Blogs

  • BVV Announces Launch of Neocision Spectra LED Grow Lights

    , by BVV Team BVV Announces Launch of Neo...

    BVV Announces Launch of Proprietary LED Lighting Line -  Expands Penetration in Hydroponics Grow Market

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  • LED Grow Light Design In A Cultivation Facility

    , by BVV Team LED Grow Light Design In A ...

    How can you compare all the new LED grow lights on the market today? How can you separate facts on LED lighting efficacy from unsupported marketing claims? Here are a few things we recommend.

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  • How Spectral Light Quality Impacts Plant Growth

    , by BVV Team How Spectral Light Quality ...

    What is the best light-emitting diodes (LED) grow light for growers? Before you start your search for the right light fixture, it is important to understand what plants need from the light fixture you choose.

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  • Measuring Performance of Horticultural Lighting Systems

    , by BVV Team Measuring Performance of Ho...

    In this article, we give growers an overview of the key metrics that should be used when comparing the performance of LED grow lights. 

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  • Silica Gels Role In Color Remediation & Extract purification

    , by Avery Benitez Silica Gels Role In Color R...

    When it comes to extract potency and purity, consumers prioritize nothing less than the best. Among the most valuable tools in extract purification, adsorbent filtration takes the spotlight, with silica gel being a powerful tool in creating the highest purity extracts possible. Silica gel, known for its versatility as an adsorption medium, has become a vital ally in achieving enhanced extract quality. In this article, we delve into the exceptional capabilities of silica gel, which enables the removal of unwanted compounds such as soaps, metals, and phospholipids, resulting in extracts of unmatched quality. Discover how silica gel revolutionizes the extraction process, yielding extracts that meet the highest standards of potency and purity.

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  • Meeting the Standard: How We Built the BVV 2-and-4CYL for Safety

    , by BVV Team Meeting the Standard: How W...

    At BVV, we believe that safety is paramount to a successful botanical extraction business. In a previous article, we wrote about the basics of Current Good Manufacturing Processes and following Standard Operating Procedures and their importance in manufacturing safe, pure, and consistent end-products. We’ve also shared Best Practices for a Safe Processing Lab. With this article, we explain how we designed the BVV Butane Recovery Pumps to adhere to safety standards.

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  • The Basics of Manufacturing Processes

    , by Avery Benitez The Basics of Manufacturing...

    In this article, we will define some of the more important principles of manufacturing a product to maintain a level of repeatability and traceability based on Current Good Manufacturing Practices. 

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  • What Are Terpenes?

    , by Avery Benitez What Are Terpenes?

    Terpenes are a group of naturally occurring volatile compounds that are produced by animals and plants alike. While terpenes may be a topic you may be unfamiliar with–surprise!–they are all around you.

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  • Ice Water vs. Hydrocarbon Extraction

    , by BVV Team Ice Water vs. Hydrocarbon E...

    In today's hemp processing market, current hemp processing methodologies can typically be divided into two distinct categories: solvent-based extraction methods and solventless-based extraction methods. In this article, we will compare both to better understand their benefits and drawbacks.

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  • Filtration Made Easy with Ashless Filter Paper

    , by Avery Benitez Filtration Made Easy with A...

    BVV offers a wide range of filtration aid with a variety of particle retention suited to your needs. In this blog, we explain the uses and benefits of Ashless Filter Papers.

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  • Powerful Powders on BVV™

    , by BVV Team Powerful Powders on BVV™

    In a competitive industry, nothing is more important than refining the quality and safety of your final product for the consumer. We at BVV™ have expanded our line of high-quality and FDA-GRAS* post-processing powders to help you get the end product that you want.

