Scientific's Hydro Dwarf Low Flyer 24/7 Illumination Fireplace Grow Journal - 2017

[Scientific]

Re: Scientific's Hydro Dwarf Low Flyer 24/7 Illumination Fireplace Grow Journal - 201

Day 81 -- Post-processing continued: Water curing

I'm water curing one bud.

The candidate, freshly trimmed

Full immersion baptism

After 24 hours in the fridge

 

[Scientific]

Re: Scientific's Hydro Dwarf Low Flyer 24/7 Illumination Fireplace Grow Journal - 201

Day 81 -- Post-processing continued: Tincture/Rick Simpson Oil & Coconut-Cannabis Oil

Dried buds

Dried sugar leaves

Dried leaves go in the blender for their first grind See the kief?

Ground leaves

Sticky mess, but 190-proof alcohol will clean it all up.

Ground buds and ground leaves go in the oven at 220F for 100 minutes of decarboxylation It smelled sweet (!?)

Decarboxylated buds are a little browner than when they went in (compare to shot above)

COCONUT-CANNABIS OIL

Coconut oil is a solid at room temperature and tastes sweet and smells like a Mounds bar! Yummy!

Decarbed leaves are ground a second time then go into one cup of coconut oil

Extraction in coconut oil is supposed to take about three hours.

TINCTURE

A pint of 190-proof solvent costs $18 US(!) but it works much better than using half-water 100-proof. Assuming the buds have 10% THC, this will make 10 mg/ml tincture. (If you evaporate/boil off the alcohol, you have Rick Simpson oil, but I like tinctures--I swear the high is more cerebral than anything else.)

1 cup of 190-proof alcohol and 46 grams of bud go in the fridge for extraction. Last time I only extracted for about five days, and a second alcohol "wash" extracted a significant amount of THC, so this time I'm going to let it sit for a long time.

Also, the last time I did this, I used premium Blue Dream buds, and the color was a beautiful, deep red-brown (the color of high-purity cannabis oil). This batch is a deep green, which suggests much lower THC content. (The Blue Dream buds were about 20% THC, and CropKing says that Dwarf Low Flyer is about 10% THC.)

The equipment is all stripped down and put away and the plant material is all in containers, so now I can open up the windows again!

 

[Scientific]

Re: Scientific's Hydro Dwarf Low Flyer 24/7 Illumination Fireplace Grow Journal - 201

Day 83 - Titrating the Dosage

I infused one cup of coconut oil with 40 grams of ground, decarboxylated sugar leaves.
Assuming those leaves were 5% THC, that's 2000 milligrams THC in 237 ml coconut oil so about 8 mg THC / milliliter, aiming for the familiar 10 mg / dose maximum used in Washington state (i.e. 10 mg/ml).

Testing the coconut oil
Coconut oil weighs .92 g/ml, so I weighed out .92 grams and took that on a full stomach. Nothing.
An hour later I took another 1 ml. Maybe something?
Another hour later I took another 1 ml.
Apparently the big meal and/or dissolving the THC in oil rather than the alcohol I am more familiar with slowed down absorption a lot, because it wasn't until five hours from taking the first dose that all three doses ganged up on me and sent me to bed very high. Oops. All in the name of science.
So anyway... it looks like I guessed about right on the dosage. Coconut oil smells and tastes great, so I agree that it's a great choice for an oil extraction. Now that I know the concentration, I may put it in gelatin capsules.

Coconut-cannabis oil after the solids were filtered out with a metal strainer. It's still liquid because it's still warm.

Coconut-cannabis oil is a solid at room temperature. This is about one dose.

One, 1-ml dose of warm (liquid) coconut-cannabis oil.

My fridge seems to have a cannabis shelf now.

Left to right:

• Solids left over from alcohol (tincture) extraction and cannabis oil extraction in about 3/8 cup 190 proof alcohol. In my experience, this "second wash" gets enough remaining THC to be worthwhile.
• Bud on its last day of "water curing." (Note that it sank last night.)
• Coconut-cannabis oil
• Alcohol tincture. Assuming 10% THC in the buds (what CropKing predicts), 46 grams of buds gives 4600 milligrams of THC. 46 grams THC in 1 c (237 ml) gives 19 milligrams per ml. I said in the previous post that it didn't have the distinctive red-brown color of concentrated tincture, but now it does.

 

[eggzin]

Re: Scientific's Hydro Dwarf Low Flyer 24/7 Illumination Fireplace Grow Journal - 201

What a great read Sci! I'm so glad you were as detailed as you were. Well written and a thoroughly fleshed out science experiment::.

I learned a good deal reading it. I'm particularly interested in the ph phenomenon. The two part ph article you linked to was extremely enlightening. When I was in vegetation in my grow, I had to continually lower the ph. Now in flower, I'm finding I'm using a lot of ph up. I also understand that the plant uses more N during veg, and more K during flower. According to that article, the ph drift that I'm seeing, in veg and in flower, is exactly relative to which nute is being more heavily consumed. A plant consuming N will tend to raise the ph and a plant consuming K will lower the ph.

I also wondered, during the phase of your grow where the ph kept dropping radically overnight, whether there was root rot happening --as you know, this also creates an acidic environment. But, lo and behold, looking at your pics of the roots, there couldn't have been any rot happening. The roots are beautiful!

At any rate, the big message in that article for me, was "don't f%$^k around so much with the ph!"

Thanks for an entertaining and informative journal!

 

[Scientific]

Re: Scientific's Hydro Dwarf Low Flyer 24/7 Illumination Fireplace Grow Journal - 201

I'm particularly interested in the ph phenomenon. The two part ph article you linked to was extremely enlightening. When I was in vegetation in my grow, I had to continually lower the ph. Now in flower, I'm finding I'm using a lot of ph up. I also understand that the plant uses more N during veg, and more K during flower. According to that article, the ph drift that I'm seeing, in veg and in flower, is exactly relative to which nute is being more heavily consumed. A plant consuming N will tend to raise the ph and a plant consuming K will lower the ph.

Thanks for kind words, eggz. I have enjoyed following your grow as well.

pH
The pH variations were, as you could see, the biggest mystery in the process. Before I do another hydro grow I'd like to read a college-level text about hydroponics to see if it can help me to understand just what the hell is going on in the reservoir. One thing's for sure, though: hydroponics definitely gives big yields!

Applying hydroponic lessons learned to tomatoes
I tested the pH and PPM of the watering runoff of two potted tomatoes growing on my deck. One was at pH 7.5 and 1,200 PPM(!), the other at pH 5.0 and 400 PPM. I'm going to use my newly improved horticulture skilz (and new pH pen and PPM meter) to adjust the growing conditions of both, which I'm confident will be a big help. In fact, like I'm sure many people, I'm looking at all my plants now with a much more critical and informed eye.

Rootz

The roots are beautiful!

Thanks! Grow guru Nebula Haze is a big, big advocate of Hydroguard bacillus culture, so despite my belief that you don't need a lot more than just N, P, K, and micronutrients, I went ahead and got a bottle. As I noted in the log, we had a stretch of hot weather in which my reservoir got up to as high as 92 F and spent weeks in the high 80s, yet the roots did just fine. I suspect that dosing that tank every week with beneficial bacteria really helped. (That and two pumps and an airstone to keep things swirling plus dutifully refreshing the media every week...)

 

[eggzin]

Re: Scientific's Hydro Dwarf Low Flyer 24/7 Illumination Fireplace Grow Journal - 201

my newly improved horticulture skilz...

Beautiful!

Rootz

Thanks! Grow guru Nebula Haze is a big, big advocate of Hydroguard bacillus culture, so despite my belief that you don't need a lot more than just N, P, K, and micronutrients, I went ahead and got a bottle. As I noted in the log, we had a stretch of hot weather in which my reservoir got up to as high as 92 F and spent weeks in the high 80s, yet the roots did just fine. I suspect that dosing that tank every week with beneficial bacteria really helped. (That and two pumps and an airstone to keep things swirling plus dutifully refreshing the media every week...)

I agree, GWE is a good resource.

As for root care, I've read a lot of good things about z7, also.

As you learn more about hydroponics, I'm sure you'll share ...right?

 

[Scientific]

Re: Scientific's Hydro Dwarf Low Flyer 24/7 Illumination Fireplace Grow Journal - 201

As you learn more about hydroponics, I'm sure you'll share ...right?

For whatever it may be worth, yeah.

I have a little plant growing in coco coir right now. It's really interesting using hydroponics techniques on a plant in a pot. Fun! (The hydroton layer is an attempt to keep bugs out of the coir.)

 

[Scientific]

Re: Scientific's Hydro Dwarf Low Flyer 24/7 Illumination Fireplace Grow Journal - 201

This grow is done!

All the post-processing for this grow is done.

• The 195-proof alcohol tincture made from the buds has about 20 mg of THC per ml. An hour after taking 25 drops on an empty stomach, a walk in the park is a little more interesting.
• I used a syringe to fill 186 "00"-size gelatin capsules with the coconut-cannabis oil made from the sugar leaves. One cap is a very mild dose (about 7.5 mg THC). Two is stonier. Three start to get your attention.
• The 195-proof "second wash" of the solids strained from the tincture and coconut oil extractions is soaking in the fridge. Someday I will strain it and boil it down into Rick Simpson oil.
• The three biggest buds are in jars on their second week of curing.

25-drop, 10 mg dose of 195-proof tincture. I keep the bottle in the freezer because the high-proof alcohol really wants to evaporate (which just makes the tincture more concentrated). 195-proof alcohol is so runny that it will go right past the rubber seals of the dropper bottles if they are turned on their sides. High-proof alcohol is great solvent, but it's expensive and hard to contain, so for edibles I have definitely switched over to coconut oil extraction.

186 00-size gelatin capsules. Each capsule holds 0.75 gram of oil so has about 7.5 mg THC each.

Pot is legal here, but it can be kind of expensive--especially edibles. At retail prices, this one dwarf plant produced over $1000 US worth of cannabis products, and it was a really fun and interesting project. Another Dwarf Low Flyer is growing in two gallons of coco coir under lights on the windowsill, waiting for summer sunshine to arrive.

So that's if for this grow! Thanks for following along!

 

[Teddy Edwards]

Re: Scientific's Hydro Dwarf Low Flyer 24/7 Illumination Fireplace Grow Journal - 201

Hope all is well in your world.

Thanks for sharing this grow with us.

Please head over to the 420 Strain Reviews forum and post your smoke report there too.

I’m moving this to Completed Journals now.

Have you started a new grow you would like to share with us?

If so, please feel free to start a new journal here: Journals in Progress

Sending you lots of love and positive energy.

 

[InTheShed]

Re: Scientific's Hydro Dwarf Low Flyer 24/7 Illumination Fireplace Grow Journal - 201

Amazing tutorial! Just wondering if you used all those roots for anything. I have read that cannabis roots, while not containing THC or CBD, have therapeutic properties of their own. I plan on drying and grinding mine and making something out of them, maybe a skin lotion or something.

 

[Scientific]

Re: Scientific's Hydro Dwarf Low Flyer 24/7 Illumination Fireplace Grow Journal - 201

Amazing tutorial! Just wondering if you used all those roots for anything. I have read that cannabis roots, while not containing THC or CBD, have therapeutic properties of their own. I plan on drying and grinding mine and making something out of them, maybe a skin lotion or something.

Thanks!

I was struck how much the roots looked exactly like a shirt that I own that was woven from hemp fiber. I'm afraid the bottom half of the plant went in the dumpster, but the top half has been put to good use.

 

[Why Doe]

Re: Scientific's Hydro Dwarf Low Flyer 24/7 Illumination Fireplace Grow Journal - 201

What was the final yield? Didn't see that part

 

[Scientific]

Re: Scientific's Hydro Dwarf Low Flyer 24/7 Illumination Fireplace Grow Journal - 201

What was the final yield? Didn't see that part

The dry weights are kinda buried in post #120.

Dry weights
Dry weight of 20 trimmed buds: 60 g (2.1 ounces)
Dry weight of sticky trim/sugar leaves: 46 g

Wet weights
Wet weight of plant: 1,196 g
Wet weight of stalks and roots: 608 g
Wet weight of 20 untrimmed buds: 498 g <-- 1.1 POUNDS!
Wet weight of 20 trimmed buds: 309 g
Wet weight of sticky trim: 150 g
Wet weight of unsticky trash: 130 g

 

[Why Doe]

Re: Scientific's Hydro Dwarf Low Flyer 24/7 Illumination Fireplace Grow Journal - 201

Very cool, do you usually do small single grows?

 

[Scientific]

Re: Scientific's Hydro Dwarf Low Flyer 24/7 Illumination Fireplace Grow Journal - 201

Very cool, do you usually do small single grows?

Yeah, I don't use very much so a little lasts a long time. After my two recent one-plant dwarf grows I have a gallon of cured buds, cannabis coconut oil capsules, and tincture, so I'm pretty much set!

 

[Troy01]

Re: Scientific's Hydro Dwarf Low Flyer 24/7 Illumination Fireplace Grow Journal - 201

Day 81 -- Post-processing continued: Tincture/Rick Simpson Oil & Coconut-Cannabis Oil

Sticky mess, but 190-proof alcohol will clean it all up.

Ground buds and ground leaves go in the oven at 220F for 100 minutes of decarboxylation It smelled sweet (!?)

Decarboxylated buds are a little browner than when they went in (compare to shot above)

COCONUT-CANNABIS OIL

Coconut oil is a solid at room temperature and tastes sweet and smells like a Mounds bar! Yummy!

Decarbed leaves are ground a second time then go into one cup of coconut oil

Extraction in coconut oil is supposed to take about three hours.

TINCTURE

A pint of 190-proof solvent costs $18 US(!) but it works much better than using half-water 100-proof. Assuming the buds have 10% THC, this will make 10 mg/ml tincture. (If you evaporate/boil off the alcohol, you have Rick Simpson oil, but I like tinctures--I swear the high is more cerebral than anything else.)

1 cup of 190-proof alcohol and 46 grams of bud go in the fridge for extraction. Last time I only extracted for about five days, and a second alcohol "wash" extracted a significant amount of THC, so this time I'm going to let it sit for a long time.

Also, the last time I did this, I used premium Blue Dream buds, and the color was a beautiful, deep red-brown (the color of high-purity cannabis oil). This batch is a deep green, which suggests much lower THC content. (The Blue Dream buds were about 20% THC, and CropKing says that Dwarf Low Flyer is about 10% THC.)

The equipment is all stripped down and put away and the plant material is all in containers, so now I can open up the windows again!

Great Tutorial on Tinctures, Butters and Oil -

I mostly consume my meds in Tincture form and usually extract using EverClear. Believe it or not Ever Clear 190 Proof is not legal in California. I have to buy it in a neighboring state.

With your scientific knowledge, I have a question for you. I recently bought some Extractohol 200 Proof(an advertiser on this site)
Do you see any downside to using this as oppose to 190 Proof? I know I need to be cautious of any open flame around it. I was planning on brewing up a batch to see how it works.

 

[Scientific]

Re: Scientific's Hydro Dwarf Low Flyer 24/7 Illumination Fireplace Grow Journal - 201

I recently bought some Extractohol 200 Proof(an advertiser on this site)
Do you see any downside to using this as oppose to 190 Proof?

I have seen that stuff advertised. I have a hard time understanding how it could be significantly better than 190 proof (which was illegal here for years, too).

Just FYI, you can only distill alcohol to 190 proof (95% pure). Beyond that, according to my reading, you have to use a chemical drying agent to absorb the last 5% of water. I think you can use calcium oxide (quicklime) for that. Not that you would, but I always sorta thought that was interesting in a geeky kind of way. The CaO binds with the H2O to form some kind of hydrated calcium compound that settles out is my understanding.

 

[Troy01]

Re: Scientific's Hydro Dwarf Low Flyer 24/7 Illumination Fireplace Grow Journal - 201

I have seen that stuff advertised. I have a hard time understanding how it could be significantly better than 190 proof (which was illegal here for years, too).

Just FYI, you can only distill alcohol to 190 proof (95% pure). Beyond that, according to my reading, you have to use a chemical drying agent to absorb the last 5% of water. I think you can use calcium oxide (quicklime) for that. Not that you would, but I always sorta thought that was interesting in a geeky kind of way. The CaO binds with the H2O to form some kind of hydrated calcium compound that settles out is my understanding.

Not sure if it is truly 200 proof but it is sure a lot better than the 151proof I can buy here. I'm going to give it a try today in my new Magic Butter machine. The MB machine looks interesting and if nothing more you can get stoned and watch the colorful LED's flashing away.

My next batch after harvest and cure - I'm going to try Coconut Oil. I didn't have enough bud at this time to try as the minimum batch size of the MB3 is 2 cups.

 

[Ripe1]

Re: Scientific's Hydro Dwarf Low Flyer 24/7 Illumination Fireplace Grow Journal - 201

WTF!!! This is awesome!!! Do you have a journal going on right now? I feel like I need to subbed up to all your jazz!

 

[Scientific]

Re: Scientific's Hydro Dwarf Low Flyer 24/7 Illumination Fireplace Grow Journal - 201

WTF!!! This is awesome!!! Do you have a journal going on right now? I feel like I need to subbed up to all your jazz!

Thanks, Ripe. That's very kind of you.

At the moment I'm not growing, I'm consuming. I'm also here reading stuff every day and learning (like about the symptoms of thrip infestations and the rapidly advances in lighting).

As soon as you get to 50 posts you can start sending private messages. Drop me a line sometime!