Making small batch of oil

You guys have been answering my questions on the Honey Oil thread, but rather than hijack it, I decided to create a new thread , and it can just die when we're done

So I've been making my own oil for a long time, but never really tried to refine the process, I simply washed my shake (I use Methyl Hydrate) and let it soak way too long, sometimes even overnight..

So after a discussion in the other thread, I decided I'd see what I could do, with your help, to refine the process. I know, on occasion, if IO did a quick wash, I could get some awesome THICK (like roll a ball in your fingers thick) oil that was simply amazing in the bong, but that was pretty rare, I was usually in too much of a hurry to be meticulous.

I usually tried to do a fairly quick first wash, like maybe leave it for 10 minutes, and the oil was quite good, good enough I always figured... The second wash was relegated to making brownies, which I love because it helps me sleep at night... It's 3:30am now, I'm out of brownies

So, I'm going to post my progress here and let you all critique it, and offer your suggestions, and hopefully answer any questions. I do hope that others will benefit from this as well.

Ok, so I have a bit of shake, I could probably have crammed it all into one mason jar, but I think leaving it a little more loosely packed will help with the wash, right?

Remember, I'm making small batches, I do perpetual harvests, so every five days to a week or so I harvest a plant, and save all the shake, and when I have a couple plants worth, I make oil.

Here are the 2 jars of shake and a jar of Methyl Hydrate, ready to go into the deep freezer for an hour.




I used to grind up the shake in the blender, but on the aqdvice of some of you, I'm just leaving it whole. Some of the shake is bone dry, some is fresh from yesterday.

The plan is to dump the solvent into one jar, wait 30 seconds, then dump it through a strainer into the other jar, wait 30 seconds, then dump it through a strainer back into the original solvent jar. 30 seconds in each jar of shake, poured out quickly, through a metal kitchen strainer, so hopefully it won't even pick up any green chlorophyll or other waxes etc.

As for filtering, the strainer will keep the bulk of the shake in the jars, but once it's back in it's original jar, I can take my time straining it. I have always used coffee filters, generally two or three together, and filter twice... I'll do the same, but in the freezer... I'll keep everything as cold as possible through the entire process...

Anyhow, it's all in the freezer now, I'll be back later on with updates... and pictures...

I used to use a rice cooker to evaporate the solvent, but this time, I'll let it evaporate on it's own, maybe a fan, that's it. You guys have pointed out that any heat ruins the taste, so no heat...

Ready to proceed... Stuff has been in the freezer about an hour and a half...



I poured the solvent into one jar, swirled it VERY LIGHTLY twice, and at 30 seconds, poured it into the other jar of shake through the metal strainer. Again, a couple VERY LIGHT swirls, and at 55 seconds total, I started pouring into the empty jar. Each jar of shake was in contact with the solvent for very close to 30 seconds total.

And here is what I got...



It still picked up green? Is this because I'm using shake, green fresh shake...?

Anyhow, I popped it back into the freezer, will set up for filtering later on this morning....

Here's a sample from my last batch, this is second wash... Remember, it probably soaked overnight... The first wash was better, but this was still smokable... I generally smoke a bowl of bud, then melt a drop of oil onto the bed of ashes, and rip at it.... This second wash left a very small black residue spot on the white ashes from the pot...



Looking forward to comparing it to what I get this morning...

if yer just ingesting for cancer or an illness.. this way virtually gets all the meds........


if ya wanna smoke it ..

do "qwiso".. or.................. three minutes at freezing temps ..get's 80% of the meds at three minutes.
The last bit can be washed once you have a few second washes to go..As using so much IPA(a gallon to wash the material) for a small amount................ it is not worth the process.doing just one already washed batch..

odam2k said:

It still picked up green? Is this because I'm using shake, green fresh shake...?

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I plan on making some oil with fresh green shake asap since I harvested a bunch of plants and still have a few to go. I am curious to see it that green shows up as I usually only get that from my second wash, after it sits in the freezer for a day or two. I use that to make FECO for caps, although my wife is happy to smoke it. I will mimic your post with pics and processes using ISO.

Now since you asked for a critique I will offer my opinion. I really wonder if that green is because you are using methyl hydrate as your solvent. My Dad used that for paint thinner when I was a kid. I used it to clean up my synchro-mesh gears when I disassembled the hub on my 5-speed mustang bike. Honestly I would not use anything but 99% ISO or grain alcohol.

FWIW a Google search will reveal that chlorophyll actually has health benefits. If chlorophyll cause stomach aches it may be due to an unhealthy gut flora, easily treated with probiotics, which I can attest to first hand.

Hope that helps

freeze everything over night or for at least 6 hours...!!!!
USE IPA or 90 plus % booze This part should look like gasoline..not be green at all.

even at three minutes with an electric paddle with 30 seconds on high..it should still yellowish not greenish ...

soaking herb gets the color you have....so im not sure whats going on..


its the
Methyl Hydrate...it obviously does not have the same properties as IPA..which is both polar and non polar depending on temp
We used Methyl Hydrate, as kids one time and only because it came already soaking in it..

FRESH FROZEN HERB WILL GIVE YOU A GREEN COLOR ..specially using methyle it would seem

gb123 said:

it is not worth the process.doing just one already washed batch..

