Easy ABV Coconut Oil Recipe(Crockpot)
- Thread starter Nosferatu
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twigs
Pay no mind to those voices in my head
Thanks. I'll give it a try next batch.
Chandler
Well-Known Member
Batch #3
was experimenting yesterday. Made a few changes to the technique.
1. i used the mason jar method in the crock pot.
2. First, i decarbed my herbs inside the mason jar 180f for 45 mins
3. i didn't use any abv, used 30g of approximately 20 different strains: 1 3/4 cups coconut oil
4. i didn't add any water to the coconut oil to be separated later. i will do a 'water flush' after the infusion is complete.
5. currently at about 7 hours. past experiments didn't cook for longer than 5 hrs
Observations and mistakes: first mistake, i turned the crock pot on high to get the water going. put my mason jar into the water and told myself to return in ten minutes to turn it down.... i fell asleep. woke about 3 hours later and that shit was bubbling. turned it down, gave the jar a shake, added a tsp of lecithin and let it keep steeping. I wonder how much damage i did to the final outcome?? i think i'll let it steep till noon and see how well a 12 hour steep works...
i won't know till its finished how well the decarb worked, but with such a long steep theres no telling if decarbing inside the mason jar is a good way to go. however, the smell was soooo minimal. this method imo cut the smell back more than 50%. The mason jar in the crockpot is also the way to go. i can't do these experiments in my own home, so i usually do them at someone elses house while bbqing... i've been steeping for over 7 hrs now inside my own bathroom. virtually no smell. you have to enter the washroom and be next to the pot to smell it. even then, it smells of coconut more than herbs.
Heres a great article from well known experienced cannacooks, on why not to add water during your extraction process http://www.badkatscannapharm.com/interesting-reading
looking forward to this batch.
was experimenting yesterday. Made a few changes to the technique.
1. i used the mason jar method in the crock pot.
2. First, i decarbed my herbs inside the mason jar 180f for 45 mins
3. i didn't use any abv, used 30g of approximately 20 different strains: 1 3/4 cups coconut oil
4. i didn't add any water to the coconut oil to be separated later. i will do a 'water flush' after the infusion is complete.
5. currently at about 7 hours. past experiments didn't cook for longer than 5 hrs
Observations and mistakes: first mistake, i turned the crock pot on high to get the water going. put my mason jar into the water and told myself to return in ten minutes to turn it down.... i fell asleep. woke about 3 hours later and that shit was bubbling. turned it down, gave the jar a shake, added a tsp of lecithin and let it keep steeping. I wonder how much damage i did to the final outcome?? i think i'll let it steep till noon and see how well a 12 hour steep works...
i won't know till its finished how well the decarb worked, but with such a long steep theres no telling if decarbing inside the mason jar is a good way to go. however, the smell was soooo minimal. this method imo cut the smell back more than 50%. The mason jar in the crockpot is also the way to go. i can't do these experiments in my own home, so i usually do them at someone elses house while bbqing... i've been steeping for over 7 hrs now inside my own bathroom. virtually no smell. you have to enter the washroom and be next to the pot to smell it. even then, it smells of coconut more than herbs.
Heres a great article from well known experienced cannacooks, on why not to add water during your extraction process http://www.badkatscannapharm.com/interesting-reading
looking forward to this batch.
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Chandler
Well-Known Member
I know this thread has BEEN dead, but i'll still post my experiments as the ideas might be helpful to someone in the future!
Batch #4
1. 30grams of sativa dominant ABV/1 cup of coconut oil
2. cook time: 14 hours
3. Used a 1L Mason jar inside the crockpot. just like my previous batch
4. added a pinch of lecithin
5. end result: FANTASTIC!
This was my first batch of ABV that i cooked myself. previous batches i usually added abv just to 'spice up' the mix. I tried just over half a tsp, results were awesome. hours of upliftment and an incredibly fulfilling sleep.
If your still throwing out your ABV, your wasting valuable medicine!!!
Batch #4
1. 30grams of sativa dominant ABV/1 cup of coconut oil
2. cook time: 14 hours
3. Used a 1L Mason jar inside the crockpot. just like my previous batch
4. added a pinch of lecithin
5. end result: FANTASTIC!
This was my first batch of ABV that i cooked myself. previous batches i usually added abv just to 'spice up' the mix. I tried just over half a tsp, results were awesome. hours of upliftment and an incredibly fulfilling sleep.
If your still throwing out your ABV, your wasting valuable medicine!!!
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Vaporbabe
Member
Thanks for the tips, I love walking with coconut oil, when I started diluting my cannabis oil with coconut I realised I had found a Power Couple! It activates the herb in under 20min and the results have been amazing! With all the benefits of both oils, you really can't go wrong! I even give very low doses to my 14-year-old Jack Russel and it's amazing what it does for him - he is like a puppy again!
