Soxhlet Extractors

[Dr. Soxhlet]

Complete Soxhlet sets (as far as I can tell). 120 dollar min. order for free shipping, but EMS would be 18 bucks to my place so that seems reasonable.

250ml Set for 50 + 18 USD EMS shipping
http://www.aliexpress.com/store/pro...m-flasks-lab-glassware/118287_1187968298.html

1000ml Set for 115 USD (I'd still go for EMS over China Post though)
http://www.aliexpress.com/store/pro...soxhlet-extractor-with/118287_1188000243.html

More Soxhlet sets
http://www.aliexpress.com/store/group/soxhlet-extractor/118287_251188867.html


The only thing that makes me kinda reluctant to order the 250ml set right away is what customs might think/do about it if the package gets opend.

Nice Find!!! That 1000 ML setup is the same price I paid for a 500 ML.

Well heated ethanol + herb = Yuck taste ? How's the taste of your extract ? any pictures of the final product ? Is it vape-able (vape-worthy) ?

Vaped it tastes horrible. I have always just added it to my coffee up until now. Has sort of a licorice flavor. I just bought a Persei and used it for the first time last night-great way to medicate. Gues the next step is to figure out how to refine this raw whole cannabis ethnol based extract so ti tastes and work better vaporizing it. I like Ataxians' vacuum apparatus, but need to know more about this tecnique.

Note to moderator: Sorry about the double post(s). I haven't yet learned how to keep posts together when answering separate posts.

 

[Dafni]

They use vacuum setups to pull the last residual solvents out of the final product.

For further purification of your Ethanol extract look into some liquid/liquid extraction techniques, easy to do, just need some separatory funnels.

If you want to go deeper, look into silica colums (liquid/solid chromatography). There's no limit in the level of separation you could achieve , but it gets tricky quick. People even split up the individual actives that way, but that's serious lab work.

 

[Dr. Soxhlet]

I'd love to see the end result using this style extractor. I was under the impression that this method would leech a LOT of waxes and plant matter.

In the old days before prohibition about 99% of cannabis medicine in this country was ethanol based.
Most were injested or used as salves etc. I have only been able to find one product (for ashma by the way) that was actuall smoked. That method came here mostly with the Mexicans. Here is a link showing some of those medicines: http://www.antiquecannabisbook.com

 

[Dafni]

In the old days before prohibition about 99% of cannabis medicine in this country was ethanol based.
Most were injested or used as salves etc. I have only been able to find one product (for ashma by the way) that was actuall smoked. That method came here mostly with the Mexicans. Here is a link showing some of those medicines: http://www.antiquecannabisbook.com

Awesome link!! Thanks for sharing!

 

[Dr. Soxhlet]

I use Soxhlets a lot, quite big ones actually. But not for cannabis, only for legal stuff.

Keep in mind this technique completly extracts all compounds that are soluble in the given solvent. A continuos, complete extraction, that's what they are meant for.

Soxhlets have their place, obviously, but with Ethanol or Isoproanol (or many other common solvents) you end up with a black sludge when you try to extract cannabis. This extract needs to be further purified if you want something halfway decent for smoking or vaping. This can be done, for example by a chromatography over silica (column) or by liquid-liquid extractions (separatory funnels)

I guess if you want to ingest the product then you are fine. For smoking/vaping I would suggest other more selective methods of extraction.

You could use Diethyl-ether in a Soxhlet for better results than any alcohol can achieve, but Ether is a huge safety risk in itself. Not suggested unless you have a proper lab at hand.

True, there were days when those black sludge oils where all there was in the cannabis world I guess, but these days are over now. People want those yellow clear extracts, no chlorophyl, no waxes and fats. There are ways to get them, as we all know, but Soxhlets are for a different kind of extraction, when you want the full yield of soluble compounds, say peanut oil out of peanuts and stuff like that.

Topicals and edibles might be a diffent story though. Probably the black heavy oils work for those.

