Make sure you use parchment paper rather than wax paper or ordinary writing paper. Parchment paper is heat resistant and won’t burn or contaminate your nugget with melted wax.
You can also check the temperature of your hair straightener with an infrared (laser) thermometer. You can get one of these handy gadgets at a hardware or office supply store. If the nugget gets too hot, you could burn away terpenes and THC, which will give you a lower-quality rosin. [3] X Research source
You’ll hear a sizzling sound when the nugget begins to release rosin. [6] X Research source The lower the temperature of the hair straightener, the longer you’ll need to squeeze. However, try not to press for longer than 10 seconds at a time to avoid burning the nugget. You may need to press the nugget multiple times to release all the oils. Transfer the nugget to a new piece of paper between presses.
Cooling the rosin will make it firmer and less gooey, so it should be easier to transfer it to your mixing container.
Some recipes recommend extracting as much as 1 gram (0. 035 oz), but you generally don’t need a lot to fill a little vape pen cartridge.
Science supply stores are a great place to get these types of containers. You can also get them online.
While many recipes recommend using PG (propylene glycol), PEG (polyethylene glycol), or VG (vegetable glycerin) as liquidizers, these products might be unsafe to inhale. Some researchers think they may release formaldehyde or other irritating or toxic gases when you heat them up. [13] X Research source Popular terpenes include phytol, linalool, and limonene. You can also buy terpenes in a variety of flavors to boost the taste of your vape juice. While terpenes are often thought to be safer than other liquidizers, there’s still not a lot of research out there on the possible health effects of vaping them. [14] X Research source You can buy terpenes and other liquidizers online or from stores that sell vape products. Always research the product to make sure it’s made by a reputable manufacturer who’s transparent about the ingredients they use.
If you don’t remove the heat right away once the mixture starts to bubble, you could burn off some of those tasty terpenes and reduce the quality of your juice. Some recipes recommend microwaving the mixture for 10 seconds instead of using a flame. [16] X Research source However, you won’t have as much control over how much you heat the vape liquid using this method.
You can buy blunt-needle syringes online or from stores that sell vaping supplies.
You can also use this type of cannabis oil as a tincture, or even cook it into gummies and other tasty edibles. It’s better to tear up the flower by hand rather than grind them. If the bud is ground too fine, it will be hard to filter the flower fragments out of your vape liquid at the end of the process.
Vegetable glycerin is a natural product derived from plant oils, such as palm or soybean oil. It’s totally safe to eat food-grade VG, but unfortunately, it’s still not clear how safe it is to inhale it. Some studies show that it may degrade into unsafe chemicals called carbonyls when heated. [21] X Research source You can buy food-grade vegetable glycerin at most grocery or department stores.
Alternatively, make a hot water bath by pouring water into the dish instead of oil. [23] X Research source However, keep in mind that water baths tend to evaporate quickly and can be hard to maintain at a stable temperature for long periods of time. [24] X Research source Don’t overfill the oil bath, since the hot oil could overflow when you add the container of marijuana and VG. Make sure the dish is no more than two thirds full. A Pyrex bowl that’s about 8–9 inches (20–23 cm) wide and at least 3–4 inches (7. 6–10. 2 cm) deep will work well. There’s more risk of overflow with a shallow dish, and you’ll need more oil to fill a wider container.
It’s important to keep the temperature precise and stable so that you don’t overcook the marijuana, which will reduce the potency of your vape juice. Be very careful when handling the hot oil. Don’t get any water into your oil bath, since this could cause it to splatter and burn you. Wear goggles and a long-sleeved shirt to reduce your risk of burns. [26] X Research source
If you notice the temperature of the mixture going above 190 °F (88 °C), slightly reduce the heat of the oil bath to bring it back to the right temperature range. [29] X Research source You don’t want to lose those flavorful terpenes or burn off any THC!
Be careful not to touch the hot oil when you’re stirring the mixture! To be extra safe, put on a pair of heat-resistant gloves. Some recipes recommend keeping the mixture in the oil bath for at least 4 hours in order to create an extra potent batch of oil. [31] X Research source
If some fragments of bud make it through the strainer, don’t worry. You’ll be able to refine your oil even more later on. The VG is very viscous and thick, so you’ll need to push pretty hard to squeeze it all out. [33] X Research source
The first run will be the most potent. If you want, you can keep the 3 runs separate to create batches with different levels of potency. [35] X Research source
At this point, you will have made 3 runs of the extract, so this should be your fourth time heating the VG solution. Some recipes recommend straining the oil through cheesecloth first to remove any lasting tiny bud particles before decarboxylating, while others save the final straining for last. Experiment with doing it both ways to see which method makes the tastiest, most potent juice.
Once as much fluid as possible has dribbled through the cloth on its own, give it a firm squeeze (either using a spatula or with the rice press) to push out the last few drops. For extra-fine filtration, put another piece of cheesecloth over the top of the collection container to catch any plant bits that sneak through.
