohol is very different and not toxic (well, unless you try to drink a fifth of it! LOL)

I hope someone else w more expererience w home juice making will weigh in to help you.

Hehehe you know you can always just drink it, right

 

[Deleted Member 1643]

Welcome to FC! There are numerous threads where you can find all sorts of information and opinions on what you're trying to do.

ISO abbreviates isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol). It's a bit more toxic than ethyl alcohol (Everclear). Haven't used it for extraction.

This time I did a 10 minute quick wash.

1/2 oz bud (60g)
Decarb at 100C for 40 mins
Quick 10 min wash in 95% iso
Filter through coffee filter paper
evaporated 3/4 of alcohol
added 20ml of ready made vape juice
evaporated remaining alcohol.

Got a few brown powdery particles in the oil (should i remove this?)

Getting no noticeable hit after 20 or 30 draws

Have I added too much oil for 1/2 oz bud?

Any other suggestions please. Just about to try again but its an expensive mistake.

There's no need to decarb your bud for vaping. If you're careful with temps, you can retain terps for flavor and effects. If you want to decarb, for some reason, it's better to decarb the oil rather than the bud. That way, you get a complete purge at the same time, with better flavor, IMO.

Three minutes in the freezer works great. It's called QWET for quick wash ethanol. Any longer than that will start to pick up chlorophyll. Ten minutes at room temp will pick up a lot of chlorophyll, and probably even less desirable constituents. The wash should be faintly straw-colored, almost clear. No green.

Vacuum filtration is a step up, but coffee filters are fine at first.

What you attempted can be described as solvent transfer. Tried it early on. (Actually made some tasty nic juice from bourbon. Need to try that again.) The goal was mainly to get concentrate to dissolve in vegetable glycerin (VG), which is nearly impossible. You don't mention whether you're using 100% propylene glycol (PG) or some mix with VG. Any VG will ruin it, IME. It will be fine up to a point, and then the oil will precipitate out, messily. 100% PG might work. @randomtoker posted a method for relatively dilute PG, but don't recall if it involved solvent transfer. In any case, solvent transfer was tried and discussed in that thread. Worth a read and maybe a try.

No idea what you mean by "add too much oil for 1/2 oz bud".

Is there a problem vaping traces of this stuff?

It's certainly not safe. The answer depends on your tolerance for risk. One problem is, not sure how much ethanol will be left. How do you know when to stop the transfer? Some nic juice flavors are dissolved in ethanol, so there's relevant exposure. Best to let these steep before use to give the ethanol even more time to evaporate. If you don't, you can feel some irritation upon inhalation. Steeping would probably be a good idea, if you pursue this.

Be prepared to make expensive mistakes. It's not easy to get good, consistent results, especially without PEG. Expect oil from a ten minute wash to taste terrible. Sadly, don't know how to salvage this, especially if there's nicotine in the mix.

Advise working on your QWET technique, maybe set up vacuum purging if you want to retain terps. Dab the concentrate at a low temp, and then decide if you want to risk making e-juice out of it.

 

[MT]

Sorry for the mix up with ISO. I have changed the original post so I hope that not confusing. It’s just that I am so new at this.

I have no idea if I have used VG or PG because I used a ready made vape oil to mix in. I assumed it would be ok which might be the problem. Although my first batch worked ok.

My 1/2 oz comment to 20 ml means that I processed 1/2 oz of bud in Ethyl and then whilst I was evaporating the Ethyl I added 20Ml (mili litres) of the pre made vape oil. I thought I could transfer the good stuff from the Ethyl to the vape oil during the evaporation process.

Something somewhere hasn’t worked. I would think 1/2 oz (60g) of bud would be strong in only 20 mili litres of oil

Thanks

 

[Deleted Member 1643]

What do you mean by pre-made vape oil, first described as ready made vape juice? Imagined nicotine-type e-liquid. You used the same for both batches?

Would expect a 48-hour soak to be worse, not better.

