So many Uses for Terpenes

So many uses for terpenes…

CARTRIDGES

10ml (7%) of terpenes + 140g (94%) of distillate = 150 1g Cartridges or 187 0.8g carts

Use our Calculator to find your mix.

Remember time and temperature are the enemy of terpenes!

The amount of time terpenes are exposed to the air and temperatures above 70℉ (21℃) the more they degrade. Obviously when adding terpenes to concentrate the temperature is much higher but make sure your distillate is below 130℉ (55℃) when you add your terpenes and be ready to fill. Most commercial filling equipment holds the distillate and terpenes at around 180℉ (80℃) which is why most commercial cartridges get such a bad rap and are described as tasting like “hotdog water”. If you follow our steps you will achieve an amazingly high quality product.

 *VERY IMPORTANT- DO NOT MICROWAVE YOUR DISTILLATE- The potential for overheating is too great. Some might recommend short bursts of 20-30 seconds in the microwave to get the distillate liquified but although this is a shortcut we are highly opposed to this method. In our opinion, the best method is to partially submerge the sealed jar in a hot water bath no higher than the level of distillate. When removing the sealed jar from the water, be sure to fully dry off any residual water or water vapor as you don't want the water to contaminate your distillate.

What you will need:

  1. Hot Plate with magnetic stir bar (pill)
  2. Variable temp. Heat gun (any hardware store has them)
  3. 98%+ Pure Food Grade Ethanol for cleaning
  4. Glass Syringe with 16 gauge blunt tip needles or any other cartridge filling equipment you may have.
  1. Glass Beakers
  2. Concentrate/Distillate
  3. Terpenes already measured out
  4. Paper Towels
  1. Cartridges open and ready to be filled
  2. Thermometer
  3. Diluent (The Juice)
  4. Pipettes
  5. Most importantly, patience!

 

Step #1

“Mise en Place” Have all your supplies in place and readily available.

In a beaker, gradually heat up your distillate to 160℉ (70℃) on a hotplate with a magnetic bar (pill). For best results be sure to keep your distillate around this temperature and absolutely no higher than 175℉ (80℃). *Note: We recommend starting with a small batch until you have a good feel for how to work with distillate.

Step #2

Once your distillate is flowing nicely and has completely liquified, with the stir bar constantly spinning, add your diluent (The Juice) and allow the distillate to cool to 120-130℉ (50-55℃). 

Step #3

At this point you can add your terpene profile while again, still making sure the stir bar is spinning. Allow the terpenes and distillate to homogenize (approx. 2-5 minutes depending on volume).

Step #4a- Syringe

Use the heat gun to slightly warm up your syringe so the mixture does not solidify the moment you pull it in. Keep the heat gun handy incase at some point you need to warm up the syringe again, this also helps when cleaning your syringe. Now you can pull the mixture into the syringe and start filling your cartridges. Fill your cartridges to about 1/16”(2mm) from the top to allow space for the mouthpiece (cap) and prevent leakage. *Note: We recommend pulling no more than 20ml into the syringe until you have a good feel for how to work with distillate.

Step #4b- Cartridge Auto-Filling Machine

If using an auto-filler, you are probably already a Pro, but if not, we recommend testing the output with a cheaper oil, like MCT, in order to ensure proper settings. Once your settings have been established, and your distillate is homogenized, you can load up the pressure vessel and get to work.  Fill your cartridges to about 1/16”-1/8” (2mm-3mm) from the top to allow space for the mouthpiece (cap) and prevent leakage.

Step #5

As soon as you are done with all your distillate, wait about 20 minutes to ensure no excess settling has occurred and immediately start screwing or pressing on the mouthpiece (cap). The longer you wait, the better chance the distillate will start to oxidize at the top.

Step #6

Cleaning- Warm up your beaker and syringe with the heat gun to liquify any remaining distillate and discard the leftovers. With the alcohol and paper towels, clean your beaker and syringe well to remove any excess residue. With the syringe, any remaining residue can render the syringe useless once it solidifies. Use the alcohol to clean off any spillage on your cartridges as well. 

Step #7

Breath… You did it!

Things to consider:

When it comes to formulating cartridges a few variables should be considered: Battery strength, cartridge materials, and the quality of the starting material and extraction methods used to produce your distillate. 

Battery Strength:  A battery’s electrical output will dictate how hot the wick material gets while being used.  A battery which burns at 10 Watts will produce more heat, thus degrading and vaping off more terpenes per hit than a battery which only operates at 6 Watts.   

Cartridge Materials:  Glass or Plastic?

If the cartridge you wish to use is made of plastic: keep terpene concentrations lower than 5% of the total (.05g terpenes/g total).  In higher concentrations, the terpenes can cause the plastic to deteriorate; which causes the material to have poor taste and possibly leak due to expansion.

However, glass cartridges (ideally with a stainless steel or ceramic central pole) do not run the risk of chemical corrosion.  Therefore, terpenes can be added anywhere from 5-10%. 

Type of Distillate:

Some concentrates/extracts take longer to liquify and are harder to work with than others. It just takes a little experience to truly know what you are getting into.

DISCLAIMER:

Terpene Warehouse does not sell any products containing controlled substances. Check with your state and local laws for the legality of making these products. Care should be taken to ensure safety at all times. Please wear gloves and eye protection and have proper ventilation. All of our products are fully concentrated and could cause eye and skin irritation if improperly handled. Review our Safety Data Sheets for more information.