Improved yield RSO

Lab Rat;2745671 said:

Most people out there do the QWET or Quick Wash Ethanol method which yields about 3-4 grams of oil per ounce or around 13% to 14% extraction yield. The total cannabinoid content of an ounce is about 5-5.5 grams of oil, anything above that is just chlorophyll and plant waxes.

The "SCET" method or Slow Cold Ethanol will output maximum cannabinoid content while keeping the chlorophyll and plant waxes locked away in a frozen state. Extraction yield will be 17% to 19% while your oil should look more translucent like maple syrup.

This method improves upon the one posted by 420 Motoco on his main thread so I will not cover the entire extraction:

How To Make Concentrated Cannabis Oil

I do a couple of quick blasts in a food processor, it helps break up the buds and lowers the amount of ethanol needed to cover the product.

Stick all your ethanol and product in the freezer for at least 12 hours. Once your ethanol reaches the coldest temperature your freezer can provide you are done, its not going to get colder by waiting any longer but you do want your product to freeze so 12 hours should be fine.

Mix your product with your ethanol in a jar with a lid and give it a good shake, put back in the freezer for 12 hours. After 12 hours shake again and put back in the freezer for another 12 hours, shake one last time and strain to get the big stuff out.

Strain through a coffee filter, for high amounts you want to do it through several filters at the same time to avoid warming up your ethanol. At those extremely low temperatures things will get stuck in the filter which would be liquid at room temperature. This is commonly referred to as "winterizing" or filtering while cold.

Evaporate the ethanol and decarb as per Motoco's instructions.

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Lab Rat;2755118 said:

I've talked to people who say using a blender/food processor makes the terpenes go away and they would rather go by hand and break up the buds. I have motor skills issues so I use a food processor, also the person that shared this method said he grounds it as well but his smallest batch is 4 lbs.

• if your freezer has a thermostat set it to its lowest setting
• avoid opening the freezer or you might need more time than the 12 hours
• a good rule of thumb is to place a ice cube tray with lukewarm water next to your bud/ethanol. If its frozen after 12 hours you're golden.
•170 proof is 85% while I use 96% which is close to 190. If even rum or vodka won't freeze in the freezer at less than 40% I guess it will but I haven't tried it.

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Lab Rat;2757620 said:

Hey Cajuncelt, still alive and talking about a subject that makes most people uncomfortable but as an ex-pilot non recreational guy in a wheelchair I have a surprising amount of weight when it comes to these subjects. I'll also be turning 40 this year (more cred!!!).

Winterizing, very important. I'm the master of dirty oil so it became critical for me.

With the help of a chemist (dad) I started increasing my yields, stupid amounts, my best pull was 49% yield or 14 grams per ounce. My main provider back then was a grower friend who would donate the stuff and let me keep a third of whatever I extracted so it was in my best interest to pull a lot.

In June, at a conference here in Costa Rica I met some people from Colorado who were doing extractions at an industrial scale with lab analysis and all. I talked to the guy and he said something like this: "An ounce of bud has in between 5 and 7 grams of cannabinoids in it. Getting 3 or 4 grams leaves a good 20% behind. On the other hand by pulling so much you are getting all the cannabinoids out but a bunch of other stuff like waxes and chlorophyll."

I still use my hot extraction method but I winterize twice and filter 3 times and I only use it if I plan to make oil for topical applications because it has a very strong taste. I still get 7-8 grams per ounce.

For oral I only use my cold long method.

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