Weak RSO? Error in process or something else?

[J44]

Hi, I posted a few weeks ago looking for advice on how to make my coconut oil infusions stronger as I feel my tolerance has surpassed what I’m currently taking.

After reading about RSO I decided to give it a go but I’m not sure if I have done something wrong as either my tolerance is way high or it’s not as potent as I’ve read.

My process:

Put alcohol in freezer for 4 hours

Break flower up by hand into chunks about the size of peas

Lay flat in sous vide bag

2hours @99’C (highest the sous vide will go)

Leave to cool

store in freezer untiltill the alcohol is ready. I had about 1litre of alcohol

Pour alcohol in with decarbed flower and agitate for 3 minutes

Strain through cheese cloth (the pulp was mixed with fresh alcohol to do a second wash)

Then filter first wash through frozen coffee filter.

Then I used an air still to reclaim alcohol. Note from this point on I only used the first wash second wash is still in a jar waiting until I can find what’s best to do with it.

To start I had a runny dark oil but after it cooled it solidified to like a tar.

I had two bits around the size of grains of rice around 3 hours apart and whilst I could feel it it wasn’t as strong as I was expecting.

I used nearly a full Oz of flower and for what was produced i think I would be able to use in a single night.

I used ethanol from Amazon

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B0FHBGSW87?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

can anyone see where I’ve gone wrong or what might be the problem.

Thanks in advance

 

[logic]

That tar texture is normal. The part that jumps out is the decarb, not the wash. 99C sous vide for 2 hours in a sealed bag is pretty soft for edible oil. It will convert some, but it may leave a lot of THCA behind, especially with moisture trapped in there. The extract can look like proper RSO and still eat weak if the decarb never really finished.

A cold 3 minute ethanol wash should pull plenty from busted-up flower. Using a litre is more solvent than you needed, but if you reclaimed it that just means more volume to boil off, not weaker oil. You did leave some cannabinoids in the second wash though, so don't judge the whole ounce from only the first pull. Evap that second wash separately and see what it gives you.

The Amazon alcohol would be my safety check. The listing says neutral grain/not denatured, but it also uses non-ingestible/chemical handling language. I wouldn't eat anything made with it unless the bottle itself and supplier paperwork clearly say food grade/non-denatured and suitable for extraction. Amazon wording is messy.

For the batch you already made, if the solvent is fully gone, you can gently decarb the finished oil itself. Low steady heat around 110C, no open flame, plenty of ventilation, and watch the bubbling. When the little CO2 bubbles mostly stop, it's closer. Then mix a known weight of oil into coconut/MCT oil instead of eating random rice-grain blobs. RSO straight can absorb weird, while fat makes the dose hit more like your infusions.

If an ounce of decent flower feels like one evening's worth, either the flower was weak, the decarb was short, or you're not absorbing it well. My money would be on decarb first.

 

[J44]

That tar texture is normal. The part that jumps out is the decarb, not the wash. 99C sous vide for 2 hours in a sealed bag is pretty soft for edible oil. It will convert some, but it may leave a lot of THCA behind, especially with moisture trapped in there. The extract can look like proper RSO and still eat weak if the decarb never really finished.

A cold 3 minute ethanol wash should pull plenty from busted-up flower. Using a litre is more solvent than you needed, but if you reclaimed it that just means more volume to boil off, not weaker oil. You did leave some cannabinoids in the second wash though, so don't judge the whole ounce from only the first pull. Evap that second wash separately and see what it gives you.

The Amazon alcohol would be my safety check. The listing says neutral grain/not denatured, but it also uses non-ingestible/chemical handling language. I wouldn't eat anything made with it unless the bottle itself and supplier paperwork clearly say food grade/non-denatured and suitable for extraction. Amazon wording is messy.

For the batch you already made, if the solvent is fully gone, you can gently decarb the finished oil itself. Low steady heat around 110C, no open flame, plenty of ventilation, and watch the bubbling. When the little CO2 bubbles mostly stop, it's closer. Then mix a known weight of oil into coconut/MCT oil instead of eating random rice-grain blobs. RSO straight can absorb weird, while fat makes the dose hit more like your infusions.

If an ounce of decent flower feels like one evening's worth, either the flower was weak, the decarb was short, or you're not absorbing it well. My money would be on decarb first.

Great advice thanks very much for your time.

I used to sous vide at about 90’C for 6 hours but after my last post I got a reply stating I was using the sous vide for too long so I dropped it down to 2 hours after reading a guide off Google saying 1 hour 40 mins at 203f I think.

I’ll have a look into the alcohol, it does say on the listing for extracts and tinctures, I struggled to find something suitable in the UK. I am hoping to swap to iso later but want to make sure I’m doing it properly first to avoid any poisoning issues.

That’s great I’ll try that now, any tips on how I can warm it? It’s currently in (solidified down the sides) a ramekin as I couldn’t get it into the syringe in time

 

[J44]

Just an update I put a pan of boiling water on the stove and placed the ramekin inside it got it as hot as possible around 98’C but no bubbles came off.

It did however liquify it really well and allow me to syringe it up and mix it in with some coconut oil so will try that out and see how it works I’m going away for the weekend and really wanted some strong oil so I don’t have any smell at hotels etc.

I may try adding water to the wash next time and use the still for alcohol recovery and use a hot plate for water evap after might allow me to recover a bit more and keep my still a bit cleaner