What Is Decarbing? How to Make Edibles - Cannabis Butter

What is Decarbing Cannabis?

You can decarb both flower and concentrate by heating either of them up at low temperatures around 20-45 minutes. Decarbing activates the compounds within your dry/wax materials, including THC and CBD.

Why is Decarbing Cannabis Important?

Through the process of decarbing, the heat turns the acidic cannabinoids into the highly sought after ones which includes turning THCA into THC! When you apply heat to cannabis it turns COOH into CO2 which is then released and activates THC! Interesting stuff huh?

Decarbing flower is super simple, just lighting it up to smoke will release those cannabinoids you are looking for. With edibles or tinctures the process is a little different!

Before any sort of infusing method you should always start with decarbed cannabis. You can do this by completing the steps below:

How to Decarb Cannabis Flower:

• Break up your buds into smaller pieces, you don't have to grind it up, just get the pieces to be smaller so that the heat can pass through all the empty spaces in your buds.
• Place your flower onto a baking sheet.
• Put your cannabis into the oven at 220 degrees and let it bake for 30 minutes stirring your buds around every ten minutes.
• Remove your flower from the oven and allow it to cool off so that it's ready for infusion!

Measurements of Cannabis to Butter:

A good rule of thumb is to use 7 grams of plant materials per cup of butter. Two sticks of butter is equal to one cup. You can adjust the potency of your butter by adjusting the amount of cannabis used.

• 3.5 grams of cannabis to 2 sticks of butter will produce a mild batch.
• 7 grams of cannabis to 2 sticks of butter will produce a standard batch.
• 14 grams of cannabis to 2 sticks of butter will produce a strong batch.

Infusing Cannabis Into Butter - Mason Jar and Water - Different Methods:

Infusing butter is pretty straightforward and simple, there are a few different methods you can use that involve your butter, cannabis, and some heat!

Crockpot or Slow Cooker:

• Start by melting 1 to 2 sticks of butter inside your crockpot or slow cooker.
• Then add in 7 to 14 grams of decarbed cannabis.
  • You can add in 1 cup of water, however this step is optional. This will stop the butter from burning in the event that the heat is too high or the butter is left inside the slow cooker or crockpot for too long.
• Let your butter and cannabis infuse on the low heat setting for about 4-6 hours.

Double Boiling:

• Start by filling a pot with water.
• Place a bowl or another pot on top of the pot filled with water, make sure the second pot or bowl is not touching the water below.
• Melt 1 to 2 sticks of butter inside the top bowl or pot.
• Add in 7 to 14 grams of your decarbed cannabis into the butter.
  • You can add in 1 cup of water, this step is optional. This will stop the butter from burning.
• Allow your butter and cannabis to infuse for about 2 to 3 hours.

Mason Jar and Water:

• Start by melting 1 to 2 sticks of butter, then place the melted butter into a mason jar.
• Then add in 7 to 14 grams of your decarbbed cannabis into the mason jar as well.
• Screw the lid on but not too tight, make sure it's lightly screwed on.
• Fill a pot with water and place it onto the stove, make sure the water is simmering at a low temperature.
• Place your mason jar into the water.
• Allow your mason jat to sit inside the simmering water for 2 to 3 hours so that the cannabis can infuse into your butter.

Infusion Devices:

• Add in 2 to 10 sticks of butter (whatever your machine's capacity is, it should say on the box or in the instructions), it does not have to be melted.
• Add in your decarbed cannabis, anywhere from 7 grams to 35 grams, depending on how much butter you use.
• Set the temperature to 160 degrees on your machine and allow the cannabis to infuse into the butter for 2 hours.

How to Strain Infused Cannabis Butter:

After the cooking time is up, regardless of which method you choose, you will need to strain your butter through cheesecloth or a mesh filter to remove any plant materials. After the plant materials are removed you can store your butter in an airtight container or a mason jar.

• Remove as much of the plant material as you can, leaving it inside your butter will cause it to spoil faster.

How to Store Cannabis Infused Butter:

Your cannabutter can either be stored in the fridge or the freezer.

• The butter should be stored towards the back of the fridge where the temp is more stable, and it should last around 2-3 weeks.
• In the freezer your butter can last anywhere from six months to a year. You can proportion your butter if you choose to store it in the freezer to make it easier to use later on!