I went ahead and put together some information on making your own R on a backyard budget- using the materials I started with.
*Please note, the materials used on this tutorial are mainly for bulk batches, if you are planning on making a small batch- get creative and scale down the sizes. It takes about 1-1.5Lb of good quality material to make 60g
Below is the materials list of what you need before you begin. You don’t have to use the exact ones I linked but you should try to get as close as possible. Things like the rice cooker should always be single setting single switch. Nothing fancy or with multiple temperature settings. Coffee filters or filters need to be unbleached, plastics should be avoided as much as possible and substituted for glass and metal.
Click the resource links next to solvent to understand why Science suggests using iso as opposed to grain. You will be making an inferior product by using grain.
Solvent:
Concentrated Isopropyl Alcohol (Suggested- this is what Rick uses. It is 1000% safe if instructions are followed and scientifically proven to be more effective than grain)
DO NOT USE DENATURED ANYTHING.
Pure 99% only. NO DENATURED.
Buy: https://a.co/d/cZE4mbG
Bulk: https://a.co/d/7XXQJKc
If you wanna use ethanol feel free- it’s more expensive, not ideal (polar v non polar: https://www.facebook.com/groups/396529751538517/permalink/980227053168781/?mibextid=2JQ9oc), and costs a lot more.
Ethanol 190 Proof (95%) Non-Denatured Alcohol, USP/FCC Food Grade
Buy: https://a.co/d/gmWJ0c7
Supplies:
5 Gallon White Food Grade Bucket
Buy: https://a.co/d/4U2UAJu
Mixing Paddle:
Buy: https://a.co/d/0i5C4NA
Brew Bags:
Buy: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07NYSQXXX?
Bucket Filter:
Buy: https://a.co/d/dZZ7OSp
Alternative: https://a.co/d/7SPzRRY
Alternative: https://a.co/d/j6Ruv1N
Funnels: (stainless steel is better- you need a few big ones- the dollar tree has 3 packs for a Buck)
Premium Stainless Steel Funnel
Buy: https://a.co/d/gP28BUL
Mason Jars:
Wide Mouth Mason Jars 32-64 oz (quarter - half gallon) - first filter
Buy: https://a.co/d/gqiBhEz
Alternative: https://www.uline.com/Product/Detail/S-14489P/Jars/Wide-Mouth-Glass-Jars-1-2-Gallon-Plastic-Cap
128 oz Mason Jars Extra Wide Mouth 1 Gallon Glass Large Jars - second filter
Buy: https://a.co/d/7CXPGp5
Alternative: https://www.uline.com/Product/Detai...uth-Glass-Jars-1-Gallon-4-Opening-Plastic-Cap
Coffee filters:
Commercial Basket Coffee Filters (Natural Unbleached, 500)
Buy: https://a.co/d/aV1GB94
Single Switch Rice cooker:
Aroma Housewares Aroma 6-cup (cooked) 1.5 Qt. 6 cup cooked/ 3 cup uncook/ 1.5 Qt.
Buy: https://a.co/d/95vZ9V1
For industrial use-
Aroma Housewares Commercial 60-Cup (Cooked) / 14Qt. Rice & Grain Cooker
Buy: https://a.co/d/41qkwaI
Safety Gear:
Gloves, Eye Protection, Mask, Tyvek Suit (optional), Fans (Required)
Chest Deep Freezer:
(Optional)
Buy: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Frigidai...VmhetBh3FyA3wEAQYAiABEgKs-fD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
Bulk: https://www.lowes.com/pd/Frigidaire...VmhetBh3FyA3wEAQYByABEgKSk_D_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
Vacuum Oven:
(Optional)
Buy: https://www.ebay.com/itm/1939777706...b19c81250437cd47a2f30330f0ed03551c4efdaf3409e
Instructions:
If possible- Start by freezing your plant material and solvents for at least a day (2 is preferable) in the coldest part of your freezer, or in a deep freezer chest freezer. This step is called winterization and will help you extract less chlorophyll and plant fats and more of the alkaloids and canos.
Once your solvent is cold and material is frozen you will want to completely set up your work area- clean your jars and buckets, have them set up with funnels, have your rice cooker and fans plugged in ready to go- have everything ready to make it move like clockwork. Time is of the essence for the first part of this process. You don’t want to waste any time.
You will want to do this process outside or in a highly ventilated area. DO NOT: do this in a kitchen, garage or any enclosed space. Be mindful of things like pilot lights or potential ignition sources. The safest place you can do this is outside far from any potential ignition source. You will want to use fans in your work area and boiling area because the solvent likes to fall to the ground and linger. Do not use any open flame heating sources, lighters, etc. Safety first. Be smart.
Once you are ready and have equipped your safety gear - gloves, eye protection, protective suit (optional) etc…
You will begin by filling one of your 5 gallon buckets (or whatever container you’re using) with the frozen plant material. Don’t worry about grinding it up if it’s full bud material. That part will be taken care of shortly.
These next few steps are essential and very time sensitive if you want a good end product. Make sure you have a plan for every step before you start. Don’t waste time.
FIRST WASH:
Begin by pouring enough solvent to completely submerge the plant material. Don’t make an aquarium, just enough to comfortably submerge all materials.
Take your mixing paddle or gloved hands and quickly mash the material until it becomes fine granules- the alcohol will make this part easier. It should just fall right apart. You wanna make sure you get everything so all the good stuff gets absorbed by the solvent.
You are washing the plant materials, you aren’t soaking, this shouldn’t take more than 5-15 minutes. Be quick, be effective, don’t overdo it.
Line up your brew bag , bucket filter or both in another clean bucket and pour/filter out the bulk bio mass plant materials, put the materials into another bucket separate from the solvent mixture do not dispose of them yet.
You should be left with a bucket full of golden brown solvent mixture devoid of any large plant matter. Set this aside.
Wash 2:
Repeat the above, but in a shorter interval. Make sure everything is mashed and broken down accordingly. You shouldn’t need as much solvent this time around. Rinse and repeat filtering off the bio mass. Make sure you squeeze out all the bio mass to get all the good stuff out. Add the filtered end result to your first bucket of clean solvent mixture.
Wash 3:
You can do a 3rd wash if you want- but I highly suggest that you don’t add it to your main batch, and do this part separately for topical use only. If you plan on using this for topical, it’s not a problem to soak it. My suggestion if you plan on doing a 3rd wash is, add solvent, cap off the bucket, and come back to it when you have free time. Chlorophyll is good for the skin so it isn’t an issue if this oil has plant fats and chlorophyll.
If you don’t plan on doing a 3rd wash. Or when you’re done with your 3rd wash- Simply set this bucket with the bio mass aside to dry. Once it has dried, you can rinse it off with some water and use it as compost or dispose of it in a hole / on the ground somewhere. If your plant material has seeds in it, dispose of it somewhere that you want plants to grow.
Filtering:
You have made it to the longest but most important step- filtering. If you do this part right and on a system, no time will be wasted.
Have your small jars ready to go with funnels and coffee filters inside the funnels. Have a receptacle like a pitcher or a ladle to move the solvent mixture from the bucket into the funnels. You will want to use as many jars/funnels as you can. This process can be time intensive.
Fill your funnels up with your solvent mixture 2-5 times or until they start running slow. If the process has slowed down to a drip with a full funnel, time to change out the filter, wait for the solvent to drip through, grab the filter from the top, give the bottom a good squeeze into your unfiltered bucket, and dispose of the filter with the spent biomass from last step. Replace the filter and repeat.
If you are content with half assing it, skip this next step- if you want to make clean quality medicine read on
Once your jars of filtered solvent material become half full, get your larger jars out and set them up in the same way- funnels and filters.
Pour the 1x filtered mixture from the smaller jars into the larger jars funnel/filter. Filter it again this way. Make sure to change the filters often. Rinse and repeat both processes simultaneously until everything has been filtered twice.
At some point your larger jars should start becoming full. It’s time to fire up that rice cooker. Pour your 2x filtered solvent material into the rice cooker pan. Don’t use the lid. Flip the single switch to on. I only suggest using a single switch rice cooker: not a crockpot, not your stove, not a fancy all in one steamer rice cooker air fryer combo- ON/OFF should be the only buttons you see.
