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Mastering Decarboxylation: A Guide to Decarb Flower for Cooking

There are multiple ways you can decarb your fresh cannabis flower in preparation for cooking. Here are some of the top methods and tools.

Decarboxy- what? Decarboxylation is a mouthful of a word that makes a huge impact on the result of our scrumptious edibles. This vital step ensures that our weed will be activated in yummy and delicious baked treats such as brownies, cookies, and Rice Krispy treats.

Decarboxylation can be a delicate process for new cannabis bakers, and smelly too, but when you scientifically think of marijuana, the process of decarboxylation is nothing more than a science experiment. An experiment you get to conduct every time you get stoned. But first, let’s define what decarboxylation is and why it is essential to making superb edibles.

Understanding Decarboxylation

Decarboxylation is the chemical process where a carboxyl group is removed and carbon dioxide is released. This is produced when compounds are heated. Before weed becomes psychoactive, it remains in its nonactivated state as THCA. When a flame or heat is introduced into the mix, THCA converts into its active form, tetrahydrocannabinol or THC.
Decarboxylation or “decarbing” makes THC and other cannabinoids available for our body to absorb and get high. It ensures we will get the maximum effect from the homemade brownies that always get you toasted. It is this vital step that ensures that the cannabinoids will be able to properly interact with the endocannabinoid system in our bodies to deliver the desired effects and health benefits.

Cannabis Decarbing Methods and Tools

There are multiple ways you can decarb your fresh flower in preparation for cooking. Here are some of the top methods and tools.

Oven Decarboxylation

Oven decarboxylation is the most well-known and easiest way to decarb your flower. It is similar to putting cookies in the oven to bake, you must bake your weed before you can bake with your weed! For this process, you will need an oven, about seven to fourteen grams of ground flour, and a baking sheet. Parchment paper or aluminum foil is optional.

Step 1: Preheat your oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit. Have the baking sheet ready and get your flower ground while the oven is preheating.

Step 2: Next, place your ground-up flower on a baking sheet and make sure it is spread evenly. Some people use aluminum foil or parchment paper to avoid putting the weed directly on the baking sheet, either option will do.

Step 3: Place the baking sheet with weed inside of the oven and set a timer for 30 minutes.

Step 4: Once the 30 minutes is over, open the oven and take a look at your weed, it should be a light brown color, similar to weed that may still be in a glass bowl after a few hits.

When it comes to decarbing your weed in the oven, the smell of weed is inevitable. Before starting this process be sure to check with roommates or friends to ensure they are okay with the house smelling like weed for a few hours.

Sous Vide Decarboxylation Technique

Guide to using sous vide for precise temperature control during decarboxylation.

Sous vide is a method of cooking by vacuum sealing and immersing the food in warm water. Through the use of heat, the sous vide is also an interesting technique to help decarboxylate or bud for edibles.

For this method, you will need an immersion circulator, a plastic container, a vacuum-locked bag, and cannabis.

Step 1: Fill a pot partially with water and place the immersion circulator in the water. A good temperature to set the immersion circulator at is 203 degrees fahrenheit.

Step 2: Next, you can grind up your weed and place it into the Ziploc bag or vacuum-sealed bag to protect the cannabis during this process.

Step 3: In the next step, place the bag into the water bath for 90 minutes, once removed from the water, allow it to cool for 15-20 minutes.

Once the final step is completed, you are ready to start cooking with your decarboxylated cannabis or tuck it away for future cooking, whatever you choose, your weed is ready to be cooked with!

Alternative Cannabis Decarboxylation Methods

And of course, there are other ways to decarb your bud with accuracy and efficiency. One device that comes to mind is the Levo Decarboxylation and Infuser machine, so it is a two-in-one device. This machine was created back in 2017 by Chrissy Belman in Colorado. This machine is priced at $400 and offers a good bang for your buck when it comes to cooking buds.

The Levo operates by having you place your ground-up bud into its “Power Pod” which holds up to 7 grams of flour. Once the pod is filled it can be placed into the Levo. Once placed in the machine, the user pushes the “Activate” button. The machine takes an hour to warm the weed, and then in thirty minutes it actually decarbs it.

The next step is to add oil to the machine. The Levo machine is able to hold up to two cups of oil. This step starts the infusion process of oil, butter, or any other medium you want to infuse. The Levo is a versatile device that any culinary stoner should have in their collection of tools.

Experiment with any of these infusion methods and figure which one will yield the best high in your edibles. As with anything, from finding your favorite strain to finding your favorite recipe, it is all about trial and error. In order to create the perfect recipe you must be willing to tweak the formula and adjust the many factors that impact your final result. There are factors such as temperature and time that do come into play when we are decarbing flower.

Optimal Cannabis Decarbing Conditions

Temperature and time are the main factors that play a major role in decarboxylation. You do not want the oven or the water to be too hot when you cook the cannabinoids and terpenes out of your weed; nor do you want to leave your weed alone too long or else it will become crispy! No one wants a crispy weed brownie.

Decarbed flower is best stored in a cool and dry place. High heat and humidity can cause mold to grow and the cannabinoids to degrade which can lessen the quality of your high.

Tips for Perfect Decarboxylation

Give yourself grace when it comes to decarbing your weed. A tip is to start with a small amount of flower first and practice the decarboxylation process that way. You do not want to decarboxylate a bulk amount of bud all at once for it not to be done properly. Start with a small amount and work your way up.

With the small amount of flower you have, make a small batch of cannabutter with it. Put it on some bread with some jam (help offset the weed taste), and see for yourself how your decarboxylation skills are shaping up!

The more flowers you have decarbing, the longer you may have to leave it in the oven. Do not leave the flower in the oven too long, we just want to activate our THC. Rely on your senses like smell and sight to ensure that your flower is properly decarbed. Be sure to set your timer, ultimately the decarboxylation process takes time, so when you start this experiment, make sure you have some time set aside.

Connecting Decarbing to Cooking

Feel free to bookmark this page and refer back to this guide to assist you on your cannabis cooking journey. At Ivy Hall, we aim to educate and support our guests in the exploration of cannabis and the many ways to enjoy this wonderful plant.

The funny thing about decarbing is that we do it every time we hit our bong or bowl, or when we light our joints or blunt. Stoners are some of the most equipped chemists and need more credit! The beauty of decarboxylation is that it puts you in the driver’s seat of your own product production. By understanding decarbing, you can start to build a foundation of understanding about edibles and dosing, and what dosing is best for you.

The world of weed can be a personal one riddled with trial and error, when you stop over in the edible section it can seem intimidating at first. Before you get too anxious, imagine yourself holding your own homemade weed cookie after a good bite, is it going to taste like weed? For sure, but wait an hour or so and surrender to the high you curated for yourself with your own two hands, now go make yourself a decadent, dank treat now that you know how to decarboxylate weed!