Cannabis Capsules – A step-by-step guide. - Page 25 - Cannabis.com Forums Message Boards - Medical Marijuana, Cannabis Club, Dispensary, News

Weedhound · #**601** (**permalink**) Apr-09-2008, 08:17

For those to whom it has NOT worked......are you guys measuring the temp of what you are COOKING ......or the oven temp? It's better imho to measure the temp of what is BEING COOKED vs oven themp.

mspofford032579 · #**602** (**permalink**) Apr-09-2008, 16:52

agreed. Like most others here I'm throwing this together true stoner style- whatever is available. That said, to my credit I did buy a meat thermometer but I suspect the oil cools too fast once removed from the oven to obtain an accurate reading. I tried leaving it in but it exploded and leaked. I suspect I'm having trouble because I'm using a toaster oven and not a slow cooker. Either there is too much thermal loss through the door to maintain heat transfer, or more likely; the heating coils in the oven cause the inside temps to surge above the thermostat setting every time they come on and overheat my mix...

Weedhound · #**603** (**permalink**) Apr-09-2008, 17:54

I do know one friend of mine who measured both and found a difference between the oven temp and the mixture temp of about 50 degrees so it could make a difference. Something to think about anyway.

greggy · #**604** (**permalink**) Apr-09-2008, 18:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flameon

I usually recommend using ‘hashish’ or ‘kief’ over ‘Bud’ when cooking, because it is a quicker and simpler process of conversion, and the effects are (slightly) more predictable. However, if you only have access to ‘Grass’ don’t worry, you can still make them just as easily using the following method.

Grass method:

Due to the difference in THC strength, you’ll need to use 1.5 grams of good quality well cured bud in order to match the potency of 1 gram of hash or kief. Firstly, remove any stems, seeds or obvious leaf material* then grind to as small a grain (powder) as you can manage, then just follow the rest of the steps as detailed below.

The Canna-oil Method: If using a Slow Cooker (Crock pot).

The beauty of slow cookers is you can pretty much switch them on and forget about them.
Typically, a slow cooker will have 2 or 3 settings (low, medium and high).
Due to the size of these ‘cookers’ I recommend placing your oil/butter in a much smaller ‘oven-proof’ container otherwise it’ll just make a thin coating on the bottom of your pan.
In my case I use an eggcup (or a coffee cup when making larger quantities) the shape makes it easier to ‘siphon’ off the oil and to scrape out the residue.

Simply set the cooker to ‘low’ (around 80/90 degrees centigrade), add the ghee/oil and then the hash/kief or bud and leave to slowly simmer for the required time.

1 hour for hash.
1 and half hours for kief.
2 hours for bud.

The Canna-oil Method: If using a Pan and Mixing Bowl

Pour around three inches of boiling water into your cooking pan, then sit the mixing bowl in the water so that it’s floating just off the bottom (very important – see picture), add the oil or Ghee (clarified butter) to the mixing bowl and let it melt, then add your hashish, kief or powdered bud and dissolve slowly while keeping the lid on and the boiling water just barely simmering beneath.

N.B. Floating the mixing bowl in the water and keeping the lid on prevents ‘burning off’ the THC which evaporates/vaporises at high temperatures (around 140 centigrade plus). The boiling water keeps the butter/oil at the perfect temperature of around 100 degrees centigrade (boiling point) to slowly ‘wring’ out every last molecule of ‘spacey goodness’!.

if your doing the mixing bowl and pan method how long do u cook it for if youre using bud

Weedhound · #**605** (**permalink**) Apr-09-2008, 18:59

Hey m your coconut oil looks fine to me. I've tried everything from olive oil (average) to peanut oil (not recommended) to coconut oil (

) I don't really think its a crime if it's not EXTRA VIRGIN.

thatiger · #**606** (**permalink**) Apr-09-2008, 19:00

okay so i made some too last night, i used 1.5 grams of some good bud. When you use bud is the color of the oil supposed to be lime green when cooled off??? i left in the crock pot on low for 2 hours and did everything proper. I took 1 at first and didnt feel much so i took another and got the same results. 6 pills later

i felt that i must have done something wrong or maybe i need to put more MJ in. So can anyone help me out???? I mean i had the giggles like a mofo

and drank some beer and even smoked but i felt i should have been having a radical trip. Can someone maybe point me in the right direction

thanks

mspofford032579 · #**607** (**permalink**) Apr-09-2008, 19:20

I'm out of supplies for right now but I'm not given up because I know this is sound and proven science. That means if it's not working, as much as I'd hate to admit it sometimes, it HAS to be my fault... I'm certain the problem is the toaster oven. I bet it gets up to temp just fine, but as soon as the temp drops those coils fire up again until the thermostat inside matches the stt temperature on the outside of the unit. Unfortunately, I'm going to bet that the coils aren't programmed to come on at a partial power setting when this occurrs so I'd bet they just come on full power at 1000watts or whatever, and once the inside of the oven heats up to temp they shut off. It wouldn't surprise me if this causes the inside temperatures to surge over the vaporization point intermittently and cause a dramatic loss of potency. I need to either get a crock pot or find something else.

