Extraction 4/5: BHO - Butane Hash Oil

At the turn of the millennium, the BHO method was developed. For the first time, it enabled very high active ingredient concentrations of over 90% in the concentrate, and the products caused quite a stir due to their very yellow, very bright appearance. Some BHO products are as reflective as glass, very hard and brittle and riddled with bubbles. An ideal was born, the beginning of a long journey towards clean and pure concentrates.

The solvent used is either classic butane gas or also DME. The latter solvent, which is pronounced dimethyl ether, is considered absolutely non-toxic, non-carcinogenic and is even used for medical purposes! In addition, Dexso has the advantage that it causes an explosion much later than butane gas. Butane gas, on the other hand, is more dangerous to handle, which is why butane gas extraction should be done outdoors as a matter of urgency, but it also stands for higher quality and terpene-rich BHO extract. BHO means nothing more than "Butane Hash Oil", although the oil thing should not be taken too literally, as cannabis extracts are always about the active ingredients of the resin.

We offer glass and metal extractors in different sizes.

But not only the right solvent is essential for extraction by BHO method, but also the right extractor. Extractors are available in all sizes, the smallest is in the form of the Honey Bee Extractor already from 15.90 CHF. It holds 3-28 grams of flower and leaf material. For larger projects, for example, the Candy Extractor 5.0 for 219 CHF is suitable, it can be loaded with up to 100 grams of material. Once you have the solvent and extractor ready, all you need is a pair of warm gloves and PTFE film. The gloves are important, because the gas develops an enormous coldness in the cylinder when extracting from the can and otherwise frostbite on the hands threatens. The PTFE foil (PTFE = Teflon) is needed to collect the extract on a non-stick coated base. Silicone is not suitable for this purpose because it can dissolve toxic substances into the extract when it comes into contact with solvents such as butane gas.

Storage and BHO Beginner Sets

Silicone, however, is an important material when it comes to storage. Before that, the solvent must first evaporate from the concentrate on the PTFE film, and this process can be accelerated using a vacuum chamber and some heat. Once the solvent has evaporated, the finished concentrate can be applied to the popular Oil Slick Pads for further processing. The finished concentrate is stored either in a glass jar or in Oil Slick containers. RAW also offers stylish parchment paper bags for storage.

Hazard warnings when handling solvents.

Solvents such as butane gas are very sensitive to temperatures. Thus, even a spark in air containing butane can cause an explosion. Therefore, we strongly advise against performing extraction using butane or Dexso indoors. BHO extractions should always be performed outdoors and with proper precautions.

In this five-part guide to extraction, we want to give you comprehensive information about plant extraction. We present the different types of extraction and point out risks, advantages and disadvantages.