My own input with a deadly simple easy recipe. First I see many of you are using grrat quantities of abv. And consuming it very quickly too.
The simple way I have been making it for 2 years, from frsh bud and abv (separately, although I see nothing wrong with adding a little fresh bud to a pile of abv to spruce and liven it up a bit), makes very potent oil and you really dont need a lot of it.
I usually use about 8 grams of abv only. I put 115 grams of coconut oil into a small stainless steel saucepan, melt it, add the abv, add 2 teaspoons of sunflowwr lecithin (from ebay, always use sunflower and never soy).
Then simply keep on the lowest heat, on the least hot hob, for anywhere from 1 to 2 hours, stirring every 15/20 minutes.
Simple as that. No water involved to have to separate later, no crockpot. Just add shit together in saucepan, lowest heat on hob (electric cooker we have, so setting 1 on the cooler back ring), and leave for up to 2 hours.
The longer you cook the weed, abv or fresh, the more sedative the effect will become, as more of the cbn is extracted, and I think the longer cooking may degrade more thc into cbn as well.
For this reason, I personally dont go over 2 hours and I havent found it necessary to get very potent oil with only small doses needed.
The hardest bit is actually straining it out. I get muslin over a glass jar and when cooled, strain through into the jar. Tip all the plant matter into the muslin, wrap into a ball and squeeze the excess oil into the jar. The lecithin will also be present in the strained oil as it goes through the muslin, but there will also be a load of lecithin left behind in the muslin with the plant matter, all still soaking in oil that cant be squeezed out.
So there you have your dead easy jar or canna- cocnut oil. It works great. My mum adores it, she has some every day. I have bought her a Vapcap OG and Omnivap, but she hardly uses them ever as she loves her "cannabutter" too much, as she calls it (even though it is coconut oil- doesnt quite have the same ring does it?)
So here is the best bit seriously- dont throw away the ball of weed wrapped in muslin which is still soaking in coconut oil. Make tea with it. Just keep it warpped up tight so it doesnt come undone, with a pigtail twist I mean. Put in a cup, pour boiling water over it and squeeze out with a spoon.
You will get the NICEST cup of tea of your life!
The lecithin makes it really creamy and milky and delicious. That first cup you make, it is impossible to know the dose. I have had some of the best effects and onset of weed in my life from these cups of tea. I often get several days of use from the muslin tea alone, before I even need to go near the jar.
Why make the whole process complicated when it can be done so simply.
Of course abv has been decarbed and fresh bud will need to be decarbed first. The Nova decarb machine looks great but pricey. We just do it in the oven. Somewhere between 225 °F and 240° F for 60 minutes.
Lower temp retains more terpenes, higher temp can make it more potent.
Edit- I have thought about getting this product into tescos, next to the "I cant belive its not butter"!
The simple way I have been making it for 2 years, from frsh bud and abv (separately, although I see nothing wrong with adding a little fresh bud to a pile of abv to spruce and liven it up a bit), makes very potent oil and you really dont need a lot of it.
I usually use about 8 grams of abv only. I put 115 grams of coconut oil into a small stainless steel saucepan, melt it, add the abv, add 2 teaspoons of sunflowwr lecithin (from ebay, always use sunflower and never soy).
Then simply keep on the lowest heat, on the least hot hob, for anywhere from 1 to 2 hours, stirring every 15/20 minutes.
Simple as that. No water involved to have to separate later, no crockpot. Just add shit together in saucepan, lowest heat on hob (electric cooker we have, so setting 1 on the cooler back ring), and leave for up to 2 hours.
The longer you cook the weed, abv or fresh, the more sedative the effect will become, as more of the cbn is extracted, and I think the longer cooking may degrade more thc into cbn as well.
For this reason, I personally dont go over 2 hours and I havent found it necessary to get very potent oil with only small doses needed.
The hardest bit is actually straining it out. I get muslin over a glass jar and when cooled, strain through into the jar. Tip all the plant matter into the muslin, wrap into a ball and squeeze the excess oil into the jar. The lecithin will also be present in the strained oil as it goes through the muslin, but there will also be a load of lecithin left behind in the muslin with the plant matter, all still soaking in oil that cant be squeezed out.
So there you have your dead easy jar or canna- cocnut oil. It works great. My mum adores it, she has some every day. I have bought her a Vapcap OG and Omnivap, but she hardly uses them ever as she loves her "cannabutter" too much, as she calls it (even though it is coconut oil- doesnt quite have the same ring does it?)
