Yeah i'm constantly loosing sleep contemplating new ideas...
Speaking of...i'm using my newly acquired ultrasonic bath to steep faster, and it works beautifully for me. I'm going to use it to try and speed up my cold extraction process. Try it on one extraction first.... Put it into the bath for say 5off 8min cycles, then put it back in the cupboard for 2 days.... then repeat the cycle again....I'll leave the mix for at least a week, so the tobacco can soften and start the breakdown process before I do the first bath.
The water does heat up in the bath, to about 100F. I guess that would make it a semi heat process. There is also the option to replace the water after every cycle to keep it a true cold extraction...?
You're thoughts...?
My apologies for going off topic from this thread, but I thought while I have your attention i'll post it here.
Does your ultrasonic bath have a heat only
(no vibration) option? Macerated tobacco can take quite some time to heat up, an 8 minute ultrasonic cleaning cycle won't allow sufficient time for the tobacco and solvent to warm.
Here's my suggestion for a hybrid
(hot/cold) PG based extraction incorporating an ultrasonic cleaner;
Place the shredded tobacco in a canning jar. Pour in enough PG to just cover it, then add about 15% extra and seal the jar.
Heat the macerated tobacco 60 to 90 minutes at a temperature no higher than 150F, then use the ultrasonic cleaning cycle. Allow it to cool and store the jar in a dark place for a few days.
Repeat the heat and ultrasonic cycle every few days.
After two or three weeks mix up an in-process sample and test it. An in-process sample can be made by drawing 10 drop of solvent from the jar of macerated tobacco and mixing it with 40 drops of pre-mixed base
(nic, VG and PG). Once mixed, vape it. A RDA
(dripper) works best for sampling. *
When determining the ratio of VG/PG in your pre-mixed base, just remember that your extract is PG based and will account for 20% of the total mixed sample.
Repeat in-process sampling every week thereafter until the flavor suits you. The longer the extraction period, the stronger the flavor will be. When you're satisfied with the flavor you can separate the tobacco and solvent
(now an extract) and filter it.