Extraction methods. Need help and explanations.

Orre, here is a review of a study where they talk about the differences between isolates and whole plant extracts.

Hi Orre,
I remembered something I wanted to share with you. Tangwena...over on ICM describes a curing method developed in Malawi. It used fermentation and is most effective when done with the pure sativas they grow there. Tangwena is an expert at this curing method and he teaches people how to do it. Very nice guy.

It's referred to as cob curing because dry on outside/damp on inside buds are wrapped in corn husks and tied really tight. Then in 105 degrees for a day and lower for a week. Oila...a consolodated mass of weed that can be eaten (no decarb needed) and smokes really nicely and smooth. Preserves terpines for entourage effect. Just what you're looking for.
JD

PS This is my first cob...a little dry but smooth smoke.

Thanks @JohnDee! Thant sounds interesting! (says the guy without crop)
I'll certainly keep it in mind when I get there!

And there's another fora I need to look into!... Holy manoly there's really LOADS of information on the web!!
As always with the WeryWideWeb, not so easy to determine what is actually usable though...

I have been reading at the 420mag. for a bit, and found this thread.
Bloody long thread arguing about metabolism basically... but essentially start off with a guy presenting his olive oil extraction at 105°C with fresh plants! And experiencing an even more potent medical extraction! -Also strong in "THC-effect means", as IS really interesting as it probably by percentage is the opposite! This is also all about entourage effect!...
At page 9 he has discovered pressure cooker as a way to even less terp escape and greater yield! More about it here, and a bit more elaborated here. (Not with pressure cooker though)

This might be old news for you guys. I appreciate both @Freedom seed, @JohnDee and others tell me about the same experiences.
Noticeable though, is that I ended up asking at this forum, because I got caught up with a thread here where someone that seemed very knowledgable totally disparaged the question about "wet" extraction......

As more I read and learn, as more evidential it gets that this IS the way of thinking of Cannabis as medicine!
By all means, I do not for a minute disbelieve Cannabis works its wonders in other mysterious ways too!

As always at these forum-threads, I did not find any lab tests or such though...
What I notice everywhere, even at "serious" forums and forum-threads, is that "the feel of it" goes as "evidence", which I find quite ludicrous...
Absolutely not when it comes to how someone experience the effect on his/her condition of course! -I mean in the sense of doing serious research!
What I did find though, was a reference to a cannabutter experiment from a "High Times magazine". (Damn all this magazines and forums are so overwhelming to me up here in the forbidden darkness!...)
No methods directly applicable to this discussion. But THEY where lab-testing the results, and what is noticeable is that simmering the plant in water! and oil stands out as top cannabinoid yield! -This was also the assertion from the guy with the fresh plant extraction method.


(5 short YouTube clips here.)

This is all a few years old stuff, so you might be able to present better knowledge!..

Bloody sad it is not possible to just read "the facts of today" somewhere and be done with it!...

As said I also came to read about metabolism, as is totally unknown territory for me. (This was mostly about trying to get medication directly into the bloodstream by e.g. using your gums vs. digesting) For this discussion the general opinion was also to use olive oil.
I had just before read about coconut oil and MTC, ant thought that should be the way to go, and by you guys I've been told about glycerine, and now also been reading about lecithin... So now I am quite confused and unsure what way to go?.
Could you please give some guidance here!

-I have a wish to keep it as mild as possible! -My lady is ridiculously picky.. And so are a lot of others... (As said, no hash munchers I believe)
I believe some olive oil is less in taste too.. Also has to consider temperature...
All help is appreciated!

I would also like to hear what you think about me shopping for concentrates to make medicine?
This is at a point where I haven't even planted any seeds yet, and buying mentioned hemp extracts and THC extracts (crumble and oil) appeared as a reasonable way to get all parts, not extremely expensive, and in a way that I can calculate quite exact proportions!...

Btw. about the "tCheck" device, I am experiencing contradictory statements from the producer, and I can't say I am very impressed with their "support"...
I have to report back when/if I can get real answers.

