Isopropyl Alcohol for tobacco extraction?? - e-cigarette-forum.com • The place for electronic cigarette reviews, news and chat

Threshold · 08-02-2008, 07:25 AM

I was wondering if one could use food grade (IP grade) Isopropyl Alcohol for tobacco flavor extraction?. The water extraction method is not so great as it clogs the eciggy.

Using IPA one does not need to boil the tobacco. Just soak tobacco in IPA for like 24 - 48 hrs and then filter.

Anyone tried this?

Mihai · 08-02-2008, 12:23 PM

I heard about it but I'm not sure how well it works. With water at least I know that it's enough to filter it well. With this one I'm not sure if traces of it won't remain. If you found a good link explaining this method please sent it to me.

TropicalBob · 08-02-2008, 02:07 PM

Water works well, and if you filter the particulates from the resulting fluid you won't clog your atomizer. I used isopropyl alcohol to CLEAN my atomizer twice -- and it stunk so bad for so long that I'll never do anything but a water wash again.

I have tried alcohol extraction with heat -- poof, no alcohol left in a short time. And I'm not sure alcohol used in cold extraction would be better than water. I'm waiting now for someone to try extraction in an ultrasonic cleaner, which should shatter the nicotine inside the tobacco. We have other threads on this topic.

syntaxevasion · 08-02-2008, 06:52 PM

From what I know about isopropyl alcohol, you'd be better off with something else. The isopropyl part is digested to acetone and this will make you feel slightly ill. Wouldn't want to inhale anything like that...

For plain extractions, ETHANOL may serve better- everclear and so forth. Stay clear of methanol...

Water sounds like a safe bet, it's the universal solvent and has yet to be proven toxic

Threshold · 08-03-2008, 03:02 AM

There is no specific paper that I am quoting, but the standard alcohol extraction process.

You guys are right, even after distilling off IPA on a low vac distillation system, there still would be traces of IPA which can kill the tobacco flavor.

this technique might not actually work at all.

08-02-2008, 07:25 AM	#1
Threshold Full Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 39	Isopropyl Alcohol for tobacco extraction?? I was wondering if one could use food grade (IP grade) Isopropyl Alcohol for tobacco flavor extraction?. The water extraction method is not so great as it clogs the eciggy. Using IPA one does not need to boil the tobacco. Just soak tobacco in IPA for like 24 - 48 hrs and then filter. Anyone tried this?

08-02-2008, 06:52 PM	#4
syntaxevasion USA Supplier Join Date: May 2008 Location: St. Pete, Florida Posts: 110	From what I know about isopropyl alcohol, you'd be better off with something else. The isopropyl part is digested to acetone and this will make you feel slightly ill. Wouldn't want to inhale anything like that... For plain extractions, ETHANOL may serve better- everclear and so forth. Stay clear of methanol... Water sounds like a safe bet, it's the universal solvent and has yet to be proven toxic __________________ Vapor Nine: The Smoke Alternative http://www.vapornine.com E-smoking since 1995

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08-02-2008, 12:23 PM	#2
Mihai Full Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Romania Posts: 72	I heard about it but I'm not sure how well it works. With water at least I know that it's enough to filter it well. With this one I'm not sure if traces of it won't remain. If you found a good link explaining this method please sent it to me.

08-02-2008, 02:07 PM	#3
TropicalBob Super Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Port Charlotte, FL USA Posts: 2,879	Water works well, and if you filter the particulates from the resulting fluid you won't clog your atomizer. I used isopropyl alcohol to CLEAN my atomizer twice -- and it stunk so bad for so long that I'll never do anything but a water wash again. I have tried alcohol extraction with heat -- poof, no alcohol left in a short time. And I'm not sure alcohol used in cold extraction would be better than water. I'm waiting now for someone to try extraction in an ultrasonic cleaner, which should shatter the nicotine inside the tobacco. We have other threads on this topic.

08-03-2008, 03:02 AM	#5
Threshold Full Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 39	There is no specific paper that I am quoting, but the standard alcohol extraction process. You guys are right, even after distilling off IPA on a low vac distillation system, there still would be traces of IPA which can kill the tobacco flavor. this technique might not actually work at all.