How To Make Concentrated Cannabis Oil

[Amadeus Forzin]

I watched a video on making a small, one day supply using 7grams of plant material and a cup of isopropyl alcohol. It appeared very doable to me. I'm still waiting to hear what makes 99% isopropyl an unacceptable solvent.

I watched a lot of different videos today and came away impressed with the method we're refining here. I'm going to go back and review Tim's instructions now and think more about the process.

Morning Sue, this is what John posted when I asked the same question....

Toxicology[edit]
Isopropyl alcohol and its metabolite, acetone, act as central nervous system (CNS) depressants.[24] Symptoms of isopropyl alcohol poisoning include flushing, headache, dizziness, CNS depression, nausea, vomiting, anesthesia, hypothermia, hypotension, shock, respiratory depression, and coma.[24] Poisoning can occur from ingestion, inhalation, or skin absorption; therefore, well-ventilated areas and protective gloves are recommended.

Around 15 g of isopropyl alcohol can have a toxic effect on a 70 kg human if left untreated.[25] However, it is not nearly as toxic as methanol or ethylene glycol.

Isopropyl alcohol does not cause an anion gap acidosis (in which a lowered blood serum pH causes depletion of bicarbonate anion) unlike ethanol and methanol. Isopropyl alcohol does, however, produce an osmolal gap between the calculated and measured osmolalities of serum, as do the other alcohols.[24]

Overdoses may cause a fruity odor on the breath as a result of its metabolism to acetone, which is further metabolized to produce the nutrients acetate and glucose.[26]

Isopropyl alcohol is oxidized to form acetone by alcohol dehydrogenase in the liver.[24]

The biological half-life of isopropyl alcohol in humans is between 2.5 and 8.0 hours.[24]

Isopropyl alcohol is denatured for certain uses, in which case the NFPA 704 rating is changed to 2,3,1.

 

[Mighty Mouse]

I distilled 1.75 L of 100 proof vodka in my oil distiller. I checked it every few minutes. After 2 hours and 50 minutes very little liquid was dripping out so I figured all the vodka was indeed distilled. I maybe could have stopped a bit sooner. I unplugged it and left it to cool over night. I recovered 1.5 L of distilled vodka. There was 1/4 liquid left in the distiller that did not smell or taste like vodka so I disposed of it. (it tasted horrible in fact) My Proof & Tralle Hydrometer will be here Monday and I will report the proof of the distilled vodka. Hope this helps someone.

 

[Lady Cannafan]

I distilled 1.75 L of 100 proof vodka in my oil distiller. I checked it every few minutes. After 2 hours and 50 minutes very little liquid was dripping out so I figured all the vodka was indeed distilled. I maybe could have stopped a bit sooner. I unplugged it and left it to cool over night. I recovered 1.5 L of distilled vodka. There was 1/4 liquid left in the distiller that did not smell or taste like vodka so I disposed of it. (it tasted horrible in fact) My Proof & Tralle Hydrometer will be here Monday and I will report the proof of the distilled vodka. Hope this helps someone.

It's going to help me, that's for sure! I look forward to the result you get when you get the Hydrometer.

 

[wildjim]

Most Isopropyl alcohol has more in it than just alcohol. Distilling it to reclaim the alcohol will leave that as residue in the oil mixture, as will the technique Tim wrote about in the first pages of this thread. What will be left in the oil after it has been decarbed I don't know. I don't remember what is in the isopropyl alcohol and do not know the evaporating temp of that additive. You should read the MSDS of the ISO you will use. That will tell what is added to the ISO. And whether or not it is food grade and what it might do.

WJ

 

[94xjjohn]

What if we run the iso through the still first.....THEN use it as a solvent?

Either it or 151 Anything distilled at 175 deg F should come out stronger and purer, no? Unless the contaminant vaporizes lower/at the same temp as the alcohol. Damn.

I need one of those hydrometers.

 

[Lady Cannafan]

Hey Johnny, can you go back a page or two and see if you can figure out what went wrong with Altainta's oil process? No potentcy end result.

 

[94xjjohn]

Under or over heated and added too many other things to it. Use larger dose will solve the problem, probably.

You gave her good advise to make sure the decarb was complete.

Also, not getting high does not mean no potency.

Overheating changes those THC's to CBN's.......no high but still beneficial.

Too many variables to know for sure.

 

[Lady Cannafan]

Under or over heated and added too many other things to it. Use larger dose will solve the problem, probably.

You gave her good advise to make sure the decarb was complete.

Also, not getting high does not mean no potency.

Overheating changes those THC's to CBN's.......no high but still beneficial.

Too many variables to know for sure.

Waiting to hear back if the additional decarbing worked. That was Altainta's initiative.

 

[panacea]

What if we run the iso through the still first.....THEN use it as a solvent?

Either it or 151 Anything distilled at 175 deg F should come out stronger and purer, no? Unless the contaminant vaporizes lower/at the same temp as the alcohol. Damn.

