How to Make Cannabis Concentrate
Cannabis concentrates regularly grow in popularity. The reason behind the hype is the potency level and versatility of the products. This triggers many to learn how to make cannabis concentrate.
So, this article focuses on how to make concentrate from scratch. It also discusses the main differences between the extraction methods and the products you can expect. Without further ado, let’s get started!
Understanding Cannabis Concentrates
Cannabis concentrates are like an umbrella term that refers to shatter, wax, rosin, oil, etc. They are derivatives of the marijuana flower.
Cannabis concentrates highly potent cannabis products derived from cannabis plants through chemical processes. For reference, the level of THC in a concentrate reaches up to 90%, whereas the THC in a marijuana flower is about 20% maximum.
There are two ways to create cannabis concentrates: by using solvents and solventless. Below, we elaborate more on the processes and what products are derived from solvent-based or solventless methods.
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How to Make Cannabis Concentrate
Now that you understand cannabis concentrates, let's learn about the process. The process begins as the flower gets processed through an extraction that helps isolate the essential compounds from the flower, like CBD and THC. Hence, this process results in the extraction of oil.
Then, through further chemical processes like distillation, dewaxing, drying, sifting, pressing, or purging, you can create different types of cannabis concentrates. They can be:
Shatter
Wax
Rosin
Budder
Badder
Crumble
Cannabis concentrates are saturated with bioactive compounds like cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids. Hence, they should be used with caution. Now, let’s explore more tips on preparing for the process.
Preparation for making cannabis concentrates
There are three phases you need to go through to prepare the oil. They go as follows:
1. Select high-quality cannabis material for extraction
The first thing you need to do is select quality cannabis flowers. You need high-quality materials to create a first-class end product. Therefore, make sure that you get a marijuana supply from a trusted dispensary. Before you proceed to the next step, check the flower for molds or dry spots and eliminate them.
2. Grind or break down the cannabis material
The next step is to break down the cannabis material or to grind it. Grinding the plant allows you to create more productive particles for the extraction process and optimize the final product. Then, you need to decarb the flower and prepare it for extraction.
You need a grinder, baking paper, and an oven for this process. Before you start grinding, preheat the oven to 250 ºF. Once you finish grinding, place the product on the baking paper and put it in the oven for 30 minutes at 250 ºF.
3. Set up the extraction equipment and workspace
The final step of the preparation is setting up the equipment and workspace where you can make the cannabis concentrate. Depending on the extraction method, you would need a different type of apparatus. For example, you have:
Closed-loop system: The oil is clean and solvent-free.
Open blasted system: The oil contains solvents.
If you’re looking for high-quality equipment with the latest technology, check out our equipment that helps automate the extraction process. We created our innovative machines from our customer’s perspective, making them super intuitive, easy to operate, and extra handy.
Choosing the Cannabis Concentrate Extraction Method
Cannabis concentrate extraction is divided into two main categories: solvent-based and solventless extraction methods. The solvent-based extraction methods include propane, butane, methanol, ethanol, CO2, and hydrocarbons as solvents. The solvent-based cannabis concentrates are the following:
Wax
Badder
Budder
Crumble
Shatter
Live resin
On the contrary, the solventless method does not include any solvent in the production. Instead, it uses mechanical agitation with ice water, heat, and pressure. The products of the solventless method are:
Rosin
Hash rosin
Bubble hash
Dry sift
Source: shutterstock.com / Photo Contributor: fukume
Solvent-based extraction method
The solvent-based method creates highly potent concentrates. They may even exceed the average potency level. Continue reading to see how to make cannabis concentrate by using the solvent-based extraction method.
Butane or propane extraction (BHO)
Butane extraction is a traditional solvent-based method for extracting the essential cannabis components. It involves using butane or propane as a solvent. Plus, it may be more effective and less expensive.
To get a BHO concentrate, you need to put your ground cannabis material in a special tube that’s designed for extraction. Then, pour the propane into the tube with the cannabis to start the process.
You should have an inch or two of butane or solvent over the cannabis material in the tube for better results. Leave the butane in the tube for five minutes tops. Otherwise, you risk compromising the concentrate's flavor. However, the time might vary depending on the extraction methods and conditions.
The final step of the butane extraction is purging the remaining solvents from the final product. You can do this with a vacuum oven or a heat source. The heat source allows you to evaporate the solvents.
CO2 extraction
The CO2 extraction involves a carbon dioxide solvent. This method produces a clean and original taste, high-quality but more expensive. For this method, you will need the following equipment:
CO2 extraction system
A compressor
Cooler
The CO2 process starts by putting the cannabis material in the column and filling it with liquid CO2. It is pretty similar to butane. However, with the CO2, you raise the temperature and pressure to extract the desired compounds.
Lastly, you should purge the residual solvents. Similarly to the butane extraction, you can use a vacuum oven or a heat source to purify the final product from the carbon dioxide.
Solventless extraction methods
The solventless extraction methods are known as the old-school methods when no robotics or apparatus existed. They are simpler, easier to follow, and require less effort.
The rosin press and the dry sift method are the most popular solventless extraction methods. To better understand them, we provided more details in continuation.
Rosin press technique
The rosin press technique has gained popularity recently because it’s easy to follow. In essence, it involves heat and pressure to isolate the necessary components of the cannabis flower. For this technique, you would need the following equipment:
Rosin press machine: To apply heat and pressure.
Parchment paper: Put the cannabis flowers between the heating plates.
Heat-protectant gloves: To manage the hot plates.
So, you should start by preheating the rosin press machine. Put the cannabis flowers on the paper. Then, fold the paper in half and put it between the plates.
Next, apply pressure to the heating plates to squeeze the extract from the flower. And collect the product with a dab tool.
Dry sift method
The dry sift method involves extracting cannabis concentrate with a series of screens. It is the least expensive method to make cannabis concentrates without using solvents and getting high-quality products. Here’s what you need for the dry sift method:
A set of screens to sift the cannabis flowers
A tool to collect the sifted product
Cannabis flowers
To start, put the screens on one another. The smallest mesh has to be on the bottom of the last filter and the largest on top. Therefore, if you start piling them, start with the smallest and build your way up to the largest mesh.
Then, put the cannabis flowers on the top screen and start shaking the screens back and forth or left to right, whichever way works best for you. Collect the sifts from the bottom and store them in a vacuum container.
Quality Control and Purity Check
Quality control and purity checks are a crucial part of cannabis concentrate production. These QA checks ensure the final product is pure, without harmful and potent components.
QA tests are simple and easy to do. For example, to test the cannabis concentrate quality, you need only a butter knife, a lighter, and a sample. Take the sample and put it on the butter knife.
Next, light the sample and wait for its reaction. Bubbles are a common reaction because of volatilization. If the sample turns gray and smells good, like the marijuana plant, then the quality is good.
However, if the sample turns black, smells like chemicals, or smulders, then it’s a poor-quality cannabis concentrate. In this case, we advise you not to consume it.
Removing impurities and ensuring purity in the final product
To reach a pure final product, you must remove the impurities, pollutants, or solvent debris through each step of the process. We included more details, such as:
Microbial testing - The QA of the cannabis material. Check for molds, bacteria, or other pollutants that might mitigate the quality of the final product.
Pesticide testing - Another QA of the cannabis material. In this test, you check the chemicals and pesticide levels in the flower used during the cultivation process.
Heavy metal testing - QA for the presence of arsenic, lead, or other heavy metals that must not be present at all.
Potency tests - Regular check of the potency levels of the THC and CBD in the final product to ensure they comply with the rules.
Residual solvent testing - The final test for solvent remains in the final product. If the test shows positive, you should immediately remove it.
Maintaining quality standards in concentrate production
Maintaining quality products in concentrate production is crucial. Your products have to be superb because the cannabis industry relies on credibility.
Furthermore, you build trust with your customers through your products. They expect high quality for the price they pay. However, poor-quality cannabis concentrates are bad for health and bad for taste.
Proper Storage
It would help if you stored the cannabis concentrate in a cool, dark area away from light and moisture in order to maintain its potency and consistency. Since cannabis concentrates can take many forms, the ideal universal storage container would be a silicone one. So, compared to glass jars where shatter can get stubbornly stuck on the bottom, silicone containers allow you to easily peel the product off the material.
Source: shutterstock.com / Photo Contributor: fukume
Conclusion
Cannabis concentrates are highly potent products derived from the marijuana flower through an extraction process. We hope now you better understand how to make cannabis concentrate.
As mentioned, there are two main extraction processes – solvent-based and solventless. Wax, badder, budder, crumble, shatter, and live resin are solvent-based concentrates in high demand. On the other hand, the solventless popular products are dry sift, rosin, and bubble hash.
Ultimately, the solventless methods are doable at home, but the solvent-based extraction requires prior knowledge and experience to execute the process independently. In other words, we do not recommend cannabis concentrate production through solvents for beginners.
