alternative to 190 proof alcohol
- Thread starter stemznseedz
- Start date
troutman
Seed Whore
Methanol does extract more Cannabinoids than any other solvent I know.
But it also extracts a lot of chlorophyll as well which is bad. Don't forget
that methanol is very toxic. So do be careful if you use it.
Chlorophyll. That answers my question. Thank you.
Just gotta drink a lot of ethenol to dilute the methanol. (Don't take that seriously).
The first inside the top fitting, directing the condensate to the second plate, which directs it to the valve.
This is maxed out for legal hobby use.
It can be built with 1.5" copper or SS tube and much shorter for stove top..
^ "Dragon Stills controller"
https://stilldragon.com/index.php/catalogsearch/result/?q=controller
Compare the Dragon Stills controllers to the power regulators at Auberins, you can get more precise control for the same cost, and for a few dollars more get precise power regulation along with multi-function temperature control.
https://www.auberins.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=53
Thanks for posting up!!
https://stilldragon.com/index.php/catalogsearch/result/?q=controller
Compare the Dragon Stills controllers to the power regulators at Auberins, you can get more precise control for the same cost, and for a few dollars more get precise power regulation along with multi-function temperature control.
https://www.auberins.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=53
Thanks for posting up!!
Swaziland skunk
New member
If you're in Nevada DM me, I have a source for 190 everclear
Anyone tried ether for a solvent?
Dangerous yes, but super evaporative
I have seen alcohol dehumidifying beads (have to find the source) somewhere that could bring up proof as well
Anyone tried ether for a solvent?
Dangerous yes, but super evaporative
I have seen alcohol dehumidifying beads (have to find the source) somewhere that could bring up proof as well
Pictures of...
3A molecular sieves in the vacuum sealed pouch, linked to in the above quotes.
DrieRite Desiccant, Calcium Sulfate 25 lb sealed Can 13025 Size 8 Mesh USA made $18 with free shipping,
https://www.ebay.com/itm/DrieRite-D...e=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649
Getting an exact hydrometer reading at the calibrated to temperature of 60F.
Bottles of 90.0-92.0% by volume ethanol distilled from ten 1.75mL bottles of cheap vodka.
It seems to take a minimum of five passes to get into the 90+% range. I've just about got the process details worked out, here's where I'm at:
Starting with two 1.75mL bottles of vodka
1st distillation
175 watts to Limit at 217F (about two drops per second drip)
1,850mL 0.886 @ 60F 71.5% BV
discard 'water' was nearly clear with no odor or taste of alcohol
2nd distillation
125 watts to Limit at 217F
1,535mL 0.855 @ 60F 83.0% BV
300mL discard 'water' was slightly cloudy with very slight odor, but no taste of alcohol
3rd distillation
125 watts to Limit at 215F
1,460mL 0.8445 @60F 86.5% BV
60mL of discard 'water' was cloudy with no odor or taste of alcohol
4th distillation
100 watts to Limit at 210F
1,370mL 0.836 @ 60F 89.5% BV
65mL discard 'water' was cloudy with very little odor or taste of alcohol
5th distillation
100 watts to Limit at 205F
1,330mL 0.8315 @ 60F 90.5% BV
40mL of discard 'water' was cloudy with a slight odor and taste of alcohol
I'm milking very nearly all the alcohol from the pot during the first four distillations, and then cutting the last distillation short for maximum product concentration.
My next experiment is to see if there is a difference if I do most of a distillation at a higher wattage for speed, and then dial down the wattage at the end to avoid the water coming over.
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I took all the vodka distillations to 92.0%, it's incremental increases in percentage past that. The best I got was 92.25% and to that I added the 3A molecular sieves, the result is 99% by volume.
The sieves had some dust the first time I used them (it settles out from the alcohol overnight.) After filtering I washed them in distilled water a few times, and now they are nearly dust free.
Microwave drying of the sieves works fine. I put the whole pound in a Pyrex dish and set the power level at 30%, checking the temperature every several minutes until they were about 400F at which time I placed the Pyrex dish in my stock pot vacuum chamber to cool down under vacuum. The power levels in my microwave oven are produced by dividing thirty second cycles by the percentage - 30% is about ten seconds of full power followed by twenty seconds off (the fan stays on pulling the moisture out.) The edges of the Pyrex dish were barely hot making transfer to the vacuum chamber easy. Once you know about how long it takes you can set the time and let it run, checking the temperature only near the end. You'll probably melt the carousel if you go any higher or maintain the temp.
The fan folded filter paper didn't work well with the funnel shown, I'm including a picture of what did work. That's a nylon piece from my Champion juicer's loading tube, I placed it on the other nylon funnel and stuck the whole thing on the top of the vodka bottle. I tried 2.5 micron filter paper, but it was too slow so I used 11 micron which was adequate to eliminate any trace of dust.
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I tried drying out about 1,500mL of 92.0% by volume ethanol with the pound of regenerated 3A molecular sieves (a larger proportion of ethanol to sieves than in the above post,) and only got about 1,000mL of 96% by volume ethanol.