Thanks!
/Orre

Orre I’ve got a story for you. When I first started seriously into edibles a couple years ago, I was visiting a friend who had a little camper trailer set up as a harvest shack and he was cooking down plants. He was using every vegetable oil he could get his hands on. Corn, canola, almond and more. But he did some extracts with just water! I laughed I thought surely this didn’t work. It made some ugly brown tea with a layer of oily film on the surface. He would add it to a brownie mix and it worked well. There was something different and beneficial in it that is not in the oil extracts too. Nobody does this lol but he did.

I read somewhere of a method that if you boil enough cannabis and water together, and collect the oil on top, that it would be some clean and strong concentrate.

The original recipe for the holy anointing oil was thought to have been made over water. I have often wondered if the huge weight of cannabis specified is the wet weight. Notice the written instructions do not specify dry cannabis.

@Freedom seed Well... I don't know if I want that water at all... But I read somewhere that it is beneficial solving CBD in water due to bioavailability.
-This also seems to make a good reason to add extractions to your gums, or under tongue, when I read 1'st pass metabolism wont let more then ¾ of CBD to be absorbed through you tummy? (I have no confirmation of this assertion, so please chime in!)

Other then that it looks like people are using water to get their oil, or butter, less infused with unpalatable chlorophyll and plant residues. I'm not sure about this though... Other places i read this is a total mistake achieving the opposite! as water will ADD chlorophyll, salts and waxes to the oil, and actually preventing the oil to do a complete extraction!?... Also at baking forum/recipes I find an interesting discovery about water-washing the oil/butter AFTER completion to get a cleaner and milder tasting concentrate! A couple of links HERE and HERE.

(I looked at that Holy Anointing Oil recipe, and you might be correct about fresh plant! it does fit with what the guy at the other fora told. (About 400g. fresh cannabis to 1l. oil) The idea of extracting directly from fresh material of course gives adding water a different meaning!..
Btw. they just changed carrying oil from olive to )

Also found a comprehensive article about enhancing metabolism and potency with LECITHIN.
In that matter this woman writes:

"In the case above, the same sized dose, when treated, delivers nearly ten times the active ingredient to the users blood stream.

This is why it's so important NOT to just take cannabis concentrates straight and as they are! Recreational users learn quickly that in order not to waste their "buds", they have to make a heated canna butter... how you go about making that butter or oil, and the edible solvents you choose, makes a dramatic difference in the efficiency and effectiveness of the end product.

Understand that you will absolutely become medicated if you eat enough of a pure cannabis concentrate, however, your body will benefit just as much, if not more, from a mere fraction of your original dose size when your medicine has been prepared and administered properly using a bioavailable oil source. You get much more 'bang for your buck', when most of your potency isn't simply going 'in one and and out the other', through your tract, without absorption." - Kat Smiles "

Click to expand...

I have no idea how scientific her approach is? But I still find it interesting!
Also saw another thing in her recipes I would like to have more opinions with:

@ about 105°C. Heat less time for a more cerebral medicine (about 2 hours). Heat up to 2 more hours for a more sedative and pain relief effect, and up to 5 more hours for serious sedative and sleep effect!?

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Anyone know or heard about effect changing with heating time before? -This is all about oil, so I believe no reduction is involved...

Another thing I cannot seem to find consistent answer to, is the idea of taking the oil from heating after an hour, and freezing it for at least 6 hours before thawing it and continue the heating?
Again, I have read people freeze (winterize) easier removal of wax, fat and plant material, but another purpose should be this:

To understand why freezing is important, we need to visualize the plant cells within the cannabis. They are essentially globules of liquid containing cannabinoids that we want to extract. Freezing them forces that liquid to take on a crystalline structure, piercing the plant cell walls and releasing the goodies. This even further increases the bioavailability of our final oil

Click to expand...

All this certainly makes the statements of extraction method doesn't matter as long as you get all the fish to appear quite outdated!!...

About lab testing, I am getting a bit ambivalent...
If/as oil extractions are sensed as "potent" as a dilution with an obviously MUCH higher percentage of THC, then THC level is certainly not the only, and not even the correct, way of measuring potency!...
As for the only lab report I HAVE seen in this matter, the oil produced a higher yield of THCA and terpenes. (I add this .pdf again here)
As for that test and THC (and CBD) it was made with a slightly lower temperature ~98°C instead of ~105-110°C. that according to the decarb-graph would yield twice the percentage of THC!..