At what temp are you evaporating the ethanol? Asking because if it's very low (~body temp), it might pick up water, especially in a humid environment. Without adding a secondary solvent, this produces cloudiness that clears up later in the purge. Don't know what to expect with your solvent transfer. Early on, remember seeing brown blobs floating on milky liquid. Didn't realize at first that this was the oil.

You might be able to clear it up by re-dissolving in warmer ethanol.

 

[MT]

Pre made vape oil is a flavoured vape juice bought from eBay or local shop.

I am heating to about 70c to evaporate

 

[Deleted Member 1643]

If you have an eBay link, please include. Still unsure of what you're working with. A few possibilities come to mind.

70C is quite hot, so you won't be picking up water. Wondering whether you could redissolve, in ~200 ml ethanol, winterize, filter, and try evaporating again. Don't see how it could hurt, but it's shooting in the dark. Hopefully, others will chime in.

 

[MT]

I used 2 bottles of the stuff in the link. That’s 20 ml of vape oil to 1/2oz bud. I used the zero nicotine version. I have no idea what the ingredients are as it’s not specified.

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.co.uk/ulk/itm/253548936807

 

[DrRishi]

I spent a lot of time (and money) trying to make a good vape liquid. PG, VG and PEG. In the end I decided to not to try an mix it but just vape the concentrate directly. Makes the whole process much simpler and I know I am not introducing an extra substance (PG,VG,PEG) to my lungs.

I also switched from BHO/DHO to making rosin. Only adding heat and pressure provides a very clean result with no worries if it is correctly purged.

 

[MT]

After a bit more research I think I know what I have done wrong. Please correct me or comment.

1/2 oz bud should produce about 2.5g of concentrate which equates to approximately 2.5ml (not exact I know)

EJmix suggest 1:2 to 1:3 ratio so the max mix should be 1 part concentrate to 3 parts EJmix. So in my case I should have added max 7.5ml of EJmix. Together with the 2.5ml of concentrate it would have made about 10ml of e-liquid.

I added 20ml of PG based liquid (Like EJmix) so have over diluted the end product.

I also used an ebay bought nicotine free e-juice instead of using EJmix. I think that this has not enabled the concentrate to evenly distribute through the e-juice. This might explain why i have dark blobs in the final product.

Trying another batch this week with 7.5ml of EJmix to 1/2 oz bud. I will do a 3 minute wash after freezing the bug and alcohol as this should freeze any water content and reduce the extraction of unwanted water soluble products.

I will let you know how it goes.

Thanks for your help everyone.

 

[Deleted Member 1643]

I used 2 bottles of the stuff in the link. That’s 20 ml of vape oil to 1/2oz bud. I used the zero nicotine version. I have no idea what the ingredients are as it’s not specified.

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.co.uk/ulk/itm/253548936807

Thanks - it says 70:30 VG/PG. Surprised it worked the first time. It's good that there's no nicotine to worry about.

After a bit more research I think I know what I have done wrong. Please correct me or comment.

1/2 oz bud should produce about 2.5g of concentrate which equates to approximately 2.5ml (not exact I know)

EJmix suggest 1:2 to 1:3 ratio so the max mix should be 1 part concentrate to 3 parts EJmix. So in my case I should have added max 7.5ml of EJmix. Together with the 2.5ml of concentrate it would have made about 10ml of e-liquid.

I added 20ml of PG based liquid (Like EJmix) so have over diluted the end product.

I also used an ebay bought nicotine free e-juice instead of using EJmix. I think that this has not enabled the concentrate to evenly distribute through the e-juice. This might explain why i have dark blobs in the final product.

Trying another batch this week with 7.5ml of EJmix to 1/2 oz bud. I will do a 3 minute wash after freezing the bug and alcohol as this should freeze any water content and reduce the extraction of unwanted water soluble products.

Good research! You'll like the QWET results.

EJ mix is PEG based, not PG based. PEG is polyethylene glycol, not propylene glycol. The propyl and ethyl groups are chemically similar, but PEG is a polymer that can be synthesized in a range of lengths. PEG 400 is commonly used for this application (EJ mix uses a mix of PEG 200, 300 and 400).

