tomtom Posted January 8, 2005 hi does anyone know any methods for boiling down our cacti friends that doesnt end up stinkin up the place .. .i live in a unit and last time i did it the whole block wondered what was cookin :mad: :mad: :mad: plus i think just gettin a wiff of it again might make me hurl .. theres gotta be a better way ....... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gerbil Posted January 8, 2005 Can't help you too much as i've got no experience here, but the only other options I can see are 1-use a close friends house 2-do it outdoors on a SAFE burner 3-buy or build yourself a carbon filter (you can get DIY plans for these through cannabis boards) Building one would be a heap cheaper, a good few hundred $ saved. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cookie-monster Posted January 9, 2005 A hydro carbon filter is way overkill for what you need. I'll assume your using a pot on your stove and suggest you find a well fitting lid and drill a whole through the lid big enough to take a 3/4" flexible pipe. Push a 3/4" pipe through this whole about an inch and seal it in place with silicone or auto bog. Cut the length of 3/4 pipe to about 3 ft and place it into a bucket about 6" from the bottom. Leave this bucket on the floor so that it is below your cooking pot. Fill the bucket with crushed charcoal. This is cheapest in garden centres but will need more crushing in this form. This much charcoal will be heaps for even days of simmering. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tomtom Posted January 9, 2005 very impressive cookie monster..... is this theory or tried and tested ? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
planthelper Posted January 9, 2005 hmm, the experts seem to use pressure cookers at the later stages of cacti extractions. but at the beginning of your work, is a problem called "elephant snot". boiling down cacti, produces at the first hour or so of simmering/ boiling, incredible amounts of this green expanding goo. i suppose it would clog up your hose. after a while this mucilage dissapears though and youre hose in the bucket methode might be the way to go! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
toby Posted January 9, 2005 You could always skin them and use fresh. Appropriate with some forms more than others. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
teonanacatl Posted January 9, 2005 i distinctly remember juicing a foot of cacti (cereus lol) and the elephant snot got through everything in the juicer, all over all the internal parts, was easly cleaned up though just grabed a bit and it all came with it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
smogs Posted January 10, 2005 PH: this pressure cooking you mention at the end? i havnt heard of this before.,.. isnt the idea behind boiling it is to reduce amount of liquid? PC it would make it hotter... but less evaporation :confused: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
planthelper Posted January 10, 2005 http://forum.thenook.org/index.php? membership required. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rkundalini Posted January 10, 2005 You could just not boil it down. K Trout's suggested technique is: * puree * add juice of about 1-2 limes/lemons, and a minimal amount of water if absolutely necessary * pressure cook * strain through t-shirt * if desired, re-extract solids in PC with a little water + citrus if desired, strain * combine liquids * chill & chug 1 kg of cactus yields about 600 mL of liquid this way if I recall correctly. Granted, a lot more than from techniques using boiling down but still do-able. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
reshroomED Posted January 10, 2005 My gnome swears by the following: Slice lengthwise along furrows into 'spears' Remove core and discard Remove most flesh from skin with knife and put in blender Scrape remaining flesh from skin with large spoon until skin is near transparent and add to blender, discarding skin. Blend Pressure-cook for three hours or simmer overnight. Strain Freeze Thaw Not sure what he does with it then, but I remember him saying that a household exhaust fan easily coped with the smell, and after thawing the snot was gone leaving a tea with fines settled at the bottom. ed Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tomtom Posted January 24, 2005 thanks everyone ..i still havent gone past drying and grinding down to pea size chunks ... each time i go to think about the next step i get that memory effect of the smell and i mentally gag .i think the prob was last time i boiled the whole appartment stunk for 3 days , maybe it was only 2 but it was ingrained into my nose for the 3rd..i'm considering trying just the dried matter but i dont want to waist such a precious peruvian. cheers :D Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Osprey Posted January 24, 2005 Cook it outside from midnight till dawn. Nobody will smell it. Then,down the hatch and watch the sun rise.It will be a beautiful day. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gerbil Posted January 25, 2005 cookie-monster: A hydro carbon filter is way overkill for what you need. Sorry I don't agree. The ease of use and mobility, the endless use for any further projects no matter what they are. Even boiling shit for mushroom cultivation something like this will work well.No offence but you basically described the exact same process but a more 'ghetto tek', did you not? There is nothing wrong with overkill imo. Overkill and ease of use. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cookie-monster Posted January 25, 2005 The hydro filter costs anywhere from $80 to $600 for carbon filtration and is made to cope with a high air flow. They are a fantastic addition to any exhaust fan. They will definately stop your neighbours from smelling your cook. But it will do nothing for the smell in the room. If you pull apart a cheap hydro job it is pretty 'ghetto' in its construction. The little adaption I described I have used with only a few inches of carbon in the end of a 3/4" pipe. I have used these things for days on end and the charcoal still soaks up everything thrown at it. The amount of odour a handful of crushed charcoal will absorb is absolutely unbelievable. If you're cooking drugs or growing dope a hydro filter on your exhaust is compulsory. If not its a nice but extravagant accessory. It will prevent odour leaving the kitchen when you have to open the pot. If you want to use a hydro job and loose the nausea in the kitchen you will still have to adapt a vent from your pot to the filter. Making a hole in the pot lid and running a pipe into the inlet of your filter will surfice. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tomtom Posted January 25, 2005 cookie monster's pot filter tek sounds totally feasable and low cost as well ..thanks for the good advice ...i'm off to a discount shop to buy a pot to butcher.... :D will let everyone know how it goes and will take a few pics as well .. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gerbil Posted January 25, 2005 Thanks for the clarification cookie monster still have a few more disagreements hehe You say it will do nothing for the smell in the room, i've spoken to people who use it for exactly this purpose, heavy smoking in lounge rooms for example and they report zero odour. But I do appreciate your input, i suppose if someone had one lying around it would be a good option, otherwise your method sounds very easy to get going. anyhoo have a good day. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
