Tips on decarburizing cannabis from the pros

When you decarboxylate cannabis, you are essentially applying heat to activate the cannabinoids and convert them from their acidic form to their psychoactive state. For example the conversion of THCa into THC.

If you skipped the step of decarboxylating your cannabis, your infusion would become less effective and, in most cases, not what you expected. But what’s the right time, method, and heat settings to get the perfect decarburized weed?

We want to find out now in this article. Not only are we going to talk about the right temperature and time, but we’re also going to offer you different methods of decarburizing your weed. This should give you everything you need to know to start experimenting with cannabis infusions. Let’s get ready to bake!

Photo by Margo Amala via Unsplash

Properly decarboxylate your weed

There are many ways to decarbonize your weed, depending on the sources you can find on the internet. The most common method is to use the oven and some oven-ready trays.

Conventional wisdom says putting it in a preheated oven at about 250 ° F (122 ° C) for about 30 minutes, and this is a completely correct estimate.

RELATED: A Simple Explanation Of Cannabis Decarboxylation And How To Do It Yourself

However, you can also do faster decarbs as you raise the temperature or slower decarbs as you lower it. There is actually a table I found on Green Camp that is very useful if you want to play around with the temperature.

But why should you play around with the temperature at all? Wouldn’t it be enough to just follow the “rule of thumb” to get consistent decarboxylation of cannabis?

Of course it would!

The reason you want to play around with time and temperature settings is because some terpenes and flavonoids are heat sensitive.

RELATED: This Is What To Do With Marijuana Before You Can Make Edibles

We’ll talk more about preserving your terpenes during the decarboxylation process later.

Depending on the purpose of your decarburized grass, you should follow your process closely by following the table.

The process of decarburizing

Oven method

First, let’s go through the most common method – using the oven.

That’s pretty straight forward.

You preheat the oven to the required temperature. We say 250ºF for this example. While the oven is heating up, start cutting the cannabis into small pieces. Don’t grind it; just cut finely, but not too much either. Small pieces should be enough.

Lay these pieces evenly on parchment paper. Then put in the oven and cook for about 25-30 minutes.

The grass should turn from green to light brown. Once this is done, carefully remove the tray and let it cool down a bit.

The weeds will break and crumble pretty easily now. So be careful!

Your weed is now ready to be infused.

Double cooking method

The other method is to use a double boiler.

You’re essentially following the same basic principles, except that the cannabis is in a jar with a lid, which allows it to trap many of the terpenes

A water bath is essentially a stove-top method of decarburizing. You have a pot with some water in it; About a quarter of the pot should be full.

Then put another pot on top, creating a kind of seal between the two pots. The steam from the water below evaporates and heats the pot over it.

This gives you a controlled heat of around 212 ° F or 100 ° C. Based on the table below – also from Green Camp – tells you that you will cook at that temperature for around 90-120 minutes.

By placing a lid on the top kettle – perhaps with a small opening – you can trap many of the other gases that are released when the heat is applied. These are terpenes, flavonoids, etc.

Once the THC is activated and the vapor settles in the second kettle, the terpenes and flavonoids recombine with the weed, increasing the decarb’s flavor profile.

RELATED: I used a decarboxylator to make weed beer and it was amazing

This is especially useful when you find aromatic buds. Take a variety of blueberry or lemon haze and mix it with your favorite dessert. You will absolutely love it.

Your edibles can take on a whole new life if you understand the subtle chemistry behind them. However, the best teacher will always be experience.

When you have weed, it’s time to experiment!

Can i store decarburized grass?

Sure, but it will only get worse over time. It’s probably best to start using it once it’s ready to go.

If you are thinking of storing grass, store it rather than fresh herb. The decarboxylation process continues over time. In fact, let it sit long enough for the weed to fully decarboxylate on its own.

It can take months in some cases! Who has time for that!

It is not recommended to store grass that has already been decarburized just because it will continue to degrade until it is no longer viable.

Photo by Yarygin / Getty Images

The sticky end result

Making infusions is a science that many people enjoy! It’s just as addicting as growing weed, and when you start processing your weed the way you want, cannabis reaches a whole new level of greatness!

For a lot of people the task seems daunting and I’m not going to gloss over it. The first time you try it alone, you will question your actions every step of the way.

I left grass in the oven until it was black and smoky. It happens to all of us at some point.

But that’s ok!

All you have to do is get out there and experiment, make your own infusions, and learn the craft of adding depth to your cannabis activities.

Hope this article has piqued your interest in making your own infusions. Trust me, the learning curve is worth it!

This article originally appeared on Cannabis.net and was republished with permission.