After some advice on making better quality THC oil

[*Jon*]

Hello. I recently started making THC oil at home. Probably about half a dozen tries so far. Because I am in Australia, things are much harder. So far, the oil looks fairly clean and goes great for the first dozen or so vapes and then goes to shit. I've tried blowing through the pen and warming the oil up which do help clear it a bit but over time, things just clog up again and I hardly get anything. I'm not certain whether the problem is that it's too viscous or the oil is so dirty it's clogging up the inside of the tank.

Here's how I make the oil:
Chop the buds up and chuck them on aluminium foil and leave them in the oven for 30 minutes at 110 degrees Celsius.
The buds go straight out of the oven and into a jar that has been in the freezer for two hours.
I pour isopropyl alcohol into the jar until the buds are submerged and then gently swish it around.
After around 5 minutes of soaking, I pour the contents through some fine cloth which is left to drip through and is then squeezed to make sure everything is gone.
The jar is put back in the freezer for another couple of minutes.
The contents are then poured through a paper coffee filter.
Using an electric stove, the jar sits in a pot of water at around 160 degrees farenheit until the alcohol has evaporated (I would love to buy a rotovape in the future).
Mix with Farm to Vape 1:1 (https://www.farmtovape.com/)
Loaded into 1ml (with 0.7mm oil hole) tank

I've only just added the coffee filter to the process because the oil was quite dark. After changing, the oil became much less cloudy, lighter in colour and now looks more like honey. My method of removing the alcohol is way too slow but I'm paranoid about causing a fire. I do have an air still which I might try out later but would rather look at buying a rotovape long term.

Thanks in advance for any ideas

 

[Tuck]

Freeze there buds. Freeze the alcohol. Do a quick wash with as little alcohol as you can. Just cover the buds. Shake for about 30 seconds. Drain and filter.

https://skunkpharmresearch.com/qwiso/

There is a more detailed description at that site.

 

[Monsoon]

I don't make it anymore but there should be some good tips in my thread here.

 

[shredder]

Hello. I recently started making THC oil at home. Probably about half a dozen tries so far. Because I am in Australia, things are much harder. So far, the oil looks fairly clean and goes great for the first dozen or so vapes and then goes to shit. I've tried blowing through the pen and warming the oil up which do help clear it a bit but over time, things just clog up again and I hardly get anything. I'm not certain whether the problem is that it's too viscous or the oil is so dirty it's clogging up the inside of the tank.

Here's how I make the oil:
Chop the buds up and chuck them on aluminium foil and leave them in the oven for 30 minutes at 110 degrees Celsius.
The buds go straight out of the oven and into a jar that has been in the freezer for two hours.
I pour isopropyl alcohol into the jar until the buds are submerged and then gently swish it around.
After around 5 minutes of soaking, I pour the contents through some fine cloth which is left to drip through and is then squeezed to make sure everything is gone.
The jar is put back in the freezer for another couple of minutes.
The contents are then poured through a paper coffee filter.
Using an electric stove, the jar sits in a pot of water at around 160 degrees farenheit until the alcohol has evaporated (I would love to buy a rotovape in the future).
Mix with Farm to Vape 1:1 (https://www.farmtovape.com/)
Loaded into 1ml (with 0.7mm oil hole) tank

I've only just added the coffee filter to the process because the oil was quite dark. After changing, the oil became much less cloudy, lighter in colour and now looks more like honey. My method of removing the alcohol is way too slow but I'm paranoid about causing a fire. I do have an air still which I might try out later but would rather look at buying a rotovape long term.

Thanks in advance for any ideas

You may want to look at the rosin tech threads here. In case your unaware, it's squeezing out the oil (rosin). So it's also called solventless, because there is no solvent involved. It can be as simple as using a hair straightener and parchment paper. Unlike solvent processes it retains the terpenes for a more tasty experience. Anyway something to consider.

 

[*Jon*]

You may want to look at the rosin tech threads here. In case your unaware, it's squeezing out the oil (rosin). So it's also called solventless, because there is no solvent involved. It can be as simple as using a hair straightener and parchment paper. Unlike solvent processes it retains the terpenes for a more tasty experience. Anyway something to consider.

I like the idea of not having to put heat near a flammable liquid. My only concern with this method would be how I'd get the fats etc out. Especially given that my tanks are already clogging up. Thanks

 

[shredder]

I like the idea of not having to put heat near a flammable liquid. My only concern with this method would be how I'd get the fats etc out. Especially given that my tanks are already clogging up. Thanks

I use wax type pens, portable vaporizers with wire mesh filled capsules that I smear rosin on, make rosin and herb sandwitches for portables, and a enail and water pipe. I know nothing about tanks, ejuice and so on, ain't my thing. Maybe someone that uses rosin in tanks will jump in to help.

In my gear, fats are not problematic. Your oil, unless it's winterized, will have fats as well.

 

[*Jon*]

I think I'm getting most of the fats out. My tanks are clear around the holes since I've been putting the jar back in the freezer and then pouring it through a coffee filter. My old tanks (before I srtarted filtering it twice) were left with a black circle around the holes.

 

[shredder]

I think I'm getting most of the fats out. My tanks are clear around the holes since I've been putting the jar back in the freezer and then pouring it through a coffee filter. My old tanks (before I srtarted filtering it twice) were left with a black circle around the holes.

I used to think my oil was clean too, until I tried winterizing it. ISO alcohol washed herb keeps a lot of wax in it, but ethanol (grain alcohol) will remove (with filtering after freezing) those fats (wax). And because ISO is toxic winterizing makes it safer. Do what you will, but please be safe.

 

[*Jon*]

I used to think my oil was clean too, until I tried winterizing it. ISO alcohol washed herb keeps a lot of wax in it, but ethanol (grain alcohol) will remove (with filtering after freezing) those fats (wax). And because ISO is toxic winterizing makes it safer. Do what you will, but please be safe.

I thought that putting the jar into the freezer for two hours and then putting it back when I soaked the weed is supposed to separate those fats. The reason I haven't looked into putting the weed into the freezer for a day or two is because I read somewhere that it's dangerous to apply heat to it. The only grain alcohol I can find is $70 for 500ml here in Aus.

 

[Skunkport]

The buds go straight out of the oven and into a jar that has been in the freezer for two hours.
I pour isopropyl alcohol into the jar until the buds are submerged and then gently swish it around.
After around 5 minutes of soaking, I pour the contents through some fine cloth which is left to drip through and is then squeezed to make sure everything is gone.
The jar is put back in the freezer for another couple of minutes.

You went wrong with the freezer bit and it's screwing with your process some and making your oil way dirtier than it could be.

Not sure what you mean about not putting the weed in the freezer because your read about it being dangerous to apply heat to it.
First off that makes no sense, secondly you never apply any heat to it anyway. The weed goes in the cold alcohol, then gets filtered out, only the alcohol ever gets heated to evaporate.


Having an empty jar in the freezer doesn't do shit, you need to put the weed in the jar, then close it and put the whole thing in the freezer overnight and the isopropyl alcohol too.
Then pour the alcohol in and swirl it around for 20-30 seconds, not 5 minutes (5m is for ethanol extraction).
Pour it through a mesh filter or sieve so it drains very quickly, don't squeeze or you're extracting all the fats we're trying to avoid, put the herb back in the original jar and whack it back in the freezer along with the ISO.
Now use the coffee filter, then evaporate.

Repeat with the stuff from the freezer for 1-2 more runs, but the later runs will have a lot of plant waxes and chlorophyll in whatever you do since the ISO left behind from the first run will extract some impurities between sieving and actually doing your second wash.

I haven't made ejuice, but I'd think use the first wash for that, get yourself a dab rig or wax pen to use the more impure stuff.

 

[invertedisdead]

You need high proof ethanol to perform a true winterization.

Your best bet is to buy a simple atomizer that will allow you to vape raw extracts instead of diluting them with chemicals in high ratios to wick in a cartridge. It's just not easy to extract a wax free oil at home.

 

[shredder]

I thought that putting the jar into the freezer for two hours and then putting it back when I soaked the weed is supposed to separate those fats. The reason I haven't looked into putting the weed into the freezer for a day or two is because I read somewhere that it's dangerous to apply heat to it. The only grain alcohol I can find is $70 for 500ml here in Aus.

No, the weed and ISO both go in the freezer separately. Then you strip the cannabinoids. After that is rendered down to what you do now, then you add ethanol (high proof) refreeze for a few days, then refilter (I use coffee filters) and render that down again. The now froze wax will stick to the vessel and in the coffee filter. The resulting oil will be cleaner, although still stripped of terpenes. And it is a somewhat dangerous process.

That's why i suggested making rosin, and using a wax pen. Press it and vape it.