Tobacco extraction using heated Ethanol

[Str8vision]

While aging does improve flavor, many tobacco blends simply don't yield an intense, robust flavor after extraction. For my taste, of the 250+ tobacco blends I've extracted only around a dozen produced -great- flavor, that's why I continue to try so many different tobaccos.

Hot PG is an excellent extraction method (as is cold PG), and there are two very detailed threads which discuss it in detail. It was my primary method of extraction before converting to hot ethanol earlier this year. My main complaint with using PG as an extraction solvent is that it produces a low performance NET, it's gunky. You can't freeze filter PG based extracts so you must live with re-wicking/dry-burning after every 5ml or so.

 

[Str8vision]

Thanks Str8. Most of my DIY is high VG, so that little bit of ethanol should help mix things up easier, i.e. shaking for a few mins instead of half an hour


-Kingboomer

I too enjoy high VG NETs and the 5% ethanol helps thin them.

 

[jonnydoe]

My main complaint with using PG as an extraction solvent is that it produces a low performance NET

How strong is the taste of a pg extraction referring to the ethanol extraction ?

 

[jonnydoe]

Only 12 from over 250 tobaccos ? How can it be ? Is there any common ground of the tastefuller tobaccos ?

Do you have a list of these 12 tobaccos ?

 

[Str8vision]

How strong is the taste of a pg extraction referring to the ethanol extraction ?

Hot PG based extractions are just as strong as those processed with hot ethanol but lack the higher flavor notes that I like. The overall tobacco flavor is slightly less defined but still quite excellent.

 

[Str8vision]

Only 12 from over 250 tobaccos ? How can it be ? Is there any common ground of the tastefuller tobaccos ?

Do you have a list of these 12 tobaccos ?

That's why I started the " Best tobacco for flavor extraction " thread, it contains most of the tobacco blends that suited "my" taste and also provides a thread for everyone to share their favorites. Most tobacco blends produce a mediocre flavor and some yield almost no flavor at all, it's difficult to know which ones will extract well because there doesn't seem to be a common trait linking the better blends to one another. As I've stated in the past when it comes to the flavor we are able to extract I believe the curing process is as important as the types of tobaccos used and the manufacturers are unfortunately tight lipped about specific details. Steam, heat and pressure in just the right combination can yield a tobacco that's well suited for flavor extraction but the specific combination required remains a mystery to me.

Dunhill "Nightcap", Cornell & Diehl "Billy Bud", The Smoker "St. James" and Cornell & Diehl "Mississippi Mud" all produce a robust extract that can be vaped immediately.

 

[seebo]

my cheap "$8 bought on sale 2 years ago hamilton beach crockpot that i rarely use" seems to be working great at maintaining temp of about 157F at "warm" setting. was going to set it on "low" to see what how much higher the temp goes, but perhaps warm is good enough.

i was able to see into the future that this crockpot would eventually see some good use which is probably why i ended up buying two of them lol..

 

[Exchaner]

my cheap "$8 bought on sale 2 years ago hamilton beach crockpot that i rarely use" seems to be working great at maintaining temp of about 157F at "warm" setting.

I have the same model but paid twice as much. Still a good compact and highly efficient crockpot. Mine though does not keep the temp constant at all times. A lot depends on the outside temp. It was designed for outside temp of 65 degrees fahrenheit. On warmer days though, it tends to take the temp above the starting point.

 

[seebo]

here are two of the tobaccos i posted in the other tobacco thread. Best tobacco for flavor extraction

heated at 157-159F for 11 hours and 2 hours in the jar cooling down to room temperature.
surprised both tobaccos came out the same color, would of thought the Sweet brightleaf Virginia (right) would of been much lighter than the darker American Virginia (left) based on tobacco leaf color, but they both came out about the same color. the tobacco went in kind of moist and after extract it came out like crunchy corn flakes. the PGA must of pulled every bit out of the tobacco as any additional squeezing during first filtering yielded very little additional liquid. i started in with 190ml in each 1/2 pint size jar and i would guess i still have 90% of it left before reducing.

 

[Kingboomer]

here are two of the tobaccos i posted in the other tobacco thread. Best tobacco for flavor extraction

heated at 157-159F for 11 hours and 2 hours in the jar cooling down to room temperature.
surprised both tobaccos came out the same color, would of thought the Sweet brightleaf Virginia (right) would of been much lighter than the darker American Virginia (left) based on tobacco leaf color, but they both came out about the same color. the tobacco went in kind of moist and after extract it came out like crunchy corn flakes. the PGA must of pulled every bit out of the tobacco as any additional squeezing during first filtering yielded very little additional liquid. i started in with 190ml in each 1/2 pint size jar and i would guess i still have 90% of it left before reducing.

View attachment 515594

Might be the lighting, but the one on the left does look a bit darker.

 

[Exchaner]

Those two flavors are yum - two of my favorites behind Spirit Perique and Sherman Dark. The one on the left though seems a bit darker - but like Kingboomer said, it might be the lighting. Dry leaves may not be everyone's favorite, but I personally prefer their cigarette taste to any flavored tobacco. I guess I am not a pipe or cigar smoker.

