Cannabis Capsules â?? A step-by-step guide.

[mobyone]

I can tell you from my own personal experience cooking with a thermometer that 300 degrees is too high.....I've done it several different ways. Keep your temps between 200-250 imo and the longer you can cook it the better.

I've seen people say 4 hours is too long and seen others say the longer the better. I'm assuming that you've found a method that works for you, so how long do you cook it? If it didn't matter to you how long it took, how long would you let it cook? I would assume that there is a limit. Obviously cooking for 10 days isn't going to do you any good.

[Rock.Steady]

i'm wondering why not use a double boiler, stovetop style?
seems to me, if u use a thermometer in the water of the outer boiler, get it to the exact temp u want with the flame regulated, it would stay that temp until the water evaporates. in which case, i would have another pot of water, preheated to replace whats evaporating

given the apparent fluctuations that exist in different crock pots and ovens in general, this is the method i plan on employing as soon as i have the nugs/keef to work with.

there's my nickel.

[Flameon]

This worked great. 1 teaspoon of butter and 1 g made 10 pills. i took 3 the first time and felt a good buzz. I took 4 at work the next day and was good and messed up for about 4-6 hrs made work and class go by fast......they took about 2-3 hrs to kick in. gave the last 3 to my boss because he thought it was all in my head. In about 3 hrs he changed his mind. The whole thing was a great experience.

Nice job spector, glad to hear they worked out for you! :thumbsup:

WT-

Pretty close, but 1 gram of bud to 1 TEASPOON (not tablespoon) of butter, or preferably coconut oil. Heating the oil first, and then adding the herb is a good idea. Here is the link to my post showing how to make 2 dozen capsules with an 1/8 and 1 Tablespoon.

Making Two Dozen Caps w/ 1/8 herb + 1 TBSP Oil

Have fun and post back your results!

MVP :jointsmile:

Hi MVP, as always, you are my ambassador of 'Quon'! Thanks.

ok, I'm trying this for my first time.

I've measured the temperature on the crockpot, and it's stayed at about 250 degrees f

it's been about an hour, but the mixture isn't super dark green (I used .5g's of dank to 1 teaspoon of ghee)

it's light to medium green, and the herb doesn't cover the whole surface of the container I'm cooking it in (a small bowl, 3 inches in diameter, 2 inches high).

should everything work fine?

2 hours of cooking, let it cool, freeze the substance, and put into capsules correct?

Hi mbizzle

The temps sound fine, although 0.5 of a gram is not going to fill too many capsules. How many were you planning on making?
Also, I'm not sure why you're going to freeze the mix before putting it into the capsules.
You'll find them easier to fill while the oil/butter is still in liquid form (room temperature).
You can freeze or keep them in the fridge afterwards. :jointsmile:

[Flameon]

Hi mobyone, and wecome to the Forums :thumbsup:

I have some questions for you Flame, that I'm dying to know.

1) At what setting had you been using before measuring the temperature?

I'd been experimenting with two different 'crock pots' (and the double broiler method), to see what different strengths could be achieved using similar amounts of bud and hash, and what (if any) differences I saw in their effects, but mostly it was on 'low'.

2) After measuring the temp, did you change the setting you were using?

No. I tried a couple of batches on 'high' in the second 'crock pot' (the larger one in the pictures with the black bowl), but found that the strength was less than I was getting on low.
I suspected as much, due to both the smell, and of course the potency of the capsules. This was confirmed later when I checked using a thermometer.

3) If so, why? If it's not broken, don't fix it right?

It would make more sense to change your opinion on the temperature than it would to change the setting if the results you were getting at that temperature were outstanding.

True. I was just 'tinkering' to see what (if any) improvements I could find.

4) If you did change it, how did that affect the final product?

Did you get better results when you moderated the temperature down to what you THOUGHT it should be?

Yes. In my experience the three critical factors are: the quality and consistency of the bud used, the amount of cooking time, and the temperature. Bearing in mind that the process isn't quick, if your 'over-cooking' the bud at too high a temperature (even if it's only 10 or 20 degrees) its going to have a detrimental effect on the overall potency.
For example, if you cooked a pizza at 190 degrees instead of 180 for 12 minutes its not going to make too much difference to the end product, but extend that to three hours... well you see what I mean.

5) Why use a crockpot?

It seems clear that a lot of people who have tried this have had wildly different results with crockpots and, in some cases, uneven distribution of heat within the pot.

6) Why not use an oven?

This question is really just 5) continued. I have used a thermometer to see if the temperature reported by my oven is accurate and it was spot on. Intuition tells me that the temperature distribution in an oven would probably be more stable due to the larger size. In other words, you have less chance for temperature variances based on localized heating (being closer or farther away from the heat source).

In theory I would tend to agree, however, the chances of inconsistent temperature ranges is as great (perhaps even greater) using conventional ovens.
The differences between Make and Model, age, whether they are Gas or Electric, fan assisted, etc all mean that they too are subject to unpredictability. The reason behind the choice of 'crock pot' was based on the typical operating ranges they are supposed to run at.

7) Assuming that you are working with very dry bud, approximately how much bud is in one tablespoon? Would you say that is about one gram?

I don't have a digital scale, and even if I did, the weight varies with the water content of the bud. Either way, how much oil would you suggest using for one tablespoon of bud? (based on the previous posts I would guess 1 tablespoon or maybe 1.2 tablespoons max)

I'm hoping Weedhound will help me out on this one, as I use digital scales and a small tray, however it sounds about right.

