Closed loop extraction butane configurations

Running my first ever closed loop extraction and wondering about the butane to cannabis ratio

We average about three volumes of solvent to one volume of material.

depends on your system. There’s a min and a max. I usually go 4:1 solvent to material

Fadedawg said:

We average about three volumes of solvent to one volume of material.

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I should probably note that I use a Terpenator, which floods the first two volumes from the bottom and the last one from the top. Flooding from the bottom insures more uniform wetting and the top down rinse both washes surfaces blind to direct flow from the bottom flood, as well as scavenges concentrate rich solvent remaining in the column once the bottom dump valve is opened.

The temperature that you run at makes a big difference from a solvent viscosity standpoint. We typically freeze the columns at -18C/0F and run solvent injection below at least -30C, with a 70/30, 60/20/20, or 50/50 mix.

Actual flow is based on the color of the solvent flowing out of the column and through the sight glass, but averages about 3:1 and that is what the automated Mk II, Mk VA, and Mk VA2's were programmed for. They did however have a spring loaded toggle switch they could bump if it was clear by observation that the flow from the column was losing color early, as was there for establishing actual flood time.

The reason for that is that not all material has the same resin content, nor are any two columns packed exactly the same. The resin content is genetics and growing conditions, but consider that two columns with the same amount of material and same uniform packing do not flow exactly the same and the longer a column takes to pass the solvent, the longer it is soaking.

As BH notes, 4:1 is a common ratio for top flow only columns and as I recall what Tamisium recommends.