BHO Equipment Affect Yield

[chronickiller7]

So I've been running my own flowers into oil for the past 5 months. I use a cut down sstb and run only quarters per run (7g). My yields are are 14-20%. I only heat purge since it's such a small amount. Works fine and get shatters.

I just got a glass tube from my lhs that holds 7-10 grams. It came with a grey mesh screen. I was told to use this screen instead of a coffee filter. I did everything else as I normally do. But I only got a 5.6% yield. I got .39 from 7 grams. I used Newport tane, as I always use Newport or vector.

What could be the reason my yield was so bad? Same exact buds got me a 15% yield with my sstb? I was thinking maybe it had something to do with the Newport adapter tip not creating a tight enough seal/pressure with the glass tube? The glass tube also flanges out on the end where the coffee filter goes. Oh, and the mesh screen did let some bud particles into the oil, but the guy at my lhs said nothing would get through hahah. Can't really trust my lhs, as they don't know much about extracting lol.

 

[StickyShisha2]

i always see lower yields with glass tubes than with SS, but never as much as you did.

what is the inside diameter of the glass? wider tubes have lower yields

 

[chronickiller7]

i always see lower yields with glass tubes than with SS, but never as much as you did.

what is the inside diameter of the glass? wider tubes have lower yields

I don't have the tube infront of me, but I'd say the diameter of the glass tube is less than a half inch. If anything, the sstb is wider, but becomes narrow where the tane goes in.

 

[chronickiller7]

So I used the glass tube again, but this time with the vector adapter. Much better seal. And I used 2 coffee filters. Got 1.2g from 7g. Real nice shatter. Will post pics later. It's cool being able to see the tane run through the bud.

 

[kingtut106]

The coffee filters help achieve a tighter seal therefore giving you a better pressure in the tube. The ss screen alone probably did not allow for the higher pressure to be achieved which resulted in less extracts being pulled.

 

[chronickiller7]

The black container is the latest stuff. The yellow container is the "fail" run.

 

[kingtut106]

That looks pretty well done for just heat purging, keep it up

 

[rabblerouser]

I did a real tiny sawed-off SSTB and got horrible yields the 2 or 3 i tried, haven't tried any since because i think it's too small and somehow that doesn't work. or maybe more offspray somehow? or the pressure doesn't build up as high?

 

[chronickiller7]

I did a real tiny sawed-off SSTB and got horrible yields the 2 or 3 i tried, haven't tried any since because i think it's too small and somehow that doesn't work. or maybe more offspray somehow? or the pressure doesn't build up as high?

How much would fit in the cut-down sstb? I have mine cut to hold a q, and I consistently get 12-18% yields.

Now that I look back at the multiple times I have had bad yields/results, I had pressure issues, mostly due to a bad seal where the tane enters the tube. Vector tips have been good. But have had bad luck with Newport tips.

 

[havealight101]

I like sstb better than glass for yield and durability. I'm not sure what happened the first run, but I wouldn't scrap those Ss screens just yet. Kingtut may have it with the loss of pressure, not sure.
Was the SS screen ridged or cloth like in its pliability? Do you know the micron rating?

 

[rabblerouser]

How much would fit in the cut-down sstb? I have mine cut to hold a q, and I consistently get 12-18% yields.

Now that I look back at the multiple times I have had bad yields/results, I had pressure issues, mostly due to a bad seal where the tane enters the tube. Vector tips have been good. But have had bad luck with Newport tips.

This one was super tiny, fit about 3.5 grams, I've had reasonable luck with my old 7 gram on. I did have goofy butane, so may have had a bad seal up top too, but i think i was getting like .2 or something atrociously bad, less than 10% i think i got.

 

[Stiggy]

I don't bother with any of the bullshit plastic tips that come with the tane bottles. If you are going to use tane out of a bottle the best seal you can make is with a few wraps of teflon pipe thread sealer tape. Plastic tips like vectors won't give you a perfect seal. A good fat wrap of teflon tape will give you a perfect seal. A roll of teflon pipe thread sealer is $.49 from Home Depot in the plumbing section. I use it for my SSTB and glass tubes. As long as you wrap enough tape on the can nozzle you will never have a leak again.

 

[chronickiller7]

I don't bother with any of the bullshit plastic tips that come with the tane bottles. If you are going to use tane out of a bottle the best seal you can make is with a few wraps of teflon pipe thread sealer tape. Plastic tips like vectors won't give you a perfect seal. A good fat wrap of teflon tape will give you a perfect seal. A roll of teflon pipe thread sealer is $.49 from Home Depot in the plumbing section. I use it for my SSTB and glass tubes. As long as you wrap enough tape on the can nozzle you will never have a leak again.

Would this mean I would get higher yields? I feel like with the material I use and the fact I remove 99% of the waxes, 15-18% returns sounds reasonable. But I'll give it a try my next run.

 

[Stiggy]

Would this mean I would get higher yields? I feel like with the material I use and the fact I remove 99% of the waxes, 15-18% returns sounds reasonable. But I'll give it a try my next run.

It means you won't have butane spraying all over the place or running down the outside of your tube and it will ALL be going through the tube. Of course butane that doesn't make it through the tube doesn't do any extracting, so it can only help to have improved sealing. A better seal will allow for greater pressure as well. A well sealed injection port and a pair of unbleached coffee filters before the SS screen at the bottom should give you great results. I've pulled 6g of shatter from a 20g of flowers run with a BB&B baster tube. It varies depending on strain but my avg is 4.5-5.5g yield from an sstb.

 

[kingtut106]

@Stiggy tried the teflon tape compared to my regular tips that that come with it, exact same buds 2-3% more yield. I minimized as many variables as possible and lets just say I bought two rolls of teflon tape haha

 

[rabblerouser]

@Stiggy tried the teflon tape compared to my regular tips that that come with it, exact same buds 2-3% more yield. I minimized as many variables as possible and lets just say I bought two rolls of teflon tape haha

yeah, i figure it can't hurt, and you at least waste some tane if nothing else with a poor seal up top.
I'm waiting on some vector from amazon, haven't found a good local butane source, The best the local tobacco shop has is quadruple refined.

I'm gonna do a full turkey baster and see if i get better yields than i remember, i just wish i still had my 7 gram sawed-off to compare. I think i have higher quality meds than when i was trying this before. I think I maxed out at like 15-16 percent back then.

 

[chronickiller7]

yeah, i figure it can't hurt, and you at least waste some tane if nothing else with a poor seal up top.
I'm waiting on some vector from amazon, haven't found a good local butane source, The best the local tobacco shop has is quadruple refined.

I'm gonna do a full turkey baster and see if i get better yields than i remember, i just wish i still had my 7 gram sawed-off to compare. I think i have higher quality meds than when i was trying this before. I think I maxed out at like 15-16 percent back then.

Kinda off topic, but my friend did a full sstb run and had a blow out. Would this be because he only used one coffee filter? What would fix this?

 

[StickyShisha2]

either layer the filter or re-enforce it with some kind of screen.

 

[farscaper]

How much would fit in the cut-down sstb? I have mine cut to hold a q, and I consistently get 12-18% yields.

Now that I look back at the multiple times I have had bad yields/results, I had pressure issues, mostly due to a bad seal where the tane enters the tube. Vector tips have been good. But have had bad luck with Newport tips.

My sstb is cut down to hold literally 3 grams... as long as I have a good seal on the injection port and decent back pressure at the screen... best results with a loose mesh screen over a coffee filter .... doesnt matter if its made of ss or paper it will accumulate oil so I keep the frilly ends after the hose clamp short to prevent accumulation.

18-20% avg yield. No winterizing.

 

[rabblerouser]

My sstb is cut down to hold literally 3 grams... as long as I have a good seal on the injection port and decent back pressure at the screen... best results with a loose mesh screen over a coffee filter .... doesnt matter if its made of ss or paper it will accumulate oil so I keep the frilly ends after the hose clamp short to prevent accumulation.

18-20% avg yield. No winterizing.

makes me wanna try my tiny sawed-off again, i do think i had a poor seal, maybe I'll try a run in the tiny sawed-off and iff the yield is weak save it to run again in a larger one. This time with the vector adapter and maybe some teflon tape. The vector is hopefully shipping today. Only if I re-run stuff it will throw off calculating my yield the second time, unless I do the total yield of both extractions, that actually should work. I'm still a little worried my hand (inside a glove) is too close to the end of the tiny SSTB.

 

[farscaper]

My tech...

1. Large-ish bb of waded coffee filter goes down the tube first. This is packed fairly tight ... purpose: diffusion of solvent.

