Making Safe Concentrates

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ChrisP.Bacon

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G'day,

The Internet, the glorious Internet. There seems to be a lot of confusion and mixed opinions on the correct and safest way to extract concentrates from Cannabis. Hopefully I can help clear a few things up.

CHEMICAL SOLVENT CONCENTRATES

If you use any method that involves chemicals to extract, there is no safe way. Period. Chemicals have warning labels for a reason, because using them carries a risk regardless if you take all safety precautions. If you're using the chemical in a way it is not designed to be used, you add extra risk. Chemical extracts when made correctly can be safe to consume, but the process of making them has risks.

Chemical Solvent based concentrates are the least safe concentrates because they carry the most risk. The chemicals used in extraction are usually very volatile and the fumes are toxic when inhaled. The likelihood of something going wrong during the extraction process puts these types of concentrates as the least safe concentrates to make.

SOLVENT CONCENTRATES

Solvent extracts are arguably the safest concentrates to make and to consume. A variety of solvents can be used to extract THC from Cannabis. The most popular is water. There are others which include oils/fats but they are almost always combined with water in the extraction process. Water is by far one of the safest ways to extract concentrates from your Cannabis.

ANCIENT HASH

Ancient hash has been around since the dawn of humanity. We still use the same methods in modern times as our Ancient cultures did 10,000 years ago. Collected trichomes are pressed together forming a solid mass. The collection process can vary depending on the individual. This extraction is arguably the safest method to extract Cannabis concentrates.

HEAT AND PRESSURE

Concentrates can be extracted from Cannabis using heat and pressure, almost always a combination of both. The plant matter is pressed and the oil extracted is collected. This has a moderate to low risk. You could crush your fingers or burn yourself, but it is highly unlikely. There is still some risk involved, which makes this one of the least safe ways to extract concentrates.
 
MirrorZen

MirrorZen

1,362
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G'day,

The Internet, the glorious Internet. There seems to be a lot of confusion and mixed opinions on the correct and safest way to extract concentrates from Cannabis. Hopefully I can help clear a few things up.

CHEMICAL SOLVENT CONCENTRATES

If you use any method that involves chemicals to extract, there is no safe way. Period. Chemicals have warning labels for a reason, because using them carries a risk regardless if you take all safety precautions. If you're using the chemical in a way it is not designed to be used, you add extra risk. Chemical extracts when made correctly can be safe to consume, but the process of making them has risks.

Chemical Solvent based concentrates are the least safe concentrates because they carry the most risk. The chemicals used in extraction are usually very volatile and the fumes are toxic when inhaled. The likelihood of something going wrong during the extraction process puts these types of concentrates as the least safe concentrates to make.

SOLVENT CONCENTRATES

Solvent extracts are arguably the safest concentrates to make and to consume. A variety of solvents can be used to extract THC from Cannabis. The most popular is water. There are others which include oils/fats but they are almost always combined with water in the extraction process. Water is by far one of the safest ways to extract concentrates from your Cannabis.

ANCIENT HASH

Ancient hash has been around since the dawn of humanity. We still use the same methods in modern times as our Ancient cultures did 10,000 years ago. Collected trichomes are pressed together forming a solid mass. The collection process can vary depending on the individual. This extraction is arguably the safest method to extract Cannabis concentrates.

HEAT AND PRESSURE

Concentrates can be extracted from Cannabis using heat and pressure, almost always a combination of both. The plant matter is pressed and the oil extracted is collected. This has a moderate to low risk. You could crush your fingers or burn yourself, but it is highly unlikely. There is still some risk involved, which makes this one of the least safe ways to extract concentrates.
Okay this is off by quite a bit. Would you consider Butane/propane, organic hydrocarbons, a chemical or a solvent? They are solvents and chemicals so you made your write up extremely misleading, check out their definitions. The funny part, people who make bubble hash with ice water call it solventless. Water is literally the universal solvent, so that has always confused me scientifically speaking. So much great clean bho under 10 ppm residual solvent. Yes working with many different hydrocarbons is dangerous, but if someone knows exactly what they are doing and have the proper set up with fume hoods or proper ventilation. I have worked with a few great systems, and a couple great labs, clean hydrocarbon based extract isn't hard to make, since Butanes boiling point is 32 and propane is -40. I would like to see what happens if you stick a bucket of water in a vac oven at 9 times its boiling point (under vac) (thats 1908 degrees) for 3 days and see what you have left. The solvent gets distilled (in a cls), your generalizations have no merit.
 
Buzzer777

Buzzer777

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I will stay with the simple/SAFE stuff in my old age (plan on getting older too..LOL)..Ice water and Heat/pressure for me..Rosin is my favorite, but the taste of hash is still second to none..

The only concentrate I still will purchase from a dispensary occasionally is Dap Sap (CO2 I think)..the taste is really something special and a real treat at certain special times of the yr. For some reason, Dap Sap here is a bit cheaper than shatter or honeycomb crumble. It isn't so easy to work with, but a slight chill will help it out..
 
JWM2

JWM2

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Get a rosin press. They aren't very expensive and you get great results without the danger of blowing up your home. I've been making my own eliquid and rosin is the way to go IMO. But thats my experience. Never tried BHO extraction on my own, have seen others do it and it makes me nervous.
 
Buzzer777

Buzzer777

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Get a rosin press. They aren't very expensive and you get great results without the danger of blowing up your home. I've been making my own eliquid and rosin is the way to go IMO. But thats my experience. Never tried BHO extraction on my own, have seen others do it and it makes me nervous.
I have a manual Dulytech press (3x5 plates)..it suits my purposes just fine and is well built too..BHO is not in my vocabulary..as I age..things that go BOOM scare me to death..LOL
I use a butane torch for my Rosin rigs, JUST until I am high enough...then back to the Enail for my own safety!!
 
JWM2

JWM2

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I own the exact same one. Paid $300 on eBay for a refurbished one. It’s great. I couldn’t agree more with BHO. Nice to see someone else loves their dulytek :-)
 
JWM2

JWM2

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Yeah BHO scares me so it was never an option. But with the rise of decently priced rosin presses I think personally BHO will be done mostly commercially in the future and most do it yourselfers will go the rosin press route.

On a side note the dulytek is built like a tank. I am really impressed and no I don’t work for them. Just got a good deal on eBay (best offer, offered him $300) and couldn’t be happier.
 
Buzzer777

Buzzer777

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Yeah BHO scares me so it was never an option. But with the rise of decently priced rosin presses I think personally BHO will be done mostly commercially in the future and most do it yourselfers will go the rosin press route.

On a side note the dulytek is built like a tank. I am really impressed and no I don’t work for them. Just got a good deal on eBay (best offer, offered him $300) and couldn’t be happier.
I agree..I got mine a few months back and had to pay $375 I think..he would not accept anything less, but did send me the Dulytech tools, mat and some bags at no charge..then Dulytech raised the price again to over $400!

Besides the build quality..the electronics are better than almost anything I have seen..bar none..accurate too..:)

For the most part..my sweet spot seems to be 220d for 90 seconds..2nd press yields about the same quality with more yield than the 1st press (nice gold color and very pliable (pressing my own home grown at 62% RH)..I use a blue ice freezer thing to collect it easily or it would be a globby mess (so far, GDP is running over 20% while Gorilla Wreck#4 is about 15%..I like it!!)..Just awaiting the mails which have a new quartz enail..next time, I will pick up a few from the dreaded DHgate..LOL
 
JWM2

JWM2

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Awesome. I can’t really say what my yields have been in percentages but I can tell when i press better quality material. I pressed some kief I had been collecting for two years and it turned out a deep amber orange color. When I finish pressing I save the pucks in a bag and stack a few together for yet another press. I’ve pressed AK-47, Gorilla Glue, Cookies and Cream, Tangerine Kush and some stuff a buddy gave me to try. It all turned out really well but some strains were much better producers due to their resin content. Either way it’s been fun and the resulting rosin has been fantastic in my e-liquid carts. Smoother than the BHO I was using a while back.
 
Buzzer777

Buzzer777

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Awesome. I can’t really say what my yields have been in percentages but I can tell when i press better quality material. I pressed some kief I had been collecting for two years and it turned out a deep amber orange color. When I finish pressing I save the pucks in a bag and stack a few together for yet another press. I’ve pressed AK-47, Gorilla Glue, Cookies and Cream, Tangerine Kush and some stuff a buddy gave me to try. It all turned out really well but some strains were much better producers due to their resin content. Either way it’s been fun and the resulting rosin has been fantastic in my e-liquid carts. Smoother than the BHO I was using a while back.
Same here..tried some Shatter Batter mix and some pricey terpene solvent with my Rosin in a cart..not too shabby..I have lots of strains I grew in jars..some over a yr old..I love to smoke them all (or they are turned into hash)..Only reason I knew yields is that I have a scale right near the press..so..ETF..I wanted to know..It is a matter of my trouble (I know..we get spoiled fast)..not how much I get, since the supply of flower is never ending for me..LOL

I will be mixing up a few batches of different e-juices as I go......assuming I don't dab them all 1st..LMAO

I don't really collect kief these days..PIA for me..it all goes into the butter mix though:)
 
JWM2

JWM2

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Yeah I’ve been using a mighty vape for years now and a space case grinder so it has a screen in the bottom and as it gets dirty I empty out the kief into a small container. Sometimes I’ll salt the bud I’m vaping with the kief but I really don’t do much with it other than that. So it was a no brainer when the press showed up. I have some rosin bags I bought off amazon that I used to keep the vegetable matter out of the final product. Worked pretty well. I did not get the tools or mat with mine. I did have some sculpting tools already so I had all the scrapers I needed. The wife had parchment paper in the cupboard so I was all set when it arrived.
 
JWM2

JWM2

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What temp do you press at? I've been using 220 myself as that is what I read online and in the youtube videos. If you have a better suggestion i'll give it a whirl :-)
 
JWM2

JWM2

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A71E820B 30AC 4EA4 B8FD 847E5B9D1C94


These carts I filled over 5 months ago. They have rosin + PG and haven’t seperated yet. Just sayin.
 
Buzzer777

Buzzer777

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220 is to hot for anything imo
Depends on material..I pressed some Hibernate only a week in jars at 210 top and 205 bottom..it buddered up and I liked the yield and consistency better at 220 anyway. Besides these temps are not the most accurate in the world and my laser heat gun gets messed up trying to measure a shiny surface. I refrigerate my rosin and store it in vacuum sealed bags.
 
Buzzer777

Buzzer777

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Are you getting any better yields compared to the 1005? Just curious.
Just began trying it out..The presses are more even (larger plates) but I have yet to measure them..I doubt the yields will be that much more than with the electric 6000. That was a big jump getting out the rosin ..the 1500 is great but the 6000 is so much easier. The main thing with the larger press will be that I can add pressure as I please and use the gauge on top as a measure..that should allow the best "flow" of Rosin within the puck..The obvious difference is the amount of weed that I can press at once! Also this will be much better for pressing hash with lighter PSI.
 
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