Fresh Harvest Infused Cannabis Oil

[SweetSue]

Hi, Gang,

It's been two weeks today since I made my Infused Olive Oil and I am ready to call it a success. I have used it several times and I feel like I have a handle on its effects. My Husband likes it and I can tell that for him just two drops is enough to take the edge off. He is more relaxed, amiable and seems to be more comfortable when using just that little bit.

I am now confident enough that tomorrow I will be giving some to my Sister-in-law who has Parkinson's. She suffers from mild dyskinesia and is very bothered by incessant, internal tremors. I would love to be able to give her some relief from all of that. She is a total novice when it comes to Cannabis so dosing will be very low and very slow. I'm sure it will take much of the morning. She has been looking forward to trying it since I first got my seeds back in May.

This is the end result of my process. I ended up with exactly 12oz of infused olive oil. I got 8oz of what I am calling first run...oil that came directly out of the pot after the heating process. The second run is the oil that was squeezed out of the cheesecloth 'balls' after they were boiled in water to release the oil left in the material. That process delivered an additional 4 oz. So, in all, I got 12 oz.

Since this is my first go at all of this I decided to use 1oz, amber bottles with 'medicine' droppers. They work very, very well. As you can see, I have them all bottled up, labeled, in a storage container and are now in the frig.

One question remains...what is the shelf life of oil like this. Is the frig enough to keep it fresh or should it be stored in the freezer for longer viability? With such a potent oil, 8 oz will last a while. I would like to be sure that the last bottle used will be as good/safe as the first. I have watched lots of youtube videos and one person who has addressed this is Bev from the 'Cooking with Cannabis' channel. I think she said that in the frig it is good for one year but she made hers using a crock pot and vegetable glycerine. Not sure how that would compare. Would it hurt to store them in the freezer?

Thanks, everyone. It is so helpful to read about everyone experiences and techniques. I'm looking forward to my next grow...I miss the aroma of cannabis in my house.

You know Sooey, I walked in the door a couple minutes ago and thought how wonderful to have the smell of ripening cannabis permeating the apartment. It has the warm and fuzzy feeling of "home."

Well give that woman a gold star! Great report, and the kind of news we all hope to hear back. I'm intrigued by your sister's regimen and really look forward to hearing your thoughts on the initial dosing, and where she finds relief. You got this. Give her a hug from me.

Yes, you can freeze the oil, but I'd be concerned about the bottles. Will they withstand the freezing? If you believe so, I'd toss them in the freezer.

I'm damned proud of you girl. You grew the plants, processed the oil on your own and now you're working out the intricities of dosing more than one patient. I'd say you're a quick study.

 

[SweetSue]

My Husband likes it and I can tell that for him just two drops is enough to take the edge off. He is more relaxed, amiable and seems to be more comfortable when using just that little bit.

Recently I listened in on a discussion on using cannabis to manage chronic pain, and the data shows that with chronic pain in particular you need to carefully and thoughtfully find the optimal therapeutic dose, which is much lower in most cases than anyone expected.

But with chronic pain, hit that optimal dose and you get relief. Shoot past it and you sometimes get the reward of increased pain.

Your husband is doing it correctly. Well done.

 

[NaturalSpirit]

I wasnt subbed to This one yet! Great info for oils! Thank you all for sharing and next harvest I Will def make Some oil!

 

[SweetSue]

I have been eagerly reading all the great posts here hoping to find more ways. I would be open to your suggestions for sure. Have not thought about pressure cooker...hmmm

You got me this far.

Whatcha thinking .?

.

I'm thinkin' the process with the pressure cooker is as follows:

* weigh out the cannabis and measure the oil

* place buds, oil and some water (Blew's wife said water has to make up 25% of the volume to be safe)

* using an immersion blender, reduce the buds to a pulpy mash

* close it up, set the pressure for low (that's usually going to be around the correct temps for decarb), and turn it on

* According to Blew's experience, run it at that pressure for an hour and shut it off.

* Leave it to release the pressure on its own. I believe he said this took them about 3-4 hours, during which time you do nothing with it.

* Open, strain, add lecithin and refrigerate for one day. Then stir and use.

Or as Blew described it

Oil, water, cannabis in pot. Immersion blend. Cook. Siphon oil. Jar.

No stove, no oven, nothing to spill. It's all contained in the cooker. You already worked out the straining part, or will continue refining it until it works best for you. Blew and his wife used a blaster to get the majority of the oil out. If you have pipettes you can get even finer retrieval once you can't use a buster any more.

I feel this might be a wonderful option for you to make a potent oil with less stress. There will be things to work out, but it's a simple matter of making the procedure lists and following them, refining as you go.

Oil-making used to intimidate me. Then it got to be fun. OMG, I can still feel the rush of making my first batch of CCO. I was so scared I'd mess up and lose the harvest, but one day I decided it was rediculous to be scared of something this simple, that women had done with plants for thousands of years to keep their families safe. I wanted to find Cajun and wrap him up in a big hug for inspiring me to do it. Now I don't even think of it with any trepidation. It's become just like cooking.

 

[SweetSue]

Q: Decarb?
A: Did it in the oven. Yep didn't follow the recipe, because I had to use the oven for dinner later, but will when I got fresh bud

Q: Indica or sativa?
A: Yes! The trim was from 1 indica, 1 hybrid, & one sativa.

Q: Duration?
A: Lasted about 4 hours. Still pretty buzzed, but it's tapered off. Frost leaves are often as stony as any other part of the bud.

Main intent for my experiment was to see if the method would work without constant stove-watching, temp checking, and cooking gear that isn't multi-purpose & that I don't want to have/store.

Have checked the oven before, but all ovens oscillate a bit, temp-wise. But the cast iron & oil add a lot of thermal inertia. Ambient stove temp varied from about 186F to 197F, but the oil only oscillated from 188F to 191F, pretty solid.

I fully understand the lecithin thing, but I try not to store ingredients I don't use in other things.

Been baking for over 40 yrs, so I usually try out recipes closely once, then skip steps thereafter, with some thought.

God, I love the way you think. All this equipment I've accumulated drives me nuts sometimes. I was in the middle of culling all incidental belongings when I started playing with making infused and concentrated essential oils. Between gardening equipment (started in a closet, now I also have two tents and use the bathroom ) and oil-making equipment I sometimes feel like I'm moving away from my goal to simplify my life with fewer belongings.

The glorious thing about cannabis is the many ways you can convert the plant into effective medication. There are so many different approaches to making oil it's dazzling! Lol! I thoroughly enjoy trying as many as I can. I'm certain I'll try yours.

Hmmm..... wonder how well-recieved a thread on oil recipies would be? Just a place to stop and share your recipe or scroll through the posted options until one lights you up. There are as many ways of making oil as we have members, in all likelihood.

 

[InTheShed]

Hmmm..... wonder how well-recieved a thread on oil recipies would be? Just a place to stop and share your recipe or scroll through the posted options until one lights you up. There are as many ways of making oil as we have members, in all likelihood.

That sounds like a great idea Sue! I know there are many recipes listed in at least the threads I follow:
This one (obv!)
Decoding The Holy Grail
Growing Against Alzheimers
How To Make Concentrated Cannabis Oil
and DrZiggy's Low And Slow

And I'm sure in lots of other threads as well. Having a central repository for them would be terrific.

 

[InTheShed]

Sorry, double post. 420mag site seems to be a bit glitchy today as I'm seeing a lot of doubles!

 

[andIhalped]

There are as many ways of making oil as we have members, in all likelihood.

That's probably right!

Thanks again for all of the xlnt info in this thread!

 

[andIhalped]

God, I love the way you think. All this equipment I've accumulated drives me nuts sometimes. I was in the middle of culling all incidental belongings when I started playing with making infused and concentrated essential oils. Between gardening equipment (started in a closet, now I also have two tents and use the bathroom ) and oil-making equipment I sometimes feel like I'm moving away from my goal to simplify my life with fewer belongings.

I've known several world class chefs--all of them had very spartan kitchens. One who studied & cooked in Italy, would say: "there's small cafes in rural Italy that turn out sublime food from kitchens only stocked with a few pans & a couple of decent knives. There's no good justification for more gear, it's usually a poor substitute for technique." (He referred to food processors as "intestines. Nice food goes in & shit comes out.") Once when I was cooking w/ him at his home, I asked him if he had a zest knife & he handed me a basic vegetable peeler, with "this & a light hand will do fine".

Another argued against a lot of gear this way: "timing can be critical & having to rummage for the right tool works against proper timing."

I'm not that great a cook, but it's stuck w/ me.

 

[andIhalped]

**I would like to learn your "easy" method of oven oil. Could you describe it further? What is the dish are you using, how much oil, how heavy is it? There are so many questions that come up with your oven method, but I am open to learning. My concerns...the heaviness of the tray, spills and the lighting the oven on fire...lol. I know it's kinda funny, but I've got brain damage, so anything can happen. I can't use the stove top but the oven I've never tried.

It's just like the basic recipe in this thread, except for the use of the oven.

If one's using fresh bud that has NOT been decarb'd (which I didn't do! I decarb'd prior to making the oil) one's going to have to account for that. Everything I've read about decarbing suggests at least 220F for about an hour. I sorta wonder 'bout that though: despite hearing that weed's gotta be decarb'd to activate the THC, I've eaten raw weed, keif & hash, sometimes out of curiosity, but also necessity & all of it got me stoned, w/o decarb'ing.

any pan that's safe for the oven should work. I used cast iron, because that's what I had & I figured it'd damp temperature fluctuations, but something lighter should work.

I didn't measure the oil, I measure almost nothing these days, regardless of what I making. I just put in enough olive oil to cover the weed.

If someone does try it, I suggest checking oven temps independently w/ some sort of thermometer. Many ovens run a little high or low relative to the setting & many also have considerable fluctuation around the setting.

I'm not going to suggest this method is better. But I am certain that it requires less gear & much less cleanup & the product tastes fine & really packs a punch (I'm stepping back the dosage from last nite).

I'm looking fwd to trying it again when I have fresh bud next autumn.

 

[CCOiler]

[QUOTE

Decarboxylation for Dosing THC/CBD for EVOO/Coconut Oil)

I bought one of these at the rain forest, search for (Magical Butter Silicone Decarboxylation Thermometer DecarBox Combo pack) Hope this helps.

 

[SweetSue]

[QUOTE

Decarboxylation for Dosing THC/CBD for EVOO/Coconut Oil)

I bought one of these at the rain forest, search for (Magical Butter Silicone Decarboxylation Thermometer DecarBox Combo pack) Hope this helps.

Nice. Are you happy with it?

 

[SweetSue]

I've known several world class chefs--all of them had very spartan kitchens. One who studied & cooked in Italy, would say: "there's small cafes in rural Italy that turn out sublime food from kitchens only stocked with a few pans & a couple of decent knives. There's no good justification for more gear, it's usually a poor substitute for technique." (He referred to food processors as "intestines. Nice food goes in & shit comes out.") Once when I was cooking w/ him at his home, I asked him if he had a zest knife & he handed me a basic vegetable peeler, with "this & a light hand will do fine").

Another argued against a lot of gear this way: "timing can be critical & having to rummage for the right tool works against proper timing."

I'm not that great a cook, but it's stuck w/ me.

You know, it's funny. Cooking for myself, I have three knives, some indespensible spoons, a single pot (blew my favorite one out by leaving it on the fire while I wandered off ) and a small cast iron skillet. I've methodically removed more things from my kitchen than I care to remember.

I'm still learning oil production, and I've been exploring different methods, but I'm ultimately going to settle on a simple method that uses as little equipment as possible. In the meantime, I'm beginning to run out of storage space. Lol! I'll have a lot of stuff to share when I start culling.

I have to make two different batches of brownie oil soon, and I believe I'll use your method. I'll be using dried buds, and I'll decarb in a roasting bag.

One of these days I'll find a preferred method for squeezing the mash. I'm close with the lemon press and small bundles. I lick my fingers too much during that step.

 

[CCOiler]

Nice. Are you happy with it?

Have not received it yet, it will be awhile before I need it I just decarb a oz. of "Afgoo" in a turkey bag and I am making tincture in my freezer with 200 proof distilled Everclear, started out as 190 proof then I distilled it to reclaim the alcohol and it comes out as 200 proof.

 

[Lady G2HM]

It's just like the basic recipe in this thread, except for the use of the oven.

If one's using fresh bud that has NOT been decarb'd (which I didn't do! I decarb'd prior to making the oil) one's going to have to account for that. Everything I've read about decarbing suggests at least 220F for about an hour. I sorta wonder 'bout that though: despite hearing that weed's gotta be decarb'd to activate the THC, I've eaten raw weed, keif & hash, sometimes out of curiosity, but also necessity & all of it got me stoned, w/o decarb'ing.

any pan that's safe for the oven should work. I used cast iron, because that's what I had & I figured it'd damp temperature fluctuations, but something lighter should work.

I didn't measure the oil, I measure almost nothing these days, regardless of what I making. I just put in enough olive oil to cover the weed.

If someone does try it, I suggest checking oven temps independently w/ some sort of thermometer. Many ovens run a little high or low relative to the setting & many also have considerable fluctuation around the setting.

I'm not going to suggest this method is better. But I am certain that it requires less gear & much less cleanup & the product tastes fine & really packs a punch (I'm stepping back the dosage from last nite).

I'm looking fwd to trying it again when I have fresh bud next autumn.

*Thanks for sharing your process, that took some time to write out. Appreciate that. I'm always searching for new easier ways, but to be honest, I'm a little embarrassed to say, that I can't operate the oven and stove alone. I could write out the list why, but I have early onset Alzheimer's and that pretty well revoked handling oil near the stove and oven. So the machine process is still the safest for me and very much needed for those who are in my predicament to say lightly.

*Also, now you are recommending decarb because you didn't do it originally when you posted. That is a whole other process for someone like me to deal with. So your original post wasn't entirely accurate, but I feel like you still have really good intentions of trying to save us work.

*On the other side, your recipe would work for a Caregiver that has the time and energy (most don't) to monitor the oven and temperature. It's another way to accomplish the same goal, but I don't think it takes any less work or cleanup. In fact that cast iron pan is not easy to lift for me, especially for someone with flared arthritis. Not sure someone in a wheelchair could handle this process. I know anyone with a neuro degen disease would have major alignment issues with lifting a heavy pan out of the oven. Just a little observation.

*The good news about your method, I know of a blind grower here who I am working with whom started doing his oil in the oven in muffin tin trays. Equal amount in each molding. 200F, taking 3 spoons of oil to lightly drench his 1 teaspoon of bud. So you may want to switch to something that is lighter, compartmentalized and measurable. Making free for all oil can really hurt someone if they aren't wise to your jive. hahaha

*Also you mentioned that your oil packs a punch, then in brackets you write you have to decrease your dose. That is a jump off the cliff in the eyes of a brain patient...fyi.

*Come to think of it, if you didn't decarb your first batch, how could that have packed a punch if you didn't convert your THCA to THC through this essential transition? Hmmm,

*I can tell you right now that your process has way more mess than with the machine. You have to take into account when others share their methods it's because we have to adapt to our disabilities by sometimes requiring the help from machines to prevent disasters. That's why there are water baths, machines, decarb boxes because they are helping people like me.

*You have your decarb tray, cast iron pan, thermometer, storable oil containers?, no lecithin?, no measurables?, no scale?, just a free for all. In another world where everyone had a clear mind and healthy body, yes this is EZ, no problem. What would be fun is if you try to do your methods while blind, or in a wheelchair, with a broken arm or with a deteriorating brain etc. No honestly, like if you were to put on a motorcyclist helmet and walk around the entire day and night, cooking and showering with it on. That is pretty close to how my brain feels. Sounds funny and cool to me. Just trying to make you smile.

*Many people need this oil to save our lives, not to save the party. And I think your method while useful, is not recommended for anyone who has a physical and mental health challenges. In fact, it's not user friendly to those who truly need it the most. So much more to be considered like responsible ratios, the clean up, distributing oil into capsules or droppers, or dosing from the dish in the fridge? makes the oil expire faster because it's perishable. If you were to take pics of your step by step process I think you would be surprised at how much you have to consider.

*I just think we need to be really careful when posting "easy" recipes without careful considerations because it's desperate people like me who misunderstand things, could be hurt the most. That's all, think about your audience and those whom need the recipe the most.

*Thank you for allowing me to chime in. I just don't want Brainiacs to get hurt by other peoples' impression of what easy is. And I am one of those people who needs to be told what to do step for step, measurement for measurement to make sure I don't hurt myself during this process. What a great discussion this was. Thank you for letting me learn from you guys...with great intentions...

 

[andIhalped]

You're welcome!