So here is the best bit seriously- dont throw away the ball of weed wrapped in muslin which is still soaking in coconut oil. Make tea with it. Just keep it warpped up tight so it doesnt come undone, with a pigtail twist I mean. Put in a cup, pour boiling water over it and squeeze out with a spoon.
You will get the NICEST cup of tea of your life!
The lecithin makes it really creamy and milky and delicious. That first cup you make, it is impossible to know the dose. I have had some of the best effects and onset of weed in my life from these cups of tea. I often get several days of use from the muslin tea alone, before I even need to go near the jar.Why make the whole process complicated when it can be done so simply.
Of course abv has been decarbed and fresh bud will need to be decarbed first. The Nova decarb machine looks great but pricey. We just do it in the oven. Somewhere between 225 °F and 240° F for 60 minutes.
Lower temp retains more terpenes, higher temp can make it more potent.
Edit- I have thought about getting this product into tescos, next to the "I cant belive its not butter"!
Chandler
Well-Known Member
The thread is Alive!
@Alexis thanks for the input!
115 grams? so basically 1/2 cup of coconut oil. hmmm. your using 8g/half cup of oil.... i'm using 14grams/half cup... interesting. in time i will have made enough batches to test if decreasing the amount of abv/herbs by half still produces effects i enjoy...
Personally, i don't cook herbs inside my home, so when i get the opportunity i'm making a nice amount. at least 1 cup+, and naturally everyones consumption rate will differ.
24 tsp =1/2 cup
for me a nice dose is 1/2 tsp
therefore, i'd get 48 doses from 1/2 cup. so 96 doses from my current batch. thats alot of doses!
2 tsp lecithin? damnnnn. that sounds like alot. i'm using less than a tsp per 1 cup of oil... i find that the lecithin doesn't always emulsify well, it tends to separate and end up at the bottom of the oil, so i began to add less... further experimentation is necessary. i think i'll try adding such an amount next time and observe if it truly hastens the onset of effects.
i can't comment on this as yet with complete accuracy. not enough experimentation done. however, in my experience the longer cook time didn't necessarily create a product to put me to sleep. i'm using sativa dominant herbs. my last batch cooked for 14 hours. the effects are extremely cerebral, euphoric, uplifting, happy, motivating etc... after a solid 4 - 5 hours, yes sedative effects begin to kick in, but the initial effects are totally sativa!
so for me, i find the herb your using dictates the effects you'll receive!
@Alexis, @CarolKing, @Squiby, are you guys using lecithin granules or lecithin liquid??
@Alexis thanks for the input!
115 grams? so basically 1/2 cup of coconut oil. hmmm. your using 8g/half cup of oil.... i'm using 14grams/half cup... interesting. in time i will have made enough batches to test if decreasing the amount of abv/herbs by half still produces effects i enjoy...
Personally, i don't cook herbs inside my home, so when i get the opportunity i'm making a nice amount. at least 1 cup+, and naturally everyones consumption rate will differ.
24 tsp =1/2 cup
for me a nice dose is 1/2 tsp
therefore, i'd get 48 doses from 1/2 cup. so 96 doses from my current batch. thats alot of doses!
2 tsp lecithin? damnnnn. that sounds like alot. i'm using less than a tsp per 1 cup of oil... i find that the lecithin doesn't always emulsify well, it tends to separate and end up at the bottom of the oil, so i began to add less... further experimentation is necessary. i think i'll try adding such an amount next time and observe if it truly hastens the onset of effects.
i can't comment on this as yet with complete accuracy. not enough experimentation done. however, in my experience the longer cook time didn't necessarily create a product to put me to sleep. i'm using sativa dominant herbs. my last batch cooked for 14 hours. the effects are extremely cerebral, euphoric, uplifting, happy, motivating etc... after a solid 4 - 5 hours, yes sedative effects begin to kick in, but the initial effects are totally sativa!
so for me, i find the herb your using dictates the effects you'll receive!
@Alexis, @CarolKing, @Squiby, are you guys using lecithin granules or lecithin liquid??
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Hey man. There is no real set way to go about this regarding amounts and ratio to oil etc. I only use 8 grams for the sake of rationing the edibles. I usually have about 15 or 16 grams of abv in my tin, so I cook half of it so that I can stretch it over my vapor breaks, and thee is another batch wwiting for next time, by which time the tin has built up again.
I use a relatively little amount of oil as well so I dont have to take a lot of coconut oil for a big dose. I enjoy coconut oil with my meals each day for flavor. I use about 50 grams average per day, as this is the amount I deem to be right for my body,,in balance with ex v olive oil too.
So I dont want to eat 5 to 10 grams of coconut oil each time I eat abv, more like 2 to 3 grams.
So you can play with the ratios, you will still get the same effect once you figure your dose.
