skaterdude
- 25
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My prototype is working! Here's the first full run profile as displayed on the web interface. Note that I have no affiliation with OCO Labs. The title was just to identify the page.
Hi Everyone,
I recently noticed that the wires to the pressure sensor were severed. I disconnected the wires but forgot to take a picture of the wiring, and now I'm not sure which wire goes where in the plug for the sensor. I contacted GEMS sensors, but they couldn't help me since the plug is not part of their items.
Any help would be appreciated :)
I uploaded a couple of pictures to show what I'm talking about
Thanks,
Mak
OCO labs is no longer in business so if you posted this link for my aid, unfortunately, I cant use it. I need someone to tell me which wire goes where or take picture of their sensor connection and share it. Thanks in advance!OCO Labs - Tabletop CO2 Extractor, Extraction Machines, & Equipment for Personal Use
Turn to OCO Labs if you’re looking for affordable in line batch testing & at quality engineered supercritical systems. Connect with us today.ocolabs.com
@CannaOilGirl This is golden information. Thank you for the update! I too had read/watched that it was better to decarboxylze (Heat the biomass up in the oven to decarb prior to co2 extraction) Interesting that you are doing a terpene run prior to decarbing, that's good info. Also 7.92 grams of oil from 34 grams of biomass!!!!! Wow that's wonderful!Hiya everybody, I've been laying low for far too long. There was a lot to take care of elsewhere, but I thought I'd poke my head up and let you all know what I've learned. I started this thread when I got my machine because I didn't know what I was doing and I hoped someone else would.... so, you are welcome techno_mech, but I was doing it to try for a shortcut.
First, all of my experiments really only proved that I was doing something wrong, but I didn't have enough information to figure it out. During the pandemic, I dug in and got some answers. It also helped that I live in a place where I can finally grow enough to run many experiments with the same bud, from the same plant.
Tl;Dr If you read my posts from earlier in this thread, forget all you know. Follow the directions that came with the machine. Ignore my experiments and results. Changing pressure, once supercritical, causes plant lipids (fat tissue) to break free and "pollute" the oil. If you want more explanation, keep reading.
Information came to my attention (either it's newly available, or I finally got the right search) about what happens to the biomass under supercritical conditions. When I was setting it to 2300psi and running for a while, I was loosening-up the fats so when I later set it to 3000psi, I started getting oils and fats at the out. One must pick a pressure (above 1800psi when the CO2 becomes liquefied) and stay there for the whole process. Don't change it.
I don't know if running at 3200psi gets all of the cannabinoids, or only the THC. I suspect it gets them all and someday I plan to pay for some more testing, but seeing up and running my garden took enough cash that I'm just going to enjoy clean, clear oil for a while.
I've also done more experiments about runtimes and oil result. I'm loading the machine with about 34g of biomass that I'm estimating has about 20% cannabinoids. My spreadsheet suggests I should run it for 5 hours to get about 7.6g of oil.
But CannaOilGirl, you are probably thinking, the machine needs to be lubricated every 2 hours. How can you run it for 5 hours? Here is what I do:
1 hour - 45C, 1500psi Terpenes
Stop the machine, release the pressure, put the tube in the oven,
heat the machine to 60C, change the tank, if you want
1 hour - 60C, 3100psi Cannabinoids
Stop the machine, close the valve, keep the pressure there and lubricate
2 hour - 60C, 3100psi Cannabinoids
Stop the machine, close the valve, keep the pressure and lubricate
2 hour - 60C,3100psi Cannabinoids
I did that and I got 7.92g of delicious oil.
You might've noticed that I'm not using exactly what is recommended for pressure. The recommended pressure is 3200psi and that is a fine pressure. I used it a few times, but I found that 3100psi is working better for this grow. The only difference I noticed is that the oil had more of a slight jelly consistency at 3200psi. It might be the plant, it might be my gauge, it might just be my preference. You should try 3200 and see what you think.
The trick is... pick a pressure and stay there.
One last thing I now have the definitive answer for (I think... for right now) that I'd like to share. To convert THCA to THC, the biomass must be heated to remove the H2O from the THCA. After the oil is extracted, it's too late. The THCA stays bonded to the biomass during extraction so decarboxylating the oil is meaningless. The biomass needs to be decarbed before extraction of the cannabinoids. It will not come with the CO2.
I think I've covered everything I've picked up so far. I hope everyone is having a great week!
Hi! I never separate the terpenes from the collection vessel. I just connect up the vessel and run the machine through its stages.@CannaOilGirl Once this process is complete do you re-introduce your terpenes into your oil? All of them, or just to test via experimental tasting?
First time... please don't hate too hard on the ghetto setup. It's functional!! Currently running the first 2 hour cycle of @CannaOilGirl 's recipe.
Today I set it all up and got it running. I ran it for about an hour and a half to clear out any residual oils... but I'm thinking I may have to scrap this batch and completely take apart the F10 Shoebox and clean all the parts to just be sure there is no old oil from airsoft or something. Although... from what I understand people use these things to charge up scuba tanks... so maybe it's good to go. If you anybody has any insight, I'd love to hear it. Thanks Y'all!!
Hey Skater, you still have the code/arsuino project for the Oco Labs extraction machine by chance? Interested. Thx, PeteIs anyone interested in a better controller for the automatic pressure controller? I've been working on one that controls pressure. temperature, and the motor all in one device. It's not an easy plug-n-play replacement because some wires are soldered in and the thermal sensors and heatling elements are wired into the PID controller(s). However, I'm using a microcontroller that has WiFi, so it can report the current status of the system. I've set it up so you program in the full sequence, eliminating the need to change the temp and pressure settings each time you want to step to a new pressure / temp setting.
Right now, that temp / pressure / time profile is programmed into the prototype and you can't change it (unless you know how to use Arduino IDE). So it would perform the same run every time.
I don't know how many of these systems are out there with the AutoPilot add-on and how many people are actively using them. If there were enough interest, I'd consider designing a custom device and maybe upgrading the WiFi interface to allow remote programming from a web page. The custom devicecould also be designed to use other pressure sensors and parts to replace the ones no longer available through OCO Labs.
Thoughts? How much would you be willing to pay for something like this, recognizing that you would have to do some re-wiring yourself, or send it to me to be re-wired at additional cost.
HelloA great post... if I was a bit younger I might consider playing with one of these, although for now I'll bely on someone else's expertise. One question I have is what the CO2 oil tastes like without the terpenes being r-introduced? In the 70s we got stuff called honey oil. I'm not sure how it was made but it was a honey colored and same consistency, but was potent as hell and perfectly clear, although yellow/gold. It had a unique taste and we usually smoked it out of an oil pipe...looks a lot like a modern meth pipe. Anyhow, the oil had a unique taste, which is very similar to BHO or alcohol extracts. All of the CO2 oils that I've tried were either flavored (Ugh!) or had terps re-introduced... sometimes with a Pine-Sol effect, depending on what was pumped back in. I just wondered what unflavored, straight CO2 oil tasted like? Would it taste like the Honey Oil of days past?