Thread: Better To Heat Before OR After Adding Carrier?

Originally Posted by Gearhead

I read somewhere that if you add the carrier after heating the compound and solvents, that you should first heat the carrier before mixing it in. Whether it matters or not it seems to make a bit of sense to me. Adding an unheated carrier would cause the temp of your heated mixture to drop rapidly and I don't know if that could cause a problem. That's why I'm trying to pick up any details I can. Even the smallest bit of accurate info is useful. From what most have said on this forum, I'm pretty sure I'm over-thinking the process. But I would rather over-think it than foul a batch because of ignorance.

As the carrier does not dissolve the chemicals, the solvents do. So I mix them first to make sure that the chemicals are dissolved and don't clump together. Then add the carrier so it goes into solution. But as long as everything dissolves it probably wouldn't matter. It usually only takes me a minute to dissolve my chemicals.

Originally Posted by korsaire

i personally will heat the oil first i go to 200 only for test e and test p and let it there for 30 minutes stirring from time to time the rest i just heat the oil to help in the dissolution of the raw stir until the raw is dissolve had ba and bb after and filter when warm never had pip from my brew or redness

I was under the impression that the BB is to help dissolve the raw. If so then why add it at the end? I can only guess it's to make sure the raw holds and doesn't fall out of suspension. I was also told if you just add your chems and leave it that the raw will dissolve on it's own eventually and heating is only to speed things up. I know the BA is a preservative so adding that at the end definitely makes sense because then it wouldn't be exposed to heat which can break materials down. Also, some peeps say it's the BB that often causes PIP. I'm guessing you run a fairly low BB% if you never have any problems adding it at the end. Going by all of the recipes I have come across, I have seen people use anywhere from 1% to 5% BA (which I think most people would say not to go over 2%) and anywhere between absolutely no BB to 20%. I think 20% is considered extreme by most that are experienced brewers and I would never go that high unless someone gave me a damn good reason to support using that much.

BB may not even be needed in low concentrate brews. Guys on here don't use it with 200-250mg/ml Test E.
300mg/ml then you throw in 5-10%, even 20% depending on preference and if it holds well for you and shoots well.

The 2% BA 20% BB recipe is thrown around a lot because it works with most brews due to the BB being 20% and can hold lots of shit and 2% is kinda the max I'd use for BA.