What is the best way to store concentrates?

[vapor33]

I've been researching and there is no right answer that I can find. 1 person says to store in the fridge and the next says don't store in the fridge. Same thing with storing in the freezer and a cold, dark place like your dresser or whatever.

I got some nice shatter and I want it to last so I am trying to figure out the right way to keep it. I got it in the fridge right now.

What is the right way?

 

[OldOyler]

Peace v33!

What is the right way?

Can't tell you "right" but I can tell you "OldOyler's".



Probably depends on how much?

I personally use small 5ML silicone containers (seem to hold 1.5-2g max), and those go in the top of a dark cabinet in kitchen (most accessible for where I vape).

Room temperature, no air contact, and dark is my only "method".

It lasts me 3-4 months at least that way, but that's as long as it last in *my* jar before it's going going (Kramer stutter) g-g-gone!

Cold always causes it to get tacky on me. Always.

Regular parchment always produced some bleeding for me, and using ss "replacement parchment" seemed okay enough, but I figured I still had to put *that* inside a sealed UKonserve SS container anyway. So I cut out the middle man!



This also allowed me to explore my "shopping side" and grab a collection of little silicone mats, jars, and ss tools.

(I usually don't mention brands/companies, and I shill for NO one, but it was the "Silicone Alley" brand off of Amazon, American company, I just like the "bundles" myself even if it would be a few bucks more, and hey nobody gives me something for saying that if you dig me.)

Like I bought some stackable lego-types of their brand (way too big I think), these crazy color jars, three of these cool little Octagon mats, etc. (For now I can only daydream about filling all these, but hey...21st Century Schizoid Man and all that, right...?)

Screw it, like here's the Amazon link for one collection - I just use the little jars that come with it for storing my shatter: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01468QOQ0/

Hope that helps, and good vaping!!!

(And hey - hit us with a vape report over in the "whats in your vape right now thread" if you get a sec? I love shatter, and hearing about op's shatter is pretty sweet, too!)

 

[vapor33]

Ok, I will check out the mats and the vape report thread.

Thanks man.

 

[Tranquility]

At first, much like the time my wife told me she made "extra" bacon, I was wondering what "store" has to do with concentrates. Then I realized I get mine in dribs and drabs and, perhaps, one might have to know how to put up concentrates for a longer haul.

(My wife now agrees there is no such thing as "extra" bacon.)

To me, I have no special need to "store" it as much as keep it near my vapes. If I were to consider storage, I suspect I would need to think about the container it is in, the temperature it is kept, light intensity, moisture levels, and availability of oxygen. What is YOUR fear? No matter how you store it, it will change over time. How much hassle and cost you want to go through will determine how many of the steps you want to take to make the changes happy ones. (Or, less sad ones.)

 

[Enchantre]

I use a Jyarz Chico to store my concentrates. I've got stuff I've just added to for YEARS - call it the Borg.

You will NOT go wrong storing it in a Jyarz. It's boro glass, so it does NOT stick!

@JyARz

 

[cannabis.pro]

Miron Glass it's sold under many brand names as of late. Looks black but it is biophotonic in design that blends red and purple to only allow beneficial light frequencies to enter. Oxygen and light break down cannabinoids/terpenoids etc. So even with this glass, it is best in a cool dark place but not necessarily refrigerated/frozen.

Freeze it if you want to keep it very long term, but I would be careful going back and forth from a freezer where you introduce moisture via condensation from normal room temp air when you open up your container time and time again.

 

[DieHard]

No to the freezer. You will introduce moisture when you take it out and if you are going into it a lot, there may be even more moisture.I store 7g to 28 g depending on my supply. I have a small Wine fridge with digital readout that is dedicated to concentrate storage. I got it on Amazon Prime for $99 /free shipping. Ideal temp is around 45-55 degrees. A bit warm for the kitchen fridge.

 

[throwawaytre3s]

For handling concentrates, I like to keep it simple. If you have a large quantity, probably buy a lego brick style container, I've seen those a lot. You can store multiple types of concentrate in each section of it, there's usually like 5-7 depending on the size you buy. I personally just use a little 3mL locking roor branded container. I store mine at room temperature, and since my containers are airtight, humidity isn't much of a factor. If a concentrate is particularly unstable, I'll throw it in the freezer for like ten minutes, but never longer. For handling concentrates out on a table, I have a small oil slick pad, like the 3"x4" one. It's great for just separating out a few dabs.

 

[DieHard]

Glass lined @JyARz are really nice, I have several. I rarely use silicone anymore. Except for a mat to keep things neat. I usually keep it in the parchment that I receive it in. For really sticky stuff I will take a blue ice pack or anything frozen and set the parchment on there for a few to harden up a bit.

 

[herbivore21]

I've been thinking on this more and actually similarly to storing flowers, the ideal way to store concentrate to my mind would be in a humidity controlled peltier-based/thermoelectric refrigerator. Ideally, concentrates would be stored in an airtight container within such a refrigerator with an oxygen absorber (light proof containers if the fridge has internal lights).

This would keep the concentrate from sustaining much thermal degradation over time, but also prevent the problems with moisture moving about the refrigerator and contaminating stored material, causing mold (this is the achilles heel of compressor based refrigerators). The airtight container with oxygen absorber would limit oxidative degradation too - essential for maintaining the terpiest material!

However, those who want to cure hashes may find that the oxygen absorber has to be left aside from the vessel as it is likely to be detrimental to the microbial degradation we are promoting with a cure.

This is not a cheap setup, but to my mind it is the best thing before buying and/or customizing laboratory storage which is tailored to preserving organic materials.

Glass lined @JyARz are really nice, I have several. I rarely use silicone anymore. Except for a mat to keep things neat. I usually keep it in the parchment that I receive it in. For really sticky stuff I will take a blue ice pack or anything frozen and set the parchment on there for a few to harden up a bit.

Couldn't agree more brother, silicone is not worth messing with. Even the tried and true oil slick green and white mats get shitty over time, I've seen many of these official OS mats have some of the inner part of the green section of silicone peeled off suddenly without my noticing it actually peeling. That was the final straw for me using silicone lol - nothing against oil slick either, I regard them as one of the best silicone manufacturers.

 

[OldOyler]

Glass lined @JyARz are really nice, I have several. I rarely use silicone anymore.

Aw shucks...online shopping trip again. I've got nuttin' but silicone and ss. Since you and @Enchantre both mentioned it, as well as jedi master herbivore21's agreement, well, I must go convince my wife (the $ boss)...

<Jedi hand swipe>You want your husband to have the best storage medium for his medicine...<whoosh>

And DieHard I SWORE you included an Amazon link for the $99 wine fridge, but this shatter IS melting my face off...just curious? Christmas is coming, and my wife has been in a GREAT mood...(funny what happens when $ frees up from supplying oneself...)

(light proof containers if the fridge has internal lights)

I have ss UKonserve containers I have always used (I cooked and kept RSO right in them at room temp successfully for years), anything I can use within a wine fridge as an "oxygen absorber" if it's not built in? And so I would keep the shatter in something first (parchment, etc.) and THEN put it inside the ss and sealed air-tight? Or would I just use the jarz thing-eys?


I am now thinking it would be nice to tighten up my storage situation, going to be running at least 3 or 4 zips over the next month into shatter, plus that's going to be the case going forward.

Okay, peace and thanks to everyone.

 

[psychonaut]

All of my concentrates are put in parchment paper and sealed in ziplocks then stored in the fridge. They are always fresh. Once they are out of storage they are in silicone containers which sit at room temp (60-70F) for up to 2 weeks (depending on the strain) before they're gone. I think with my usage my meds are likely to be finished off before any worry of terp or potency degradation.

 

[vapor33]

Great info here guys. Thank you.

 

[thisperson]

I've been using the dabtendo platinum cured silicone container to store what I'm using at the time.

It's real platinum cured silicone, I've checked by squeezing it and seeing if it turns white (it doesn't).

I have a few lego brick type enclosures that hold a lot but those aren't real platinum cured silicone. Still the next best thing I suppose.

Sometimes I leave it on the parchment paper, but never for more than a month.

In a dark place at ambient temp and moisture is where I leave it at.

Your concentrate form matters. Sometimes wax turns to sugar wax on me, but that's because I figure they gave me old supply or something.

 

[DieHard]

@vapor33 I was having trouble with the link. I searched "Wine Refrigerator" on Amazon. The brand name is AKDY and the price is now $109.

 

[herbivore21]

Aw shucks...online shopping trip again. I've got nuttin' but silicone and ss. Since you and @Enchantre both mentioned it, as well as jedi master herbivore21's agreement, well, I must go convince my wife (the $ boss)...

<Jedi hand swipe>You want your husband to have the best storage medium for his medicine...<whoosh>

And DieHard I SWORE you included an Amazon link for the $99 wine fridge, but this shatter IS melting my face off...just curious? Christmas is coming, and my wife has been in a GREAT mood...(funny what happens when $ frees up from supplying oneself...)


I have ss UKonserve containers I have always used (I cooked and kept RSO right in them at room temp successfully for years), anything I can use within a wine fridge as an "oxygen absorber" if it's not built in? And so I would keep the shatter in something first (parchment, etc.) and THEN put it inside the ss and sealed air-tight? Or would I just use the jarz thing-eys?


I am now thinking it would be nice to tighten up my storage situation, going to be running at least 3 or 4 zips over the next month into shatter, plus that's going to be the case going forward.

Okay, peace and thanks to everyone.

Hey brother - make sure to check that the wine fridge is thermoelectric/peltier-effect based for the cooling system. A lot of wine-fridges (especially the most affordable ones) are compressor based and won't be suitable.

I would check out amazon or ebay for oxygen absorbers, I'm sure you'll find food safe ones for a steal in bulk somewhere

Sealing in SS is perfect once you have the fridge and oxygen absorbers

EDIT: Just saw Diehard's post and looked up the fridge, looks like it is thermoelectric! Great news! It doesn't have any information regarding humidity control or levels inside so it would be helpful to find out details on this if possible. Otherwise, looking like a great option!

 

[throwawaytre3s]

You know I've been considering more and more trying out some of those glass containers, are they nice? Does your material get stuck?

 

[Enchantre]

You know I've been considering more and more trying out some of those glass containers, are they nice? Does your material get stuck?

Yes. No.

 

[Rob420]

I agree with psychonaut's process. In parchment paper and sealed in double ziplocks then stored in the fridge. Then in in silicone containers for daily use. I keep these silicone containers overnight.
Always fresh with no evidence of terp or potency degradation.

 

[psychonaut]

I agree with psychonaut's process. In parchment paper and sealed in double ziplocks then stored in the fridge. Then in in silicone containers for daily use. I keep these silicone containers overnight.
Always fresh with no evidence of terp or potency degradation.

I've actually changed my methods up since I posted that. While it seems to be a good method with more stable extracts like shatters or pull n snaps, some really terpy rosins or budders that aren't even stable at freezer temps should really be stored in glass for safety as the terps are solvents and the less time spent in contact with the silicone on the parchment, the better.

 

[Silver420Surfer]

All my concentrates are stored in the exact same glass jars they were packaged in. I haven't used silicone containers for storage for a few years now and will NEVER go back. The company I prefer(GreenDotLabs,Boulder,CO) dates about one year out from packaging. I have stored glass jars in the fridge for almost that amount of time without any issue. But now I prefer to keep them in a dark, cool, cabinet in my basement. If there is an end result difference between my two methods of storage...I haven't seen/tasted it yet. I am unaware of any better storage options than the two I use. Most of my purchases are HTFSE/sauce/Live Nectar/etc, some distillates and rosin, but I would still choose same storage methods for pull n' snap/shatter/etc. Silicone bad, imo.

 

[throwawaytre3s]

All my concentrates are stored in the exact same glass jars they were packaged in. I haven't used silicone containers for storage for a few years now and will NEVER go back. The company I prefer(GreenDotLabs,Boulder,CO) dates about one year out from packaging. I have stored glass jars in the fridge for almost that amount of time without any issue. But now I prefer to keep them in a dark, cool, cabinet in my basement. If there is an end result difference between my two methods of storage...I haven't seen/tasted it yet. I am unaware of any better storage options than the two I use. Most of my purchases are HTFSE/sauce/Live Nectar/etc, some distillates and rosin, but I would still choose same storage methods for pull n' snap/shatter/etc. Silicone bad, imo.

Man, I understand that and all, but like what about your wasted product? At the risk of sounding like a fiend, the first thing that comes to mind for me is how much I would never be able to scrape off the bottom of a glass puck. I've had a few before, and I've used them for like THCA isolate and CBD isolate, but anything that's even slightly sticky would be lost I feel.

 

[Silver420Surfer]

Man, I understand that and all, but like what about your wasted product? At the risk of sounding like a fiend, the first thing that comes to mind for me is how much I would never be able to scrape off the bottom of a glass puck. I've had a few before, and I've used them for like THCA isolate and CBD isolate, but anything that's even slightly sticky would be lost I feel.

If I was that desperate for .000001g, I guess I would just swish the jar with iso to reclaim that absolute infinitesimal amount. Certainly not trying to sway anyone from whatever routine they may already have.
As much respect as I have for my top shelf live nectar/live rosin/etc, the last thing I'd ever do is improperly store or waste my meds.

 

[psychonaut]

A nice sized flat edged dab tool does well to scrape the glass jar, it will still have some left but I wouldnt even consider it 1/4 of a small dab's worth.

Use the side of the dab tool to scrape the side of the jar, and the flat bottom of the dab tool to scrape the bottom of the jar.

 

[biohacker]

One time I diligently worked my ass off getting every last tiny bit out of the glass jar, and it was so insignificant that I could get maybe 5% of my regular hit, if that. Some material is better than others, but overall it's completely a non-issue IMO.