Boiling Your Canna-Butter: Some Great Questions

[Brother Sweetleaf]

I'm currently experimenting with boiling water as a "cleaner" for my butter, as suggested by a few respected ol' timers and long-standing veterans of canna-cooking, and I need a little help here...

I assume that there are two primary reasons we would mix the butter in boiling water: One reason is to make canna-butter; infusing the butter with the herb within the boiling water, periodically adding more boiling water to the mix as it evaporates over the duration of your cook-time. The other reason is to clean our canna-butter, because impurities & plant-matter settle & remain in the water below while a purer grade of butter hardens at the top.

I know that longer cook-times make for better product (I usually cook my butter for a good 8 to 10 hours), but once the butter is prepared, and I wish to then clean my butter using the water-method:

How long does the butter-water need to boil for???

Does a strong smell of herb in the room mean there's less potency in the butter???

When using a bong, our smoke (and cannabanoids) is "filtered" and released when each bubble pops on the surface of the water inside the bong...

So then do we lose cannabanoids when every bubble pops on the surface of the water inside our cooking-pot of canna-butter???

I think these are legitimate questions, & I'd love to know the facts or an expert's personal experience regarding this. Thanks!

 

[DonPepe]

subbed...

I have tried 3 times to make canna butter and 3 times i have ended up with some nasty green stuff that tasted like hay and made my brownies and cookies taste like ass and had no effect.

I simmered trim in a double boiler for 1 hour the first time i tried and 3 hours the 2nd and 3rd time, then strained the butter thru cheese clothe and cooled it in the fridge b4 using. (WARNING: This did not work at all)

I would love to know how to make edibles but I'm getting tired of wasting herb.

 

[Brother Sweetleaf]

subbed...I have tried 3 times to make canna butter and 3 times i have ended up with some nasty green stuff that tasted like hay and made my brownies and cookies taste like ass and had no effect. I simmered trim in a double boiler for 1 hour the first time i tried and 3 hours the 2nd and 3rd time, then strained the butter thru cheese clothe and cooled it in the fridge b4 using. (WARNING: This did not work at all) I would love to know how to make edibles but I'm getting tired of wasting herb.

Well, there's lots of threads and helpful info on the forums here. I can tell you that the longer you cook, the better & more potent your results, and many "pros" much more experienced than I swear that it's not even worth doing if you can't simmer your bud for at least 5 hours. Don't give up making edibles... Just do some research. Read threads already written with step-by-step instructions specifically FOR making edibles. This thread I wrote here is not about "How do I make edibles", but asks a few "advanced" questions regarding some obscure cooking technique used by a few pros. I'm kinda hoping it stays on-topic.

 

[ProfessorPotSnob]

subbed...

I have tried 3 times to make canna butter and 3 times i have ended up with some nasty green stuff that tasted like hay and made my brownies and cookies taste like ass and had no effect.

I simmered trim in a double boiler for 1 hour the first time i tried and 3 hours the 2nd and 3rd time, then strained the butter thru cheese clothe and cooled it in the fridge b4 using. (WARNING: This did not work at all)

I would love to know how to make edibles but I'm getting tired of wasting herb.

Starting with a Decarboxed product helps , was you herb moist before adding to the butter ? I am thinking you would be much happier if you dried the herbs out in an oven for 10 mins at 200 before using to make butter .. This simply heats and activates the thc by decarboxylation .. Trust me , it makes a huge difference in the end product , as well never heat any products beyond 300 F .. This is the point of no return and going beyond this temp will degrade your cannabinoids ..

In reply to the OP , I have seen old timers boil for 20 mins and the meds were damn good . I have seen others boil and cook for hours and hours , sometimes days .. I usually aim for a slow cook time of 2-4 hours and of course there is always a second wash when I feel that its to green . Second wash is easy , its just another step that really makes a difference in my humble opinion .....PotSnob

 

[gioua]

want less green taste decarb it.. then add water oils etc..

I personally no longer do more then 2-4 hour cook.. (may let it run longer just due to laziness.. ) but never knew the difference after about 2 hours


edibles are going work on each of us differently.. some have little to no reaction.. some get really sleepy..some will be flying great then not able to get a buzz for awhile smoking or not..

 

[sacpirate]

we let ours cook for n hour and reach 97% activation according to pure analitcals tests. once temps reach 225ish a chemical reaction occours within minutes and as long as things are properly agitating. as far as tho op goes....we use water for 2 reasons. 1)acts as a cleaner to remove that gritty stuff. 2) allows a pound of product to be infused to a very minimal amount of budder so as to achieve maximum mg of canabanoids per table spoon of budder. this is our tAke on a milky way

 

[Brother Sweetleaf]

Starting with a Decarboxed product helps... 10 mins at 200 before using to make butter... Trust me, it makes a huge difference in the end product... never heat any products beyond 300 F... and of course there is always a second wash when I feel that its to green... really makes a difference in my humble opinion .....PotSnob

want less green taste decarb it.. then add water oils etc... I personally no longer do more then 2-4 hour cook... never knew the difference after about 2 hours... edibles are going work on each of us differently...

we let ours cook for n hour and reach 97% activation according to pure analitcals tests. once temps reach 225ish a chemical reaction occours within minutes and as long as things are properly agitating. as far as tho op goes....we use water for 2 reasons. 1)acts as a cleaner to remove that gritty stuff. 2) allows a pound of product to be infused to a very minimal amount of budder so as to achieve maximum mg of canabanoids per table spoon of budder...

Thanks for all the support! I think I've got it! Still, I love learning about this stuff, and am intrigued to know more...

Sacpirate-- I'm very, very interested in knowing more... You seem to know some of the "science" behind it, and it seems like very powerful information that you've used lots of times. A few questions still... Water boils at 212 degrees. How do you achieve & maintain that temperature of 225?

How long do you constantly agitate for?

Is the boiling water enough to "properly agitate", or is there another method you use?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but are you saying that you can use a minimal amount of oil in a lot of boiling water with a lot of herb, and within only an hour or so of cook-time (at 225 degrees or higher with constant agitation) have super-potent, ultra-clean butter???

Thanks again for all the support!

 

[sacpirate]

use a thermometer to maintain temps, i stir every 5 mins or so, then after initial process of straining i freeze it in a bowl. the fat infused with thc will separate from the frozen water which will contain a noticeable amount of grit/dirt. i then run that ice/butter block under warm enough water to rinse the frozen dirty water away but not hot enough to melt the butter. then i put the butter in a pot on the stove and add a few more cups of clean water and reheat till all butter is melted(bout 20min). i then refreeze and wash again as more dirt will appear in the frozen water again. repeat one more time and u will have the cleanest greenest butter you've ever seen. i sell mine to cannabis clubs so it has to be flawlessly green and clean.