High potency edibles

RustyOldNail

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As a chronic user, I never had much luck with processing ABV into edibles. For me, I've found it's easier to use legal concentrate with a knowable percentage of THC. For example, if a gram of concentrate is 80% THC, that means there is 800 mg of THC in the gram (80% x 1000 mg). Very easy to figure out what each equal fraction of the total contains.

Yesterday I made gummies. By my calculations, ea gummy should be about 20 mg THC.
8985-BDA8-4155-405-C-9-C17-9701-D0-B9273-B.jpg

This is the path I’m leaning toward for making THC gummies, as well as a strong as possible alcohol tincture.
So far I can acquire decent brand shatter at $40/gram, my flower is priced at $300/ounce, so it doesn’t make sense for the time and output to me to start with flower, unless you buy your flower for less, or use cheaper forms like bulk trim, neither is a current option. I’ll just decarb a gram of shatter on an electrical hot plate to activate. No machines needed.

I’m in my research phase, and was originally considering buying a Levo 2, to make infusions, but even though some use that machine with 190 proof alcohol, (manufacturer does not condone use with alcohol), you obviously still need the raw flower, and getting it potent enough like a true tincture seems a bit limited by the design of the device. I’m also not interested in using infusions for cooking, so.....

.... now considering buying the SOURCE TURBO, this for making CBD tinctures or gummies (some purge further for shatter). Hemp flower is very affordable and legal delivery to my door. This machine is mostly for the reclaim of the fairly expensive 190 proof alcohol. The machine is not cheap at $600, but looks a lot safer then more open alcohol methods, and as it’s under vacuum, the distillation times are greatly reduced, read about 3 hours for 1 cup. Buds are prepared with ice quick wash, so less plant material, and vacuum distillation temps are below 120f, so more terps retained.

That’s about all I’m interested in so far, one important upside for me is I don’t need to use an oven or another device to decarb. The CBD oil from the Source Turbo, can be decarbed after distillation, just like shatter, which might be even better in regards to preserving terps etc., from any inconsistent oven heat.

These are my current thoughts, any angles I’m missing?
 

macbill

Oh No! Mr macbill!!
Staff member
I make tincture with decarbed concentrate and Everclear. I make it strong: 10 mg a drop. There are 591 drops to an ounce. I decarb the concentrate, and I add the alcohol. I put my graduated shot glass in a ziplock bag (no explosions) and give it about 8 sec (watch closely!) in microwave. As soon as I see the alcohol bubble or plastic rise, I stop the micro and stir until combined. Example: 7 grams 83% (7 x 830) = 5,810mg THC. 5,810/591 drops per ounce = 9.8 approx/drop.
 
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BabyFacedFinster

Anything worth doing, is worth overdoing.
I make tincture with decarbed concentrate and Everclear. I make it strong: 10 mg a drop. There are 591 drops to an ounce. I decarb the concentrate, and I add the alcohol. I put my graduated shot glass in a ziplock bag (no explosions) and give it about 8 sec (watch closely!) in microwave. As soon as I see the alcohol bubble or plastic rise, I stop the micro and stir until combined. Example: 7 grams 83% (7 x 830) = 5,810mg THC. 5,810/591 drops per ounce = 9.8 approx/drop.

I don't make it as strong as yours @macbill, but I do love the simplicity of this method. My tinctures have been around 600mg/30ml of everclear. I bought a box of a million 1ml syringes for $10 and titrate about .7ml for a nice sleeping dose each evening.

So easy to make and use. I decarb and mix all in the same little beaker.
 

macbill

Oh No! Mr macbill!!
Staff member
HerbOven, seems hard to find in US ...... :(
Here is a link to an Ebay seller with an open-box sale. There also seems to be a 220 version, so be careful what you buy.
 
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macbill,
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RustyOldNail

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Here is a link to an Ebay seller with an open-box sale. There also seems to be a 220 version, so be careful what you buy.

Thanks! $129.00, I’ll consider it. Shame if they went out of business. I like the idea of the time and (3) temperatures, the Nova for my purposes is too automatic. Otherwise, it’s hot plate and watch bubbles at 250f.
 
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Southeastern

illegal smile
now considering buying the SOURCE TURBO
I cannot recommend the Source Turbo. After following all the instructions, reading online and multiple attempts it always ended up getting alcohol under the cup and down around the heating element. It might never cause a problem, but I did not like it.

I settled on a dabpress. It is much easier for me to make my meds/edibles/tinctures using rosin because I can get a more accurate dose.
 

OG-lkv

New Member
Many "experts" claim lecithin adds to "bio-availability", meaning it is easier for the body to absorb.
actually Guar gum seems to be a better binder for THC especially in edibles
 

OG-lkv

New Member
I make tincture with decarbed concentrate and Everclear. I make it strong: 10 mg a drop. There are 591 drops to an ounce. I decarb the concentrate, and I add the alcohol. I put my graduated shot glass in a ziplock bag (no explosions) and give it about 8 sec (watch closely!) in microwave. As soon as I see the alcohol bubble or plastic rise, I stop the micro and stir until combined. Example: 7 grams 83% (7 x 830) = 5,810mg THC. 5,810/591 drops per ounce = 9.8 approx/drop.
are you concerned that the microwave might be killing some THC? I make mine using a magnetic stirrer to evaporate off the alcohol and hold it at about 220f till it stops bubbling. you can also use a hot plate (with a fixed temp of 220f) Heres a great video incase you haven't seen it!
 

macbill

Oh No! Mr macbill!!
Staff member
Since I use legally bought concentrate, it's reported strength is listed. I pre-determine how strong I want the tincture, and, after decarb, if the alcohol added to the desired strength isn't pre-warmed, it can be tough to combine. The only reason I microwave the solution is so that it mixes easily. It's overly cautious to use a plastic bag, but I do that in case I Bozo-out, and alcohol fumes cause an explosion in the microwave. It would be just as easy to use a hot plate to warm the solution.
 
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macbill,
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RustyOldNail

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Since I use legally bought concentrate, it's reported strength is listed. I pre-determine how strong I want the tincture, and, after decarb, if the alcohol added to the desired strength isn't pre-warmed, it can be tough to combine. The only reason I microwave the solution is so that it mixes easily. It's overly cautious to use a plastic bag, but I do that in case I Bozo-out, and alcohol fumes cause an explosion in the microwave. It would be just as easy to use a hot plate to warm the solution.

I’m going to try the same thing, but on an electric hot plate. Decarb in a hot oil bath, 240f for 40 minutes. Then add just enough alcohol to get to desired strength. I want to be able to observe the process, which I can’t do in a microwave, and I’m in no hurry, as concentrates are expensive here.
 

RustyOldNail

SEARCH for the treasure...
are you concerned that the microwave might be killing some THC? I make mine using a magnetic stirrer to evaporate off the alcohol and hold it at about 220f till it stops bubbling. you can also use a hot plate (with a fixed temp of 220f) Heres a great video incase you haven't seen it!

While five years old, the video is interesting. That’s the procedure for a full plant extract, the old RSO style. I may try that someday. Currently, I’m studying the QWET method, freezer temps for 3-5 minutes, distilling the 190 proof ethanol in a Source Turbo, then decarbing in a oil bath. This technique is used to remove most of the plant materials, for a cleaner oil, and with additional purging, you can produce a vapeable shatter. Lots of ways of making medicine at home.
 

macbill

Oh No! Mr macbill!!
Staff member
Another thing to keep in mind with infused honey and accurate strength calculations: keep your units straight. Honey is sold usually as weight: weight is not the same as volume. A 40 ounce container of honey (2.5 lbs) = 792.5 ml = 26.79 fl oz. I dose by volume (tablespoon = 15ml), so I calculate accordingly.
 
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Chicken No Name

Dazed and confused
Had a years worth of rosin pucks I've stored in the freezer. No idea how many 7 g pucks I had so this isn't very scientific. Let's say 100 split into 2 jars.
Froze these and 2 litres of iso for 24 hours.
Added iso to jars and swirled for 30 secs and dumped in strainer.
After a few days evaporating in the sun covered with a cloth I was left with a few grams of sticky concentrate. Say about 5 g which in my opinion was worth getting.
I had no desire to vape this as I have rosin for this.
I wanted to turn this into sleeping pills.

Scraped into a pyrex jar and added to a oil bath at approx 150c. Decarbed until all bubbles stopped. This took about 30 mins. No small bubbles left so I assume I have fully decarbed.
I added some abv butter I had made before (which are too weak to do much). This caused some more bubbles so I kept heating until all bubbles stopped.
I ended up with 40 ml of sticky tar like oil.
Syringed into gel caps and I ended up with 40 caps in total.
One of these really had an effect. I still wake for the 3 am peepee but back to sleep again until 6 am which is great. In fact I think they may be a tad strong and I should have added more Coco butter to dilute. Next time..
Anyway, here's how they look.


IMG-20220504-135619.jpg


Question. I have made quite a few standard rosin Coco butter caps but I've decided I'm not a big fan of edibles during the day. I would like to further decarb and turn to sleep pills like above.
Can I simply melt all the caps (so gel and butter) and decarb in an oil bath or might the gel caps create a problem? Otherwise I will have to try to melt the butter out and throw the caps away, loosing quite a bit.
 

shredder

Well-Known Member
Had a years worth of rosin pucks I've stored in the freezer. No idea how many 7 g pucks I had so this isn't very scientific. Let's say 100 split into 2 jars.
Froze these and 2 litres of iso for 24 hours.
Added iso to jars and swirled for 30 secs and dumped in strainer.
After a few days evaporating in the sun covered with a cloth I was left with a few grams of sticky concentrate. Say about 5 g which in my opinion was worth getting.
I had no desire to vape this as I have rosin for this.
I wanted to turn this into sleeping pills.

