How much more efficient?


A soxhlet extractor is constantly in motion man, always refilling the bottom flask you will have it all if you leave it overnight, if you have a heating mantle of course.

How much more efficient do you think it would be to use a soxhlet extractor? I currently have a reflux still with a removable head - I think I could add another chamber before it with a siphon and what not(probably would take awhile considering my lack of experience). Would it be worth it?


I reckon you'll be fine without the soxhlet, particuraly considering they simply let the chillies stand in ethanol for 2-3 days... Reflux would probably bring that time down to a few hours, but I would probably a) chop the chillies finer than they did; b) leave them stirring at room temp for a few days; c) reflux for 2-3 hours at the end and, possibly, d) select a different solvent by looking up the relative solubility of capsaicin.


It looks like the device they are using is just a still with a horizontal lyne arm and jacketed condenser. But, in the second picture of the device, things look a little different. I could use some interpretation.


This is just a simple distillation set up - nothing fancy. The reason they look slightly different is that in the first, a heating mantle is used, and in the second they use a hot plate. The swap is because the size of the flask used is reduced, thus the 250ml heating mantle would not be suitable for the 50ml flask.

I reckon you'll be fine without the soxhlet, particuraly considering they simply let the chillies stand in ethanol for 2-3 days... Reflux would probably bring that time down to a few hours, but I would probably a) chop the chillies finer than they did; b) leave them stirring at room temp for a few days; c) reflux for 2-3 hours at the end and, possibly, d) select a different solvent by looking up the relative solubility of capsaicin.





This is just a simple distillation set up - nothing fancy. The reason they look slightly different is that in the first, a heating mantle is used, and in the second they use a hot plate. The swap is because the size of the flask used is reduced, thus the 250ml heating mantle would not be suitable for the 50ml flask.

Thanks alot for the help! Your interpretation really cleared up the pictures for me. I'm excited to get started.

btw, i think green, unripe chillies have more capsaicin in them

I personally don't think it will be any less efficient, but I reckon you'd find it easier to end with a pure solution of capsaicin. What sort of purity do you want? If it's anhydrous crystalline capsaicin you wish, then I think soxhlet and column chromatography is the way you want to go!

As someone said, be fastidiously anal about cleanliness; I personally think if purity isn't that important, then the 'dump chilli powder in a bottle of high strength alcohol' idea is the best, becuase you're less likely to end up with chemical residue in your food.

Either way, do keep us posted, although this topics been done by most, its still interesting :)

This is really simple to do actually, I guess you could use a method that the Chinese use in cooking!

http://chinesefood.about.com/od/szechuansaucesseasonings/ss/chilioil.htm

That's the best way to make it I think, but I've also made a weak solution of pepper spray just by letting cayenne powder and chili powder sit outside in a solution to brew, then filtering it out. You could also use an espresso machine loaded with the crushed pepper flakes and such to create some kind of potent brew. I think you would have to run it through the system twice or so though.


best of luck,

-- Alex

Don't do a Soxhlet extraction unless you want candy. Peppers have natural sugars in them and using a Soxhlet extractor gets the sugars out along with the Capsaicin. I did not realize this until I had a big sugary mess at the bottom of my beaker after concentrating.