Hi guys
Quote Originally Posted by mspofford032579
Flame- I had been meaning to ask you a couple questions... I posted a picture of my oil with the nutrition facts andf stuff and I wanted to make sure it was all set... Also, is it a MUST to 'activate' the weed by putting it in the oven for a few minutes first? I have been making these things for like two weeks now and I only got REALLY high once... I'm still waiting on better supplies etc so Some of it is still a mystery to me, but I just want to make sure I've at least got some of it under control... It would be a bitch to find out I've been cooking this shit for a month or whatever with the wrong oil lol! Anyway, I still owe you big thanks for getting me THAT high in the first place... I'll get it right eventually, when my stoned ass can think clearly again! Cheers!
The coconut oil you've got is absolutely fine.
I tend to favour coconut oil over ghee (clarified butter), due to: it's healthier nature, greater saturated fat content, and the fact that it sets hard like candle wax when cooled.

'Activating' weed in the oven (i.e. decarbing), is a way to 'force' out any remaining water/moisture in the plant material, and can help convert any 'inactive' THCA (non-psychoactive acids) into 'active' THC.
It's an essential step for recipes that might not use heat (like green dragon), but less so if you'll be using heat anyway to prepare your recipe (as in this case). However, it wont do any harm as long as your careful not to use too high a temp and vape any off.

Quote Originally Posted by subzero
Hi Flame,

although i had great success on my first attempt I have a feeling that the cooking at low temps (below 90c) for the first two hours probally was a waste of time. Things really seemed to happen at around 225f and definitely below 230f in the last two hours. In your vast experience would you think that 3 hours at 226F would be a better use of time? I think the rest of my proceedure will give me consistant results as long as the quality weed is available.

your opinion please. :thumbsup:

Subzero
Getting the temperature 'just right' is the trickiest part of the process I'm afraid. Mostly due to the extended cooking times we're cooking for.
i.e. under the THC melting point, and nothing happens no matter how long we cook for, but, drift too high over the THC vaporisation point and you'll end up losing much of the potency over three hours.

In my case, I tend to cook mostly in batches of around 20 (capsules), which usually means cooking the oil in an egg cup.
However, this creates two problems, the 'ceramic' material it's made from acts to 'protect' the oil from the intensity of heat, and also means that the mixture is not in contact with the base of the crock pot (where the heat is emanating from), but is suspended an inch or so in mid air.
To compensate for this, I'll usually allow the temperature to go up to between 260 and 275 F, however, if the mix was in direct contact with the heat source, than this might be too much.

Regarding the 90 C issue, I would tend to agree, the THC starts to melt at temps above 80 C, however to really be sure of dissolving it all I think you should be aiming for at least 110 C.
i.e. (as you already pointed out) when you see a thin stream of bubbles your on the money.

A couple of final tips worth trying.
Get the temp high at the beginning to 'kick' start the process, then simmer at a slightly lower figure for an hour or two, before giving it a final burst.
Also, in my experience an extended simmer period will 'degrade' the THC (much like choosing a time to harvest) giving a 'stonier' high, while a shorter duration gives more of a clearer head high. But remember, too short at too low a temp and you won't extract all the THC, too long at too high and. . .

Anyhow, good luck and let me know how you're getting on.
Cheers
Flame :thumbsup: