If you grow marijuana , you will agree that always, with the passage of the months and the crops, you find various remains: small buds that are left at the bottom of the pantry, small leaves full of trichomes from manicuring buds , remains of the jars where you keep your precious harvest , or maybe buds that you have not finished liking.
What to do with the remains of your marijuana plantation?
Taking advantage of the remains of the harvest is synonymous with extracting the active principles for different uses. When we have delicious buds , logically it will be more difficult for you to decide to make extractions with them, since they already have a high quality; But when we talk about the remains of the harvest (manicure leaves with resin and small buds), it is a necessity , you take advantage of it or throw it away. Manicure remnants are a second crop!
There are growers who smoke their buds, those who vaporize them , those who never mix it with tobacco , who decide to carry out various types of extractions , etc. The reality with the remains is different: they are not premium quality buds. They usually do not have the same amount of trichomes, flower size and even little smell, taste or simply be leaves close to the bud that you have accumulated when dry manicuring.
What types of extractions can you do with the remains of your harvest?
There are a multitude of extraction methods to make concentrates of the active principles of cannabis depending on the material you have , the quality or quantity of cannabis extraction you want to obtain, the money you want to invest in extraction tools, etc. Considering these factors, you must choose between one or the other method.
Regarding the types of extractions, we could divide them into two main groups: extractions without solvents and extractions with solvents .
Solventless extractions
Solventless extractions are those in which substances are not used to dissolve and drag the resin , but are carried out by means of mechanical methods.
Within this form of extraction we find several techniques:
Dry extractions
The dry extraction is a type of extraction traditional cannabis based on separating the trichomes of the plant matter without any solvent, solely by mechanical actions. This requires marijuana buds, a mesh, and movement so that the trichomes are released.
Although it is to carry out an extraction passively, it is the type of extraction that appears in the last compartment of the grinders with pollinator. We recommend freezing your buds or leftovers before extracting to get a large amount of extract (hash) .
In La Huerta Grow Shop you can find different types of dry extractors:
Shake me, the cheapest and easiest to use resin extractor
The Shake Me dry resin extractor is very inexpensive and small in size, but it packs a punch to make a good ball of hash in no time. It has two compartments, in the upper one that closes with a screw, it is where you have to put the marijuana or the remains of manicure . In the lower one, the one with the pressure cap, the trichomes will be stored .
The operation is simple, the herb is introduced, closed, and stored in the freezer for more than 2 hours (if you leave it 24/48 hours you will obtain a better performance), it is shaken from top to bottom and the trichomes of the base are recovered of Shake Me.
You can watch a video of how to use the Shake Me dry resin extractor below:
Pollenmaker: the “top seller” of dry extractions
The Polenmaker works similar to the Shake Me extractor, but it is larger and has a higher quality finish . It is 90 mm in diameter and 180 mm in height, so you can extract the resin from more marijuana and crop residues.
The methacrylate bottle allows you to see the grass and pollen while we extract, without having to open the hash extractor. The advantage of small extractors is that they can put the weed into the freezer, and get really incredible qualities of hashish, with little degradation of the trichomes by the temperature.
This extractor is undoubtedly the most sold in La Huerta Grow Shop . Thanks to this extractor, anyone can quickly make hash at home .
Secret Box 150 Shall we go to the next level?
The Secret Box 150 is one step further in dry extraction . Equipped to offer greater capacity and comfort, this automatic resin extractor has a 225-micron mesh drum (you can also purchase the 100-micron one for higher quality) .
A small motor rotates the drum through which the trichomes that fall to the bottom of the Secret Box are filtered . Once at the bottom, you can easily remove the drum and collect all the extraction obtained.
For an optimization of the process with the Secret Box 150, it is also necessary to freeze the marijuana , as with the Polenmaker and the Shake me, but instead of putting the extractor in the freezer, we will freeze the herb in hermetic bags .
The extraction time ranges from 1 to 8 minutes. You can leave it even longer, but the longer the time, the lower the quality , as the vegetable matter will be crushed and will pass through the mesh.
- Balance between quality and quantity
A rule of thumb for all dry extraction systems (and also in iceolator-type extractions ), is that the longer the extraction lasts , the more the plant material is crushed and the greater the degradation of cannabinoids, so we remember : Even if you get more quantity with more time, less time translates into higher quality
Doing several extraction runs in a short time will allow you to separate different qualities and will allow you to smoke the same amount , but enjoying the first qualities more.
If your goal is not quality but quantity, you can choose to do fewer extraction runs in a longer time, or combine different qualities.
Rosin
Making rosin is quick and easy . The results can be highly variable depending on the material you add, but it always has a high level of cannabinoids . If the material is good and “fresh”, it will also retain a high level of terpenes . That is why Rosin is one of the most fashionable techniques in recent years.
To make Rosin you will only need a rosin press and filters to remove impurities. You can make Rose from buds, from a dry extraction, from iceolator … And even from THCA just by changing the material and micron size of the filters.
Water extractions
Although extraction with water and ice does not have as much tradition as dry extraction , it has been in the making for more than 20 years and it is very common to find hashish extracted using this system in clubs, dispensaries, and Coffee Shops; either on the Peninsula, in the US or in the Netherlands.
This technique is based on the same idea that trichomes are broken by the cold and separated from leaves and buds by mechanical movements. The main difference is that now the medium we will use will be cold water.
To carry out this type of extraction, meshes of different weft are used to separate the trichomes from the rest of the green matter , leaves, remnants of buds , etc. In this way, we will sift through different qualities of iceolator also known as “water hash”, “bubble hash”, among others.
Screens and extraction kits for iceolator
The steps to follow with the iceolator, whatever material you use, are the following:
- Cool the vegetable matter with water and ice.
- Shake the plant matter to loosen the trichomes.
- Filter the trichomes through the different meshes to eliminate impurities and obtain the different qualities.
- Dry the hash (ideally use a freeze dryer to make sure all the moisture is removed from the hash).
To cool and shake there are different methods:
- Use buckets to put the ice, grass and water and stir manually or semi-manually, using a paddle, paddle, semi-automatic mixer …
- Use a washing machine ( Resinator ) to add the ice, grass and stir automatically.
In the post How to make IceOLator – Water Hash, step by step you will see how to proceed from start to finish.
In any case, the filtering process will always have to be through meshes:
Iceolator Resinator extraction kit, comfortable and easy to use
The Pure Factory Resinator Kit is composed of:
It is very easy to use, below we explain how to do it step by step:
- Put the Resinator on a high surface , for example a table and a bucket on the floor.
- Inside the bucket put the meshes. First place the finest bag , then the intermediate bag (s) and finally the thickest mesh bag , so that finally the one with the coarse mesh (220) is at the top to filter the largest impurities.
- If you are going to use more meshes to get even more intermediate qualities , you should always respect this order: the finest should be placed closer to the ground, and the thick one on top.
- Fill the Resinator halfway with water and include ice cubes. Put the Resinator to work so that the water cools down to about 2-4ºc, 5 minutes is usually enough.
- Meanwhile, fill the pyramid bag with the marijuana or leftovers (each pyramid bag holds up to a pound ).
- Put the pyramid bag in the Resinator and turn it on for 3 to 8 minutes (you can extend this last time, but remember, longer, lower quality)
- After this time, turn off the Resinator and squeeze the bag to remove any water and trichomes that remain floating.
- Put the hose in the bucket with the meshes and let it empty, then take out the first bag, that is, the one that is inside all the others, and squeeze so that the water empties. This bag is scraps.
- Remove the second mesh and move it to drain the water, here you have the Iceolator ready to dry. Do the same for the other meshes.
- Once you have the iceolator ready, there are many ways to dry it, but the most professional is to use a freeze dryer .
In the Huerta Grow Shop you can find a wide variety of meshes of different sizes and with different wefts / micrages to make iceolator of different qualities:
Secret Icer 3 tights
Is a set of 3 meshes of resin extraction marijuana very economical and effective . It has a diameter of 25 cm and 44 cm in length.
- 70 Micron Mesh (Green).
- 190 Micron Mesh (Yellow).
- 25 Micron Mesh (Black).
The meshes are arranged in the cube putting the smallest weft mesh first. In this case, the black one must be in contact with the bucket, then the next smaller one (in this case the green one inside the black one), and finally, the one with the most open pattern, (that is, the yellow one inside the green).
In addition, Pure Factory also offers its innovative “Todomalla” meshes , to achieve a faster drainage .
Iceolator brand tights, superior quality
The Ice-O-Lator meshes were the first to appear and gave this technique its name. They are the most resistant and the ones with the best quality in the seams.
If you are going to do extractions with ice often, this is undoubtedly the best option when choosing extraction meshes. This brand offers different sizes of bags, micrage and packs.
Ice-O-Lator- 2 Extract Meshes. Small Outdoor 185/45 microns
The Ice-O-Lator 2 Mesh Small Outdoor 185/45 is commonly known as the outdoor kit. It is composed of two bags of 30 cm in diameter to use with 200 gr. dried marijuana and work with a 20 L bucket.
- 185 micron working mesh
- Mesh to trap 45 micron trichomes
Ice-O-Lator – Medium Outdoor 185-45 microns
It is a kit of iceolator meshes designed for outdoor marijuana , consisting of two meshes: one for filtering 185 microns, and another to collect the 45 micron trichomes . They have a diameter of 50cm and serve for 500g of material. You need a 70L bucket to work .
It is recommended to add a 25 micron bag to collect the remains of trichomes that cross the 45 micron mesh and a 70 micron mesh to collect the large trichomes and achieve another quality in the extraction.
- 185 micron working bag.
- Bag to catch the 45 micron trichomes .
Ice-O-Lator – Large Outdoor 185-45 microns
A kit made up of 2 extractor nets with a capacity of 185-45 microns , ideal for marijuana grown outdoors . The diameter of the meshes is 80 cm, and has a capacity for 1500 g of dry material. It is designed to be used with a 190 liter water tank .
As in the other versions, it is advisable to add a couple more bags.
- 185 micron working mesh
- Mesh to catch 45 micron trichomes .
Ice-O-Lator- 3 Extract Meshes. Small Indoor 220/70/38 microns
Also known as the Indoor Marijuana Iceolator Kit:
- It has two bags to catch the trichomes.
- The diameter of the bags is 30 cm and they have a capacity for 200g of dried buds or leftovers.
- For use with 20 L buckets.
It is a perfect kit for growers with one or two meters of indoor cultivation, or a grow tent of 1 meter approx.
- Mesh (orange color) working 220 microns
- Mesh (green) to catch 70 micron trichomes
- Mesh (yellow) to collect 38 micron trichomes
Ice-O-Lator – 3 Extraction Mesh Medium Indoor 220/70/38 microns
A fairly balanced kit in terms of quality of the final product and quantity to be able to process.
Perfect for indoor growers. Consisting of three medium-size bags of 50 cm in diameter for 500 g of dry material , to be used with 70L buckets.
- Work bag 220 microns.
- Bag to catch trichomes 70 microns.
- Bag to catch trichomes 38 microns.
Ice-O-Lator- Large Indoor 220-70 microns
A kit for large indoor growers consisting of 2 extractor screens of 220-70 microns.
- Ideal for high-capacity batches with a high-quality final product.
- Mesh diameter 80 cms , capacity 1500 gr . of dried buds.
- To be used in 190 liter capacity buckets .
It is recommended to add at least a 38 or 25 micron bag to also collect the smaller trichomes and the remains of broken trichomes that pass through the 70 micron mesh and that would be lost.
- 220 micron filter mesh
- Mesh to trap 70 micron trichomes
Ice-O-Lator Small 7 Bags
It is one of the most complete kits to make iceolator . This pack of meshes will allow you to separate the Iceolator into 5 different qualities and catch every last trichome , since it can only be expanded with a 25 micron bag to make the most of the extraction material. In addition, it contains an extra filter mesh (185) for a cleaner result.
It is composed of 7 meshes of 30 cm in diameter that allow working with up to 200 g of dry material in a 20-liter bucket . Suitable for indoor and outdoor marijuana. This Kit Includes:
- 220 micron working mesh.
- Filtering mesh 185 microns , to achieve a cleaner extraction.
- Mesh to trap the trichomes 120 microns.
- Mesh to catch the trichomes 90 microns.
- Mesh to catch the trichomes 70 microns.
- Mesh to catch the trichomes 45 microns.
- Mesh to catch trichomes 25 microns.
