Check out this Part 1 How To Make Vape Cartridges Page Currently in Progress. Making the internets most complete guide for making vape cartridges - Last updated 6/29/18 If you've been wondering how to turn your shatter, wax, and any other hash oil concentrate into vape oil / e-juice it's easer than you might think. Step 1 - Base Oil <img src="https://static1.squarespace.com/sta...f124a694671ff344e6/1514420482081/IMG_4889.JPG" alt="IMG_4889.JPG" />  It's not a cannabis oil vape pen without the cannabis oil. The choice we make here for our base oil will have a heavy influence over future choices we will have to make for our finished product. Distillate In many ways distillates are the blank canvas of base oils. Distillates gives us the most options in terms of the final products we can make - would you like a vape pen that taste like fresh squeezed orange juice or your favorite cannabis strain, the choice is yours. When made correctly distillates offer us a high purity, high potency, blank start to then flavor, mix, and fill our cartridges. The blank canvas is both an advantage, and disadvantage. During the distillation process the blend of unique terpenes that made that particular strain will be lost in the process; those terpenes that you started with will be degraded to a point where they will be entirely undesirable to keep. This means that you will have to replace the terpenes/flavor lost in the process of distillation with new terpenes/flavor. More on this in Step 3. This choice will also require the most upfront cost due to the required equipment to produce a distillate. BHO (Cured | Live Resin | Sauce) Widely accessible, most flavorful (opinion), and easiest way to get started. Depending on which state you're you can visit a local dispensary to pick it up, or at a minimum know a guy. If using BHO it's best to use a product that has been either winterized or dewaxed to remove any potential plant wax that may be present. Plants wax is an impurity that would be undesirable in our final vape cartridge in terms of taste, appearance, and functionality. This will appear as a cloudy vape cartridge, and may be prone to clogs. Heres a tip! We suggest you partially decarboxylate your oil before mixing, and filling vape carts. If you don't there will be a risk of crystallization happening inside the final vape cartridge. I suggest a partial decarb over a full decarb for the simple fact that is will take less time under heat. Less time under heat means you get to retain more of the terpenes in your starting BHO. One of the nice things about distillate is that it has already gone though decarboxylation in the distillation process, and is not at risk for crystalization. Co2 Many would consider this a great option for those that want a vape cartridge that is solvent free. However solvent free is not just limited to Co2 oil. By nature distillate is also solvent free. Also, the solvent free category could fall over BHO, Rosin, and QWET if made correctly. Even in the case of an under purged BHO the act of partially decarbing the BHO, and the heat/agitation necessary when mixing the vape oil would complete the purge - butanes boiling point (30.2°F) is incredibly low after all. I believe the greatest utility for Co2 falls in its terpene extraction, and isolation ability. This isn't about terpene extraction though, it's about making vape oil. Rosin This is the option that will be most accessible to most individuals. Even if you don't have a source to acquire BHO, or C02 oil you can at least make your own base oil with Rosin. Also, like C02 it's considered a solventess hash oil. As mentioned before winterizing would be recommended to achieve the highest purity possible. If we were to do that with Rosin it wouldn't be a solvent-less hash oil though - catch 22. QWET Quick Wash Ethanol (aka QWET) would be easiest way to get started with a solvent based extraction. It won't produce the same high terpenes extraction results BHO can produce however. This is due to the higher temperatures necessary to purge a ethanol as opposed to a butane extraction - with that being said It would be considered the "safer" of the two in terms of producing. As of the time when writing this page ethanol extraction is considered a non-volatile extraction as far as the governing bodies controlling California's recreational cannabis market are concerned. Ethanol extraction would be a better choice for crude extraction to feed to distillation in my opinion. Could you make a vape pen with QWET? Yes. Would it leave you with the tastiest result? Probably not. What's the best base oil? For us the choice is distillate due to it's purity, potency, and the versatility of vape pen cartridges it can make. BHO would come in at a close second option due to it's availability, and ease to get started. Step 2 - Flavoring <img src="https://static1.squarespace.com/sta...30388854476/True-Terpene-Profiles-release.jpg" alt=" Non-cannabis derived terpenes from True Terpenes " />  Non-cannabis derived terpenes from True Terpenes <img src="https://static1.squarespace.com/sta...7e26e70a6ad2e8aaeea57/1530389154061/giphy.gif" alt=" High Terpene Extract " />  High Terpene Extract Depending on which base oil option you selected this your oil base may already be flavored. If you're starting off with the blank canvas of distillate, or perhaps another hash oil with a low amount of terpenes to begin with you're going to need some kind of flavoring though. The majority of most flavoring sources can be done Part 2 To flavor with terpenes you'll need the ability to produce a high terpene extract - HTE. HTE's can be produced with Butane, Co2, Microwave, Steam, and even with Rosin by some skilled producers. Non-cannabis derived terpenes on the other hand are much easier to scale. They do not require the large upfront equipment cost that extracting cannabis derived terpenes requires, they can simple be purchased. Cannabis derived terpenes can also be purchased…at a much greater cost. The cost difference might be roughly $2 - $5/ml for non-cannabis terpene (True Terpenes) vs $100 - $600/ml for cannabis derived terpenes (Blue river Extracts). Personally, we use terpenes from both cannabis derived source, and non-cannabis derived sources for deferent types of pens marketed to different types of customers. Historically the highest selling cartridge we’ve made was one that tasted like strawberries and bananas - the terpenes used were all natural, food grade, organic, non-GMO, and also non-cannabis. Step 3 - Diluents <img src="https://static1.squarespace.com/sta...SITY-Extract-Liquifier-True-Terpenes-16oz.jpg" alt=" 100% terpene based diluent - flavorless, organic, non-GMO. " />  100% terpene based diluent - flavorless, organic, non-GMO. There is controversy surrounding many of the diluents used in vape cartridges today. A lot of that controversy stems from a study published in The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine - Carbonyl Compounds Produced by Vaporizing Cannabis Oil Thinning Agents an experiment was performed that heated PG, VG, PEG 400, and MCT to 230°C to examine possible conversions to carcinogens. The results of the study showed “PG and PEG 400 produced high levels of acetaldehyde and formaldehyde when heated to 230°C. Formaldehyde production from PEG 400 isolate was particularly high, with one inhalation accounting for 1.12% of the daily exposure limit, nearly the same exposure as smoking one cigarette. Because PG and PEG 400 are often mixed with cannabis oil, individuals who vaporize cannabis oil products may risk exposure to harmful formaldehyde levels. Although more research is needed, consumers and policy makers should consider these potential health effects before use and when drafting cannabis-related legislation”. PEG (Polyethylene glycol) Common PEG based diluents • Ejmix • Farm To Vape • Vapeur Extract PG (Propylene Glycol) Common PG based diluents • Wax Liquidizer • Vapeur Extract VG (vegetable glycerin) Common VG based diluents • Vapeur Extract MCT (Medium-chain triglycerides) Terpene based diluents: Out off all the options available to us, the option with the fewest downsides would be a terpene based diluent such as "VISCOSITY" - a flavorless odorless diluent made from a blend of 100% organic terpenes. If there is a downside i could think of it could be the cost. In terms of ml per dollar, a terpene based diluent will be more expensive compared to more commonly used diluents such as PEG, or MCT. Step 4 - Ratios & Recipes People seem to think vape oil recipes, and ratios are harder then they actually are. Depending on what your initial base oil was vape oil is essential a recipe is two or three ingredients. The following two recipes types are what we see most commonly used in the industry today: Recipe Type 1 - Base Oil + Terpenes Recipe Type 2 - Base Oil + Terpenes + Diluent It's as simple as that. Distillate As mentioned is part 1 of this guide distillate is typically the base oil of choice for most commercial vape cartridge brands. When using a distillate to make your vape oil we recommend using terpenes to flavor your vape oil in 4-12% range. This means that terpenes should make up 4-12% of the final weight batch weight for the final vape oil. When measuring all the ingredients for vape oil we do all calculations by weight. The following equation is what you would use to determine the quantity of terpenes you'd weigh out to mix with your distillate to create a vape oil: Final Batch Weight - Base Oil Weight = Terpenes Weight In order to complete this equation however, you must determine what the final batch weight will be. The following equation is what you would use to determine what the final will be: Base Oil Weight / (100 - Desired Terpenes Percentage) = Final Batch Weight Example (Recipe Type 1): For our example we'll be starting with 12 grams of distillate for or initial base oil. For this particular example recipe we'll be using 9% for the amount of terpenes we want in our final vape oil. First, subtract 9 (Desired Terpenes Percentage) from 100. 