What Is Decarbing?

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JWM2

JWM2

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All cannabinoids contained within the trichomes of raw cannabis flowers have an extra carboxyl ring or group (COOH) attached to their chain. For example, tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA) is synthesized in prevalence within the trichome heads of freshly harvested cannabis flowers. In most regulated markets, cannabis distributed in dispensaries contains labels detailing the product’s cannabinoid contents. THCA, in many cases, prevails as the highest cannabinoid present in items that have not been decarboxylated (e.g., cannabis flowers and concentrates).

THCA has a number of known benefits when consumed, including having anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective qualities. But THCA is not intoxicating, and must be converted into THC through decarboxylation before any effects can be felt.

Source: https://www.leafly.com/news/cannabis-101/what-is-decarboxylation
 
Mr.jiujitsu

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This. Ardent lift. A respectable individual here @Buzzer777 turned me on this.


Image
 
gwheels

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There is a cheaper way to decarb that is precise....buy a sous vide. You can get them for about 100 bucks canadian that fits on your instant pot. It is an imersion heater used to cook food precisely.
Set it to 210 F and put your buds in a vac seal bag (all sealed) put it in the water for 2 hours. Let it cool down and its ready for use

With decarbed weed you can eat the bud and get high. They taste kind of nutty and crunchy (you can sting yourself).

I decarb my weed for edibles. For the next batch i am getting that sous vide. 6 to 7 weeks to chop.

The Ardent Lift is the bomb for decarb it is just pricey. 240 USD is about 320 CDN.
 
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Nugg

Nugg

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You don't have to..it depends on what you want to do with it..for smoking..no...I'd do only for what I blast off to make edibles...I use my oven,set at 190°.i use my smaller buds..lay them out in big cookie sheet...and I just keep "fluffing" them until completely dry.
 
Buzzer777

Buzzer777

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There is a cheaper way to decarb that is precise....buy a sous vide. You can get them for about 100 bucks canadian that fits on your instant pot. It is an imersion heater used to cook food precisely.
Set it to 210 F and put your buds in a vac seal bag (all sealed) put it in the water for 2 hours. Let it cool down and its ready for use

With decarbed weed you can eat the bud and get high. They taste kind of nutty and crunchy (you can sting yourself).

I decarb my weed for edibles. For the next batch i am getting that sous vide. 6 to 7 weeks to chop.

The Ardent Lift is the bomb for decarb it is just pricey. 240 USD is about 320 CDN.
There are coupons,,usually for $30 usd off. I got mine for $180 usd..still pricey for what it is. BTW..I smoked some decarbed weed from it and I was astonished at the good taste and high I got from it.
 
Nugg

Nugg

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We all smoke decarbed weed..I don't think it possible not to...or are you just saying that's what you used to dry it really fast..
 
Buzzer777

Buzzer777

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We all smoke decarbed weed..I don't think it possible not to...or are you just saying that's what you used to dry it really fast..
Not sure who you mean, but apparently the Ardent will decarb about 100% of the THC and we are lucky if we could decarb 85% traditionally.
 
jamesicb

jamesicb

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Decarbing process. Decarboxylation process. Decarbing weed means that you need to heat up your raw weed to a certain temperature which it will release a carboxyl group and become potent.
 
gwheels

gwheels

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the most efficient is precise. 240 or so F at a certain period of time. And the Ardent does that. Buzzer and MrJujitsu convinced me to get one too. It is amazing...i think i am going to need a bigger harvest !
 
jumpincactus

jumpincactus

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There is a cheaper way to decarb that is precise....buy a sous vide. You can get them for about 100 bucks canadian that fits on your instant pot. It is an imersion heater used to cook food precisely.
Set it to 210 F and put your buds in a vac seal bag (all sealed) put it in the water for 2 hours. Let it cool down and its ready for use

With decarbed weed you can eat the bud and get high. They taste kind of nutty and crunchy (you can sting yourself).

I decarb my weed for edibles. For the next batch i am getting that sous vide. 6 to 7 weeks to chop.

The Ardent Lift is the bomb for decarb it is just pricey. 240 USD is about 320 CDN.
and to gwheels post here is some more info, Much better and more efficient way to evenly decard your erbs.

Sous Vide Decarboxylation Temperature
The Sous Vide method is the brainchild of Sir Benjamin Thompson, an American British physicist. One of his experiments involved even-cooking a mutton shoulder using this method. In short, the weed is vacuum sealed in plastic, then a water-circulating heating element is placed in a pot of water to heat the water evenly. Next, the vacuum sealed weed is placed inside and slow cooked to decarboxylate fully and evenly.

Here’s what you’ll need:

  • Vacuum sealing machine
  • Weed grinder
  • Sous vide precision cooker
  • 10 quart pot
  1. Grind your weed up to a coarse grain but not a powder, being sure to collect any kief produced.
  2. Seal your weed in heat-safe plastic with your vacuum sealer.
  3. Place your sous vide precision cooker in your pot filled with water and set the temperature to 200 to 240 degrees Fahrenheit.
  4. Once the water reaches the correct temperature, add your sealed weed and cook for 1 hr 30 mins to 1 hr 40 mins.
The advantage of this method is that the water circulates to produce an even temperature, all of the weed is cooked evenly and thoroughly providing a consistent amount of THC and CBD throughout. This process also protects your weed from burning on the outside.
 
jumpincactus

jumpincactus

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Results of Decarboxylation Experiment
The following charts show the results of the 30 minute and 60 minute decarboxylation experiments. Also included are the lab results from testing done prior to any artificial decarboxylation to establish a starting point. Note that because of the age of both the kief and the trim, decarboxylation had begun to take place to some degree naturally. This may not be your starting point, but should not affect the results of the experiment much.

Kief
Compound Before Decarb 30 Min Decarb 60 Min Decarb
THCA 24.5% 2.6% .1%
THC 3.8% 25.4% 25.5%
CBDA .6% .3% .3%
CBD 0% 1% .1%
CBN .4% 1% 1.4%
Moisture 0% 0% 0%
Total Cannabanoids 29.3% 30.3% 27.4%

Cannabis Trim

Compound Before Decarb 30 Min Decarb 60 Min Decarb
THCA 6.5% 2.9% .2%
THC .6% 4.8% 6.9%
CBDA .2% .2% .1%
CBD 0% 0% .1%
CBN 0% 0% 0%
Moisture 3.4% 4.5% 0%
Total Cannabanoids 7.3% 7.9% 7.3%
Testing provided by SC Labs

As you can see from the two charts, 30 minutes was not quite enough to completely decarboxylate either the kief or the trim. At 30 minutes the kief was about 90% decarboxylated but the trim was only about 60% decarboxylated. This difference is likely because the trim had a higher starting moisture content. After 60 minutes however, both keif and trim samples were close enough to 100% decarboxylation for my satisfaction.

So there you have it. 240° F for 60 minutes should be enough to decarboxylate any cannabis with a reasonably low moisture content. For material with higher moisture content, the time can be extended but the temperature should not be increased. If you are concerned about losing organic compounds, lower heat can be used but the time should be extended to compensate.

Interesting Findings
As with most experiments, the results often lead to new questions. Here are a few unexpected finding that may lead to future experiments.

The kief and trim both appear to have lost some total cannabinoids after the second 30 minutes in the oven. Some of you might suggest this is from vaporization from being at temperature for too long. This could be true, thought they were from the same plant they were not the exact same samples. Additionally lab tests do have a margin of error, so I’m not sure that is a safe assumption. This would need to be tested with more samples to have a solid verdict.

For some reason the moisture content of the trim tested higher after the first 30 minutes in the oven. I have no idea why this would be. It could just be a fluke.

Tbe CBDA did not appear to convert to CBD during the decarboxylation of the THCA. Some further research might shed some light on this.

Appendix – Cannabis Cannabinoids, Terpenes and Flavonoids
As I mentioned above, here is the list of some commonly found cannabinoids, terpenes and flavonoids that I used to pick my decarboxylation temperature. This is by no means a complete list but it’s the best I could find.

Phytocannabinoids
THC (Δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol)
Boiling point: 157° C / 314.6° Fahrenheit
Properties: Euphoriant, Analgesic, Anti Inflammatory, Antioxidant, Antiemetic

CBD (cannabidiol)
Boiling point: 160-180°C / 320-356° Fahrenheit
Properties: Anxiolytic, Analgesic, Antipsychotic, Anti Inflammatory, Antioxidant, Antispasmodic

CBN (Cannabinol)
Boiling point: 185°C / 365° Fahrenheit
Properties: Oxidation, breakdown, product, Sedative, Antibiotic

CBC (cannabichromene)
Boiling point: 220° / 428° Fahrenheit
Properties: Anti Inflammatory, Antibiotic, Antifungal

Δ-8-THC (Δ-8-tetrahydrocannabinol)
Boiling point: 175-178°C / 347-352.4° Fahrenheit
Properties: Resembles Δ-9-THC, Less psychoactive, More stable Antiemetic

THCV (Tetrahydrocannabivarin)
Boiling point: < 220°C / <428° Fahrenheit
Properties: Analgesic, Euphoriant

Terpenoid Essential Oil Components of Cannabis
β-Myrcene
Boiling point: 166-168°C / 330.8-334.4° Fahrenheit
Properties: Analgesic. Anti Inflammatory, Antibiotic, Antimutagenic

β-Caryophyllene
Boiling point: 119°C / 246.2° Fahrenheit
Properties: Anti Inflammatory, Cytoprotective (gastric mucosa), Antimalarial

d-Limonene
Boiling point: 177°C / 350.6° Fahrenheit
Properties: Cannabinoid agonist?, Immune potentiator, Antidepressant, Antimutagenic

Linalool
Boiling point: 198°C / 388.4° Fahrenheit
Properties: Sedative, Antidepressant, Anxiolytic, Immune potentiator

Pulegone
Boiling point: 224°C / 435.2° Fahrenheit
Properties: Memory booster?, AChE inhibitor, Sedative, Antipyretic

1,8-Cineole (Eucalyptol)
Boiling point: 176°C / 348.8° Fahrenheit
Properties: AChE inhibitor, Increases cerebral, blood flow, Stimulant, Antibiotic, Antiviral, Anti Inflammatory, Antinociceptive

α-Pinene
Boiling point: 156°C / 312.8° Fahrenheit
Properties: Anti Inflammatory, Bronchodilator, Stimulant, Antibiotic, Antineoplastic, AChE inhibitor

α-Terpineol
Boiling point: 217-218°C / 422.6-424.4° Fahrenheit
Properties: Sedative, Antibiotic, AChE inhibitor, Antioxidant, Antimalarial

Terpineol-4-ol
Boiling point: 209°C / 408.2° Fahrenheit
Properties: AChE inhibitor. Antibiotic

p-Cymene
Boiling point: 177°C / 350.6° Fahrenheit
Properties: Antibiotic, Anticandidal, AChE inhibitor

Borneol
Boiling point: 210°C / 410° Fahrenheit
Properties: Antibiotic

Δ-3-Carene
Boiling point: 168*C / 334.4° Fahrenheit
Properties: Anti Inflammatory

Flavonoid and Phytosterol Components of Cannabis
Apigenin
Boiling point: 178°C / 352.4° Fahrenheit
Properties: Anxiolytic, Anti Inflammatory, Estrogenic

Quercetin
Boiling point: 250°C / 482° Fahrenheit
Properties: Antioxidant, Antimutagenic, Antiviral, Antineoplastic

Cannflavin A
Boiling point: 182°C / 359.6° Fahrenheit
Properties: COX inhibitor, LO inhibitor

β-Sitosterol
Boiling point: 134°C / 273.2° Fahrenheit
Properties: Anti Inflammatory, 5-α-reductase, inhibitor
 
Dan789

Dan789

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and to gwheels post here is some more info, Much better and more efficient way to evenly decard your erbs.

Sous Vide Decarboxylation Temperature
The Sous Vide method is the brainchild of Sir Benjamin Thompson, an American British physicist. One of his experiments involved even-cooking a mutton shoulder using this method. In short, the weed is vacuum sealed in plastic, then a water-circulating heating element is placed in a pot of water to heat the water evenly. Next, the vacuum sealed weed is placed inside and slow cooked to decarboxylate fully and evenly.

Here’s what you’ll need:

  • Vacuum sealing machine
  • Weed grinder
  • Sous vide precision cooker
  • 10 quart pot
  1. Grind your weed up to a coarse grain but not a powder, being sure to collect any kief produced.
  2. Seal your weed in heat-safe plastic with your vacuum sealer.
  3. Place your sous vide precision cooker in your pot filled with water and set the temperature to 200 to 240 degrees Fahrenheit.
  4. Once the water reaches the correct temperature, add your sealed weed and cook for 1 hr 30 mins to 1 hr 40 mins.
The advantage of this method is that the water circulates to produce an even temperature, all of the weed is cooked evenly and thoroughly providing a consistent amount of THC and CBD throughout. This process also protects your weed from burning on the outside.
Curious how to attain 240' when cooking in water, where max would be boiling? Not busting balls...just sayin.
Really like the concept though...
 
the rrock

the rrock

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I decarb usually 6 oz in a baking bag(large) @225F for 30 minutes. Never fails. I use this stuff for baking cooking, wouldnt waste my time without decarb
 
Buzzer777

Buzzer777

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I bet you will
I decarb usually 6 oz in a baking bag(large) @225F for 30 minutes. Never fails. I use this stuff for baking cooking, wouldnt waste my time without decarb
I think you are not getting a complete decarb at those settings..I used an accurate oven at 240 for 40 minutes and thought I was good..NOT..The Ardent does it way better than I could.
 
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