mrcryce
Well-Known Member
Had 1/2 lb of popcorn laying around, trying to get something smokeable out of it. First ground it up with a coffee grinder, then placed ground up flowers into a stainless steel thermos, frozen in a container of ice, and put liquid butane into it. The butane maintains its liquid state because butane boils at -1 C while the ice surrounding the thermos is 0 c. Ambient temp outdoors is around 20 C.
0.25 lb of the ground up flowers in thermos
![2012-10-16 20.34.58.jpg](/data/attachments/1670/1670027-54098e256b097c1ba0ac6d2d8d5cbeab.jpg)
![2012-10-16 20.34.50.jpg](/data/attachments/1670/1670026-63094dea4270f0a9c278b90c264fe3f6.jpg)
Poured it into here to be evaporated off. The butane dissolves THC and some other substances, leaving behind most of the plant matter in the coffee filter.
![2012-10-16 20.37.06.jpg](/data/attachments/1670/1670028-1a289e2e2063f3de540db8623464b686.jpg)
After the butane fully evaporates off, the sides of the container look like this:
![2012-10-12 15.40.34.jpg](/data/attachments/1670/1670021-6df56fe28acf932ab3016889c56677ee.jpg)
The problem is, waxes and fatty lipids remain (which gives it the gooey texture). To solve this problem, we wash it in high concentration ethanol, a solvent which dissolves substances we want (like THC)
After putting in 300 mL ethanol, the glass looks like this
![2012-10-16 23.20.14.jpg](/data/attachments/1670/1670029-5b74fc717bdb7f3f20a9979dc0bea87b.jpg)
Notice all the fatty lipids floating inside the ethanol solution
![2012-10-16 23.27.27.jpg](/data/attachments/1670/1670030-86f4074bd5fc709426ec156b2d501928.jpg)
![2012-10-16 23.32.32.jpg](/data/attachments/1670/1670031-abd28847e024ddaf3256f3c136883e17.jpg)
Then this solution is spread over a pan and evaporated:
![2012-10-12 21.04.56.jpg](/data/attachments/1670/1670022-ebfa4248c5d2bd71ed06316a3ef42594.jpg)
Then all scraped together with a razor blade. The consistency while cool is actually glassy, it will snap if you bend it. Once it gets to room temperature it bends though.
![2012-10-12 00.07.10.jpg](/data/attachments/1670/1670019-d7eb0b421a5ba1c7219b23c8d0e9fb5d.jpg)
Darker area is where it bent over itself.
![2012-10-12 00.10.46.jpg](/data/attachments/1670/1670020-ba757ea5a6cd7fde12eca58b071f91b3.jpg)
Then scraped together to condensed into a small block (5.5 grams, first run)
![2012-10-13 00.27.31.jpg](/data/attachments/1670/1670025-057c039931712777dba07b1cce9f302e.jpg)
![2012-10-13 00.26.55.jpg](/data/attachments/1670/1670023-510471b8bdec1f6db0016daf8f46a377.jpg)
I am currently working on a batch of second run concentrate. First time I did not freeze the ethanol, this time I am freezing it for 2 days, before evaporating ethanol. Hopefully will be of even higher purity. I am also harvesting soon which will give me an opportunity to try this process out with fresh trim, which is supposed to be higher in THCa, which I have read contributes to the glassy quality of concentrates.
Pictures to come when I finish.
Comments and questions welcome.![Big Joint :bigjoint: :bigjoint:](/styles/smilies/smoking.gif)
0.25 lb of the ground up flowers in thermos
![2012-10-16 20.34.58.jpg](/data/attachments/1670/1670027-54098e256b097c1ba0ac6d2d8d5cbeab.jpg)
![2012-10-16 20.34.50.jpg](/data/attachments/1670/1670026-63094dea4270f0a9c278b90c264fe3f6.jpg)
Poured it into here to be evaporated off. The butane dissolves THC and some other substances, leaving behind most of the plant matter in the coffee filter.
![2012-10-16 20.37.06.jpg](/data/attachments/1670/1670028-1a289e2e2063f3de540db8623464b686.jpg)
After the butane fully evaporates off, the sides of the container look like this:
![2012-10-12 15.40.34.jpg](/data/attachments/1670/1670021-6df56fe28acf932ab3016889c56677ee.jpg)
The problem is, waxes and fatty lipids remain (which gives it the gooey texture). To solve this problem, we wash it in high concentration ethanol, a solvent which dissolves substances we want (like THC)
After putting in 300 mL ethanol, the glass looks like this
![2012-10-16 23.20.14.jpg](/data/attachments/1670/1670029-5b74fc717bdb7f3f20a9979dc0bea87b.jpg)
Notice all the fatty lipids floating inside the ethanol solution
![2012-10-16 23.27.27.jpg](/data/attachments/1670/1670030-86f4074bd5fc709426ec156b2d501928.jpg)
![2012-10-16 23.32.32.jpg](/data/attachments/1670/1670031-abd28847e024ddaf3256f3c136883e17.jpg)
Then this solution is spread over a pan and evaporated:
![2012-10-12 21.04.56.jpg](/data/attachments/1670/1670022-ebfa4248c5d2bd71ed06316a3ef42594.jpg)
Then all scraped together with a razor blade. The consistency while cool is actually glassy, it will snap if you bend it. Once it gets to room temperature it bends though.
![2012-10-12 00.07.10.jpg](/data/attachments/1670/1670019-d7eb0b421a5ba1c7219b23c8d0e9fb5d.jpg)
Darker area is where it bent over itself.
![2012-10-12 00.10.46.jpg](/data/attachments/1670/1670020-ba757ea5a6cd7fde12eca58b071f91b3.jpg)
Then scraped together to condensed into a small block (5.5 grams, first run)
![2012-10-13 00.27.31.jpg](/data/attachments/1670/1670025-057c039931712777dba07b1cce9f302e.jpg)
![2012-10-13 00.26.55.jpg](/data/attachments/1670/1670023-510471b8bdec1f6db0016daf8f46a377.jpg)
I am currently working on a batch of second run concentrate. First time I did not freeze the ethanol, this time I am freezing it for 2 days, before evaporating ethanol. Hopefully will be of even higher purity. I am also harvesting soon which will give me an opportunity to try this process out with fresh trim, which is supposed to be higher in THCa, which I have read contributes to the glassy quality of concentrates.
Pictures to come when I finish.
Comments and questions welcome.
![Big Joint :bigjoint: :bigjoint:](/styles/smilies/smoking.gif)