Ethanol Hash Oil Extraction Procedure Explained

The use of alcohol for extracting cannabis is highly popular. Ethanol alcohol is considered a safe chemical solvent by the FDA. This makes it a much healthier choice than most solvents out there.You can make ethanol hash oil (EHO) through a cold process, or a warm process. This piece will discuss what ethanol hash oil is. It will also tell you why it is beneficial during cannabis extraction. Let’s begin.

What is Ethanol Hash Oil?

During cannabis extraction, alcohol is introduced to derive cannabinoids and terpenes from the plant. There are two types of alcohol that can be used for cannabis extraction. You can choose to use isopropyl. You can also choose to use ethanol.However, ethanol for cannabis extraction is widely used because it is much safer. The FDA endorses ethanol, compared to other chemical solvents like butane and propane.

How Do You Make Ethanol Hash Oil (EHO)?

During extraction with ethanol, you can choose to use warm, or cold conditions. However, using the cold condition is much preferred by extractors because it preserves and stores more cannabinoids and terpenes.During a cold extraction process, the cannabis must be decarboxylated at low heat. This should be done before the preservation of the cannabinoids and terpenes.

The cannabis flower is drenched in alcohol. After this, the plant material is removed. The alcohol is evaporated and then turned into an oil concentrate. After this process is done, an extra purification process is conducted. This is because residues like chlorophyll can alter the taste of the oil concentrate.

The end product can be an unpleasant taste and a grassy flavor. The added purification will ensure that the oil concentrate reaches the same level of purity as PHOs and BHOs. This website has more on the steps in making hash oil.

The Benefits of Ethanol Hash Oil

As earlier mentioned, ethanol is a widely used chemical solvent. It is used in a variety of applications. You can find forms of this chemical solvent in distilled spirits. And, distilled spirits have been in existence and available for consumption for hundreds of years now.

In fact, during the COVID periods, ethyl alcohol was very well used as hand sanitizers. This once again shows its versatility. The versatility of this chemical solvent is what allows its effectiveness in botanical extraction. It is highly safe and produces healthier oil concentrates from the cannabis plant.

Since ethanol is FDA-approved as a GRAS substance, it means that a panel of specialists has concluded that the chemical solvent can be used in food products.

The Safety of Ethanol in Extracting Plant Oil

Although ethyl alcohol is a safe solvent, precautions need to be taken, as it is highly flammable. Although compared to most chemical solvents available in the market like hydrocarbon, ethanol is far safer. This is because the hydrocarbon extraction process is far more explosive and toxic.

The process of ethanol hash oil extraction doesn’t need to be operated under high pressure like CO2 extraction systems. The physical properties of ethyl alcohol also allow for a safe and efficient solvent during cannabis extraction. Also, because it allows for a fertile and soluble extraction atmosphere, it offers a high solubility of top-quality oil concentrates and cannabinoids.

Also, extractors make sure to factor in solubility at a molecular level. So, they always consider chemical solvents that are both slightly polar and non-polar. What do polar and non-polar mean? Polar means having positively and negatively charged ions.

While, non-polar means having nearly zero or no charge, or is balanced. This is relevant in general during extraction. Polar substances tend to dissolve and mix with other polar substances. An example of an excellent polar compound is water. And several molecular compounds that are essential during extraction are waxes, fats, and lipids.

This all boils down to the importance of ethyl alcohol. This is because while it is polar, ethyl can act as both polar and non-polar molecules when met with certain conditions. This is why ethyl alcohol is very much important in botanical extraction. It allows for flexibility.

Ethyl Alcohol is a Versatile Solvent

Ethyl alcohol, as already noted is a versatile solvent. It is the preferred solvent used to derive cannabis oil from the cannabis flower. This is because it has a great affinity to derive the target compounds. These target compounds include CBD and THC. During the extraction, ethyl tends to attract polar and non-polar compounds as well.

Another reason ethanol is an ideal solvent for cannabis oil extraction is its ability to adjust to temperature while deriving the target compounds. Ethyl alcohol offers better flexibility compared to other derivation methods. The features of this chemical solvent make it the preferred choice to derive target compounds from a cannabis plant. This link https://www.chemicalsafetyfacts.org/ethanol/has more on why ethanol is a suitable solvent.

Bottom Line

Ethanol hash oil (EH0) is a cannabis extract made using ethyl alcohol. Ethyl is very well used to derive oil concentrates from a cannabis plant. This is because it is safe, and derives high-grade concentrates.