Thanks Jim. I was debating how to transfer it, during the next filtering stage, just for that reason. Thanks for confirming. I think I’ll us a 10 ml syringe and just take my time, and work my way to the bottom. Sacrificing a few mil for the greater good is worth it.
Maybe you, or someone else who reads this, can shed some light on something else. It’s about using the nicotine test kits out there. I know the test process is based on the color change of the test kit solution. When one is testing something as dark as my NETs (pic attached), how in the world would a color change be noticed?
I thought about reducing the test sample to something ‘lighter’, like 10% NET & 90% PG (or some similar ratio) in order to see the color change. Then multiply by 10 to get the result for the NET itself???
I’ve tried searching other NET threads, but opinions about the nic strengths in NETs are all over the map. There are as many opinions as there are solvent & extraction methods.
Here is the color of the last batch. The recent ones in the freezer don’t seem to be much lighter at this point.
In my opinion, any NET you produce using a heated method is going to turn out dark, as you have pictured. The cold (freezer) ethanol method produces a much lighter and less coil gunking NET; that and filtering the crap out of the NET!
Nic volume in NET:
I really haven’t been too concerned with this factor. From what I’ve read, getting proper Nic levels with a NET takes a special type of voodoo titration kit. There’s a thread on ECF that deals with this and it’s been such a long time since I’ve read it I can’t remember the end results with the testing procedure. All I know is, if I don’t get a sickening nicotine high after 3 X 10 to 15 pulls in succession, the Nic levels have to be below, say 10mg/ml. This is evidence I’ve discovered over time when doing taste testing of my own non-NET mixes which have a level of 10mg Nic; nicotine which was physically added to the mix by me.
I had 15 grams of Irish Cram, Creme Brulee, and Coco Cream. Also had some Rum Maple & Cavendish, that when combined, was 15 grams. Combined 15 grams of RYO natural tobacco to each of the four pipe blends, and put that in Ball jars, and covered them with Everclear. I brought the blender out again, for this batch.
Ended up with 250 ml of unfiltered NET, in each of the Ball jars.
Curious to see what the 50/50 pipe/RYO combination will taste like. I’ll do the coffee filtering tomorrow.
I usually put something like a plastic fork, under the edge of the crock pot lid, to control the temperature, and keep it at 150 or so. I forgot the fork.
When I checked it this morning, the water was doing a low boil, and the Everclear had all evaporated from the Ball jars. That made them float off the bottom of the crock pot and lean to one side. When I lifted the lid, one fell over and took on a bunch of water. Two others just have damp tobacco in them, and one has just a bit of Everclear left in it.
In the name of experimentation, I decided to re-cover the tobacco with PG, in the three jars that didn’t take on water, and put it back in the crock pot (with fork under the lid). What the hell, I’m in this deep. Whats a little PG and a few coffee filters?
The Everclear must have extracted something that was just absorbed back into the tobacco. When I added the PG and gave it a little stir, the PG went pretty dark, almost instantly.
If nothing else, it will be information gathered, and a lesson learned. Maybe that was the missing step to perfection!
As the saying goes, when dealt lemons, make lemonade. Lets see what happens.
That’s what it’s all about! Life is pretty much…live and learn! I remember that when my Mom said “you don’t ever want to put your hand on a stove eye honey!”
Finished my 1.5 micron vacuum filtering, on my latest experiment. I ended up with about 225 ml of very dark NET.
I sampled it in a dripper, but the NET itself was just too potent, and the dripper, as usual, was too strong as well. I just don’t get along well with drippers. I haven’t met one yet, that wasn’t too strong for me.
I decided to try the NET like a flavoring. I made a little 3 ml mix, with my normal base. 60V / 40P, .4 nic. I added 2.5 % Hangsen No 5, and 2.5% NET. I chose No 5 because it’s not a potent flavor. Good but not overpowering.
It’s a pretty darn good vape. I dry burned the coil, and put in fresh cotton, so I’ll be able to see how gunky the coil is, when I’m finished.