Ice-o-lator- small super mini crystal 25 microns
- This 25 micron extractor mesh allows you to collect even the smallest of your trichomes.
- The perfect complement to a set of extraction screens.
Keep in mind that in the kits of 2 meshes, one for work and one to collect the trichomes, the trichomes smaller than the bag’s weft are lost .
To be able to catch the maximum amount of trichomes, we recommend an extra 25 micron bag, and also use intermediate meshes to better separate the different qualities. On the other hand, using only small-raster meshes slows down filtering too much.
In this way, the high-quality extraction that we obtain with the 120, 90, and 70 mesh, you can mix it with the remnants of trichomes of the 25-micron one.
Drying the iceolator hash
One of the few steps you can make a mistake in is drying the iceolator. When extracting with water, you must dry the hashish very well so that the humidity does not generate fungi and spoil your work. You should put the hash you have obtained in the fridge so that it hardens a little and the water goes a little.
You also have the option of using a lyophilizer , since used well, it becomes an essential tool to make iceolator professionally.
If you do not have a freeze dryer, you can pass it through a strainer to leave it granulated and then leave it for about a week in a dark and dry place until it loses moisture.
Do you want more information about this type of extraction? Visit our post ” How to make Iceolator Water Hash “.
Solvent extractions
Solvent extractions are those in which substances are used to extract the content of the trichomes. There are different types that we detail below:
BHO (Butane Hash or Honey Oil)
The extractions gas require a plus of care and take extra security and we are working with gas, which as you know has great power flammable . Whenever you go to perform BHO, protect your eyes with protective glasses and if you can, use other protection methods such as fire blanket, rubber gloves, etc.
There are two ways to perform gas extraction.
- With an open circuit: it is cheaper in terms of tools but the gas used is lost and cannot be purified (remove impurities from the gas).
- With a closed circuit , in which the gas can be purified and used to reuse it. On the other hand, with this method you will gain security and it is cleaner, since you can “clean” the gas beforehand and eliminate the famous “mystery oil”.
There are also several ways to remove the gas contained in the extraction:
BHO extractors with open circuit
Roller Extractor BHO
The BHO Roller Extractor is one of the top sellers in open circuit extractions, and is undoubtedly the most widely sold and used. It is made of steel for clinical use, and there are three measures:
- M150 of 15 cm for 10 grams of marijuana approx.
- L200 of 20 cm for 15 grams of marijuana approx.
- XL300 of 30 cm for 20 grams of marijuana approx.
It is quite simple to use but you have to be cautious and be very careful. since we are working with gas that is released abroad. It is recommended to use Colibrí gas, a high quality gas clean of impurities that is perfect to use in this type of extractions. Another important recommendation is to use protective gloves because excess cold can cause burns.
How to use the Roller Extractor
- Fill the Roller Extractor so that the marijuana forms a compact mass but not excessively tight , because it is about the gas passing evenly through all the cannabis in the tube.
- Put the Roller Extractor in the freezer for at least 24 hours.
- Use a pyrex glass tray to recover the extract .
- The operation is simple: tighten the gas cylinder against the base of the extractor Roller BHO , keeping the outlet tube to centimeters tray . Use the entire gas bottle at once, and wait until the last drop falls .
- The proportion is: approximately one bottle of gas for every 25-30 grams of marijuana.
BHO extractors with closed circuit
The BHO extractors with closed circuit are some of the most used recently, since they allow to process a large quantity in a safer and cleaner way .
This type of extractor allows, in addition to reusing the gas, to eliminate the impurities of the gas (commonly known as “mystery oil”), to obtain a cleaner and toxic-free extraction.
At La Huerta Grow Shop we have closed circuit extractors for 150 gr , 350 gr , 550 gr, 1100 gr , 3300 gr and 4400 g r .
Purging the gas contained in the BHO
Once you have the extraction, you must delete the remaining content. If you look , you will see bubbles, a sign that the gas is evaporating.
Some growers heat the tray in a water bath, taking care that it does not exceed 30-40ºC to avoid losing terpenes .
Leave the preparation in the dark and protected from insects or dirt.
When bubbles are no longer observed , we proceed to the second phase of purging for which we will need a heating plate, a vacuum pump and a vacuum hood to extract the remaining gas.
