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Crockpot Cannabutter

Discussion in 'Weed Edibles' started by Madmike420, Sep 13, 2009.

  1. The way I make cannabutter is with a crock pot. Take a stick and a half of butter put it inside of the crock pot with two cups of water and add about an eighth of some fire, if using mids add more! Cover and turn that bitch on high. Come back in an hour and stir everything together so it is well mixed. Put the lid on again and turn the heat down to low and let it sit for another 8 hours. Come back once the time has commenced and strain the liquid into some Tupperware with cheesecloth take the tupperware and put it in the fridge and let it sit overnight. When you take it out of the fridge in the morning, the butter and water will have separated. Squeeze the sides of the tupperware so you see a crack between the butter and the tupperware, pour the nasty water out the the crack, BAM awesome cannabutter!
     
  2. Sounds like a decent way to do things, should create a clean final product...must be dark as hell though, right?

    The slow cooker must stick the whole place up by hour 8, huh?
     

  3. It stinks! I love the smell and have my own place tho!
     
  4. Ah, well you said you were using some fire. I use $100 zips, so it's fairly reg....doesn't smell too great, but gets you crazy blazoids. My girl usually complains a bit while im simmering my butter in the pan to make cannabutter, but thankfully i only keep mine simmering for about 5 mins.
     
  5. I still make all my butter this way, set it and forget it!
     
  6. I'm not trying to pick on you, I swear! :p :)

    I've been doing this professionally for years now, and privately for longer. We've just finally started to break away from the older, less effective methods here at GC.


    Adding water to your edible solvent (oil), is reducing its efficiency, and pulling in loads of inert, unpalatable plant matter! This is why clarified butter or 'ghee' is recommended by the experts.

    And adding water was originally only a means (an ineffective one, at that) of preventing temperature spikes, when cooking over an open flame or on the stove-top.

    If you're already using a crock pot, you should already be able to control your temps easily, and much more reliably than the old water-butters.

    That water you pour out at the end, is part inert plant matter, but resting in the bottom? That's a lot of your glandular material!


    Just like when making ice-hash, all the glandular material that hasn't been broken down into the oil is still heavy, and sinks to the bottom. And when contaminating or diluting your 'solvent' with water, it takes longer than ever to break down, so it falls below with the waste water. You can get so much more potency out of your material, via increased bioavailability, if you make a simple, medical grade oil! It's just as easy, if not easier. If using butter, just clarify it as mentioned earlier.


    Hope this helps. :)
     
  7. So how would you do it?, only the butter in the crock pot? how many hours...no offence but you talk a lot and don't say much sometimes...I mean, don't get all you are saying above....so I have a crock pot, MJ and butter, what do I do to maximize the final product?
     
  8. #8 BadKittySmiles, Aug 3, 2011
    Last edited by a moderator: Aug 3, 2011
    I'm sure you've heard of google, we have a similar feature here, that searches the entire forum. There's a little button at the top of the forum, called 'search'. If you are so impatient that your manners have escaped you, that's your best bet! :)

    If a member of a forum 'talks too much', and another person doesn't understand what they are saying, instead of waiting around for an undeserved reply to his rudely-worded request for help, he could always look it up for himself. It's not appropriate to edit an individuals entire recipe, and re-post it in his thread, it's unnecessary and often not appreciated by the original poster.
    I feel presumptuous enough as it is, just offering advice, when I know people can be getting more out of their meds.

    But when a person doesn't quite understand something and needs a little simple clarification from another human being, it's not the time to puff up his chest, and try to make the other person feel somehow responsible for his lack of comprehension.

    This is when he should politely request clarification.

    Otherwise, the person replying to him may feel that the only polite response, is no response at all. You can't respond to a question like that, without pointing out the tactlessness in the request itself.. and even that, is somewhat rude.


    It would be very foolish and unrealistic for a person to assume that, whoever he asks, would ignore that kind of poor behavior and just reply, 'all helpful-like', as though it had never happened. ;)


    Edit;

    So we at least remain on topic....

    In the end, if you re-read my post, you'll answer your question: Taking the original recipe, subtracting the water, and using clarified butter, leaves you with... well, hopefully you get the idea!

    I'm sorry I didn't just say, "water bad, NO." :p But some people may have wanted to know why it is.

    If that still doesn't clear things up for you, all the information is right here in the edibles section. Just look it up. :)
     
  9. You are very intelligent and have a lot to say....That is why you just let go your mind wonder and have the ability to put it in writing....good for you...you should write a book or guide based entirely in personal experience about cooking with cannabis. For those of us who want to be surprised by the high (eating edibles), it is important that we get it...so being super clear and damming it down is a good thing, after all, not everyone here wants to go that far in understanding all the complexities about how to do this or that...important though is to provide details instructions about quantities, temperatures and times...the rest who cares as long as the final product is worth your troubles and moneys...

    Anyhow, I have a questions for you: I got a small crock pot and I am planning to put in it, a small jar of organic peanut butter - about 3 cups? (highest possible content of fat), I am planning to add 1 cup of olive oil and about 1 cup of fine bud. Questions, should I add more material? or the ratio is good 1:1:2 (MJ, Olive oil, and Peanut butter) and should I leave it about 3 hours or over night (8 hours).....what I have in my mind is that I don't want to do cannabutter because I have small children and whatever I cook with it, they probably will be asking if they can have some and don't want to be explaining why not....if cannaoil, don't know how of appealing is to eat with it....so I thought why not using the same technique for making cannabutter or cannaoil but use it for cannapeanutbutter......do you think this could work and that the final product should be a very nice green looking peanutbutter?....and very powerful too?, please any insights will be greatly appriciated it as I am planing to do it as early as this evening or tomorrow...thanks...
     
  10. #10 BadKittySmiles, Aug 3, 2011
    Last edited by a moderator: Aug 3, 2011
    Thank you, a nice question definitely makes me feel a little more motivated to help :)


    Hopefully Mike doesn't mind.

    If you've got a crock pot (with a ceramic lining), you're going to want to collect enough materials to fill it at least half way. That's the safety recommendation from the crock pot manufacturer... the sides heat up, and most recommend to be filled about 3/4 full, to prevent those sides from getting piping hot while the liquid below is still cold. If that happens, you risk shattering your ceramic lining and wasting whatever materials you've put in there so far.


    The low setting on your crock should be adequate, if it has a dial from 1 - 10, use about a 3. If it's a two-setting crock pot, keep it at the low setting. You can pre-heat your oil on the stove top, then add it and your (finely ground, decarbed) herb to the crock pot, it's faster than letting the crock pot warm it up.

    If you have foil, you'll want to place it loosely (for now) over the rim and surface of your crock pot. If using a candy thermometer inside to monitor temps, just make a 'rim' of foil, so the clear center of your lid still shows the thermometer. If monitoring temps with a thermometer, try to keep it just below 220 f and above 200 f.... should be very easy with your low setting.

    After a few hours, if a crock pot is left on continuously, even at the lowest setting the temps will slowly continue to climb... but you should be finished long before that becomes an issue.

    I find that two hours of heat at 220 f when using a pure oil-source, with a cooling and mashing at least once or twice between (don't count that 'down time' in your two hours of heating.. give yourself an extra half hour or 40 minutes during each 'break' to allow for cooling, mashing, and bringing back to temperature).
    If at all possible, you'll really want to freeze your oily mix between the first and final heating. I only mention 'if possible', because it may be too hard to get so into the process with the kiddies around, and you can easily freeze the completed oil, or completed edibles to get any last stubborn excess glandular material to crystallize, and help promote a little extra breakdown. You can see how ideally you'd want to perform that extra crystallization between heatings, so the oil can coat what ever was loosened up. But even if it's done at the end, if there is even any solid active material left, it will help to some degree if it's loosened up before you eat it.

    If you can't monitor your temps accurately the entire process, and keep it around exactly 220 f, you have the option of cutting it short, and letting it go a little longer.

    But between the two, your best bet is to let it go longer. Bioavailability is far more valuable, than the miniscule, almost non-existent loss in potency you may suffer, from letting it go an entire extra hour... if you stop short of the process, you'll lose far more potency in reduced bioavailability, than you would in degradation by allowing it to gently continue.

    Back in the day, when we still made water-butters ourselves (before the internet, before there was much education on the matter, and all we had were old wives tales and intuition to go on), we'd gently heat for 14 - 24 hours!


    Once you're ready, strain using cheesecloth. An standard edible dose at many dispensaries is 0.35g of the flowers and frosty trim of the plant. But it's best to take your personal tolerance into consideration, so you don't over or under-dose. Try to consume the oil equivalent, of a little less than you'd normally smoke in a single session, or a single day, if you normally smoke or vape multiple times per day.
    So if you used 5 grams, per quarter cup of oil, and your recommended dose happened to be .35g, you'd have roughly 14 doses. And if you divide using your 1/4 cup of oil, that's a little over a half teaspoon, per dose. That's just under a teaspoon of oil (well, 0.85 tsp) per dose.


    You'll want to use a pure oil source for the actual process; if you dilute your solvent with the non-solvent contents of peanut butter first, you'll reduce the efficiency of the process and need to add a little more time to promote bioavailability.. this is why clarified butter is recommended when using butter, to reduce the impurities and water content, and provide a better solvent.


    So once you're finished, you can add your peanut butter. Just remember how many doses you had in your oil, and it's still the same number in your peanut butter, you'll just need to eat a larger amount (of course) to get your dose.


    edit - But, if you'd like to begin with using all materials at once, including your peanut butter (for instance, if you don't have enough herb and oil to fill your crock pot safely, without it), you will continue to achieve bioavailability even after heating, over at least the next day or two, but even for the next week after processing, if left at room temp. I also wouldn't bother straining if you're adding all the materials at once :p More trouble than it's worth!


    Something I recommend for patients living in shared housing, or with children, is to get a lock-box installed in your freezer. Just make sure if you're doing it yourself, that you've found the repair schematics for the freezers components online or requested them from the manufacturer; there will be a few safe places to drill, and a few that aren't safe!


    Hopefully this helps.. sorry I got a little short with you. My stomach has been giving me more problems lately than usual... I have a few conditions leading to bleeding ulcers, and painful scar tissue, among other things, and I haven't been taking the time to medicate as much as I should. It's not an excuse, but it probably doesn't help my level of patience. I'm only human... :)
     
  11. #11 BadKittySmiles, Aug 3, 2011
    Last edited by a moderator: Aug 3, 2011
    Long story short...

    Grind and decarb (check the stickies for decarbing), place in crock pot, blend with warm oil, seal lid well with foil, heat for one hour, stop and cool. Once cooled, mash with potato masher or back of a large spoon. If possible, freeze for a few hours. Thaw, and continue heating gently for at least another hour. Cool, and strain. Add your peanut butter (or add it at the beginning, process as described, and allow a few days at room temp before consuming). And away, you go. :)


    edit - I can't help but give the long version first.. I feel that a lot of patients, if they could wrap their mind around the process better, or if it was described to them more colorfully with the mechanics behind many of the steps, I feel that mentally they'll have a much better understanding how it works, rather than just what to do. So if they run into complications in the kitchen, or if their tools are somehow different than those I'm working with, they'll have the mental 'tools' to intuitively alter their process, to achieve the same outcome.
     

  12. Thanks!...so since I have only buds, and want to test drive this, I would put everything together in the pot, olive oil, mj, and peanut butter...let it go overnight (8 to 9 hours) a a low setting, for what I read my crock pot in low doesn't go higher than 170 and in higher doesn't go higher than 220....so I should be okay?...should I keep the lid on?....how much will evaporate?
     