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  • Welcome to BVV Labs 2020

    , by BVV Team Welcome to BVV Labs 2020

    The BVV team is excited to announce the addition of a state-of-the-art research, development, and educational lab which will open towards the end of October, 2020. The 2,000 square-foot lab will be used to bench test equipment, as a classroom for educational courses for customers, and to process BVV hemp-derived products. The BVV team is striving to improve product quality and refine processes through data collection and analytics so we can better support our customers. The new lab will equip the team with the tools to do just this. In addition to improving products, the lab will be used as a space to educate and inform customers on products and best practices. Below is some of the equipment that will furnish the lab

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  • Grow Media

    , by Adam Marosi Grow Media

    Hydroponics, like other types of growing, needs a media for the plant to be in. There are various kinds of media you can use in hydroponics, some of them include: hydroton, coco coir, perlite, and soilless mix. These medias are great for plant growth and holding in water.

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  • Hydroponic Systems

    , by Adam Marosi Hydroponic Systems: 6 Types...

    Hydroponics can be overwhelming with the amount of choices available for the various grow systems on the market. If you don’t know where to start, we are here to help.

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  • Learning About Hydroponics: Air Pumps, Water Pumps, and Reservoir Heaters

    , by BVV Team Learning About Hydroponics:...

    When it comes to hydroponics, some of the most important parts of the system are the water, air pumps, and reservoir heaters. The water and air pumps ensure that plants get the nutrients and oxygen needed to grow and thrive. The reservoir heater is also crucial to regulating the water temperature. Water that is too cold on the roots may shock the plant, make the nutrient uptake hard to accomplish, and stunt the plant’s growth. Curious as to how the hydroponic system works? Here are the different hydroponic parts for the system.

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  • Water Filtration

    , by Adam Marosi Water Filtration

    In hydroponics, water filtration is a key factor in your garden’s success. Water filtration works by having water run through one of the filtration systems. It passes through a sediment filter. The sediment filter takes out sand, silt, rust, and other heavy minerals from the water. Next, the water runs through the carbon filter. The carbon filter removes iron, sulfur, and chlorine. High amounts of chlorine can affect the leaf tissue resulting in leaves with a scorched or burned appearance. If your water has too much iron or sulfur it can cause a nutrient lockout. When a nutrient lockup happens, the plant can’t uptake nutrients efficiently causing a weak and flimsy plant that causes stunted growth. The leaves of the plants will appear to have a nutrient deficiency by showing curling or yellowing. After it passes through both filters the water is free of containments and ready to use on your plants. Used in every aspect of your garden. From watering to hydroponics Advantages: Purified water free of containments Healthy water for your plants Disadvantages: Replace the filters after every 2-4 months

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  • Rolling Benches and Trays

    , by Adam Marosi Rolling Benches and Trays

    Rolling benches and trays can be used in multiple settings from greenhouses, commercial applications or at home. Rolling benches and trays come in multiple sizes to fit all trays on the market. Benches and trays are used for organization and saving space. In this post we will talk more in-depth about benches and trays.     Rolling Benches: Rolling benches fit all types plant trays in the market today. The rolling benches have special brackets for mounting any kind of grow light. The bench can be stationary or used with casters. The rolling benches can be available in one, two, and three tiers. Rolling benches are ideal for saving space and setting up a trellis net for plant support. Used in many greenhouses, commercial or home grower operations Advantages: Easily moveable Stationary Mounting for lighting Thick steel parts Easily Trellis plants Disadvantages: Limited light spacing for plants Tray Stands: Tray stands are for holding your tray in one place. The stand enables convenient access to plants for training or pruning. With tray stands you can easily setup a trellis net for plant support.   Used in many greenhouses, commercial or home grower operations Advantages: Easy setup Fits brand trays Fits brand reservoirs Easily Trellis plants Disadvantage: Stays in one spot

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  • Ballasts

    , by Adam Marosi Ballasts: What Are They & H...

    When considering a hydroponic lighting purchase, the type of ballast will be a key factor. The ballast is used for the Ceramic Metal Halide (CMH), Metal Halide (MH), High-Pressure Sodium (HPS), Single-Ended (SE) and Double Ended (DE) lighting systems. The ballast works by regulating the current to the lamps and provides enough voltage to start the lamps. Without a ballast to limit its current, a lamp connected directly to a high voltage power source would rapidly and uncontrollably increase its current draw. The lamp would overheat and burn out. During lamp start, the ballast must briefly supply high voltage to establish an arc between the two lamp electrodes. Once established the ballast quickly reduces the voltage and regulates the electric current to produce a steady light output. There are three types of ballasts, they include: Magnetic Digital Electronic Magnetic Ballasts: Used in fluorescent lighting systems. The electrical current is channeled into a single induction coil. Magnetic ballasts work mechanically through wire and steel and are the cheapest (cost-wise) option on the market. Pros: Inexpensive to buy Give a lower intensity output Extending the life of bulbs Don’t produce radio frequency interference Cons: Heavy & bulky Less efficient Can be noisy Casing can get hot   Electronic Ballasts: Used in most of the lighting systems excluding LEDS. Electronic ballasts rely on electronic components to regulate the voltage. Pros: Less potential for heat generation Less potential for noise Longer lamp operating life Cons: Power interference due to stored energy Less resistant to power surges More potential for sputtering       Digital Ballasts: Used in most of the lighting systems excluding LEDS. Digital ballasts use microprocessors which are even more efficient and can more closely monitor power and provide consistent power. The user can adjust the wattage anywhere from 400w to 1,000w.    Pros: Smaller and lighter More efficient Silent running Customizable dimming Higher output Cons: Expensive to buy Radio frequency interference  

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  • Hydroponic Lighting: Types Of Grow Lights

    , by BVV Team Hydroponic Lighting: Types ...

    Choosing the right grow lights is important when caring for your indoor plants. It's easy to get overwhelmed trying to distinguish between the different types of grow lights out there. Read on to learn about the diverse spectrum, so you'll know exactly when to use each type of light.

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  • C02 Enhancers

    , by Adam Marosi CO2 Enhancers

    When considering your grow setup, you should highly consider C02. Plants use the energy in sunlight to convert CO2 and water to sugar and oxygen. The plants use the sugar for food and CO2 gives the plants more energy to thrive and grow. You have various options when it comes to C02. You can use C02 tanks, mushroom bags, or an enhancer. All these options should be placed above the canopy of the flowers for optimal absorption. This ultimately will help increase in plant production and bigger yields.

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  • Best Practices for a Safe Processing Lab

    , by BVV Team Best Practices for a Safe P...

    To protect workers, lab personnel, and customers alike, it has been left up to employers and decision-makers to compose their safety protocol to align with the general requirements of any product processing plant - with added measures to address the unique obstacles of this industry. Here are 3 general topics to help promote Good Lab Practice (GLP)

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  • Introducing a new BVV™ Showroom

    , by BVV Team Introducing a new BVV™ Show...

    When it comes to education, we believe it is better to show rather than simply tell. We designed the BVV™ showroom to do just that. With our new showroom, guests can walk through multiple options of extraction equipment, lab certified ovens, DLC-listed grow lights, turnkey setups for explorers, and more.Accompanied by a knowledgeable representative of BVV™, you can expect to have any questions on operations or processes answered. Our goal is to ensure you have the right equipment for your needs and can operate them with ease and confidence. The BVV™ showroom is located in Naperville, Illinois. We welcome visitors between 9-5pm from Mondays through Fridays, and we highly recommend reaching out to us at support@shopbvv.com or by phone at (331) 281-0154. Let us help your business grow!  

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  • BVV Partners with Quickspark for Added Payment Flexibility and Financing

    , by Adam Ehlers BVV Partners with Quickspar...

    BVV is proud to announce the addition of Quickspark to our online-store, providing additional payment flexibility and financing for our customers. Quickspark is flexible working capital for businesses to secure financing for their needs. 

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  • New At BVV: Industry Leading Centrifuges

    , by Avery Benitez New At BVV: Industry Leadin...

