Cannabis and Hemp Extraction: What is the Winterization Process?

If you are in the CBD oil extraction business, you’ll know just how important it is to create a highly pure end product for your customers or patients. A clean and pure end-product will result in increased customer satisfaction, higher profit and the growth of your organization.

Thankfully, new advancements in technology are making the process of removing undesired plant lipids, waxes and fats far easier. In fact, there are a few ways of doing this process, with dewaxing and winterization the most popular.

For many, however, winterization represents the most effective way to ensure a highly pure end product. So what actually is the winterization process, why is it important and what equipment can you use to ensure that your organization has a seamless process?

What is the winterization process?

Winterization is an extraction process that further purifies a hemp or cannabis extract after an initial extraction process. By putting the cannabis/hemp extract through an alcohol wash, winterization filters out undesirable materials.

The process - which is done by putting the extract and ethanol in sub-zero temperatures - separates waxes, terpenes and lipids from the extract, forcing them to collect at the top of the mixture for easy filtration.

Winterization is a much easier process with less risk for volatility than the dewaxing process. However, maintaining the mixture at such cold temperatures (usually anywhere between -20°C to - 60°C) can be challenging.

That’s why Maratek is engineering innovative technologies that not only help your company create a high-quality end product, but also automate the entire process.

Why is the winterization step important?

If you are creating CBD oil, then winterization is a hugely important step in the production of a pure end product. Without the removal of waxes, terpenes and lipids, your final product will be negatively affected.

Waxes and fats in your CBD oil will actually alter the chemical make-up of the concentrate over time, as well as after exposure to different elements such as heat, oxygen and light. This will result in a cloudier end product.

Not only that, but waxes and fats will also affect the smoothness and the flavor of your final concentrate if your product is being produced for consumption.

Maratek has launched a brand-new automatic winterization system to automate your process

If you are currently mass producing cannabis and hemp products with manual and inefficient processes, Maratek is here to help.

Through our brand-new Turnkey Automatic Winterization System (TAWS) we can help your organization automate the entire process in one innovative, easy-to-use automatic production line.

Our technology can help your company automate the entire cannabis and hemp extraction process, from homogenization, winterization, multi-stage filtration, solvent recovery, dewatering of solvents, decarboxylation, and heated oil storage.

The TAWS series from Maratek comes in a range of sizes and greatly reduces your winterization time from 24 hours to 3-6 hours, depending on your organization’s process stream.

Want to learn how our technology can completely revolutionize your cannabis and hemp extraction method by automating the entire process in one uniquely engineered piece of equipment? Contact our team of experts today. We would be more than happy to answer any questions you have.