The cannabis business is one of the most lucrative industries to enter now, with the market expected to reach $30 billion by 2025. But the industry is also highly competitive. Before you can succeed, you’ll need suitable training, technology, and equipment—including industrial-grade ethanol extraction machines.

How ethanol extraction machineswork

Ethanol is a popular solvent used to extract cannabinoids from cannabis and hemp plants. This extraction method follows a relatively straightforward process, involving the steps below:

Soaking

First, the plant material soaks in ethanol inside a suitable vessel. Then, the alcohol seeps into it and solubilizes different compounds, such as CBD, THC, terpenes, and plant lipids.

Separation

The plant material’s soaking time mostly depends on the ethanol’s temperature and your desired product. Once completed, the plant mass must be separated from the ethanol solution using filtration.

Winterization

This step further purifies the cannabis extract, removing unwanted plant lipids. However, you can skip the winterization process if using cold ethanol.

Distillation

Finally, ethanol must be separated from the extract to create the final product. This step involves a vacuum distillation using a rotary evaporator or a falling film evaporator.

The business benefits of using ethanol extraction machines for cannabis extraction

There are numerous ways to extract cannabis from the plant material, including butane honey oil (BHO), carbon dioxide, and water extraction methods.

Ethanol extraction is arguably one of the most efficient methods, especially for business applications. The process is incredibly fast, and you can omit steps such as winterization if you are using cryogenic ethanol. It is also comparatively safer than other options, minimizing the risk of accidents due to high-pressure, high-temperature conditions, and strict storage requirements.

Not only that. Ethanol extraction is also highly scalable. You can purchase ethanol extraction machinesin different sizes, slowly scaling up or down according to your goals and needs. The solvent is significantly cheaper to handle than butane, thus substantiallyreducing your safety and storage costs.