nutmeg oil extraction

[Guest saucer-like]

I used the butane/pipe method on a bunch of nutmegs which worked well, extracting out a fair bit of oil. But I failed to get any effects from two teaspoons full (rubbed in to legs) Is it likely that the oil was extracted but the goodies got left behind? Can someone else try it out & see how it goes. thanx

[Torsten]

do a search of the archives.

nutmegs contain two types of oil. the essential (volatile) oil and the fixed oils (or fats). You extracted both. Your nutmegs may have been quite devoid of the essential oil. they may also not have contained any myristicin in the essential oil profile.

I think if there was one thing that everyone should have learnt from what we have been talking about, then it should be that you shouldn't f*ck with nutmeg unless you understand what you're doing. It can easily kill you.

[Adrian]

From memory steam distillation is the best way to go.

At least if you stuff up it's not as bad as with having XX cubic meters of butane gas lingering around, and with air temps of around <5 degC this shit does linger

P.S when using the butane method be aware of your clothing, lights, electrical appliances etc nearby, as even a tiny static spark will ignite the gas (with the right air mixture) and get you higher than you ever intended.

Ideally you could/ should make a simple evaporation chamber with a long pipe chimney.

[Auxin]

If you've got lots of that mixed oil you could purify it by saponification. The goodies are in the non-saponifiable fraction.

Butane extraction is very dangerous, and so is the product if your not careful.

As a wise man once said:

"It can easily kill you."

[bloodbob]

If you want to know how to do a steam distillation here is how to do it.

Set up a still. If you don't know how you need some sort of container to heat up your liquids which is connect to a cooling system general this is done by using a Glass or metal pipe with a water jacket ( water following around the pipe ). Place about 10-20 mls of water per gram of ground nutmeg in the heating part and boil slowly so that your get about 1 drop per second out of your cooling system ( condenser ). Boil about 1/2 of the water off and separate the layers you want the oil one ( chuck in a plastic bag with a whole in the bottom and run off the water layer the rest is your oil ).

If you want to get the most out of your oil+water mixture and add an ample amount of non-poplar solvent with a low boiling point e.g. hexane, dichloromethane. Separate layers and remove the solvent via a steam bath.

[Guest saucer-like]

Thanks for sharing the knowledge! This oughta keep me occupied for a while. It's not so much that I want to use the oil, just learn.