Decarb Failed - Can I salvage anything from butter?

[PianoStan]

Do you make RSO? It Is the best. A 1/2 size of a grain of rice under your tongue will do the trick. The effects of the weed is hugely magnified and last most of the day. I love it.

No. I've never made that, or even heard of it before. A quick search says that I can find a recipe on his website. I will have to check it out.

 

[PianoStan]

@PianoStan also, the wife says back in the day they just tossed the weed in the brownie mix and walah potent weed brownies. No prebake decarb etc

Can I do this old method and forget about the canna oil and butter effort? How much cured unprocessed weed should I be tossing into a brownie or cookie mix? THC levels on the Autos we grew are around 15% so they claim. I don’t want to overdue it and make it very strong.

BTW what are the recommended step by step processes for decarb and making butter, oil, and tincture. Could use some good links to reliable methods.

I challenged the wife to her old school brownie method vs a modern decarb method bake off

The answer is yes, but no.
It's true that just dumping some weed into the brownie mix and cooking it will have SOME effects, it won't be ideal. If you de-carb weed in the oven at 230-250 degrees, the THC molecules won't burn up, and you will achieve maximum potency.

If you put the weed into the brownie, cookie mix, or other recipe, as the ingredients heat up through the 230-250 range, some decarbing will happen. As they pass the 250 degree mark, the THC molecules that didn't decarb will start to burn, and the potency will be mitigated. Not to mention that not every square inch of bud has the exact same amount of THC. Which will leave some portions of the brownie tray less potent than others. If you do try this, I suggest eating the brownies that come from the middle of the pan, and save the outer edges for whoever you like the least! Since the middle of the pan will take the longest to heat to temperature, it will have the most time to decarb, and should be the more potent part of the tray.

If you want to skip the canna-oil/butter step, I would still recommend decarbing the weed first. That way the weed is at maximum potency. Then, grind it into as fine a powder as possible. Then, mix the brownie ingredients VERY WELL trying to get a uniform consistency across the entire mixture. That should get each brownie as close to equal dosages as possible.

And THAT is why you should take the time to make an alcohol based tincture, or canna-oil/butter (both of those ARE tinctures. It's a very broad term in chemistry). If you make canna-oil/butter, it's much easier to get a uniform consistency for the dosages. I'm sure some people will disagree with what I'm about to say, BUT: When I make canna-oil/butter, I typically add lecithin to it. Some people claim that it helps get them higher, although there is no scientific evidence to support the claim. The reason that I do it, is to help guarantee a uniformity of dosages. Making a proper emulsion of the wet ingredients in a brownie mix allows the THC to be distributed evenly, as even the water has been emulsified into one liquid mass.

If you choose to go that route, it's important to get the proper lecithin. When emulsifying FAT based mixtures, it's imperative to use liquid lecithin. When emulsifying WATER based mixtures, one must use powdered lecithin. Using powdered lecithin in a fat based emulsion ends with lumpy lecithin at the bottom of your cooking pot. And using liquid lecithin in a water based emulsion will result in the lecithin being suspended colloidally and take on the appearance of milk (more or less). Although, the use of lecithin is NOT critical to getting a good product.

As for step by step procedures for making canna-oil/butter. For me, those are just a different setting on the machine that I use to make my tinctures. Although, if you want the absolute best canna-butter that you can get, you should clarify the butter, and only use the butter fats. I know that there are some decent YouTube videos on making canna-oils and butters, but I just have a machine (Ongrok), so I put the ingredients in, push a button, and wait for it to beep.

 

[PianoStan]

I challenged the wife to her old school brownie method vs a modern decarb method bake off

If you decarb the weed first, you will win.

 

[Budclarkson]

determines

Sure thing. Honestly, it's not even complicated.
It all starts with knowing the strength of the weed that you have. Weed that is 20% THC has 200mg of THC per gram. 10% has 100mg/g, and 30% has 300mg/g. I'm sure that most people know that, but I'm throwing it out there anyway. If you aren't sure what strength the weed that you have is, 20% is a good guess. (Especially if it's reasonably good bud) While there are strains as low as 10% and some claims of 45%+, the overwhelming majority of strains commonly available contain between 18-22%. With 20% being right in the middle. It's not perfect, but with varying degrees of legality around the world, some people will need to accept fuzzy math rather than hard numbers.

The second step is determining how you plan to use the tincture. Are you making a preparation that is truly medicinal so that you can treat depression, insomnia, or some other legitimate medical need, or; are you looking to party balls all night long? For an actual medicinal strength tincture, one should keep the dosage fairly low. 5-10mg/ml is just about perfect. (Many people claim that the reason that the states choose 5-10mg as a therapeutic dose is arbitrary. Except it's not. As demonstrated in my earlier post, when smoking weed 5-10mg is about the best a person can hope for.)

