WillieP's World

[WillieP]

Hey all,
I have mentioned before that our preferred method of consumption is edibles.
I had some cannabutter made up in the fridge, so today I made butter mints. I have made these before, and I have to say they are quite tastie!
Depending on who's wedding reception you are at, they may or may not be well received.
I use this recipe, (giving credit where it is do):

How to Make Weed Butter Mints | The Cannabis School

Weed butter mints are a great edible snack recipe to add to your collection! This simple edible recipe takes less than 30 minutes to make!

www.thecannaschool.ca

I do things a little bit different. I use silicone molds to make teddy bear mints, just for fun.

I use this calculator to figure the cannabutter dosage:

Cannabutter Dosage Calculator | Cannabutter Recipe Ratio

The cannabutter dosage calculator allows you to determine the correct butter to cannabis ratio when making edibles.

kindmedsaz.com

This recipe only used 1/2 cup of butter and makes 160 mints with the molds I use.
With the 21% THC strain I am using, and making 1 cup of butter with 10 grams, this batch of mints came out to 3.9 mg per mint.

If you are interested in edibles at all, this is definitely worth a try IMO.

Cheers,
WillieP

 

[WillieP]

Still had some cannabutter, so today we made caramels.
(any recipe that contains butter could contain cannabutter, just saying)

This is the recipe I use:

http://goodandbaked.com/recipes/cannabis-caramels-recipe/

With the same 21% THC weed and using 10 grams, the recipe made 96 caramels that are 13.1 mg each.

Of all the stuff that we have tried so far the butter mints and the caramels are the two that stand out. Super tasty!

 

[WillieP]

And yet another chapter in the never ending saga of "WillieP doesn't know what the Hell he's doing"...

I was using Masterblend and seemed to have a K excess, so the answer was to switch to Jack's (lower K).
I got all fancy with a spreadsheet, looking at every elemental PPM, and thinking that "I got this shit".
The plant seemed to be recovering from the K excess, and things are looking up...and then today we find this...



So the way that I am calculate the nutrients is to use my spreadsheet, (Thanks @TintEastwood) to determine the ratio of Jack's to Cal/Ni to Epsom salt.
Currently using 2.5 g Jack's, 2.5 g Cal/Ni, 0.8 g Epsom salt. Then I mix up a batch of concentrate, pour it in my reservoir and dilute to the desired PPM.
So far I think I'm doing GOOD...
Did I mention I don't know that the hell I'm doing?
The diluting to the desired PPM thing seems to be my issue. I use RO water, I have struggled a bit with Cal and Mag deficiencies before, and would have thought I should have know better.
I am calculating for let's say 4 gallons of nutrients, but that would make far to strong of a solution, so I am using that many grams of dry nutrients to make 7 gallons of solution.
I'm hoping the answer is to add Cal/Mag...cause that's what I did. At a rate of 2 ml per gallon, in this case 14 ml total.
I'll keep a close eye on her the next couple to days and see if things improve.

On a better note, my Great Ape seedling is looking lively...so there is that.



As always any words of wisdom are welcome!

Cheers,
WillieP

 

[TintEastwood]

Then I mix up a batch of concentrate, pour it in my reservoir and dilute to the desired PPM.

I fear this procedure may be part of your problem.

 

[WillieP]

I fear this procedure may be part of your problem.

I hear you.
I do not know how to resolve this issue.
If I mix at the rate of the spreadsheet I would be at like 1400 PPM. (2.0EC)
I am sure I’m just not seeing something.

 

[TintEastwood]

My method. As an example...

If ec too high when spreadsheet set to 5 gallons.
Sart with 6.5 gallons of RO water.
Leave the spreadsheet at 5gallons.
Add nutes @ the 5gallon nute doses. Not 6.5gallons!
EC spot on?
Ph it...use it.

Not spot on? Next full mix...
Adjust res gallons +/- as needed for the perfect EC.

Precip has caused me problems in the past because of the way I was mixing. Improper.

I mix 8 gallons at a time in a small res. Start with 8 gallons and mix thoroughly between each ingredient. In the proper order. My spreadsheet is set to 6 gallons, because that's what gives me the needed EC level.

Not what I consider concentrates...
I do use separate mason jars with RO, for PartA, Calnit, etc. for pre-dissolving each individual ingredient before adding to the res.

 

[WillieP]

My method. As an example...

If ec too high when spreadsheet set to 5 gallons.
Sart with 6.5 gallons of RO water.
Leave the spreadsheet at 5gallons.
Add nutes @ the 5gallon nute doses. Not 6.5gallons!
EC spot on?
Ph it...use it.

Not spot on? Next full mix...
Adjust res gallons +/- as needed for the perfect EC.

Precip has caused me problems in the past because of the way I was mixing. Improper.

I mix 8 gallons at a time in a small res. Start with 8 gallons and mix thoroughly between each ingredient. In the proper order. My spreadsheet is set to 6 gallons, because that's what gives me the needed EC level.

Not what I consider concentrates...
I do use separate mason jars with RO, for PartA, Calnit, etc. for pre-dissolving each individual ingredient before adding to the res.

Tint,
So you are saying that the issue is the method I am using to mix the nutrient, not the difference between the actual RO gallons used and the gallons calculated on the spreadsheet.
I had it in my head that the issue is/was that the nutrients were calculated for 6 gallons and 8 gallons of RO is actually being used, somehow diluting the amount of Cal/Mag needed. (using your example numbers) What I'm trying to say is that 2 gallons of RO would be being used without any Cal/Mag adjustment. Does that even matter if the correct ratios of PPM's are calculated to begin with?

Ok, so this WAS the method I used making this last batch.
I used two gallons of RO to mix all the dry nutrients in. Mixing in this order: Jack's...then Epsom Salt...then Cal/Nit. Poured that in the reservoir and added and additional 5 gallons of RO.

So lets say I want to make 9 gallons of nutrients. I see two possible methods to eliminate the concentrate issue.
1) I put 9 gallons of RO in my reservoir, calculate the amount of each dry nute needed and add them in the same order listed above.
2) I put each of the required amounts of dry nute in a separate 3 gallons of RO, and then add them to the reservoir in the same order listed above.

Is one of these two methods preferred? Or is there a different method that I should be using?

I appreciate your patience with me and your help!
WillieP

 

[TintEastwood]

2) I put each of the required amounts of dry nute in a separate 3 gallons of RO, and then add them to the reservoir in the same order listed above.

This is basically how I do it.
Except I use mason jars.

In my opinion, adding everything to 2gallons may cause precip or other negative issues at the chemistry level.

I have an extra/second 8 gallon res, just for mixing and staging nutes.

 

[TintEastwood]

Track and log your tds/ppm, step by step during mixing.

Raw RO. 4ppm
PartA. 364ppm
PartB. 550ppm
Epsom. 600ppm
Etc...

Then do the math to determine the tds/ppm for each ingredient.

There are dissolved solids in some of the ingredients that have nothing to do with the nute elements. .

 

[TintEastwood]

If you want to go down the techno rabbit hole...

And this is just silica...

Silica In Hydroponics | Manic Botanix

Silica and Hydroponics For myself, I do not see silica as a beneficial additive but, more so, as a must (an essential element) in any balanced/optimized nutrient regime. Silica (Si) is the second most…

medteknutrients.com.au

Understable that 1-part nutes are chemically challenged.

 

[TintEastwood]

Be sure to read up and check multiple sources. Then go for the combo of methods that you are comfortable with.

Cannabis Nutrients - How to Mix Nutrient Solutions - Coco For Cannabis

Article and Video Tutorial for mixing nutrient solutions correctly. Explains order, ratio, strength (EC), and pH. Based on General Hydroponics Flora series

www.cocoforcannabis.com

 

[Destroyer of chairs]

I always mix it all in same bucket/tote in this order:
Calmag
A+B
PH up
Hydroguard

Never have any issues doing this. U saying I might get a bad chem reaction?

 

[WillieP]

I always mix it all in same bucket/tote in this order:
Calmag
A+B
PH up
Hydroguard

Never have any issues doing this. U saying I might get a bad chem reaction?

You are using liquid nutrients, correct?
If so, I don't think this applies. This is referring to the mixing of dry nutrients. I don't understand the chemistry of it, but something about if mixed improperly, some the the good stuff falls out of solution and becomes unusable.
Hope that helped.
WillieP

 

[TintEastwood]

I always mix it all in same bucket/tote in this order:
Calmag
A+B
PH up
Hydroguard

Never have any issues doing this. U saying I might get a bad chem reaction?

Willie mentioned "concentrate".

If your tote is 10 gallons, but you mix everything up in the proper order in a 2 gallon bucket (a concentrate in my world), then add that to the 8 gallons in the res. Thats a recipe for potential problems.

Powdered nutes must be dissolved. It's a little more of a pia compared to liquids. Having to make sure they are fully dissolved and mixed, before adding the next ingredient.

Adding a liquid nute into a res, and not mixing properly before dumping in the next, also a potential recipe for chemistry level disaster.

 

[TintEastwood]

some the the good stuff falls out of solution and becomes unusable.

Exactly. Not available for plant to absorb.

Different, but similar to elements not being absorbed due to improper PH. Elements are available in solution, but ph prevents proper uptake.

If we were growing organic, we would be discussing lime, dolomite, guano, worm bins, etc.

 

[StrawberryOzark]

Im curious. My buddy ran flora flex and is now doing front row AG. both are powders. We would mix up 1.5 for the 3 part we add. put the dry ingredients in half gal and mix it completely then add them in proper order and make sure its all fully dissolved. Just an idea.

 

[Laughing Grass]

Still had some cannabutter, so today we made caramels.
(any recipe that contains butter could contain cannabutter, just saying)

This is the recipe I use:

http://goodandbaked.com/recipes/cannabis-caramels-recipe/

With the same 21% THC weed and using 10 grams, the recipe made 96 caramels that are 13.1 mg each.

Of all the stuff that we have tried so far the butter mints and the caramels are the two that stand out. Super tasty!

View attachment 4682776 View attachment 4682777 View attachment 4682779 View attachment 4682780

Your caramels look amazing Willie!

I tried making them earlier this year and it didn't go so well. The recipe said cream so I used coffee cream lol.

 

[WillieP]

Your caramels look amazing Willie!

I tried making them earlier this year and it didn't go so well. The recipe said cream so I used coffee cream lol.

View attachment 4683941

Oh no LG!
I hate it when that happen!
That recipe that I posted I have made 3 times and they have turned out great each time.
You really have to be careful when bringing it up to temperature, and stir continuously, but that is the same as making any of that type of candy.
I've also been making a chocolate, butterscotch fudge recipe that would be impossible to mess up. Chocolate chips, cannabutter, sweetened condensed milk and a microwave. I will PM you the recipe if you would like.
Cheers,
WillieP

 

[WillieP]

So there has been some activity in WillieP's World.
As I mentioned earlier, I am trying to go with 4 individual plants all staggered 35-40 days apart.
That meant I wanted to have individual Scrog screens and thought it best to have individual flowering lights as well.
I used my same strips (Bridgelux EB Gen 2, 3500K), but replaced the driver so I could go from 700mA to 1400mA.
I was running them with no heatsink, which would not work at the higher current.
I opted for an aluminum plate of 3/16 inch (4.75mm), drill 3/4 inch holes for ventilation, and drilled and tapped holes to mount the strips.
The first time I fired it up, I did so with no fan running and it seemed to settle out at 115 degrees F. (today when I put it in the tent with the fans blowing it was barely warm to the touch) She will put out 191 watts, with a 2.5 X 2.5 footprint that will give me 30 watts per square foot.
You will see in the pics that there is also red side lighting, just to help with bloom. They are lights that a friend had me try, and I just use the 'bloom' switch. I took light readings and they add about 10,000 lux. At the height that I set the lights at today, I am running 72,000 lux.
Fingers crossed that this will work out well.
Moved the Durban Poison over the flower tent and put the screen on her, but left her at 18/6 for now. I want to let her settle in for a week or so.
Cheers,
WillieP

 

[WillieP]

So I have a situation that I have not encountered before.
The Grape Ape plant that I have started does not seem to want to send down roots.
I thought I had started this seedling the same way as I have started seedling in the past, but apparently not so.
I have started the seeds in a moist paper towel till they sprout and then move them to a Rapid Rooter placed in a 2 inch net pot.
At this point all the seeds I have started thus far have sent down roots.
I gentle pack pieces of cut up Rapid Rooter around the RR with the seed in it, to fill in the net pot.
The only thing I can think of is that I packed it to tightly this time, making it hold to much water and not encouraging the plant to send down roots.
I think that it simply had no need to send roots down, because it had all it needed packed in close to the stem.



WEIRD RIGHT???

I knew it wasn't sending down roots like it should, but I thought it would eventually grow out of it.
Guess Not.
So tonight I took all the loose pieces of RR out of the bottom of the net pot to see if this will help.
The plant is starting to show signs of stress, and looking sick.

Any and all input welcome,
Cheers,
WillieP