Cannabinoid test equipment would surely be a helpful diluting similar batches produced in the same way though!

/Orre

So far I just made 3 tiny small tests... And I have no way of telling any "potency" except the highly subjective feeling…

First took one half of 5g. landrace buds and:

1.) Just for fun, - pressed rosin at my motorcycle workshop with a couple of thick iron blocks heated in the oven. -Worked like a charm!
(Impressive to be able to "press water out of a stone"! as that was how I felt about this desert dry bud...)

Took the other half of that 5g. and:
2.) Decarbed in the oven, and then cold washed with IPA and just fan-blowed the alcohol away.

Took another 5g. and:
3.) Heated in oil for about 2½ hour at ~105-110°C.

Trying to clean it, I boiled the rosin filter bag with the plant material in just a few ml. of oil, strained it and added back the rosin to the oil. (The rosin press was for no other reason but testing to press for the first time in my life… Only relevant thing might be that this tiny piece of oil wasn't deracbed)
Also added the beautiful IPA washed oil when I couldn't see any more reduction from evaporation.
Got a total of 5ml. oil concentrate out of this 5g. landrace buds.

I put 5g. of the same landrace bud into 50ml. olive oil, and kept at 105-110°C for about 2 hours, plus probably another hour heating and cooling time. This came out very nice golden and very mild tasting! Straining first through a juice strain cloth (with a potato press) and then once again threw coffee filter, made a totally clear and beautiful oil! (I'd like to find a better cloth and skip that tedious coffee filter next time!)
Got only ~34ml oil as quite big percentage from this small amount stuck to the filter and equipment...
I did rinse both equipment and the juice cloth with plant material several times in boiling water. This I haven’t looked at so far though...
But that $6 crock-pot I got really came in handy!!

For the IPA wash I am not totally convinced all alcohol was gone. A bit of finger licking that night too... but got really bad gastric acid..
-And got bloody stoned! -Also my lady got too stoned from only 5 drops!... Totally inexperienced though...

For the olive oil method, I must say that was a really clean and easy way of doing it! Except how to minimize wastage… (for this tiny amount of buds the percentage is painful…)
And that night I also got quite stoned with only 6-7 drops of this nice clean oil! Not as heavy as the other night, and gladly not getting as heart-pounding and paranoia as that either!.. This is nearly 10 times as diluted as the first test though! So even feeling anything at that small amount is quite impressive!!... 5 drops should be something like ~1/5 ml. and 0,025g. bud!!!???
Can you even believe that?

I'll try another 5 drops to night. For now, I am quite dizzy from the 1-2 drops I have used to day…

I am sure going to try more oil extractions!...
Also believe adding lecithin is beneficial!

Would really like to know if freezing the oil halfway as mentioned above really makes any difference? Anyone knows?

I still do not know if olive oil or MCT is the best choice. -Again, I am reading both sides as the absolute truth...
Please tell me what you know!

(About getting stoned btw. both me and my'ol lady experience quite unpleasant heart-pounding! She is using heavy meds and was worried… I have experienced this several times when I thought I should have a nice smoking experience, and instead just felt unwell!?
Why is that? Cannot remember ever feeling like that when I was an active hash smoker? Paranoia yes, but not this physical uneasiness!?)

Thank you for any input to all my thoughts, as I basically feel I know less as more I learn...

/Orre

Not like anyone showed any interest, but for the tCheck cannabinoid test machine, I have got some thorough email answers from their support I thought I'd share.
You'll find $25 discount codes all over the net, so this thing is at the moment to be bought for $255,-
I also add the instruction .pdf they sent me. (same instruction for THC and CBD)

1.) Is tChec measuring the TOTAL amount of cannabinoids?

The tCheck reads for the aggregate cannabinoid content and identifies the dominant compound in your sample.

Because most cannabinoid sources are overwhelmingly dominant in one cannabinoid type, with a minimal to insignificant amount of the others (less than 1%), the other cannabinoids will not be detected due to the strength of the dominant cannabinoid detected by the sensors and the reading will serve as an accurate measure of the dominant cannabinoid.

The test will work for the vast majority of samples. However, there will be some samples that can't be read, such as one-to-one CBD:THC hybrids. There are plans to release an update to support those types of materials in the future, however, we do not have a timeline for when that'll be released.

*Hemp oil and CBD in butter are not currently supported

2.) I have seen screenshots from your videos showing specific "CBD" and "THC" on the app screen. Is this just a gimmick, and tCheck doesn't really know that it is THC, THCa, CBD, CBDa, CBG or CBN, it is just a matter of displaying according to what options are selected. E.g. "flower" and "decarb". Correct?

As stated above, the dominant cannabinoid is identified, and there are separate tests for the testing of specific cannabinoid dominant material. Our flower test has a hemp and marijuana flower option, in which one will measure CBDa and the other tests THCa.

3.) If I have a solution from hemp that i KNOW has low or zero THC, I can therefore assume it is CBD that is displaying.
In the same matter, If I have a solution from Marijuana that I KNOW involves THC, I can assume it displays mostly THC. Correct?

Yes, that is correct. The flower test will say total cannabinoids, because the test is separated into two versions: one for THCa dominant flower and one for CBDa dominant flower.

4.) The "expansion kit necessary for to measure plant material", is just a matter of adding correct weight to correct amount of ~99% Isopropanol. Correct?

Yes, we recommend using around 100-250 mg of flower to 10 ml of alcohol. The amount of alcohol does not vary.

5.) Since you specify that the tray is sensitive, I really hope I can get a spare?

Yes, it is plastic. The device is paired with the tray to ensure accuracy, so while there is not a "spare" per se, if the tray is damaged a tray replacement and device recalibration is covered under the warranty.

If you are concerned about possibly damaging the tray, we have a user guide which provides instructions on properly caring for the tray here, as well as in the packaging for the device: https://medium.com/tcheck/tcheck-2-user-manual-c94fe50b2a47
Some scratches may develop, but the damage is only to one end of the tray that is not scanned by the LED lights, and thus would not affect the results or impede testing.

After cleaning and drying your tray, I recommend you store it in the tray slot of the device. Make sure the device is off. Keep out of direct sunlight and away from high heat.

6.) Would an update involving e.g. hemp oil and/or possible specification of type of cannabinoids, be a matter of new hardware or software?

Our engineers are working on new features, but any updates involving new types of compounds will likely be a matter of software update via the app. You can subscribe to our newsletter on our website homepage at the bottom where it prompts you to enter your email.

7.) A thing I have read in different forums (not new though) is that you have to add some kind of subscription to be able to use it fully?
Do you have any such subscriptions to software or whatever?

No, there is no subscription to use the device. This was a former potential feature that was planned to be released, but after some new engineering developments we instead decided to not continue with a subscription model.

8.) I am confused about the accuracy percentage.
At your first response you said:
Accuracy:
+/- 10%
+/- 15% Decarbed material

Later you told me 5% and/or 1%?

And when I look at your website it says:

"When measuring oil infusions & alcohol tinctures made using isolates, tCheck is accurate to within +/- 1.5mg/ml. When measuring cannabis flower, hemp, or trim, tCheck is accurate to within +/- 3 percentage points."

Click to expand...

I'm sorry, I can see how this can be confusing. +/- 10% and 1.5mg/ml is the same, as our range is 1-15mg/ml. Stronger infusions can be tested using a dilution method and multiplying by the dilution ratio.
In the previous email I sent, I had thought you were referring to our flower test, in which case the accuracy is 3-5%.
95% of samples will fall within the 3% accuracy and 10% accuracy specs for flower and oil/alcohol infusions, respectively.
If your oil infusion is not made using isolates or winterized concentrates, then you would want to follow our two step process (see attached PDF).

9.) Weighing water vs oil or alcohol does give three different results!
Why confuse weight, volume and percentage in the same sentence??

