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ok I did my batch on sunday. I used oxyclean and really washed the hell out of the hemp fiber. I found a poland spring bottle that I cut the top off of to make a soaking bucket and this bottle had a lower part that protrudes up as a big lump in the bottom. I used this lump as a washboard and I really scrubbed it, rinsed many times with dry squeezes inbeteen then rewashed in oxy and re rinsed several times until I was getting only clean clear water in my rinses, then I boiled rinsed and boiled again, did the whole job in one evening including drying it but what I did was squeeze and compress it to the size of a golfball many times throughout this process and this in turn kinda killed the fluffyness, I then winded up having to comb through it a lot as I dried it to kind of fluff it a bit and remove all the knots and lumps I created with my wash and ring method
what I winded up with is extremely clean hemp fiber. I compare it to the first batch of just boiled and the just boiled looks dingy dirty and grey compared to the new batch... zero flavor from the new batch. the new batch looks like a nice bright new wool sweater where the first batch looks like an older dingy sock.. the dirtier grey batch almost makes it appear to be more "white" than the really clean stuff which looks a bit yellower, but the yellower looking stuff is actually much cleaner
I used this as a washboard bucket
and here is the result. the bigger batch you can see looks much brighter and cleaner.
now I am tempted to try one more time but this time instead of the last wringing out and compressing after the last boil I'll try just removing it with a strainer and letting it air dry to try to keep it fluffy... all the compressing and scrubbing in the intial steps I don't think affects it to much, I think once it hits the boiling water it will fluff out again. what I have now is not bad at all, very clean, but I do need to fluff each piece a bit before wicking, still much better than just the boiling though, its so bright and clean and completely taste free
what I winded up with is extremely clean hemp fiber. I compare it to the first batch of just boiled and the just boiled looks dingy dirty and grey compared to the new batch... zero flavor from the new batch. the new batch looks like a nice bright new wool sweater where the first batch looks like an older dingy sock.. the dirtier grey batch almost makes it appear to be more "white" than the really clean stuff which looks a bit yellower, but the yellower looking stuff is actually much cleaner
I used this as a washboard bucket
and here is the result. the bigger batch you can see looks much brighter and cleaner.
now I am tempted to try one more time but this time instead of the last wringing out and compressing after the last boil I'll try just removing it with a strainer and letting it air dry to try to keep it fluffy... all the compressing and scrubbing in the intial steps I don't think affects it to much, I think once it hits the boiling water it will fluff out again. what I have now is not bad at all, very clean, but I do need to fluff each piece a bit before wicking, still much better than just the boiling though, its so bright and clean and completely taste free
what do you comb it out with?
mine came out of the final boil and drain in a flat disc like a pancake or tortilla . i have trouble pulling it apart without ripping.
i flattened in between linen towels to press the water out this is from about half of my stash
should i boil it again and this time let it ball up instead of flatten? or just try and "comb" out
mine came out of the final boil and drain in a flat disc like a pancake or tortilla . i have trouble pulling it apart without ripping.
i flattened in between linen towels to press the water out this is from about half of my stash
should i boil it again and this time let it ball up instead of flatten? or just try and "comb" out
what do you comb it out with?
mine came out of the final boil and drain in a flat disc… like a pancake or tortilla…. i have trouble pulling it apart without ripping.
i flattened in between linen towels to press the water out… this is from about half of my stash
should i boil it again and this time let it ball up instead of flatten? or just try and "comb" out…
I would! Boil it, then rinse with cold water, then gently scoop the fuzz ball out and set it in a strainer, trying not to squish it at all. I dont squeeze any water out at all, I leave it a dripping wet fluffy mass, and when left overnight it dries to a fluffy mass. Pretty much, the shape you set it down in, is the shape it will dry to.
roger that!
err it must be pretty dry in VA at night….heheh i'll give it an air dry shot.
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Fortunately she spit most of it back out, or I would be worried about it swelling up inside of her and clogging things up!
It's missing?...hmmm...Hopefully the dog didn't eat it again
Could the swallowed hemp be cleaned again??
(Or is that too gross???!
)
It's missing?...hmmm...Hopefully the dog didn't eat it again
Could the swallowed hemp be cleaned again??
(Or is that too gross???!
Ummm, I passed......... I got plenty.....
Funny, very funny.......you sure you didn't mistake it for dog food and put it in her bowl?
So who said fluffed hemp fiber wicks better than mashed fiber????????
Certainly not I, but I do feel it is easier to work with, at least for me and apparently others as well.
ha, I used a pick like this to comb it out
with toaster oven drying wrapped in tin foil first and then microwave sessions steaming it, pick and comb through then nuke again, pick some more... bit of a pita but it's really not so bad now, it kind of turned into a stringy thing and each stringy thing is almost a great wick only needs to be fluffed and thinned to desired thickness... at first it was a lumpy knotted up mess so I was happy even to get it to this but as is it's not bad. I may take a nice size clump of this and soak it in water and then let it airdry, see if it fluffs out.
I wonder what would happen if some was soaked in alcohol and let dry??? hmm, maybe flavor can be added to the wick with flavored alcohol once it's neutralized and clean...
with toaster oven drying wrapped in tin foil first and then microwave sessions steaming it, pick and comb through then nuke again, pick some more... bit of a pita but it's really not so bad now, it kind of turned into a stringy thing and each stringy thing is almost a great wick only needs to be fluffed and thinned to desired thickness... at first it was a lumpy knotted up mess so I was happy even to get it to this but as is it's not bad. I may take a nice size clump of this and soak it in water and then let it airdry, see if it fluffs out.
I wonder what would happen if some was soaked in alcohol and let dry??? hmm, maybe flavor can be added to the wick with flavored alcohol once it's neutralized and clean...
So who said fluffed hemp fiber wicks better than mashed fiber????????
yeah, I'm using compressed fiber stuffed into the wells of my kayfun to feed my wick, I actually roll up a tight ball of it and stick it in and then compress it into the well, it does work very well compressed too, but I'm thinking in the coil itself though to not be as compressed so the center can feed easier and not choke it and not burn the wick as easily
Well I kind of look for the clumps, a long clump to wrap around the vertical coil and small clumps to push around the side. I end up mashing it in there anyway. And whats wrong with ripping? Usually after the first tank I have to go in there and mash it some more. It all becomes one with the mashing.
And whats wrong with ripping? Usually after the first tank I have to go in there and mash it some more. It all becomes one with the mashing.
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