Magical Butter Machine Product Review (Part 2)

In Part One of this product review, I was really excited about the potential of the Magical Butter Machine. In this part, you’ll find out why!

MBM light show

Here’s what I used to make my first pound of cannabutter with the Magical Butter Machine:

  • 14 grams of mixed marijuana buds
  • 4 sticks of butter
  • 2 tablespoons of soy lecithin
  • Put it all into the machine
  • Pressed the 160°F temperature button and the “butter” button

That’s all, folks! The machine melts the butter, lightly decarbs the weed, grinds and mixes it all up, heats it, and then beeps at the end (the LED light show on top is just a bonus). The only thing it doesn’t do is smell, except for the barest hint if you go right up to it while it’s heating. Then you pour it through the filter bag, squeeze it out (while holding the top of it really, really much more tightly shut than I did) into a container, and put it in the refrigerator. You’re done, except for cleanup, which is pretty easy if you don’t wait for the butter to harden onto everything or spill it on the stove like an idiot (not mentioning names here…) And speaking of done, here’s what it looks like when it’s done:

Liquid Cannabutter
Liquid Cannabutter
Cannabutter After Refrigeration
Cannabutter After Refrigeration

You know they say “the proof of the pudding is in the eating”? Well…I’d say this came out twice as strong as my usual cannabutter…and it tasted better too, with lots less of the “weedy” taste.

This came out twice as strong as my usual cannabutter…and it tasted better too
— Old Hippie

Test 2: Glycerin Tincture

Next I thought I’d give the MBM a real “torture test”. The manual said it could make tincture using either regular grain alcohol or glycerin. Now, most of my tincture is intended for Felicity, who keeps it around in case she needs quick effects, since she usually takes our Canna Caps or butter (which, like most edibles, take around 45 minutes to work). But she’s now developed an allergy to alcohol, so glycerin tincture would be the obvious choice, except that I’ve really never had much luck making glycerin tincture. I mean, it works, but it usually takes a lot of it to feel anything, and the best batch I ever made tasted burnt. Even commercial glycerin tinctures that I’ve bought were next to useless, so I had mostly given up on the whole idea.

Glycerin Tincture Copyright 2014 BeyondChronic.com
Glycerin Tincture

I still had a quart bottle of glycerin laying around, so I measured out two cups, weighed out 28 grams of cannabis, added a few tablespoons of lecithin, threw it all into the Magical Butter Machine, then pressed the 160°F temperature and “tincture” buttons. After 4 hours of assorted whirring noises, it again let out some impossible-to-ignore-even-if-you’re-stoned beeps, and it was done. One dropper full of this stuff and I was convinced that good glycerin tincture was not only possible, it was working right there in my kitchen. And since making this batch, I’ve been using a dropper a day in my morning coffee…one gets me medicated, two gets me high. And did I mention this needs just one more step to make e-cig juice?

Test 3: Cannabis-Infused Coconut Oil

OK, the cannabutter was pretty good and the glycerin tincture even better, but I’ve been working with coconut oil for years and I can dose it just by looking at the color. If the Magical Butter Machine can surprise me with coconut oil, I will seriously be impressed.

Again I went for “half-strength” by using 14 grams (½ ounce) of cannabis to 2 cups (1 pound) of coconut oil, and added 2 tablespoons of lecithin. No surprise by now: you select 160°F, press the “oil” button, and away she goes (for just over an hour). When the time was up, I had two full cups of finished oil, having finally gotten the hang of using the Purify filter properly so as not to spill or waste anything. I put most of it in the refrigerator, but saved ½ cup to make some quasi-fudge from a recipe that a buddy from reddit had told me about. That recipe called for a full cup of coconut oil, so I would be using half-strength oil and diluting it in half again.

Cannabis-Infused Coconut Oil
Cannabis-Infused Coconut Oil

The result? A small piece of fudge (about two knuckles’ worth of my finger, and I have small fingers) was more than enough to get me up to around [5]. But “a small piece of fudge” is not exactly a scientific measurement (I don’t yet have access to lab-quality measurement of cannabinoid levels). So I took some of the original finished oil and put it directly into a #0 capsule. This would be a direct comparison to my Canna Caps, which I am intimately familiar with. And this time, I got just about twice as high as with my normal Canna Caps.

The Magical Butter Machine makes more oil with the same amount of weed, and it’s twice as strong to boot.
— Old Hippie

When I make my Canna Caps, I’m generally using 1/8 ounce of weed to 6 tablespoons of oil. I won’t bore you with all the math, but what this means is that the Magical Butter Machine makes more oil with the same amount of weed, and it’s twice as strong to boot. That means I can now use half as much expensive cannabis, and get more oil too! Color me not just surprised, but amazed, and definitely impressed.

Summary: Magical Butter Machine MB2

BC Product Rating: 5 Nugs!5nugs

Pros: (here’s what you will give up over hand processing):

  • No more grinding
  • No more standing over your stove and stirring
  • No more smell
  • No more decarboxylating (or even wondering what that means 🙂

Cons:

  • Must process a minimum of 2 cups of liquid at once
  • The glove ripped slightly at the thumb base after a single use
  • The blender will scare small animals in the vicinity when it starts up

Although it’s virtually smell-free, the MBM is not completely “stealthy” because the sound of the blender is quite penetrating. So you could use this while your anti-weed roommates aren’t home because there will be no lingering smell, but people with normal hearing are definitely going to notice something going on while it’s running.

Speaking With the Angel(s)

We talked at length to Garyn Angel by telephone for this review. Garyn believes passionately in the power of the plant the way we do, but he wanted to put in a good word about THC-A, the non-psychoactive compound found in freshly harvested cannabis plants. “THC is not the [sole] key to the puzzle for everybody”, he said. According to Garyn, THC-A helps people feel good, similar to the way CBD does, but without the THC-countering effects of CBD. He told us that THC-A damps down on the well-known anxiety and paranoia that too much THC can bring.

That’s why he deliberately sets the first temperature button at 160°F — lower than most experienced cannabis cookers are used to. Garyn feels that a low temperature and more time can work better. “As you increase the temperature, you decarboxylate more and vaporize off terpenes and cannabinoids”, he told us. “Even going to 190°F changes the flavor.”

And we’d be inclined to agree with him, at least on the basis of these tests (although a better test would use fresher cannabis, since ours has almost surely changed in chemical composition over the last two years). We all noticed different and better taste in the butter and the fudge made from the oil. I even did experiments where I got much higher than usual (it’s for science!), but I never had the slightest panic or anxiety, which is unusual for me at those levels. Here’s the kicker: every one of these botanical extracts were made using a strain called Casey Jones, which I had put aside because it always made me feel paranoid and hyper! Using the Magical Butter Machine let me “save” more than an ounce of cannabis that I thought of as unusable.

We’re going to definitely explore more research on THC-A, but remember you can set the Magical Butter Machine to do whatever you like. If you prefer more THC, by all means use higher temperatures for the whole run, for the first hour, or even decarboxylate first as a separate step in your oven, and let the MBM do the rest.

Garyn also was kind enough to share some future product plans with us in advance; all we can say at this time is that they are thinking way ahead and out of the box, and the next six months should be extremely interesting!

Conclusion

One of the more surprising things is the condition of the leftover dregs. Usually when I’m done, it looks like what you’d expect: wet ground weed. Except in the case of the butter, which I didn’t get to squeeze out properly, the remains were almost like dry lint. I was amazed that the short bursts of blending (a few seconds every 10 minutes or so), which obviously wasn’t concentrated on the cannabis, was enough to reduce it to a fine powder. This thing clearly has one hell of a blender.

Buying a Magical Butter Machine is practically a no-brainer…simply using it saves you money — Old Hippie

If you are a medical marijuana patient who prefers edibles, tinctures, or capsules to smoking or vaporizing, or you’d just like to try making your own in bulk, without the somewhat complex methods that we’ve written about here, buying a Magical Butter Machine is practically a no-brainer. That blender, plus the lecithin and pre-programmed sequences that Garyn and his crew have developed, combine to literally emulsify the extracts, which help make them much more bio-available than normal methods. The result is that simply using the Magical Butter Machine saves you money, since you’ll need less cannabis for the same result.

I hope you’re one of those people who reads all the way to the end, because at the end of our talk, I arranged with Garyn to get Beyond Chronic readers a special discount. If you’d like to buy your own Magical Butter Machine, use that link, or add the code bc420 to your order (on the page where you’re asked how you’d like to pay), and you’ll save $30 and we’ll get some money too.

Price: $174.95 (before your discount!).
Shipping extra (depends on destination and how fast you want it).
Includes Love Glove and Purify Filter.
Warranty: One year limited warranty, not valid if purchased through Amazon or eBay
Size: 12½” H x 9½” W, weighs 8 pounds.

Note: Botanical Extractor, MB2, Digital Fire Technology, Purify Filters and MagicalButter.com are trademarks of MagicalButter.com PBC.

http://BeyondChronic.com

Old Hippie is a father of two boys and thankfully living in California where all this kind of thing is legal. He started smoking marijuana in 1967 in high school, experimented with mind-expanding drugs of all kinds, and then straightened out 15 or so years later to become an airplane pilot. After being diagnosed with depression in 2000, he lost his job and most of the following decade to prescription medications (such as antidepressants) which sapped his energy and will. Finally, a chance conversation with a friend led to a doctor’s recommendation for medical marijuana (MMJ). This changed his entire life, health, and outlook for the better. BeyondChronic.com is his continuing story. It’s also his way to provide experienced advice on using medical marijuana effectively and responsibly, as well as advocacy, activism, and support for others. Old Hippie teaches about safe use of cannabis edibles, Canna Caps, vaporizers, dosing, and even microdosing.

244 comments

Thank you for this article! One of many it appears – I just found this site. You mentioned at the end of your tincture section “one last step for ejuice”. What is this last step? And have you gone as far as to try it?

Thank you!

Right on Thom,…I was thinking the extract, I mean exact same thing, so,…Hey Old Hippy,..thanks for all the wonderful and priceless information,…can you tell us the ‘last step’ for our ejuice vapes?,..Thanks for all ALL the excellent information!!!

Howdy old hippie. I’ve popped by here a few times while i was trying to figure out how to make coconut canna oil. I’m a retired 60 year old ex long haired hippie type, with a medical card, and i’m not afraid to use it.

I bought, grew and bred some great genetics over the years and have a large selection of genetics that i have others grow for me. I’m going to go through some of my older stuff and see how it does as canna oil.

I was curious to see what you had to say about the MB2. I got one a few months ago and I’m very happy with it. I haven’t tried tincture yet but will get around to it. I only found one person who made a great tincture. ALL the rest never gave me even a tiny buzz.

I never would have made oil without the MB2. Too much time and effort for my tastes to do it without one. I made firecrackers or pop and fresh cookies for years. Now I just pop a few caps and i’m good for hours. I ate too much thai pot while in thailand and didn’t eat it again for 20 years.

I made my first batch without decarbing first. I decarbed the next batch, same genetics, same amount and I will always decarb first now. 3 OZ of bud to 2 cups of coconut oil/lechthin/froze it etc.

I was going to make the next batch using a blend of my 3 current genetics but i think i’ll keep them separate and just take a couple capsules of each to experiment with it.

I read your article on eating too much ABV. yikes! I won’t be doing that.

I tend to ramble when i’m high. 🙂

Take it easy and thanks for all the great info.

I’m hoping to finish up a full “tips and tricks with the MBM” soon, but try one-pass “decarbing in the unit”. I made a kick-ass batch of oil at 220F for an hour, no other processing. Nugs and hugs!

I have used an MB machine for over a year and a half with great results every time…until today when I took the fool’s advice to run my machine at 220 for an hour to decarbolize. What I got was the entire load, two cups of coconut oil, a stick of butter (flavor) lecithin and a LOT of very nice bud$ blown all over the counter top. the entire load, WASTED.
This is my first time taking advice OUTSIDE of the owners manual. I never had a problem till NOW.
WHOEVER is giving this advice is setting you up for failure. Troll? Gag? What? DO NOT RUN YOUR MACHINE AT 220! DO NOT BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU READ ON INTERNET FORUMS!!

I’ve run plain coconut oil at 250 and had no problem whatsoever. I suspect your problem came from adding butter, which will tend to foam up and “blow your load all over” at high temperatures. For what it’s worth, I’ve always recommended decarboxylating while dry, in an oven, over trying to take a shortcut like doing it in the MBM (although it will work if you do it right). If anything goes “outside the owner’s manual”, it’s mixing butter and coconut oil!

Thank you for info.The VG was very sweet and made sodas taste awfull.I am 67and older hippie.Only
Like edibles.Can anyone buy a butter machine in illegal states?This is so cool for you to help sick people
and give your time and show true caring.

On the Making of Glycerin Tincture using the Magical Butter 2.

I followed the (maximum) glycerin tincture recipe included in the MB2 documentation.

“Max” Recipe:
Per 8oz (cup) of glycerin:
20g of bud
2 tbsp soy lecithin.

Process:
No bud grinding.
No additional decarb step.
Bubble bag filter (included with the MB2).

Ingredients:
16 oz of glycerin
40g bud
4 tbsp soy lecithin (granules)

Settings:
160 degrees and 4-hour “tincture”

Results:
Far less than OK.

Remarks:
After processing, the ingredients was an amorphous goo, impossible to strain or filter into anything that resembles an efficient yield. I ended up with less than 1.5oz of filtered tincture and about 1 cup of what can be best described as ganja goo. There was far too much waste.

Effects:
The 1.5oz final product was the strongest medicine I’ve taken in glycerin tincture form.

Recommendations:

If you must have a glycerin based tincture, don’t use the maximum recommended amounts of bud and lecithin when making glycerin tincture in the MB2. Start at 1/3 the maximum amounts per 8oz of glycerin (7g of bud and 2 teaspoons of lecithin), then adjust from there.

Invest in a tincture press or its equivalent.

Thoughts on a Possible Recovery from this Mess:

Glycerin is soluble in ethanol. So I am processing a new “max: batch. This time using 750ml of 75% ethanol (about 3 cups of 151 Everclear) and the “ganja goo” from the first batch added to 40g of good mixed bud.

I’ll post the results here.

Update to above post

Ingredients:
750ml of “151 proof” (75%) ethanol
1 cup (240ml) of ganja goo (see above)
40g mixed bud
4 tbsp granulated soy lecithin

Settings:
160 degrees and 4-hour “tincture”

Results:
Outstanding.

Remarks:
The yield was a little more than 16oz of alcohol-based tincture and about 2.5 cups of very finely chopped organics. It was by far and away easier to compress the organics and squeeze out tincture, when compared with the glycerin attempt. The results are also equally positively expressed, providing enough relief from less than 1/2oz of the tincture (in a hot cup of tea) to allow my high-tolerance, arthritis-ridden body to sleep.

The organic material was still very sticky, but I don’t know if it was the cannabis resins or residual glycerin from the previous bath. I decided to keep the residual organic material and store it in a zip-lock in the garage deep freeze. I’ll either process a small secondary batch or include the material in the next primary run.

Effects:

2 teaspoons (~1/3 oz) is all I ever need at night – take 30 min before bedtime.
1/2 oz tincture, in a 16oz sports drink can easily medicate two people.
1/2 oz tincture, straight or mixed over-medicates me

I inadvertently consumed about 1oz of this tincture within a 30-minute span. I slept for 10 hours and was medicated for an additional 6.

Recommendations/Notes:
If tincture made in an MB2 is your choice, 151-proof (75%) grain alcohol works very well as a cannabinoid resin solvent. The resulting “whole plant” tincture is very potent.

Most welcome. Your review article is one of the best out there. Thank you.

Unfortunately, there is a significant amount of vague, misleading or confusing information about safely making cannabis tinctures and extracts. I’m learning that making cannabis medicine is a lot like producing wine – you really need to know what you are doing and potency is not the single attribute worth considering.

There is very little sediment – but that is probably due more to my filtering technique than anything. I’m partially red-green color blind so my judgement is not the best. My son says it is brown-green and that gels with my perception when in the dropper, it appears a medium amber, with almost no green.

My guess is the green color is primarily due to the 151 product dissolving some water-soluble plant material, similar to what happens with green dragon recipes. This tincture is definitely less green than brown.

I’ve made one additional batch and am currently preparing another as I write this. I neglected to add the soy lecithin last batch, and I can say that makes a significant difference in dose efficiency. I will never make a batch without that ingredient again.

How many 00 caps do you think your recipe for coconut oil fill? I love my ABV nutella cookies but the sugar and calories are catching up as I have a very high tolerance and it takes 2-3 to get medicated so the oil in caps would be great.

Well, if you make 2 cups of oil, that’s 500 ml. A #00 capsule holds about 0.9 ml, so you’d end up with about 550 capsules. That should hold anyone for quite awhile!

But you could make half into capsules and use the other half for cooking, too!

Hi there Old Hippie! I am going to make some coconut canna oil with the magical butter machine 2 and make canna caps with 00 capsules. I currently have a medical card and I was wondering what cannabis to coconut oil ratio you’d suggest for having the high last for 4-6 hrs for one or two pills at a time?

Thank you! Did you cook your kickass batch up above using 14 grams and one pass through the machine at 220?

No, that was all done “by the book” at 160F. If you’re going for “kickass”, you definitely should run at 220. Nugs and hugs!

OH.
Love your site. I just bought a MB2 and have a question.
Should I decarb the botanical before I put it in the device? or can I do that in the device?
I just made a batch with out decarbing, and it wasn’t potent at all. Can I eat the butter straight, or do I need to cook it, to get to the decarb stage. Ive very confused

You can decarb separately or by running the first hour in the MB2 at 220F. Then proceed with the normal butter program. That “cooks” it sufficiently, and then you can eat it. If you’re still confused, write back!

You cannot run the MB2 at 220F with butter in it. It will foam up and spill all over you countertop.
At least that’s what happened to me when I tried to decarb first after reading this.

I was using 20g of botanicals and 1lb of butter. I started the machine at 220F for one hour. A ton of steam kept shooting up out of it when the blender would spin. About 10 minutes later it started bubbling out of the MB2. Luckily I was watching it and took the top off before I lost all my botanicals all over the counter. I guess you have to decarb in the oven first when you want to make butter.

I’m pretty sure that’s because of the milk solids in butter. It certainly doesn’t happen with coconut oil, and again…I strongly recommend decarbing in the oven!

am I correct in assuming that the MBM is a more precise heating device than an oven, if so why is it better decarbing in the oven?

Yes, the MBM should be more precise…but for whatever reason, many people have noted trouble when decarbing in solution, whereas decarbing “dry” in the oven always works. I prefer to give advice that’s been proven to work in the real world, rather than theoretical advice that “should” work!

All the butter that you buy in the store has between 15-20% water content. Because of the heat transfer capabilities of oils the water flashes off pretty quickly at 220F, this is what causes the excessive foaming.

All that said, Coconut oil contains no water therefore nothing to “flash off” foaming your batch.

I’ve never tried it, but if you insist on trying this with a dairy product you could read up on the process to clarify the butter first, removing the moisture, before loading it into the MBM2. Another alternative is Ghee, a clarified butter product used in possibly every Desi kitchen. If you try it, I would suggest maybe a trial batch with Rosemary as your botanical to avoid $$$$ if things still go south. That and the rosemary infused butter would be great on lots of things.

Great article. I know someone that just ordered their own Magical Butter 2 last week and it shipped this morning for them! They’ve been working with all the infusion options for recreational purposes for some time now – for people that hate the smoking part or for health reasons; vaping is fine but many people want to take away that entire process for the most part. They haven’t had much luck with edibles so far. Out of about 10 batches, 3 have been decent, 1 spectacular but NOTHING compared to some chocolate bars out in Denver that were purchased from a legal recreational shop. That’s what they’d like to make but they don’t want to continue to experiment with overly huge amounts of cannabis (2 cups in this machine) and it not come out right. Here are 6 quick questions that I’m asking on their behalf:

– They want to start out using 10-14 grams of grinded up higher THC level cannabis buds & 2 cups of coconut oil (said to be the best to get the THC to bond), so how much soy lecithin should they put in? The same 2 tbsp or a little less?

– They also want to decarboxilate the grinded cannabis before putting it into the MB2. Will this hurt the process at all? I’ve read that decarboxing beforehand (not only during the MB2 run) is said to double the euphoric effect, even when using the MB2. Other articles have said suggested to run your mixtures through the MB2 around 2-3; so for instance, instead of an hour, run it 2-3 separate times for an hour each run.

– I’ve also seen that too much heat burns off THC but does that still happen if it’s kept under 220 degrees, like in the MB2?

-They’ve also said to freeze it before running the final Magical Butter 1-hour mix it to supposedly up the bio-activity of the THC. Is that accurate?

– How could someone ingest the oil without submitting it to another heating or cooking process? For instance, after using the MB2, then straining and letting it cool for a little, could they take a dropper full and swallow it? Would that work just as well as eating it in a cookie or alcohol tincture?

-They’d prefer, after straining & cooling it, to somehow make it a direct intake of as much THC as possible and lasting the longest/strongest effects, even eating the oil straight (depending on how much they’d need to get high). The only thing they CANNOT use are capsules. What would you suggest works best? Tincture? If so, what kind? Alcohol?

Sorry for all the questions but I think the info needs to be out there for a process that is growing in knowledge and popularity. They are trying to get the most BANG for their BUCK so to speak with this MB2 machine for again recreational & THC purposes. So any help and info to my above questions would be greatly appreciated. They’re hoping that the above measurements (2 cups of coconut oil) and amounts (10-14 grams of higher grade THC grinded up buds) will be able to produce a good batch of 1-2 dose THC infused oil. Please let me know what you think.

Thanks in advance!

This will have to be a separate article on its own. Hope they can wait a day or three. Or you can read more articles on this site and you should get all the answers!

LOL… I know it’s a lot of information. I apologize.

I’ve been looking on this and other sites but still haven’t found anything. I’ll keep looking but if you (or anyone else on here) are able to answer some of these questions and inquiries I have, please don’t hesitate to post 🙂 thanks again!

Hey, thanks for the great article. I just got my new MB2, and will be using it this afternoon. After reading your article, though, I’m a little confused about the quantities of bud used to make butter. You used 4 sticks of butter – about 2 full cups – with 14 grams of bud. The makers of MB recommend 14-20 grams of bud PER CUP of butter – so it seems with your amount of butter you should have used at least 28 grams of bud. It still came out fine (“twice as strong” as your usual butter), even though you apparently made this at half-strength? Or did I misread something? I only have a limited amount of bud, so don’t want to blow this. Thanks!

You read it right. It came out twice as strong (to my experience, not lab-tested) as my usual 28 grams/2 cups, even though I only used 14 grams/2 cups. I attribute that to the emulsification provided by the blender more than anything else. But even if I’m wrong, the 14 grams/2 cups is definitely as strong as a normally processed run of 28 grams/2 cups, so don’t worry! But definitely decarb at 220F for the first hour using the MBM2 (or in an oven if you prefer) for best results, and don’t forget the lecithin!