2. Begin Fairly tightly packing whole leaf or buds. No grind. Totally dry... curing doesnt matter. Pack as you stuff. Dont stuff it full then try packing. Use a dowel rod that has a point at one end like ur gonna stab a vampire. Pack with the flat then poke into the tube with the pointy end to "mix the layers" if you will. This is only really for the beginning since its so tapered.
3. Pack to end of tube. Cover with 1 coffee filter the just goes over the edge to secure it. Then over that place a loose mesh screen. Mine was harveted from a tea ball. They are made of stsinless steel and are very durable...
4.a hose clamp is placed over the screen and tightened.
5. The most importaint part!
Shake the can.
When you begin, go very slow. Inject butane just until the tube goes cold then stop before pushing it out.
This is why back pressure is important. If you lack pressure to keep tane in contact with material the trichs will not fully dissolve.
Wait a few seconds the begin to push solvent through in small waves while turning the tube.
6. Purge to your desire... im not going into purging. If you want suggestion ill share but its all over the net how to purge.

The actual "pack and push" processes are where most fail imo. Keep in mind this is for MICRO tech runs.... im running 3-5 grams at a time. Never more. In a just shy of 3 inch long sstb. Getting avg 18-20% yield.

makes me wanna try my tiny sawed-off again, i do think i had a poor seal, maybe I'll try a run in the tiny sawed-off and iff the yield is weak save it to run again in a larger one. This time with the vector adapter and maybe some teflon tape. The vector is hopefully shipping today. Only if I re-run stuff it will throw off calculating my yield the second time, unless I do the total yield of both extractions, that actually should work. I'm still a little worried my hand (inside a glove) is too close to the end of the tiny SSTB.

 

[rabblerouser]

well, i tried it again in the tiny sawed-off, i can't hold it with the oven mitt far enough away from the business end with the butane coming out. I was holding it as far away as i could, and i still got residue on the tip of the oven mitt and the tip of its thumb too. I'm gonna retire it probably, just need to decide what size to do the next one, but definitely not that short. got only 10% yield.

 

[farscaper]

Ditch the oven mit .. I have not used gloves ever with my cut tube. It just doesnt take long enough or get cold enough to warrent it..

Think of it more like a syrnge and less like a bycycle handle.

Maybe I will just post a pic here of my tube for referance.... I do use a diffrent nozzle set up... are u using the little plastic adapters that came with ur butane as an adapter?

 

[rabblerouser]

Maybe I will just post a pic here of my tube for referance.... I do use a diffrent nozzle set up... are u using the little plastic adapters that came with ur butane as an adapter?

I dunno I've gotten cold burns but maybe my hand Just wasn't positioned right. I did and adapter with Teflon tape and the top seal seemed good. Maybe wrap a grip near the narrow end? You talked me into taking it out of retirement. Maybe one more. ..

plus, i usually do it until the butane runs clear, so kinda a while, or do you just do two runs or something? i usually hold it a while to try and make sure i get everything, that may be why i got cold burns.

the other side to this is that i love oil, and now thc e-liquid, but i just go through my supply faster.

 

[farscaper]

I dunno I've gotten cold burns but maybe my hand Just wasn't positioned right. I did and adapter with Teflon tape and the top seal seemed good. Maybe wrap a grip near the narrow end? You talked me into taking it out of retirement. Maybe one more. ..

I think u have the idea...

Have u ever seen the little white caps that come with the omicro carts? Check it out... I used one of those (which has a hole already in it) and I threaded it onto the threads that are on the needle attachment that came with my SSTB. I then pulled the "needle" out of the threaded housing and v'wala. Open bore adapter. And when u screw it onto the SSTB it seals perfect. Plus it sticks out past the adapter and is silicon so it acts as a grip... just like a syringe. Thats the ONLY thing I do diffrent than most. I scrapped the shitty plastic adapters for a metal one.

So... in that frame of mind. If the teflon and plastic adapter sealed well there is one thing that I just remebered. Bore out or cut off the tip of the adapter. You notice one end has a little hole.. way smaller than the hole on can. It causes pressure loss too... feel bad I didnt think of that sooner... but I bet that will help if you can mimic the nozzle I use.

And I figure even some rubber band around the narrow part would act as a grip and frost prevention.

I fucked up a bunch to get here... true skill only comes from trial and error.

Edit: u mentioned cold burns... ive gotten them... but its always due to direct contact with the stream.. lol. Maybe im numb... ive stuck my finger in the stream on a large larf run to see if it was still sticky.... I should perhaps put disclaimers in my signature...

Peace and fortune to you