I can understand that and how it is in your interests to cook more at a time and less often.
You are right we all consume diff amounts. I could eat a LOT more of the stuff, but I try to be moderate and make my rations last.
If you lower the weed to oil ratio you will just need to take more of it. The effect is purely dependant on the amount of weed, and obviously the extraction method, nothing to do with ratio.
Neither- I use sunflower lecithin powder, this is what you want.
2 teaspoons is definitely not too much. I think it is possible to not use enough, I feel a little more does help with the extraction. If I did a larger batch, with more oil and weed I would use even more lecithin accordingly. With the powder, there is no issue , it mixes and dissolves perfectly. Try and get this if you can.
Absolutely, totally agree. I am not using fresh herb for a start. My harvest last summer got messed up, Im allergic to organic fertilisers we tried with most plants, and the 3 I can use got infested with tiny bugs. I have no other weed supply and really need it for my depression and Lyme Disease symptoms, so I go throuh every bud with tweezers and a lens before vaping. It is too much hassle to do this with a larger amount for cooking though.
Fresh weed is much more lively buzz, more uplifting and euphoric. Abv tends to be primarily physical for me with little high, and it makes me very lethargic, heavy, sleepy in a way I dont really enjoy.
The best thing about the edibles for me (my sleepy, low high abv) is how AMAZING it is for the stomach and digestive system. I have serious digestive problems due to allergies and imbalanced intestinal flora and I cant take probiotics or enzymes of any supplements. The edibles are a godsend for digestive and bowel function.
Also, due to my harvest being compromised my abv has been mainly a heavy indica strain that I dont like as it is particularly physically debilitating for my chronic fatigue condition.
Edibles in general are more debilitating for my fatigue and energy muscularly, even fresh weed. But I did cook the Durban Poison sugar leaves (sativa) and I got on mich better with that. Also, the plants were harvested toolate due to prolongued damp weather, so we eneded up letting them go longer when the weather picked up, so the thc degraded quite a bit into cbn, which is unpleasant to me and not desirable.
Very mongy, lethargic, sleepy, groggy, dizzy-- is cbn. Grrat for pain amd sleep though, probably digestion and bowels too.
So I agree with you entirely about the effects being down to the strain and condition etc.
So if your weed is high in cbn, I think longer cooking may possibly make it a heavier buzz, but I think in general that principle does apply, although you may not notice with a high sativa, low cbn batch.
Also cookong methods will vary. I havent gone over 3 hours. The effect was a lot heavier with 3 hours than 2, though not necessarily better. 2 to 3 hours with this method in a saucepan is plently I feel, providing the weed is decarbed first in oven, or by vaping (abv).
If you cant decarb the weed first then you may actually need to increase the cooking time, maybe even considerably, in order to decarb as you go along.
Discalimer- none of this is fact, I really dont know anything about this subject, just sharing my own experience. I do know that this basic method works very well and a very small amount of weed has a substantial effect. I gave doses to people who would eat 4 grams of skunk in cannabutter without decarbing it first. I gave them about 0.35 grams worth and they rated it and got very high!
So keep experiemting. I do feel this task can be accomplished more simply. If you strain through muslin as I descibe above, you will ewnt clean hands and a knife as the oil will cover your fingers when you squeese it, so you can scrape it off with the table knife into the jar ()or just lick your fingers when done!
But whatever, make sure you try the tea making from the bundle of weed and lecithin soaking in oil in the muslin. Just cover it with boiling water in a cup, squeeze with spoon a few times and you will have a dark milky tea to top up with more water and put the muslin in fridge for later of next few days. Squeeze as much water out as poss each time to keep it longer. About 4 days is prob max shelf life if it lasts that long.
But beware, if you are cooking a bigger batch, you could get an unexpectedly large dose from the first cup of tea you strain. I have surpised myself amd my mum a few times!
Make sure you squeeze as much of the oil out of the muslin first, more so as not to ne wasteful and stay moderate. No point in having 3 times what you need when you can get 3 days out of it is there?
Anyway, here is my jar I made 3 months ago from 8 grams of abv. I am on a vapor break now. I only use it minimally when vaping for digestive support, and save it to get me though my vapor breaks. But I have about 16 grams more to cook up anyway. I am going to start enjoying this more now, beginning right now!
Happy weekend everyone!
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I have just finished another batch of oil.
I finished with 160 grams in total.
.5 of a gram has me tripping the light fantastic for most of the day.
Aiming for maximum potency, this time I tried something different.
As usual pot of water.
180 grams of B grade buds with a sativa leaning.
Then I added the coconut oil and cannabis gram for gram.
Simmered for around 3 hours then did the first oil extraction. Once the cannabis had been pressed to extract the oil, it is then placed back into fresh boiling water along with around 30% of the original weight of coconut oil. Simmer for about 30 to 45 minutes and press again. In effect a second wash.
I am curious to see what a third wash may yield.
The first wash oil was quite strong with the second good but not as strong as the first. Combined they are still very good.
Now I am not sure why the second was so good.
Is it because I hit saturation point with the first wash or is it just residuals that can't be pressed out in one go and need flushing?
Also I find I am losing around 15% weight of coconut oil in each cook.
When the next cook up comes around I will definitely be doing a second wash.
I finished with 160 grams in total.
.5 of a gram has me tripping the light fantastic for most of the day.
Aiming for maximum potency, this time I tried something different.
As usual pot of water.
180 grams of B grade buds with a sativa leaning.
Then I added the coconut oil and cannabis gram for gram.
Simmered for around 3 hours then did the first oil extraction. Once the cannabis had been pressed to extract the oil, it is then placed back into fresh boiling water along with around 30% of the original weight of coconut oil. Simmer for about 30 to 45 minutes and press again. In effect a second wash.
I am curious to see what a third wash may yield.
The first wash oil was quite strong with the second good but not as strong as the first. Combined they are still very good.
Now I am not sure why the second was so good.
Is it because I hit saturation point with the first wash or is it just residuals that can't be pressed out in one go and need flushing?
Also I find I am losing around 15% weight of coconut oil in each cook.
When the next cook up comes around I will definitely be doing a second wash.
MinnBobber
Well-Known Member
..............................................................................................................................................
Interesting. So you really have boiling water + cannabis + Coconut oil??? Cannabis just floating loose or ?
How/ with what do you press out the oil? Is the second press with virgin oil or infused?
Water ,oil and cannabis all mixed together. Just a big soup mix.
I add the cannabis to water to try and rehydrate it a little during the extraction and also to prevent overheating and burning.
I try to keep the water at just below a simmer, about 95c.
The best way to describe my press is think of a lever action garlic press big enough to fit your fist in. Picked it up from a cooking supply shop years ago.
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/85/60/32/856032e6851fddd387364d0495da6bcf.jpg
The second press is with fresh oil as the first may be fully saturated with resin and cannabinoids.
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Wow you are doing this properly! I wish Inwas in that position, in terms of weed supply.
The press sounds like a great idea.
So you dont decar first? This could be why you get more extraction 2nd time around? Longer heating time is required to make actives available? Not sure about that however.
No sunflower lecithin? If you do this again, adding lecithin powder will surely assist the process, and make for a better extraction first time around.
Not sure about thst, but it should certainly improve results and potency. At the dosage you are taliking about, using my method, even 0.5 grams would be a very nice dose, and it sounds like it worked very nicely for you. However decarbing the weed first, and using sunflower lecithin powder will only increase potency.
The coconut oil will not vanish, it will only go somewhere- 2 possible places- the sides of the pot, and the weeed itself, as you wont press it ALL out. So you can keep trying diff ways to get it out of the weed, like pour boiling water over it, no more coconut oil added, then strain through muslin, or even with your strainer again and drink tea, if you are brave enough! Be careful!
just take small doses or share with friends, as there is surely a LOT of potency left in the oil, in the weed still.That is a lot of coconut oil behind, and my experience of straining my muslin into tea, using only coconut oil and lecithin amd no water, is that the oil that gets trapped behind in the weed to get put with boiling water, is the most potent, and you cant be sure of the dose so be cautious.
Have you ever tried it with only coconut oil? If your hob can be set on a low enough heat and you keep an eye on it and stir every 15/20 mins, there should be little chance of burning.
I would really love to know if using only coconut oil as I descibe above is just as effective or even better?
Except without water I think you would need to use a lot more coconut oil as the weed would never fit in oil gram for gram.
Myself I would be worried about traces of water in the final product. Are we not supposed to freeze it and let is seperate and remove the top/bottom layer as well? (Not sure about that last bit, but I know there are some steps to take to get all the water removed or else it can get spoiled.)
Im jealous really. Here I am rationing abv coconut oil from dtrains I dont like, I would love to be able to go to town like some of you folks and do things properly!
Enjoy!
Chandler
Well-Known Member
The thread lives!!
I also added water to my oil or butter as it cooked, for the same reasons. the link above changed my mind, as they have extensive experience and a great understanding. They suggest adding water initially before the herb has infused takes away from the finished product. Adding water AFTER the herb has infused, then cooling, separating, discarding is what they claim to be the 'cleanest' way to go....
end of the day, we can definitely see there is no WRONG way to go, as we all see great results with different techniques. I try to refine process each time, trying to get the purest most potent product possible!!!
I also added water to my oil or butter as it cooked, for the same reasons. the link above changed my mind, as they have extensive experience and a great understanding. They suggest adding water initially before the herb has infused takes away from the finished product. Adding water AFTER the herb has infused, then cooling, separating, discarding is what they claim to be the 'cleanest' way to go....
end of the day, we can definitely see there is no WRONG way to go, as we all see great results with different techniques. I try to refine process each time, trying to get the purest most potent product possible!!!
Some food for thought on water on no water:
"Cannabis cooks tend to use water when heating marijuana for an hour or longer. Catalano says cooking with water has three benefits: separation of trim and oil; a reduction in flavor; and clarification of waste materials. The water acts as a separator during the cooling stage. The oil layer congeals and floats over the water. Reduction of flavor is another advantage. Catalano says marijuana trim leaches more chlorophyll than flowers, so if you are cooking trim with water, it will remove more chlorophyll during the cooking process. Clarification is another benefit. Loose plant material will sink to the bottom and the oil will float above.
At times, cooking marijuana in water and and letting the layers naturally separate is easier than pressing the plant material through a fine mesh strainer when cooked without water.
Among the reasons why Catalano prefers to not cook cannabis oils with water is safety. She cites the potential dangers of residual water in the oil becoming an environment for bacterial growth. “If you are using this (water) method for cannabis oil, you must consume the product immediately. You never want to have any trace amount of water/moisture in the final product.”
Also, Catalano says, “this method alters the consistency of cannabis butter to an almost gritty texture, which alters its performance for gaining the right texture in certain baked goods such as croissants.”
The last reason Catalano cooks without water for oil infusions is based on the raw ingredients. She saves marijuana trim for making hash and uses flowers/buds for cooking. “I want to harness all of the terpenoids and flavinoids in my oil/butter for flavor from the flowers. This is akin to infusing rosemary and other herbs into oil or a compound butter to elevate flavors in a dish. I would not want the water to minimize the flavors in my infused lipid, as when done correctly the taste is surprising quite pleasant and exciting.”
Using water in making infused oils and butters is a popular cooking option, but it’s not required. Catalano encourages, “If you find your method works and makes you happy, stick with it and have fun in the kitchen!”
So it may depend on what part of the plant you use.
Edit- Originally canabutter was most commonly made with butter, which is very prone to burning, and this was the primary reason for adding water initially.
Nowadays coconut oil is all the rage, no longer demonised, and is far superior to butter for the purpose.
Coconut oil wil not burn, the weed itsekf can so low temps and watchfulness required.
"Cannabis cooks tend to use water when heating marijuana for an hour or longer. Catalano says cooking with water has three benefits: separation of trim and oil; a reduction in flavor; and clarification of waste materials. The water acts as a separator during the cooling stage. The oil layer congeals and floats over the water. Reduction of flavor is another advantage. Catalano says marijuana trim leaches more chlorophyll than flowers, so if you are cooking trim with water, it will remove more chlorophyll during the cooking process. Clarification is another benefit. Loose plant material will sink to the bottom and the oil will float above.
At times, cooking marijuana in water and and letting the layers naturally separate is easier than pressing the plant material through a fine mesh strainer when cooked without water.
Among the reasons why Catalano prefers to not cook cannabis oils with water is safety. She cites the potential dangers of residual water in the oil becoming an environment for bacterial growth. “If you are using this (water) method for cannabis oil, you must consume the product immediately. You never want to have any trace amount of water/moisture in the final product.”
Also, Catalano says, “this method alters the consistency of cannabis butter to an almost gritty texture, which alters its performance for gaining the right texture in certain baked goods such as croissants.”
The last reason Catalano cooks without water for oil infusions is based on the raw ingredients. She saves marijuana trim for making hash and uses flowers/buds for cooking. “I want to harness all of the terpenoids and flavinoids in my oil/butter for flavor from the flowers. This is akin to infusing rosemary and other herbs into oil or a compound butter to elevate flavors in a dish. I would not want the water to minimize the flavors in my infused lipid, as when done correctly the taste is surprising quite pleasant and exciting.”
Using water in making infused oils and butters is a popular cooking option, but it’s not required. Catalano encourages, “If you find your method works and makes you happy, stick with it and have fun in the kitchen!”
So it may depend on what part of the plant you use.
Edit- Originally canabutter was most commonly made with butter, which is very prone to burning, and this was the primary reason for adding water initially.
Nowadays coconut oil is all the rage, no longer demonised, and is far superior to butter for the purpose.
Coconut oil wil not burn, the weed itsekf can so low temps and watchfulness required.
Wow you are doing this properly! I wish Inwas in that position, in terms of weed supply.
The press sounds like a great idea.
So you dont decar first? This could be why you get more extraction 2nd time around? Longer heating time is required to make actives available? Not sure about that however.
No sunflower lecithin? If you do this again, adding lecithin powder will surely assist the process, and make for a better extraction first time around.
Not sure about thst, but it should certainly improve results and potency. At the dosage you are taliking about, using my method, even 0.5 grams would be a very nice dose, and it sounds like it worked very nicely for you. However decarbing the weed first, and using sunflower lecithin powder will only increase potency.
The coconut oil will not vanish, it will only go somewhere- 2 possible places- the sides of the pot, and the weeed itself, as you wont press it ALL out. So you can keep trying diff ways to get it out of the weed, like pour boiling water over it, no more coconut oil added, then strain through muslin, or even with your strainer again and drink tea, if you are brave enough! Be careful!
That is a lot of coconut oil behind, and my experience of straining my muslin into tea, using only coconut oil and lecithin amd no water, is that the oil that gets trapped behind in the weed to get put with boiling water, is the most potent, and you cant be sure of the dose so be cautious.
Have you ever tried it with only coconut oil? If your hob can be set on a low enough heat and you keep an eye on it and stir every 15/20 mins, there should be little chance of burning.
I would really love to know if using only coconut oil as I descibe above is just as effective or even better?
Except without water I think you would need to use a lot more coconut oil as the weed would never fit in oil gram for gram.
Myself I would be worried about traces of water in the final product. Are we not supposed to freeze it and let is seperate and remove the top/bottom layer as well? (Not sure about that last bit, but I know there are some steps to take to get all the water removed or else it can get spoiled.)
Im jealous really. Here I am rationing abv coconut oil from dtrains I dont like, I would love to be able to go to town like some of you folks and do things properly!
Enjoy!
I use my cook time as the decarb.
I think I hit the oil saturation point with the first wash that is why I think the second was so good.
The resins and oils bond to coconut oil very quickly at the right temperature.
I do not use lecithin as coconut oil has its own MCT's plus I prefer the slower uptake and longer duration.
Thinking about the losses. Coconut oil boils off at 170c. To maintain a a cook temp of 95c the heating surface is at around 250c. So any cannabis saturated in oil that settles to the bottom of the pot could exceed 170c thus boiling off the oil. More work needed there.
I currently use so little oil that water is needed.
As for water contaminating oil. If it is let to cool slowly they separate like oil and water. I have found no contamination.
I don't worry about spoilage as I refrigerate a weeks worth at a time while the rest is kept in the freezer.
I have read that badkat article several times.
The thread lives!!
end of the day, we can definitely see there is no WRONG way to go, as we all see great results with different techniques. I try to refine process each time, trying to get the purest most potent product possible!!!
Thats what we all aim for.
MinnBobber
Well-Known Member
......................................................................
I didn't catch your recipe, what is the ratio of cannabis : coconut oil?
And then I suppose water can be almost unlimited as it's a heating agent and will be separated out later.
I'd still like to find a better way to contain buds while heating and be squishable after infusing, like a giant
teabag to hold 10 grams ABV as that is a lot for me. Something you can use for infusing, then squish out excess,
and I guess as mentioned here, brew some infused cannatea with the sludge b4 tossing.
EDIT: found your recipe,
"This is how I do a cook.
5 litres of water
150 grams of sugar trim and popcorn
300 grams of coconut oil"
.................................................................
From my mini-world, that's 15 grams of bud (ABV) and 30 grams of oil (1 oz) so that is
really a small amount of oil for that volume of bud!!!
No wonder it's so strong.
This makes me want to experiment with a combo of your method to finish AND a prior
water cure (several baths in distilled water ) to reduce the taste and prep it. You would not have to worry about drying the herb after the water bath
Someday it would be a real treat to also try this with virgin bud instead of drained ABV !!!
Last edited:
......................................................................
I didn't catch your recipe, what is the ratio of cannabis : coconut oil?
And then I suppose water can be almost unlimited as it's a heating agent and will be separated out later.
I'd still like to find a better way to contain buds while heating and be squishable after infusing, like a giant
teabag to hold 10 grams ABV as that is a lot for me. Something you can use for infusing, then squish out excess,
and I guess as mentioned here, brew some infused cannatea with the sludge b4 tossing.
EDIT: found your recipe,
"This is how I do a cook.
5 litres of water
150 grams of sugar trim and popcorn
300 grams of coconut oil"
.................................................................
From my mini-world, that's 15 grams of bud (ABV) and 30 grams of oil (1 oz) so that is
really a small amount of oil for that volume of bud!!!
No wonder it's so strong.