Concentrate is readily soluble in PEG. There's no need for solvent transfer. An easier, and probably better, way to use it is to let your wash evaporate all the way, then dissolve in EJ mix. Once the wash is a manageable volume, you can transfer to your final container to finish evaporating. That way, you don't have to worry about scraping or transferring. You can use much less EJ mix, as little as half the volume of concentrate - even adding it drop-wise is fine.

There's no accounting for taste, but many find the flavor of PEG unpleasant, like inhaling liquid plastic. There hasn't been nearly as much study of, or experience with, the risks of inhaling PEG. One widely-cited study found far higher levels of toxic aldehydes produced compared to PG, but @florduh noted the researchers had an undisclosed conflict of interest which calls into question the study's validity.

@DrRishi's experience sounds similar to that of yours truly, but with purging, QWET is also easy and economical. It produces shatter, which can be very stable and easy to work with, but it may take some practice. Another matter of preference.

 

[MT]

Thanks for

Thanks - it says 70:30 VG/PG. Surprised it worked the first time. .

So am I. It was inconsistent so I guess some draws got a hit ans some didn't.

I don't like the idea of a plastic taste and I don't want it too strong as I would rather take more if i need it.

I have attached a link to a photo album, not sure if you will be able to see it though. https://photos.app.goo.gl/W9VwUrkF96hqBkHk8

1st photo shows 2 washes. big one is the first wash and small one is the second wash. It was all looking ok an I am interested to see what the different effects are of each wash.

The second photo is what i have now I have added the VG/PG mix. |You can see that it has separated out of suspension overnight. I am wondering if I can save it. do you think the dark stuff on the top is what I need to keep? I can syringe out the unwanted stuff.

Last question. On my next batch can I add the EJ Mix before all of the alcohol is evaporated (before getting shatter). Just thinking it might be easier to transfer if its liquid.

Thanks again for your help its all very interesting.

 

[Deleted Member 1643]

The second photo is what i have now I have added the VG/PG mix. |You can see that it has separated out of suspension overnight. I am wondering if I can save it. do you think the dark stuff on the top is what I need to keep? I can syringe out the unwanted stuff.

Last question. On my next batch can I add the EJ Mix before all of the alcohol is evaporated (before getting shatter). Just thinking it might be easier to transfer if its liquid.

Can see just the second photo. The dark stuff on top is probably what you'd need to keep. You'd expect it to be dark with a ten minute wash. Doubt you'll ever be able to get what you want from it, but may as well try the procedure above to see if it improves. If you just added VG, PG and flavor, it should also be fine to use as a tincture or in medibles. These are all generally recognized as safe for use in food.

Solvent transfer should work with EJ mix, theoretically, but you'll probably be left with more ethanol than if you just dissolve the concentrate. If you're dead set on e-juice, still recommend letting the ethanol evaporate to a small volume then transferring to a small jar that you can use for the final mix. Let that evaporate completely, then add EJ mix drop-wise. You could dilute this with PG to your desired volume, reducing the unpleasant flavor of PEG, but don't use the VG/PG e-juice for this. A drop of VG is enough to ruin it.

 

[MT]

Solvent transfer should work with EJ mix, theoretically, but you'll probably be left with more ethanol than if you just dissolve the concentrate. If you're dead set on e-juice,

No I am not dead set on e-juice but as I am a total beginner and don't smoke at all I am finding e-juice easy to smoke and very sociable. Once I gain more knowledge about how the various types of pens are used I will probably do what you are suggesting.

Are you saying that I should evaporate until I get shatter in a small glass and then add a few drops of EJ Mix to dissolve it and then add PG to dilute it further? I think you are saying that the EJ Mix is like a bridge to make the shatter dissolve into PG. Which will taste better than diluting the whole volume with EJ Mix.

I have ordered this http://r.ebay.com/kqiQct - should I get some PG too?