Just for the record, I don't suggest anyone do something illegal. I have no personal experience with extracting prohibited substances, just passing on general knowledge in good faith.

Safety was a huge factor for me. I keep hearing about people causing explosions with Butane extractions. That does't happen with ethanol. I also don't like the idea of using something to extext with that may leave behind unhealthy residues. I realize there are better solvents that extract more selectively, but not being a chemist, I thought it too risky.
So I would rather try to "purify" the whole cannabis ethanol extract.
I like these two methods, look promising:chromatography over silica (column) or by liquid-liquid extractions (separatory funnels). Actually thought of looking into doing some of that, but funds are alway short; too many toys to buy.

Caution: Some states have really weird laws concerning these devices (Texas comes to mind).
Be sure it is legal in your state. I live in a state with legal recreational marijuana, but only licensed processors or people with medical marijuana recomendations can produce extracts.

 

[ataxian]

That's true. But the lower the boiling point, the better for Soxhlets on sensitive materials, as the extracted goodies stay in the bottom flask for the whole duration of the process, and that solution is always at the boiling point. Hence my ether suggestion.

Hexan boils at 68°C I believe, and EtOH at 78°C is even worse for sensitive compounds.

If I were to extract cannabis and want to preserve all terpenes and actives, I'd try to keep heat at a minimum.

BHO boils below 38 degrees.
I extract outside.

With vacuum purge and a heat source I make some very good medicine.

What's your take on BHO?

I tried ISO and I could not handle the after taste so I switched to BHO.

 

[Dr. Soxhlet]

BHO boils below 38 degrees.
I extract outside.

With vacuum purge and a heat source I make some very good medicine.

What's your take on BHO?

I tried ISO and I could not handle the after taste so I switched to BHO.

I guess the BHO process scares me in more than one way, perhaps just ignorance.
I've started using this raw cannabis oil in my Persei. No clouds yet, but boy does it medicate.
Sure to cut down on my use of flowers, which I love too much and am now short.

 

[darkrom]

you are very likely going to kill the cart FAST with a big black waxy concentrate.

 

[vap999]

I have no experience with the materials being discussed, but how about rotary evaporators, such as from Buchi, and fractional distillation?

 

[Dr. Soxhlet]

I have no experience with the materials being discussed, but how about rotary evaporators, such as from Buchi, and fractional distillation?

Yes, wish I had deeper pockets.

 

[Dr. Soxhlet]

No offence, but a narrow-necked volumetric flask?? I'm all for MacGuyvering your labware, but this picture hurts my eyes.

Whatever works for you, though. Good luck and be safe

Got to looking at that flask, looks like it shouldn't be used above 20 degrees C, so I've gone back to my regular boiling flask in the meantime till I can find something with a longer neck. I'll keep that flask for it's intended purpose:measureing volumes exactly. Thanks for noticing that.

Mod: Sorry, messed up. Forgot to hit the quote tab instesd. Please merge. Is there a way I can merge this myself-after the fact??

 

[2clicker]

@Dr. Soxhlet if you want a great tasting ethanol extraction why not just do a QWET run? cheap, easy, and professional results when done properly.

skunkpharm states that their QWET consistently gets higher ratings, flavor wise, than their BHO.

so is the only reason to use a soxhlet to reclaim the ethanol for future use? if nkt what other advantages are there? if none then it seems like re-inventing the wheel since an ethanol wash works so damn well. and is so damn easy.

or am i missing something here...?

 

[Dr. Soxhlet]

@Dr. Soxhlet if you want a great tasting ethanol extraction why not just do a QWET run? cheap, easy, and professional results when done properly.

skunkpharm states that their QWET consistently gets higher ratings, flavor wise, than their BHO.

so is the only reason to use a soxhlet to reclaim the ethanol for future use? if nkt what other advantages are there? if none then it seems like re-inventing the wheel since an ethanol wash works so damn well. and is so damn easy.

or am i missing something here...?

