Fresh Harvest Infused Cannabis Oil

[GrEeNdAyZ]

Hello Sue and you other happy oilers. Sue, I've been reading this, and your many other threads for a longtime. I've also read all of Motoco's CCO thread, others as well. I'm just about to run through a batch...bud has been in the freezer since harvest and wash weeks ago.

My question is in regards to the oil bath. I get double boilers so it's not that I don't understand it being more gentle. I know your trying to find a way to do away with it. I'm intending to use an induction hot plate with or without the oil bath. My cookware is stainless with a very thick solid base.

Keep in mind that I have never used this hot plate but it's supposed to have fine temperature control. If that is the case, can I just not use the the oil bath? Has anyone tried this and failed?

 

[Archiweedies]

I do not have any experience with the hot plate, but if it can keep the temps up and steady, I'd say it's worth a shot. Maybe do a small batch just to get a feel for it?

 

[SweetSue]

Hello Sue and you other happy oilers. Sue, I've been reading this, and your many other threads for a longtime. I've also read all of Motoco's CCO thread, others as well. I'm just about to run through a batch...bud has been in the freezer since harvest and wash weeks ago.

My question is in regards to the oil bath. I get double boilers so it's not that I don't understand it being more gentle. I know your trying to find a way to do away with it. I'm intending to use an induction hot plate with or without the oil bath. My cookware is stainless with a very thick solid base.

Keep in mind that I have never used this hot plate but it's supposed to have fine temperature control. If that is the case, can I just not use the the oil bath? Has anyone tried this and failed?

This one flashed through my mind, so I went looking. This is a copy of a picture Cajun posted back in 2015 or 2016. He used an induction cooktop set to 240 degrees F with a ceramic pan filled with oil and the CCO set into that oil. There was a reason for that, but I can't tell you the reason, because he never shared it with me, he only posted the shot of oil production in process.

My thinking is that it'll be easier to keep the temperature of the oil being decarbed more consistent by having the oil bath up around the volume of oil being processed. Can you understand what I'm trying to explain?

 

[GrEeNdAyZ]

Thanks Arc, Thanks Sue...that pic looks familiar now that you re-post it, and it's what I had planed. I totally get what your saying Sue, for instance, I'd never try and melt chocolate just over a flame. I was hoping that Sue or Cajun would say they tried without the oil bath and it was too hard to keep from burning once decarb temps were reached.

I'm not trying to be lazy or anything. If your interested, look up spoon theory, spoons replace energy to complete tasks, I only have so many spoons to use each day. So if I can eliminate steps and cleanup, I'm better off.

I'm not worried about loosing material, so maybe I do as Arc suggested and run a small batch...say 50 to 100g of some dried and cured bud to 250ml of coconut oil. How about one run with some added water and one without. I'll document and report back. Bare with me though...can't do it all at once...spoons and all.

 

[Amy Gardner]

Thanks Arc, Thanks Sue...that pic looks familiar now that you re-post it, and it's what I had planed. I totally get what your saying Sue, for instance, I'd never try and melt chocolate just over a flame. I was hoping that Sue or Cajun would say they tried without the oil bath and it was too hard to keep from burning once decarb temps were reached.

I'm not trying to be lazy or anything. If your interested, look up spoon theory, spoons replace energy to complete tasks, I only have so many spoons to use each day. So if I can eliminate steps and cleanup, I'm better off.

I'm not worried about loosing material, so maybe I do as Arc suggested and run a small batch...say 50 to 100g of some dried and cured bud to 250ml of coconut oil. How about one run with some added water and one without. I'll document and report back. Bare with me though...can't do it all at once...spoons and all.

Hey there fellow spoonie ..
Had to do a double take when I read 'spoon theory'

All the best with your oil making adventure. Looking forward to the report. .

FWIW I've found the 36hr method in small batches is minimally demanding. Just taxes the oven (although at low temp). But it's not a fresh harvest method, and Sue is refining it as we speak - in her sleep most likely .

.

 

[SweetSue]

Thanks Arc, Thanks Sue...that pic looks familiar now that you re-post it, and it's what I had planed. I totally get what your saying Sue, for instance, I'd never try and melt chocolate just over a flame. I was hoping that Sue or Cajun would say they tried without the oil bath and it was too hard to keep from burning once decarb temps were reached.

I'm not trying to be lazy or anything. If your interested, look up spoon theory, spoons replace energy to complete tasks, I only have so many spoons to use each day. So if I can eliminate steps and cleanup, I'm better off.

I'm not worried about loosing material, so maybe I do as Arc suggested and run a small batch...say 50 to 100g of some dried and cured bud to 250ml of coconut oil. How about one run with some added water and one without. I'll document and report back. Bare with me though...can't do it all at once...spoons and all.

I look forward to your eventual reports. If it works without the oil bath we'll all dance a joyful jig. When you get it done will be just the right time. And thank you for the introduction to spoon theory. It was mind-expanding. I'll be posting about the theory in the Study Hall.

While I'm here let me finish my report on the last batch of oil I made. I used 50 grams of low and slo dried CBD Critical Cure buds with 250 ml of EVOO, cooked in the oven for 36 hours. Then I put it on an oil bath to check the decarb, and boy....surprise! It took three hours to completely decarb.

Hot from the oven, it started decarbing almost immediately.

There's a lot to be said in finding the right tools. I looked for months for something the size and depth of this stainless cup. The other day I found small stainless canisters that I'll be picking up a second one of today. They're the perfect size for this process.

The smaller canning lids give me the spacing from the flame's intense heat while allowing enough open space to avoid any splashing from oil bubbles being captured and then escaping. The cup I found sits securely in the oil. My purchases today will include an ovglove. Picking up with my own fingers is preferable when dealing with hot oil, and that glove makes it possible to make use of the efficiency of the opposable thumb.

The Wilton cake decorator turned out to be the best stirring tool. Oil gets messy with the silicon or rubber spatulas. They're good for cleaning out (I have a couple small ones that fit the cup better), and this stainless blade is much better for the incessant stirring. It sits nicely in there without fear of tipping out too.

Incidentally, we say all the time to watch for the uniformly small decarb bubbles, but in reality you get three different-sized bubbles, small, medium, and large, but unlike the manic bubbles formed by the water boiling off, they remain consistent in their sizes and they gather together in small groupings.

I'm bad about remembering the lecithin, so I've started adding it to the measuring cup before I begin straining.

For the initial drain I prefer a paint strainer or cheesecloth. When I squeeze I first wrap this bundle in a piece of 125 TPI silk. This cuts back on the amount of sludge that makes it through.

5 minutes from being done there's still bubbles rising with every stir.

Then BAM! She's done!

Since I'll be keeping the mash for my own consumption, freeing the oil for my patients, I don't go through a big ordeal to reclaim all of the oil. I'll be getting what's left in my daily dose of mash. I let it drip, vibrating the mash by gently shaking the funnel back and forth.

This was the first time I tried vibrating it, and I pulled out an additional 25 ml from previous runs, after final squeezing.

Into the fridge for 24 hours. I'll be making capsules today.

The mash is mine.

I'll be refining my methods again to something very similar to FHO, just using the low and slo or dehydrated buds. Making the buds and oil into a slurry and processing it over the oil bath appears to be my best method for making the highest-quality oil. Not having to boil the water oot may save an hour or two, but the process remains laborious, so thank goodness I'm so enthralled by it that I can't walk away. Lol!

Pacing myself has become my latest focus, now that I have an understanding of the method and have developed an instinctive feel for the temperature fluctuations that may occur. I find the sweet spot and manage to keep it there for the most part. As long as I can maintain between 230 -240 degrees F in the mash, which translates to something in the neighborhood of 280 degrees for the oil bath, I can enjoy the process without stress, stirring every five minutes or so and watching the bubbling action with enrapt fascination.

But standing over the stove will be difficult for many. Next time I may try the crock pot. I'll be at the stores today and the purchase of a mini crock pot is in my immediate future. I'm searching for a way for someone with limited spoons to create this wonderfully beneficial oil, with the least number of spoons being sacrificed. Then the hope is that the number of available spoons will begin to spontaneously increase.

 

[Radogast]

Hey Sue - Don't you already have a LoveGlove that cam with your Magical Butter Machine- or is that one too large and klunky for your hands?

 

[GrEeNdAyZ]

Hey all, so I was able to try a run of oil today. Sorry this was not FHO, in this attempt. But I did not use the oil bath. Just this induction hot plate and this pot, like I said the base is a 1/2 inch thick.

But first the end...an hour after licking tools clean and a quick bread cleaning...lol...prior to adding lecithin...and I have way more of an effect than I thought I would from the small amount I had, other wise this post would have been complete a long time ago

I used about 250ml of this oil.

This is 62g of trim and popcorn. Dried and cured in a typical way. It's Gold Leaf, Indica dominant 60/40. THC 21% High CBD is all I can ever find in a review.

I remember you saying once Sue that you would think there wasn't enough oil...but there was...I get what you meant...10 pulses and I thought...that's not enough oil...then 5 pulses later its mash...lol...that was weird.

Some old school gear here.

Heats up fast.

That's just in a few minutes.
Below is about a 15min.

30 min. Temp was always around 230-240'is...I did have to watch it though, temp control was not as adjustable as I thought.

45 min.

Not sure you can see it there, I think Sue described it like champaign bubbles before...this stoped a little after an hour.

So I strained it and squeezed out what I could, and recovered this. Could have worked harder I guess..lol.

So I added about a 1/2 tbs of lecithin to that wrapped it and stuck it in the fridge.

Now two hours after sampling, I'd swear I just had 5 or 6 good pulls from a dry herb vape...I'm crazy surprised. Maybe I had more than I thought. Lol...not complaining though!

 

[InTheShed]

If I'm close on my math, you got somewhere around 50+mg THC/ml oil so I should hope you felt it!

62g = 62000mg x 21% THC = 13,020mg THC / 250ml starting oil (assuming that a lot is left in the leftover mash) = 52mg/ml.

If I got that right I thank Scientific for the formula, if not then I blame myself!

 

[Amy Gardner]

Hey all, so I was able to try a run of oil today. Sorry this was not FHO, in this attempt. But I did not use the oil bath. Just this induction hot plate and this pot, like I said the base is a 1/2 inch thick.

But first the end...an hour after licking tools clean and a quick bread cleaning...lol...prior to adding lecithin...and I have way more of an effect than I thought I would from the small amount I had, other wise this post would have been complete a long time ago

I used about 250ml of this oil.

This is 62g of trim and popcorn. Dried and cured in a typical way. It's Gold Leaf, Indica dominant 60/40. THC 21% High CBD is all I can ever find in a review.

I remember you saying once Sue that you would think there wasn't enough oil...but there was...I get what you meant...10 pulses and I thought...that's not enough oil...then 5 pulses later its mash...lol...that was weird.

Some old school gear here.

Heats up fast.

That's just in a few minutes.
Below is about a 15min.

30 min. Temp was always around 230-240'is...I did have to watch it though, temp control was not as adjustable as I thought.

45 min.

Not sure you can see it there, I think Sue described it like champaign bubbles before...this stoped a little after an hour.

So I strained it and squeezed out what I could, and recovered this. Could have worked harder I guess..lol.

So I added about a 1/2 tbs of lecithin to that wrapped it and stuck it in the fridge.

Now two hours after sampling, I'd swear I just had 5 or 6 good pulls from a dry herb vape...I'm crazy surprised. Maybe I had more than I thought. Lol...not complaining though!

That sounds super! Well done. ..
Considering I can get quite buzzed from 1ml of my oil made with about 5g dry bud in 1cup if EVOO, I'm not at all surprised that yours is potent! Woof! Those numbers are high - thanks Shed fir reposting the formula.

.

 

[GrEeNdAyZ]

If I'm close on my math, you got somewhere around 50+mg THC/ml oil so I should hope you felt it!

62g = 62000mg x 21% THC = 13,020mg THC / 250ml starting oil (assuming that a lot is left in the leftover mash) = 52mg/ml.

If I got that right I thank Scientific for the formula, if not then I blame myself!

I know I have read the calculation a bunch of times but I'm not sure. I thought there was another multiple in there as well but can't find it now.

 

[GrEeNdAyZ]

Let me put some into capsules and get an idea of a measured dose...wish I knew how much I may have had...probably don't need that much daily.

 

[InTheShed]

I know I have read the calculation a bunch of times but I'm not sure. I thought there was another multiple in there as well but can't find it now.

Feel free to check my math! I got the formula from Scientific's post here
Scientific's Hydro Dwarf Low Flyer 24/7 Illumination Fireplace Grow Journal - 2017
and I think I'm doing it right, but if I'm not someone let me know please!

 

[SweetSue]

Hey Sue - Don't you already have a LoveGlove that cam with your Magical Butter Machine- or is that one too large and klunky for your hands?

I have more than one Rad, and yes, they're too big and clunky for me to deal with. I picked up a more accommodating pair of them today.

It lets me get use of the opposable thumb.

I also picked up a 2-qt crockpot to run some test batches of the infused oils.

I've come to prefer the hot oil bath, though it's still something I'd like to eliminate if possible. The induction plate GrEeNdAyZ is playing with has looked interesting to me for a couple years now, ever since I saw Cajun's picture. I hesitate to pick up another piece of equipment. I'm gonna need a closet just for the oil supplies.