Thanks again

 

[Deleted Member 1643]

Are you saying that I should evaporate until I get shatter in a small glass and then add a few drops of EJ Mix to dissolve it and then add PG to dilute it further? I think you are saying that the EJ Mix is like a bridge to make the shatter dissolve into PG. Which will taste better than diluting the whole volume with EJ Mix.

I have ordered this http://r.ebay.com/kqiQct - should I get some PG too?

Yes, that's it. You may as well just try the product you ordered first. Not familiar with it specifically, but tried some of the earlier brands (EJ, VE, PM), and some tasted better than others. It's generally better to use neat solvents (PG, PEG 400). Even if the pre-made mixes list ingredients, you won't know how much of each. Ingredient lists can be inaccurate - recently read a study that found VG in supposedly PG-only e-juice and vice versa. You can get these inexpensively from reputable vape retailers who market to DIYers.

 

[Pimpslapper]

Ej mix tastes like shit though. Any of them with PEG have an overwhelming plastic taste that ruins it for me. I
have tried so many ways and I have found the best to be as in my ghetto homemade ecig juice thread on this forum. I got it off reddit and would have given up on ecig juice if I hadn't found it.
Only thing I haven't tried is straight terpenes as its not available here.

 

[Deleted Member 1643]

Read your post, @Pimpslapper. An interesting method. It's like a quick solvent transfer at relatively high heat, considering that you don't evaporate all of the ethanol first. Don't know why you'd add ground bud. Seems like that would gunk up your coils without adding significantly more cannabinoids.

 

[Pimpslapper]

Read your post, @Pimpslapper. An interesting method. It's like a quick solvent transfer at relatively high heat, considering that you don't evaporate all of the ethanol first. Don't know why you'd add ground bud. Seems like that would gunk up your coils without adding significantly more cannabinoids.

The original recipe was just bud and ethanol and your favorite vape juice.
I like the strength the qwet offers.
The bud hasn't funked up my cart yet after three runs and coffee filter to remove gunk... Ymmv
I haven't tried yet with just qwet and vape juice but willwill

 

[MT]

The original recipe was just bud and ethanol and your favorite vape juice.

And that’s where I am having problems. I did mix with a nice vape juice but it separated out. Reading the above threads it’s due to the VG in the vape juice. The method you recommended with CBD oil still contains 20% VG so I am wondering why it doesn’t separate out like mine did.

Could it be that you are leaving some Ethyl in the mix which helps it stay mixed.

Does the CDB add anything interesting?

 

[Pimpslapper]

And that’s where I am having problems. I did mix with a nice vape juice but it separated out. Reading the above threads it’s due to the VG in the vape juice. The method you recommended with CBD oil still contains 20% VG so I am wondering why it doesn’t separate out like mine did.

Could it be that you are leaving some Ethyl in the mix which helps it stay mixed.

Does the CDB add anything interesting?

Like I said, I experimented a Lot, and wasted much bud trying lots of recipes.
This one is the easiest and works for me.
The cbd adds perhaps a bit of mellow in the high..
I think the quick superheat melds the juice.
ALL of my previous attempts separated.
This one hasn't yet .
I just wanted to post because I had a hard time with finding a clear cut recipe but this one works.
I use this
https://www.vaposhop.com/vaporizers/pen-vaporizers/linx-hermes-2/

 

[MT]

Thanks that’s all fab info. Where do you get the cbd oil from? I can’t find one with low VG.

 

[Pimpslapper]

You can use any vape juice.
I just like the cbd bonus
I use harmony cbd vape juice from Amazon in Germany

 

[Abysmal Vapor]

10 minute soak = disaster.
Ultra cold ethanol + ultra cold material = let it sit for max 2 minutes i would go with 1:20 at -25 C ,after that , reduce,redissolve ,winterize and then maybe you will have something close to zero residue,which would fuckup your atomizer coil slower than the dirty shit.
With that being said. I havent ever tried QWET or E-juice in coil atomizer. Honestly i havent vaped QWET in years,or any other real concentrates, but i really enjoy vaping CBD crystals,it has replaced my urge for dabbing the classic concentrates.