The amount of lost ethanol is way too high for my liking... So, I'm thinking why can't I put the wet sieves in my distiller and pull off the ethanol?? I imagine if I dial the wattage way down the beads will remain fairly evenly soaked from the high vapor content within the vessel, and the ethanol vapor will come over until it's gone, and then I can remove them and finish drying them in the microwave oven.
I'm doing something else today, but hope to try it out tomorrow.
The commercial cannabis processors over at Future4200 are regenerating huge amounts of 3A sieves soaked in ethanol, and I just can't imagine how they justify the loss of a third of the reclaimed EtOH.
The amount of lost ethanol is way too high for my liking... So, I'm thinking why can't I put the wet sieves in my distiller and pull off the ethanol?? I imagine if I dial the wattage way down the beads will remain fairly evenly soaked from the high vapor content within the vessel, and the ethanol vapor will come over until it's gone, and then I can remove them and finish drying them in the microwave oven.
I'm doing something else today, but hope to try it out tomorrow.
The commercial cannabis processors over at Future4200 are regenerating huge amounts of 3A sieves soaked in ethanol, and I just can't imagine how they justify the loss of a third of the reclaimed EtOH.
troutman
Seed Whore
Is your still totally sealed with a drying tube? If not it will be impossible to get 100% dry alcohol.
When I see YouTube video with people using molecular sieves I laugh when I notice the condenser
is open to the atmosphere and/or they collect the liquid in a open flask. As long as air that is not
dried can get in you're at you limit when you reach 95-96% regardless what you're using.
There's no reason why you can't put your molecular sieves in your distiller. They won't melt
and certainly at the temp of alcohol distillation they won't regenerate and give off the water
they absorbed. If anything the molecular sieves will act as boiling stones and make distillation
a much smoother operation.
My first try at this worked, I need to discover the best process.
I added a pound of 3A molecular sieves to 915mL of 96.0% by volume EtOH which produced 715mL of 98.5% by volume EtOH, a loss of 200mL EtOH/H2O. I figure the 200mL to be about 175ml EtOH and 25mL H2O.
I then placed the sieves in my modified water distiller, and with the wattage limited to 75 watts I distilled letting the temperature rise slowly to 275F (measured with a thermocouple sensor attached to the outside center bottom of the vessel - this was the highest temperature I cared to take the distiller.) I tried controlling the temperature during distillation, but the drip rate was way too slow. When I opened the distiller the beads were no longer soaking wet, but still had a strong odor of EtOH. I got 67mL of about 99% by volume EtOH (I used a 10mL graduated cylinder and a centigram scale to measure the density since I didn't have enough to use a hydrometer.)
I added enough distilled water to the distiller vessel to cover the sieves and distilled them again, this time I used 100 watts to Limit (full stop) at 215F. I got 49mL of about 65% EtOH.
About 100 mL of EtOH retrieved from 175mL of 'lost' EtOH. Considering the first 67mL was nearly pure EtOH, this would be a major save if drying out large amounts of sieves.
From G.O. Joe
"Dehydration of Alcohol by Calcium Carbonate" by Leland B. Prentice
https://thesis.library.caltech.edu/6717/1/Prentice_lb_1925.pdf
I tried adding the pound of 3A molecular sieves to 500mL of 99.0% by volume EtOH and only got to 99.2%...
Probably picked up moisture from the air while filtering, I used 'fast' filter paper this time, but it was still drip, drip, drip, and I don't have a buchner at the moment.Same amount (~66mL) of retrieved near pure EtOH from placing the pound of sieves in the distiller. I also again got back diluted EtOH by then covering the sieves in distilled water and distilling.
My conclusion to this experiment is drying out EtOH with desiccant works, but is inefficient even if you try to reclaim the lost EtOH.
95% and 100% EtOH is readily available in the US, much easier to buy it, than try to produce it from fermentation, beer, wine, or vodka.
Just few of the many no hassle suppliers:
https://organicalcohol.com
https://ecogreenindustries.net/product-category/solvents/
https://www.bestvaluevacs.com/categories/butane-propane/alcohols.html
https://summit-research.tech/chemicals/
https://www.carbon-chemistry.com/ht...6rf6z0zegtxz6vnxgarcdm80rfdhw/viewuspsharing/
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troutman
Seed Whore
Like I said before, unless you have a real lab still equipped with a drying tube it won't happen.
I have to wait until my calcium oxide that I ordered arrives before trying this.
I recently made 2 nice lab stands using bricks and 36" stainless steel rods from Home Depot.
I drilled the brick and used cement to fix the bars in.
Most lab stands are too light and flimsy when you have something heavy to hold.
I have to wait until my calcium oxide that I ordered arrives before trying this.
I recently made 2 nice lab stands using bricks and 36" stainless steel rods from Home Depot.
I drilled the brick and used cement to fix the bars in.
Most lab stands are too light and flimsy when you have something heavy to hold.