Oil and alcohol results are listed in mg/ml, or weight by volume. The flower tests measures percentage by weight, and accounts for the volume and weight by having you enter the weight of the amount of flower being tested and ensuring all flower tests use the same amount and same type of reagent. Please see the attached pdf labelled "Flower Test" for details on how flower is testing.

10.What is the warranty period? Are app. problems beyond warranties?
I read from a disappointed customer, that he/she never had managed to get any results within 15% accuracy, no matter type or method of solution, and no matter the instructions given.?

Our entire warranty policy can be read here: https://tcheck.me/blog/post/tcheck-device-warranty-2/
We waive the re-calibration for the first time - no matter how long you've had it. You'll only need to pay for the tray and the shipping costs.

Any defective device is covered under warranty. Our agents will need to troubleshoot to determine the cause of the error. For example, a customer may be either connecting via the settings rather than through the app, in which case the device would not need replacement. Additionally, a device replacement would not resolve the issue if there is indeed an error with the app-only an app update with new code written for the app software would resolve that.

This is because the code used to create the app is what needs to be fixed, not the device itself. Once a bug has been identified, our developers would roll out a fix for the bug and customers would download the newest version from the app store onto their phones and other mobile devices. The person you are referring to was told this by a technical support agent and misunderstood it as app issues are not covered under warranty. We also still provided a warranty replacement to this customer.

Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns.

Best wishes,
Lisa

tCheck Customer Support
[email protected]
www.tcheck.me

Orre it is good to hear you have the alchemist shop fired up.

I do the freezing, 3 times with coconut oil. I prefer the virgin cold pressed variety to mct but like I said before any edible oil works. I get that nice golden colour and you can see it increase with each freezing. I leave the spoon in the “ceramic, not Teflon” mini crockpot and put the whole thing in the freezer. The spoon removes the heat faster.

Because I’m eating it I only strain through a sieve. I have a stainless soup sieve from an oriental grocery store. It is pour through, a real timesaver. Kief goes through as well, and I don’t mind eating a bit of kief or even green chunks. The oil will very likely increase in potency if you store it for two weeks before consuming. I know mine does.

I have noticed cbd plants produce a yellower oil.

Check for contraindications with pharma meds I believe blood thinners may be an issue. Myself personally I had a bit of an issue with tolerance and found it very useful to apply the oil on my skin. I started with about twice what I’d eat. It helped me tremendously, and my tolerance went way up to the point I could eat any amount of oil I needed. Everybody is different though.

I have never tried the lecithin but I have read other claims of a 15% increase in potency which would be a little more believable. About the bioavailability I’ve got some hard hitting coconut oil, I believe that. The alcohol extracts do things that the coconut oil does not though. My current batch was made from Jack Herer fan leaves. I’m going to talk to a shiner I know next weekend about getting some alcohol so I can get away from the IPA. Even though it’s less toxic than methyl, I sometimes wonder if reaction byproducts carry into the finished product. It says on the IPA Wikipedia page that it reacts with metals such as potassium. Plants contain potassium. Anyone with knowledge on that please share.

That thc is not the way to measure potency is a pretty common sentiment. I find high thc strains and thc distillate to be strong, but kinda boring. Then I have a strain that is 6% thc, 8% cbd and everybody is surprised how good it hits them. It’s feels good and warm, like the fire that is sunshine, and has the most incredible strong tastes of spices and incense. It has been voted a keeper in this house.

When every plant is different, and every person is different...there is only one way to figure this out.

I use everclear. It comes in two proofs. I use the stronger 98%. I watched tslonige's video. A friend of mine uses that method with great success. Simple, with minimal effort and the benefit of reclaiming a large percentage of your alcohol for future use is a plus. Once you have the oil you can use it however you please. I have a more elaborate setup with a vacuum pump but it isn't necessary. If you wanted to make it really simple you could pour alcohol over your buds, strain it, and just let it evaporate. You wouldn't be reclaiming your alcohol and you would have to decarboxylate the final product but it would be simple.

delacruz said:

I use everclear. It comes in two proofs. I use the stronger 98%. I watched tslonige's video. A friend of mine uses that method with great success. Simple, with minimal effort and the benefit of reclaiming a large percentage of your alcohol for future use is a plus. Once you have the oil you can use it however you please. I have a more elaborate setup with a vacuum pump but it isn't necessary. If you wanted to make it really simple you could pour alcohol over your buds, strain it, and just let it evaporate. You wouldn't be reclaiming your alcohol and you would have to decarboxylate the final product but it would be simple.