The reason for this is simple, you have absolutely no way of messing up. The temperature maximum of a single switch rice cooker is water boiling point. Alcohol boils slightly below this. Anything above that temp at this stage for as long as it takes to evaporate and you’re going to start messing with the quality of the oil. Other machines don’t have this temp regulation, and tend to have different settings / higher temps. Just be easy and use the simple tool, don’t try to reinvent the wheel.
Switch to on,
Keep adding your 2x filtered solvent material to this as it becomes available. This evaporation process will take a while. Make sure you have fans going and you’re in a well ventilated area. Don’t hover around breathing this stuff in. Let it do it’s thing. Go hang out inside and watch from a window or something only going out to refill/change filters and pour more into the rice cooker.
Once everything from your 1x filter is used up, start to clean your first filter jars and the buckets you used with warm alcohol. You can microwave small amounts of it for a very short period (it will get hot fast) Wipe them out very good. Get all the gunk and junk off everything. You will want to re use it. Store it away for later.
Let your mixture boil until everything you made is used up.
Once it starts getting towards the last little bit and bubbling into a thick oily mixture add a little water. I like to use the 3 wisemen liquid myself- but whatever is clever. I’m not talking a cup of water. I’m talking a tablespoon if that- if you’re making a large batch- use more. But if you’re making under 100g all you need is a tablespoon. You should hear snap crackling and popping shortly. This is a good thing. You will want to stick around until it’s done. Watch carefully.
If for any reason it starts to boil over remove from heat and stick it by a fan, wait until the mixture goes down a bit then put back on the heat.
You will know you’re close to being done with the rice cooker automatically shuts off. I personally wait until it cools down a bit, then turn the rice cooker back on. You wanna make sure you get as much solvent as possible out at this stage. Give it the sniff test, stick your nose in it- It should not be extra soupy or smell strongly of solvent- if it does, needs to go longer. Stick it back on and flip the switch to on, rinse and repeat if you have to.
Once you are at this final phase- congrats- you are almost done. The final step is the most important step of all- decarboxylation.
This is the step where you either make bomb oil or ruin the entire batch. So pay close attention to what you are doing and don’t overdo it. You can always heat it up again but you can’t unheat it. Less is more.
Take your metal rice cooker pot out of the rice cooker and bring it over to your vaccum oven or regular kitchen oven. It’s super important you do not smell solvent or have an iso soup for this step. You don’t want a house fire.
Stick your metal pot in the oven.
Everyone has their own philosophy for temperature and decarb process. I won’t get into that here. I’ll just give you what has worked best for me in the past.
Decarb
Start at 200*F for 10-15 mins
Bump it up to 225*F for about 10-15 mins
Bump it up to 245 for about 10-15
mins
Bump it up to 250 for about
5-15 mins
The higher you go the more risky it gets. I wouldn’t go anywhere past 250. You don’t want it on these high heats for too long as you will start degrading the canos in the oil. You only want them in there long enough to activate. If your making a small batch, use the lower end of these time tables- if you’re making a larger batch you may need to add a little to these time tables. You can always cook it a little longer if need be. But you can’t uncook it. So act with concern to that fact.
Keep in mind, If you plan on storing your oil in a bulk jar for later syringe or single packaging, you will need to heat it again, so leave a little room on the heating spectrum for this fact.
After this process if done correctly you are done- you should see a nice uniform thick viscous oil with no bubbles at the bottom of the pan. Feel free to let it cool a tiny bit and syringe it up as it is or pour it into a glass jar for later packaging/use.
Once everything is packed up- you can lick the pan. That’s how you can tell if it’s good or not.
At this stage you may be exhausted or you may have some energy left. If you have some energy left- go back to the topical 3rd wash bucket you have been letting soak. Repeat the above steps- you only need to filter this one once if it’s for topical, you also don’t really need to decarb it. But you can if you want.
Congratulations.
