Tincandtoke I appreciate you sharing all of this knowledge!
Can you please recommend me some quality equipment for making edibles extraction etc? As I am getting older I am wanting to smoke less and wanting edibles / ingestible methods. "The Ardent combined with alcohol extraction gives me the most potent product to date" I guess the Ardent FX is superior at decarbing because of its precise temp control? What other equipment or tools can you recommend? Also after decarbing do you do a cold solvent extraction? I have read that some people say you can pull more trichomes if you do not decarb at first. Instead you do a QWET https://www.mediblereview.com/3-minute-quick-wash-ethanol-extraction-qwet/ then decarb later . Also can you suggest a alcohol reclamation device? ExtractCraft seems to be popular. Sorry if my questions are all over the place I'm just reading a lot and want to have a proper setup for the best results and I don't mind spending to get the best tools. Even if it is small tools you wouldn't think of getting but make the work easier or more efficient.
"From what I see around the boards the edible sections are good but not much interest
It's a shame but folks are missing a great way to medicate
Its a firecracker world'
I think a lot of people are turned off by edibles because of having bad buying experiences with them and finding that most purchased edibles are extremely weak. This is my experience with 99% of edibles from the rip off legal weed shops :(
You have the most important tool, the Nova
Next would be getting high proof alcohol 190-200 proof, I use Everclear
I need to see some more lab results before having an opinion on the decarb before or after extraction
Just remember you have to decarb a solution that's more like a solvent and volatile
The MBM and Ardent do this but again mixed reviews on results
Decarb in the Ardent and give it a grind.......there are contrary opinions on whether or not to grind and when to grind, gets annoying go with what feels comfortable to you
Freeze my alcohol and ground decarbed flower for 24 hours
Combine in a jar with a lid and give a 5 minute shake
Back in the freezer for 2 hours and then remove and shake another 5 minutes
Filter with a method of your choice (I get insane here and weird people out with my filtering)
Return material to jar and cover with fresh cold alcohol and shake for 5 minutes and filter
Psychedelic Sam method with lab results, second wash increases potency
The extract craft is a good machine and made with cannabis in mind
I'm still in the market for a still
I may go with a rotovap but my point is that I make potent tincture and just evaporate the alcohol without reclaim
I lose about $5-$7 a batch but get about 3 months of tincture to make edibles
There are also good traditional stills for $125-$150
Then there are countertop models but they are not heat regulated very well so folks evaporate the alcohol off and then have to pour more in to get the oil that is baked on the inside container
My evaporation method is this
I use an electric stove top, no open flame
Stainless steel pot
A trivet
Beakers
Small fan to disperse fumes
Done by an open window
For filtering
First pic is a paper filter in a stainless steel coffee filter in a ceramic coffee dripper
I can give you the full filter in a video
Got labeled psychotic for doing it
Aaahhh! The internet