GrowTutor

Dragon Pictorial Guide.....Phase 1

This is the start of a picture tutorial of each step and then some of this recipe. I'm using the exact steps laid out here for a 7g batch of Gold/Green Dragon. At the same time, I'm making an exact batch with no decarboxylation and will have comparison pictures. There will be a new post for each stage so that the pictures don't get too confusing.

First is prep through the first shake from left to right:
1) Tools and ingredients, 7g Blue Widow sugar trim in plate. 2) 7g before decarb 3) 7g pre-freeze 4) 7g & Everclear after 24 hour freeze, ready to shake 5) Comparison of decarbed and non-decarbed batches after first 15 minute shake. Both are equal except for decarb. Left is decarb, right is non. You can see a difference at this level. The decarbed jar is much darker and you can already see a layer of trichome husks, whereas none are visible on the other one.

Dragon Pictorial Guide.....Phase 2

We covered through the first shake on the previous post. This will take us through the 2nd shake, strain and filtering.

1) 7g after 2nd shake comparison. Decarbed on the left and non-decarb on the right. The non-decarb is a lighter green but had an equivalent amount of husks. 2, 3, 4) Straining the 1st run plant material. 5) Leave reefer in the jar and place back in the freezer for another 24 hours as well as the remainder of the alcohol, separately. 6) 2nd filter using a gold mesh coffee filter or a paper filter. 7) Alcohol extraction solution after final filter before reduction. Place in a dark spot until 2nd run is ready. 8) These are trichome husks that are filtered out during the process. These are still moist but when dry it looks just like some blonde kief. There's nothing left in those because the thc oil has been stripped from them.

Dragon Pictorial Guide.....Part 3 & 4

Part 3

We've already covered the complete first run and this post will deal with the 24 hour freeze, mix and first shake of the 2nd run. This is the same as the first run so the only pictures enclosed here shows the solution after the first shake before placing back in the freezer for another 4 hours. And there is a comparison shot of the decarb and raw batches. The decarbed batch is cloudier than the raw and is refracting the light which makes it appear lighter. This batch also seems to have broken the plant material down more.

1) Alcohol solution after 1st shake of 2nd run. 2) Comparison of decarbed and raw batches. Decarb is on the left. ......................................................................................................

Part 4

I have only included pictures for the straining process since the final 2 filters are the same as the 1st run.

1) Set-up to strain and press plant material before final 2 filters. 2) Filtered product of each run with the first run on the left. There is more liquid in the second run because I left the plant material wet which added the extra volume. 3) Filtered 2nd run total comparison of decarbed and raw reefer. Decarbed is on the left. 4) Total solution from both runs totaled 8 fl oz after filter absorption and any spillage and ready to reduce. 6) Starting the reduction. My usual double boiler is a rice cooker with a stainless steel bowl on top and it takes about a half hour. Please do not do this near open flame or heat sources and have plenty of ventilation. Alcohol fumes are flammable. 7) Reduced by 50%. 8) Net final results of your Green/Gold Dragon: 4fl oz Potency of 1.75g/fl oz. For 2.0g/fl oz, reduce to 3.5 fl oz and for 2.25g/fl oz. I like the last one but your results will revolve around the type of material you use. 9) Comparison of decarbed and raw concentrated Dragon with the raw on the right. At the end they look pretty much the same although the raw tincture is a little greener, probably due to the chlorophyll. I'll do a buzz comparison a little later. I've tried to make it as simple as possible and this uses just a small amount of cannabis, whether trim or bud. You can cut the amounts in half and still have an excellent tincture. If you have never tried a Green Dragon before, you are in for a treat. I recommend an Indica dominant hybrid or a full Indica for your first Dragon tincture unless you're a Sativa gourmet. That's just for the first time because many people associate body effects with being stoned these days. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask.

Great tutorial Sam!!

But seeing you run a decarbed batch side by side with a non-decarbed batch made me wonder.....lol

I think I understand the reason for decarb vs non-decarb....but I am not sure I fully understand the process itself....

Please correct me if I am off....but in order to get a "buzz", at some point the weed has to be heated to convert the "non-psychoactive thc" to "psychoactive thc"? Is that the only change that occurs during decarb?

From different recipes and reading, it seems that decarb temp is always 220 deg F....but times seem to vary a little. I have read that if the weed is "older" and fully cured it shouldn't need decarbing?? Most of what I've read leads me to believe that decarb should be timed for 25-28 minutes?? But some of what I have read suggests that fresher weed should be decarbed longer?? Up to like 45 minutes if freshly dried??

How do you know you are getting the most your weed has to offer? Can you decarb too long?

How about a detailed thread on Decarbing???

Happy!