Store the remaining oil in a sealed jar until you’re ready to use it. Most cannabis extracts can stay good for several months if you store them in a cool, dry, dark place. [40] X Research source Too much light and heat will break down the THC and make your juice less potent.
This method is also called the cold process. [42] X Research source This is a great option if you’re not in a rush or you don’t want to mess around with hot plates and other equipment. There’s no set amount of flower you need to use for this process. Some recipes call for filling a canning or mason jar about two-thirds full of broken-up flower, but you don’t need to use that much if you’re making a smaller batch.
Baking the buds before you put them in glycerin will give the vape juice a nice roasted flavor, but it can also burn away some of the natural aromatic compounds (terpenes) in the marijuana plant. If you want to save the terpenes, heat up the oil at the end of the extraction process instead. If you choose to decarboxylate later, you’ll still need to dry out the buds first. Put them in the oven at 200 °F (93 °C) and turn them every few minutes, until the buds become brittle and break easily when you roll them between your fingers. Let the buds cool for a few minutes after taking them out of the oven.
Put a label on the jar with the date so you can keep track of how long the cold extraction process has been going on.
Some recipes recommend stirring in enough vegetable glycerin to thoroughly coat the buds, then pouring in another 1 inch (2. 5 cm) of VG on top. This method will give you a slightly milder juice. [47] X Research source
You can also seal the jar and shake it, or even put it in a tumbler or vibrating cartridge case cleaner for a few minutes.
Make sure the jar is well sealed. You’ll get the best results if the container is airtight. [50] X Research source
Don’t forget to keep stirring or shaking the jar daily! Alternatively, you can keep the same buds and add another 1 tablespoon (15 mL) of vegetable glycerin once a month for a total of 3 months. [53] X Research source However, your juice might be a little less potent if you do it this way.
Vegetable glycerin is very thick, so you’ll need to apply a lot of pressure to squeeze as much of it out of the buds as possible. You can also use a French press or a potato ricer to squeeze out even more juice. [55] X Research source Make the filtering process easier by warming the mixture a little before straining it. Set it in a hot water bath on the stove and warm it up to about 150 °F (66 °C). Use a cooking thermometer to check the temperature.
When you’re done, seal the jar and store it in a cool, dark place until you’re ready to use the vape juice.
Let the oil simmer in the oil or water bath for 30 minutes to fully activate the THC.
Baking the bud will dry it out and activate the THC in the plant, a process called decarboxylation. If you prefer, you can also decarboxylate your oil later in the process, after you’ve extracted the THC from the raw bud. [61] X Research source To get about 1 gram (0. 035 oz) of cannabis oil, you’ll need to start with around 10 grams (0. 35 oz) of bud.
For instance, if you’re using 10 grams (0. 35 oz) of bud, around 118–237 millilitres (4. 0–8. 0 fl oz) of alcohol should be enough.
For instance, if you’re using 10 grams (0. 35 oz) of bud, around 118–237 millilitres (4. 0–8. 0 fl oz) of alcohol should be enough.
You can get a basic magnetic stirrer online for under $30, while magnetic stirrer/hotplate combos tend to be a bit pricier. If you’re not in a rush, store the jar in a cool, dark location for 10-14 days after shaking or stirring the contents by hand for a few minutes. The alcohol will naturally break down the plant matter and release the cannabis compounds during that time. [64] X Research source
Place the coffee filters in a mesh sieve or a funnel at the top of the collection container. When you’re done, throw away the remaining flower. After the extraction process, it should no longer contain any active cannabis compounds.
While UV light can also break down the desirable cannabinoids in your extract, this process takes a long time. An hour or two of sunlight isn’t likely to do any harm. [67] X Research source If it’s not a sunny day, you can also place the extract under a UV grow light for 3-4 hours.
Depending on how much extract you’re making, this process could take several hours. If possible, use an air still instead of a rice cooker. While stills are more expensive, they allow you to collect and reuse the alcohol, and many models also shut off automatically when the distillation process is complete. [69] X Research source Don’t attempt to evaporate the alcohol on a stovetop or over an open flame! Alcohol is very flammable, and you could accidentally start a fire if it’s exposed to sparks or flame. Some recipes suggest skipping this step and simply vaping the alcohol solution, but this could potentially be dangerous. The effects of inhaling alcohol are still not well understood. [70] X Research source
Use a cooking thermometer or laser thermometer to monitor the temperature. If it gets too hot, you could burn off some of the terpenes and cannabinoids in the extract. Keep stirring the solution to keep the temperature even. If possible, use a hotplate that doubles as a magnetic stirrer so you don’t have to stir by hand. If you didn’t decarboxylate the bud before you started, leave the extract on the hotplate for an extra hour at 220 °F (104 °C) to activate the THC.
While vegetable glycerin and propylene glycol are two of the most common liquidizers used to make vape juice, it’s still not clear how safe it is to inhale them. Be aware that vaping these chemicals could damage your lungs. [73] X Research source
Store any unused liquid in a sealed container in a cool, dark place.