When you decarb in MBM , is that just cannabis in the MBM for the first hour at 220f then add the oil and lecithin?

The MBM is not an oven, and if you left just the relatively small amount of weed in there, there would be no liquid to spread the heat. That means the automatic temperature control would probably be fooled into heating up too much, possibly burning your weed. I’ve been simply running the first hour of the program at 220F with all the ingredients, then turning it down (or not, as necessary) for any additional hours, and it works fine.

In my estimation, in order from best to worst:

1. Coconut oil
2. 151 ethanol/Everclear (a very close second, if not an actual tie)
3. Butter
4. Any other vegetable oil (canola, olive, etc)
5. Glycerin

Good question!

Hi there! I just received my MB2 machine and I plan on infusing coconut oil with bud and trim. It’s a high grade strain (ICED Grapefruit) and I was wondering at what temp I should cook 2 cups of coconut oil and how much bud and trim you would recommend? I would like to have the cannabis decarb in the machine and I’ll also be using the oil for canna caps. All in all I’d like for 1 capsule to make me relatively high considering I have a chronic pain diagnosis. Any response will be much appreciated:)

Don’t underestimate this thing, it really works well. If you use lecithin — don’t make the mistake of leaving it out! — and run the machine at 220F, you will get excellent results. If you make your capsules too strong, you’ll have to redo them, but if they’re too weak, you just have to take two! We ended up cutting a lot of capsules in half and even thirds because they came out way too strong for us. But if you want an extra boost because of chronic pain, start with 14 grams of buds and 7 to 10 grams of trim at 220F and see how that goes. Good luck!

I know this is super old. But I am hoping you can answer. I have an MB2 and have used it quite successfully in the past. My last batch of oil didn’t come out as potent as it should have. I went by MB2 instructions. How can I increase the potency of what I ran. Can I re-run it in the MB2 at a higher temp than the 160 degrees?

Whoops, sorry I missed this.

Increasing the temp won’t increase the potency, especially if you’ve already strained it. But you can decarb some new cannabis (in the oven), add it to your oil and run it again…at 160 or 180 or whatever you like, just stay under 240F.

Thank you so much! You have the best information on the web! I made the canna coconut oil last night and it was pretty potent with 14 grams of bud and 10 grams of sugar trim. I can’t believe that it made 500 capsules and I still had enough for a little fudge. Thanks for all the help!

Can I make RSO in this machine using 151 everclear? It would be less hassle and time than rice cookers.

You can make the alcohol tincture, but you will not be able to reduce it in the machine because the top seals tightly, and the alcohol won’t evaporate. You might try making the initial strong alcohol mix in the MBM (which will do all the grinding and mixing), cook that there for an hour or so, and then transfer it to the rice cooker for boiling off. Great question!!!

Getting the Magical Butter 2 machine tomorrow. Want to use coconut oil to infuse the THC (along with lecithin). After 2, 1-hour runs at 160 degrees in the MB2, plans are to freeze the coconut oil, let it melt at room temp, and run it 1 final time for 1 hour (at 160 degrees) in the MB2.

After straining the greens, and letting it sit at room temp for a little while, I will have pure CannaOil… correct?

The main objective is to produce a pure intake of this cannaoil instead of baking it into brownies or cookies. Wanting a measured dosage, what would be the best way to go about doing this (without pills if possible)… just substitute the amount of oil used in each cookie mix (let’s say 1/3 of cannaoil) and ingest the oil directly? Will it have the same effect and/or last as long, or will it be destroyed by the stomach acids?

Again, I love the great article… thanks for any info or help!

After straining the greens, and letting it sit at room temp for a little while, I will have pure CannaOil… correct?

Well, pure except for the lecithin, yes.

Wanting a measured dosage, what would be the best way to go about doing this (without pills if possible)… just substitute the amount of oil used in each cookie mix (let’s say 1/3 of cannaoil) and ingest the oil directly? Will it have the same effect and/or last as long, or will it be destroyed by the stomach acids?

I think you’re overthinking this a little. The canna-coconut oil from the MBM is exactly the same as the canna-coconut oil that I’ve been teaching people how to make for years. And it’s the same stuff as in my Canna Caps. So…yes, you can certainly drink it, but 1/3 cup of this will ruin your entire weekend. It’s even way too strong for a shot glass, since we take it in 0.6 ml capsules! I highly recommend getting a calibrated oral syringe. Sounds complicated and expensive, but they’re generally only $2 to $5 in pharmacies or health food stores or even supermarkets in the baby section. Start with a 1/2 ml. dose and go up from there in 1/2 ml. increments…but don’t decide your first dose didn’t work unless 3 hours pass and you felt nothing.

Thanks Old Hippie for the great MBM review … UPS should be delivering mine tomorrow. You did such a good selling job that I even forgot to take advantage of the special $20 discount. 😉

Anyway, I think my first test will be making a batch of canna-coconut oil. Some will be used for making canna caps, some going into that quasi-fudge and the rest I’ll mix in a bit of beeswax for a pain relief cream/balm.

One question about the quasi-fudge. The recipe calls for 1 cup coconut oil. You mentioned using 1/2 cup of your half-strength canna-coconut oil … and by “diluting it in half again” I’m guessing the other 1/2 cup was non-infused coconut oil, correct?

The cannabutter will definitely be my second experiment. Then later may give MBM’s glycerin tincture a try using your method. My past efforts at making “BadKat CannaPharm” style glycerin tincture have been “meh” at best. However, I still have a few dropper bottles of tincture to work through first … or maybe I’ll just toss those into the mix when making a batch with MBM.

You mentioned using 1/2 cup of your half-strength canna-coconut oil … and by “diluting it in half again” I’m guessing the other 1/2 cup was non-infused coconut oil, correct?

That’s right. I really prefer to underdose tasty edibles, especially anything that’s candy-like! Biggest tips for the MBM: 1. Run the first hour at 220F to decarb 2. Don’t skimp on the lecithin! Use at least 1 tablespoon per cup.

I just wanted to update you on my Magical Oil project from last weekend. I used 14 grams of prime bud, grinded it up, decarboxilated it for 30 minutes at 220 (had a stove thermometer), and ran it in my MB2 machine for an hour at 220. After it was done, I let it sit for about 30 minutes (in case of vapors, etc) and then ran my MB2 again for the same hour at the same temp of 220. After the second run, I let it sit again and then poured all of it into a glass bowl, then put it in the fridge overnight for about 12 hours. The next morning, I let it thaw out (expedited it by placing it in my sink in a warm bath) and then ran it one final time in my MB2 for an hour at 220 degrees. After waiting for it to cool and settle another 30 minutes after it was completed, I strained it out and poured 1 tsp in little cups to separate the doses (each tsp has between 10-15 mg of THC). After putting it back into the freezer to let the teaspoon portions solidify quicker, I then stored all of it in an airtight glass plate in the fridge. Each “package” of 90-100mg THC portions is broken up into 6 CannaOil cubes and most of my patients put it into hot chocolate or coffee (only when drinkable so no THC is burned away), in which it dissolves. I’ve received some responses and reviews on this CannaOil and EVERYONE loved it. 1-2 is for mild, 2-3 hour high; 3-4 is good for a half day high, 5-6 is to be ripped the entire day (it went on for another half day the second time it was tried)… these numbers are based on the patient having medium-to-high tolerance.

I must say, although I’ve heard that doing it without it works better, not for me! I’ve tried it many times on my own and never have had success like this. Ran the batch 3 times for an even head and body high but it seemed to give more of a body, relaxing high. Either way, this works well, consistently, and very efficiently, especially for newbie cooks like myself 🙂

Hope this helps and if anyone has questions, just reply… thanks!

When you say “although I’ve heard that doing it without it works better, not for me!” are you referring to decarb, multiple decarbs, fridge …. or am I missing some obvious point?

Reason I ask is hopefully to do my first canna coconut oil batch tomorrow with my shiny new MBM. Planning to use a mix of Cannatonic, Pennywise, Kosher Kush and Jagermeister that I have on hand. Looking to get the max pain relief and body relaxation I can for lumbar stenosis with radiculopathy.

I meant that the MB2 works better for me… I’ve tried it the typical way, by hand, and I could never make it as good as it came out with the MB2. The decarbox process still needs to be done (I did it once for 30 minutes at 220 for 14 grams of grinded-up bud) and I do one full freeze right before the final run through the MB2. Hope this helps and you have a good product… Let us know!

Thanks … I haven’t had the chance to “test” my product yet as got hit with a flu bug just as I was cleaning up from the batch. But it was all quite easy to do with the MB2 … compared to doing it by hand. I did a 30 min decarb at 250 with 2 one-hour runs at 220 and a final at 160. The only thing that surprised me a bit was the very minimal residue that was strained out at the end. Since I’m feeling better today, I’m going to test a couple canna caps I made before I re-melt and cap the approx 3/4 cup remainder that I’d set aside for making caps. About 2/3 cup + 1/2 oz beeswax was used to make a pain relief rub. And another 1/2 cup went towards the coconut oil fudge.

Finally got everything done by melting down the stuff set aside in the fridge. My entire batch ended up giving me the fudge mentioned in the review, another 2/3 cup made pain relief salve (mixed with 1/2 oz beeswax) and the remainder made a total of 250 “00” vcaps (vegetable rather than gelatin-based caps).

I’ve heard it mentioned in various places that vcaps will not work, but (for me … YMMV), the NOW brand vcaps haven’t given me an issue at least with canna coconut oil. When I fill the vcaps, they’re quickly chilled in the freezer. However, even after I remove them after a 15 min cool-down, I’ve left the caps sitting at room temperature for days without any erosion of the vcaps.

Oh, I also scooped up the stuff filtered out in the PurifyFIlter, then mixed that with a melted chocolate bar, pouring that back into a candy bar mold … so didn’t “waste” anything, other than myself. 😉

Anyway, that was quite a lot of end product … from just pressing a couple buttons. My next button-pushing adventure will soon be making canna butter.

My first attempt at edibles didn’t go well. I did everything by the MB2 book except I only used 14 grams of (high grade) botanicals to 2 cups of coconut oil and one tablespoon of sunflower lecithin. The reason I used only 14 grams was that I didn’t notice it was per cup. I decarbed before hand and set the MB2 to oil/1hour @ 160 degrees. I made brownies from a box mix which called for 1/2 cup of oil with the mix and made in an 9×13 pan. The pan has a divider so the final result is 28 1.75×1.75(approx) brownies. I tried one with no effect, waited an hour and ate a second one with no effect. The next day I ate two brownies at once, but no effect (although I did sleep a little more soundly than usual- and I didn’t have the usual urge to smoke within and hour of waking). I ate four brownies about 50 minutes ago and feeling nothing. Can you spot anything I’m doing wrong from the description I’ve given? My goal was to make a potent brownie that would equate smoking a 1/4-1/2 gram.

Well…it sounds like you’ve done everything right (although that assumes you decarbed correctly). Also assuming that you didn’t bake the brownies at 375F or more (which might vaporize some of the THC), I’m going to have to ask if you’ve ever had edibles before. Because you might just be one of the people with a very high edible tolerance.

But now that I think of it…28 brownies is a lot from a box of mix. So they might be a lot thinner than normal. Assuming the 4 did nothing…I guess the next step is 8. We’ll get to the bottom of this, Watson!

True, I’d only had edibles once about 10 yrs ago in Amsterdam and had mixed feelings about it. The brownie mix was a one size fits all. There were instructions for different size pans: same amounts but varying baking times @350F. I have been a heavy smoker 30+ years. I gave some to friends, mostly light users. Feedback so far from one person was feeling a little euphoria 20 minutes after eating but never really feeling high and getting a very good nights sleep. Overall she was disappointed. Some people got 2 to try and I’m waiting to hear back from them. 8?!, you talked me into it. I do love my sweets. I’ll let you know the outcome. Thanks.

Remember, that’s 8 for you based on you feeling nothing after 4…not 8 for anyone else or in general.

But while I’m at it…how *did* you decarb?

I have an unexpected result to report.

Here in Washington State, Everclear was limited to 151-proof, but the recent changes here have relaxed that restriction. So, my last batch of alcohol-based tincture used 95% (190 proof) Everclear following same recipe and procedure as my post above.

Everything I have read about cannabis tinctures indicates that for alcohol-based products, water is the substance responsible for any green color. I understood this is because the during the extraction process some water-soluble constituents of the plant material are dissolved and they are green.

This implies an expectation that in an extraction using solvent that contains less water and more solvent than another, comparatively less water-soluble plant material would dissolve and alter the color of the tincture.

Well it did change the color – but it is a vibrant dark green!!

One explanation could be the bud, but there was nothing different about it visually. I don’t have enough experience with its potency to comment yet on that.

Any other ideas or thoughts on why the color of the extracted tincture would be so completely different?

I know that there’s plenty of stuff in the plant (not the cannabinoids) that’s water-soluble, but from what I understand, it’s the chlorophyll that’s also alcohol-soluble, and that’s what causes the beautiful green color. The more alcohol, the more green…I saw the same thing the first time I used 190 Everclear. Some people don’t like the chlorophyll, so there are all kinds of tricks floating around that claim to reduce it.

Congratulations to Washington State for legalizing (finally!) and upping their Everclear game too!

Then I completely misunderstood. In fact, after reading again, chlorophyll is soluble in ethanol and so is the cement the binds the chlorophyll to the plant material. So basically the 151-proof solvent has enough water available to cause chlorophyll to precipitate out of the extract.

That may be a reason to stay with the 151-proof solvents or add some water to the mix before starting the MBM.

Now I’ll need to compare the efficacy of both tinctures, or at least how well they work for me,

My wife mentioned to me that I seem pretty content after making a batch. Outside of the medicinal benefits, there is some honest down-to-earth (and a tad geeky) fun about doing this.

Thanks for setting me straight…

Hi OH! On using lecithin – in your 2011 article on Canna-Caps, you originally recommended adding lecithin, but later edited it, crossing out the reference to lecithin, saying that you learned it was bad for the heart(?). Now, with the Magical Butter, you (and the machine’s manufacturer, too) are recommending use of lecithin again. So — has something changed? Or were you just mistaken when you edited it out of the older article and forgot to reinstate it?

While I wouldn’t want to take any unnecessary health risks by using lecithin, it seems that it is widely recommended and considered as safe. Not to mention the increased potency of the resulting oil or butter.

So… can you shed any further light on this?

Dear Mike,

Thanks for asking the “hard” questions! Yes, I’m conflicted about lecithin. The first time I heard about the original study, I freaked out a bit and “disapproved” of using it, then thought I was overreacting. The fact is, lecithin is generally regarded as safe because it’s been in use for so long and it causes no obvious acute problems in most people. And it is amazing at increasing the efficiency of edibles, especially in the Magical Butter Machine where it helps the blender emulsify the liquid.

But your question made me do some new research, and now lecithin is being implicated in not only atherosclerosis, but also heart failure. The thing is…the way we use lecithin, we’re only getting a tiny amount per day, since we’re using a tablespoon of lecithin per cup of liquid, and a cup makes hundreds of capsules. So I’m looking into getting my own TMAO levels checked, and plan to do some more research on the amounts of daily lecithin intake the researchers might consider safe, and that should help. But until then, remember that this is all experimental medicine, and we’re experimenting on ourselves!

