Posted on September 7, 2019 in Other

Here is a detailed set of instructions for using ice water to extract essential oils from plant matter.  Make sure to have all your supplies gathered beforehand so that the whole process runs smoothly!

Supplies:

• Workbag
• Plant matter
• Bag of ice
• Cold water
• Three large buckets
• Set of bubble bowls including a 68, 90, 120, 160, 30, and 53
• Spray bottle
• Gather card

First, place the empty workbag in one of the buckets. Add ice and plant matter in alternating layers until there isn’t any left.  Then, add just enough cold water to cover the entire mix and let the mixture chill for ten minutes. After about ten minutes of chilling, add enough cold water tio thin the mix slightly.  When the mix is thin and soupy, begin to mildly agitate the solution and continue for 15-20 minutes.

When the mixture is thoroughly agitated, remove the workbag and drain it thoroughly, squeezing out the excess liquid. Stack the 68, 90, 120, and 160 bubble bowls over a second bucket, with the 68 being on the bottom and the 160 on the top of the stack.  Note: this catch bucket should be vented; a few ¼ inch holes should do the trick!  Squeeze the stack of bubble bowls together to ensure a tight seal.  Stack the 30 and 53 bubble bowls over the last bucket, with the 30 on the bottom and the 53 on top.  Again, squeeze the stack together for a tight seal.

Slowly pour the water solution through the 160-68 stack over the bucket. Rinse the first workbucket thoroughly to ensure no solution is left behind and that everything gets poured through the first stack. Lift the entire stack.  Using centrifugal motion, tilt the stack at an angle, and a jiggling/swirling motion will help clear the stack. While the 68 is draining, lift the 160 off the top and begin to gather from it, using a spray bottle to clean out the mesh.

Once the entire stack has been drained, set it aside, moving the bowls one at a time and making sure each one has drained fully. Slowly pour the remaining solution through the second, 53-30, stack.  While these finer bowls slowly drain, continue to gather from the first stack that you’ve now set aside.  The resulting puddle can be poured directly onto a pressing screen. Continue to gather from the second stack, using the gather card as a squeegee to clear any standing leftover water.  Again, the second puddle can also be poured right into a pressing screen.

A video demonstration of these steps can be found here: