Terpene isolates and blends are highly concentrated. They can be dangerous straight out of the bottle. It’s important to dilute them by adding them to carrier oils, concentrates, and other oil-based or alcohol-based substances.
Whenever you work with terpenes, we recommend starting with less than 1% concentration and gradually increasing the strength until you are happy with the final product. We strongly recommend keeping your terpenes as less than 10% concentration of any product.
Solubility
Terpenes are oils, so they only mix with other oils and alcohol.
Terpenes (and all of our other products) are oils, which means they don’t mix with water. As such, water-based substances can not dissolve terpenes. Terpenes will separate from water-based substances and create a layer on top. For best results, mix terpenes with other oils, such as olive oil, jojoba oil, hemp oil, propylene glycol (PG), or MCT.
The alcohol in beverages (such as beer, vodka, wine) will dissolve a small amount of terpene and suspend it in a solution. Once a certain threshold is met, the terpenes will once again float on the surface of the beverage.
However, you can dissolve terpenes in water with the help of an emulsifier. An emulsifier is a molecule with a hydrophilic (water-loving) head and hydrophobic (water-fearing) tail, attaching to both oils and water at the same time, forming a uniform solution. Depending on your needs, you may opt to use an emulsifier like lecithin to add terpenes to a water-based substance.
Carrier/Diluent
East Coast Terpenes products are diluents. You provide the carrier.
A diluent is added to a potent substance or mixture to thin it and/or reduce its strength. Diluents are the smaller portion of a solution.
A carrier is the larger portion of a solution. A potent, concentrated substance is added to a carrier to be reduced in strength. Another term for carrier is base.
Example: Sour Diesel terpene profile is added to a plant oil. The terpene profile is the diluent. The plant oil is the carrier. The terpene profile reduces the viscosity (thickness) of the oil and its potency in exchange for enhanced flavor and aroma. The carrier oil should amount to between 90% and 99%+ of the mixture.
Mixing with Extracts and Concentrates
Mixing East Coast Terpenes products with your extracts and concentrates is quick and easy. Follow these steps to mix them with your plant-based concentrates.
Step 1: Gather your tools
In order to mix terpenes with concentrates, you’ll need the following:
- Glass mixing container
- Stainless steel stirrer
- Measuring pipette
- Syringe with a blunt tip
If you plan to make large quantities, you don’t need the measuring pipette or the syringe. But you will need something to measure your terpenes.
Step 2: Shake or stir the terpene solution for five seconds
Our terpene profiles are custom made to create powerful flavors and aromas. To ensure you get the perfect consistency, give your bottle a few good shakes before mixing with your extract or other products. Our terpenes are quite fluid, so you won’t need to shake them much.
Step 3: Add one gram of your preferred extract to a glass mixing container
The amount of terpenes you add to your mixture will affect the strength of the aroma and flavor of the final product. If you are new to terpenes, we recommend experimenting with no more than a gram of concentrate until you find a flavor/aroma strength that you are happy with, otherwise you might waste some of your concentrate.
Important note: The mixing vial included in a Terpene Essentials 7-Piece Kit only holds about a gram of extract with terpenes. If you want to mix more than that, you’ll need to use a larger mixing container.
Step 4: Add between 0.1 ml and 0.5 ml of the terpene solution to the mixing container
Terpenes should make up 1% to 10% of your final product. Any more may become unsafe for consumption. Start by adding 0.1 to 0.5 mL of terpenes per gram of your concentrate. Increase the amount of terpenes until you are happy with the consistency and flavor/aroma.
Step 5 Heat mixing vial with lighter or torch and stir gently
Once you have your concentrate and terpenes in the mixing container, heat it gently for a minute with your lighter for five or six seconds. Then stir gently with a stainless steel mixing tool. Aim for a consistency that’s almost as thick as molasses.
Step 6 : Inject your mixture into an empty cartridge
If you intend to load your mixture into a cartridge, use a syringe to move it from the mixing container to the cartridge. If you’re using one of the cartridges provided in the Terpene Essentials 7-Piece Kit , fill it up to the first O-ring. If you’re using your own cartridge or other device, just make sure you don’t overfill. Keep the solution below any threads or seals.
