Why an extraction chiller is a useful machine

Although cannabis has always been popular, there was often a wrong reason for it. This plant offers much more than a mere pleasure to those who use it. Science proved its great medical benefits several decades ago. Since then, cannabis use has become widespread, signaling states to legalize it for medicinal purposes.

In order to get useful substances from cannabis, the raw material must go through a refining process. That occurs during the extraction process. For these processes, appropriate equipment, such as extractors and extraction chillers, are essentials.

Useful for solvent preparation

Manufacturers use various methods of extracting the active ingredients from marijuana. The most common procedures are those that use CO2 and ethanol as solvents. Without the machines that will control the conditions during the extraction process, the production of medical marijuana and CBD goods wouldn’t be possible.

The initial step of each extraction is preparing solvents, i.e., their exposure to a specific temperature. For example, CO2 must be cooled and brought to a supercritical state. On the other hand, ethanol can be used at room temperature or heated, then cooled (depending on whether the extraction is cold or warm).

At this point, chillers come into play. These machines can make significant temperature changes quickly to activate solvents. CO2 turns into a liquid state, and ethanol (as part of the hot extraction) gets in a purer form, which improves its extraction capabilities.

Precise temperature control

Temperature differences cause certain chemical reactions that make cannabis releases useful substances. That’s how you get CBD, THC, and terpenes. On the other hand, extraction removes biomass that has no benefits to human health but can be used in the industry.

The principle of every extraction is quite simple – the solvent ‘washes out’ useful substances from raw cannabis. This process requires controlled temperature and pressure. Only then, obtained matters become reactive and ready for use.

For example, during CO2 extraction, it’s necessary to keep the process at low temperatures. THC-A and CBD-A then come out of marijuana.

They are “precursors” of THC and CBD, which will be further used to make oils and other products for treating chronic pain and other uses. At low temperatures, THC-A and CBD-A are inert, so they need to be heated to start.

Heating must be done at a specific time, to a particular temperature. If not, cannabis concentrates can decay.

At the moment of heating, initial extracts release their own CO2. It has nothing to do with CO2 solvent. It just vapors, and that’s how THC-A and CBD-A become “ordinary” THC and CBD.

These compounds are the desired result. Without the chiller, it wouldn’t be possible to get quality extracts.

Faster action

Small manufacturers of CBD products had a hard time processing cannabis because they lack the extraction equipment. Cooling could last for hours. Extractors and chillers were expensive and used only for commercial purposes.

Today, there is a large selection of machines necessary for a quality and fast extraction process. Those with small-scale production can find appropriate and affordable equipment, too. On this link, check how you can get CBD at home.

The coldness will help the extracts to keep their quality, purity, and potency. Without chillers, lowering the temperatures would take too long.

And every time-consuming process means a loss of profit. With chillers, large amounts of solvents will be ready for use in just half an hour.

Scaling solvent use

Ethanol extraction has many benefits, as it is safe and cost-effective. Still, what can be seen as a drawback is ethanol storage.

There are specific regulations about the disposal of combustible substances. Ethanol might be useful, but it’s highly flammable. It’s often not allowed to keep larger amounts to reduce the risks of fatal fires and explosions.

Large-scale production of CBD goods requires large amounts of ethanol. Typically, one gallon of pure ethanol can ‘wash out’ one gallon of CBD.

Safety regulations allow only a few dozen gallons to be kept safely. So it’s clear that the costs of buying and disposing of used solvents are quite high.

That’s why it’s necessary to scale ethanol use. With the help of chillers, a used solvent can be easily returned to a liquid state and reused. That can help producers meet the market demand and optimize production costs.

Providing storage conditions

Extracts can be used to obtain various forms of CBD products. These are oils, tincture waxes, crumbles, etc.

Their production is more or less the same, with slight variations. For example, extracts obtained by hot ethanol extraction must undergo further processing to become oils. In their original form, they can be used to make wax.

Although the methods of obtaining differ, all cannabis products have one thing in common – they all last longer if cooled. That’s why CBD brands invest in quality, large-capacity cooling systems that can be used as storage for both raw materials and finished products. These machines will preserve the quality and shelf life of cannabis goods before they hit the market.

On the following page, read more about CBD shelf life and storage:

https://www.healthline.com/health/does-cbd-oil-expire

Final words on extraction chillers

The prices of the extraction machines vary. Those who can’t afford to buy a chilling machine can choose to rent one. Still, if you are planning bulk processing of cannabis goods, consider investing in quality chillers. The quality of the final product will depend on the equipment you use, so you need it to be top-notch.