I have a new MB2e and I want to make ever clear tincture…using 14 grams of cannabis and 2 cups (16 oz) of the clear.
I want to try the decarboxylation that the MB offers…what would you suggest as far as temp and time to decarb? thanks, Dan

The MB2e has a no heat button (for ice creams and such) and has a 130 degrees F…so supposedly the MB is to decarboxylate your cannabis…on here I read about using a higher temp for the first hour. then continue on with the tincture setting…was hoping you could suggest some settings for tinctures…also it seems that 14 grams and 16 oz’s is a bit much of everclear…thanks again, dan

Ah, I think I get it now, sorry.

I’ve successfully decarbed in the MBM, as you mention, using 220F for the first hour. It worked so well that I don’t bother “dry decarbing” in the oven separately when I’m using the MBM, but for people who want to do that, I recommend 200 or 225F for an hour, or 250F for 30 minutes.

I’ve never used the MBM for alcohol tinctures, but If I wanted to do that I’d personally use the 130F setting, because I just don’t like the idea of heating alcohol over its boiling point in an enclosed space…what can I say, I’m old school careful! The best way to make a strong alcohol tincture is simply to use the least amount of alcohol that saturates the cannabis.

I just received my MB2e last week. It has selections for heat from 130 to 220. Are you saying yours doesn’t?

Great work. In my 60s and med. mar. Has changed my life. Wife hates the smell, so been trying edibles and they work great. So I got the MBM and accumulated an oz of high grade buds as I was going to try my first butter tomm. But after reading this I think I’ll do 14g to cups of butter as you suggested and then use theother 14g for the canon caps via he machine. Two questions, first how long will the caps stay fresh or useable if stored at room temp in a medicine cabinet, refrig. (Simple estimate is fine). And second question was asked above about the lecithin, I’m going to go ahead and use it with both batches but am wondering as well about the safety after reading your original post on caps. Thanks so much, if I can get what I need from 14g vs. 28 the machine pays for itself with two uses.

I think I mentioned it on the Canna Caps article itself, but coconut oil generally stays fresh for up to two years without refrigeration (another reason we like to use it!). We normally keep our capsules in the refrigerator and some have been there for two years; we’ve carried some around for months as “emergency medicine” and even in the heat they’ve worked. So they should be good for at least a year in a medicine cabinet and for years in the fridge. But be sure to make them with clean hands or wearing hospital-style gloves to keep bacteria off for best long-term results, and don’t use “vegetarian” capsules, only gelatin. Nugs and hugs!

Hey guy’s, May have encouraging news for a Lecithin alternative. My next batch I’m going to add emu oil at a 1:16 ratio. I’ve been reading through this old thread tonight and was realized that emu oil could be the alternative. It is an excellent emulsifier and is know as a super food. also has super penetrating properties. I was the first to bring this oil to Revlon. I think I’ll even experiment with higher ratio’s and up to 100% emu oil. Won’t hurt to know any way.

A friend is planning on making canna oil with organic sunflower oil & sugar leaves. He wants to know if when you say “use a higher temp for the first hour”, do you run it more than once since it only takes 1 hour to make oil anyway with the MB2? Meaning run for 1 hour on 220 then 1 hour on 160? Or do you just run once for a hour on the 220 degree setting and you’re done. Just want to get him some answers so he doesn’t ruin anything. He is trying to get off anti depressants and is trying this road.

Well, you’re right, but I used to sit over a crockpot for 2 or 3 hours, and I’ve run oil at 2, 3, 4, and 6 hours plus overnight. The only time I ever had a problem by going too long was overnight; the oil turned black and sludgy and the results put us to sleep (probably because the THC had deteriorated to CBN). So what I do for oil is generally decarb by running the first hour at 220F and then another hour separately at 160F, which may not be necessary but it makes me feel better 🙂 It won’t hurt at all.

Last night I made an experimental rerun of some special oil I’ll be writing about, and I did the above procedure, but I did another experiment as well that was even more interesting. But I may not write that up until next week or so. Right now I will recommend to your friend that for the best decarboxylation procedure, he should do it separately in an oven if possible, and that’s what I hear the MBM people are recommending too.

Thank you OH for the great info on this site. I am an old newbie…. Meaning I’m old in body but new to cannabis. I have severe degenerative arthritis and need to control pain and be able to sleep. All legal meds available to me in TX do is leave me with a drug hangover that makes it hard to function at work the next day. I need the discrete function of tinctures and cannot get them here so I got the MB2e delivered today. I’m pretty sure that I understand the process, but need to clarify one thing. In an ever clear tincture, should I add lecithin and how much? I have all ingredients ready and want to make my first batch.

Dear Bob,

Lecithin is definitely not necessary for an alcohol tincture. I’m not sure whether it’s even compatible with alcohol. Please make sure you read the comments about the safety of lecithin itself though.

After 3 different batches using the MBM, I now have somewhat mixed enthusiasm about it. For making canna caps, the coconut oil batch was easy to work with and came out excellent. I’ll definitely make use of the MBM for this purpose.

For butter, starting with 2-1/4 cups of butter, I ended up with only 1 cup of very dark cannabutter … the ‘herb’ residue was so gritty and fine that it wouldn’t part with any more of the butter when trying to squeeze it out. I thought that might just be a fluke experience until …

Today I did a batch of tincture and was quite soundly disappointed … much like the batch of butter, it produced a very fine gritty mess that filtering it out produced one drip every 4 seconds and when trying to squeeze the residue I had no better luck than with the earlier batch of butter. I ended up with only 7 oz. of tincture when I’d started with about 17 ounces of VG.

At least for my own MB2e unit, my working theory is that 1 hour of processing (oil) works okay. But anything longer than one hour (i.e. butter and tincture) becomes totally counter productive … creating a virtual quagmire of muck.

For butter I’ll probably forego that option in favor of using coconut oil as a butter substitute. And as for tincture, when I do want to make some, I’ll do it the small-batch way I’d done pre-MBM.

I really have to find out what they changed in that MB2e, but try to set up a solid stand for your filter and let it work for a few hours. I’m kind of surprised because liquid butter and coconut oil are quite similar in many ways.

This gave me an idea … will put together a filter to let sit in the oven (at lowest setting) to maintain viscosity while letting the filter work a few hours.

As for the VG batch from yesterday, I just did my first “test”. Just 4 drops as a starting titration point outperforms a dropperful of my past hand-crafted stuff.

Hello. I am trying to make a glycerin batch using the mbm. Trying for no thc’s. I want to get only cbd’s for myself so I can use it and get the medicimal benefits and no thc’s. You really seem to be full of info. Me, not so.

My significant other has suffered from complex migraines for nearly 40 yrs. He’s tried nearly everything the medical community had to offer and while the pain meds and Imitrex helps some, it doesn’t prevent them. Enter cannabis. It DOES help suppress the most of the problem and also shortens the more serious episodes, He’s been smoking what we can find (we live in the “Bible Belt” unfortunately) but he HATES smoking.

I purchased a MBM and it arrived last week (YEA!) and yesterday did my Suzy Homemaker thing and made some Green Dragon with Everclear at 190 proof. (Weird, they will allow that but not herbage!)

I used 12 grams of the best herb we could acquire to 2 cups of alcohol. It came out a lovely dark green, and after squeezing the heck out of it, I got a full 2 cups. He tried it this morning ( abt a tsp) with virtually no effect. So, I popped the jar into a large pot of hot water for warm bath to evaporate off some of the alcohol. That process cut the yield down to a cup. He sampled a another tsp. at noon, and felt “something” but couldn’t really tell any significant difference. A little later (abt an hour) he upped the dosage to 2 tsp. A bit more of an effect this time, but still not what he was expecting.

So, a couple of questions for you if you don’t mind.
1) Would it do any good to pop it back into a warm bath again in hopes of evaporating more alcohol off and thereby make it a bit stronger?
2) He’s taking it sublingually, but it burns to high heaven. Would evaporating off more alcohol resolve some of the burn?
3) Can the Green Dragon be mixed with VG to make it more palatable? Would doing so ruin it?
4) Would adding VG it make it more useful in that he could add it to tea etc? If so, what proportion would you suggest?
5) Could the GD be added to hard candy mix to make very portable, very stealthy medication?… cause this is the south, and ya gotta be sneaky 🙂

I haven’t had so much as a smidge of herb in over 40 plus years, so its a re-learning curve for me I’m afraid!

Hmm, this is another tough one. You’re using street weed, and unfortunately not quite enough for 2 cups even if it was top-shelf medical. Did you decarboxylate it at all? If not…that would explain a lot.

1) Would it do any good to pop it back into a warm bath again in hopes of evaporating more alcohol off and thereby make it a bit stronger?

That would make it more concentrated, but again if it’s not decarbed, it won’t help a lot. But you really don’t want to put a whole teaspoon of this under your tongue…a proper dose is a dropper or two, meaning about 1 ml (1/5 teaspoon).

2) He’s taking it sublingually, but it burns to high heaven. Would evaporating off more alcohol resolve some of the burn?

No, the burn is from the alcohol, and it’s always going to happen, unfortunately.

3) Can the Green Dragon be mixed with VG to make it more palatable? Would doing so ruin it?

It would make it weaker because you’re diluting it again…but it should be compatible with VG. Try a small amount first (and it shouldn’t take much VG either).

4) Would adding VG it make it more useful in that he could add it to tea etc? If so, what proportion would you suggest?

Actually, you can add Green Dragon to tea right now…the alcohol evaporates in hot liquids. Please check out our Green Dragon article (in fact, I wish you had read it before you started!) for more info.

5) Could the GD be added to hard candy mix to make very portable, very stealthy medication?… cause this is the south, and ya gotta be sneaky 🙂

Actually…yes! This is how a lot of people make cannabis candy, using either Green Dragon or cannabinized VG. The easiest way is just melt a bunch of Jolly Ranchers or whatever, add the stuff, mix, and then pour it into molds.

I hope that helps. Best of luck! Nugs and hugs, and let’s hope that Senate bill passes!

Im trying to make a strong e-juice. I was thinking of running 2 ounces for two cups of 190 golden grain. Decarbed of course. Then evaporating it down to 1 cup then mixing it with the pg/vg mix??? Any suggestions? ??

You can absolutely use AVB, just like you can when making any other oil, capsules, tincture, or butter. It will be 30% to 50% weaker, depending on how dark it was “roasted”, and it will generally have more of a body high.

Okay, I just ordered my MBM and thanks for the code! I am a T12 paraplegic. And in constant pain. I need STRONG meds. How could i make the strongest e-juice. And strongest canna capsules. I ordered #00?

I’m trying to come off of all the narcotics! I’m on 4 Lortab 10 and morphine. My doctor thinks this will help.

Cannabis will definitely help perceived pain. Some people drastically reduce their narcotic use, some can eliminate it altogether! I hope this helps. Nugs and hugs!

I’ve talked about this before, but the keys to making the strongest mix possible are simple:

1. Always decarboxylate the cannabis separately. I use 200F for at least an hour, and I’ve heard of people going for 90 minutes. You can also use 250F for 22 to 30 minutes.
2. Use bud rather than shake or leaves. If you want it truly stronger than usual, then use more cannabis than usual, but don’t start with too much (say, more than 50% over the recommended amount) or you might just have trouble getting it all in there! If you’re doing it “by hand” without a MBM, use the minimum amount of liquid that will saturate the amount of cannabis you’re using. If you’re really hitting the physical limits of how much you can use…use something stronger than bud, like kief or hash or even hash oil…just remember that they have to be decarboxylated also!
3. #00 capsules are the largest size most people can safely swallow, but if you don’t have much of a gag reflex, you could always try some #000 capsules. You’re better off taking more smaller ones than one or two “horse pills” though.
4. Remember to always take your capsules or other edibles along with a fatty meal for best absorption.

I used the butter setting at 160F following the manual directions to a T. Used an oz of flower and 2 cups of butter, but did not decarb first. The butter is finished now. Can I pop it back in the machine at 220F for an hour to re-melt and decarb it that way or can I rely on whatever I’m putting the butter into to cook hot enough to decarb as it bakes?

Based on my Frankenstein Oil experience, I suggest using 250F to be even safer, because decarbing cannabis already in oil works differently than when dry.

Should I even bother with the MBM again or just use a crock pot at 250? I’m worried I wasted a run.

It’s not wasted, this will fix it. If you’re really worried, use the crockpot and watch it. When the gas bubbles stop, it’s decarbed.

Good evening!
Great Website btw.

I wanted to understand the ratio of nug to 2 cups coconut oil for 00 Capsules. One of your comments said you will get over 500 using 2 cups using 14 grams. But the recipes on the MBM contain a larger number PER CUP. Other comments on other sites say they use 2 OZ of bud and get a low amount of capsules; and that seems like the norm in that community. Could you please clear this up for me and whoever else ?
Thanks OH

Hi Tim,

I think I’ve explained this before. The capacity of a #00 capsule is 0.91 ml and there are 236 ml in one cup of liquid. So divide 236 by 0.91 and you will see that you get almost 260 capsules out of one cup of oil, and therefore over 500 out of two cups, which is the minimum you can make with the MBM. It has nothing whatsoever to do with the amount of bud.

If you want your capsules stronger, use more cannabis. If you want them weaker, use less. That’s all there is to it. We use 14 grams of cannabis (1/2 ounce) because we get very strong cannabis and we want lighter/weaker capsules generally. Recreational users generally prefer stronger capsules, so they will use 1 to 2 ounces of cannabis with the same amount of oil.

Nugs and hugs!

Hi Old Hippie

This has been the most informative review I have read about the mb2, thank you!…
So I am going to make butter for the first time ever and I want it to be as potent as possible. So just so I’m clear, you recommend putting it through for one hour at 220F and then the regular butter program at 160F? Any other tips you have I would appreciate greatly, Thanks for the review again

Actually, based on some of my more recent tests, I think the best way is one hour at 250F and then the regular butter program. As with baking brownies, the full mass of food takes quite a while to get to the set temperature so the inside doesn’t get quite as hot as you set it. So 250F is safe, and I know for a fact that it takes that high of a setting in the MBM to decarb the weed with the oil. For any other tips, you’re going to have to read through all these other comments and answers! 🙂 Nugs and hugs!

I will be using Betty Crocker to make some brownies. What temp do i need to use? I will be using fully decarb coconut oil from the MB2. The box says 350 for 30 mins. I want it strong as possible so i wasn’t sure if cooking it that high would make it lose the thc and canabinols.

You will be fine! If you’re worried, use 325 and cook a bit longer, but the inside of the brownies never get as hot as the oven setting in that amount of cooking time.

Well, got my MB2. I made a batch off coconut oil. Results. …….. Excellent!
OLD WAY…My last batch of brownies were so good my buddy was wanting to buy them from me! Lol. It took about a half ounce to make. OLD WAY.

I took 1 ounce and two cups of oil In the mb2. The brownie recipe only calls for 1/3 cup of oil. So were i was getting two batches of brownies per ounce now I’m getting 6!!!! And there as good or better than my on recipe!!! Awesome product! !!

The book said one… I put two. Oh and a tip for filtering, use a regular kitchen strainer first then into the mb2 strainer. It was easy as pie!
I had trouble finding soy lecithin so i used sunflower lecithin. Is there any difference?

