First N.E.T

[Str8vision]

In addition to being embarrassingly inexpensive, easy, fun to do, satisfying and delicious, another benefit of home extraction is that you can have it any way you like it. Any ratio of VG or PG, any nic strength, any tobacco flavor, any level of sweetness, any level of tobacco intensity, in fact the ONLY limit is your imagination.

 

[Devilstompa]

I just tried one of my everclear alcohol cigar extractions that I let concentrate for a while just mixed it into VG it's very very good. I get the full flavor of the cigar even the dark notes. "I will be using everclear and then concentrating down".

 

[Bunnykiller]

works nicely... add in a freeze session and filter it again and even more gunk can be removed...

 

[Devilstompa]

If you frozen the tobacco and everclear would that make for a cleaner extraction? What exactly does the freezing do?

 

[Bunnykiller]

well not exactly freeze it solid... get it down to 30ish F or so degrees to help congeal the oils and waxes when going for the final filtering...

I did get my extract down to 18F and there was a bit of "ice crystals" that had formed but they melted before the extract finished filtering... Im supposing it was the last bit of water in the Everclear did freeze solid...

 

[Bagazo]

If you frozen the tobacco and everclear would that make for a cleaner extraction? What exactly does the freezing do?

Everclear won't freeze. Not in a household freezer.

I think that the ice crystals that bunnykiller may have seen were from the humidity in the freezer. The stuff that forms a layer of frost on things in there.

What the cold temps do is reduce the solvents capacity to hold things in suspension so that they fall out (seperate). Some will float, so you can move the funnel, or whatever you are using, off of your collection container before they get through. Others clump together and are unable to flow through the filter.

 

[Devilstompa]

What I do is Evaporate the everclear and then everything settles to the bottom of the jar and then I filter it a 2nd time. Is this ok to do ?

 

[Bagazo]

What I do is Evaporate the everclear and then everything settles to the bottom of the jar and then I filter it a 2nd time. Is this ok to do ?

Sure, what falls out is what the water, or the low ethanol water/ethanol mix, can't hold in suspension.

But, putting the extract in the freezer before evaporating the everclear will cause different things to fall out. One thing of interest is sugar.

 

[Devilstompa]

Sure, what falls out is what the water, or the low ethanol water/ethanol mix, can't hold in suspension.

But, putting the extract in the freezer before evaporating the everclear will cause different things to fall out. One thing of interest is sugar.

How much of a difference is it when you do that ? Does it make it alot cleaner ?

 

[Bagazo]

How much of a difference is it when you do that ? Does it make it alot cleaner ?

I really don't know. I only used alcohol once.

Also, I use air dried tobacco with nothing added. I don't know if you have ever heard of casings and top dressings. Just about every tobacco product has large amounts of sugar, in different forms, added that will end up in the extract.

It's just theory but, freezing those types of ethanol extracts might really make a difference in gunk build-up.

 

[Bunnykiller]

here is the difference in a VG and PGA extraction samples
the ones on the left are VG, on the right PGA
I did 3 types of tobacco, samples are layed out left to right VG/PGA top to bottom samples 1,2,3...

 

[Devilstompa]

How long do you usually let the tobacco soak for ?

 

[Devilstompa]

Can You Use a coffee mug warmer for heated extraction ?

 

[Bunnykiller]

I found that 140F is the optimal temp for tobacco extractions for best flavor. Above 160, things get bitter, "grassy" chlorophylish... but than again Im using PGA as my solvent... VG has a tendancy to produce "gunky" juice...
I do prefer the freezer session to assist in wax/oil separation before the final filtering.... its a fine line between flavor and gunk.
Seems to vary with each tobacco blend too, light non cased tobaccos dont need alot of attention as to where heavily cased/flavored needs more time to extract and filter.... I have found that PGA doesnt produce alot of sugars in the final extract, but VG will allow excessive sugars to be present. As the picture I posted shows, PGA does make for a cleaner, less "gunky" extract. Altho there seems to be a bit of a loss of the deeper tones of flavor in a PGA extract as compared to the VG based extracts, I suppose one has to make the decision as to what one desires... lighter flavors, or gunky coils and "thicker/deeper" flavors.
I just need time to figure out the balance between the 2 extraction methods and how they coincide with each tobacco variety to come up with a good answer..... this is definately an art... its a matter of taste preferance.....

 

[Bunnykiller]

How long do you usually let the tobacco soak for ?

since I do PGA... 24-36 hrs

 

[Bunnykiller]

Can You Use a coffee mug warmer for heated extraction ?

I would say yes.... try to avoid temps above 160F

 

[Devilstompa]

I am trying a heat extraction today with a crockpot hot water bath. a Everclear one & a PG/VG One. Going to see how it turns out.

 

[Devilstompa]

I did the heat extraction came out very good only did 5 hours around 140 to 150 degrees it has 2x the flavor compared to the cold soak method. I will continue to do hot water bath heat extractions learning as I go.

 

[Bunnykiller]

seee... it works

 

[Devilstompa]

I am still fighting the coil build up but I feel like its worth it to get the flavor from tobacco.