Let me put some into capsules and get an idea of a measured dose...wish I knew how much I may have had...probably don't need that much daily.

Start with one capsule morning and evening. Wait a couple days and add in a third dose. Let it go like that for a week or so before you increase. Let your ECS adjust in between increases. Keep toggling up your major cannabinoids, doing your best to keep them in balance, until you find the relief you seek.

When you reach the point where you're uncomfortable with the euphoria, back off one level and stay there until you have good reason to change dose volumes. Do try to stay with at least three doses a day, to keep a constant cannabinoid presence. One of the things we're attempting to do with cannabinoid therapies is to find the tone of your healthy ECS. It makes more sense to keep a consistent supply coming in.

If you find the capsules are too potent to do a whole one more than a couple times a day you can freeze them and cut the dose down by cutting the capsule down. You may smile at the thought that they'd be that potent, but I still can't take more than two a day of mine and expect to do more than laugh and have a good time socializing.

I know I have read the calculation a bunch of times but I'm not sure. I thought there was another multiple in there as well but can't find it now.

You're thinking of the extraction efficiency. Infused oils have an extraction efficiency of 85%l and when you want a fine calculation you begin by multiplying that efficiency percentage times the percentage of your major cannabinoids believed to be in your cannabis flowers or leaves.

That calculation is more necessary when you have precise test results that tell you what the oil really holds and you're developing a regimen for a patient. Most of us work without test support, and for us general calculations are acceptable. We're guessing at the cannabinoid values of our plants and thereby the oils anyway.

Feel free to check my math! I got the formula from Scientific's post here
Scientific's Hydro Dwarf Low Flyer 24/7 Illumination Fireplace Grow Journal - 2017
and I think I'm doing it right, but if I'm not someone let me know please!

It works for me. I use both formulas. The one you shared is a quick best-guess. Thanks for sharing it.

 

[Bode]

High SweetSue,

I finally got caught up reading this thread. So much great info here! Wish I could give you reps again.

Oh, what I posted for is this, I made a batch of CCO in our crock pot a few days ago. Didn't weigh or measure
(sorry). Cooked for 8 hours only because I didn't know what I was doing. Changed temps 3-4 times, strained, and refrigerated. Yesterday I had 1.5 tsp (decent dose for potency) in a.m. and another dose in evening. Morning dose was nice but evening was too much. A joint didn't effect me at all (too much, too soon). So, tonight, I'm trying an evening dose as one dose a day. I enjoy the joints, so I thought less oil/day. The high is 50/50 I think (hybrid). Next time I'll try a more sativa strain to see if I can get a better energetic high.

Definitely a learning curve. Oh well, that's what keeps us going. Good luck with your crockpot trial with infused oil.

 

[SweetSue]

Pictures like that make my heart beat faster.

You shared an excellent example of the different sizes of the decarb bubbles. Well done all around! Wasn't that fun? Lol! I love that pan you have. The thick bottom can only help protect the oil. Thank you for being brave enough to risk part of a harvest.

Find a creative use for the mash, and then you don't lose anything when you don't kill yourself trying to get more out. I like the way Oldbear does it - gravity drain and then use the mash somewhere else. I'll tell you, my oil-making stress levels went way down when I adopted his mindset.

Reps for the documentation. Every time we do that it makes it easier for someone else to get the courage up and give it a try. We effect change one kitchen at a time.

 

[SweetSue]

High SweetSue,

I finally got caught up reading this thread. So much great info here! Wish I could give you reps again.

Oh, what I posted for is this, I made a batch of CCO in our crock pot a few days ago. Didn't weigh or measure
(sorry). Cooked for 8 hours only because I didn't know what I was doing. Changed temps 3-4 times, strained, and refrigerated. Yesterday I had 1.5 tsp (decent dose for potency) in a.m. and another dose in evening. Morning dose was nice but evening was too much. A joint didn't effect me at all (too much, too soon). So, tonight, I'm trying an evening dose as one dose a day. I enjoy the joints, so I thought less oil/day. The high is 50/50 I think (hybrid). Next time I'll try a more sativa strain to see if I can get a better energetic high.

Definitely a learning curve. Oh well, that's what keeps us going. Good luck with your crockpot trial with infused oil.

Evening Bode. There are many variables. A 50/50 hybrid will express one direction or the other based on medium chosen. I know with Doc's Kit our hybrids trend to the sativa influence. Then again, maybe it's the cultivator's energy. It seems everything I grow leans to the sativa terpenes, and my daughter thinks it's my energy contributing to the expression.