This makes me want to experiment with a combo of your method to finish AND a prior
water cure (several baths in distilled water ) to reduce the taste and prep it. You would not have to worry about drying the herb after the water bath
Someday it would be a real treat to also try this with virgin bud instead of drained ABV !!!
Those numbers are from a previous cook.
The ratio of last cook was 1.2/1 , oil /cannabis by weight.
The only reason I use so much water is that I have been known to get distracted while cooking. On a couple of occasions I have been reminded by smoke billowing out of the kitchen.
As to how to contain the buds I might try bundling the cannabis in muslin and suspending it in the heated water. Much like cooking a fruit cake.
Another reason making it so strong I can consume .5 gram in capsule form rather than having to swallow a spoonful of green oil that tastes like crap.
squishy
Active Member
Coconut oil has many health benefits and is one of the best oils to cook with. I also find its one of the easiest and most effective to infuse with cannabis.
Materials:
Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil(Obtained at health food stores)
Crockpot(Could substitute for double broiler on stove but crock pot is safer)
ABV/Fresh(You can use any amount, the ratio should be "just enough coconut oil to cover the herb completely")
Strainer/Cheescloth
Method:
1. Coconut oil solidifies below 76F, so if its solid start by melting a small amount in your crockpot. Add finely ground or powdered herb. Then add just enough more coconut oil to cover the herb.
2. Cook on low for 6-12 hours. The longer the more you extract. Just dont let it start boiling obviously, keep temps low or medium.
3. Let cool a little but strain with a cheescloth or strainer while its still in liquid form.
4. Let harden and you have strong cannabis infused coconut oil. Keep in Mason Jar. Doesn't need to be refrigerated. It should be the same texture as before but just green instead of white.
Can be used for stirfrys, eggs, baking, brownies, in coffee, in place of any oil basically. I like to fry rice and vegetables with it but I would normally blend in a smoothie or just eat a spoonful plain, it doesnt even taste that bad. If you water cure the ABV before it wont affect the taste and it will taste just like cocnut oil.
I would also recommend to anyone who is planning to always cook with your ABV, just get a crockpot. You can get one under $20 even. Its good because you can leave it on overnight and not worry about gas and flame. Also the low setting is good for most infusons like this.
So I cooked my ABV in the crockpot for 12 hrs overnight on low when I woke up it was bubbling a little (i had it covered)..is that a bad thing? Also it is a brown color.
Chandler
Well-Known Member
No, it'll bubble. At 160°f, that's simmering temp. So long as it's not boiling you're alright.
It will be /should be brown. After you strain out all the plant material, put your oil in the fridge. As it solidifies it'll become a beautiful olive green
alltoreup
Damn you, party liquor
Yes, It'll become a nice green color unless you are like me and keep straining and adding more ABV
then the darker brown it becomes when cooled the stronger mine is. I usually soak 1/2 oz ABV at a time and strain and add another 1/2 in. Usually soak time is anywhere from 8-24 hours depending on when I get back to it. I have some going now that's already had 1/2 through it. Loss is minimal when straining and I can live with it. I usually start with about 8 oz coconut oil and a little lecithin.
I started doing it this way to simply keep from swallowing so many dang coconut pills LOL!! Now I can make a few pills after 1 ozs have been soaked and then make some at 1.5, 2.0 etc. I usually stop at 2 and make up the rest of the pills. Those are pretty deadly
. This way you have at least some degree of dosage difference in a single batch.
I've described this method before back in the thread but making some more today made me pop in here and say hi to all
and keep making those edibles
then the darker brown it becomes when cooled the stronger mine is. I usually soak 1/2 oz ABV at a time and strain and add another 1/2 in. Usually soak time is anywhere from 8-24 hours depending on when I get back to it. I have some going now that's already had 1/2 through it. Loss is minimal when straining and I can live with it. I usually start with about 8 oz coconut oil and a little lecithin. I started doing it this way to simply keep from swallowing so many dang coconut pills LOL!! Now I can make a few pills after 1 ozs have been soaked and then make some at 1.5, 2.0 etc. I usually stop at 2 and make up the rest of the pills. Those are pretty deadly
. This way you have at least some degree of dosage difference in a single batch. I've described this method before back in the thread but making some more today made me pop in here and say hi to all
and keep making those edibles
squishy
Active Member
squishy
Active Member
Yes, It'll become a nice green color unless you are like me and keep straining and adding more ABV
I started doing it this way to simply keep from swallowing so many dang coconut pills LOL!! Now I can make a few pills after 1 ozs have been soaked and then make some at 1.5, 2.0 etc. I usually stop at 2 and make up the rest of the pills. Those are pretty deadly
I've described this method before back in the thread but making some more today made me pop in here and say hi to all
organicali
Active Member
How does one go about testing the potency and dosage for the oil after making?