Speaking of something else, I had heard of others using coffee mugs for the oil and placing them in shallow water inside the crock pot. Had anyone thought about Keeping the coffee mug and losing the crock pot? You could put the oil in the coffee mug and use a coffee mug warmer plate like this one? http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/602-5808638-9820638?ASIN=B000CO89T8&AFID=Froogle&LNM=B000CO89T 8|Mr._Coffee_Mug_Warmer__MWBLK&ci_src=14110944&ci_ sku=B000CO89T8&ref=tgt_adv_XSG10001 I'm trying to find out what temperature range these things operate at. I cvan't find specifications posted for the 102V 'Mr. Coffee' model, but their are a bunch of models which plug into USB which operate on 50-60C. I'm pretty sure this isn't hot enough but I'm also assuming the units which are powered by a wall socket will get hotter because the USB models are limited by the 5V rating of the bus, and the low current levels it is capable to deliver. Remember- a USB port is not a 'proper' power supply.

All these issues about temperature have caused me to ask this question of anyone ho can give me a reliable answer: What is the acceptable temperature range for simmering? My understanding is that it only needs to meet two criteria: Stay below the vaporization point (275F) at ALL COSTS and remain warm enough to keep the oil in liquid state. Is this correct or does the oil need to melt, AND reach a higher minimum temperature, or is the MINIMUM temperature at which this extraction point will work the same or below the melting point of the oil?

Since the magic number for this recipe seems to be 90C or 200F I figured the coffee warmer plate would be perfect because it is designed to keep a beverage which begins at 212F close to it's original temperature, but such a device is also exclusively designed to NOT boil the beverage placed on its surface...

Anyone know what the MINIMUM temperature is to get this to work?

mspofford032579 · #**608** (**permalink**) Apr-09-2008, 19:21

I'm out of supplies for right now but I'm not given up because I know this is sound and proven science. That means if it's not working, as much as I'd hate to admit it sometimes, it HAS to be my fault... I'm certain the problem is the toaster oven. I bet it gets up to temp just fine, but as soon as the temp drops those coils fire up again until the thermostat inside matches the stt temperature on the outside of the unit. Unfortunately, I'm going to bet that the coils aren't programmed to come on at a partial power setting when this occurrs so I'd bet they just come on full power at 1000watts or whatever, and once the inside of the oven heats up to temp they shut off. It wouldn't surprise me if this causes the inside temperatures to surge over the vaporization point intermittently and cause a dramatic loss of potency. I need to either get a crock pot or find something else.

Speaking of something else, I had heard of others using coffee mugs for the oil and placing them in shallow water inside the crock pot. Had anyone thought about Keeping the coffee mug and losing the crock pot? You could put the oil in the coffee mug and use a coffee mug warmer plate like this one? http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/602-5808638-9820638?ASIN=B000CO89T8&AFID=Froogle&LNM=B000CO89T 8|Mr._Coffee_Mug_Warmer__MWBLK&ci_src=14110944&ci_ sku=B000CO89T8&ref=tgt_adv_XSG10001 I'm trying to find out what temperature range these things operate at. I cvan't find specifications posted for the 102V 'Mr. Coffee' model, but their are a bunch of models which plug into USB which operate on 50-60C. I'm pretty sure this isn't hot enough but I'm also assuming the units which are powered by a wall socket will get hotter because the USB models are limited by the 5V rating of the bus, and the low current levels it is capable to deliver. Remember- a USB port is not a 'proper' power supply.

All these issues about temperature have caused me to ask this question of anyone ho can give me a reliable answer: What is the acceptable temperature range for simmering? My understanding is that it only needs to meet two criteria: Stay below the vaporization point (275F) at ALL COSTS and remain warm enough to keep the oil in liquid state. Is this correct or does the oil need to melt, AND reach a higher minimum temperature, or is the MINIMUM temperature at which this extraction point will work the same or below the melting point of the oil?

