Winterization is the process to remove undesirable elements that were extracted from the plant, for example fats, waxes and lipids. This process is needed when the oil was extracted using propane because this efficient extraction pulls everything from the plant, including material you don’t want in the final product. The extracted oil is crude oil, which needs refining. If left like this, it would be a cloudy liquid. Waxes constitute upwards of 15% of the crude oil, and once removed increase the CBD potency.
Once extracted, the mixture is combined with high purity alcohol and stirred vigorously until completely mixed. It’s then placed in a -40c freezer until the waxes solidify. The mixture will look cloudy and be ready for filtration. The mixture is then filtered through a filter press. Once it’s been filtered to satisfaction and the undesirable elements have been removed, it’s time to remove the alcohol. Through a distillation process of heat and vacuum, the alcohol is removed and recovered to be used again.