For partying purposes I go more towards a 20mg/ml tincture strength.

Before I even began the first tincture, I purchased (12) 4oz amber glass bottles with a 1ml dropper top. (Washed and boiled them to get them as sterile as possible.) Light degrades THC over time, so just storing in glass isn't enough. Amber glass prevents loss of THC from light exposure.

When it comes to making tincture itself, I have an 'Ardent' de-carb machine. (The one that can de-carb a quarter pound at a time), and an 'Ongrok' tincture making machine.

And the only other item needed to get under way was a sufficient amount of grain alcohol. (I use 190 Everclear, but that's just for sentimentality, any grain alcohol will do, but the higher the proof, the better the tincture)

Also, before getting going, choosing the right weed is essential. If you're trying to treat insomnia, an energy inspiring Sativa is probably a poor choice. And vice-versa. You probably don't want a couch locking Indica if you are planning to dance the night away. And something that tastes nice is always a bonus. Thankfully, there is no shortage of varieties and flavors.

1. De-carb the weed, and let it cool down.
2. Determine how much grain alcohol is needed. A 10mg/ml tincture for medicinal use would require roughly 18-19oz of grain alcohol with 1oz of de-carbed 20% weed. A 20mg/ml tincture for partying purposes would require 9-10oz of grain alcohol per 1oz of de-carbed 20% weed. Different people with different needs will have to do some math for this part. ((The number of mg x the number of grams) will give the total number of mg. Then (that total divided by the strength (10mg/ml, 20mg/ml, or whatever number the user decides)). This determines the number of ml of grain alcohol needed. (Total ml of grain alcohol needed divided by 30) Gives the number of ounces of grain alcohol needed. Not strictly necessary, but in case people want that number. So, an example: 20% weed x 28 grams = 5600mg THC/oz. 5600mg/20mg/ml = 280ml of grain alcohol needed. 280ml/30ml = 9.33333 oz of grain alcohol.
3. I put the de-carbed weed and grain alcohol into the Ongrok machine, push the "4 hours/tincture" button, and then wait. After it's finished, I let it all cool down, pass it through a 90 micron filter, bottle it up, and refrigerate it immediately.

From there it depends on the user's own needs/wants. For someone looking to treat depression on their own, I would suggest the 10mg/ml strength but to start with 0.5 ml in 4oz of juice or kool-aid (my personal choice) every 4-6 hours and see how it goes. If a medicinal user wants to get really fancy, multiple tinctures from a variety of plants. A sativa dominant energizer when waking up, a neutral hybrid towards afternoon, a couch locking Indica towards bedtime can keep you medicated throughout the day without disturbing sleep patterns too much.

For partiers, I would suggest the 20mg/ml and start out with 1.5ml in 4oz of juice or kool-aid, and wait a bare minimum of 45 minutes before considering adding more into their body. It all depends on whether you want to get high, or emulate John Belushi.

And nobody NEEDS to use specialized machines to make a tincture. You can certainly de-carb the weed in the oven, and cook the tincture on your stove top. Although, make sure that there is plenty of air circulation if you do. Grain alcohol fumes can become rather explosive when allowed to build up in an enclosed space. My stove is gas burning, and it just seemed more prudent to not risk things. Not to mention that the Ongrok machine has serrated knife blades on its spindle. It absolutely pulverizes the weed into sub 90 micron particles guaranteeing a potent solution. I've never had more than 6 grams of mushy waste left over from turning an ounce of weed into a tincture.

Because everybody is unique, and their digestive system is more or less efficient due to personal health issues, their overall fitness level, what they ate, how much they ate, how recently they ate; there isn't really a definitive one size fits all dose. But a couple of attempts by an experienced user will quickly let them dial in just exactly how much they need or want to get the desired results.

The truth is, that I don't do anything really special or difficult to obtain my results. I just started out by researching the pharmicodynamics of THC and its metabolization rates. With a career of figuring out proper dosages for medications the rest was easy.

I decided on alcohol based tinctures rather than canna-butters or canna-oils because I can turn my tincture into canna-butter or oil by simply pouring it into those mediums, and cooking off the alcohol. But I can also make canna-sugar, canna-flour, and virtually any other ingredient "canna" by simply combining the two and simply letting the alcohol evaporate over time.

This allows me total control over the strength of any product that I make. Anything from barely high anti-depressants all the way to hospitalization level doses. I don't see the point in making anything even close to that strength, but to each their own.

One final thought: There is a semi-famous quote from Snoop Dogg. He said, "Man, I don't fuck with no edibles. Cuz they ain't got no off switch." And that is 100% true. Once the THC is in your blood stream, it is there until it is metabolized. So if a person doesn't know what they are doing, it's better to start off low and slow. You can always take more later, or increase the dose for the next time. However, if you jump straight in and take 150-200mg, and suddenly find yourself dizzy, diaphoretic, and having chest pains it's too late to do anything about it except endure. Even going to the hospital is of limited usefulness. While they can make sure you're not having a heart attack, they can't do much beyond babysitting you while you come down.

I hope that this lengthy post was helpful

@PianoStan (aka Heisenburg) this a great post!

So got the small Ongrok infuser and ready to try cooking a tincture.

Picked up some EverClear 190 (price was a little over $20 for a liter). I have some Auto weed to try which runs around 15%. Amber bottles are the smaller ones with the dropper.
Side question: How can I measure the THC strength with some rrasonably priced meter?

Looking at the Ongrok instructions it lists the capacity as 150-600mL capacity, so I assume the smallest amount of alcohol I can run is 150mL (around 5.5oz) of alcohol. Do I have this right?

So working backwards for 5mg/mL strength:
150mL x 5mg/ml = 750mg
750mg/oz / 15% = 5000mg = 5gm W

So 5gm weed and 5.5oz Everclear into the machine for a 4 hour run.


For 10mg/mL strength;
150mL x 10mg/ml = 1500mg
1500mg/oz /15% = 10000gm = 10gm W

So 10gm weed and 5.5oz Everclear into the machine for a 4 hour run.

Please check my math.
If I want to make canna butter from the tincture. What do I do?

 

[PianoStan]

@PianoStan (aka Heisenburg) this a great post!

So got the small Ongrok infuser and ready to try cooking a tincture.

Picked up some EverClear 190 (price was a little over $20 for a liter). I have some Auto weed to try which runs around 15%. Amber bottles are the smaller ones with the dropper.
Side question: How can I measure the THC strength with some rrasonably priced meter?

Looking at the Ongrok instructions it lists the capacity as 150-600mL capacity, so I assume the smallest amount of alcohol I can run is 150mL (around 5.5oz) of alcohol. Do I have this right?

So working backwards for 5mg/mL strength:
150mL x 5mg/ml = 750mg
750mg/oz / 15% = 5000mg = 5gm W

So 5gm weed and 5.5oz Everclear into the machine for a 4 hour run.


For 10mg/mL strength;
150mL x 10mg/ml = 1500mg
1500mg/oz /15% = 10000gm = 10gm W

So 10gm weed and 5.5oz Everclear into the machine for a 4 hour run.

Please check my math.
If I want to make canna butter from the tincture. What do I do?

To answer your side question:
It depends on what you consider "reasonably" priced. Personally I don't own one yet, but this meter I found on Amazon and have on my list of potential future buys: Tester
It doesn't have enough reviews to entice me to try it out yet, so I am still looking for one that I can't pass up. If I find an unmissable one I will certainly post a link. (And you too please, because I would love to have a proper tester!) The problem with the affordable ones is that they don't seem to be all that reliable. But, then again, I can't account for what standards the end users are applying when testing their products.

As for your math. It all looks good to me. Although, you took the long route to get there with the THC. 15% weed contains 150mg THC/G for future reference. (20% = 200mg/G, 24% = 240mg/G) Whatever strength weed you are working with, slap a "0" on the end, and that's the mg/G. Unless you get that tester, and you are working with 17.4% weed. Then, it's just move the decimal to the right one place!

When it comes to making the actual tincture though, this is one of those times in life where you will get out more than you expect. Because those blades pulverize the weed into particles small enough to pass the cellular barrier you will end up with more volume than 150ml. How much more, I can't say because I make larger batches. But if you bought 4oz (120 ml) bottles It will probably come pretty close to filling 2 of them. Just make sure to pass the tincture through the 90 micron filter that comes with the machine before filling the bottles.

When it comes to making the canna-butter from the tincture, you have to cook off the alcohol while infusing the butter. But you don't want to burn the butter. The boiling point of alcohol is 173F, the melting point of butter is 170F. Butter will foam and smoke at around 250-300F. And if you get that far, you have boiled off all the water in the butter as well.

If you want to take your tincture, and turn it into butter you need to keep a careful eye on the temperature of the infusion as it cooks. It will need to be less than 200F, and I would try to keep it as close to 180F as possible. The closer to 212F you reach, the faster the water in the butter will evaporate. That's not necessarily a bad thing, as clarified butter makes the most potent canna-butter. The problem is that once the water is gone, then the butter can head towards that 250F burning point ruining your batch.

