Extraction Methods
Ethanol Extraction
Closed-Loop HydrocarbonTHCa Diamond CrystallizationMoisture in the System & CrystallizationTerpene SeparationDistillationWinterization & DewaxingCO₂ ExtractionEthanol ExtractionSolventlessPost-Processing
General industry overview
This page is a general industry overview. My primary extraction method is closed-loop hydrocarbon.
Ethanol is a polar solvent that dissolves cannabinoids efficiently, making it a common choice for high-throughput extraction of dried biomass, mainly for distillate and isolate pipelines.
Characteristics
- Cold ethanol: washing at very low temperatures reduces how much chlorophyll and wax is pulled out, which simplifies downstream refining.
- Recovery: large-scale operations remove ethanol with rotary evaporators or falling-film evaporators and recycle it.
- Downstream: the crude is typically filtered, decarboxylated and distilled.
- Trade-offs: ethanol scales well, but because it is polar it also extracts water-soluble compounds and tends to lose more terpenes than hydrocarbon methods.
No photo: none of my own media shows this method, so this overview is text-only.
Ready when you areGet a closed loop expert in your lab
Setup, repairs, upgrades, diamond programs or a GMP mock audit. I travel and live on site at licensed facilities.