When I started doing ethanol extractions I was interested in whole cannabis extracts for ingestion. Works well just putting it in my drinks. For food I usually just use real butter to extract in a little broiler like a glorified crock pot. For injestion ethanol just seemed safer than something never meant to be in our bodies. At least ethanol has been approved for human consumption.
I had a crop disaster and am low on bud to vape, so I researched and bought a Persei to do oil. So at this point I would like the oil I already have made to be more refined for use in this vaporizor. The device is medicating well, even using this whole cannabis extract or ABV extract the way it is. I can sleep at night again....

Some of the advantages of using a Soxhlet Extractor are:
Closed system-Critters and other stuff can't get in
Solvent Reclamation-Saves alot of money-(Everclear costs about $30.00 a bottle here.)
Process can be stopped and restarted again.
Process is visable-When the oil is all in solution it is obvious.
I have just a heckofa good time doing it this way too, it is way cool to watch, although the thing is pretty much automatic once it gets going.

 

[Abysmal Vapor]

U will never be able to refine the whole ethanol extract.. I tried dissolving it butane,hexane.
Winterization does little good.. once the nasties are in it is hard to get them out.. so thats why QWET is best tech in the taste and quality deparment

 

[ataxian]

I guess the BHO process scares me in more than one way, perhaps just ignorance.
I've started using this raw cannabis oil in my Persei. No clouds yet, but boy does it medicate.
Sure to cut down on my use of flowers, which I love too much and am now short.

You live in a MARIJUANA STATE?
As smart as you are you don't grow your own cannabis with hydroponics?
Control your medicine plus endless supply of high quality concentrates!

Your last post surprised me?
Sorry to be so direct!

There is no excuse to run out of flowers considering were your at!

I say this in a spirit of kindness!

No ill intent.

 

[2clicker]

When I started doing ethanol extractions I was interested in whole cannabis extracts for ingestion. Works well just putting it in my drinks. For food I usually just use real butter to extract in a little broiler like a glorified crock pot. For injestion ethanol just seemed safer than something never meant to be in our bodies. At least ethanol has been approved for human consumption.
I had a crop disaster and am low on bud to vape, so I researched and bought a Persei to do oil. So at this point I would like the oil I already have made to be more refined for use in this vaporizor. The device is medicating well, even using this whole cannabis extract or ABV extract the way it is. I can sleep at night again....

Some of the advantages of using a Soxhlet Extractor are:
Closed system-Critters and other stuff can't get in
Solvent Reclamation-Saves alot of money-(Everclear costs about $30.00 a bottle here.)
Process can be stopped and restarted again.
Process is visable-When the oil is all in solution it is obvious.
I have just a heckofa good time doing it this way too, it is way cool to watch, although the thing is pretty much automatic once it gets going.

ahhhhh i see

 

[ataxian]

U will never be able to refine the whole ethanol extract.. I tried dissolving it butane,hexane.
Winterization does little good.. once the nasties are in it is hard to get them out.. so thats why QWET is best tech in the taste and quality department

Give us your secrete then?
WTF I use it make QWET and the taste sucked. BHO with a little heat=SHATTER

VACUUM PURGE is key as well!

 

[2clicker]

Give us your sercrete then?
WTF I use it make QWET and the taste sucked. BHO with a little heat=SHATTER

VACUUM PURGE is key as well!

use skunkpharms QWET tech and enjoy! also i have found that vac purging is not necessary for an ethanol extraction. let it sit on low heat while it evaps (screen covering the top to keep airborne contaminates out) and wait for it to turn stable to touch. and BOOM some amzing shatter.

my QWET always produces shatter. damn good shatter to boot.

skunkpharm link below
http://skunkpharmresearch.com/qwet-extraction/

 

[Dr. Soxhlet]

use skunkpharms QWET tech and enjoy! also i have found that vac purging is not necessary for an ethanol extraction. let it sit on low heat while it evaps (screen covering the top to keep airborne contaminates out) and wait for it to turn stable to touch. and BOOM some amzing shatter.

my QWET always produces shatter. damn good shatter to boot.

skunkpharm link below
http://skunkpharmresearch.com/qwet-extraction/

That's sort of what I do already. After the soxhlet removes most of the ethanol, the remaining alcohol/water are evaporated in a pan. The liquidity can be contoled this way. Is that remaining paste what you refer to as "shatter".