Since the magic number for this recipe seems to be 90C or 200F I figured the coffee warmer plate would be perfect because it is designed to keep a beverage which begins at 212F close to it's original temperature, but such a device is also exclusively designed to NOT boil the beverage placed on its surface...

Anyone know what the MINIMUM temperature is to get this to work?

Weedhound · #**609** (**permalink**) Apr-09-2008, 19:48

At the risk of implying we are anywhere NEAR "the Flameon of Knowledge" but have you read our thread? In that thread also is a link to ANOTHER capsule thread to try as well.

Good luck guys.

Oops.......almost forgot.........http://boards.cannabis.com/concentra...-s-recipe.html

mobyone · #**610** (**permalink**) Apr-10-2008, 11:47

Ok, first I'm going to reply to mspofford032579, who didn't have any luck... Dude, you are using WAY too much oil. You should NOT see a distinctive line between the weed and the oil. I know because I started out with exactly the same way. Ok, now I'll just relate my latest experience.

History: You can go back and look at some of my posts, but here is the gist. I've done a fair bit of experimenting. I've even just put the oil in a pan on the stove and thrown in the weed. Yes, it works, no it isn't better.

I thought I had reached a pretty good point to where I was getting a nice buzz from a reasonable amount of weed. I once wasted 3.5 grams of weed by using too much oil. So, I thought, let's just use the bare minimum oil to make the weed soggy.

I use a small, metal muffin pan, you know, that you can pour batter into and make small muffins? Ok, so previously, my end product would look just like mspofford032579's. All the weed settled to the bottom and an equal, or more, layer of oil on top. This worked for me ok, but when I used less oil I had MUCH BETTER results.

I heat up the oil and then dump in the weed until the weed reaches the top of the oil. I know it's the right amount when there is no free-flowing layer of oil at the top. You want the consistency to be mushy THROUGHOUT the mix. NO EXTRA OIL!

Ok, so this method was working great for me. I had been cooking small amounts, like 1 gram or so and it was working ok. I got tired of cooking all the time, so this last time I decided to cook 6 grams. The first time I cooked it, the results were just ok and I realized I had used too much oil. So, I added weed to get the right consistency and cooked it again for 2.5 hours.

I do this in a locked metal cabinet in my garage to keep it out of sight from my kids. I tell you this because it gets cold at night and this affects the temperature in the crockpot. So, after the second cooking, I opened up the cabinet and realized that I had left the lid off of the crockpot, thereby not trapping the heat inside. I didn't even sample the result because I knew that it couldn't have been hot enough to really cook at all.

So, I secured the lid and cooked another 2.5 hours. The next day I ate a normally sized chunk AND GOT COMPLETELY, UTTERLY, FUCKING WASTED OUT OF MY MIND!!!!! Normally I could take this much and function around my family just fine and nobody would be the wiser. Dudes, I'm here to tell you that I had to go hide in my bedroom and pretend to be sick because I was unable to function around other humans!

The next day I took half of that and it was still way too much. Yesterday I took a quarter of that and it was a little bit too much. I can't fucking believe it. I'm now eating like 1/2 of a teaspoon or less and getting a GREAT buzz. The 6 grams that I cooked up could be broken up into about 18 pieces, each of which will get you a great buzz. Take two and you'll be on the verge of not functioning in society. Take 3 or more and you'll be a jiggling pile of jelly!

My main complaint about the capsules was that I had to use A LOT of weed to get the same effect that I could get when vaporizing. That is no longer the case. I think I can actually use LESS weed to get more high now by eating. By the way, I did away with the capsules. They're great if you want to carry it somewhere, but don't let it get warm because it'll melt right out of the capsule. I just cut off a chunk, crunch it up with my front teeth and swallow it with water. Works great.

Ok, so here's my problem. I'm not exactly sure what the secret formula was.

The first and most obvious thing is that I cooked it three times. The next variable is that it has been getting warmer here because of spring, and I'm certain that the temp inside the crockpot was higher than normal. The first time I cooked, the oil turned green. The second time was (seemingly) a bust because I left the lid off and the oil was still green. The last time, the oil was brownish green (heavier on the brown). I did not monitor the temperature throughout the process, but I did note that the max temp when heating the oil alone was 300F.

I'm REALLY REALLY REALLY hoping that I can reproduce this result because it is amazing. All I can tell you is to keep trying. Try different amounts, different temperatures, different times and see what happens. I thought I had gotten the process as good as it could get and then I made a mistake and learned that I was SERIOUSLY missing out. Here's my next experiment...

