illustrated walkthrough of doing a hexane wash (Cannabis)

[cap]

walkthrough of doing a hexane wash [full credit goes to hillbillieonpcp]

ok I need to start this by saying DO NOT DO THIS IF YOU HAVE ANY DOUBTS, OR ARE NOT THE BRIGHTEST BULB.....USING ANY CHEMICAL SOLVENT IS DANGEROUS....USE YOUR HEAD....


A little about Hexane:

Chemical breakdown: C(6)H(14)


appearnce and odor:

N-hexane is a colorless, volatile liquid with a mild, gasoline-like odor. Commercial n-hexane is a mixture of n-hexane isomers with a small amount of cyclopentane, pentane, and heptane isomers.


CHEMICAL AND PHYSICAL PROPERTIES

1. Molecular weight: 86.1

2. Boiling point (at 760 mm Hg): 68.9 degrees C (156 degrees F)

3. Specific gravity (water = 1): 0.66 at 20 degrees C (68 degrees F)

4. Vapor density: 2.97

5. Freezing point: -95 degrees C (-139 degrees F)

6. Vapor pressure at 20 degrees C (68 degrees F): 124 mm Hg

7. Solubility: Slightly solubility in water; soluble in alcohol, acetone, ether, and chloroform.


reactivity

1. Conditions contributing to instability: Heat, sparks, or flame.

2. Incompatibilities: Contact of n-hexane with strong oxidizing agents should be avoided. Mixtures with dinitrogen tetraoxide may explode at 28 degrees C (82.4 degrees F).

3. Hazardous decomposition products: None reported.

4. Special precautions: None reported.


* Flammability
The National Fire Protection Association has assigned a flammability rating of 3 (severe fire hazard) to n-hexane.

1. Flash point: -22 degrees C (-7 degrees F)

2. Autoignition temperature: 223 degrees C (437 degrees F)

3. Flammable limits in air (percent by volume): Lower, 1.1; upper, 7.5

4. Extinguishant: For small fires use dry chemical, carbon dioxide, water spray, or regular foam. Use water sprat, fog, or regular foam to fight large fires involving n-hexane.

Fires involving n-hexane should be fought upwind from the maximum distance possible. Keep unnecessary people away; isolate the hazard area and deny entry. Isolate the area for 1/2 mile in all directions if a tank, rail car, or tank truck is involved in the fire. For a massive fire in a cargo area, use unmanned hose holders or monitor nozzles; if this is impossible, withdraw from the area and let the fire burn. Emergency personnel should stay out of low areas and ventilate closed spaces before entering. Vapors may travel to a source of ignition and flash back. Vapors are an explosion and poison hazard indoors, outdoors, or in sewers. Containers of n-hexane may explode in the heat of the fire and should be moved from the fire area if it is possible to do so safely. If this is not possible, cool fire exposed containers from the sides with water until well after the fire is out. Do not get water inside the containers. Stay away from the ends of containers. Personnel should withdraw immediately if a rising sound from a venting safety device is heard or if there is discoloration of a container due to fire. Firefighters should wear a full set of protective clothing and self-contained breathing apparatus when fighting fires involving n-hexane.

[b]
While there are commerical sources of Hexane Available(Electric Contact Cleaners for instance) I recommend using Lab Grade...if you need a link just ask.







as with any extraction you get what you put in....I like to run full nugs in my first wash....barely broken up at all...this round I used Romulan x haze and Big Sur Holyweed nugs, with some pressed kief and some of the 120 micron water hash:







next step is to take the herb and put it in a mason jar...than add the hexane and shake like mad. For my first wash I only shake for about 2 min:





next unscrew the lid and add a coffee filter*, I use the brown kind since it has no chemical additives, turn bottle upside and pour into collection dish:
*at this point you can also use a french press...I prefer this method because the straining with the coffee filter takes forever





now comes the part where if something bad is going to happen it will happen now.....PLEASE, PLEASE be careful, DO NOT USE OPEN FLAMES....now we know that hexane boils at 156 degrees, and we know that water boils at 212 or so....so all you really need is some hot water....I boil water than add the collection dish:








now let sit in the hot water for a couple of hours, than move it somewhere warm(computer, heater) I never smoke any of my oils for at least 24 hours after making it....




__________________________
member of K.I.C.C.
"Medical Marijauna? Yeah I use it...see sometimes I forgot to eat...when I smoke I remember"
Steve Kimock 08/03/01
"Once in A while you get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right"


~

welp thats it, thanks for the bandwith it saves me travelin to other sites tho
special thanks to suckerfree

[cap]

thx sf how can i repay you
i am going to re-format it now anyway
ya coulda left em @ the bottom
but thx for goin the extra yard

this is a nice alternative to the iso. swim uses and just as easy. hillbillieonpcp' hexane tek.

[logicpill]

Good work on the post.

I'd advise anyone doing this to be careful with the hexane, as those organic solvents can be pretty bad about making you sterile, causing abnormal children down the road, and possibly causing cancer. Wear gloves and do this under a flow hood or make sure you have proper cross ventilation and air flow to avoid inhaling the vapors.

For those interested, the EPA toxicological page on hexane: http://www.epa.gov/ttn/atw/hlthef/hexane.html

[cap]

thx logic
billie sure does love his honey...
uses butane, iso, hexane, denatured, etc but swears by the hexane...^^

[Elf Salvation]

Yummy

[cap]

woops that last set was out of order, sorry bout that
but if yer attempting this id hope u can figure it out yerself

[electro]

You can also use 90% rubbing Alcohol. Don't shake more than 2 min. or you will start to get clorraphil and other nastys. I have used this with shake and leaf with great results

[cap]

iso sucks imho electro.
91% or better.iso isthe only thing i can condone, and even then,
there are safer liquid solvents if yer serious about this stuff.

iso's cute tho...

Originally Posted by cap

QUICK WASH ISO (QWISO TEK)
the key here is shaking as vigourously as you possibly can.
shake it like yer mad at it
AND SHAKE FOR NO LONGER THAN 2 MINUTES (120 Seconds)
this is crucial and will be the determining factor in a pure, golden honey product.even from the worst of commercial.
the 2 minutes is the biggie b/c any longer and youll pull contams (plant sugars,chloraphyll etc)
taste, potency, and to an extent cosmetics, will all be relative to the starting material, tho.
gear
(1) 200ml 91% isopropyl (rubbing) alchohol or better
(1) quart jar
(1) or 2 unbleached coffee filter
(1) 24k Gold coffee filter (the permanent kind) (best)or small (handheld) collander
(1) pyrex or corningware casserole dish w/ adequate surface area to maneuver while scraping end-product
(1) enough plant material to fill the jar 1/2 way--
(popcorn buds, shake, bud trimmings, and small crystally stems. remove as much of the seed as possible tho its not the end of the world if some are left. they are undesirable but not too big of a deal ime)
make sure the plant material is BONE dry upon using. and broken up well.
a coarse grind is fine, but a powder is undesirable. yer not using high-tek filtration here.
have all supplioes ready and work area prepped for all the steps before starting. time is an issue here.
step 1
fill jar with plant material and add iso till 3/4 way full. use as little iso as possible while still allowing full coverage of plant material. a pint or so of iso in a half-quart of grass works great. if you add too much itll take longer to evap.
step 2
shake like yer mad at it for no longer than 2 minutes
step 3
working quickly but without error remove lid and slowly pour/drip the liquid through the gold filter with paper coffee filter sitting in it, into the pyrex evap dish.
dont worry about getting every last bit, youll contam the whole thing when the clump of plant material falls into yer evap dish..be VERY careful and if you want you can use some sort of screening over the jar's opening to 'catch' any stray contams.
afom uses a coffee filter under the lid ring as a filter but unless yer good it aint gonna work for ya.
also, do not purge. yer first few times at least.
yeah, youll lose some yield, but what you do make out with will be a far superior product.
step 4
evaporate the dish on a double boiler on an electric hot plate
DO NOT use a gas stove under any circumstances.
open flame=explosive situation when working with volatile solvents (yeah, iso aint so bad-ass, but still very dangerous)
do this outdoor or in a VERY well ventilated area, like under a strong bathroom exhaust fan with the window open
or if you live in a dry climate like az, just do it outside/sheltered if its not windy, you wont need any heat.
let dry/cure for 2 days to a week with a paper towel over the top loosely as a dust cover
scrape product with a new, clean razor blade and store in balls or flakes in the fridge or freezer. it will turn to glass.
hope some1 can benefit from this out there...ill do a threadwith pics when i can.
be well

[cap]

hexane = a sexier end-product. hands down.

if we wanna talk goin nuts tho,
isomerization would be the best of the best procedure,
in which case youd want to use a real solvent to start,then go from there. rubbing alchohol wouldnt have a place in such a situation.

vvvvv hillbillieonpcp's hexane horse

[logicpill]

Those really are amazing pictures. If you look close at the 2nd set that you posted, the large one looks sort of like a little man holding a magnifying glass up and looking through it, or holding a tiny joint up to his mouth. Pretty ironic

[cap]

beautiful. i see that as clear as i could any abstract sculpture in a museum, now that you mention it.

And, im inspired to steal more pics off the net of shots like this and make me a new screensaver

i love art in all forms. and i must say you really have a great eye for these things
thanks for stoppin by logic, elf, and electro :-)
you guys should all turn yer filters off
and check out that dude in the hexane pic logic pointed out

i love oil

[SharkieJones]

Very nice.

[synth]

Beautiful pictures!!!

[mycobri]

good research cap! very colorful pics too

[cap]

thanks ya's

im makin a batch today, but trying something a little different.
i may use ethanol, and do a complete pull, then filter through activated charcoal [carbon]* and evap in a hot-water bath and blowdryer.

*activated carbon can be found in jugs in bulk at most pet stores or any hydroponics store its used for air filtration in cannabis cultivation, and water filtration in fish tanks.

the way i will be doin it is washing the material in everclear,
and lettin it sit/stir, for a longish period of time, untyil happy with the consistancy,
then i will pour the resulting sludge through a 1.5" pvc pipe filled with activated carbon.
cotton or cheesecloth shoved in the top of the tube will be my screen for catching chunks, but the metal mesh collander ill be pouring it through,
as well as the piece of window screening attached to the bottom of the tube will catch most of it

i have a question regarding the positioning of the tube,
if anyone out there has tried anything like this before...
im curious if having it perfectly vertical would be best, or a slight angle maybe?
again, very appreciative to anyone with experience in doin this!

i am told the charcoal filters the nasties and what is exhumed is a clear, pure liquid similiar to what you get when a quick-wash is done right, but with no loss of yields or having to do second runs to yield inferior product.

it will also save my arms!
as the quick-wash requires vigourous shaking in mason jars and after a few of them you are wishing you would have just made skuff

anyone ever use a HPDE vessel for the extraction? the narrow mouth of a jug would be great for this.
do you guys think using plastic would effect the taste at all?
i usually try to use pyrex when working with any solvents,
but i know rubbing alchohol is sold in the HDPE plastic bottles...so dunno..
im on the fence about this one..as cannabinoids are soluble in oils as well, which i know is a common property in plastics. id hate to draw-out some nasty plastic taste into the product...

anyways i will report back my results and try to get pics up with a friend's camera if i see him later.

take care

[~Hippie3]

dunno, some plastics are solvent-safe, i have a few.

[Dutchdude]

Very nice write up!

I recently saw this vid on you tube, getting oil by using butane gas which seemd ridiculously easy to do. Is this method you are using better or just one of the many roads that lead to Rome?

[cap]

its just another way.
they all produce honey hash oil.

[reverend trips]

I love the use of mason jars and the bands holding on the coffee filter, I've never thought of doing that, thanks!

