Temp THC burns, decarbs, and bonds?

Yes, all my temperatures are in Farenheit, we in Canada are kindof hypocrites about our systems of measurement, so as to ensure the Americans don't think we're TOO weird.
I don't cover the pyrex dish because in the case of coconut oil and highly clarified butter, there is little to no water.
I DO take the dish out to stir every hour or so, to ensure the cannaflour as I call it is more or less evenly available to the oil and to ensure the settling of the actual leaf doesn't cause any issues.
As for the bit about pulverizing the flowers, I have always ground my flowers and haven't heard of people doing differently, but I wouldn't at all recommend doing differently. The oil cannot properly infiltrate the flowers if they are solid, it might make sense to compare it to something being fried when it's still frozen, where the outside cooks but the inside remains isolated.
I might also add that twenty minutes in the freezer is a minimum. I generally would put it in there for an hour or two, but of course I don't always have the time.

Gamberro said:

Yes, all my temperatures are in Farenheit, we in Canada are kindof hypocrites about our systems of measurement, so as to ensure the Americans don't think we're TOO weird.
I don't cover the pyrex dish because in the case of coconut oil and highly clarified butter, there is little to no water.
I DO take the dish out to stir every hour or so, to ensure the cannaflour as I call it is more or less evenly available to the oil and to ensure the settling of the actual leaf doesn't cause any issues.
As for the bit about pulverizing the flowers, I have always ground my flowers and haven't heard of people doing differently, but I wouldn't at all recommend doing differently. The oil cannot properly infiltrate the flowers if they are solid, it might make sense to compare it to something being fried when it's still frozen, where the outside cooks but the inside remains isolated.
I might also add that twenty minutes in the freezer is a minimum. I generally would put it in there for an hour or two, but of course I don't always have the time.

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I have more comments and questions as you have provoked early morning thought.

I would consider adding the freezer to my rotation. However I use a crock pot with a candy thermostat to foster a better environment for my bonding. (more control)

I am curious how you came to the conclusion of 225F for 20min? Personally I would consider that type of decarb to be one to retain more terpenes and flavoids and less THCA transform to THC. (Ill see if i can find some facts on that)

The MMA reports that 300F for 15min = 70% conversion. (See if I can find the report)

Also I am curious what steps you take to prevent the oil/fat from smoking and burning the THC off at 315F for any duration.

Any scientific details would be great.

So presumably 252F for 27 min is all you need for 100% conversion.

That chart is for "glass surface, open air' so oxidation effects are pronounced. i obtained complete conversion at 110 Celsius (oil bath temp) after 10-15 minutes (as checked by tlc). I could monitor reaction progress by the foaming of the hot extract. cn

cannabineer said:

That chart is for "glass surface, open air' so oxidation effects are pronounced. i obtained complete conversion at 110 Celsius (oil bath temp) after 10-15 minutes (as checked by tlc). I could monitor reaction progress by the foaming of the hot extract. cn

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my experience as well... and had my stuff tested to confirm it is a legit method of decarbing....

poplars said:

my experience as well... and had my stuff tested to confirm it is a legit method of decarbing....

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The question still remains, if you decarb visually with bubbles in hot bath. How long / how hot do you bond the oil to the flower before straining it and decarbing in hot bath?

I just follow skunk pharms oil extraction, 4 hour double boiler cycles, total of 12-14 hours total cook time to be sure you get it all.

I made two oils last batch and had them tested.

Batch one I baked the flower at 300F for 7 min or so. Threw it into a crock pot for 18 hours then strained it through a cheese cloth.
Here are the results.
View attachment 2692085

Second batch I threw in the crock pot for 18 hours. Strained it in a cheese cloth then put in double boiler for about 27 min while watching the bubbles until they completely stopped.
Here are the results.


Both came out quite well, I believe that because I waited for all the bubbles to stop I ended up transforming CBD & CBN's at a faster rate and ended up with a little less THC.

I believe both methods produced similar effects.

Awesome, thanks for sharing Blu!

BluJay, did you use the same sample of cannabis for both tests? I ask because of the CBD content, I always assumed there was a difference in CBD content in edibles but never saw a demonstrated difference between the two extraction techniques.

Just wanted to say, awesome thread! Y'all have inspired me to read deeper into the "scientific" side of marijuana. I came here to find a rough temp for THC bonding to fat.
Here I am, 2 hours later, 7 tabs opened and feeling a little boggled with what i've turned up. Who would have known that CBD and CBN ..... exist in this plant, and all contain different medical properties. I am very happy and thankful to have stumbled across this post before beginning. I now have a lot more homework to get back to, I have a feeling all be rewarded for my time.

Thanks again - Muja

Gamberro said:

BluJay, did you use the same sample of cannabis for both tests? I ask because of the CBD content, I always assumed there was a difference in CBD content in edibles but never saw a demonstrated difference between the two extraction techniques.

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Both were "similar" samples of flower. The exact mixture is not known, I keep the "fall off" of all buds in the dispensary and those went into the samples.

So they are of similar mix but not exact.

In recent trials, I have been able to raise the THC and CBD even more with the same type sample. (CBN went down)

Gamberro said:

Here is my process, which took me a few years to get to the point where I felt it was "perfect".

Blend the cannabis into a mixture with the same consistency as wheat germ, then spread it out in a thin layer on a strong plate or a baking pan, cook in oven at 225º for twenty minutes. Next, remove from heat, put in the freezer for twenty minutes. Next, mix with solution, which I recommend either extra virgin coconut oil or SUPER-clarified butter (super, super, super clarified), pop that in the oven (if you trust your oven) at 325º as this gives 25º budge before you hit the vaporization point. I personally will then cook for about eighteen hours when doing a large batch (about a quarter pound of flowers or more), or just an hour or two for small personal batches.

Say whatever you want, but this has worked optimally for commercial batches, and I have done a massive amount of sampling to reach these steps as my go-to method.

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Have you, or anyone, tried coconut oil processed in this manner as a finished product?
I mean Coconut Oil as the edible to be consumed without any further cooking or adding to baked goods.
I know using the oil for baking or cooking is rather simple but edibles are sometimes difficult with a feeding tube.

ipwnemos said:

don't heat your weed in an oven at 225F for any amount of time. at 215F thc will combust in the presence of oxygen. This is slow but, when warming up a vaporizer, it is not a bad place to start.

decarboxylation does not require any specific heat to occur. heat is only catalytic in the process. When thc decarboxylates, that means it is released from the carbon molecules(marijuana flower) and bonds, typically, to free-floating oxygen molecules. In other words, decarboxylating will reduce the potency of your weed.

When vaporizing start at 180F until then your finally get a fat cloud upon exhaling. This may take up to 15 minutes. raise up to 400F at regular intervals. Be sure to wait for the smoke to build back up in the chamber before going back at it.

when cooking, the range you are looking for is between 186F and 215F. When using most oils (I use olive oil and I know that this is the case) raising the temperature above 215F will have a toxic affect on your oil. Irreversible denaturation occurs and even more so thc will start to release into the atmosphere.

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I'm very interested in learning more about minimum temperatures for cooking to decarb cannabis oil. I am aware that decarboxylation happens, very slowly, at room temperature. And for rapid decarboxylation 215F seems about right, though other sources claim slightly higher temps are more optimal (106C/228F seems the most touted temps, with many people claiming higher temps upto a max of 140c/284F).

The reason I ask is that I was making cannabis oil for my dying fathers terminal cancer, using a rice cooker to boil off Solvent (99.9% Isopropyl alcohol was what I used, which boils at 82.4C/180F) for 4 months believing the rice cooker process was sufficient for decarboxylation. It was psychoactive to eat direct from rice cooker, and I did heat it further using bowls of boiling water to evaporate remaining traces of solvent. But after 4 months it was suggested that decarboxylation may have been incomplete and I was advised to place oil in oven for hour at 110C/230F to make sure decarboxylation was 100% and oil was it's most potent.

What I am desperate to know is, what level of decarboxylation was likely achieved by the rice cooker stage? Does anyone know how long 20 grams of cannabis oil would take to fully decarb at temps as low as 82.4C/180F? Or how much decarboxylation is likely to have been achieved from the rice cooker stage, bearing in mind that it usually took about 3 hours to boil off solvent, with the last of it spending about an hour in the rice cooker at this stage.

I understand now how to achieve full decarboxylation, and hence maximise potency, but am desperate to gage, best i can, how potent oil was direct from rice cooker. Please, if anyone can help answer these questions, I would be grateful.

I use 250F until bubbles stop.. .. also.. I eat my edible chocolates with a cup of hot coffee.. seems to really hit you harder.. faster.. and better absorbtion rate all together.

Decarboxylation temp is between 150*F - 245*F ~~~
Prime decarb temp = 240*F for 1 hour in airtight jar
[any higher the thca / thc will vaporize and You will lose potency.]
Lower temp = longer time
Higher temp = shorter time

THC vaporization / thc loss temperature is 320*F

Have been experimenting...

H20 boils at 212F
Coconut Oil burns (Smokes) at 280F (best oil to use)
THC boils off at 392F
at 222F decarboxylation becomes rapid so 28 minutes is more than enough
212F for several hours turn THC to CBN <----------
212F for 90min will strip the carboxyl of THC------^
Soy Lecithin added to your oil makes the THC absorb in your system better/faster
chlorophyll and Terpenes are H20 soluble


Decarboxylate Temp = 240 Degrees F for 28 minutes <----------------
THC LOSS CAN EVEN HAPPEN AT 210+ DEGREES F FOR OVER A FEW HOURS
especially in over / crockpot / stove top