These three elements can be replaced by a vacuum oven and a vacuum pump . Vacuum ovens are a much more professional and controlled way to purge BHO.
In vacuum ovens, not only will you be able to purge several batches of BHO in one go, but you will also be able to precisely control temperatures and times .
Inexpensive gas and resin extraction kits
In La Huerta Grow Shop you have available a Kit to perform BHO extraction , the Marijuana Oil Extraction Kit (BHO) that has everything you need to obtain a clean extraction of the best quality.
The Kit consists of:
And if you already have a BHO extractor, we have the BHO Gas Extraction Kit available to remove the gas from your BHO.
Compound:
- Robinair vacuum pump 75 l / min.
- Glass vacuum hood .
- Silicone tube to make the connections (2 m).
- Fasteners.
- 2 bottles of Gas Colibrí as a gift.
Professional gas and BHO extraction kit
If you want to extract BHO professionally, you must use a closed circuit (there are 150 gr to 4400 gr ), to extract the BHO in the cleanest and safest way.
To remove gas from BHO, the most professional method is vacuum ovens.
In La Huerta Grow Shop you will find vacuum ovens from 25L capacity to ovens of 53L .
Once you have your BHO ready, we definitely recommend you visit our category of pipes for BHO and vaporizers for BHO , to enjoy it in the best way.
Cooking with marijuana
The edible marijuana are known to be one of the healthiest ways to consume marijuana , but also is one of the ways in which the effects are more powerful . It’s true that cannabis edibles take longer to kick in (about 30 to 60 minutes), but when the kick hits, it’s much stronger than smoking or vaporizing.
Of course, for edibles, also known as ” edibles ” or ” measurable “, to have a notable effect, you must decarboxylate the marijuana or extraction that you are going to use for its preparation. When consuming vaporized marijuana for example, decarboxylation occurs when the marijuana is heated.
For the preparation of marijuana edibles, you can perfectly use manicure scraps and small buds. Some of the most recommended and used recipes are cannabis butter, or cannabis syrup , as it can be added to many edibles and drinks.
If you are going to consume edibles, be careful
La Huerta Grow Shop recommends extreme caution with the dosage and with the consumption of edibles, because if you go overboard you can have a bad trip that lasts a few hours. Therefore, we recommend starting small and increasing the dose until you know a little more about your tolerance to ingested THC .
What is marijuana decarboxylation?
The cannabinoids can be incorporated into any food , but the marijuana has to be decarboxylated to ingest when do you effect . Decarboxylation is the process that transforms THCa into THC . When cannabis is smoked or vaporized, it is decarboxylated by the heat of combustion or the heat of the vaporizer , but if you are going to ingest it, it must be decarboxylated first.
Although there are several recipes on the Internet that use marijuana without decarboxylation, since when it is cooked, some part is decarboxylated, most of it is wasted, loses flavor and effect, even if the cooking is slow. Also bear in mind that terpenes begin to be lost after 40ºC, and that a slow cooking is done from 65ºC (luckily you can add terpenes during the recipe, preferably in cold processes, to enhance the aroma, flavor and effect).
How is marijuana decarboxylation done?
Below we detail the methods with which you can carry out this process:
In the oven
- You will need a tray and silver paper.
- Place the marijuana on a tray and close the tray with silver foil .
- Put the oven at about 100 degrees for about 30/45 min oven at minimum.
- If you want to ensure that the oven temperature is minimal, you can find metal thermometers to put in the oven at gadget and kitchen supply stores .
This method has the slight drawback that it leaves a smell of cannabis in the kitchen.
* Important: it is not recommended to exceed 140 degrees of temperature to speed up the process, since what you will achieve is to eliminate cannabinoids and terpenes quickly.
Bain-marie
This technique has the advantage that it does not give off almost smell, so it is a more discreet method for descarboxilar marijuana . Therefore, it is ideal if you need to maintain maximum discretion with your neighbors. This technique is very simple to do:
- You will need a jar of pickles or jam.
- Put the marijuana inside
- Close the jar well and for greater security wrap it in kitchen film or with a silicone band .
- Leave the jar in boiling water for about an hour .
- After this time, remove and let it cool down to room temperature without opening the bottle .
* Important: do not put it in cold water to speed up the process because it will break the glass.
