Quote Originally Posted by akimbo1013
I am going to be using about an ounce of really good mids (yes oxymoron)
A few thoughts here:

1) I personally have never used more than a half ounce in a batch of brownies. They were so potent that I could only eat 1/2 brownie at a time, and there were 16 brownies per batch (32 servings total). Something to consider...

2) If you have not cooked with cannabis before, I recommend starting small so if anything goes wrong, you don't ruin a large amount of herb. I started with a quarter, everything went fine, so I stepped up to a half. It is super important to pulverize the herb (coffee grinder) so that all the THC can be activated and extracted.

Quote Originally Posted by akimbo1013
...should I simmer the weed and oil for any longer then 30 min since I am using a good bit of bud?
When I am making oil that will be used for brownies, I let it go for up to an hour, even longer if using a crock pot. Using a crock pot to make the cannaoil is a better way to go IMO since you set it up, let it heat, and you don't have to stir it or watch it. It is also less likely to burn the oil. The crockpot method takes a bit longer but seems to activate the herb more for a super potent treat/trip. In other words it maximizes the potency of the oil.

Whatever you do, if you are cooking the oil on the stovetop instead of a crockpot, don't leave it unattended. If it begins to burn or create a lot of odor, you are burning off THC. Plan to read a magazine or book in the kitchen while making the oil. It will be well worth the effort.

Quote Originally Posted by akimbo1013
If I can't find coconut oil whats the second best oil that I should use. And lastly how long should I preheat the oil before dumping the weed in? Thanks.
When making brownies I will use either coconut oil, or regular vegetable oil that is high in saturated fat. I don't recommend Olive Oil. I heat the oil for about 5 minutes before adding the herb. Be sure that the oil is NOT smoking or you will be wasting THC by burning it off... If the oil just barely bubbles every minute or two but is not smoking, that is what I shoot for personally.