200F for 20 minutes doesn't do much. See attached graph, courtesy of Jump117.
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200F for 20 minutes doesn't do much. See attached graph, courtesy of Jump117.
Awesome graph, quite the gem there!
So the 325 F for 5 minutes in the original recipe is clearly too high.
Based on the graph, I am thinking that 27 minutes at 252 F is the best option, although I'm not sure that heating for 27 minutes at 252 F in a home kitchen oven would be as effective as whatever super nice equipment the graph was based on. I am surprised that there is such a difference between 50 degrees. I am also surprised that there is a point of [significantly] diminishing returns with decarboxylation..... does it have something to do with heat degrading THC?
Anyway, I think for the purposes of this thread, the recommended time/temp should be 30 minutes at 123 C / 255 F. Hopefully they will update the recipe at the beginning of this sticky before too many other people end up burning off all their terps using the 325 F. Props to you Graywolf!!!!
What a great thread with tons of knowledge!!:thumbsup::thumbsup:
AWESOME!!
based on the decarb graph why not go 293 degrees for 7 minutes? Slightly higher THC and less time according to graph?
Lose taste or something? more browning perhaps?
just finished my first batch. Used 59ml(2 oz) bacardi and came out with maybe 20 or so ml at end. Is this low!?!? It def isnt 34 ml. I also used a garlic press and squeezed the hell out of the cheese cloth I used
I simmered for 23.5 minutes and temp was 170 that dipped a few times to 166 or so. Took 4 minutes to get up to temp that is why I did extra 3.5
Keef0, how did it go for ya? How much did you take and how strong was it?
I usually decarboxylate at 255F for 30 minutes (as opposed to 293F for 7 minutes) because I like to preserve as many tasty terps and flavors as possible. I also prefer my dragon to be green rather than brown. Also, the loss of potency after 7 minutes is quite abrupt!
Anyway what temp and time did you use for decarboxylation?
I'm not sure why you only finished with 20mL. I always use waaay more alcohol than the recipe calls for anyway though (as alcohol is cheaper than erb and I want to make sure I get the most out of the erb and avoid saturating the solvent (alcohol) before all the resins have been dissolved in it. Anyway, ya can always let some alcohol evaporate later if you find that it is too weak. Or just drink more! :thumbsup:
Hi, people, I'm new to this forum but not to GD,
Having read this ENTIRE discussion of GD and having one or two failed attempt and three or four VERY successful attempts, I thought I'd share my experiences.
Like Melodious Fellow above, I really thought long and hard about decarboxylation. 325 just seems WAY too high--you can see stuff boiling off, and, I'm sure, you end up losing a lot of good volatiles. On the other hand, 200 is just too low--somewhere I read (FWIW) that decarboxylation starts at 214 F. So, the issue is, make the temp high enough and the time long enough to ensure full decarboxylation. I've found the 250 F for 20 to 30 minutes seems to do just fine.
Then, I tend to use about twice as much alcohol as most people use. I reason (rightly or wrongly) that I want to use enough alcohol to guarantee that the solution doesn't saturate before it has disolved all of the THC and other goodies. Sure, the final product may be weaker than optimal, but I just use a little more of it. I really want to ensure that I've disolved ALL of the goodies, and haven't left any in the dregs.
Then, after "cooking" the alcohol/marijuana mixture in a water bath for about 30 minutes, I leave the marijuana dregs in the alcohol at room temp for a week or two. What can it hurt, and it helps guarantee I've disolved as much THC as possible. Then, when I do strain off the dregs, I cook them a touch longer in some fresh alcohol to extract the last bit.
All I can say is that the product of this process is quite stong. It's not quite the same as a smoking high (not quite as buzzy), but it lasts for 6 to 8 hours, and is really mellow. I have to test each batch, as the potency is a bit different from batch to batch, so I start low and work up over a few days. I once made the mistake of not doing this, and knocked myself crazy. I woke up the next day with a THC hangover (not nice) with headache, nausia, and general weekness. Don't go there if you can avoid it.
Anyway, that's what I've learned, and I'd like to hear other opionions on this approach.
Cheers,
ED
Welcome to the forums, MagicEd!!!!
I agree completely. I have had great results with the method you described (although I have noticed that tolerance increases rapidly with GD). I use plenty of Everclear, and then after boiling, I leave the erb in the alcohol and store at room temperature in a mason jar, just taking a bit out with a spoon or dropper whenever I need some. The first time I tried it, 1/3g erb dissolved in half a shot of Everclear nearly gave me a panic attack. The third time I tried it, the same dose from the same batch merely gave me some mild relaxation and appetite stimulation.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MagicEd
Hello melodious felow,
My comliments to you for posting about decarboxylation temperatures.
Years ago I attempted making GD using Master Wu's reciepe and was frankly dissapointed with the green becomming brown and knew other things where burning off. I had come accross some papers dealing with the various boiling points of THC, and various cannabinoids and realized 325 degrees F was just too high. It wasn't untill this last Nov. when I saw your postings that it got me interested again in GD.
Just before Christmas, I fired up my still to produce a few jugs of 'shine for someone having a "red neck new years" that led me to make homemade eggnog during that week, then decided to give Green Dragon another go for New Years.
I used 250F for 30 minutes, the results where outstanding! :thumbsup:
Thanks again for your posts. Also thanks to Graywolf for re-posting that chart, it clearly shows you were right on.
OM
PS, I started playing with GD on New Year's day, and I haven't been able to post anything untill today. ;)
Is it okay to finel chop/grind nugs after decarboxylation?
I decarb at 255F for 30 minutes and then grind. Is that okay or is it essential to grind before pre-baking?