[cap]

Source For Lab-Grade Hexane

credit goes to Danimal. thanks buddy.

Originally Posted by Danimal

Most people I know have been having trouble finding hexane to make "honey oil"

Not a problem any more, you can even have it delievered to your doorstep!! Yup you've read it right, hexane delivered right to your door, and the best part is, there is no extra charge for HazMat shipping!!!

The only thing to be wary of is Lab grade and reagent hexane both have the same ordering number so be sure to specify that you want LAB GRADE HEXANE

Ordering # : 95075-06
Item: Lab Grade Hexane
Amount: 500mL
Cost: $9.45

ordering number 1-800-828-7777

They've got all sorts of other stuff as well, you can find the rest of their products (soil test kits, incubators, etc.,) at www.sciencekit.com


Enjoy!!

[golly]

Hmmm... i see they have pet either too...nice find...

[cap]

[reverend trips]

I was reading through the FAQ, is there a way around this?

Why are some items on your website restricted?
Science Kit must ship and bill all chemicals, bacteria cultures, preserved materials and syringes with needles directly to schools. We do not sell these items to individuals (non-educators or home-schoolers), nor can we ship them to an individual "in care of" a school.

[cap]

i'll look for another source, rev...
this was an older post of his
maybe this restriction is something new.

no idea how you could get around somethin like that there

[cap]

dont forget folks, everclear makes a mean quickwash too

evaporates fast

[BennyBlanco]

Originally Posted by reverend trips

I was reading through the FAQ, is there a way around this? Why are some items on your website restricted?
Science Kit must ship and bill all chemicals, bacteria cultures, preserved materials and syringes with needles directly to schools. We do not sell these items to individuals (non-educators or home-schoolers), nor can we ship them to an individual "in care of" a school.

damb that sucks..... were else would one find hexan

[~Hippie3]

one could 'fake' being a private school
fairly easily
if one knew what one was doing
and was willing to expend effort & resources

[golly]

Some sites for instance indicate that some products require a prescription
to buy that product...But if u just proceed with the order like you dont know any better - It gets proccessed and shipped anyway...heh...In fact i just did that a few mins ago...

[cap]

kinda figured...
same with lotsa industrial supply houses online.
play stupid. they just want yer money

lol but be prepared to lose it and use a bunk name/safe addy
just in case

[cortez]

For schoolkiddos, this is often used in science classes (it's apolair)

[TVCasualty]

To be a school: Make yourself a REAL one. I was burning a spliff on the porch at a friends' house across the street from an elementary school and I asked him if he was worried about smoking so close to a school (in the Zone, so to speak). He said "This porch IS a school, man!" (old school hippie, says 'man' a lot). Turns out he tutors local high school kids (3-5 at a time) in both advanced and remedial subjects (different classes). His house is technically a private school. This takes some doing to work as a safe addy, but all a big group of people need is ONE registered 'school' and there's your letterhead to order hexane with.

Isomerization: This was mentioned briefly above. I have had decent oil before, and I re-dissolved it in alcohol and dropped the pH to 1.5-2.0 and simmered for 3 hours, then neutralized w/baking soda, filtered out the soda, evaped the alcohol, and oil that went "boom!" now goes "BOOOOM!!!"

[Fresh Brewed]

Originally Posted by Cap

Source For Lab-Grade Hexane

credit goes to Danimal. thanks buddy.

They've got prepared agar plates as well...cool site...bookmarked.

Crap...just finished reading the rest of the thread...oh well

[troutlips]

Is hexane the same as camp fuel gas used in those lanterns and coleman stoves that you have to pump up the pressure to use?
I think I just found a jug in the basement. aka naptha fuel...

[cap]

i dont think you would want to use anything but the purest grade hexane available, trout.
if you guys really want to try makin honey oil with this solvent,
and only have access to industrial grade, distillation is a possibility.
do a search

[mycot]

While pure grade hexane may be the best, naptha seems closer to hexane in properties than iso, denatured or butane and may deliver correspondingly more hexane-like results than these later solvents.