Wish I could match your 90% result, but I am consistenly losing nearly 40%. I must be doing something wrong - like using the wrong jars with leaking caps.

 

[dannyv45]

Those two flavors are yum - two of my favorites behind Spirit Perique and Sherman Dark. The one on the left though seems a bit darker - but like Kingboomer said, it might be the lighting. Dry leaves may not be everyone's favorite, but I personally prefer their cigarette taste to any flavored tobacco. I guess I am not a pipe or cigar smoker.

Wish I could match your 90% result, but I am consistenly losing nearly 40%. I must be doing something wrong - like using the wrong jars with leaking caps.

I use 3oz and 8oz canning jars with tight lids and get about a 90% yeld as well. I put the lids on tight because the jars are thick and won't shatter.

 

[dannyv45]

here are two of the tobaccos i posted in the other tobacco thread. Best tobacco for flavor extraction

heated at 157-159F for 11 hours and 2 hours in the jar cooling down to room temperature.
surprised both tobaccos came out the same color, would of thought the Sweet brightleaf Virginia (right) would of been much lighter than the darker American Virginia (left) based on tobacco leaf color, but they both came out about the same color. the tobacco went in kind of moist and after extract it came out like crunchy corn flakes. the PGA must of pulled every bit out of the tobacco as any additional squeezing during first filtering yielded very little additional liquid. i started in with 190ml in each 1/2 pint size jar and i would guess i still have 90% of it left before reducing.

View attachment 515594

The one on the left looks darker but not by much and as mentioned above it could be the lighting. I did the same extractions with both tobaccos (Sweetleaf and american) And on my first extraction the brightleaf did come out much lighter cooking it at 160 - 165 for 12 hours. The second brightleaf I did I cooked it at 140F - 145F for 24 hours and it came out as dark as yours. The first anerican I did I cooked it at 160 - 165F for 12 hours and it came out as dark as yours and the second american batch I did 24 hours at 140 - 145F and it still came out as dark as the first batch. With both batches the tobacco went in moist and came out brittle and produced very little drainage when pressed.
After an 80% reduction I sampled both and they were very flavorful but a bit weak at 7%. I found no difference in taste when doing a side by side comparison between the first and second batches.

I'm sure they will develope nicely in about 4 weeks.

 

[Exchaner]

Should I be concerned about using jars with rubber rings such as these? I have been replacing the rings with several layers of aluminum foil. Concerned about transferring rubber taste. That could be the cause of my excessive waste.

 

[dannyv45]

I would think that the aluminum foil is whats causing the leaks. I would just use the jars as is. Those types of jars are not the greatest because I don't think they can withstand the pressure created from the heating process. You might want to get these.

Amazon.com: Nakpunar 12 pcs, 3.75 oz Mini Square Glass Jars for Jam, Honey, Wedding Favors, Shower Favors, Baby Foods, DIY Magnetic Spice Jars: Kitchen & Dining

or these

Amazon.com: Nakpunar 6 Pcs, 8 Oz Glass Jars for Jam, Honey, Wedding Favors, Shower Favors: Kitchen & Dining

 

[Exchaner]

Do those jars have any plastic lining inside the cap? I vaguely recall having seen jars with two piece metal caps with no plastic inside. One piece is a round disk sitting inside the outer piece.

 

[jonnydoe]

I have this ones:

Amazon.com: Ball Canning Regular Mouth Half Pint Canning Jar 8 oz. 12-Count: Beverages: Kitchen & Dining

I like them very much and they are looking pretty good or not ?

 

[Exchaner]

That is just the type of lid I was referring to in my earlier post. Are they available in smaller sizes, and does the inner piece have a plastic coating? I am looking for one with 3 oz capacity. No luck so far.

 

[jonnydoe]

http://www.growingagreenerworld.com/bpa-in-canning-lids-seriously/

you can find 4 oz on amzon, 3 oz could be difficult.

 

[seebo]

The one on the left looks darker but not by much and as mentioned above it could be the lighting. I did the same extractions with both tobaccos (Sweetleaf and american) And on my first extraction the brightleaf did come out much lighter cooking it at 160 - 165 for 12 hours. The second brightleaf I did I cooked it at 140F - 145F for 24 hours and it came out as dark as yours. The first anerican I did I cooked it at 160 - 165F for 12 hours and it came out as dark as yours and the second american batch I did 24 hours at 140 - 145F and it still came out as dark as the first batch. With both batches the tobacco went in moist and came out brittle and produced very little drainage when pressed.
After an 80% reduction I sampled both and they were very flavorful but a bit weak at 7%. I found no difference in taste when doing a side by side comparison between the first and second batches.

I'm sure they will develope nicely in about 4 weeks.

yeah i just double checked under no background lighting and the american is definitely a bit darker than the sweet brightleaf. i am going to start reducing today.. since you went with 80% and found it a bit weak, i'm going to try going for 85%~ reduction as i don't want to use more than 7% in the final eliquid for fear that it will change the viscosity of the eqluid too much (i typically vape 50/50 pg/vg or 70/30 pg/vg).