Click to expand...

It’s $50/litre here. Plus you would have trust the government for how pure it really is.

@Freedom seed Thank you! Yes I am excited!

Why do you choose coconut oil? Taste or function?
Or because it stiffens perhaps?

As you refer to edibles I also assume you freeze in the matter of "cleaning the butter"?
But I really wonder about freezing half way through heating process to get more out of the plant?

Thank you for input about storing! -And skin absorption!

-Totally forgot I am also a pharma med user... After a stent operation a few years ago I do indeed eat a preventive dosage of those bloody blood thinners and statins... I have to look into that...

I am trying to look away of Cannabis strains because of where I am...
I could probably be self-contained by blending of a small "secret part" of my workshop for growing, but I would really enjoy being able to spread this stuff to others too!! -You know we are really in the dark ages up here! Sometimes feels like North Korea or Russia or something...

So I need to try to keep it simple in the matter of not having all different plants to gain varieties from.
As said, I have even ordered some, and want to check out the outcome of doing it oil from factory made concentrates! Yes I feel I am travelling away from nature, but also gaining a way to be able to dictate the table of content!
I haven't studied the theme, but I cannot see why it wouldn't be possible to mimic at least some effects with different cannabinoid content, and why not by adding terpenes!?
This is what the vaping business is all about isn't it!?...

I can get the kind of yield out of oil extraction as it seems, it may even be possible to buy marijuana on the illegal market!
This of course is a highly variable market though! Not at least when it comes to strains! -We are probably lucky if we can even get a choice!...
In that matter it would certainly be easier buying concentrates!...

@delacruz Thank you for chiming in. Yes alcohol seems simple! Just tried with a tiny peace of bud the other day, and the outcome was really beautifully clean! -Specially before alcohol evaporated! I have also been thinking of a household distiller, I guess that is what you are referring to.
I am fascinated with the possibility to, as you say, do what you want with that highly concentrated outcome!

I am also really fascinated by the oil potency though! Seems like THE way to go for yield!

@Freedom seed I appreciate your thoughts on IPA!
What do you mean alcohol extraction can do that oil can not?

Pure 99% ethanol might not be easy to buy legally here, as all above 60% is under drug laws... Illegal moonshine on the other hand, as I been doing myself for many years, but then we are talking probably max 90-95%. I still have a few litres of that though...
I'll check what is needed to be allowed to buy "technical ethanol" for my firm. I do suspect this is all denatured though...

/Orre

@orre I chose coconut oil because I read somewhere that it has a higher saturation point for dissolving cannabinoids. I do just as you suggested with decarbed herb, no water, and I freeze the crockpot three times while I’m making it. The coconut stiffens right up and seems to draw the medicine out of the plant. I’ve tried a few different ways and this is what we like the most. The flavour is pretty good.

I have read before that coconut oil when absorbed through the gut is immediately moved to every cell in the body and burned as energy right away. Perhaps this accounts for the bioavailability.

One can only make the food oil extracts so strong though, and when the goal is to take quantity then you get tired of eating so much oil. That’s what I mentioned the alcohol extract does things the food grade oils won’t. It’s strictly about quantity. For example fighting cancer. There is a great thread here from not to long ago with before and after photos of rso/bandaid on basal skin tumours, the fellow was curing them in 12 days. That is what I meant; that the alcohol extracts are a lot stronger. For certain ailments the extra strength and larger overall quantity helps.

Thank you @Freedom seed! Good points!

Freedom seed said:

@orre I chose coconut oil because I read somewhere that it has a higher saturation point for dissolving cannabinoids. I do just as you suggested with decarbed herb, no water, and I freeze the crockpot three times while I’m making it. The coconut stiffens right up and seems to draw the medicine out of the plant. I’ve tried a few different ways and this is what we like the most. The flavour is pretty good.

