How to Make THC Vape Oil With 7 Different Concentrates

 

Experiencing cannabis is more than just smoking a usual joint or munching on edibles, these aren’t even the most potent products and they’re already a hit. It’s time to branch out to the good stuff –  the diverse world of concentrates and extracts. 

 

At first, the jargon and options can be overwhelming, but here’s what you only need to know: it can get you super high. Possibly higher than you’ve ever been. If that got your attention, then dive in.

 

If this is your first time hearing about cannabis concentrates, it’s basically the extracted product from cannabis plants which is then processed to remove impurities and only keep the desirable compounds: cannabinoids and terpenes. If you enjoy getting intoxicated in the effect of cannabis, it’s because of these two compounds.

 

Concentrates can be consumed in various ways, but one of the most popular methods is by vaporizing it.  If you’re an avid vaper with a curiosity for homemade chemistry, then making THC vape oil would be an exciting process.

 

YouTuber HowToWeed provides a step-by-step guide on how to make THC vape oil from various concentrates and comparing which one is the best. Consider this your crash course to the different kinds of concentrates to upgrade your vape game.

 

Introduction to different concentrates

Live resin

This concentrate is produced in a similar fashion to BHO or butane honey oil except being made from fresh flowers, which are then flash frozen as opposed to bud that has been dried and cured. The cryogenic freezing of fresh and non-dried cannabis blossoms help attract a wide range of cannabinoids and terpenes.

 

Caviar

Caviar is made in the same process as a high-terpene full-spectrum extract. What makes caviar different is that during the purging process, terpenes are actively captured through a sophisticated method of subzero terpene trapping. The terpenes are then reintroduced into the mixture by breaking down the crystals to the point where it looks like its namesake.

 

Terp Sauce

This solvent concentrate has a sticky, liquid consistency. Terp Sauce contains high levels of terpenes and is typically the most flavorful out of all extracts. The sauce is produced by utilizing a closed-loop system, allowing the resulting solution to settle under various pressures and temperatures.

Shatter

Shatter is a solidified solvent-based extract. Its moniker came from its translucent appearance and tendency to break like glass.

Butter

This particular concentrate is unique in structure as it has a soft, solid consistency that is strikingly similar to a stick of butter. It’s one of many concentrate textures and appears in rosin and solvent-based extractions.

Sugar Wax

Sugar Wax has a full flavor and slightly grainy texture. It’s thicker and not as sticky compared to other concentrates. Many people prefer Sugar Wax for its rich and more complex flavor profile.

Distillate

A potent cannabis concentrate that has been systematically stripped off of all materials and compounds except one specific cannabinoid: THC.

Making THC vape oil with concentrates

Transfer the concentrates to separate containers

If you’re dealing with various concentrates, it’s best to put it in separate containers to properly taste and vaporize each one.

 

Sugar Wax can be quite difficult to transfer to another container due to its sticky consistency. If any material gets stuck around the lid, you can use a torch to heat the exterior of the container. This will bring down the concentrate to the bottom. Be careful not to burn it, though.

 

The rest of the concentrates are pretty easy to scoop and transfer to respective containers, especially distillate since it’s packaged in a syringe.

Decarb the concentrates

Place all the concentrates except distillate on a hot plate to begin the decarboxylation process. To explain simply, this process will convert the THCA cannabinoid – which is non-psychoactive – to THC, the cannabinoid responsible for making you high. Another reason is to prevent the concentrates from recrystallizing inside vape carts.

 

Turn on the hot plate, set the temperature to 240°F, and wait for each concentrate to be fully decarbed. The decarbing duration of each concentrate is as follows: butter took 22 minutes, live resin took 25 minutes, caviar took 30 minutes, terp sauce took 32 minutes, sugar wax took 39 minutes, and shatter took the longest, elapsing 53 minutes. Distillate is already fully converted into THC through the process of distillation, so it doesn’t need to be decarbed.

Add terpenes

You can choose to add terpenes to enhance the profile of any concentrate. In this case, a 10% ratio of John Brown terpene profile was added to shatter and butter so that it would flow more inside vape carts. A 3% ratio was added to the distillate for more flavoring. The amount of terpene to be added is subject to your preference.

Heat up the concentrates

Place the concentrates again on a hot plate and raise the temperature to 150°F.

Inject the concentrates into vape carts

After a while, remove the concentrates from the hot plate. Use a syringe to collect the decarbed concentrates and to easily fill up vape carts. The concentrate has a viscous consistency so it’s recommended to start filling it up from the bottom to prevent any issues with overflowing.

 

Let the filled carts settle for about an hour. If you see any air bubbles trapped at the bottom, you can remove them by using a blow dryer. After the hour’s up, flip them over and let it sit for 2 hours before flipping them back again for 4 hours. During this time you’ll notice there’s little movement within the cart.

Start vaping

Here comes the most fun part: test, taste, and vape. YouTuber HowToWeed compared all seven concentrates to see which one is his most recommended.

 

Shatter is the thickest of them all and quite dry, indicating that it would have required more terpenes. It tastes okay but it didn’t produce thick smoke due to its consistency. There was still oil inside, so it might take some time for it to reach and soak the coil.

 

Sugar wax is pretty good and has thicker smoke. There was no need to add terpenes since it already has quite enough. Live resin tastes the most like flower, which was personally great. Caviar has a rich taste, almost like edibles. 

 

On the other hand, the butter’s natural flavor was overpowered by the added John Brown terpene profile. Although, it was smooth and also produced thick smoke. Distillate also had a hint of the added terpene profile and only had a neutral flavor.

 

The terp sauce is the terpiest out of all the concentrates. It has a very floral profile and skunky taste. It was HowToWeed’s favorite out of the batch.