    With the Farming Act of 2018 BVV was faced with the demands of both small scale and large-scale hemp farmers and processors for an ethanol extraction system.  Ethanol extraction is the preferred method of extracting hemp for its lower startup cost compared to hydrocarbon and CO2, simplicity of operation, high throughput, and overall efficiency of extraction. The first step was to choose what type of extraction and solvent recovery method we were going to use. We compared were centrifugal force and batch processing or basic column extraction.   Extraction Time Ease of Installation Agitation Solvent Recovery Solvent Temperature Control Ease of use Familiarity Centrifugal Extraction time range from 10-20 minutes based on soak time and agitation Requires three phase power for high HP motors on centrifuge Use built in motor to create agitation during soak and extraction step Use centrifugal force to spin dry most solvent from spent material If low temp needed requires the use of an external high kW low temp chiller/freezer Can be controlled via PLC and parameters can be set and controlled Commonly used in all households (washing machine) Batch Extraction time range from 5-10 minutes based on soak time only Doesn’t require high HP components compared to centrifuge No easy way to control any kind of agitation in the column Requires secondary solvent recovery method such as a screw press If low temp needed requires the use of an external high kW low temp chiller/freezer Manual control of all valves and times Must have some knowledge before running   In order to keep the extraction method simple and compact with user operation in mind we decided to use centrifugal extraction. The next step was to make sure our target customers were taken care of. We can’t forget that ethanol extraction started with bucket tech, so we immediately thought about the smaller scale users. This would also help smaller businesses start up with low cost and give them an opportunity to get their business going. The 45L allows for users to pack 8-12lbs comfortably and is a good size based on yield to process crude oil for further processing. On the other hand, we knew we needed a larger scale extraction system for the hemp farmers and processer; The 475L centrifuge was made to cater that market. Third was operation of the centrifuge and making it an overall better product with longevity and quality in mind. The centrifuge body is 304SS for ease of cleaning and low bacterial growth surface. We used EX rated (explosion proof) control box and motor with fully insulated wiring to protect all components from the flammability of ethanol vapor. Dampers were installed on the lid to help the user when lifting. The feet were made to be bolted down and have dampers to assist with any vibrations due to spinning. Siemens PLC control was used to all operation functions on the centrifuge. The operator can control agitation time, speed, and direction. For the drying cycle the operator controls parameters for four spin drying stages where speed and duration are the inputs. Lastly, the operator can install their own PLC controlled inlet and drain valve to control via PLC. Besides loading the material basket in the centrifuge, the operator has full control of the extraction process via the Siemens PLC. We have a hemp processing license in Illinois and have began to use the large centrifuge for our own hemp extraction facility. We are proud to present our 45L and 475L centrifuge to our loyal and new customers of this expanding industry. Additional Specs:   45L Centrifuge 475 Centrifuge Electrical Requirements 220V/60Hz/1PH 220V/60Hz/3PH Motor Power 2.2 Kw 11 Kw Separation Factor 566 430 Max RPM 1500 RPM 800 RPM Alcohol Removal Efficiency 97% TBD, Testing Underway Low Temperature Rating -40°F (-40°C) Number of Operators 1 2 Processing Time per run 15-20 minutes +20 minutes Centrifuge L x W x H (lid closed) 50” x 27.6” x 28.75” (1270mm x 701mm x 729mm) 89.5” x 65.25” x 47.5” (2273mm x 1657mm x 1207mm) Centrifuge L x W x H (lid open) 50” x 27.5” x 49.25” (1270mm x 701mm x 1251mm) 89.5” x 65.25” x 103.75” (2273mm x 1657mm x 2635mm) Control Box L x W x H 22” x 18.75” x 53.75” (559mm x 476mm x 1365mm) Control Box Weight 208lbs (94Kg) Overall L x W x H Centrifuge + Control Box 91” x 42” x 53.75” (2311mm x 1067mm x 1365mm) 141” x 65.25” x 47.5” (3581mm x 1657mm x 1207mm) 16.Centrifuge Base Dia. X H 20.25” x 16.25” (514mm x 413mm) 54.75 x 25.25” (1,391mm x 641mm) Basket Dimensions Dia. x H 17.5” x 11.75” (445mm x 298mm) 47.25” x 16.75” (120011mm x 425mm) Total Internal Volume Of Base 22.7gal (86L) 257.3gal (974L) Alcohol Requirement per run 17gal (64L) TBD, Testing Underway Alcohol Requirement per 8hr at 20-minute run time 408gal (1,544L) TBD, Testing Underway Biomass Throughput per run   8-12lbs (3.6-5.4Kg) TBD, Testing Underway  Biomass Throughput per 8hr At lowest material pack 192lbs (87Kg) TBD, Testing Underway Centrifuge Total Weight 794lbs (360Kg) 5,600lbs (2540Kg)

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  • BVV Announces Addition of Summit Research Products

    , by Adam Marosi BVV Announces Addition of S...