  13. I appreciate all your help. And I am pretty sure a lot of people here like all the information you provide. So, if I understand well, since I want to test drive this first, don't want to loose too much to this and find out later that did not work - I have wasted my share looking for other mechanisms of ingestion, so, I will follow your advise about putting everything together - so I put the crock pot in low, add the mj (after being decarb), add the olive oil, and the peanut butter - leave it there about 4 hours? then put it in a safe jar in the freezer (overnight?) and next morning leave it at room temperature and then try?...is this accurate?:wave:
     
  14. I would love to try this recipe soon!
     
  15. I'm going to revive this old thread by correcting all the guys who said to add water. If you are using a crock pot, you don't need water because that is only to prevent burning!
     

  16. Hey BadKittySmiles. I read your posts this morning as I watched my 1 1/2 quart crock pot simmer away a some butter, herb, and ... yep, water.. oh well -- it was a learning moment to see your excellent information...I'd thought I had it down like our friend here....

    I have a few questions if you don't mind me tapping your brain about a crock pot for vaped weed vs. the cheaper of the weed I can get .... vaped weed is giving me a really dark green, but it's distinctly green, not brown like the vaped weed -- and the weed I feel okay cooking with straight from the bag is giving me a lot lighter color ... the strengths are comparable as to satisfaction, but the original quality of what I've vaped (better weed) does come through... so is the lighter colored butter not as well extracted? today I went six hours planning on more (until I read your posts).... the vaped weed I've been doing for really long 6-8 hours simmers (low, then the "keep warm" setting, which tends to get really hot).... the color and strength issues bug me...

    Also, I had it my head from what may have been a really stupid conversation about cannabutter, but someone said it's not right to bubble up the butter in a microwave to get the solids up and easy to pour off - something about what that microwave process does to the butter? -- like I said, but it doesn't hurt to clarify with a pro

    Finally, this is about basic combusting/vaping inhalation technique, but I need to say that while I really only do vaping or combusting for recreation - which of course is fun, I have an anxiety issue that causes shallow breathing - if I don't have enough canna digesting into my bloodstream when I start to smoke I can't get an inhalation that approaches a real toke (e.g., I have to be fucked up in the first place or I waste a lot of weed getting stoned with puffs that don't go far, before I get get a really good hit). Know anyone like this? Is there a solution because it's dismaying :) - word? hah - yep, I'll say "dismay"

    Thanks for taking time to read!
    J
     
  17. hey what about using olive oli in place of butter and I have a crook pot, never made cannabutter in it cause it doesn't have the temp control. Just has hours and a timer. I would think if I stuck it on high for an hour it would go over the recomended temp of 200-220 degrees cels. Before evaporating all the THC which would be very Bad. I would like to use my crook pot but very leerie.
     
  18. I use a temperature controller to maintain the correct temps while cooking. Here is a pic of mine in use with a 1 quart crock pot. I used a food grade silicone to install the sensor into the pot. My crock pot is should we say "Vintage" and the lid is actually plastic so drilling the hole for the sensor was easy.
    [​IMG]
    These controllers can be purchased online and then modified to work with the crock pot like in the picture. This controller is a STC-1000 with a temp range of 1-100 C. This virtually eliminates the worry of too high or too low of temperatures.
    I have found that without the controller the temp slowly goes up and up and up. With the quart size I typically make a pound of butter (4 sticks). Also I always clarify the butter before I start.
     
  19. I agree ....u did say a whole helluva lot without being very clear. Just sayin. I do know how to "search" however since u r the one who posted the comment...I am directing my question towards u. So please dont b a smart ars. Are u saying put the butter and mj in the crockpot with no other liquid?! I find it hard to believe that it wont burn.
     
  20.  
    Thanks for confirming my suspicions my gut told me that adding water doesn't help as whenever i did the plant matter sank to the bottom, the THC may be fat soluble but its useless if it's bound to wet plant matter at the bottom of the pot!
     
    I think butter oil or coconut oil are the perfect fats to make 'cannabutter' 
     
    When i make clarified butter in the crockpot i just put in sticks of butter and nothing burns, the milk solids caramelize and give the ghee (clarified butter) flavor, i see no reason why adding weed without water would cause any problems
     

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