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That depends. I extract most of the ISO with my source turbo and when it is almost done I stop it and add it to a mason jar
and accumulate it so I can make a bigger batch of oil.

washing a pound of already washed herb with a gallon of IPA to get a gram is not worth the time
Yer just not on the same page here is all.
reusing already used IPA does not take out the meds needed from already washed herb either...if ya follow me here.

odam2k said:

Here's a sample from my last batch, this is second wash... Remember, it probably soaked overnight... The first wash was better, but this was still smokable... I generally smoke a bowl of bud, then melt a drop of oil onto the bed of ashes, and rip at it.... This second wash left a very small black residue spot on the white ashes from the pot...

View attachment 4374643

Looking forward to comparing it to what I get this morning...

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no offense dude but that ain't smokable ..

this is a second wash....
and I wouldnt smoke it ...

Wow, seems I need to raise my standards

I do appreciate the feedback...

Yes, I get the Methyl Hydrate in the paint section at Home Depot. My buddy who showed me how to do this many years ago used to use Toluene, but switched to Methyl Hydrate, and that's what I used. It was cheaper than ISO, much easier to get, and is 99.9% Methyl Alcohol and 0.1% water, and evaporates cleanly. It does pull a lot of water out of the air while it is evaporating if it is humid.

I will follow your advice, and try ISO next time. It will be a couple weeks till I have enough shake to do another batch, and in the mean time, I'll scout around and see where I can get some, I used to be able to buy the 99% stuff in the grocery store, but ll I ever see any more is 70%.

have used all of the solvents you spoke of over the years lol.. friggin mad experiments as kids.. didnt have the internet to look shit up couldn't even ask.... so ya did the best ya could and
YA GET WHAT YA GET AND YA DONT GET UPSET lol
yes.......we wasted a few gallons lol OOOOPS



"YOU try it"....."no you try it" "no you try it"
"HEY lets give it to Mikey!? He;ll smoke anything Bwahahahahaahah

its IPA

IPA is a chemical and should be handled with safety in mind. Isopropyl alcohol (IPA) dissolves liquid resin, making it effective for washing parts printed on Formlabs SLA printers and for cleaning resin spills.
HAs to be medical grade and 99%
Costco sells it cheap ........... 9 bucks a gallon.

The green comes from using a bi polar solvent, it's the chlorophyll you pulled from the plant materials. ISO is as well, but by chilling your ISO and materials AND keeping your washes short you can reduce the amount of chlorophyll pulled and get a nice gold color.

I haven't filtered it yet, got busy with some other stuff... The jar of wash is still in the freezer, I presume it's ok for a few days like that?

I read about Winterizing, and if I do the filtering in the freezer, that's Winterizing? Sounds simple enough...

From what I understand, winterizing is not going to remove chlorophyll, or certainly not much. I have read leaving the jar in the sunshine will kill all the chlorophyll in a short time, couple hours? I know exposing to uv isn't good for thc, so does the damage done to the thc outweigh the benefit of removing the chlorophyll? In other words, if it took a whole day to damage the thc, and only a couple hours to remove the chlorophyll, then it would be worth doing, right?

Would exposing to uv remove the green color? Maybe a dumb question, since the chlorophyll would be dead, it probably won't be green...

Does this answer your question?

Removing minor green coloration:

Because butane is non polar and considered insoluble in water, it is the longest chain alkane that is still slightly water soluble at 0.0325 vol/vol (3.25%). That means that a liter of n-butane will actually hold as much as 32.5 ml or mgs of water (1000ml X 0.0325).

3.25% by volume is also enough water to bring along some water solubles like chlorophyll and leave an otherwise pristine extraction with a green tint, usually light and sometimes a gorgeous electric hue.

These light green hues are easily removed without the more involved and extreme measures that I will follow up with, and is as simple as putting a jar of the oil suspended in an ethanol tincture, in sunlight or a light from a high UV source, like a grow lamp.

The UV radiation in the sunlight will quickly break down the chlorophyll and the breakdown products are amber, so the green color disappears. Alas, UV radiation also destroys cannabinoids, but fortunately at a much slower rate, and three or four hours in the sun is usually enough.

https://skunkpharmresearch.com/getting-the-green-and-waxes-out-afterwards/

Yes, thank you, it seems to back up my thoughts...

Hopefully tonight I can filter it, then put it in the grow room by my Metal Halide light for a bit and keep an eye on it?

I managed to crop one of my GSC plants today. Stuffed all the fresh trim in a mason jar and into the freezer. Took a pic and will post it tomorrow with a pic of the wash.

odam2k said:

Wow, seems I need to raise my standards

I do appreciate the feedback...

Yes, I get the Methyl Hydrate in the paint section at Home Depot. My buddy who showed me how to do this many years ago used to use Toluene, but switched to Methyl Hydrate, and that's what I used. It was cheaper than ISO, much easier to get, and is 99.9% Methyl Alcohol and 0.1% water, and evaporates cleanly. It does pull a lot of water out of the air while it is evaporating if it is humid.

I will follow your advice, and try ISO next time. It will be a couple weeks till I have enough shake to do another batch, and in the mean time, I'll scout around and see where I can get some, I used to be able to buy the 99% stuff in the grocery store, but ll I ever see any more is 70%.

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Ditch the methanol, and come to the dark side young jedi. Extract with butane like me, a non-polar solvent, and enjoy golden extracts that evaporate 99% of the way in an hour!... *evil laugh*

JayBio420 said:

Ditch the methanol, and come to the dark side young jedi. Extract with butane like me, a non-polar solvent, and enjoy golden extracts that evaporate 99% of the way in an hour!... *evil laugh*

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I'm sure my neighbors on the 8th floor here would love me using butane My next time will be with IPA...