I need one of those hydrometers.[/QUOTE
Interesting indeed. I would like to know the results. I definitely do not want to use something that will cause further ill-effect to the very people I am trying to help. The strongest food grade alcohol I can get would be 151 proof, don't think a 75.5 % would be good enough for extraction. There is a factory in my town that does stock 100% alcohol but you need a certain license to purchase it. Think I will dig a little more info and talk to a few people who work at the factory to see what they can do.

 

[Lady Cannafan]

Never mind, answered my own question here. ;-)
I am watching the convo on the ISO for sure.

 

[94xjjohn]

Here's the rub on the still mods:

The fan control is not a heater control. Too many watts. It works now, but for how long? Not safe.

The Active Air fan controller is rated for 15 amps and has an overload breaker for protection. It should be OK.

 

[SweetSue]

Never mind, answered my own question here. ;-)
I am watching the convo on the ISO for sure.

As am I. I can't purchase anything stronger than 151 proof, so ISO sounds like a decent and affordable option. John, any thoughts?

 

[94xjjohn]

Still mods work.

Can we distill iso to make it pure alcohol?

Iso through the still? What do you get? Is the de-nature left behind? IDK.

Lets look it up, shall we?

 

[94xjjohn]

Here's what I found:

Purify Alcohol or Denatured Ethanol Using Distillation

This also tells how to test purity through weight.

 

[Lady Cannafan]

Here's what I found:

Purify Alcohol or Denatured Ethanol Using Distillation

This also tells how to test purity through weight.

Thanks John!

Dang, I actually understood most of that. LOL

I'm personally going to stick with Everclear for my oil for now, and use the ISO for the topicals.

 

[wildjim]

Here's what I found:

Purify Alcohol or Denatured Ethanol Using Distillation

This also tells how to test purity through weight.

That is a fantastic article Johnny Boy. No telling what is added to different alcohols to make them "undrinkable". I read that mash distillers throw away a certain amount that is converted to methanol during the distilling process. I don't remember if it is in the beginning or near the end of distilling. I also know that when using the MegaHome style distiller, you should stop the distillation at 80% of the amount of the starting alcohol so the temp of the liquid mix doesn't raise to 212F to start distilling the water left over in the mix. When distilling the alcohol, the temp stays relatively close to the boiling temp of alcohol, 175F. The article says about the same thing. Fortunately distilling the water takes longer than alcohol and we can stop it quickly enough if we pay attention to the 80% mark.

Gosh I love this place. And the brothers and sisters here are the most wonderful people ever.
Here is a hug for everyone.

WJ

 

[SweetSue]

99% iso is all I can get in my area and have been using it for over a year in my extractions. I have over a dozen people use my oil for Cancer, dementia(83 yr old lady), ptsd, pain, insomnia, blood pressure etc... and I have not have anyone have a negative reaction to it. The oil has a nice Amber color and everyone swears by it. I also use LABRAT's extraction method(slow & cold). I am sure I will hear plenty of negative feed back from other's, but I am seeing these results first-hand not hear say.

Thank you for this. I'm feeling more confident about it. It's widely used and obviously produces curative oil - your testimony covers that quite nicely. Properly purged oil shouldn't be a concern for problematic residue levels.

 

[Lady Cannafan]

That is a fantastic article Johnny Boy. No telling what is added to different alcohols to make them "undrinkable". I read that mash distillers throw away a certain amount that is converted to methanol during the distilling process. I don't remember if it is in the beginning or near the end of distilling. I also know that when using the MegaHome style distiller, you should stop the distillation at 80% of the amount of the starting alcohol so the temp of the liquid mix doesn't raise to 212F to start distilling the water left over in the mix. When distilling the alcohol, the temp stays relatively close to the boiling temp of alcohol, 175F. The article says about the same thing. Fortunately distilling the water takes longer than alcohol and we can stop it quickly enough if we pay attention to the 80% mark.

Gosh I love this place. And the brothers and sisters here are the most wonderful people ever.
Here is a hug for everyone.

WJ

Well, hugs back atcha from me, for one..... Sounds like this made your bad day a wee bit better.
I'm happy that you are excited about this. I'm going to read this more in depth tomorrow for sure. (some mid article links I want to check out)
It would certainly be a huge cost saver. And would expand the possibility of making oil to a lot of people without access to the solvent we use now, if they could distill it to get out contaminants.

Let us know if you think of anything that would make this not a viable option.

 

[Lady Cannafan]

John,
just today I was sharing some thoughts with another member that we need to find an actual Chemist that will tell us what contaminants might be left behind in distilling ISO.
You brought us the Chemist. LOL

 

[94xjjohn]

I find nothing but contrasting info.

After the toxicology stuff re-posted a page or two ago, it goes on to say something like......

'Iso is used widely in the pharmacological industry because of its low incidence of toxic residue.'​

Reconcile that with the ever-present :

Never ever, ever, ever make CCO with isopropyl alcohol!!! It's made toxic on purpose to prevent consumption.
Our bodies metabolize it into Acetone. It's impossible to remove 100% of any solvent from CCO.
How much Acetone in YOUR liver is acceptable?​

These are the two camps.