And even beyond that, the actual primary problem is knowing exactly when all of the alcohol is gone from the butter/tincture infusion. I suppose that as long as the butter will re-solidify once it cools to an appropriate temperature you will have done well. But your butter will likely retain an alcohol aftertaste since the THC binds to the alcohol in the tincture, and will have to be re-bound to the fat in the butter. It will never be a chemically perfect transfer.

If all of that sounds like a headache, why not just clarify some butter on the stove top, and then use that Ongrok machine to make canna-butter? It's just a separate setting on the machine. All you need in order to clarify butter is a simple clarifying measuring cup sold pretty much wherever pots, pans, and other utensils can be found. Then you just have to gently melt the butter, put it in the cup, and pour off the waste. Butter tends to be about 16% water. So, if your recipe calls for a full stick you would need to start with more than one stick (1 stick and 1 1/2Tablespoons or so prior to clarifying) at the start. The ongrok machine will then make canna-butter in 2 hours.

That's how I would make canna-butter at any rate. It's simpler. With the tincture, I use that to make canna-sugar, or canna-flour, or other canna-"dry" ingredients. That way, I can just pour the tincture onto the sugar, mix it up well. (Since it's all at room temperature the sugar won't melt) And then I can just let the alcohol evaporate naturally leaving behind the decarbed weed.

How are you doing the de-carb? The Ongrok machine will make the product, but it doesn't de-carb the weed.

 

[Zab]

You must have eaten some edibles made by people that had no idea what they were doing.
ALL weed needs to be de-carbed before it becomes psychoactive. The question is whether you de-carb it slowly in an oven of specialized machine at around 250 degrees, or whether you use the 1300 degree flame of your lighter to do it.

If you use your lighter, the accepted scientific standard is that joints/blunts lose 50% of the THC to destruction from the heat. While bowls/bongs lose 60% to heat. Then, depending on how big of a hit you take, how long you hold it, and how efficient your lungs actually are, another 40-60% of the THC you inhale is sent back into the atmosphere when you exhale. Of the THC that actually hits your blood stream, daily users can get 22-27% of that to be psychoactively available. While first time and casual users can get between 25-33%. What all of that complex math equates to is that for every 100mg THC that you set on fire, somewhere between 2.8-9mg actually ends up affecting your brain. (With casuals getting up to nearly 15mg)

Much like smoking crack, the onset of consuming THC through smoking is nearly instantaneous, with a mean time of metabolization being 4.5 hours. Whereas consuming THC through edibles is more akin to taking LSD with a 45minute to 1 hour onset, and a metaboliztion time of more than 8 hours.

On the other hand, for properly prepared edibles, there is no loss of THC to the heat or to the atmosphere. And while everyone is a unique biological entity, making exact dosages difficult to monitor, the absorption rate is at least 80%. Ultimately that means that edibles can deliver 17.6-21.6 mg per 100mg consumed for daily users, and casuals getting between 20-26.4 mg.

That's why edibles are driving up the number of hospital visits. People consume entire bags of edibles when they have no actual understanding of just how much more potent edible THC is. Many of those bags of edibles contain enough THC to get 8-10 people baked for an entire night out, but people eat them like they are potato chips.

I find that most long time stoners don't want to wait the time it takes for an edible to kick in, so they smoke while they wait. Which, of course, means that they are already high by the time the edible kicks in, and fail to notice it happening. Then, they get tired over the 4.5 or so hours it takes to metabolize the smoked THC, and sleep through most of the edible THC's life cycle.

Personally, I make tinctures. They are a happy medium. It takes 25-30 minutes before one can feel a sort of wave crashing over the brain, and it sticks with you for about 5-7 hours. It's completely possible to wake up exactly as stoned as I was when I fell asleep. And an ounce of weed made into a tincture can last a month or more. Where I was smoking a quarter pound per week when I consumed weed that way exclusively. Much, much more economical.

Not to mention that tinctures (alcohol based, because cannabutter, canna oil, and dab wax are ALSO types of tinctures) can be aged like wine, and kept forever, as long as you store them in amber glass, and keep them refrigerated. They get more potent over time.

And even though I am brand new to growing, I have been a stoner since 1982. And I have been an RN since 1994. No stranger to either THC, or the science behind it!

Thanks quite an informative post

 

[PianoStan]

Thanks quite an informative post

Thank you.

