billy
Well-Known Member
I’ve been lurking on the forums here for the last couple of weeks and the first thing I want to say is thanks! I have already discovered a wealth of information and valuable advice and I’m sure more is to come.
Now, on to the details.
I have made some edibles in the past, but only ever using traditional butter methods - and mostly without a great deal of success. I was very interested when I started reading about coconut oil and thought it’d be a great way to get some experience with reclaiming ABV.
I have already seen a number of threads along similar lines, and I do apologise for inevitably rehashing points touched on before, however one thing I am often left wanting when reading of people’s adventures is specifics. I guess I’m a bit anal-retentive, but I really like to know every little step someone has taken to get to the final product. The more information you can provide, the more likely others are going to be able to reproduce your results.
To that end, I thought people might like to know exactly how I made my coconut oil and fudge. So, here goes. . .
Coconut Oil
Ingredients
Unrefined coconut oil - to a total of 100mL
You can use refined coconut oil also, which differs from unrefined coconut oil in the following ways:
Cost - the supermarket when I purchased my coconut oil sold the same amount of refined coconut oil by the same manufacturer for approximately 35% less. The main reason for this is that manufacturing unrefined oil is a more time consuming and cost intensive process
Taste - refined coconut oil has been bleached and heat treated which removes the strong coconut taste and aroma. Because of this, refined coconut oil is a more flexible option for cooking a wide variety of dishes
Composition - as the fat content of the oil is what the active compounds are extracted into it is lucky that the fat profile of both oils is practically identical, and either should results in similar strength results when used for extraction. The amount of the fatty acid lauric acid - which increases HDL or ‘good’ cholesterol - is also the same for unrefined and refined coconut oil. Unrefined oil, however, has a much greater concentration of phytonutrients which are effective as antioxidants.
Refined coconut oil also has a higher smoking point, and is therefore a safer oil to use for high temperature cooking. The smoking point is the temperature at which a fat or oil starts to degrade and produce toxic byproducts. As we’re cooking with actives, keeping temperatures low is a major concern and the smoking point of unrefined oil (~ 350 fahrenheit / 177C) is safe for most uses.
Finally, if you are going to use refined coconut oil, try and avoid those that have been partially hydrogenated as this will increase the trans fat content which acts to increase LDL - or ‘bad’ cholesterol.
7.0g ABV
The material used was ABV medium quality outdoor bud. The vast majority was vaped in a Pinnacle Pro on the lowest setting, which is approximately 370 fahrenheit or 188 celsius. There was also a small amount (less than 1.0g) of ABV from a Solo Arizer and MFLB.
I ground 7.3g of ABV in a small food processor until it was quite fine, with some being powdered, resulting in 7.0g for extraction.
2 teaspoon of soy lecithin granules
Soy lecithin is an emulsifier, which assists with the absorption of fats during digestion. The theory is that it allows for the fats and oils (and therefore the active compounds) to be absorbed faster and more completely, resulting in a quicker onset and more effective overall dose. Even without this benefit, soy lecithin has also been shown to reduce LDL and inflammation in the body.
Some people prefer powdered lecithin over granules, however I didn’t have any issues with the granules dissolving.
1 teaspoon white vinegar and ½ teaspoon salt
To be honest, I’m not up to scratch on the theory behind adding these to oil extractions, but anecdotal evidence suggests it helps getting the most out and I thought it couldn’t hurt.
Method
Approximately 100g of coconut oil was heated gently until completely melted. 1 teaspoon of lecithin, the vinegar and salt, and 7.0g of ground ABV were placed in the bottom of a pint sized mason jar and the oil added to a total of 100mL. The jar was then shaken for 5 minutes to ensure complete mixing.
The mason jar was then placed in an electric slow-cooker and water added until the jar was half submerged. The slow-cooker was set to the ‘low’ setting*, and the mixture left for a period of 24 hours. During the first hour the jar was agitated once every fifteen minutes, then once an hour for 3 hours, and finally once two hours before completion.
Once complete, the jar was removed from the slow-cooker and the oil allowed to cool until solid, ready for use.
(NB Ideally the more agitation the better while heating, but I had to work and sleep during the 24 hours)
* The temperature of the water was measured at 70C after reaching temperature
Results
The final cana-coconut oil was dirty brown in colour, and had a strong scent of coconut with mild hints of marijuana. After solidifying, a small amount of undissolved ABV remained visible in the jar.
At this point I was excited to have made the oil with no problems (what can really go wrong with such a simple process?) but was still unconvinced it was going to be useful. I decided to make fudge as it’s a simple process, and if things did turn out poorly at least I hadn’t wasted a whole lot of time and energy. Below is the recipe for the maple chocolate fudge I made.
Maple Chocolate Fudge
Ingredients
100mL cana-coconut oil
80mL pure medium maple syrup
½ cup unsweetened cocoa
¼ cup caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
a pinch of table salt
Method
The mason jar containing the oil was heated gently in water until the oil had completely melted. The warm mixture was then placed in a mixing bowl and the remaining ingredients added and folded through with a spatula. Once fully combined the batter was poured into small tupperware container (approximately 12cm square), allowed to cool to room temperature, then placed in the fridge.
Results
Once set, the fudge smelled strongly of chocolate and coconut. The scent of marijuana was present, but only very slightly. The total amount was divided into 7 serves (~28g of fudge, containing 1g of ABV).
The fudge tasted mostly of chocolate and coconut - not unlike a chocolate crackle - with a hint of maple and marijuana. The texture was mostly smooth and a little grainy - probably due to the undissolved ABV and crystallised sugar. Overall, it was pretty tasty for regular fudge, and more than acceptable compared to a lot of edibles I’ve had in the past.
And finally,
The High
Five of us had a dose each. One friend, who rarely uses marijuana, felt effects within the first half hour, and was well baked by an hour in - lasting a total of maybe four hours until he fell asleep.
A second, who smokes regularly, felt noticeable effects within an hour lasting four to five hours.
The final two friends and I, who are ‘heavy users’, noticed some effects within the first 30 minutes to an hour, with the peak arriving approximately two to three hours in.
Personally, I found the onset to be relatively quick, and very gentle. I was by no stretch of the imagination blown away, but I was certainly high and hadn’t smoked or vaped a thing. Basic memory anomalies were the most obvious effect, with an otherwise clear head and comfortable body high. About four hours in I had half a bullet from a Pinnacle Pro and was noticeably more intoxicated than usual from so little vape. By six hours in I had been up for twenty hours, and was tired and ready for sleep. Lying in bed my thoughts were very lucid and sleep came quickly. I awoke eight hours later feeling rested and with minimal mental residual.
So there you have it - my first experience making cana-coconut oil and a recipe for a nice way to eat it. Next time, I plan on making the dose one and a half to two times stronger for myself, but my first two friends said their dose a good level for them.
I hope you’ve enjoyed my first post, and sorry it was so long! I’d love to hear any thoughts, suggestions and questions you guys have.
billy
Now, on to the details.
I have made some edibles in the past, but only ever using traditional butter methods - and mostly without a great deal of success. I was very interested when I started reading about coconut oil and thought it’d be a great way to get some experience with reclaiming ABV.
I have already seen a number of threads along similar lines, and I do apologise for inevitably rehashing points touched on before, however one thing I am often left wanting when reading of people’s adventures is specifics. I guess I’m a bit anal-retentive, but I really like to know every little step someone has taken to get to the final product. The more information you can provide, the more likely others are going to be able to reproduce your results.
To that end, I thought people might like to know exactly how I made my coconut oil and fudge. So, here goes. . .
Coconut Oil
Ingredients
Unrefined coconut oil - to a total of 100mL
You can use refined coconut oil also, which differs from unrefined coconut oil in the following ways:
Cost - the supermarket when I purchased my coconut oil sold the same amount of refined coconut oil by the same manufacturer for approximately 35% less. The main reason for this is that manufacturing unrefined oil is a more time consuming and cost intensive process
Taste - refined coconut oil has been bleached and heat treated which removes the strong coconut taste and aroma. Because of this, refined coconut oil is a more flexible option for cooking a wide variety of dishes
Composition - as the fat content of the oil is what the active compounds are extracted into it is lucky that the fat profile of both oils is practically identical, and either should results in similar strength results when used for extraction. The amount of the fatty acid lauric acid - which increases HDL or ‘good’ cholesterol - is also the same for unrefined and refined coconut oil. Unrefined oil, however, has a much greater concentration of phytonutrients which are effective as antioxidants.
Refined coconut oil also has a higher smoking point, and is therefore a safer oil to use for high temperature cooking. The smoking point is the temperature at which a fat or oil starts to degrade and produce toxic byproducts. As we’re cooking with actives, keeping temperatures low is a major concern and the smoking point of unrefined oil (~ 350 fahrenheit / 177C) is safe for most uses.
Finally, if you are going to use refined coconut oil, try and avoid those that have been partially hydrogenated as this will increase the trans fat content which acts to increase LDL - or ‘bad’ cholesterol.
7.0g ABV
The material used was ABV medium quality outdoor bud. The vast majority was vaped in a Pinnacle Pro on the lowest setting, which is approximately 370 fahrenheit or 188 celsius. There was also a small amount (less than 1.0g) of ABV from a Solo Arizer and MFLB.
I ground 7.3g of ABV in a small food processor until it was quite fine, with some being powdered, resulting in 7.0g for extraction.
2 teaspoon of soy lecithin granules
Soy lecithin is an emulsifier, which assists with the absorption of fats during digestion. The theory is that it allows for the fats and oils (and therefore the active compounds) to be absorbed faster and more completely, resulting in a quicker onset and more effective overall dose. Even without this benefit, soy lecithin has also been shown to reduce LDL and inflammation in the body.
Some people prefer powdered lecithin over granules, however I didn’t have any issues with the granules dissolving.
1 teaspoon white vinegar and ½ teaspoon salt
To be honest, I’m not up to scratch on the theory behind adding these to oil extractions, but anecdotal evidence suggests it helps getting the most out and I thought it couldn’t hurt.
Method
Approximately 100g of coconut oil was heated gently until completely melted. 1 teaspoon of lecithin, the vinegar and salt, and 7.0g of ground ABV were placed in the bottom of a pint sized mason jar and the oil added to a total of 100mL. The jar was then shaken for 5 minutes to ensure complete mixing.
The mason jar was then placed in an electric slow-cooker and water added until the jar was half submerged. The slow-cooker was set to the ‘low’ setting*, and the mixture left for a period of 24 hours. During the first hour the jar was agitated once every fifteen minutes, then once an hour for 3 hours, and finally once two hours before completion.
Once complete, the jar was removed from the slow-cooker and the oil allowed to cool until solid, ready for use.
(NB Ideally the more agitation the better while heating, but I had to work and sleep during the 24 hours)
* The temperature of the water was measured at 70C after reaching temperature
Results
The final cana-coconut oil was dirty brown in colour, and had a strong scent of coconut with mild hints of marijuana. After solidifying, a small amount of undissolved ABV remained visible in the jar.
At this point I was excited to have made the oil with no problems (what can really go wrong with such a simple process?) but was still unconvinced it was going to be useful. I decided to make fudge as it’s a simple process, and if things did turn out poorly at least I hadn’t wasted a whole lot of time and energy. Below is the recipe for the maple chocolate fudge I made.
Maple Chocolate Fudge
Ingredients
100mL cana-coconut oil
80mL pure medium maple syrup
½ cup unsweetened cocoa
¼ cup caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
a pinch of table salt
Method
The mason jar containing the oil was heated gently in water until the oil had completely melted. The warm mixture was then placed in a mixing bowl and the remaining ingredients added and folded through with a spatula. Once fully combined the batter was poured into small tupperware container (approximately 12cm square), allowed to cool to room temperature, then placed in the fridge.
Results
Once set, the fudge smelled strongly of chocolate and coconut. The scent of marijuana was present, but only very slightly. The total amount was divided into 7 serves (~28g of fudge, containing 1g of ABV).
The fudge tasted mostly of chocolate and coconut - not unlike a chocolate crackle - with a hint of maple and marijuana. The texture was mostly smooth and a little grainy - probably due to the undissolved ABV and crystallised sugar. Overall, it was pretty tasty for regular fudge, and more than acceptable compared to a lot of edibles I’ve had in the past.
And finally,
The High
Five of us had a dose each. One friend, who rarely uses marijuana, felt effects within the first half hour, and was well baked by an hour in - lasting a total of maybe four hours until he fell asleep.
A second, who smokes regularly, felt noticeable effects within an hour lasting four to five hours.
The final two friends and I, who are ‘heavy users’, noticed some effects within the first 30 minutes to an hour, with the peak arriving approximately two to three hours in.
Personally, I found the onset to be relatively quick, and very gentle. I was by no stretch of the imagination blown away, but I was certainly high and hadn’t smoked or vaped a thing. Basic memory anomalies were the most obvious effect, with an otherwise clear head and comfortable body high. About four hours in I had half a bullet from a Pinnacle Pro and was noticeably more intoxicated than usual from so little vape. By six hours in I had been up for twenty hours, and was tired and ready for sleep. Lying in bed my thoughts were very lucid and sleep came quickly. I awoke eight hours later feeling rested and with minimal mental residual.
So there you have it - my first experience making cana-coconut oil and a recipe for a nice way to eat it. Next time, I plan on making the dose one and a half to two times stronger for myself, but my first two friends said their dose a good level for them.
I hope you’ve enjoyed my first post, and sorry it was so long! I’d love to hear any thoughts, suggestions and questions you guys have.
billy