So, I will be trying your method in the next week or so. Here are the parameters I'm using.

1) 1 tablespoon of bud, ground to a fine powder with an electric coffee grinder.
2) 1.2 tablespoons of ghee or coconut oil, whichever I can get. (Hopefully ghee)
3) Pre-heat oven to 250F, verified with a thermometer.
4) Add oil to a small ceramic cup with a ceramic lid and wait for it to reach 250F.
5) Add weed to cup and mix.
7) Cook 1 hour and stir.
8) Cook another 1 hour and stir.
9) Cook another 30 minutes and remove.

If the results match the results of my vaporizer, this should be enough to get 4 people high as a kite for hours. I will report back the results, though I am curious to hear any opinions on my plans.

Thanks,

Moby

Sounds good to me, will you be using capsules or 'setting' the oil/ghee and dividing it up into portions?
Good luck and let us know how you get on.

Cheers
Flame :thumbsup:

[Flameon]

i'm wondering why not use a double boiler, stovetop style?
seems to me, if u use a thermometer in the water of the outer boiler, get it to the exact temp u want with the flame regulated, it would stay that temp until the water evaporates. in which case, i would have another pot of water, preheated to replace whats evaporating

given the apparent fluctuations that exist in different crock pots and ovens in general, this is the method i plan on employing as soon as i have the nugs/keef to work with.

there's my nickel.

The beauty of the double boiler method is you cant 'overcook' the weed (the boiling point of water prevents you getting over 100 C), however, it also means it is possible to 'under' cook it (as some people have experienced).

You need the temperature to be as close to boiling as you can consistently keep it (it also requires a bit more work, you need to watch it, regulate the flame up and down, and make sure it doesn't boil dry), otherwise the THC won't dissolve into the oli/ghee.

Its a technique that some people have struggled with, but as long as you're aware of the 'do's and don't's, you should be rocking and rolling.

[Rock.Steady]

The beauty of the double boiler method is you cant 'overcook' the weed (the boiling point of water prevents you getting over 100 C), however, it also means it is possible to 'under' cook it (as some people have experienced).

You need the temperature to be as close to boiling as you can consistently keep it (it also requires a bit more work, you need to watch it, regulate the flame up and down, and make sure it doesn't boil dry), otherwise the THC won't dissolve into the oli/ghee.

Its a technique that some people have struggled with, but as long as you're aware of the 'do's and don't's, you should be rocking and rolling.

Flameon-
excellent point i failed to consider regarding temp required and water boiling/evap points.

my solution would then be to use vegetable oil in the boiler.

the smoke points of various cooking oils are much higher than required for this project.
just be careful no to burn yourself:thumbsup:

Smoke Points
Safflower 265 degrees C
Sunflower 246 degrees C
Soybean 241 degrees C
Canola 238 degrees C
Corn 236 degrees C
Peanut 231 degrees C
Sesame 215 degrees C
Olive 190 degrees C
Lards 183 to 205 degrees C

also consider it will take longer for oil to evaporate.
i believe this may be a winner.

[mobyone]

Sounds good to me, will you be using capsules or 'setting' the oil/ghee and dividing it up into portions?
Good luck and let us know how you get on.
Cheers
Flame :thumbsup:

I'll be using capsules.

[mobyone]

Anybody got the number of this cop that made brownies?

YouTube - Cop Eats Pot Brownies, Calls 911

Apparently they'll make you feel like your dead. I think he's got the method down to a science. LOL

[Flameon]

Flameon-
excellent point i failed to consider regarding temp required and water boiling/evap points.

my solution would then be to use vegetable oil in the boiler.

the smoke points of various cooking oils are much higher than required for this project.
just be careful no to burn yourself:thumbsup:

Smoke Points
Safflower 265 degrees C
Sunflower 246 degrees C
Soybean 241 degrees C
Canola 238 degrees C
Corn 236 degrees C
Peanut 231 degrees C
Sesame 215 degrees C
Olive 190 degrees C
Lards 183 to 205 degrees C

also consider it will take longer for oil to evaporate.
i believe this may be a winner.

Hi again Rock Steady

I think we may have misunderstood each other, when I spoke about evaporation I was referring to the water boiling off in the Pan and bowl 'double boiler' method.

Regarding the temps: the recipe specifically calls for temperatures below 140 C (285 F), therefore the 'smoke points' of the oils aren't really important as we shouldn't be getting anywhere near them.

Also, without confusing the issue too much, you could use some of the oils you suggest, however, there is a very important reason behind choosing clarified butter (Ghee) or Coconut oil over them. Namely, the fact that they are both higher in saturated fat, which is generally more effective in releasing the THC into the blood stream (due to the way the stomach acids digest, break down, and absorb that type of fat). Out of the ones you mention lard is probably the best, though not quite as tasty, or as efficient.

The capsules will still work if you use other oils, though you'll probably need to 'up' the amount of weed used in order to compensate for any loss of absorption.

Hope this makes sense, there's more info on the types of oils/fats that work best nearer the start of the thread.

Anyhow, cheers and good cooking! :jointsmile:
Flame

p.s. mobyone
Getting so wasted that I call for an ambulance has never been an issue. After taking three of these bad boys I'm not capable of using the phone! lol

[Weedhound]

M-one,

My doctor gave me a crockpot recipe for cooking and she spoke about cooking for 6- 8 hours which I haven't tried yet myself. My last batch I cooked for 4 hours between 200-250...and they are SUPERB! :thumbsup: