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

[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: