Can’t get Eeverclear Vodka in my province. Nothing over 40% alcohol content is allowed. So I had to contact a local moonshiner to get my hands on some 5X run 100% 'shine for this tincture. Cost me $50 for a Liter tho.
Im quite certain thats not the problem. The weight of the bud reduced by more than 75%, plus it was all very very dry and crumbly at the end. No way was there this much water left in the buds. I doubt there was more than a gram or two at most in the entire batch.
Re-reducing did almost nothing. I got some small bubbles from one jar for a few minutes before the temps started to climb very rapidly above 220.
Im going to cool it down again and see what happens.
Im now wondering if I added the soy lecithin too soon? Is it possible the soy formed an emulsion with the water and is holding it in solution despite the hi temps?
Last time I added it after all the alcohol was boiled off and there was no issue. This time it went in before the alcohol was all gone.
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If you got it over 220, its definitely not alcohol and likely doesn’t have any cannabinoids left. I would put it in the freezer over night and pour off the liquid. Save it just in case, but I’m guessing it’s just water and chlorophyll. Once it’s separated you can try a little bit to see if it’s got any medicine left. If it does, reduce it all the way before adding it back. I’m pretty sure the caps will be plenty potent.
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When you use alcohol to extract the oils, if there is any water in the final product, when the alcohol is finally dissolved, the water may not be. Once you add the soy lecithin, which is an emulsifier, you may inhibit your ability to further remove the water, which is mixed with the oil.
Just wonderin’
99
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Excellent idea. I will try that.
After the second re-ducing, its better, but there is still liquid separating out when the coconut oil solidifies.
I think you’re onto something with that. Next time, I will wait till Im all done getting the alcohol out before adding the soy.
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it’s likely because rick simpson is canadian and everclear isn’t available in most of canada. i think you can order from US but it’s expensive. Alberta has a 190 grain alcohol but idk if they ship out of province. and i read somewhere ontario LCBO has it but requires prescription… i think maybe lab supply stores? quebec has it readily available tho iirc.
so what’s the difference between GD and RSO? green dragon is a liquid for drinking? my experience with RSO was an oil most people smoked but i think lots of people ingest it also
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GD is a tincture for ingesting. If you reduced it all of the way, it is then RSO which is also usually ingested.
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ok thanks because i likely can’t access 190+ grain alcohol so i’m wondering what my best solvent option would be for ingestion. i’d love to switch to caps only. and is the reduction process safe to do inside if using iso?
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The key issue as far as safety is how you handle the vapors that are given off when the alcohol evaporates out of the mix. That vapor is highly flamable.
IF you have VERY good ventilation, are very careful of sparks, open flames, etc, then it should be ‘relatively’ safe to do indoors. Ventilation is the key. You need to move that vapor away and preferably outside.
A lot of it has to do with how much you are doing at a time. If you’re only reducing a few ounces of alcohol, then its not that big a deal unless you set the container on fire. On the other hand, if you are reducing liter at a time or more, then thats a lot of vapor that could potentially cause a serious explosion.
I used an electric skillet outside on the deck for the main reduction. After filtering through a coffee filter, I put the alcohol mix in a container in the skillet then add water to the skillet and turn it up till it boils the water. Then wait for the alcohol to evaporate. You will need to top off the skillet every 1/2 hour or so with more water.
Once most of the alcohol is gone, you could finish inside relatively safely - which is what I did.
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Time to build a Still!
Edit:
If you passively reduce, there’s little to no danger because the evaporation rate will be so slow, unless you flame up right next to it, or do it in some enclosed space and sparks happen, well, you get the idea. Be smart, well ventilated area like @anon32470837 said if you’re using heat.
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To be realistic, its not that easy to create just the exact, perfect ratio of vapor to air in a room sized space, that will explode.
I remember several different Myth Busters episodes where they went to all sorts of trouble trying to blow up a house or a room by filling it with some sort of flammable vapor - gasoline, bug spray, etc. Turns out you need just exactly the perfect ratio or nothing much happens. The larger the space, the more difficult it is to get a “good” explosive mix all through the space.
That said, there is always the chance you will get “lucky”!!
The biggest risk by far is probably the liquid alcohol in the container. Alcohol burns with a very hard to see, faint blue flame. You can accidentally set the container on fire with just a static spark and not even know it until that flame sets something else on fire.
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GD is made with non-toxic grain alcohol. So you can ingest it without boiling, or at any stage of reduction.
Street level RSO is usually made with toxic Isopropyl alcohol. That’s why it has to be purged from the final product, which here in Canada is customarily 5’ers (5g) of hardened hash oil.
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are you able to get grain alcohol in your area of canada? i’m thinking since i want to ingest it i might be better off infusing coconut oil but i’ve heard it’s a less efficient extraction than using solvet
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As I understand it, it is taken sublingual.
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Not legally. I have a local moonshiner who will make me some but the 190+ proof stuff is expensive( $50 per Liter).
We’ve always used isopropyl, until recently.
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I would not suggest using ISO for ingestion. You can make the Green Dragon or RSO with lower proof grain alcohol.
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Yes, yes and yes.
Don’t ingest Isopropyl Alcohol.
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My bad, I should have been more specific.
I meant we’ve always used Iso for hash oil.
Not for edibles.
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I used to infuse regular cooking oil for making brownies. Using alcohol is several times more efficient as far as getting the good stuff out. The GD I have made is far stronger for the same amount of weed.
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Well we know most oils can be used as a carrier “olive, coconut, butter”, and if your consuming it whether alcohol based or not it’s really just a change in delivery method.
Saying that i’m like you in that everclear isn’t available in my province, but i have and do make my own liquor every now and then. But when making edibles or oil infusions “which i don’t do often” i use concentrates “oil/wax” to make them as it removes a lot of that pot flavor compared to traditional methods.
Now here the thing, myself making those oil/waxes i somewhat regularly use methanol as the extraction solvent just cause its cheap and easy to find locally such as your local cnd tire or hardware store as “methyl hydrate” which 4 liters is about $10-12 bucks. I just make sure to evaporate off all the methanol when i make my waxes/oils, as by itself methanol is poisonous. It’s the first thing that comes off your still if your making your own liquor. But if you understand that it’s also naturally in any beer or wine you will find on the shelf and that any minute leftovers in your oil/waxes is insignificant in comparison to what say a glass of wine would have then there is no issue in using it as an extraction solvent.
I just take those oil/waxes and mix them back into my heated carrier oil whether butter or coconut oil or whatever.
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