You live in a MARIJUANA STATE?
As smart as you are you don't grow your own cannabis with hydroponics?
Control your medicine plus endless supply of high quality concentrates!

Your last post surprised me?
Sorry to be so direct!

There is no excuse to run out of flowers considering were your at!

I say this in a spirit of kindness!

No ill intent.

 

[2clicker]

Is that remaining paste what you refer to as "shatter".

what i refer to as shatter is the same as what everyone else refers to is as i believe. im talking about after evaporation and some heat (as little as possible IMO) leaves a super sticky, but stable solid that is yellow/amber in color and is easily broken. it resembles broken glass in a way hence the name shatter. or did i misread your question?

im using 50, 25, and 10 micron SS mesh screen to filter and my shatter has never been cleaner.

 

[ataxian]

Like I said before: I had some gardening problems that turned out to be mostly the soil. Suprized me because last summer I had 10 footers outside. Haven't tried hydro yet. My retired income doesn't allow me to buy too many toys or take on tooo many projects at once.

As far as being in a "legal state" the deal here in Washington is the legislature now feels they have the go ahead to destroy medical marijunna, so the state can grab all the tax money from recreational sales. A legal dispensary system was never set up, only the shell of a system that enabled a crazy thing called "collective gardens". This legal loophole allowed dispensaries to operate without the state getting involved and being a target of the feds. Now they want to cut the medical plant count from 15 to 6 and possession limits from 24 oz. to 3. Other proposals like only a "regular" doctor can recommend marijuana and of course a registry system. Sorry, I don't trust government, so that one bugs me too. Look at what happened in Montana with their program. 20,000 people recriminalized and alot of people went to prison. Alot of people are like me and struggle just to have enough. I was smart last summer and grew it in a greenhouse, up here plants grown outside have to put up with the cold and wet and don't do well a lot of the time.

Maybe there is no excuse, but I go through alot of flowers, like an eighth a day-Glad I got that Persei now, so maybe I can cut back on those.

I retired at 52.
My wife said if I want to medicate with a plant that grows like a weed why do you buy it?

I learned all I could about HYDROPONICS, making ISO first and now SHATTER.
One PLANT 7.8oz's (super cropping)
My stuff is so frosty I only need a 1/2 gram a day.
I make SHATTER for 7.4V of Bliss!

I'm sorry to bring up the growing issue. I grow indoor and I thought everyone did? I stand corrected.
The reason I went Hydro is because soil wet under the indoor lights smelled so bad. I made 100's of mistakes and wasted $1000's of dollars. All I had to do was listen to the right people first. I am humbled from my failures. Starting to get it down now. It me some time to wrap around the ideal of growing indoors.

In the 70's we threw down seeds after surfing in the spring and pulled the girls in the fall. Bucket of water every 5 days and watch it grow!

Nature did all the work we watched.
Indoor is like a laboratory experiment!

 

[2clicker]

I retired at 52.
My wife said if I want to medicate with a plant that grows like a weed why do you buy it?

I learned all I could about HYDROPONICS, making ISO first and now SHATTER.
One PLANT 7.8oz's (super cropping)
My stuff is so frosty I only need a 1/2 gram a day.
I make SHATTER for 7.4V of Bliss!

I'm sorry to bring up the growing issue. I grow indoor and I thought everyone did? I stand corrected.
The reason I went Hydro is because soil wet under the indoor lights smelled so bad. I made 100's of mistakes and wasted $1000's of dollars. All I had to do was listen to the right people first. I am humbled from my failures. Starting to get it down now. It me some time to wrap around the ideal of growing indoors.