When you have decarboxylated the marijuana, you can use it to make a butter, some cookies, cakes or any cannabis recipe .
Ingested marijuana, caution … If you want to have fun
As we mentioned before, ingesting marijuana edibles has a much higher effect than smoking or vaporizing. Despite taking effect 30 / 60min after having eaten the edibles, it is much more powerful and durable , so you must take special care with the dosage of the edibles and the amount you are going to consume.
Keep in mind that it is convenient to start small and work up the dose until you find the right portion. Obviously, the potency of marijuana is not the same in all cases, just as the remains of the harvest are not all the same. The sense of establishing proportions when making the recipe is that we have an approximate idea of the amount that we will need to eat.
We recommend using butter for pastry preparations, since it can be stored in the freezer much longer than cookies, for example. Plus, it’s very easy to use, either simply with toast or incorporated into a recipe. It is always better if we incorporate the butter directly mixed into a dessert or meal, without cooking it, so that it does not lose its power and flavor.
Butter is a very versatile ally since you can melt it and mix it with ice cream, with the filling of a cake, etc. If you are going to use it in a recipe that requires cooking, it is preferable to use it over low heat to lose less cannabinoids and terpenes.
How is marijuana butter made?
To make a cannabis butter you will need:
- Water.
- Common butter (it is important that it is with fat).
- Marijuana leftovers or decarboxylated buds.
Proportions: for every 8-10 grams of marijuana or 20-30 grams of leftovers , we will use a quarter of a liter of water and 125 g of butter.
preparation:
- Heat the water, herb, and butter over low heat.
- Let it boil for half an hour and strain the preparation to separate the remains .
- Put the preparation in a stainless steel glass or bowl that holds the heat well.
- When it is at room temperature, keep the preparation in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours.
- After that time, take it out of the refrigerator and check that the butter is on the surface and the water is underneath .
- Separate the water and collect the butter
- Store it in a suitable container and put it in the freezer.
Ready to enjoy!
Find out more in the complete marijuana butter recipe .
And finally … The aromas and flavors
The appearance of botanical terpene profiles , which offer the characteristic aroma of each variety of marijuana, has strongly impacted the universe of cannabis extractions and cooking.
You can add terpenes to foods or cannabis extracts to increase the smell and taste of varieties such as Super Lemon Haze , Jamaican Dream or Gelato .
Terpenes do not contain cannabinoids but they influence by modulating the effects of cannabinoids and provide an incredible aroma and flavor. It is enough to add a small amount to our culinary preparations or extracts to give them the flavor and aroma that you want to incorporate.
Adding terpenes to extracts
The terpenes Terpenes Cali are the most concentrated market. With just 1 drop (each ml contains about 40 drops approx), it will be enough to add enough smell and flavor to dry extractions , iceolator , BHO , rosin , distillates, etc.
It is very important to leave a rest time for the extraction, of at least 24 hours, after adding the terpenes, so that they integrate correctly and transform the hash little by little. Below you can see a video tutorial on how to add terpenes to rosin .
Increase potency, entourage effect
A cannabis bud, extract or edible without terpenes (aroma), will not only have less smell and taste, but also a more standard and smooth effect. Each profile of terpenes (aromatic profile), of flowers or extractions, allows a greater or different absorption of cannabinoids by the consumer.
For example, if we compare two cannabis extractions, both with the same proportion of THC and CBD, and each one has a different effect , this is due to the terpene profile (amount of each of the terpenes) that each one contains. The terpenes modulate the effect of cannabinoids, this is known as ” entourage effect or entourage effect “.
That is why we will always recommend consuming or using flowers and extractions rich in terpenes .
Tinctures and cosmetics
In addition to the common extractions and everything explained above, with your marijuana harvest you can also make tinctures and cosmetic products with cannabis.
From making macerations ( tinctures or serums ), with flowers and / or extractions and a base of olive oil, coconut oil; Even all kinds of creams , ideal for relieving joint and chronic pain.
In La Huerta Grow Shop you have the terpenes of Cali Terpenes available , to add flavor and aroma to all kinds of extractions and e-liquid bases.
Any questions that arise while reading this post, leave your comment or contact us through social networks, telephone or e-mail.
Enjoy the harvest!
