The Ins and Outs of Cannabutter
Have you ever wondered how edibles are made?
Sure edibles are tasty treats laced (in a good way) with our favorite magical plant but how does a pile of bud turn into a batch of brownies?
The answer? Cannabutter!
Cannabutter is a portmanteau (a blend of words) for cannabis-infused butter. It can be used exactly like regular butter in baking and cooking recipes but be careful because this butter will knock you on your feet, in about 45-60 minutes that is.
How Does Cannabutter Work?
Cannabinoids like THC and CBD are fat-soluble substances that can easily bind to fats. In other words, when you infuse butter with hemp, the cannabinoids stick to the fat and when consumed, your body can easily break down these hemp-infused fats.
Interestingly, the chemical composition of cannabinoids changes based on how hemp is consumed. For example, when you smoke hemp, the high, direct heat from the flame transforms cannabinoids' chemical structure.
Smoking hemp also delivers the effects and benefits of the magical plant to the brain and bloodstream much faster than when hemp is ingested. Because the effects of hemp are delivered quicker, they will not last as long as edibles.
When hemp is ingested, the effects and benefits of the plant are absorbed in the small intestine and processed in the liver. When THC (of any kind) enters the liver, the molecule transforms creating 11-hydroxy-THC. When metabolized, this chemical is the reason why edibles have stronger and more long-lasting effects than smoking alone.
How To Make Cannabutter
To make hemp-infused butter, you’ll need a few supplies and just two ingredients – hemp and butter or any type of fat such as coconut oil or olive oil.
The recommended amount of hemp needed to achieve noticeable effects is anywhere from 5 to 14 grams of bud per 1 cup of butter. The amount of hemp used can vary depending on the consumer, the strain, and the desired strength of the cannabutter.
Supplies Needed:
Oven
Baking Sheet
Aluminum Foil
5-14 Grams of ground hemp bud
1 Cup of clarified butter or coconut oil or olive oil
1, 12 oz. Mason Jar with a sealable lid
1, 16 oz. Mason Jar or heat safe jar/cup of equivalent size
Large Double Boiler OR Instant Pot
Cheesecloth
Rubber Band
Hot Pads
In order to extract all the *goods* from the plant, the bud needs to be decarboxylated. Decarboxylation is a chemical reaction that releases carbon dioxide from hemp. Also known as decarbing, it is the process of heating hemp at low temperatures to active cannabinoids without burning them. Simply put, if the hemp is not decarbed, then the edibles will not have the desired effects.
Decarbing is necessary to extract all the chemical goodies from hemp.
Decarboxylation Process
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 245ºF.
Step 2
Coarsely grind up 5-14 grams of flower and place on a foil or parchment-lined baking sheet.
Step 3
Once the oven is preheated, place the baking sheet with the ground bud inside and decarb for 45 minutes to 1 hour depending on how wet or dry the hemp bud is. For dryer bud, decarb for 45 minutes. For wetter bud, decarb for 1 hour.
* check every 10 mins to ensure that the hemp is not burning but rather gradually changing color from green to brown.
Step 4
While the bud is decarbing in the oven, begin prepping the double boiler or instant pot for infusion.
CannaButter for Double Boiler
Step 1
Fill the Double Boiler with cold water. The water should sit below the lid on the mason jar. Do not cover the lid with water. To check the water level, place the empty mason jar in the water. Add or remove water to the appropriate level.
Step 2
Once the bud has finished decarboxylating, place 1 cup of butter and the decarbed hemp into a clean 12 oz. mason jar and seal the jar tightly.
Step 3
Place the sealed mason jar with butter and hemp into the Double Boiler.
Step 4
Bring the water to a low boil and maintain this temperature for about 2-3 hours or depending on the desired strength of the cannabutter. It’s important to check the water levels often as the water will evaporate. Add water when necessary. The water should not be so low that it sits below the butter inside the jar.
Step 5
Once the butter is infused to the desired strength, use hot pads to carefully remove the mason jar from the double boiler and place it to the side to cool slightly.
Step 6
Prep the second mason jar by securing the cheesecloth with a rubber band over the mouth of the jar. Using hot pads, slowly pour the infused butter (hemp and all) over the cheesecloth and into the second jar. The cheesecloth will catch all the hemp and leave only the infused butter.
The Cannabutter can be used immediately or can be stored in a glass food-safe container in the refrigerator for 1 week.
CannaButter for Instant Pot
Step 1
Fill the instant pot with cold water. The water should sit below the lid on the mason jar. Do not cover the lid with water. To check the water level place the empty mason jar in the water. Add or remove water to the appropriate amount.
Step 2
Once the bud has finished decarboxylating, place 1 cup of butter and the decarbed hemp into one 12 oz. mason jar and seal the jar tightly.
Step 3
Place the sealed mason jar with butter and hemp into the Instant Pot.
Step 4
Seal the Instant Pot lid appropriately. Be sure to close the air vent nob on the lid in order to create a pressure chamber inside the pot.
Step 5
Select the Pressure Cook setting and adjust the time to 1 hour and 30 minutes. This time can fluctuate depending on the desired strength of the cannabutter. Add or subtract time in 15-30 minute increments.
Step 6
Once the butter is infused to the desired strength, carefully release the steam from the Instant Pot by opening the air vent nob on the lid. After all the steam is released and the silver gauge has dropped, remove the lid and use hot pads to remove the mason jar and place it to the side to cool slightly.
Step 7
Prep the second mason jar by securing the cheesecloth with a rubber band over the mouth of the jar. Using hot pads, slowly pour the infused butter (hemp and all) over the cheesecloth and into the second jar. The cheesecloth will catch all the hemp and leave perfectly infused cannabutter
The Cannabutter can be used immediately or can be stored in a glass food-safe container in the refrigerator for 1 week.
Benefits of Instant Pot vs Double Boiler
While a Double Boiler is a conventional method for infusing canna butter, the Instant Pot method is faster and relatively safer as it does not require stove burners to be on for several hours.
With the Double Boiler method, the infusion will take up to 3-4 hours to complete (including the decarboxylation process) whereas, with the Instant Pot method, the infusion will only take 2 hours (including the decarboxylation process)