How to make Cannabutter – Sense Munchies

How to Make Cannabutter: A Step-by-Step Guide

Cannabutter is a fundamental ingredient in creating cannabis-infused edibles. Whether you’re making brownies, cookies, or savory dishes, cannabutter is an excellent way to deliver the benefits of cannabis in a tasty and potent form. However, making cannabutter isn’t just a matter of tossing cannabis into a pot of butter; there’s a process involved to ensure you’re maximizing its potency and flavor.

This guide will walk you through everything you need to know about making perfect cannabutter, from choosing the right cannabis strain to properly decarboxylating and infusing it into butter. With some patience and attention to detail, you’ll be on your way to making your own high-quality cannabis-infused butter.

What Is Cannabutter?

Cannabutter is simply butter that has been infused with cannabis, allowing you to use it as a base in a variety of recipes. Since THC and CBD (the active compounds in cannabis) are fat-soluble, butter is an excellent medium for extracting and holding these cannabinoids.

However, the cannabinoids in raw cannabis are not in their active form. To activate THC and CBD, cannabis must undergo decarboxylation—the process of applying heat to convert THCA into THC (responsible for the psychoactive effects) and CBDA into CBD (responsible for non-psychoactive therapeutic effects).

Once your cannabis is decarboxylated and infused into butter, you’ll have a versatile ingredient that you can use in a wide range of dishes.

Choosing the Right Ingredients

Before you begin making cannabutter, it’s important to choose the right ingredients for the best outcome.

1. Choosing the Cannabis

When selecting cannabis for cannabutter, consider the effects you want:

For relaxation and a body high, go for strains that are high in THC, like Gelato or Purple Haze.
For therapeutic benefits without a strong psychoactive effect, use strains that are high in CBD like Critical Kush.

The amount of cannabis you use depends on your desired potency. For beginners, using 7-10 grams of cannabis per 1 cup (225g) of butter is a good starting point. Remember, the more cannabis you use, the stronger the cannabutter will be.

2. Choosing the Butter

For best results, use unsalted butter. Since cannabinoids bind to fats, a higher-fat butter will help better infuse the cannabis, so go for high-quality, full-fat butter whenever possible.

Step-by-Step Guide to Making Cannabutter

Step 1: Decarboxylate Your Cannabis

As mentioned, decarboxylation is essential because it activates the THC and CBD in cannabis. Without this step, your cannabutter won’t be potent.

Here’s how to decarb your cannabis:

Preheat the oven to 115°C (240°F).
Break the cannabis into small pieces using your hands or a grinder. Don’t grind it too fine, as this increases the risk of burning.
Spread the cannabis evenly on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Bake in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure even decarboxylation. The cannabis should turn a golden brown color but not burn.
Let it cool completely before moving on to the next step.

Step 2: Melt the Butter

Once your cannabis is decarbed, it’s time to melt the butter:

In a saucepan or double boiler, melt 1 cup (225g) of unsalted butter on low heat. You can also use a slow cooker for this process if you prefer a more controlled heat environment.
Add 1 cup of water to the pan along with the butter. This helps regulate the temperature and prevents the butter from scorching.

Step 3: Infuse the Butter with Cannabis

Now that your butter is melted, it’s time to infuse it with cannabis:

Add the decarboxylated cannabis to the melted butter and water mixture.
Keep the mixture on low heat (ideally around 70-85°C or 160-185°F). Let it simmer for 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally. Make sure the mixture never comes to a boil, as too much heat can destroy the cannabinoids and terpenes, reducing the potency of your cannabutter.
You’ll know it’s ready when the butter takes on a rich green color, and the smell of cannabis fills the kitchen.

Step 4: Strain the Mixture

After simmering, you need to strain the cannabutter to remove the plant material:

Set up a fine mesh strainer or, ideally, a cheesecloth over a clean bowl or jar.
Slowly pour the butter mixture through the cheesecloth, letting the liquid pass through while catching the cannabis solids.
Once all the liquid has passed through, gather the cheesecloth and squeeze out any remaining butter. Be careful—this liquid will still be hot.

Step 5: Let the Cannabutter Cool and Solidify

After straining, allow the cannabutter to cool to room temperature.
Place the butter in the fridge for 1-2 hours to solidify. As it cools, the butter will separate from the water, forming a solid layer on top.
Once the butter has fully solidified, discard the water and store your cannabutter in an airtight container.

Dosage Considerations

Proper dosing is one of the most important parts of making and consuming cannabis-infused edibles. Here’s how to get it right:

Know the Potency of Your Cannabis: The potency of your cannabutter depends on the THC or CBD percentage in your cannabis strain. For example, if your cannabis has 15% THC, 1 gram of cannabis contains about 150 mg of THC. If you use 7 grams of cannabis for your cannabutter, you would have approximately 1050 mg of THC in the entire batch of butter.
Calculate Potency Per Serving: Let’s say you used 7 grams of cannabis with 15% THC to make 1 cup (225g) of cannabutter. This means the entire cup contains about 1050 mg of THC. If you use 1/2 cup of cannabutter in a brownie recipe that makes 10 servings, each serving would contain around 52.5 mg of THC. This is a potent dose, so it’s important to adjust the quantity based on your tolerance and experience.
Start Low and Go Slow: Always start with a low dose (5-10 mg of THC per serving) and wait at least 1-2 hoursbefore consuming more. Edibles take longer to kick in compared to smoking or vaping, but the effects last much longer.

Storage Tips

Proper storage ensures that your cannabutter remains potent and fresh for future use:

Fridge: Cannabutter can last in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. Keep it in an airtight container to prevent it from absorbing any unwanted flavors from the fridge.
Freezer: Cannabutter can be frozen for up to six months. Consider portioning it into ice cube trays so you can easily grab the exact amount you need for your recipes.

Uses for Cannabutter

Cannabutter is extremely versatile and can be substituted for regular butter in nearly any recipe. Here are some common ways to use your cannabutter:

Baking: Cannabutter is often used in classic recipes like brownies, cookies, and cakes. Simply replace the regular butter in your favorite recipe with your homemade cannabutter.
Cooking: You can also use cannabutter in savory dishes like pasta, mashed potatoes, or grilled cheese. Just keep in mind that the butter will have a slight cannabis flavor, which can complement certain dishes but might overpower others.
Spreads: Spread cannabutter on toast, bagels, or muffins for a quick and easy edible.

Conclusion

Making cannabutter is a rewarding process that allows you to create delicious and potent cannabis-infused dishes. By following the steps above, from decarboxylating the cannabis to simmering it with butter, you’ll have high-quality cannabutter that’s ready to be used in a variety of recipes. Just remember, proper dosing is key to a positive edible experience, so start with small amounts and enjoy your culinary journey responsibly.