 

[hippyt]

It's sad to think about the crap quality of the weed largely available just 30 years ago. Dried out, moldy, 40% seeds. But like $60 an ounce. Quality bud was $80+ per eighth. Sacrificing the lungs seemed a reasonable option.

I thought about somthin similar like man all we was smoking was mold n bugs LMAO

 

[Zab]

Thank you.

First time I noticed this thread, still reading. A wack of useful info

 

[AZreefer]

I never got why people eat it I have tried didn't do shit to me like smoking it

You gotta try one of my cookies. Ive changed the tune of all those that dismisd edibles with my super powered home mades! No butter. Straight decarbed flower into the cookie mix with a secret set of something to offset the flavor.

 

[AZreefer]

Speaking strictly for myself, I think that you are missing out if you don’t get into the world of making homemade edibles! I think they Can take you to the next level of stonedness, for lack of a better term, then I’ve been able to achieve by smoking it, or vaping it! Burning one is fine for going out for a walk or something like that! But if I really want to get catatonic on the couch, and watch 15 episodes of cops that I have recorded, the only way I get there is to break into the brownies! and it’s not hard to achieve a consistent results when you’re using your own product and recipe! Just another opinion from an old stoner!

I strongly 2nd this. 30 year pothead here. 3 year edible maker. I eat it more than i smoke flower anymore. Dabs like a mofo on the weekend yo! But my edibles are my go to. The uptake tine drives me crazy though. After years of the instant gratification the uptake seems like forever! But the waves of euphoria and the impact on my body, from my brain to my toes, pound for pound it beats the hell out of smoking. I LOVE smoking it. But my edibles...they even taste good now. Whats up? A yummy cookie that gets me reefed? Yes please! I mean reefed!

 

[PianoStan]

@PianoStan (aka Heisenburg) this a great post!

So got the small Ongrok infuser and ready to try cooking a tincture.

Picked up some EverClear 190 (price was a little over $20 for a liter). I have some Auto weed to try which runs around 15%. Amber bottles are the smaller ones with the dropper.
Side question: How can I measure the THC strength with some rrasonably priced meter?

Looking at the Ongrok instructions it lists the capacity as 150-600mL capacity, so I assume the smallest amount of alcohol I can run is 150mL (around 5.5oz) of alcohol. Do I have this right?

So working backwards for 5mg/mL strength:
150mL x 5mg/ml = 750mg
750mg/oz / 15% = 5000mg = 5gm W

So 5gm weed and 5.5oz Everclear into the machine for a 4 hour run.


For 10mg/mL strength;
150mL x 10mg/ml = 1500mg
1500mg/oz /15% = 10000gm = 10gm W

So 10gm weed and 5.5oz Everclear into the machine for a 4 hour run.

Please check my math.
If I want to make canna butter from the tincture. What do I do?

I was thinking this morning, and I didn't really discuss making the canna-butter for the brownies in very much detail. I'm not sure if you need it, but I thought that I would point it out just in case. I hope this helps.

If you choose to use the Ongrok machine to just make canna-butter rather than tincture and then turning the tincture into canna-butter the formula of how much weed is necessary will change.

The first thing to know is what recipe you are using to make the brownies. If you are using a box mix, some recipes call for 1/2 stick of butter/ 1/8 cup oil, and others call for a full stick of butter/ 1/4 cup of oil.

Next is to determine how many total brownies that you want to divide the pan into.

Finally, how many mg of THC do you want each brownie to contain? 25mg/brownie would be a mellow high. 50mg/brownie would be a good high, and 100+mg/brownie gets into serious party high. Typically, I go for the 50-75mg/brownie range. Mostly because brownies are dense, take a while to digest, and can have a seriously slow build-up to peak plasma concentration. But, then they have a sustainable duration of effect.

If you want to get really fancy, you can ALSO make a tincture, and chop up some walnuts or pecans or whatever, and soak them in the tincture. Since they take even longer than the brownie to digest, this will cause little peaks and valleys throughout the high, and even beyond as long as the nuts remain somewhere in your intestines.

Personally, I use the Ghiradelli ultimate brownie mix. For no other reason than it's super yummy! It calls for a full stick of butter. I use a 9x9 baking pan, and I divide the pan into 9 individual brownies. (It breaks my brain because the 9x9 pan is 8.5x8.5, so I don't actually get 3x3 individual brownies, but that's my own personal issue! lol)

However, to work with round numbers, I will walk through the process of attaining 50mg/brownie.
1.) 9 brownies x 50mg/brownie = 450mg of THC/stick of butter.
2.) 450mg of THC / 150mg THC/G of weed (15%) = 3G of weed infused into the stick of butter.
3.) I'm not sure if your Ongrok machine will infuse 1 stick of butter, or if the minimum is more than that. If necessary adjust the formula. (I will help, if needed)
4.) If you are going to clarify the butter, do so before infusing in the Ongrok machine. Again, because of the water content you will need around 1 stick and 1 1/2 Tablespoons of butter to clarify so that you will end up with 1 stick of clarified butter. If you're not interested in clarifying the butter, then there is a very slight reason to add liquid lecithin (see below) to the butter AFTER the Ongrok machine finishes making it. This is because, as the canna-butter cools, the water and fat will separate, and the liquid lecithin will force them to re-emulsify.
5.) The previous step is somewhat incorrect because when the machine pulverizes the weed into the sub 90 micron particles, you will end up with somewhat more than 1 full stick of butter, but I can't say how much more. Some fuzzy math applies here. You might want to do the math for 65-75mg/brownie knowing that you will get more canna-butter than needed in an attempt to maintain 50mg/brownie. (If not, and your brownies end up with closer to 40mg each, you will still get high, just for a slightly shorter duration)
6.) Try your best to avoid using stems, seeds, and whatnot in the infusion. Obviously they will throw off your calculations since they contain minimal amounts of THC.

And that's really pretty much it. When making the brownies themselves, mix all of the wet ingredients together BEFORE adding any dry ingredients. The butter, egg, and water emulsion mixed thoroughly will pretty much guarantee a uniform dosage across all brownies.

A completely optional step would be to add LIQUID LECITHIN to the canna-butter. Powdered lecithin added to a fat based mixture will bind to the THC, and then sink to the bottom in clumps, decreasing the potency of the mixture. Using liquid lecithin in the canna-butter, will guarantee that the water would fully emulsify with the butter and egg, making the dosage across all the brownies all the more even. But again: THIS IS NOT ACTUALLY NECESSARY!

Finally, if you use the same brownie mix as me, there is a semi-liquid fudge packet in the box. Personally, I mix that fudge in with the wet ingredients before adding the dry ingredients. That way I don't end up with an uneven ribbon of fudge causing the dosage of one brownie to differ from another. Also, it makes the brownie somewhat more moist and slightly gooey

I hope that helps clear up any confusion between the different methods. If you have any questions, let me know.

 

[Budclarkson]

You gotta try one of my cookies. Ive changed the tune of all those that dismisd edibles with my super powered home mades! No butter. Straight decarbed flower into the cookie mix with a secret set of something to offset the flavor.

OK how the hell do you make the decarbed flower and does it have weed odor?

 

[Grower1974]

OK how the hell do you make the decarbed flower and does it have weed odor?

In the oven. At around 230-250° for 25-35 min. I do mine at 240°F for 30 min. Yes, it stinks up the house insanely. :).

 

[PianoStan]

OK how the hell do you make the decarbed flower and does it have weed odor?

I'm pretty sure that they mean to just add de-carbed bud into the cookie mix, and then using something unspecified to alter the smoky weed flavor that de-carbed weed carries. The rich chocolate flavor of brownies does a great job of covering the smoky weed flavor. But the light flavor of say a snickerdoodle cookie takes on the flavor of the weed more readily.

As far as how to de-carb bud, I use a de-carbing machine. But you can also just use a baking pan in the oven set to 230-240F for around 30-45 minutes depending on how much weed you are de-carbing. And YES, the house will smell of weed as it slowly bakes. That's why I bought the specific machine, it has a silicone seal that blocks the smell from escaping.

 

[Grower1974]

I'm pretty sure that they mean to just add de-carbed bud into the cookie mix, and then using something unspecified to alter the smoky weed flavor that de-carbed weed carries. The rich chocolate flavor of brownies does a great job of covering the smoky weed flavor. But the light flavor of say a snickerdoodle cookie takes on the flavor of the weed more readily.

As far as how to de-carb bud, I use a de-carbing machine. But you can also just use a baking pan in the oven set to 230-240F for around 30-45 minutes depending on how much weed you are de-carbing. And YES, the house will smell of weed as it slowly bakes. That's why I bought the specific machine, it has a silicone seal that blocks the smell from escaping.

So where does this off gassing actually go eventually?

 

[Budclarkson]

To answer your side question:
It depends on what you consider "reasonably" priced. Personally I don't own one yet, but this meter I found on Amazon and have on my list of potential future buys: Tester
It doesn't have enough reviews to entice me to try it out yet, so I am still looking for one that I can't pass up. If I find an unmissable one I will certainly post a link. (And you too please, because I would love to have a proper tester!) The problem with the affordable ones is that they don't seem to be all that reliable. But, then again, I can't account for what standards the end users are applying when testing their products.