You are now a medicine man/woman, healer, alchemist, shaman, scientist.
*Please note, the materials used on this tutorial are mainly for bulk batches, if you are planning on making a small batch- get creative and scale down the sizes. It takes about 1-1.5Lb of good quality material to make 60g
Below is the materials list of what you need before you begin. You don’t have to use the exact ones I linked but you should try to get as close as possible. Things like the rice cooker should always be single setting single switch. Nothing fancy or with multiple temperature settings. Coffee filters or filters need to be unbleached, plastics should be avoided as much as possible and substituted for glass and metal.
Click the resource links next to solvent to understand why Science suggests using iso as opposed to grain. You will be making an inferior product by using grain.
Solvent:
Concentrated Isopropyl Alcohol (Suggested- this is what Rick uses. It is 1000% safe if instructions are followed and scientifically proven to be more effective than grain)
DO NOT USE DENATURED ANYTHING.
Pure 99% only. NO DENATURED.
Buy: https://a.co/d/cZE4mbG
Bulk: https://a.co/d/7XXQJKc
If you wanna use ethanol feel free- it’s more expensive, not ideal (polar v non polar: https://www.facebook.com/groups/396529751538517/permalink/980227053168781/?mibextid=2JQ9oc), and costs a lot more.
Ethanol 190 Proof (95%) Non-Denatured Alcohol, USP/FCC Food Grade
Buy: https://a.co/d/gmWJ0c7
Supplies:
5 Gallon White Food Grade Bucket
Buy: https://a.co/d/4U2UAJu
Mixing Paddle:
Buy: https://a.co/d/0i5C4NA
Brew Bags:
Buy: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07NYSQXXX?
Bucket Filter:
Buy: https://a.co/d/dZZ7OSp
Alternative: https://a.co/d/7SPzRRY
Alternative: https://a.co/d/j6Ruv1N
Funnels: (stainless steel is better- you need a few big ones- the dollar tree has 3 packs for a Buck)
Premium Stainless Steel Funnel
Buy: https://a.co/d/gP28BUL
Mason Jars:
Wide Mouth Mason Jars 32-64 oz (quarter - half gallon) - first filter
Buy: https://a.co/d/gqiBhEz
Alternative: https://www.uline.com/Product/Detail/S-14489P/Jars/Wide-Mouth-Glass-Jars-1-2-Gallon-Plastic-Cap
128 oz Mason Jars Extra Wide Mouth 1 Gallon Glass Large Jars - second filter
Buy: https://a.co/d/7CXPGp5
Alternative: https://www.uline.com/Product/Detai...uth-Glass-Jars-1-Gallon-4-Opening-Plastic-Cap
Coffee filters:
Commercial Basket Coffee Filters (Natural Unbleached, 500)
Buy: https://a.co/d/aV1GB94
Single Switch Rice cooker:
Aroma Housewares Aroma 6-cup (cooked) 1.5 Qt. 6 cup cooked/ 3 cup uncook/ 1.5 Qt.
Buy: https://a.co/d/95vZ9V1
For industrial use-
Aroma Housewares Commercial 60-Cup (Cooked) / 14Qt. Rice & Grain Cooker
Buy: https://a.co/d/41qkwaI
Safety Gear:
Gloves, Eye Protection, Mask, Tyvek Suit (optional), Fans (Required)
Chest Deep Freezer:
(Optional)
Buy: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Frigidai...VmhetBh3FyA3wEAQYAiABEgKs-fD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
Bulk: https://www.lowes.com/pd/Frigidaire...VmhetBh3FyA3wEAQYByABEgKSk_D_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
Vacuum Oven:
(Optional)
Buy: https://www.ebay.com/itm/1939777706...b19c81250437cd47a2f30330f0ed03551c4efdaf3409e
Instructions:
If possible- Start by freezing your plant material and solvents for at least a day (2 is preferable) in the coldest part of your freezer, or in a deep freezer chest freezer. This step is called winterization and will help you extract less chlorophyll and plant fats and more of the alkaloids and canos.
Once your solvent is cold and material is frozen you will want to completely set up your work area- clean your jars and buckets, have them set up with funnels, have your rice cooker and fans plugged in ready to go- have everything ready to make it move like clockwork. Time is of the essence for the first part of this process. You don’t want to waste any time.
You will want to do this process outside or in a highly ventilated area. DO NOT: do this in a kitchen, garage or any enclosed space. Be mindful of things like pilot lights or potential ignition sources. The safest place you can do this is outside far from any potential ignition source. You will want to use fans in your work area and boiling area because the solvent likes to fall to the ground and linger. Do not use any open flame heating sources, lighters, etc. Safety first. Be smart.
Once you are ready and have equipped your safety gear - gloves, eye protection, protective suit (optional) etc…
You will begin by filling one of your 5 gallon buckets (or whatever container you’re using) with the frozen plant material. Don’t worry about grinding it up if it’s full bud material. That part will be taken care of shortly.
These next few steps are essential and very time sensitive if you want a good end product. Make sure you have a plan for every step before you start. Don’t waste time.
FIRST WASH:
Begin by pouring enough solvent to completely submerge the plant material. Don’t make an aquarium, just enough to comfortably submerge all materials.
Take your mixing paddle or gloved hands and quickly mash the material until it becomes fine granules- the alcohol will make this part easier. It should just fall right apart. You wanna make sure you get everything so all the good stuff gets absorbed by the solvent.
You are washing the plant materials, you aren’t soaking, this shouldn’t take more than 5-15 minutes. Be quick, be effective, don’t overdo it.
Line up your brew bag , bucket filter or both in another clean bucket and pour/filter out the bulk bio mass plant materials, put the materials into another bucket separate from the solvent mixture do not dispose of them yet.
You should be left with a bucket full of golden brown solvent mixture devoid of any large plant matter. Set this aside.
Wash 2:
Repeat the above, but in a shorter interval. Make sure everything is mashed and broken down accordingly. You shouldn’t need as much solvent this time around. Rinse and repeat filtering off the bio mass. Make sure you squeeze out all the bio mass to get all the good stuff out. Add the filtered end result to your first bucket of clean solvent mixture.
Wash 3:
You can do a 3rd wash if you want- but I highly suggest that you don’t add it to your main batch, and do this part separately for topical use only. If you plan on using this for topical, it’s not a problem to soak it. My suggestion if you plan on doing a 3rd wash is, add solvent, cap off the bucket, and come back to it when you have free time. Chlorophyll is good for the skin so it isn’t an issue if this oil has plant fats and chlorophyll.
If you don’t plan on doing a 3rd wash. Or when you’re done with your 3rd wash- Simply set this bucket with the bio mass aside to dry. Once it has dried, you can rinse it off with some water and use it as compost or dispose of it in a hole / on the ground somewhere. If your plant material has seeds in it, dispose of it somewhere that you want plants to grow.
Filtering:
You have made it to the longest but most important step- filtering. If you do this part right and on a system, no time will be wasted.
Have your small jars ready to go with funnels and coffee filters inside the funnels. Have a receptacle like a pitcher or a ladle to move the solvent mixture from the bucket into the funnels. You will want to use as many jars/funnels as you can. This process can be time intensive.
Fill your funnels up with your solvent mixture 2-5 times or until they start running slow. If the process has slowed down to a drip with a full funnel, time to change out the filter, wait for the solvent to drip through, grab the filter from the top, give the bottom a good squeeze into your unfiltered bucket, and dispose of the filter with the spent biomass from last step. Replace the filter and repeat.
If you are content with half assing it, skip this next step- if you want to make clean quality medicine read on
Once your jars of filtered solvent material become half full, get your larger jars out and set them up in the same way- funnels and filters.
Pour the 1x filtered mixture from the smaller jars into the larger jars funnel/filter. Filter it again this way. Make sure to change the filters often. Rinse and repeat both processes simultaneously until everything has been filtered twice.
At some point your larger jars should start becoming full. It’s time to fire up that rice cooker. Pour your 2x filtered solvent material into the rice cooker pan. Don’t use the lid. Flip the single switch to on. I only suggest using a single switch rice cooker: not a crockpot, not your stove, not a fancy all in one steamer rice cooker air fryer combo- ON/OFF should be the only buttons you see.
The reason for this is simple, you have absolutely no way of messing up. The temperature maximum of a single switch rice cooker is water boiling point. Alcohol boils slightly below this. Anything above that temp at this stage for as long as it takes to evaporate and you’re going to start messing with the quality of the oil. Other machines don’t have this temp regulation, and tend to have different settings / higher temps. Just be easy and use the simple tool, don’t try to reinvent the wheel.
Switch to on,
Keep adding your 2x filtered solvent material to this as it becomes available. This evaporation process will take a while. Make sure you have fans going and you’re in a well ventilated area. Don’t hover around breathing this stuff in. Let it do it’s thing. Go hang out inside and watch from a window or something only going out to refill/change filters and pour more into the rice cooker.
Once everything from your 1x filter is used up, start to clean your first filter jars and the buckets you used with warm alcohol. You can microwave small amounts of it for a very short period (it will get hot fast) Wipe them out very good. Get all the gunk and junk off everything. You will want to re use it. Store it away for later.
Let your mixture boil until everything you made is used up.
Once it starts getting towards the last little bit and bubbling into a thick oily mixture add a little water. I like to use the 3 wisemen liquid myself- but whatever is clever. I’m not talking a cup of water. I’m talking a tablespoon if that- if you’re making a large batch- use more. But if you’re making under 100g all you need is a tablespoon. You should hear snap crackling and popping shortly. This is a good thing. You will want to stick around until it’s done. Watch carefully.
If for any reason it starts to boil over remove from heat and stick it by a fan, wait until the mixture goes down a bit then put back on the heat.
You will know you’re close to being done with the rice cooker automatically shuts off. I personally wait until it cools down a bit, then turn the rice cooker back on. You wanna make sure you get as much solvent as possible out at this stage. Give it the sniff test, stick your nose in it- It should not be extra soupy or smell strongly of solvent- if it does, needs to go longer. Stick it back on and flip the switch to on, rinse and repeat if you have to.
Once you are at this final phase- congrats- you are almost done. The final step is the most important step of all- decarboxylation.
This is the step where you either make bomb oil or ruin the entire batch. So pay close attention to what you are doing and don’t overdo it. You can always heat it up again but you can’t unheat it. Less is more.
Take your metal rice cooker pot out of the rice cooker and bring it over to your vaccum oven or regular kitchen oven. It’s super important you do not smell solvent or have an iso soup for this step. You don’t want a house fire.
Stick your metal pot in the oven.
Everyone has their own philosophy for temperature and decarb process. I won’t get into that here. I’ll just give you what has worked best for me in the past.
Decarb
Start at 200*F for 10-15 mins
Bump it up to 225*F for about 10-15 mins
Bump it up to 245 for about 10-15
mins
Bump it up to 250 for about
5-15 mins
The higher you go the more risky it gets. I wouldn’t go anywhere past 250. You don’t want it on these high heats for too long as you will start degrading the canos in the oil. You only want them in there long enough to activate. If your making a small batch, use the lower end of these time tables- if you’re making a larger batch you may need to add a little to these time tables. You can always cook it a little longer if need be. But you can’t uncook it. So act with concern to that fact.
Keep in mind, If you plan on storing your oil in a bulk jar for later syringe or single packaging, you will need to heat it again, so leave a little room on the heating spectrum for this fact.
After this process if done correctly you are done- you should see a nice uniform thick viscous oil with no bubbles at the bottom of the pan. Feel free to let it cool a tiny bit and syringe it up as it is or pour it into a glass jar for later packaging/use.
Once everything is packed up- you can lick the pan. That’s how you can tell if it’s good or not.
At this stage you may be exhausted or you may have some energy left. If you have some energy left- go back to the topical 3rd wash bucket you have been letting soak. Repeat the above steps- you only need to filter this one once if it’s for topical, you also don’t really need to decarb it. But you can if you want.
Congratulations.
You are now a medicine man/woman, healer, alchemist, shaman, scientist.