    BVV (formerly known as Best Value Vacs), a local manufacturer and supplier of extraction equipment and related products is proud to announce the addition of Summit Research products to their webstore. Summit Research is a leading provider of high end short path distillation equipment, evaporation supplies, chillers, various types of filtration, and more. “We are excited to add Summit Research to our ever-growing product line. We’ve recognized Elliot Kremmerman [founder of Summit Research] as an industry pioneer in shortpath distillation and know he sets the benchmark for quality shortpath equipment. Summit makes incredible, domestically produced equipment that our customers are sure to benefit from,” says Adam Marosi, President of BVV. Mitchell Marosi, General Manager of BVV adds: “As a fast-growing company, we know the value of providing great products for our customer base. Summit Research creates incredible products for the extraction industry, and we are proud to be offering their products on our webstore. It’s a partnership that creates a lot of value for our customers, and we’re excited that they trusted our brand to distribute their products.” Summit Research customers can now find Summit Research products on BVV’s website, shopbvv.com, or by calling 331-281-0154. TO LEARN MORE PLEASE CONTACT BVV MEDIA RELATIONS AT support@shopbvv.com | (331) 281-0154 PLEASE USE THE SUBJECT LINE ATTN: Media Relations At BVV, we provide our customers the education, resources, and product solutions they need to become catalysts of future innovation and leaders in the industry.

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  • BVV Acquires Chicago-based Company Stainless Steel Express

    , by Adam Marosi BVV Acquires Chicago-based ...

    BVV is now proud to offer Stainless Steel Express products, expanding its services in the brewing and sanitary steel equipment market.   Naperville, IL, January 8th: BVV (formerly known as Best Value Vacs), a local manufacturer and supplier of extraction equipment and related products is proud to announce the acquisition of Stainless Steel Express. Stainless Steel Express (SSE) is a leading provider of industrial products for multiple industries, primarily for brewing and supporting equipment.    “We are excited about the addition of SSE to our ever-growing product line. With our presence in the extraction industry, our next step was to provide brewers and industrial suppliers with a larger variety of premium stainless steel equipment in 2020,” says Adam Marosi, President of BVV.    Mitchell Marosi, General Manager of BVV adds: “In 2019, our brand changed from ‘Best Value Vacs’, to BVV, which stands for Building Vision and Variety. This re-brand was made so that we’d have a better representation of all the products and industries we serve in conjunction with our original product line of solely vacuum chambers. As a fast-growing company, the strength of our brand lies in adding great products to our service. So, it only made sense to add Stainless Steel Express to the BVV family.”   Stainless Steel Express customers can now find Stainless Steel products on BVV’s website, or by calling 331-281-0154.    TO LEARN MORE PLEASE CONTACT BVV MEDIA RELATIONS AT support@shopbvv.com | (331) 281-0154 PLEASE USE THE SUBJECT LINE ATTN: Media Relations   BVV (Building Vision and Variety) is a leading provider of economical and effective vacuum chambers, extractors, and material processing equipment in the United States.    ###   If you would like more information about this topic, please call BVV Media Relations at (331) 281-0154 or email at support@shopbvv.com using the subject line ATTN: Media Relations.

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  • How To Calculate The Vapor Pressure Of Ethanol

    , by Mike Pabich How To Calculate The Vapor ...

    Before using the vapor pressure formula, we’re going to break down what it’s referring to so you understand what you’re calculating and why. For your purposes, vapor pressure is the level of pressure that a liquid is at when it’s equal to that of its surroundings. In a closed container or system, this means that the amount of molecules transitioning from a liquid state into a gaseous state is the same number as those going reverting back into a liquid after being a gas. In an open system, the vapor pressure would be reached when the liquid’s boiling point is equal to the overall atmospheric pressure.

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