Over all I’m optimistic, considering how this batch started off on the wrong foot. Considering it’s only a week old, it should get even better. I’m actually kind of excited, that I produced something that’s almost strong enough to hold it’s own with an actual flavoring, when used in equal amounts. The flavor of the NET is right there, with the Hangsen, in the mix. You can definitely tell it’s there.
That brings my total NET stash up to about 800 ml or so.
This fail turned into a win, in my book. I’m looking forward to seeing how it turns out in a couple of months.
Doing a bit of an experiment with another extraction. Deciding to go hybrid with a PGA hot/cold maceration this go round.
.5g of a locally mixed pipe blend tobacco (Virginia, Latakia & Perique) topped with 100ml of PGA heated to 150 degrees; stirred slightly to moisten tobacco and off to the cool steep closet for a month. 9/2/16…see ya then!
Tossing this over here since it reminded me of the above PGA extraction which I needed to comment upon after the filter process:
I did two versions of the local Latakia, Virginia and Perique Blend; one PGA and one PG. The PGA version (even though it’s more of a pain in the butt to filter) came out much cleaner, crisp and vibrant. This outcome won’t keep me from doing it the lazy man’s way (Quick PG method), but perhaps for those higher price tobaccos which deserve time and care, I’ll spring for the PGA hybrid hot start/cold steep method.
tobacco leaves arrived and waiting for beeing extracted. BUT alcohol with 96,9% is expensive, because there is a high tax on. Can i use 2-Propanol for the extraction? If not, i have to swallow this toad. I think the result with alcohol is better than with PG. More you get out from the leaves.
Just want to start this journey into NET and like to choose the best solution.
150 ml of 151 EA solvent was used during the maceration process, then filtered and reduced down to 30ml worth of usable extract. This turned out to be one of the best EA extraction’s I’ve done so far; very pleased.
Just learned that I do not have access to 190 proof Pure Grain Alcohol (EverClear) in my state, so bought the 151 proof. (Man, this stuff is not cheap)
Question: Is there something that you do differently in the process to adjust for the lower alcohol / greater water content in the 151 proof?
My research says, if you want to extract plants you need water too. The water let the plant parts swell up. Now the alcohol can solve better. That explain your good results.
My thoughts about using high proof alcohol was about less water in the endproduct.
Some folks get bent because the H2O in the 151 PGA might pull out a bit more of the natural dextrose in the tobacco, causing the coil to gunk a bit faster and making the extract a bit sweet. It doesn’t bother me that much, since I perform a wick change and coil burn on a daily basis anyway and I don’t mind a little sweetness with my NET vapes.
There are also those that say an extraction with anything less than a 190 or 200 proof PGA is garbage… my opinion is, that is not true. In short… to each their own.
If folks want to spend their money on expensive proof EA or go through the process of using 3A molecular sieve beads to rid the EA of H2O… they can knock themselves out. Again… to each their own. I’ll go the cheap route… I’m easy.
Yes… pure grain alcohol; sometimes you will see me and others refer to it as EA (ethyl alcohol) or Ethanol.
So grateful to you for sharing all these secrets. I’ll try both methods soon.
So far, I’ve only done the heating (about 3 times) + filtering (also 3 times) method. And, I’ve been quite happy with the results (better than everything I got from vendors). In the beginning, the eliquid tastes more like green, unburned tobacco, but it gets better after some time. I mostly use PG.
I guess it’s essential for me to follow your advice and continue with freezing. I will. Many thanks again.
Also, I don’t think I can get pure alcohol here in Thailand. I can only use Vodka, Rum, Whiskey. What do you think?
Finally, anything new in the extraction experiment?
Hi everyone ,this is my first post!This site is really good ,I find it easy to navigate .
I m just beginning diy mixing .
Does anyone have recommendations for the type of ethanol to use for NET ?I am considering giving it a go ,I live in New Zealand so should be able to get Tobacco leaf and ethanol.The reason I ask is I dont want to use any that has benzene or anything added .There is a good guide on Reddit by Denis Bouchard as well .
