Does darker ABV always indicate a more complete extraction?

[DDave]

I've read all sorts of postings on ABV color/darkness. Some have stated that on particular vaporizers their ABV is light, but extraction is complete and no further vapor can be extracted from this light ABV. Others state the darker the ABV, the more complete the extraction.

Thoughts? Tips?


(Mod Note: While I searched before posting this, it would not surprise me if a similar thread didn't already exist. If this is the case, please merge or inform me of the thread so I may take this posting and add to the other thread...thanks!)

Oh, and.... considering posting a response?

 

[t-dub]

I'm not totally down with this because you can conduct a bowl to look like its been extracted when in actuality it has not. Although dark ABV can be an indicator of complete extraction it doesn't guarantee that it has occurred.

 

[lwien]

I've read all sorts of postings on ABV color/darkness. Some have stated that on particular vaporizers their ABV is light, but extraction is complete and no further vapor can be extracted from this light ABV.

Just to complicate matters a little further, I've vaped my ABV down to a dark brown but while, even at that color I was able to produce vapor, the vapor didn't get me high in the slightest but what's even stranger is that this affect, or non-affect, also varies between vaporizers. For me, some vapes will continue to produce a nice high from vapor coming from very dark ABV, while other vaporizers will not even though there is visible vapor being produced.

 

[His_Highness]

I think the vape does have a lot to do with it....because the MFLB is a conduction vape the end result of a fully used trench for me is always really, really dark brown with specs of black. The same herb used in a Solo for me will be a lighter more unified shade of brown but not even close in terms of the darkness from a fully used up bowl in the MFLB.

 

[stickstones]

I no longer correlate the two. I used to think dark abv meant fully extracted. Now I think it is more a component of how it was heated. Conduction, high radiation and high temp convection can scorch your herbs and make them brown without regard to extraction. I know full extraction is possible without turning dark.

 

[DDave]

Thanks t-dub, lwien, His_Highness, and stickstones for these replies.

I agree with all feedback above.

From the three vapes in my rotation, my results are below.
herbalizer - convection - light ABV
EQ - convection - dark brown ABV
Solo - covection - dark brown ABV

Are all these vapes mainly considered convection? I question the Solo just a bit due to the lack of movement to the herbs while drawing and the compression of the material (when compared to the non-compressed product used in the EQ SSV Wand or Herbie Oven.

 

[stickstones]

in order of convection I would rank them:

Herbie> EQ > Solo

 

[DDave]

in order of convection I would rank them:

Herbie> EQ > Solo

Under consideration that all units are stock, agree completely!

I would put the modded EQ, with short F/F and SSV Wand encapsulating the herbs, right up there with the Herbie in regards to convection levels...

Oh, also for those using stock units, would put an EQ used via Elbow Pack method closer to spec with a Solo, due to herb compression impact.

Agree?

 

[stickstones]

Oh, also for those using stock units, would put an EQ used via Elbow Pack method closer to spec with a Solo, due to herb compression impact.

Agree?

I would think using that EQ method would take it further from the Solo since the herb is further from the heat. I never used the elbow pack method much, though.

 

[DDave]

I would think using that EQ method would take it further from the Solo since the herb is further from the heat. I never used the elbow pack method much, though.

ah, I see where you're coming from.

I was looking at it from a more-conductive processing of the herbs due to compression of the herb forcing more contact with hot surfaces when tamping for elbow packing, like tamping to pack the Solo stem...

But I can see this from the heater distance to herbs point of view as well.

All very interesting to me!!!

 

[pakalolo]

Cannabis gets its colour mostly from chlorophyll (green). Heat degrades chlorophyll and the colour gets progressively duller and darker, but without application of heat this breakdown happens anyway once chlorophyll production stops. Adding heat accelerates the process and also affects the other colour-contributing compounds, the carotenoids and flavonoids. THC, CBN, and CBD do not contribute significantly to the colour so colour change isn't a reliable indicator of extraction of these components.

 

[MinnBobber]

As others have said, it depends on the vaporizer.
I find my Herbie and miniVAP both get complete extraction, yet the ABV can be much lighter than from others vapes where the ABV is much darker yet not fully extracted.

 

[momofthegoons]

I'm somewhat surprised that no one has brought up the fact that different strains vape to different colors of ABV. For instance, a purple strain starts dark and will look like it's cashed before it is.

 

[basement farmer]

It'd be interesting to do a lab analysis on this to see if our preconceptions hold any truth.

Personally, I think beyond a certain point it's moot depending on a lot of variables.

That's why ABV is so wonderful and wasteless.

 

[His_Highness]

I'm somewhat surprised that no one has brought up the fact that different strains vape to different colors of ABV. For instance, a purple strain starts dark and will look like it's cashed before it is.

I was going to comment along the same lines but just about every strain I put in the MFLB or Solo comes out looking the same when I'm truly and fully done with a bowl/trench. Meaning...every MFLB trench looks the same to me regardless of strain starting color when its beat (dark brown with tiny black specs). Same for the Solo (Warm, uniform, dark brown).

Couldn't agree more that the darker strains can fool me that they are closer to being beat because the lighter strains are just about beat when they reach the same color. So now I depend more on the popcorn taste as the truth teller.