Gel capsules

shredder

Well-Known Member
Ive been filling gel caps for years, at least ten, maybe more. And they're still my go to edible, especially at night. My wife and I have made rso/feco caps, sift hash caps, rosin caps, but most often simple weed caps.

For weed capsules we decarb the buds first, for 60 capsules I use 15 grams of buds, but we sometimes use popcorn buds from a variety of plants. Just remember junk in junk out, or in this case trim capsules won't be like bud capsules for strength. After decarbing (we use a nova fx) I grind the buds into flower. Then I use a 1 cup measuring cup to hold the ground up weed. Ive been using liquid lecithin for these because it's simpler than using the powdered. I use 'now' brand for what it's worth.

Then we fill to the 2 oz line on the glass measuring cup with liquid coconut oil. I stir the weed oil slurry until its mixed well. This will making 60 size 00 capsules give or take a couple. You can scale up or down from there. Because the mix becomes a thick slurry it's hard to fill capsules. So I cut off the tip of a pipette to make it easier to fill capsules. I just fill and cap each one by hand.

That's it your basic weed capsule. If desired, you can mix varieties, add cbd, or another cannabinoid isolate. To figure potency, first have a good idea of how strong the weed is and divide the total number by the portions, in this case 60.

Ive found you can really notice the varietal differences in weed caps, more so than a rso type edible, but rso capsules can be easier to work with and fill, and you need less. I like capsules 35-50 mg, stronger than that it gets hard to fill enough weed into capsules. It's obviously easier to make strong capsules with concentrates, just be sure to decarb unless your interested in thca or cbda edibles. I've also started adding terpenes, at the rate of 5 drops per 2 oz of the slurry mix. The sativa mix terpene I used seemed to make a difference on caps filled with columbian gold popcorn buds I recently made.

For sleep inducing caps we start with a few grams extra of herb and decarb half the weed twice, and half once. The extra decarb degrades the thc making cbn, and then cbn's help with sleep. Keep in mind cbn's are not all that psychoactive, that's why I add a few more grams to the mix. Capsules filled with abv can also be helpful for sleep.

There you have it, if you want to make simple consistent edibles filling gel caps is a great way to go. You need weed, or concentrates, gel caps, we use size 00 empty gel caps, plastic pipettes, liquid lecithin, and coconut oil. Everything except the weed you can get off amazon.
 
Last edited:

Cheebsy

Microbe minion
That is an awesome post about caps @shredder thank you very much.

I take 3 00 abv gel caps every night for sleep and do something quite similar. I like to let the "slurry" steep for a day or more if I can but you can get away without that. I also use a capsule filling machine so that I can make 100 at a time. Filling the caps individually worked fine for a couple of months but my gawd that's a ball ache!
 

shredder

Well-Known Member
Sometimes we can over complicate things. With capsules you don't have to worry about taste, or texture, water solubility or looks. Make them as strong or weak as you want. Customize the ingredients. And it's a good way to stretch out your stash.

I started this thread because we really don't talk about capsules enough. The forgotten edible, lol.

A note of caution though, label your capsule container, lest you have lots of forgotten capsules laying around your freezer/fridge. I know this by experience.
 

invertedisdead

PHASE3
Manufacturer
Capsules are where it’s at. So simple to prepare. And then you can just eat regular food instead of trying to prepare a bunch of medicated recipes. Traditional edibles are still cool, but I find these more practical for daily usage as they don’t contain all the fats, sugars, etc of the other stuff. Plus a long shelf life without any preservatives.

I do mine with rosin, organic coconut oil, and size 0 vegetable cellulose capsules.


3-AF7307-C-FCC2-40-D4-8-E6-E-CDD676-A5-C303.jpg


@shredder have you ever tried just straight decarbed flower or AVB in a capsule? I’ve heard of people doing those dry capsules before, and remember reading an article from some company who was making them that way, but I don’t remember ever trying it.
 

shredder

Well-Known Member
@shredder have you ever tried just straight decarbed flower or AVB in a capsule? I’ve heard of people doing those dry capsules before, and remember reading an article from some company who was making them that way, but I don’t remember ever trying it.

I have not, at least not exactly that way. I have eaten decarbed buds by themselves. I believe the oil and lecithin make the for better effects though. The buzz takes about twice as long for onset without the oil and lecithin.

Along those lines I have made capsules with undecarbed rosin and sift hash. In fact I prefer my cbd's from plants ive grown that way over decarbed versions. And I mix undecarbed ingredients with decarbed ingredients in some caps. I've been slightly unimpressed with cbd isolate compared to my full spectrum raw cbd rosin and sift hash.
 
Last edited:

shredder

Well-Known Member
I have not, at least not exactly that way. I have eaten decarbed buds by themselves. I believe the oil and lecithin make the for better effects though. The buzz takes about twice as long for onset without the oil and lecithin.

In the name of science, and since I have some decarbed popcorn from a variety of plants, and because @invertedisdead asked.

I filled 3 capsules with .23-.25mg of decarbed powdered weed in a size 00 caps. They're somewhere between 35-40 mg.

I just ate one 15 minutes ago. 11:45am. I'll report my impressions later.

Edit-- It took an hour and 40 minutes to feel much, and it lasted about 3 hours, or actually right now. And it was a light buzz. I definitely think it would be better with coconut oil and lecithin.
 
Last edited:

shredder

Well-Known Member
This may be my next project, thanks!

I have spent a lot of time perfecting my infusions to be ideal for cooking into tasty foods but capsules have their obvious advantages.

I've made and used capsules for years, especially at night to help with sleep. But when I decided to use edibles almost exclusively I started making a wide variety of edibles. And now I have a lot of choices.

But I have 2 go to's. Capsules and infused mct oil. I use each daily. I start most mornings with a mct oil in my coffee, and finish my night with a capsule.

I like the other edibles, especially medicated chocolate bars, but those are my go to's.
 

shredder

Well-Known Member
Today while working outside I disturbed (unknown to me) a nest of ground bees. I got stung 3 times.

I came back in the house and took a weed capsule and a benadryl. Weed for the pain and the benadryl for swelling.

The capsule was fairly in lightweight about 40mg, 30mg thc, 10mg cbd.

But with the combo and maybe the stings themselves I got trashed. Visuals, colors, the whole shebang, lol. The stings still hurt slightly less though, and have swelled up.

I wouldn't recommend the bee stings, but damn!
 

strech

Well-Known Member
Today while working outside I disturbed (unknown to me) a nest of ground bees. I got stung 3 times.

I came back in the house and took a weed capsule and a benadryl. Weed for the pain and the benadryl for swelling.

The capsule was fairly in lightweight about 40mg, 30mg thc, 10mg cbd.

But with the combo and maybe the stings themselves I got trashed. Visuals, colors, the whole shebang, lol. The stings still hurt slightly less though, and have swelled up.

I wouldn't recommend the bee stings, but damn!
My go to bee spray is Pyrethrin in an aerosol spray. Fast and quick. Considered a soft pesticide.
 
strech,
  • Like
Reactions: shredder

Ramahs

Fucking Combustion (mostly) Since February 2017
Today while working outside I disturbed (unknown to me) a nest of ground bees. I got stung 3 times.

I came back in the house and took a weed capsule and a benadryl. Weed for the pain and the benadryl for swelling.

The capsule was fairly in lightweight about 40mg, 30mg thc, 10mg cbd.

But with the combo and maybe the stings themselves I got trashed. Visuals, colors, the whole shebang, lol. The stings still hurt slightly less though, and have swelled up.

I wouldn't recommend the bee stings, but damn!


Interesting. It sounds like I need to try mixing a heavy does of Benadryl or some other antihistamine with my edibles...ya know, for science!

