Tobacco extraction using heated Ethanol

[Str8vision]

I've repeatedly made the mistake of thinking that mixing a higher percentage of extract would provide a more robust NET flavor but it doesn't really work that way. Beyond a certain mix ratio the tobacco note in a NET just becomes more "muddied" rather than more flavorful/intense. An extract either does or doesn't have an intense/robust enough flavor to taste great when mixed. I mix most "reduced" VaPers between 3 - 7% depending on the individual batch and its level of concentration. I have one extract that is so concentrated I have difficulty mixing it properly, attached a label that reads 2% max! VaPers aren't the best tobacco for a -robust- tobacco flavor but I do enjoy their combination of mid and high flavor notes, they produce a wonderful tobacco base for my flavored NETs.

 

[Exchaner]

My experience has been the same - more extract does not necessarily mean more flavor.

 

[Exchaner]

With all this talk of Perique, it has reminded me to get this cooking! View attachment 507498
It's been sitting an a mason jar for a month or two; time to get to work!

Is that Louisiana Perique from Leaf Only? Looks great. Do you make it on its own, or mixed with other tobaccos/flavors?

 

[Str8vision]

Thanks. I have Louisiana Red on the way. I am happy about the low % I need with the American P. It means less gunking of my wick/coil.

Being able to reduce and concentrate extract is one of the benefits of using ethanol but the ability to precipitate out oils, wax and resin from it (freeze filtering), is ethanol's greatest performance enhancing advantage. So far no other safe-to-use extraction solvent allows this, I've tried. The "muck" we're able to precipitate out would otherwise have ended up in our mixed NETs clogging wicks, crusting coils and muting flavor. I'm now spoiled by being able to vape for days before re-wicking, wouldn't want to go back to doing it every single day.

 

[nostradadus]

Is that Louisiana Perique from Leaf Only? Looks great. Do you make it on its own, or mixed with other tobaccos/flavors?

This Perique I got from my local tobacconist shop a few blocks from my home. They've been around for a very long time in the same hole in the wall shop. I will be very sad one day when the property is purchased for some new fancy condo site!

This will be my first extraction with the Perique. My plan it to do a solo tobacco 50PGA/50PG heated maceration in combination with a 6 week cold shelf steep prior to 1st filtering; then a bit of winterization and final filters.

I'm not good enough quite yet to do a mix of tobaccos for the maceration. Solo tobacco macerations for now and mix them after the fact.

 

[dannyv45]

I finished my first 2 batches of extract I did nightcap and Louisiana red. The nightcap I reduced to 50% the color is dark like coffee and the odor is just like the raw tobacco out of the can.
The red I reduced 66% and the color is a dark amber and the odor is like a sweet rich Virginia tobacco just like out of the can.

I sampled the Louisiana red at 5% 80vg/20pg/10mg after a 3 hour heat steep. Its a nice golden amber and taste almost like a brightleaf virginia flue cured except lighter, It's not as sweet as I expected and a little drier. It has a nice woody nuttyness to it and very smooth. I may want to go to 6% maybe 7% on this but I'll wait a few days to see how it develops but it's a keeper nun the less. My first extract in almost 3 years is a giant success.

I'll sample the Nightcap tomorrow and report back.

I'm now working on a nice big batch of brightleaf virginia flue cured from whole leaf tobacco. Thanks Exchaner for the sample.

Thank you Str8vision for this wonderful process.

 

[Exchaner]

Yes, thank you str8vision for this thread. I've learned a lot from reading it.

 

[Str8vision]

Congratulations! Nightcap was my very first -heavy hitter- extraction, very robust but with the flavor notes I like, I was a happy camper. Reduced by 50% I would recommend mixing at it 8 - 10%, it should be quite potent even right after extraction/filtering but will continue to improve as it ages.

I nearly tossed my first extraction of L. Red (and Voodoo Queen), because they were initially somewhat anemic in flavor but I set both aside and forgot about them. A couple of months later as I was cleaning out my storage drawer I ran across them, decided to taste both before pouring them out and was shocked at the transformation. Excellent flavor, strength and depth. Since then I've come to the conclusion Virginia heavy blends need to be well aged before deciding their fate. At a 66% reduction I'd recommend mixing L. Red at 6 - 7%. Need to age for a long period but is well worth the wait.

Did you get very much "muck" when you freeze filtered the extracts? Did one produce more muck than the other? Anyways, good to have you aboard dannyv45 and thanks for sharing!

 

[Str8vision]

Yes, thank you str8vision for this thread. I've learned a lot from reading it.

I've learned a lot since starting it thanks in no small part to people like you who share their experiences and bounce ideas around. That's what makes this forum so valuable a tool, the people who participate in it.

 

[Exchaner]

I just learned Perique is cured in oak barrels - one reason it adds so much flavor to any mixture. This video explains the process.

 

[usr/]

Hey guys. Just got off my first ethanol extract per this process. Extracted, filtered, and mixed. Just used it stand alone and mixed it at 8% 50/50 pg/vg 12mg nic. This is all new to me and still have to get this process down to a solid routine, but preliminary results indicate that this is freaking awesome! I can't believe how much gunk came out of this liquid. After seeing this, aside from sugars, I can see why Net's are notorious gunkers, when processed as hot/cold PG extracts. Waxy, oily crud, and not just a little. I used Gwaith, Hoggarth Dark Birds Eye, a dark fired Virginia. It has a flavor similar to “Dirty Neutral Base”, that ashy, smokey, earthy flavor with no sweetness, the flavor being very crisp and clean. That's exactly what I'm looking for! I can tell with some age on the blend it's going to be great. Now what to do with all my hot/cold PG extracts I currently have. Lol! Thanks again @Str8vision, this is gonna be fun when I get to a point where I can start blending these.

 

[aceswired]

Thanks for the video Ex

Sent from my SM-T320 using Tapatalk

 

[dannyv45]

I've now sampled the Nightcap and My first impression mixed 5% 80vg/20pg/10mg is it seems to have a dark bold taste almost ash and herbal at the same time. I sense a bit of a liquorish note to it. A most interesting but good experience. This vape is certainly packed with flavor. I can see this as an after dinner vape. Or just sitting by the fire on a cold night type vape. This one took me completely by surprise. I though I would hate it and I really like it. It's another winner.

 

[dannyv45]

Did you get very much "muck" when you freeze filtered the extracts? Did one produce more muck than the other? Anyways, good to have you aboard dannyv45 and thanks for sharing!

I did with the night cap so I changed my process slightly on the batch of red. Instead of dumping the entire bottle of extract, tobacco and all into the filter I used a syringe and just sucked up the extract leaving the tobacco in the bottle (30ml syringe and long needle very handy for this). Then squeezed the tobacco to the side of the bottle and sucked up what ever extract squeezed out of the tobacco. Then I slowly squeezed the extract from the syringe into the filter, filling the filter not more then an inch and a half until the syringe was emptied. There seemed to be far less sediment this way. The cold freeze produced only about a half inch of sediment which filled only about half the conical "V". Compared to my first extract with the nightcap which filled the entire conical "V" with sediment this was quite a reduction in sediment.

 

[Exchaner]

Ahem; pardon the silly question, but why am I getting a strong aroma from some of these pipe tobaccos? Are they laced with flavorings? They apparently are, because none of the dry leaf tobaccos I know have that aroma. Curious if those flavorings are synthetic or natural, and why are they not at least mentioned briefly on the product's description? All they list are the various tobaccos that go into the blend -Nightcap, Louisiana Red and Firestorm -all from P&C. I like the earthy aromas, but what are they?

P.S. Should I air dry the tobaccos before extraction?

 

[aceswired]

Many pipe tobaccos are cased, or flavored. Look for non-aromatic if you don't want casings.

Sent from my SM-T320 using Tapatalk

 

[nostradadus]

Ahem; pardon the silly question, but why am I getting a strong aroma from some of these pipe tobaccos? Are they laced with flavorings? They apparently are, because none of the dry leaf tobaccos I know have that aroma. Curious if those flavorings are synthetic or natural, and why are they not at least mentioned briefly on the product's description? All they list are the various tobaccos that go into the blend -Nightcap, Louisiana Red and Firestorm -all from P&C. I like the earthy aromas, but what are they?

P.S. Should I air dry the tobaccos before extraction?

Small interesting read from Sutliff:

Sutliff Tobacco

 

[Exchaner]

Small interesting read from Sutliff:

Sutliff Tobacco

Interesting stuff, but why would I want my tobacco to be laced/encased with some kind of flavor that is a "closely guarded secret" ? The word secret is always a red flag for me - brings up a lot of questions ... I guess the alternative is to use straight tobacco and add my own flavors from Flavor Art or TFA. Of course, I don't know what goes into those flavors either, but isn't it a bit more transparent that way?

 

[Exchaner]

Many pipe tobaccos are cased, or flavored. Look for non-aromatic if you don't want casings.

Sent from my SM-T320 using Tapatalk

Do they mention non-aromatic in the product's description? I don't recall seeing it.

 

[Str8vision]

All pipe tobacco is dried, prepared and cured in a myriad of ways to change the flavor and aroma of the tobaccos used in the blend. Some are fermented for long periods to achieve a unique flavor. The aroma of a non-aromatic tobacco is the result of this curing/processing not because of chemical additives. All pipe tobacco has PG added to preserve moisture content, the same PG we mix juice with. Non-aromatic tobacco blends have no added flavorings, their "taste" and smell come from curing/processing of the tobacco. Aromatics, including flavored aromatics, use similar chemical additives to those we use in DIY juice (we call flavorings), except much of what they use is alcohol based rather than PG. The concentrated flavorings we use for DIY juice are actually just a mixture of chemicals that replicate what we perceive as a specific "flavor". To create a flavored aromatic, after drying and curing they add an alcohol based flavor to the tobacco and allow the alcohol to evaporate off. Sutliff "Black Vanilla" is a typical example whereas the "vanilla" nuance is a flavoring added to the tobacco. RBFS makes their flavored NETs using flavored aromatic tobacco and often adds extra flavorings to that tobacco before extraction.