Cannabis Oil Distillation FAQs

by B/R Instrument

Filtration

Q: What mesh sizes are available?

A: 20, 10, 5, 1, 0.65

Q: How cold do I need to go?

A: The colder the better. Take samples and experiment. -40 C is easy with many freezers.

Q: Do I have to filter more than once?

A: Using multiple filters in series can allow for single pass filtration

Q: How much can be filtered before I must replace a cartridge?

A: Cartridges are cleanable using an included brush system. Approximately 40 liters can be filtered before needing cleaning.

Q: How much solution can be filtered per hour?

A: Waxier oil will filter about 5 gallons an hour while cleaner oil will filter at about 10 gallons an hour.

Crystallization

Q: What yield can I expect from distilled CBD material?

A: Depending on input purity, you can expect between 60-75% yields on average.

Q: Does the material need to be winterized and filtered?

A: Yes it needs to be rid of as many fats and waxes as possible.

Q: Does the material need to be distilled?

A: It is highly recommended that the input material be distilled or be of a minimum 70% CBD.

Q: How much CBD can be produced in a shift?

A: Between 2 kg and 40 kg of CBD isolate can be produced in our reactors in a typical day.

Distillation

Q: Does the material need to be winterized?

A: Yes, winterization is highly recommended.

Q: Does the extraction method matter?

A: No. Spinning band distillation can be paired with any method of extraction. Ethanol, CO2, and butane are the most common solvents.

Q: What purity can I expect out of the spinning band system?

A: Depending on the input potency, we see an average of 90% total active cannabinoids. Typical improvement is around 20% increase in cannabinoid concentration.

Q: How long does a full distillation take?

A: Load sizes can vary, but a medium sized batch takes around 8 hours from heat up to finishing cleaning.

Q: Is one pass really enough?

A: Yes! We see much greater separation than other distillation methods allowing us to reach higher purity with less work.

Q: Can useable terpenes be distilled?

A: Yes, you can extract and purify terpenes using the spinning band system. It is a slightly different process than cannabinoid distillation however.

THC Remediation

Q: Are solvents needed?

A: The remediation process is solvent free. The only solvents needed are for cleaning between batches.

Q: Is the process automated?

A: The process is automated and software driven. The operator only needs to check the THC content in the reactor by HPLC occasionally.

Q: Can the operator choose the level of THC in the final product?

A: The process can make THC Free material or can be operated to make o.2% material or any other concentration of THC. The amount of residual THC is controlled by the operator.

Q: What consumables are needed?

A: Distilled water

Q: How does winterization affect remediation?

A: Correctly winterized material remediates more quickly than unwinterized material.

Q: Does material need to be decarbed before remediation?

A: Decarbing before remediation is not necessary. Decarbing will happened automatically as part of the remediation process.

Q: How does remediation work?

A: The software automatically controls conditions in the reactor to optimize the separation of THC from the oil into the water drum.

Q: Does water contact the oil?

A: Water never contacts the oil. Only the removed THC/CBD contact the water.

Q: Is anything else removed besides THC?

A: Some CBD is lost. Total cannabinoid loss is about 15% (including Delta9 THC)

Q: What happens to the minor cannabinoids?

A: Minor cannabinoids are retained in the oil.

Q: What are typical starting materials?

A: THC under 7% (1-3% sweet spot). Total cannabinoids in the high 60’s – low 70’s. Winterized crude or distillate will work.

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