A pure grain alcohol (PGA) from your local liquor store should be fine to use. I’ve used the 151 proof “Everclear” brand of PGA for extractions with great success. With using a lower proof PGA, your NET will benefit from performing an evaporation process at some point, prior to or after filtering, to rid the extraction of as much H2O as possible; reduces the snap, crackle and pop factor in vaping the end product. Good luck in your endeavor!
The price for a “Duty Paid” litre bottle of 96.4% Ethyl Alcohol
including freight and GST is $116.15.
The price for a “Duty Paid” litre bottle of 70% Ethyl Alcohol including
freight and GST is $87.40.
Denatured alcohol (with Methanol - Not Potable) is available at $15.00
per litre plus freight and GST.
If you have a NZ Customs Permit or are a Customs Controlled Area (CCA)
the “Duty Your Care” prices are attached.
Please do not hesitate to ring or email us if you have any questions.
Hi, I am wondering if anyone has developed a method of PGA extraction they are satisfied with? I have 5 PGA soaked tobaccos ready for heating for 12 hours at 160 degrees F. But am wondering if I should cold macerate them for 6 months instead?
I am also thinking of using dry ice to reduce the temperature even further for the final filtration. I discovered the strategy when stumbling upon a technique people use for cannabis extraction. The technique is called QWET. Which is really along similar lines. Tobacco and cannabis are plants, and you don’t want chlorophyl, waxes, oils, and other such things in the flavor extract.
I kinda have. Mine isn’t one which uses 100% EA (ethyl alcohol) in the maceration. I was never really happy with how much extract was left remaining after the reduction/filter process. Plus, it was more of a longer, drawn out process than my usual PG macerations which are rather quick and simple. So, I do a “hybrid” mix of PG/EA on the leaf during maceration; usually a half and half kinda thing, heat the maceration at 125*F for 8 hours, cool steep for a couple of months, evap the EA off for an hour over warm water, filter it down to 2.5um, bottle it, and mix it.
Well, you could split each maceration in half and do a little experiment. The purpose of warming the maceration is to get a bolder flavor out of the leaf. Whereas, cold macerations return a lighter, gentler outcome. I like bold.
You might want to be ready to skim the ice off the top of the extract during that process. If your using 191 EA, it may not be that bad… but, there’s some H2O in that 151 EA which will probably freeze when dry ice is introduced to the process. This is pure speculation, mind you… I’ve never produced any NET extract using dry ice. However, I have read of individuals rending H2O from EA using dry ice.
I’m pretty happy with not having copious amounts of tar in my NET vape; I can overlook those other little devils.
There’s a thread on ECF that deals with this and it’s been such a long time since I’ve read it I can’t remember the end results with the testing procedure. All I know is, if I don’t get a sickening nicotine high after 3 X 10 to 15 pulls in succession, the Nic levels have to be below, say 10mg/ml. This is evidence I’ve discovered over time when doing taste testing of my own non-NET mixes which have a level of 10mg Nic; nicotine which was physically added to the mix by me.
=:confounded:
9/2/16…see ya then!
Mine isn’t one which uses 100% EA (ethyl alcohol) in the maceration. I was never really happy with how much extract was left remaining after the reduction/filter process. Plus, it was more of a longer, drawn out process than my usual PG macerations which are rather quick and simple. So, I do a “hybrid” mix of PG/EA on the leaf during maceration; usually a half and half kinda thing, heat the maceration at 125*F for 8 hours, cool steep for a couple of months, evap the EA off for an hour over warm water, filter it down to 2.5um, bottle it, and mix it.
The purpose of warming the maceration is to get a bolder flavor out of the leaf. Whereas, cold macerations return a lighter, gentler outcome. I like bold. 
If your using 191 EA, it may not be that bad… but, there’s some H2O in that 151 EA which will probably freeze when dry ice is introduced to the process. This is pure speculation, mind you… I’ve never produced any NET extract using dry ice. However, I have read of individuals rending H2O from EA using dry ice.