1) Good consistency...mushy and no freestanding oil. If you can tilt the pan or bowl or whatever and the see the oil flowing across the top, it's too much.
2) Cook at the normal temp for 2.5 hours with the lid on.
3) Cook with the lid off for 2.5 hours.
4) Cook with the lid on for 2.5 hours.

This replicates what I did before. I hope like hell that it works again. Most likely, the period with the lid off is not necessary. I'm tempted to try cooking for 7 hours with the lid on, but hey if it ain't broke, don't fix it! LOL

I am very afraid that there is a "magic" temperature range and I will never know what it is. The fact that I was cooking in the garage in the cold and now it's warmer tells me that the temp was higher, but I'll never know for sure what it was.

I'll report back.

PS- I have now determined that it is NOT POSSIBLE to not get high from this shit (when cooked right). I don't care how often you smoke or what tolerances you have. I eat or vape every day and I don't think I've ever been that high in my life.

Weedhound · #**611** (**permalink**) Apr-10-2008, 13:42

Moby it sounds like you DID crack it....it's SUPPOSED to be a lot for a little.....I'm using less weed than ever with these capsules.

Glad you got it......I wish more people would experiment with a few higher temps if they aren't having success with the lower numbers.

Weedhound · #**612** (**permalink**) Apr-10-2008, 13:44

Hey Moby, how long did the good stuff take to "kick in?"

mobyone · #**613** (**permalink**) Apr-10-2008, 18:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by Weedhound

Hey Moby, how long did the good stuff take to "kick in?"

I always take it at least 4 hours after I've eaten. With the weaker batches it would take 1 hour to 1.5 hours to begin feeling it. With the new batch, I start feeling it in 30 to 45 min and at 2 hours I'm peaking, but the peak is a big ol plateau. LOL

Non · #**614** (**permalink**) Apr-12-2008, 03:29

I think for me a temperature of 212-225 F was good for me. I dunno which exact temperature works best tho. thats all I need to know..

joyfuldinosaur · #**615** (**permalink**) Apr-12-2008, 11:11

I decided to make some cannabis capsules. (thanks, PassingShips <3 ) The first mistake I made was to get vegetarian capsules. I have some gelatin ones on the way but even then I'll have to keep them in the fridge to prevent from melting this summer.

I get migraines with some level of frequency. So in order to avoid going on Topamax, we're going to try the medimar approach. I live in an unenlightened area of the U.S. so while I have a legitimate medical reason to be stoned every day, I have to be as stealthy as possible. Before I found out about caspules, I had a little dugout system that I carried with me and if I needed to smoke I'd go in a parking garage or a friend's house on campus. I found that smoking herb gives me too much of a peak, and I'd rather have the effects be at a lower level, but last all day. The capsules appear to be a great alternative, the best part being that the low temperature and short cooking time (2ish hours) give you a clearer high with no tiredness.

For the first set of capsules, I used midgrade ganj - $30 an eighth with seeds and stems.
Anyway, so I made the first batch with 1tbsp of butter and about 1.5 grams of finely chopped herb. This sat in a crock pot for 2.5 hours and made about 12 capsules. I put about 5ml onto a slice of toast and ate it on my 3 mile cycle commute at 8:45 in the morning. It made my mouth and throat go numb, which was pretty weird. I came up during class at around 10am. The effects were very nice, lasted all day. I had a sort of cinematographic visual effect along with a general feeling of well-being. Colors were brighter, etc. I liken the effects more to a small dose of LSD, although I wouldn't call it tripping.
I'm pretty sure that this recipe I used was a little less potent than the ones described in the thread. My friend took six of the capsules, and said that the experience was very good - not "tripping" but about as high as you can get on weed without falling asleep. Mind you though this kid ate an entire 30lb cactus he ordered off the internet, thinking he would trip off it. I mean, an actual live cactus in a pot of dirt. He had it shipped to his house and then he ate it. The whole thing. And he didn't trip. Which I thought was hilarious.

Yesterday I made another batch, and used about 4.5 grams of finely chopped weed (this time a little higher-grade than the stuff I used before) and 4 tablespoons of coconut oil. First of all, the coconut oil and butter are going to prove ridiculous in the summer. Coconut oil melts at like 75F, so there's no way I'd be able to bring these with me without a cooler. I'm thinking about measuring them out onto a good such as toast or flapjack - the only drawback being I hate the taste of coconut more than anything in the world, and the taste of weed makes me gag. No seriously, eating that slice of toast triggered my gag reflex so badly I was scared for a second that I wouldn't get it down.

I haven't tried the new batch of capsules, I'm riding two of the first batch today.

This is definitely the most cost-effective way of getting the most out of my weed.

Temperature setting: LOW on a crock pot. This is really a perfect setting I think. I also tried the "little dipper" crock pot, which only has two settings: low and unplugged. That worked pretty well but only for small batches since it's a tiny thing. The bigger crock pot.

It will also be worth investing in a coffee grinder as it takes forever to chop up weed really finely with a knife. (Oh btw, the "no garlic/meat/onion" side of the cutting board now tastes like weed. There are worse things though)

mtjboy2021 · #**616** (**permalink**) Apr-13-2008, 21:36

Im going to agree with joyfuldinosaur that the taste makes it hard to get down. I made some using clarified butter and since I can't find the capsules anywhere I just put the butter on some toast and smother it in peanut butter which works alright, I wonder if there is anything else you can eat with the butter to stop the gag reflex.

Flameon · #**617** (**permalink**) Apr-14-2008, 08:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by mtjboy2021

Im going to agree with joyfuldinosaur that the taste makes it hard to get down. I made some using clarified butter and since I can't find the capsules anywhere I just put the butter on some toast and smother it in peanut butter which works alright, I wonder if there is anything else you can eat with the butter to stop the gag reflex.

Hi mtjboy2021, and welcome to the forums

If you're finding it difficult to get hold of some empty capsules, there is an easier way to consume the Canna oil/butter than mixing it with peanut butter or spreading it on toast.

As an example: When you've finished cooking your cannabis infused butter, you can simply pour it onto a small plate or saucer and then place in the fridge until it sets (if you're using coconut oil it sets as hard as candle wax).
Once solid, take it out and divide using the tip of a sharp knife to create the required number of doses and shape into 'swallow-able' sized pieces.
When finished, place in the freezer compartment for half an hour or so until frozen, then quickly wash down your 'iced' butter pellets with a glass of juice or similar.

That way there is very little opportunity for the butter to melt in your mouth, and therefore less chance of being put off by the 'weed' taste.
Hope this helps a bit, and good luck!

p.s. Someone I know rolls the pellets in jam before swallowing and finds that helps even more.

Flameon · #**618** (**permalink**) Apr-14-2008, 09:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by mspofford032579

I need to either get a crock pot or find something else.

Hi mspofford032579, how's it going?

Sorry to read you've been having a few problems 'hitting' a temperature 'sweet spot', but I can see from your posts that you have a very good understanding of the 'science' and techniques involved, so I'm more than hopeful we'll figure out a method that can crack it for you.

By the way, love the idea about using a coffee warmer, I've not considered that before and think it deserves a bit of further research.
I'll get back to you once I've had chance to look into it in more detail.
You're quite right about NOT using a USB powered cup warmer though, those things are only designed to keep the temperature at around 50/60 degrees Centigrade - too low for our purposes.
But the 'hot plate' of a coffee machine might well be hot enough?? I'll check it out and post up later.

Also, good work on posting up the pictures that was very useful.

I was wondering about the consistency of your oil/butter and think (using your pics as a guide) that the 'cakes' don't look quite right. Ideally, there shouldn't be such an obvious separation between the butter and plant material (as in your half brown, half butter coloured image).
I would expect to see ALL the butter taking on a brownish/dark green-ish colour, and suspect that a) the weed wasn't quite as finely ground as it needed to be, and b) the temperature was too low to dissolve, break down and melt the plant material and THC into your oil (again, not helped by the 'granular' size of the weed used).

My best advice is to grind as finely as you can and then cook a batch on a low-ish temperature (say around 90 degrees C - 195 degrees F) .
Try a small amount and refrigerate the rest. If it doesn't 'hit the spot', re-heat the mixture at a slightly higher temperature and repeat until you find the ideal formula.

By the way, nice work, and good luck - flame

P.S. Hi to joyfuldinosaur

Good job on your first batch.
Glad to read it worked out well for you (even using mids on the first shot too!).
Coconut oil sets pretty hard at an average room temperature, but you're right about the summer weather being too warm for it to stay solid. Try a batch using the gelatin capsules though and you'll be fine. They'll only leak (or melt) if subjected to either a lot of shaking around or a very high temp.
Failing that, use the oil/butter in a 'low heat' brownie or cookie recipe and take those with you (low heat so you don't vape the THC in the butter). Generally, they won't smell of weed, but may taste a bit 'funky'.
Hope that helps.