Scraped into a pyrex jar and added to a oil bath at approx 150c. Decarbed until all bubbles stopped. This took about 30 mins. No small bubbles left so I assume I have fully decarbed.
I added some abv butter I had made before (which are too weak to do much). This caused some more bubbles so I kept heating until all bubbles stopped.
I ended up with 40 ml of sticky tar like oil.
Syringed into gel caps and I ended up with 40 caps in total.
One of these really had an effect. I still wake for the 3 am peepee but back to sleep again until 6 am which is great. In fact I think they may be a tad strong and I should have added more Coco butter to dilute. Next time..
Anyway, here's how they look.


IMG-20220504-135619.jpg


Question. I have made quite a few standard rosin Coco butter caps but I've decided I'm not a big fan of edibles during the day. I would like to further decarb and turn to sleep pills like above.
Can I simply melt all the caps (so gel and butter) and decarb in an oil bath or might the gel caps create a problem? Otherwise I will have to try to melt the butter out and throw the caps away, loosing quite a bit.

You can open the caps and squeeze out frozen oil fairly easy. Ive done just that a few times when i made caps too strong.

For sleep caps you might consider a couple cycles of heating and freezing the oil. Its said to break down the oil and make it more sedating.
 

sickmanfraud

Well-Known Member
Yesterday I made gummies. By my calculations, ea gummy should be about 20 mg THC.

I believe I have all the necessary ingredients. If you have a recipe I would appreciate it. Thanks

To dose the alcohol straight is a bit harsh.

I have had success in using an ethanol tincture diluted into a few ml's of water and swished in the mouth for a couple of minutes to get a sublingual effect without the "burn" of straight ethanol.

I felt the edible much stronger by adding lecithin, recommended !!!
(not needed for ABV based edible *I THINK)
Do you use lecithin in ethanol tinctures? I use lecithin in any oil tinctures or drops for capsules and any edibles but I have never tried it with ethanol.

I see no reason to treat AVB differently from bud or concentrates as far as the use of lecithin is concerned.

Question. I have made quite a few standard rosin Coco butter caps but I've decided I'm not a big fan of edibles during the day. I would like to further decarb and turn to sleep pills like above.
Can I simply melt all the caps (so gel and butter) and decarb in an oil bath or might the gel caps create a problem? Otherwise I will have to try to melt the butter out and throw the caps away, loosing quite a bit.

I make my green dragon tinctures with a concentration of 6 grams of cannabis to one ounce of the reduced tincture. I generally make my capsules with a concentration of 1 gram of flower to one ml of MCT oil. I have an alcohol recovery still which has paid for itself many times over.

These methods allow me to take a more flexible, directed dose based on how I feel rather than be stuck with a set dose.
 
sickmanfraud,

macbill

Oh No! Mr macbill!!
Staff member
This is the recipe I use. https://www.lorannoils.com/halloween-gummy-candies-r0265
It makes about 2 cups gummy liquid. I use powdered drink mix for flavor. It makes a lot of gummies: my gummy molds are 2 ml cavities. A half-recipe makes over 100 gummies. For example, I will make a half recipe, with everything in it except flavor (anti-mold potassium sorbate, decarbed concentrate w/letichin) and pour into two measuring cups. Add flavor. My favorites are lemonade and fruit punch. Unused gummy liquid can be microwaved to reliquify. I find plastic squeeze bottles make filling cavities way easier than eye droppers.

Squeeze Bottles


1-D9-A6-C7-E-F516-4984-A732-96-BFA40-CDFC8-1-105-c.jpg


I tried once tried to add letichin to my ethanol tincture, but it wouldn't incorporate/dissolve.
 
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GoldenBud

Well-Known Member
Do you use lecithin in ethanol tinctures? I use lecithin in any oil tinctures or drops for capsules and any edibles but I have never tried it with ethanol.

I see no reason to treat AVB differently from bud or concentrates as far as the use of lecithin is concerned.
Lecithin is kind of Emulsifier.... so indeed our body doesn't know if the edible is AVB or Real-Bud-After-Decarb.... so yea... it will work with AVB. It seems like I got a wrong advice and never checked, that's why I never brought lecithin... thought it's not needed until now.

Ethanol is some kind of Emulsifier too i think? it has kind of solubility with water and with oil so with Ethanol i don't think you need lecithin....
 
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macbill

Oh No! Mr macbill!!
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I find that gummies need to develop a "skin" so they don't sweat and stick together. I decant the gummies from my mold onto a cookie cooling rack. I place the cookie rack on a box fan to facilitate skin production. Here in the NW, a couple days will do. These gummies are about 20-23 mg THC/ea.
948303-F6-60-AA-4533-BEF3-33-FB43-D62-AF7-1-105-c.jpg


I often finish them off with a dusting of powdered sugar.
 
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macbill

Oh No! Mr macbill!!
Staff member
New Batch from the Crystal Lite Collection: Orange and Raspberry/Lemon: 24.67 mg ea
new-batch.gif

I highly recommend the raspberry/lemon flavor. These are essentially quarter batches, and I use a half of an individual packet of Crystal Lite per 1/4 batch. I add food color.
 
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