The Ultimate Guide to Making Homemade Cannabis Butter.
Welcome to our comprehensive guide on making cannabis butter at home. Our recipes use cannabis sourced from All Nations Retail store in Chilliwack, BC. In this article, we'll take you through the step-by-step process of creating high-quality cannabis butter, highlighting the essential technique of decarboxylation.
Before we delve into the process, it's important to understand what cannabis butter is. Cannabis butter, also known as cannabutter, is a versatile ingredient that can be used in various recipes to infuse the effects of cannabis into a wide range of dishes. The key to creating potent cannabis butter lies in decarboxylation, a process that activates the cannabinoids within the plant material.
Decarboxylation is a vital step in preparing cannabis for infusion into butter or other edibles. This process converts the non-intoxicating cannabinoid THCA into THC, the psychoactive compound responsible for the desired effects. To decarboxylate your cannabis, follow these steps:
Preheat your oven to 240°F (115°C).
Break down your cannabis into small pieces and spread it evenly on a baking sheet.
Bake the cannabis in the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes, until it turns light golden brown.
Remove the cannabis from the oven and let it cool.
Ingredients:
1 cup unsalted butter
7-10 grams of decarboxylated cannabis
1 cup water
Instructions:
In a saucepan, combine the butter and water. Place the saucepan on low heat and let the butter melt completely.
Once the butter has melted, add the decarboxylated cannabis to the saucepan, stirring gently to ensure the cannabis is well incorporated.
Simmer the mixture on low heat for approximately 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally. The water in the mixture will help prevent the butter from burning.
During the simmering process, the water will evaporate, and the cannabinoids will infuse into the butter.
After simmering, remove the saucepan from the heat and let the mixture cool slightly.
Set up a double boiler by placing a heat-resistant bowl on top of a pot filled with water. Ensure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water.
Carefully strain the cannabis butter mixture through a cheesecloth or fine-mesh strainer into the heat-resistant bowl, separating the plant material from the infused butter.
Allow the mixture to cool at room temperature for a while, then transfer it to the refrigerator until the butter solidifies.
Once solid, remove the hardened cannabis butter from the bowl, discarding any excess water that may have separated.
Your cannabis-infused butter is now ready to be used in various recipes.
Remember to keep your cannabis butter stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer to maintain its potency and freshness.
Why Determining Edible Dosage is a Complex Endeavor
Calculating the appropriate dosage for edibles can be quite challenging due to several variables involved in infusing butter with weed. Unlike other forms of consumption, there is no precise science or formula to follow when it comes to cannabutter dosing. The potency of cannabutter depends on various factors, including:
The potency of the Cannabis Used: The strength of the cannabis strain used in the infusion plays a significant role in determining the final potency of the cannabutter. However, it's important to note that a strain with 23% THC is not necessarily 5% stronger than a strain with 17% THC.
Duration of Infusion: The length of time you heat the cannabis during the infusion process can impact the potency of the cannabutter. However, heating canna-butter for two hours instead of one doesn't necessarily make it twice as strong.
Temperature During Infusion: The temperature at which the cannabis is infused into the butter can affect its potency. However, heating the mixture at 180ºF instead of 170ºF doesn't necessarily make it stronger.
These variables are difficult to measure precisely, and there are no straightforward correlations between them. As a result, it's challenging to determine the exact potency of homemade edibles without trying a small amount first. To test their potency, start with a small dose, such as spreading ¼ or ½ teaspoon on a snack, and observe how it affects you after an hour. Based on your experience, adjust the dose accordingly by decreasing or increasing it.
Once you establish your personalized dose, you can use it as a baseline for future recipes. For instance, if you're making a large batch of edibles, you can multiply your personalized dose by the number of treats you're creating. If you're making a pan of brownies, multiply your personalized dose by 9, 16, or the desired number of brownies to ensure each one represents a single dose.
Adjusting Cannabutter Potency: Finding the Right Balance
For weed butter, we generally recommend a 1:1 ratio of cannabis to butter, as outlined in the recipe provided earlier, using 1 cup of butter for 1 cup of cannabis. However, if you find your cannabutter too potent for your liking, you have the option to balance it out by incorporating regular butter alongside the cannabutter. For example, if a recipe calls for 1/2 cup of butter, you can use 1/4 cup of cannabutter and 1/4 cup of regular butter, or adjust the ratio based on your preference.
Similarly, if you feel that the 1:1 ratio of cannabis flower to butter is too strong, you can decrease the amount of cannabis used. Try using 1/2 cup of ground flower or approximately 3-4 grams for every 1 cup of butter.
On the other hand, if you desire stronger cannabutter, feel free to increase the amount of cannabis used. Experiment with 1 1/4 cups of ground flower to 1 cup of butter or adjust the ratio according to your desired potency.
It's important to note that once cannabutter is made, you cannot increase its potency. If you desire more pronounced effects, you would need to consume a larger quantity of cannabutter or foods prepared with it.
Exploring Edible Recipes with Cannabutter
With your homemade weed butter ready to roll, a world of delectable possibilities awaits. You can incorporate cannabutter into an array of baked goods and dishes, limited only by your imagination.