In the 70's we threw down seeds after surfing in the spring and pulled the girls in the fall. Bucket of water every 5 days and watch it grow!

Nature did all the work we watched.
Indoor is like a laboratory experiment!

i will be all over this when my state goes legal

 

[ataxian]

i will be all over this when my state goes legal

Any help with HYDRO let me know?

One Plant every 2 months!

 

[Dr. Soxhlet]

I retired at 52.
My wife said if I want to medicate with a plant that grows like a weed why do you buy it?

I learned all I could about HYDROPONICS, making ISO first and now SHATTER.
One PLANT 7.8oz's (super cropping)
My stuff is so frosty I only need a 1/2 gram a day.
I make SHATTER for 7.4V of Bliss!

I'm sorry to bring up the growing issue. I grow indoor and I thought everyone did? I stand corrected.
The reason I went Hydro is because soil wet under the indoor lights smelled so bad. I made 100's of mistakes and wasted $1000's of dollars. All I had to do was listen to the right people first. I am humbled from my failures. Starting to get it down now. It me some time to wrap around the ideal of growing indoors.

In the 70's we threw down seeds after surfing in the spring and pulled the girls in the fall. Bucket of water every 5 days and watch it grow!

Nature did all the work we watched.
Indoor is like a laboratory experiment!

Glad I'm retired, so much to do with 7 acres.
Thankfully the slot machine gods smiles on my wife, so I get a cash bonus once in a while.
So last year I got a Solo.
This Year I got a Persei.
Very Medicating!!!

use skunkpharms QWET tech and enjoy! also i have found that vac purging is not necessary for an ethanol extraction. let it sit on low heat while it evaps (screen covering the top to keep airborne contaminates out) and wait for it to turn stable to touch. and BOOM some amzing shatter.

my QWET always produces shatter. damn good shatter to boot.

skunkpharm link below
http://skunkpharmresearch.com/qwet-extraction/

Looks good. I'll look it all over when I have more time. Seems possible to just do one wash the way described for the best extraction and then continue with the material in the Soxhlet extractor.
That way I end up with top quality shatter and a liquid extract for ingestion.
Have you ever done a run with ABV, I do it all the time in the Soxhlet. Of course chlorophyll is not a problem with that stuff. It would be interesting to find out what exactly is there.

Sorry Mod :Forgot to hit the quote button?

Any help with HYDRO let me know?

One Plant every 2 months!

Every two months......impressive.
You may be hearing from me.

 

[2clicker]

Looks good. I'll look it all over when I have more time. Seems possible to just do one wash the way described for the best extraction and then continue with the material in the Soxhlet extractor.
That way I end up with top quality shatter and a liquid extract for ingestion.
Have you ever done a run with ABV, I do it all the time in the Soxhlet. Of course chlorophyll is not a problem with that stuff. It would be interesting to find out what exactly is there.

Sorry Mod :Forgot to hit the quote button?

doing the 3 min wash for the top quality and then re-running it in the soxhlet sounds like a wonderful plan. i usually get top quality from the first run, a decent but not as clear second run, and then finally i do a 20 min wash on it and get a black tar shatter. the first two washes i dab or make ecig liquid for public medicating. the last wash i spike solo stems with an herb, tar, herb sandwich. usually before bed because the third wash knocks me out.

one suggestion if you go with the skunkpharm route is to ditch the paper coffee filters and get yourself some SS mesh at say 50 and 25 micron. reusable and adds zero impurities to your return. fuck paper filters.

and yes ive done QWET runs with ABV with fantastic results. these runs dont happen often because i have to wait until my ABV builds up (i only vape .25-.5g of flowers a day). the return is always a dark amber shatter. i usually dont dab it, but i will use it in the solo stem described above or maybe make some ecig juice out of it. depends on how well i clean i up. winterizing ABV oil is a great idea to clean it up, but it def reduces the return amount.