100 - 9 = 91 Second, divide that value by 100. 91 / 100 = 0.91 Third, divide the base oil weight by that value. 12 / 0.91 = 13.186 The final result is 13.186, meaning are final batch weight will be 13.186g total. 12 / (100 - 9) = 13.186 Now that we have the final batch weight we can complete the first equation. Final Batch Weight - Base Oil Weight = Terpenes Weight Continuing with our example, subtract the base oil weight from the final batch oil weight. 13.186 - 12 = 1.186 The final result is 1.186, meaning the toal terpenes weight will be 1.186g total. The final recipe will consist of 12g of distillate and 1.186g of terpenes for a total of 13.186g of vape oil. 12 (Distillate) + 1.186 (Terpenes) = 13.18 (Vape oil) (Writing in Progress) BHO & Rosin (Coming Soon) Step 5 - Mixing Now that we have determine what the recipe for our vape oil will be making it's time to mix everything together. This step is as simple as lightly heating all the ingredients, and blending them to a homogeneous consistency. We recommend first heating your base oil separately from the other ingredients such as terpenes which are more temperature sensitive. 0. Weigh out the base oil into beaker using a scale. This beaker should be large enough to hold the entire final batch of vape oil once terpenes are added. 0. Heat base oil beaker using a hot plate stirrer, or microwave (yes, a regular microwave). Since different types of base oil come with different starting stabilities you will have to heat some more than others. Typically base oil such as distillate that is already decarbed will have to be heated less than oil that may not be such as a BHO shatter. When heating you simply want to get the base oil to a consistency where it can be easily stirred without much effort - think of a honey consistency. 0. Weigh terpenes (other ingredients) in separate beaker using a scale. It's better to use a separate beaker when weighing so that you can remove remove any extra weight that may have been added. 0. Added weighed terpenes to heated base oil beaker. 0. Lightly stir with stainless steel tool to roughly mix ingredients together so that the terpenes aren't just sitting on top of the oil. 0. Add magnetic stir bar into beaker, then place beaker on hot plate stirrer. Turn the stir bar on, and set it to a low setting such as 200 RPM. Don't be surprised if your stir bar does not move spin freely, it must be heated further. 0. Begin heating beaker. Again, the amount of heat you will need to apply will vary depending on the stability of the base oil, as well as the amount of terpenes added. The lower the amount of terpenes in the mixture the more heat will need to be applied. The Higher the amount of terpenes in the mixture the less heat will need to be applied. Start at 40C and slowly dial your heat up until the stir bar begins to rotate freely - you should not have to heat the oil past 70C. 0. Slowly ramp the speed of your stir bar up until you stir bar is mixing the entire volume of the beaker. 0. Allow the beaker to mix until you no longer see striations, or separation of ingrdients. <img src="https://static1.squarespace.com/sta...61b4c9/1514426019642/813ufLC4SWL._SL1500_.jpg" alt="813ufLC4SWL._SL1500_.jpg" />  <img src="https://static1.squarespace.com/sta...152c55/1519657869626/71lFxQVyauL._SL1500_.jpg" alt="71lFxQVyauL._SL1500_.jpg" />  <img src="https://static1.squarespace.com/sta...607c7c/1530374612846/81TdqtvGPML._SL1500_.jpg" alt="81TdqtvGPML._SL1500_.jpg" />  <img src="https://static1.squarespace.com/sta...62607a/1530382097520/810r2mrQXpL._SL1500_.jpg" alt="810r2mrQXpL._SL1500_.jpg" />  Magnetic Hot Plate Stirrer BUY STIRRER The magnetic hot plate stirrer is going to be your greatest tool when it comes to mixing vape oil. To save 10% on hot plate stirrers use promo code "extractsacadmey" at checkout. Mixing Vessels - Beakers Used for mixing your blend of terpenes, and oil. Beakers will be placed on your hot Part 3 Another important feature is that it won't auto power-off like many battery powered scales - this is an issue when you're in the middle of weighing out a terpene blend. BUY SCALE Stainless Steel Stir Tool This is the preferred stirring utensil. We use these for stirring, as well handling when transferring vessels for weighing. BUY STIR TOOL Step 6 - Cartridge Hardware <img src="https://static1.squarespace.com/sta...46fe9f84e870/1524760059653/v3+cartridge+2.png" alt="v3 cartridge 2.png" />  It doesn't matter how good the vape oil in the cartridge is unless the cartridge actually works. Making the right choice here will define if you have an enjoyable vape pen, or find yourself asking questions like "how to fix a leaking vape cartridge", "my cartridge taste burnt what do i do", "how to get vape oil out of broken vape pen". <img src="https://static1.squarespace.com/sta...01593d39/1514411361156/bad_vape_cartridge.JPG" alt=" Do not buy this type of cartridge. Many buy them because they are the cheapest. When you consider that they can have failure rates from 10% - 25% they are by far the most expensive. " />  Do not buy this type of cartridge. Many buy them because they are the cheapest. When you consider that they can have failure rates from 10% - 25% they are by far the most expensive. <img src="https://static1.squarespace.com/sta...96e2c483bcb2d95c34/1519657655720/IMG_5011.JPG" alt=" Instead look for something like this. A ceramic based heating element, 4 sided oils hole, capable of vaping even the thickest of oils (raw distillate), low failure rate (less than 1%).&nbsp; " />  Instead look for something like this. A ceramic based heating element, 4 sided oils hole, capable of vaping even the thickest of oils (raw distillate), low failure rate (less than 1%). To order these cartridges click here. VAPE CARTS Step 7 - Filling <img src="https://static1.squarespace.com/sta...4c2b6a2868833fec20/1524582232754/IMG_7248.JPG" alt="IMG_7248.JPG" />  Beginner - Intermediate For beginners the simplest filling solution will consist of the use of a hot plate stirrer, and a syringe with blunt tip needle. 0. Heater beaker containing vape oil up to a consistency where it can easily be pulled into a syringe. This might range from 35-65C depending on the thickness of the final vape oil. 0. Set stir bar to light spin to keep in order keep the entire volume of the beaker warm. 0. Alternate between loading the syringe and dispensing the vape oil into cartridge until complete. Tip: The longer your oil in under heat the more it will oxidize, and darken over time. For large batches (hundreds to thousands of grams) it might be best to heat small amounts of oil at a time such as 250-500ml beakers. In addition to duration, the higher the heat the faster the oil will oxidize as well. <img src="https://static1.squarespace.com/sta...f21a1c/1519656990812/71E8+mS4BhL._SL1500_.jpg" alt=" Glass syringes will be recommended over plastic to avoid possibility of plastic leaching into the vape oil. These are reusable when cleaned with correctly. " />  Glass syringes will be recommended over plastic to avoid possibility of plastic leaching into the vape oil. These are reusable when cleaned with correctly. BUY SYRINGE <img src="https://static1.squarespace.com/sta...74cf66/1519657025842/81LU4rEqUML._SL1500_.jpg" alt=" Stainless steel blunt tip luer lock syringes. 16ga will fit most cartridges. " />  Stainless steel blunt tip luer lock syringes. 16ga will fit most cartridges. BUY SS BLUNT TIPS Syringe Alternative <img src="https://static1.squarespace.com/sta...8251befdefacb4d/1524582668952/31iQHQeCqGL.jpg" alt=" While following the same procedure used when filling with a syringe a Repeater Pipettor can be a way to increase the speed that you fill cartridges at. The repeating pipette dispenses a set volume of fluid with every press of the plunger. The volume can be set to match the volume of the cartridge being filled. One downside to this method it that the vape oil being heated will have to be heated much hotter than the syringe method. This may be 70-90C before the oil is at a consistency where dispensing is easy. The oil must be heated to a near water thin consistency to avoid clogging. If you remember the previous tip, this higher heat will oxidize the oil more rapidly. When using this high of heat of heat we suggest heating much smaller amounts of oil at a time.&nbsp; " />  While following the same procedure used when filling with a syringe a Repeater Pipettor can be a way to increase the speed that you fill cartridges at. The repeating pipette dispenses a set volume of fluid with every press of the plunger. The volume can be set to match the volume of the cartridge being filled. One downside to this method it that the vape oil being heated will have to be heated much hotter than the syringe method. This may be 70-90C before the oil is at a consistency where dispensing is easy. The oil must be heated to a near water thin consistency to avoid clogging. If you remember the previous tip, this higher heat will oxidize the oil more rapidly. When using this high of heat of heat we suggest heating much smaller amounts of oil at a time. SCILOGEX REPEATER PIPETTOR <img src="https://static1.squarespace.com/sta...86cccf/1524582793336/51muKniwklL._SL1440_.jpg" alt=" With the repeating pipette you'll also have to purchase disposable dispensing tips - 5ml tips are suggested for this job. Another down side is the material these dispensing tips are made from.