Infusing Oils Hot Method
(from momx2ms’s recipe box)
LorAnn SS Oils
Calculating Potency
Unless you invest in an at-home THC tester, there’s no way to know exactly how potent your infusion is. You can, however, do a calculation to get a rough estimate of potency.
• Multiply grams of flower used by 1,000 to convert to milligrams
• Example: 3.5g x 1,000 = 3,500mg
• Multiply the milligrams used by the percentage of THC and/or CBD (or more accurately, THCA and/or CBDA) in your flower. If you don’t know the potency of your cannabis, the average “high-THC” strain is around 18-22% THC; we typically assume that mystery strains have 20% THC. This will tell you the total potential milligrams of THC in your infusion.
• Example: 3,500mg x 0.2 = 700mg
• Multiply your total potential milligrams by 90%. Only about 75-87.7% of THCA converts into THC during decarboxylation, so multiplying by 90% helps prevent underestimating how much THC is in your infusion.
• Example: 700mg x 0.9 = 630mg
• Divide the total number of mg by your serving size.
• Example: Let’s say you infused ½ cup of butter (24 teaspoons). 630mg divided by 24 teaspoons = 26.25mg THC per teaspoon
Categories: Cannabis
Ingredients
- Oil of choice (liquid or solid)
- Dried cannabis flower
- Double boiler, crockpot/slow cooker, or pot with tin foil (see below for details)
- Cheesecloth or other filtration system, such as a metal strainer
- Digital thermometer for best results
Directions
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Add oil and decarboxylated flower to your mason jar.
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Place a piece of wax paper on top of the jar before tightening the lid to protect your infusion from any residue on your lid.
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If you have a double boiler or slow cooker, now is the time to use it. Put your jar inside the basin and fill with water so that it’s at least as high as the mixture in your jar.
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If you don’t have a double boiler or slow cooker, you can roll up 4 pieces of tin foil, as shown in photos below, and place them in the bottom of a pot to elevate your jar away from the heat. This prevents the oil from burning and the jar from breaking.
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You can also use a saucepan — but this method is most susceptible to burning, so we never use it.
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Place the jar in the water before turning on the heat. This will help raise the temperature of the jar slowly so that it doesn’t break.
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Allow to simmer for 4-8 hours, depending on your method, and stir every 30-60 minutes.
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When using a crockpot, 4-6 hours usually does the trick
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When using a double boiler or the makeshift pot method described above, let it infuse for 6-8 hours.
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Use a thermometer to make sure the temperature stays between 180-200°F. We left our makeshift double boiler on low, checking it regularly to make it sure it didn’t get too hot.
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Be sure to add more water to your pot as it evaporates throughout the infusion process.
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After you’ve finished infusing, let the jar cool enough so that you can touch it then strain your infusion through a few layers of cheesecloth into another clean, dry jar.
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You can squeeze the cloth to get the most oil possible — but know that this will likely result in more small plant particles ending up in your infusion. If this bothers you, you can strain it again through an unbleached coffee filter.
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Label and store your oil in a cool, dark place. Be sure to keep infused butter in the fridge!