As for your math. It all looks good to me. Although, you took the long route to get there with the THC. 15% weed contains 150mg THC/G for future reference. (20% = 200mg/G, 24% = 240mg/G) Whatever strength weed you are working with, slap a "0" on the end, and that's the mg/G. Unless you get that tester, and you are working with 17.4% weed. Then, it's just move the decimal to the right one place!

When it comes to making the actual tincture though, this is one of those times in life where you will get out more than you expect. Because those blades pulverize the weed into particles small enough to pass the cellular barrier you will end up with more volume than 150ml. How much more, I can't say because I make larger batches. But if you bought 4oz (120 ml) bottles It will probably come pretty close to filling 2 of them. Just make sure to pass the tincture through the 90 micron filter that comes with the machine before filling the bottles.

When it comes to making the canna-butter from the tincture, you have to cook off the alcohol while infusing the butter. But you don't want to burn the butter. The boiling point of alcohol is 173F, the melting point of butter is 170F. Butter will foam and smoke at around 250-300F. And if you get that far, you have boiled off all the water in the butter as well.

If you want to take your tincture, and turn it into butter you need to keep a careful eye on the temperature of the infusion as it cooks. It will need to be less than 200F, and I would try to keep it as close to 180F as possible. The closer to 212F you reach, the faster the water in the butter will evaporate. That's not necessarily a bad thing, as clarified butter makes the most potent canna-butter. The problem is that once the water is gone, then the butter can head towards that 250F burning point ruining your batch.

And even beyond that, the actual primary problem is knowing exactly when all of the alcohol is gone from the butter/tincture infusion. I suppose that as long as the butter will re-solidify once it cools to an appropriate temperature you will have done well. But your butter will likely retain an alcohol aftertaste since the THC binds to the alcohol in the tincture, and will have to be re-bound to the fat in the butter. It will never be a chemically perfect transfer.

If all of that sounds like a headache, why not just clarify some butter on the stove top, and then use that Ongrok machine to make canna-butter? It's just a separate setting on the machine. All you need in order to clarify butter is a simple clarifying measuring cup sold pretty much wherever pots, pans, and other utensils can be found. Then you just have to gently melt the butter, put it in the cup, and pour off the waste. Butter tends to be about 16% water. So, if your recipe calls for a full stick you would need to start with more than one stick (1 stick and 1 1/2Tablespoons or so prior to clarifying) at the start. The ongrok machine will then make canna-butter in 2 hours.

That's how I would make canna-butter at any rate. It's simpler. With the tincture, I use that to make canna-sugar, or canna-flour, or other canna-"dry" ingredients. That way, I can just pour the tincture onto the sugar, mix it up well. (Since it's all at room temperature the sugar won't melt) And then I can just let the alcohol evaporate naturally leaving behind the decarbed weed.

How are you doing the de-carb? The Ongrok machine will make the product, but it doesn't de-carb the weed.

Well I decaebed the the 5gm of Kush I had. Was dry as hell out of the grove bag, I didn’t have a hives’s in this bag. Seeems like these bags need a boveda in low humidity rooms.
Hopefully the dry stuff is OK for the tincture.

Put the flower in small popcorn size in an aluminum pan and covered with Tim foil. Trying to keep it outdoors to avoid the wrath of Kahn with the smell in the house pulled out the old toaster oven bought at a yard sale years back. Digital temp set at 240 but never got there using a meat thermomometer I had. Cranked up to 300 and it was 220ish but would peak there and then drop.

Plan B turned on the oven downstairs and more reasonable but still some fluctuation between 220 and 255. Royal PIA. Cooked it for 35minutes then pulled it out and let it cool outdoors. Opened windows and ran the stove vent. Not too terrible but could smell it in the room.

Later tell Kahn upstairs I had to bring it indoors and use the oven. She didn’t smell it but in divulging I used the oven I got the wrath.

So It looks like I need a sealed portable decarber. Which Ardent do you use and which do you recommend. Prices were 170-220 on Amazon and was hoping to keep it around 100.

I did t get to run the Ongrok since it started raining. Will run it out on the deck today weather permitting to stay out of the doghouse. And the tincture is her idea as she wants to avoid smoking (quit cigs many years ago).

 

[PianoStan]

Well I decaebed the the 5gm of Kush I had. Was dry as hell out of the grove bag, I didn’t have a hives’s in this bag. Seeems like these bags need a boveda in low humidity rooms.
Hopefully the dry stuff is OK for the tincture.

Put the flower in small popcorn size in an aluminum pan and covered with Tim foil. Trying to keep it outdoors to avoid the wrath of Kahn with the smell in the house pulled out the old toaster oven bought at a yard sale years back. Digital temp set at 240 but never got there using a meat thermomometer I had. Cranked up to 300 and it was 220ish but would peak there and then drop.

Plan B turned on the oven downstairs and more reasonable but still some fluctuation between 220 and 255. Royal PIA. Cooked it for 35minutes then pulled it out and let it cool outdoors. Opened windows and ran the stove vent. Not too terrible but could smell it in the room.

Later tell Kahn upstairs I had to bring it indoors and use the oven. She didn’t smell it but in divulging I used the oven I got the wrath.

So It looks like I need a sealed portable decarber. Which Ardent do you use and which do you recommend. Prices were 170-220 on Amazon and was hoping to keep it around 100.

I did t get to run the Ongrok since it started raining. Will run it out on the deck today weather permitting to stay out of the doghouse. And the tincture is her idea as she wants to avoid smoking (quit cigs many years ago).

I have used both of the Ardent de-carbers. The larger one wasn't necessary for me, as I don't really need to de-carb 1/4 pound at a time. The smaller one can do up to an ounce at a time, and it is good for my needs. Yeah, they are somewhat expensive, but ending up in divorce court for making the neighborhood smell like weed is even more expensive! The Ardent has a silicone seal that prevents the smell from leaking out. And the larger one has multiple heating elements, and temperature sensors in it to make a perfect de-carb every time. Although I've never had the smaller one mess up, and an ounce at a time is fine for my needs.

The Ongrok machine making tincture won't smell up your house either. It's a well sealed unit. But it is quite noisy. The blades will turn on and off every couple of minutes for 4 hours. And it's one of those high pitched dentist drill sort of whines. So account for that.

If you are determined to go the tincture route (which I wholeheartedly support!), you might want to skip the brownies altogether. It's your call. But for everyday use, I put 10-15mg worth of tincture into like 6oz of kool-aid and take every 4 hours on an empty stomach. It provides a mellow high that doesn't interfere with normal daily functions. Of course you can put it into any liquid you want, but it's easier to down a small glass of cold Kool-Aid than a cup of hot coffee. Double the dose before bed, and you can wake up just as mellowly high as you were before going to bed.

That's why i have mostly given up on making butters and oils at all, unless I'm going to a party or something.

You can get super fancy and make multiple tinctures. An energy inducing Sativa in the morning, a hybrid through the middle of the day, and a couch locking Indica for closer to bedtime so that your sleep patterns aren't heavily affected. After that, you only ever need to come down if you choose to do so. Of course it all depends on your lifestyle, and how much time you have to get high. But the doses I am speaking of are within the accepted medicinal dosages that a Dr. might prescribe.

Also, you could make a tincture that is more potent. Say like 30mg/ml, and then just use the eye dropper in the bottle to put 1/2ml sublingually (under your tongue). Because the weed particles are so tiny, they can be absorbed directly through the buccal membranes and start to take effect within just a couple of minutes. Personally, i don't like this because I'm not a big drinker anymore, and the grain alcohol burning my mouth for a few minutes is annoying. Plus after it's all absorbed, I can feel the microscopic weed particles left behind coating my mouth, which is even more annoying. But the option is there.

I don't know if you saw it, but I posted a more involved message about making canna-butter a few messages above this one.

 

[PianoStan]

So where does this off gassing actually go eventually?

The gasses are kept trapped inside the canister itself. Since the machine uses a low temperature to decarb the weed (it takes up to 4 hours as opposed to 30 minutes), the unit somewhat pressurizes. As it heats up slowly, the extra air is pushed out before it starts to smell. After the process is finished, the silicone seal is slightly vacuumed in like a mason jar of jelly.

 

[Budclarkson]

Also, you could make a tincture that is more potent. Say like 30mg/ml, and then just use the eye dropper in the bottle to put 1/2ml sublingually (under your tongue). Because the weed particles are so tiny, they can be absorbed directly through the buccal membranes and start to take effect within just a couple of minutes. Personally, i don't like this because I'm not a big drinker anymore, and the grain alcohol burning my mouth for a few minutes is annoying. Plus after it's all absorbed, I can feel the microscopic weed particles left behind coating my mouth, which is even more annoying. But the option is there.

I guess thats the other question, this tincture is essentially moon shine aka White Lightning. Placing a 1mL squirt under the tongue is going to burn and grimace like Grandpa Walton taking a swig of the recipe?

Your Kool Aid mix taste like a mixed drink?

Gotta stay away from sugar drinks to keep the A1C at bay at our age.