Happyweedz » Sun Dec 01, 2013 7:14 am wrote:Great tutorial Sam!!

But seeing you run a decarbed batch side by side with a non-decarbed batch made me wonder.....lol

I think I understand the reason for decarb vs non-decarb....but I am not sure I fully understand the process itself....

Please correct me if I am off....but in order to get a "buzz", at some point the weed has to be heated to convert the "non-psychoactive thc" to "psychoactive thc"? Is that the only change that occurs during decarb?

From different recipes and reading, it seems that decarb temp is always 220 deg F....but times seem to vary a little. I have read that if the weed is "older" and fully cured it shouldn't need decarbing?? Most of what I've read leads me to believe that decarb should be timed for 25-28 minutes?? But some of what I have read suggests that fresher weed should be decarbed longer?? Up to like 45 minutes if freshly dried??

How do you know you are getting the most your weed has to offer? Can you decarb too long?

How about a detailed thread on Decarbing???

Happy!

The cannabis doesn't necessarily have to be heated for it to decarb, short for decarboxylation. THC and other cannabinoids start out as THCA and CBDA, etc., with an extra carboxyl grouping which is a carbon dioxide molecule. It is non-psychoactive at that stage. Drying is the actual process that naturally decarbs the reefer over time as it drys. That process causes the carboxyl group to detach, leaving the now psychoactive alkaline versions, THC, CBD, etc. The "A" on the end of the original compounds represents the acid versions which are inactive.

Being inactive does not mean that it can't have uses, just not psychoactive ones. Many people use inactive cannabis products to treat medical issues if they don't want the "buzz". It can still be potent but without as much head to it and it will have different properties than decarbed pot. With an inactive extraction there is more of a cerebral, energetic high that will make people "feel good" but not a real "high". Sometimes an inactive extraction is best for nerve diseases like MS, however, the non-decarbed product will gradually activate over time as it sits so they need to be used quicker. For an inactive tincture the whole process must be done without any heat along the way.

Aided decarboxylation is usually accomplished using an oven set at 220°F for 20-30 minutes. There are some people who insist that decarb can be accomplished at 325°F for 5 minutes but that's more of a degradation than decarboxylation. THC starts breaking down into CBN around 270° or so. Optimum temperature for decarb is 220-240°. There are many methods and no real empirical data backing them up except anecdotal. There are people who put a couple of layers of aluminum foil over the dish in the oven to keep in any good vapors that may get lost. Others use an oven bag in a double boiler. I use a pyrex pie plate with nothing covering it.

My process is to grind the reefer to a joint consistency, not very fine. I then heat my oven to 220°F using an oven thermometer for accuracy and once it reaches that temperature, I stick in the plate of reefer for about 25-30 minutes, depending on the dryness of the material. If you're using imported weed there should be no need to decarb because those have been stored for quite some time in warm climates and are already decarbed naturally. If you decarb it then you'll be breaking down the THC. Your weed should never turn brown during a decarb session unless it's already that color to start with. You will get a little of that aromatic marijuana smell but it should be minor and not pungent at all. I take mine out of the oven about halfway to stir it and check the consistency. You want your decarbed cannabis to be crunchy when you touch it with no spring left in it. If your weed doesn't crunch and is still springy, you need a few more minutes. You can decarb too long and 45 minutes is too long at 220° unless you want more CBD and CBN effects (body).

Decarbing correctly for your needs is something that you'll define with experience. I have used a metal box in a hot car in Arizona and I've set a tray of pot in the sun. Of course, those methods aren't quite as controlled as an oven but work well if that's all you have. The key is the crunchiness of the herb. As far as a separate thread on decarbing, there are just so many methods and so much dissention about it. I have a simple video showing how I do it and I would post it here but I can't seem to get YouTube to embed. I don't want to just leave the link because the page has my real name all over it.

As always, Thanx for the info!!

Just so ya know......I haven't quit or gone away...

I am just running low on material to play with...currently waiting for some fresh trim and material.

I'm hoping it won't be much longer....

Happy

You can still play here, Happy.

Happyweedz » Tue Dec 17, 2013 4:16 am wrote:Just so ya know......I haven't quit or gone away...

I am just running low on material to play with...currently waiting for some fresh trim and material.

I'm hoping it won't be much longer....

Happy

I thought you'd fallen in a hole or something, Happy. You can always stop in and say hello, don't need material for that.

Well then Hey!! LOL

Actually life has been kicking my butt and making me focus on other things Sam... Been trying to resolve an insurance claim for the last 6 months!

I think the amount of frustration from that kept me busy and has taught me a little more patience...lol

I'm just waiting for these girls to finish and waiting for the insurance company to reimburse me for my losses!

Then I will be...

Happy