That reminds me of when I was a younger stoner, and I used to like coating my blunts, or even sometimes joints, in several layers of Promethazine syrup (a prescription antihistamine) and Codeine syrup. I used to call them my candy-coated blunts :razz:

They produced a very interesting high.
 

vonfatman

Well-Known Member
great thread. thanks. i use abv to make nite-time caps....i am still learning.
last night (after reading about folks eating abv dirctly, well, i thought, lets give it a try.

i was all set on putting a gram in the mix but after weighing and looking at all that abv, i went to 1/2 gram....my best move of the evening!

about 6:30pm i mixed 1/2 gram of avb in with some cottage cheese (i know, i'm kinda different)
and it did not taste too bad!

about 9:00pm i was pretty relaxed and was ready for sleep.

however, this morning (8+ hrs later) i woke pretty "drousy" but after coffee and some time, a couple hours, i am ready to go with a good nite's sleep behind me.

btw....i weigh 280lbs and am over 60yrs. - my abv is light to medium brown.

i am very happy i chose to back off my first thought of using an entire gram!!! i would be living the fog right now!

i this was my first attempt to dose myself with abv so i thought i would share.
 

shredder

Well-Known Member
I've been using coconut oil and lecithin in my canna capsules. Coconut oil can become liquid at around 76°F. I store them in a freezer, but to travel we need a cooler, or a better method.

I've been thinking about making capsules that can take more heat.

One thought is to add some bees wax to the coconut oil. That should up the melting point.

Another is to add a little powder, like corn starch, then drip a strong infused oil mix onto it.

One more is to use a strong tincture or infusion and soak it into something pill like that I could carry in a pill bottle.

Any thoughts?
 

Cheebsy

Microbe minion
My only thought I'd I'm interested in the answer! I keep most of mine in the fridge with a small jar next to the bed for night night medicating. Sometimes the bottom of the jar gets a little messy with some leaked coconut oil and it bugs me a little.
 

Shadooz

Well-Known Member
My only thought I'd I'm interested in the answer! I keep most of mine in the fridge with a small jar next to the bed for night night medicating. Sometimes the bottom of the jar gets a little messy with some leaked coconut oil and it bugs me a little.
I've done my first caps today, with 000 pullulan caps.
But a lot leaked really soon, with good grade caps from amazon..

I don't know how u keep them unleaked ? Cause right now i'm going to make them as i use them... they're all floopy :cry:

I was eating my abv raw till then, first time using oil, but the taste can't be hide as easily as with raw abv in simple recipes..

 
Last edited:
Shadooz,
  • Like
Reactions: shredder

invertedisdead

PHASE3
Manufacturer
I've done my first caps today, with 000 pullulan caps.
But a lot leaked really soon, with good grade caps from amazon..

I don't know how u keep them unleaked ? Cause right now i'm going to make them as i use them... they're all floopy :cry:

I was eating my abv raw till then, first time using oil, but the taste can't be hide as easily as with raw abv in simple recipes...

Was the oil too warm when you filled them?

I've never had any leak.
 

Shadooz

Well-Known Member
Was the oil too warm when you filled them?

I've never had any leak.
The oil is in my fridge since 2 weeks, not the issue..

It became floopy the side between the oil and the sopalin i put below.., i had to keep moving them, but then i put it in the fridge, expecting it to become better..
but now the sopalin is oily, and they all stick together..
 

invertedisdead

PHASE3
Manufacturer
The oil is in my fridge since 2 weeks, not the issue..

It became floopy the side between the oil and the sopalin i put below.., i had to keep moving them, but then i put it in the fridge, expecting it to become better..
but now the sopalin is oily, and they all stick together..

Interesting, do the capsule lids not fit tight enough? Or did something dissolve them?

What carrier oil did you use?

If you used gelatin capsules, potentially yo could melt the whole thing down and try refilling more capsules
 

Shadooz

Well-Known Member
Interesting, do the capsule lids not fit tight enough? Or did something dissolve them?
No issue with tightening as i eat some couple minutes after, and no dissasembling, nor taste, or oil on my fingers.
They have leaked from the edge not the separation

What carrier oil did you use
I'm french, not even a question to ask :rofl: olive oil


If you used gelatin capsules, potentially yo could melt the whole thing down and try refilling more capsules
I put the link above, it is pullulan.
Thought it was hpmc at first, but pullulan seems even better anyway...
 
Last edited:
Top Bottom