I have read before that coconut oil when absorbed through the gut is immediately moved to every cell in the body and burned as energy right away. Perhaps this accounts for the bioavailability.

One can only make the food oil extracts so strong though, and when the goal is to take quantity then you get tired of eating so much oil. That’s what I mentioned the alcohol extract does things the food grade oils won’t. It’s strictly about quantity. For example fighting cancer. There is a great thread here from not to long ago with before and after photos of rso/bandaid on basal skin tumours, the fellow was curing them in 12 days. That is what I meant; that the alcohol extracts are a lot stronger. For certain ailments the extra strength and larger overall quantity helps.

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Oils and cannabinoids are miscible. No saturation point.
Coconut oil is easy to handle because of its high “melting” point. I like coconut oil.

cannabineer said:

Oils and cannabinoids are miscible. No saturation point.
Coconut oil is easy to handle because of its high “melting” point. I like coconut oil.

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That makes sense, thank you. @cannabineer are you able to comment on what I asked above regarding isopropyl alcohol and whether or not there is a concern with reactions to metals such as potassium that would be contained in the plant tissue? It was something I read on the wiki page for isopropyl alcohol that led me to wonder this. Is there any reason besides the toxicity of residual solvents that ethyl may be safer than isopropyl?

Freedom seed said:

That makes sense, thank you. @cannabineer are you able to comment on what I asked above regarding isopropyl alcohol and whether or not there is a concern with reactions to metals such as potassium that would be contained in the plant tissue? It was something I read on the wiki page for isopropyl alcohol that led me to wonder this. Is there any reason besides the toxicity of residual solvents that ethyl may be safer than isopropyl?

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Ethyl alcohol reacts with potassium metal. I’ve had some good times with elemental potassium. The element is so reactive that it does not occur in nature.
Potassium ion doesn’t react with ethyl alcohol or much if anything.

cannabineer said:

Ethyl alcohol reacts with potassium metal. I’ve had some good times with elemental potassium. The element is so reactive that it does not occur in nature.
Potassium ion doesn’t react with ethyl alcohol or much if anything.

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Hey cannabineer,
I have a vague memory that you triggered. School science demonstration and our teacher put a piece of highly reactive metal into a dish of water. It fizzed and rolled around on the surface until it all evaporated. Could that have been K metal?
JD

JohnDee said:

Hey cannabineer,
I have a vague memory that you triggered. School science demonstration and our teacher put a piece of highly reactive metal into a dish of water. It fizzed and rolled around on the surface until it all evaporated. Could that have been K metal?
JD

Click to expand...

More likely Na metal. Oh I had fun with that stuff. A big-enough piece goes deceptivelyvquiet and Boom!

Freedom seed said:

That makes sense, thank you. @cannabineer are you able to comment on what I asked above regarding isopropyl alcohol and whether or not there is a concern with reactions to metals such as potassium that would be contained in the plant tissue? It was something I read on the wiki page for isopropyl alcohol that led me to wonder this. Is there any reason besides the toxicity of residual solvents that ethyl may be safer than isopropyl?

Click to expand...

ISO might react with potassium metal but not with K ions in plant tissue. Like sodium or lithium metals it reacts violently with water. I have some of both. A 1lb chunk of sodium sealed in a can with oil and about 1/4 pound of lithium in a glass jam jar under kerosene. Can make a big boom with that shit. lol

The trace amounts of solvents in home made oil are so small as to be negligible. I use ISO and naphtha and just stir the finished oil in a pie plate while heating over a pot of simmering water. If there was any naphtha left in there you could smell it easy as it stinks.

OldMedUser said:

ISO might react with potassium metal but not with K ions in plant tissue. Like sodium or lithium metals it reacts violently with water. I have some of both. A 1lb chunk of sodium sealed in a can with oil and about 1/4 pound of lithium in a glass jam jar under kerosene. Can make a big boom with that shit. lol

The trace amounts of solvents in home made oil are so small as to be negligible. I use ISO and naphtha and just stir the finished oil in a pie plate while heating over a pot of simmering water. If there was any naphtha left in there you could smell it easy as it stinks.

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Naphtha is one of those words. Your naphtha- can you tell me the boiling range?