I'm growing a Thin Mint GSC, known for the expression of fragrances akin to both chocolate and mint. Mine is exploding with lemon, a sure indicator of a massive dose of limonene. Limonene is one of my favorite terpenes, for the energetic, cerebral high.

I only take one or two capsule doses a day myself. I dose in many other ways throughout the day.

 

[GrEeNdAyZ]

Feel free to check my math! I got the formula from Scientific's post here
Scientific's Hydro Dwarf Low Flyer 24/7 Illumination Fireplace Grow Journal - 2017
and I think I'm doing it right, but if I'm not someone let me know please!

Shed my friend...thank you so much for calculating that for me so quickly! When I read your post, I was in the midst of being blown away buy the effectiveness of what I produced...I'm still shocked at the potency.

I have infused butter a handful of times over the years for cookies and stuff...that's always been ok...but no numbers to attach...my only experience with a "professional" edible was a 25mg sucker gifted from my son, it was way to expensive IMO. It was way to big to enjoy eating and had zero effect on me.

Then reading your post...seeing 52mg/ml...thinking a 00 capsule hold about a ml...thinking I can fill almost all the 200 capsules I have...and thinking 1 or 2 capsules a day is all I would need...wow, I'm amazed!

So thank you again!

 

[GrEeNdAyZ]

Pictures like that make my heart beat faster.

You shared an excellent example of the different sizes of the decarb bubbles. Well done all around! Wasn't that fun? Lol! I love that pan you have. The thick bottom can only help protect the oil. Thank you for being brave enough to risk part of a harvest.

Find a creative use for the mash, and then you don't lose anything when you don't kill yourself trying to get more out. I like the way Oldbear does it - gravity drain and then use the mash somewhere else. I'll tell you, my oil-making stress levels went way down when I adopted his mindset.

Reps for the documentation. Every time we do that it makes it easier for someone else to get the courage up and give it a try. We effect change one kitchen at a time.

Thank you SweetSue,

I tried working as "scientific", with time and temperature, as I could...was thinking 2 hours...but honestly it was your descriptions and photos of the "action" of the oil that determined when to stop. As I said, I did have to watch the temps closely and adjust the hot plate up and down many times to keep things in a reasonable range. Although still expecting that the cook down was going to be 2 hours, 45 minutes in, thinking about and reviewing all your testing, I knew then that it was almost done. What was happening with the oil turned out to be more important and a better indicator to me than the time.

But hey, listen Young Lady!...I have spent more than 2 years in planing, rethinking, planing some more then growing 2 plants out doors and all the work that goes with caring for a grow. I won't bore you with the details but due to degraded lungs I have not smoked or vaped for a long time. My intent from the beginning, again years ago, was to end up with a simple capsule. All of it based on the information I found in your Study Hall and all the effort you put into all of your threads.

So here I am at the virtual finish line with a product at or beyond my goal! And to top it all off, after years of reading your work, I have posted in a SweetSue thread AND received a response from you!

All I can say is thanks!...it sure is a good day in Whosville!

 

[SweetSue]

Thank you SweetSue,

I tried working as "scientific", with time and temperature, as I could...was thinking 2 hours...but honestly it was your descriptions and photos of the "action" of the oil that determined when to stop. As I said, I did have to watch the temps closely and adjust the hot plate up and down many times to keep things in a reasonable range. Although still expecting that the cook down was going to be 2 hours, 45 minutes in, thinking about and reviewing all your testing, I knew then that it was almost done. What was happening with the oil turned out to be more important and a better indicator to me than the time.

But hey, listen Young Lady!...I have spent more than 2 years in planing, rethinking, planing some more then growing 2 plants out doors and all the work that goes with caring for a grow. I won't bore you with the details but due to degraded lungs I have not smoked or vaped for a long time. My intent from the beginning, again years ago, was to end up with a simple capsule. All of it based on the information I found in your Study Hall and all the effort you put into all of your threads.

So here I am at the virtual finish line with a product at or beyond my goal! And to top it all off, after years of reading your work, I have posted in a SweetSue thread AND received a response from you!

All I can say is thanks!...it sure is a good day in Whosville!

Awww...... Then all my maniacally energetic work was worth it. My intent from the beginning was to make it possible for members like you to get the courage do this in their own kitchens and find out how incredibly simple and beneficial the process is. Let the natural healing begin!

Thank you for that. Made my morning.