Counterop-Still Questions

[mayan]

Hey all...I have been using a countertop still -a Megahome- for evaporating ETOH elixers into either oil concentrate to be used orally (my son has a glioblastoma) or for vaping as wax or shatter. I have very little experience with these activities - so far, it's been working great for recovering the alcohol for re-use - but I do have some questions regarding the process, etc. for those with more experience and/or smarts when it comes to this stuff.

1. Can anyone suggest a minimum amount for distilling - I started off with 1/2 quarts or more but have since been polishing my concentrate chops using smaller amounts - pints or less. I am happy to be using the smaller amounts but I haven't been using the still and thus watching the ETOH go up in fumes...I would be happy to but I have a feeling it wouldn't be worth it or worse, there'd be something unsafe about it...I'd be happy to be convinced otherwise. Let me know your thoughts, experiences so I can figure out how to proceed going forward...

2. I have tried to find out the general operating temperature of the still. I'm presuming that it's somewhere around 212F, as it was made to boil water. I'm thinking that this is not TOO hot for the bigs...THC/CBD but I'm wondering about whether I'm losing terps and other goodies. I note that it doesn't take a lot of time for me to do a run with the still. Any thoughts?

3. I know that ETOH absorbs moisture. I'm not quite sure of the process and was wondering whether this reduces the ability to keep reusing the same reclaimed ETOH. If you think so, do you have any idea as to how to tell when to ditch it? Right now, the reclaimed stuff is looking pretty pristine. But -then again- so does distilled water.

I probably have some more questions but I'm thinking of doing a run soon and was hoping to get a discussion going so I could decide a course of action. If this is the wrong section - or should be merged into Concentrates for Newbies...by all means, feel free. In the alternative, should folks have questions, experiences, techniques, etc. regarding the Megahome or other still method...please feel free to use this thread.

 

[Puffers]

I don't have direct experience with using a still for oil extraction, but I would think you can most definitely lose terps with a still operated at standard atmospheric pressure (not vacuum assisted distillation) with the temps needed. The amount of loss will probably depend on how processed it was through the still.

What is the consistency of your oil and how does it taste? You can actually get shatter with the still at that temp? A fully purged but thick syrupy consistency oil is normally a concentrate that has started to undergo decarboxylation particularly when processed at higher temps.

Regarding the reuse of the ethanol solvent I would think you can test the ethanol to find its specific gravity and therefore it's water content but I was under the impression that consecutive runs through the still purify the ethanol more.

 

[mayan]

Hi Puffer...thanks for your reply. You raise some interesting questions. One clarification, I don't use the still to go all the way through the process to the finished product. Rather, it's the first phase - I wait until most of the solvent has been evaporated (and reclaimed) but there is still ETOH fluid. At that point, I take the residual liquid and go to more mainstream purging - either more heat or pyrex at ambient.

Your response gives rise to yet another question - that is, I'm thinking that the still be better for one "product" - the extraction of oil to be taken orally by my son who has a brain tumor - rather than for a vapable product. I'm basing that more on the heat output - if the still operates at about 212F, it's running hotter than either my hotplate device (140F) or ambient. So perhaps the still decarbs more cannibinoids than the more patient approach. Since vapable doesn't need to be decarbed -until the final consumation- than perhaps I should just be using the still to be whipping up the orally-consumed products and the hotplate/ambient for the vaped. Who knows? How fascinating none the less!!!!

Part of the reason I raise this is that getting Everclear is a hassle necessitating a trip to a different state. Not far, but still a hassle. So reclaiming is a godsend. As well, since I am residing in a place that is currently under about four feet of snow -and in a city- going outside for my evap is not practical. I have done both distilling and hotplating indoors several times with a lot of air-circulation, open windows, no-flames but am thinking that the still might be a bit safe with less fumes heading out into the general atmosphere (may be a false hope but it makes me feel better!)

 

[thesoloman]

Ethanol boils of at around 170f, your boiling mixture won't get much hotter than that.
The main concern that i have with people reclaiming the solvents is solvent purity.
I recommend getting an all glass distillation apparatus.
It is highly recommended to stay away from all plastics when distilling, as they leach plasticizers and such into the ethanol, which in our case would stay and be present in the next batch of oil, which you do not want your son to eat!
I recommend getting a hydrometer, and a old school scientific glass thermometer.
If you have any other questions, or want to talk more about the process, feel free to send me a PM.

 

[mayan]

Thanks, thesoloman. I appreciate the explanation. And have been wondering about that myself. I think that there isn't any plastic until the snout but since you point it out, nope...don't want plastic-infused ETOH. I am not a DIY -I applaud those who are, with envy- and was wondering whether there was anything in particular that you were thinking about. I'm strictly small time in terms of quantity. I just checked out ebay and read others' accounts of building stills on other forums and sorta glaze over. It would be appreciated if you could you point me in the right direction to any easy set-up glass distillation units I will look on my own but I'm interested in what you are talking about. Given the amount of solvent necessary to make the amounts of oil necessary for my son, being able to reclaim -safely- is -um- necessary. So much to learn!!!! I appreciate your offer to contact you and may very well take you up on it.

 

[thesoloman]

I think this would work very well for what your doing,
http://www.amazon.com/Master-Distil...1425285019&sr=8-7&keywords=glass+distillation

 

[mayan]

Thanks, I will check it out. Very interesting. Do you have one - or seen it in use? I figured out that if I take away the plastic snout of the megahome, I can create a non-plastic path. Or at least, I have an idea as to how to do so. That should last me until I can figure out the glass path. I kinda like those alembic stills - cool looking! But I am afraid of working with anything that involved open flames.

 

[Puffers]

Thanks, I will check it out. Very interesting. Do you have one - or seen it in use? I figured out that if I take away the plastic snout of the megahome, I can create a non-plastic path. Or at least, I have an idea as to how to do so. That should last me until I can figure out the glass path. I kinda like those alembic stills - cool looking! But I am afraid of working with anything that involved open flames.

The setup posted above uses what's called a heating mantle for the flask, that's what you see the flask sitting in. So no open flames

 

[mayan]

Thanks, Puffers...have you used one or seen it in use? Been trying to figure out the comments on Amazon - for the most part positive.

 

[Puffers]

It works well for its intended purpose. The heating mantle heats the outside of the flask to reduce hot spots and provide more even heat on a round flask. A hot plate and stir rod would also work and may be a very useful tool in edibles, extractions, and other cannabis preperations if that matters to you