 

[SweetSue]

Thank you Baby, for keeping us focused on the wider audience. We were all raised in a time where cannabis was for rec purposes only. Any relief we got was a bonus. What we were setting out for was to get high. Prohibition....it screwed us all ten directions of sideways.

So now there's this confusion that feeling the high is what determines effectiveness. It's a mindset that'll take time to shift. One of our major goals is shared by you, to make this process usable for those with disabilities. I wasn't aware of Grampa's muffin tin method. That's a brilliant adaptation.

Last comment: I nearly fell over at the depth of reasoning and sheer volume of words you filled the page with. Your beautiful healing brain is steadily improving. Keep that knowledge of the signs of improvement as a happy thought for frustrating moments. And keep us focused, please.

Sometimes it's like I can see your brain making new connections, or better expressed, finding the lost pathways and paving them for easier travel.

 

[Planter420]

If anyone's having a "ruff" day, I brought snacks!

 

[Lady G2HM]

@ SweetSue

*answers to you

Thank you Baby, for keeping us focused on the wider audience. We were all raised in a time where cannabis was for rec purposes only. Any relief we got was a bonus. What we were setting out for was to get high. Prohibition....it screwed us all ten directions of sideways.

*good morning SweetSue, woke up so refreshed and open minded. Can't believe how much that oil helps my brain operate cleanly.

*Fair enough, we are evolving together. Hoping to help others to help themselves. I can't wait till it turns legal here in Canada, I have big plans...hahahahaha.

So now there's this confusion that feeling the high is what determines effectiveness. It's a mindset that'll take time to shift. One of our major goals is shared by you, to make this process usable for those with disabilities. I wasn't aware of Grampa's muffin tin method. That's a brilliant adaptation.

*He even decarbs in the same muffin tin, sooo smart Grandpa is. I love working with people who have challenges because it forces me to think outside the box and to help me solve problems. If you guys ever need to bounce things off of me, I'm here. I can test recipes for accessibility whenever you need me. It makes me feel useful while I'm in rehabilitation.

Last comment: I nearly fell over at the depth of reasoning and sheer volume of words you filled the page with. Your beautiful healing brain is steadily improving. Keep that knowledge of the signs of improvement as a happy thought for frustrating moments. And keep us focused, please.

*Okay will do. I appreciate everyone letting me voice my alternative opinions from a brain patient pov. This discussion really inspired me to put an effort into my thoughts. Trying to solve problems and present both sides amicably is very difficult, but you guys are so open to me that it encourages me to practice my sentences and share my studies with positivity.

Sometimes it's like I can see your brain making new connections, or better expressed, finding the lost pathways and paving them for easier travel. [/QUOTE]

*WOW, and you've known me for a while, that is amazing feedback btw. A brain patients dream. There is no way I'll ever be able to thank you enough for guiding me. Plus I have a renewed sense of independence growing and using the MB2 and sharing the recipe because it took 1.5 years to be able to put everything together. Which is a long time, but huuuge accomplishment for my cognition repair.

*This group is very liberating for folks like me and I want to thank everyone for all their stories and recipes that give me hope.

*You really inspire me SweetSue, because you didn't do things FOR me, you did things to help me help myself. That is more than any pill will ever do for me and my executive functions will improve as long as I keep writing.

 

[SweetSue]

*You really inspire me SweetSue, because you didn't do things FOR me, you did things to help me help myself. That is more than any pill will ever do for me and my executive functions will improve as long as I keep writing.

Cajun once shared with me what I already practiced in life because I was trained as an Early Childhood specialist, and it's worth repeating. As healers we don't heal, we open the door for the patient to understand that they heal themselves and guide them to the necessary resources.

As an educator you understand that we learn by doing. Provide the raw materials, see the student at her/his fullest potential and find encouraging ways to get them to believe your vision of all they can be. Then you have fun exploring.

Life is a game, and the more playful you can be the happier your life expresses itself and the faster you heal. There's the future you and the now you. The future you is the product of what you tell yourself about you today. You get to write the script. Isn't that exciting? What do you want your future you to be? Learn to feel that now. As your cells pick up the chorus of that vibration the gap between you now and you future becomes incrementally smaller.

One day you look in the mirror and realize your morphed into the wonderful being you'd always believed you were, enough to make that feeling a priority to you and hold it faithfully.

You, my dear, are a shooting star lighting the sky around you. We all feel blessed to be lucky enough to be standing by your side when you shot off.