&nbsp;Polypropylene is not a suggested material to be used with solutions rich in terpenes - like vape oil. It is recommended new tips be used every time to avoid breakdown of the Polypropylene over time. For more on the chemical compatibility of polypropylene look here . " />  With the repeating pipette you'll also have to purchase disposable dispensing tips - 5ml tips are suggested for this job. Another down side is the material these dispensing tips are made from. Polypropylene is not a suggested material to be used with solutions rich in terpenes - like vape oil. It is recommended new tips be used every time to avoid breakdown of the Polypropylene over time. For more on the chemical compatibility of polypropylene look here. DISPENSING TIPS Advanced Cominzg soon
Hi I've been trying to make vape oil with QWET extraction mixed with glycerin and PG. But the extraction doesn't mix with the solvents, I get 2 separated liquids. Did I do anything wrong? Is there a way to fix it? Thank you and sorry for the non native English
I have a few questions surrounding the crystallization of shatter. I have started to decarb to avoid this but have had mixed results. I have had a few batches turn into sugar when trying to decarb. I always use the same glass vial to mix but often leave leftovers from previous batches. If I were to have a crystal left over in my mix or cartridge will it “promote” crystallization? I hope this makes sense. Sent from my iPhone using Grasscity Forum
That was a great read well stoned ! I'll still have to go back reread it again next time clear headed .Lot good information thanks for all the hard work.
Are you using winterized shatter? If not that might be why you get ‘sugar’ on decarb. Also is the heat consistent in your vial? Or is it hotter at the bottom than top? I have had similar experience with small vials, but not with larger beakers. That’s what makes me wonder how even the decarb is in the vial. The beaker is wide enough to where I don’t get bubbles creeping up the glass. It’s just a pita to try to tilt it to get smaller batches to pool. With vials a couple times I thought decarb was done but then once shaken/stirred it was clear it was not.
So I recently tried a few recipes and here’s my report back: True Terpenes viscosity + true terpenes blue cheese + winterized shatter... First the blue cheese is effing amazing! 2nd viscosity works exactly as advertised. Pen was fire, but using their recipe was a lil terpy. And I swear the viscosity does have a super low weirdness to it that I can only pick up on due to my super sensitive sense of smell/taste. I can see how it’s not something most would pick up on and really hard to explain. It’s not enough to make me discontinue it’s use, but I started making my own pens to get away from the mystery oils. And as far as viscosity goes... it’s an effin mystery. I wasn’t originally sure if it was the viscosity or the terps doing this at first until several batches later when I was able to isolate things. Previously they stated it was an odorless, flavorless 100% terpene based formula until after individuals started sending samples of it to labs and those labs were not able to fine ONE terpene. Many labs have actually been unable to determine what exactly it is. Since then they have changed their description of the product to remove any language suggesting it was terpene based. So if you are ok with just taking some company’s word that this mystery product is safe to vaporize then it does indeed work as advertised. So looking for something less mysterious, I got some C8 oil. Far cheaper than viscosity, and much easier to find locally. No PG/VG batches as they have tendency to separate easily. If the only minor concern about C8 is lipid pneumonia then I can live with that. Mainly because C8 oil when vaped hasn’t been shown to cause it and C8 has been vaped for many years now. Also this concern was raised back when mixes were heavier an oil than shatter. My pens (ccells) can actually get away with vaping a thick gel just fine even so the amount of C8 used is very little. The first batch of C8 had no added terps. The terps still left in my shatter was actually very tasty. Flavoring is nice, but it’s was also good to know I could forego it and still enjoy the vape. I then made a shatter and viscosity batch with no terps to compare... The vapor from the C8 was lighter in feel (still alot of visible vapor) and had no weird undertone to it. I don’t want to call it a ‘coating’ but the viscosity seemed to irritate my taste buds and throat more so than the C8. Without hitting them side by side you may think I sound crazy. The C8 gel I made just overall was less abrasive feeling to my entire mouth. If you have ever had vapers mouth / tongue fatigue than maybe you can relate. Also no weird cough or lipid pneumonia. Not sure how much one has to vape for that to happen but I vape heavily and still nothing. In terms of stability, neither formula separated over time, nor temps. Left one of each in my car on purpose to test this. Gets 45F at night and 110F under the sun during day. Neither one leaked. They both blew clear through tp and coffee filters. My next batch of pens will be with C8 and very diluted amount of terps. Rather than dropping terps into the shatter, I’m adding one drop to a lot of the C8 and then using the C8. Terps in concentrate are irritants/poisonous. Most are sold for food purposes and have not been analyzed for vaping. So for me little to zero added terps will be what I prefer. They say to dilute terps before using but then recipes call for the max amount before irritation in general. Also what level or amount of terps that cause irritation will very from person to person. THC itself is a lung irritant. Using one irritant to dilute another..... as well as none of the terp recipes account for the amount of usage because we all know companies assume the least amount. So ‘my product is safe to vape.’ Should be changed to ‘my product is safe to vape... 1-2 hits, 1-2 times per day etc.... So that is my experience and rant wrapped up into one. I originally went down this path looking for a safer alternative to smoking. I am not sold that it is yet. It’s my new opinion that these pens regardless of the method used to make them are best used in moderation and not as a permanent replacement for smoking. This is just based off reading my body’s signals. Everybody is different tho. Another consideration is vaping beyond need. I have a tendency with these to vape even when already blitzed just because they are that good and enjoyable. So be prepared to have your motivation destroyed lol. Other side notes - I took 1g shatter to fill 1-1ml pen. Every batch was strong af. Stronger than anything I buy at dispensaries. I don’t care what %thc it says at the ones at the store, the ones I make get me way more rocked. Sent from my iPhone using Grasscity Forum
Another side note... I did a lot of research on these ‘terpene’ companies. There is A LOT of shiest in the game ESPECIALLY when it comes to thinning agents/diluents. Called quite a bit of them. Some don’t even have physical locations, labs, employees, phone numbers and email replies are only happening if they think they are going to make a sale. Inquiries into safety etc... will be ignored by the bulk of them, or be met with a bs automated or scripted response. Always buy direct, never from reseller on ebay etc... counterfeit stuff is crazy especially when they know ppl will pay $20-30 for an effing 2ml bottle of viscosity. Be aware of any idiot that claims their formula was made by scientists. You can be a science major in theatre. Or a data scientist. These should be made by CHEMISTS. One guy I called had a super legit online front and was on ebay/amazon and the company phone rang his cell phone where it was almost like he forgot he used it as his biz line. Sounded ignorant on chem and skectch as hell like ‘well it’s not just mct oil but a special mct oil made by our scientists’ website made ZERO mention of using any mct. So my bet, ppl are paying waaaaaay too much money for plain ole mct oil. (In some cases) This was not a rare scenario. Over half of the companies I called rang to an individuals phone where the individual seemed surprised anyone called. Meanwhile their websites all made them appear as if they were some big lab etc... ask them how many employees they have and to just name a few lol. And then the rabbit holes... Where 5 different ‘terpene companies’ all led back to one individual that then could only be contacted via email. No physical location. Then there was the one that used a completely fake 800# that just rang you to some at&t sales service. Just do your research. Call every company before buying. If they seem put off by it or can’t ever reach anyone legit then you just saved yourself some money. Also if you can’t tell me what’s in it then firget ya. Coke has ingredients listed on every bottle yet still has not been exactly replicated. So don’t give me that trade secret bs (talking about you viscosity). The notion that every diy vape maker out there is somehow suspect to stealing trade secrets sooo much that they can’t be told what they are putting in their bodies???? If anything just makes me feel like they are ripping me off more if it’s so easy to replicate that any joe calling in to ask what’s in it could make it themselves. Ultimately you make the choice about what you put into your body but without information it’s impossible to make an informed decision. Sent from my iPhone using Grasscity Forum