Extraction process

Our extraction process

After our hemp plants have grown and matured through the summer and autumn, they are harvested and dried by hand in late autumn. After drying, the large leaves are removed and the flowers are separated from the stems.

The flowers are then crushed and mixed with ethanol (alcohol). After a certain time, the plant material is separated from the ethanol and the resulting ethanol extract mixture is additionally filtered until a clear, golden-coloured liquid is obtained.

To produce CBD oil, the ethanol-extract mixture is now heated in a closed distillation plant, whereby the ethanol is distilled off until only the hemp extract remains. After this process, the extract has a honey-like consistency, a dark golden-brown colour and is now ready for further processing.

The extract is tested in the laboratory for its CBD and THC content and then diluted with MCT oil to the desired concentration, filtered again and then filled into pipette bottles for easy dosing.

Ethanol: the solvent for cannabis extracts

To produce Blütengold CBD oils, we use the ethanol extraction process. Ethanol because it is one of the most suitable solvents for cannabis extraction.

Ethanol – also known as alcohol – is a solvent produced from plant substances that has the property of gently extracting all valuable substances and preserving the chemical ratios naturally present in hemp. The reason for this is that, due to its polarity, ethanol can not only dissolve water-soluble substances (polar), but also fat-soluble substances (non-polar).

Why ethanol and not CO²?

Compared to CO² as a solvent, which only extracts the non-polar chemical compounds, when producing CBD oil with ethanol there is no risk of important plant substances being left behind and ultimately not getting into the vial. As high pressure and different temperatures are used during CO² extraction, there is a risk that some substances will be destroyed or not extracted if the wrong pressure or temperature is used.

Because we produce CBD oil using ethanol extraction, we achieve a significantly more intense flavour compared to oils produced using other methods.

Another advantage is that the acids contained in the plant react on contact with alcohol, which is called esterification. This leads to increased bioavailability, which means that the body can absorb the ingredients better.

100% full spectrum with entourage effect

To produce our CBD oils, we have optimised the production process so that all the important active ingredients such as cannabinoids, terpenes and flavonoids are almost completely extracted and other plant substances such as chlorophyll are only extracted to a very small extent. As a result, we achieve a product that contains the full plant spectrum and still has a very pleasant flavour.

The greatest advantage of full-spectrum CBD oils over those containing isolated CBD is the interaction of the various active ingredients.

If the plant substances are present in their natural ratio, a synergistic effect of the plant substances is achieved, whereby even a low dosage can have outstanding health properties.

Warm extraction

Warm extraction refers to extraction processes in which the extract reaches a temperature above 45 degrees at some point. When producing CBD oil with ethanol extraction, this creates a further advantage:
As the ethanol is evaporated over several hours under the influence of heat in the extraction process, complete decarboxylation of the active ingredients is guaranteed.

If plant material, which is subsequently extracted using a cold extraction process, is not or only partially decarboxylated, the active ingredients are contained in the end product, but this has a significantly weaker effect.

What is the decarboxylation of cannabis?

Decarboxylation is a chemical process in which the cannabinoids are activated. This is an excellent process for producing an effective CBD oil:

The active ingredients CBD and THC are only present in nature in their acid form, as so-called CBDA and THCA. The active ingredients in their acidic form have hardly any effect compared to their activated form. This is also the reason why there is little to no effect when raw cannabis flowers are consumed.

In order to activate the active ingredients and produce a natural CBD oil, the cannabis is decarboxylated. This means that the plant material or the extract is heated over a certain period of time, whereby a chemical decomposition process is greatly accelerated.

During this process, a carbon dioxide molecule (carboxy group) is split off from the active ingredients, after which the active ingredients remain in their activated form as CBD and THC.

 

Our CBD oil production: Your benefits in a nutshell

The Blütengold production process is characterised by the fact that:

• the natural active ingredient spectrum of the hemp plant is retained, which guarantees the entourage effect,
• the cannabidiol is completely decarboxylated,
• it offers a more intense flavour than CBD oils extracted in other ways.