exploring cannabis distillate equipment: an in-depth guide
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Making pure cannabis concentrate products like cannabis distillate doesn’t just happen by magic. It takes skill, dedication, attention to detail, and some badass equipment to make it happen.
Some people would tell you that you can DIY the distillation process. Here’s the thing, though. You might be able to DIY it, but can you do it well? Probably not.
That is why cannabis distillate equipment is so important. If you want great results that you can depend on for purity and potency with this delightful concentrate, then you need the equipment that can adequately help make that happen.
In this in-depth guide, we will take a closer look at just what cannabis distillate is and the equipment that is needed to make it happen.
understanding cannabis distillate
Let’s start at the beginning, just in case there are any newbies here. Do you know what cannabis distillate is? This cannabis concentrate is a highly refined, very pure, and incredibly potent oil. How can it be all of these things in one? Well, let us tell you!
It’s like this. When distillate is created, it goes through very detailed processing. First, it’s extracted, then it’s separated and filtered, and then it is activated and distilled to complete the processes.
And that distillation step is often repeated multiple times. Why is it so precise? Well, the whole point of distilled cannabis is to hone in on a single compound and isolate that compound from every other part of the plant material.
This is what makes it so pure and potent. Rather than being a full spectrum experience, it’s an isolated experience focused on the cannabinoid that was selected for that particular concentration.
Most of the time, the isolation is focused on either CBD or THC distillates, but it can be any cannabinoid from the cannabis flower.
By the time you isolate, refine, and distill, the final concentrated oil is anywhere from 90-97% of that single, isolated cannabinoid.
There are several different categories of equipment for the distillation process. You may be able to get them as a bundle or set.
But the thing is, it takes multiple steps to create the final results. That’s why we’ve separated the equipment into categories based on what they do.
These are the categories:
Extraction equipment
Winterization equipment
Decarboxylation equipment
Distillation equipment
In each of these, there are multiple options so we’re going to just dig in!
extraction equipment
Extraction will always be the first step. If you’re going to try to do anything with DIY or homemade solutions, then extraction is the one thing you might be successful with. However, we still recommend checking out extraction equipment to keep it easy.
Now, you can choose solventless extraction, or you can go with a solvent-based extraction. For distillate, most people use a solvent process with either CO2 or ethanol as the solvent.
However, you can also use equipment that helps to remove residual solvents, which helps to purify your cannabis oil. Nobody wants those leftover chemicals in their stuff.
There are two basic parts of extraction equipment—closed-loop extraction and rotary evaporators.
Closed-loop extraction systems pull out the terpenes and cannabinoids from the cannabis plant. They use the notated solvents to do so.
This type of system has multiple pieces and they all serve a purpose. There will be extraction vessels, recovery pumps, and a collection chamber.
Here’s how it works. The closed-loop system will pull the solvent out of the mixture and return it to another vessel. This helps prevent waste while also simultaneously removing residual solvent.
During extraction, the solvent goes back to the selected vessel and the extracted crude oil goes to the collection chamber device.
This is probably the most common extraction option and the most popular because it helps minimize solvent loss while going through a safe and reliable process.
Then we have the rotary evaporator. This system is used after extraction and helps to purify the crude cannabis oil from extraction.
The rotary evaporator will apply heat and vacuum pressure to the oil, removing any further residual solvents as well as other impurities from the oil. You’re already refining the product and this is just the beginning.
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winterization equipment
The next step is winterization, which requires its equipment too. Winterization is the process of freezing your concentrated cannabis oil for a short window of time.
The freezing process can be for anywhere from four to twenty-four hours, but shouldn’t go beyond twenty-four hours. Most people prefer to go somewhere in the middle.
Chilling the cannabis oil like this will cause the undesirable parts of this mixture to coagulate, making it easier to separate them from the product. It’s one more step in refining the oil as we work toward cannabis distillate.
The first piece of equipment is something pretty much all of us have in our homes—a freezer. Hopefully, you don’t have to buy anything specific for this. Now, if you are doing a lot of processing for cannabis distillate, it might be worth investing in a freezer to meet that demand.
The low temperature of the freezer will separate fats, waxes, and impurities by coagulating them and bringing them to the top layers.
But then you have to filter the mixture to remove these unwanted things. You can’t just scrape it off the top and call it good. That would be nice, wouldn’t it? You need some sort of filtration setup for this part.
You can probably set up your filtration system, but there are plenty of pre-made systems out there, and investing in one that works well is probably your best bet. The filtration system will take the chilled mixture and formally separate the impurities. The impurities, waxes, and other elements will go into their own designated container.
The filtered, pure oil will go to its own designated collection chamber. Most filtration systems have some combination of vacuum pumps, Buchner funnels, and filter papers to make this happen.
decarboxylation equipment
Decarboxylation uses heat to activate the residual cannabinoid that you have isolated for your distillate. It’s an important part of the process and the heated surface plays a vital role in preparing the cannabinoids to be effective when someone receives the distillate for use.
Most people use a decarboxylation oven for this, but there are other systems out there too. If the remaining cannabinoid is THC or CBD, the activation is very important. This specialized oven will apply heat to the distillate. Those cannabinoids that were inactive are brought to life and activated for use.
distillation equipment
Finally, we have distillation equipment. This is where everything comes together to create cannabis distillate. Notice the steps and equipment needed before we even reach this point. It’s a very strategic approach. They don’t get something this pure without putting in the work.
There are two setups for this. The first is a short path distillation system. Most producers will start with this to get distillation going and then they convert to the fractional distillation setup to further refine and purify their product.
The short path distillation system is something you cannot skip. This crucial step is where the cannabinoid will be isolated to itself. It is separated from everything else and purified to the most pure form you can imagine. This is where those 90-99% purity rates come from.
With a distillation system, there will be multiple pieces:
The system also requires vacuum pressure, much like other parts of the process. If you purchase a system, it will supply the tools needed for the entire process typically, or tell you exactly what to do.
Operating under vacuum pressure, the system reduces the boiling points of the cannabinoid to the exact temperature needed. Then, that cannabinoid can be isolated, separated, and collected away from the other parts.
A fractional distillation setup is one step beyond to further refine the product. High-quality producers will always complete with fractional share distillation. Those isolated materials are further refined through this process. It uses fractionating columns paired with reflux internal condensers to separate even the most minute details of the volatile compound.
Finally, a homogenizer may also be used. This is often used after processing is completed. The point of a homogenizer is to help ensure the consistency of the final product is uniform throughout the cannabinoid distillate.
They break down the particles of the distillate using mechanical force. This results in emulsification, which leads to a stable, consistent, and smooth product when complete.
conclusion
Cannabis distillate equipment is a vital part of creating high-quality distillate products. Because of the detail and separation needed to hone in on the isolation of a specific chemical compound, there is no great way to complete these steps without the appropriate equipment.
If you wonder why distillate may be more expensive, let this in-depth guide serve to better understand just what it takes to create cannabis distillate. Cannabis producers can create some amazing stuff when they are willing to invest in quality equipment and hone their processes to perfect the result.