Been doing lots of experimenting with caps. It’s taken a while to find the recipe that produces the strength I’m after and it’s essentially two cups of cocunut oil and 40g of medical grade in the MBM. Plus it’s taken me a while to find a strain that does what I want and that is essentially couch lock after dinner and sound sleep through the night. I like grape ape for this and Fuc..inc incredible. My question is I have a cup of the grape ape left and want to make a run of FI using an oz in the machine. So I’m thinking use the cup of already infused grape ape and a cup of fresh coconut oil to give me the two cup minimum for the machine. My specific question is how much can cocunut oil absorb, can it be done twice? And does this idea make any sense?

I’ve been searching for that magic number (just how much coconut oil can absorb) and I don’t know, but your idea is just fine! In fact, that’s one of the great things about the MBM; it makes it easy to reprocess oil or butter that isn’t as strong as you liked! But please decarb the cannabis in your oven before putting it in the machine (200F/75 minutes or 250F/30 minutes).

Ok, I had a cup of oil left from a previous 2 cup run with 40g of Grape Ape. As I said above I decided to see what would occur if I used that cup plus a cup of fresh oil and an oz of F.I. (trying to keep it clean, but its fukin incredible) which are both good indicas. So I decarbed the FI and loaded up the machine. I use the std. butter setting of two hrs and 160. I loaded a half OO cap to test, pretty good..loaded a full one later and couch lock, good night! This coconut oil thing is pretty interesting and provides a lot of flexibility. The MBM2 is pretty cool, but I must say the downside is the minimum quantities required. But the upside….well it works and thats kinda hard to ignore.

ok color me dazed and confused and I haven’t partaken yet today 🙂
some posts say the MBM2 can decarb and others say still decarb in the oven. what is the real story Old Hippie. By the way bet I’;m an older hippie 🙂

You may well be older, but we don’t have contests about it 🙂

The MBM2 can decarb in oil or butter if you set it to 250F for an hour. The new model will not go that high.

thanks I think. okay now more confused than dazed. you say “the MBM2 can decarb in oil or butter if you set it to 250F for an hour.” then you add “The new model will not go that high.” so there is a version of the MBM after MBM2 then that they have lower the max temp on. well that’s just silly one of the benes was being able to dearb in one vessel

I tried this and it works well i used a oven bag to decarb. It really helps with the smell. Has anyone else tried this?

I’m curious what down sides are of using the oven bag? I tied a knot at the end to keep everything in??? I will try it in the jars next time thanks!!

Interesting idea about the bags. As a thought only, I remember my mom many years ago used one of those bags on the tgiving turkey, but cooked it as she always had. The oven was set to come on at 2 or 3 in the am, when we got up the turkey was completely flat, collapsed, gone, cooked to almost “powder”. So im saying 200F in your oven is not 200F in a cooking bag, I think its a very worthy idea, but do something to monitor the temps inside the bag. Please report back as the smell from decarbing is annoying to my wife, I love it myself.

seems to work best with a kitchen fan.. windows open. two turkey roasting bags- well tied..
I went a bit further with an aluminum foil package…
it still has an odor.. so I burned some Nag Champa..
It still had some odor… oh well
My MBM2E is so good that I included it in my third book, Cannabis Cocktails.

I did 220f for 2 hours. I’m not going that high again. I’ll do 200 for 1 hour. I got a real paranoid high. Not sure if that’s why or just got hold to some bad bud. But don’t get me wrong, it still did the job!

It’s possible that you, like Garyn of Magical Butter, are sensitive to THC. That’s why he likes low or no decarboxylation.

Just got my MBM2. I have just called MB and the person said “you must decarb” the herb prior to any tincture process. It does not indicate that in the tincture making directions but on the susiquent page it gives directions for decarbing. Just so you know. Thank you O.H. for your concern for other MMJ patients. I am allergic to opiates. I started using MMJ 3 years ago for chronic pain, hypertension, type II diabetes and IBS. I have these under control using MMJ. It’s people like you that have helped me, not my doctors. GOD BLESS YOU BROTHER.

Your comment really made me happy. And as I’ve been telling everyone for 5 years now, YOU MUST DECARB if you’re ingesting your cannabis in any way, assuming you need the psychotropic effects (some people don’t). Your conditions should ALL respond well to MMJ so in that respect you’re lucky you can use it. Hugs and nugs!

I’m about 4 hours into an 8 hour tincture run (@ 160F ) in an MBM2e. Did NOT decarb before starting, just used the MBM recipe. Three cups of Everclear and 1.5 oz of herb. Any suggestions on salvaging this batch? Suspect I’m going to get very little THCA to THC conversion, but the decarb attributes of the machine certainly aren’t very clear. I did see the note on decarb in the manual after starting. I had hoped the recipe would have been standalone guidance.

Thanks. Great site.

Thanks

Love the open dialogue and helpful advice given. Have questions as I’m new to butter, oil, caps….
After decarb, how long will your botanicals last before needing to be used or lost?
Can you add anything flavor wise to tincure in the MBM2e or would it burn off in process?
I found a sunflower coconut blend that stays liquid. Gonna give that a try as straight coconut is a bit strong in flavor to me. Thanks again for your forum.

Decarbing is permanent but it doesn’t really change shelf life. I found a batch of pre-decarbed, but well-stored stuff in my back room that was a good 2 years old and it worked fine. And I wouldn’t add flavors while processing in the MBM, because the heat could easily destroy delicate flavors and it’s just as easy to add it later. There’s lots of info here and many ways to search and browse the menus, so have fun discovering! Nugs and hugs!

Thanks OH for your quick response, I just got my MBM2e and ready to now run. I’m glad my decarb from 4 days ago still ok. I had a time finding sunflower not soy lecithin. Read about soy and steered clear. I read many of your articles and their comments and will search through the site more. Thanks also to your audience, there is a lot of tribal knowledge there.

Hi Old Hippie. Your bio says you previously suffered from depression. I have recently started growing so I could hopefully help my brother who has also suffered for years. Can you tell me which strains you would recommend for him. I’m growing some C99 but I’ll grow whatever will be the most likely to help my brother. Thanks for all your great work and caring.

C99 is good stuff, we love it around here but haven’t seen it for awhile.

I’ve said this a few times, but it’s always worth repeating: there’s no such thing as a “magic strain” that will cure or even help depression for everyone, every time. Think about it…your brother has suffered for years, as did I, and I bet we both had thousands of dollars’ worth of pharmaceutical drugs prescribed to us by Real Doctors…and they didn’t work! That’s because everyone’s brain chemistry is different, as is every case of depression.

So I suggest your brother try a little bit of a bunch of different sativa strains (a week or two at a time), as well as a few with high CBD if possible, because anxiety also can be masked by depression. I’ve personally had good luck with Sour Diesel, White Widow, Chocolope, and Jack Herer for depressive feelings. And the other thing that’s important to remember is the idea is not to get high necessarily, but to use a small amount to offset the bad feelings, so you feel more like yourself again.

Thanks for helping your brother! Nugs and hugs!

Thanks for the great review, it cemented my decision to purchase, and helped to sway a friend who otherwise would not have purchased one.
I’m curious how you strained the glycerin tincture. Everyone else that I’ve seen comment (here or elsewhere) says that when they used glycerin, the goo was impossible to strain and had to find alternate uses for it, or use ethanol and reprocess it. You just said you made and used the tincture without any mention of difficulty whatsoever.
I thought about reheating it to a higher temperature, but I’m not sure how much viscosity glycerin actually loses when heated.

Your website, reviews & tips are awesome <3
My suggestion for ANYone having a Soy allergy, or concerns regarding Soy or GMO's is please try Sunflower Lecithin 🙂 It works well & is a great alternative. Non-specific Lecithin is usually sourced from Soy, tho occasionally derived from egg & even corn, & is even found in Prescribed medications, as an inert ingredient. It is also the most common ingredient in non-stick cooking sprays & used in the food industry. It often goes unnoticed because the instances of allergy to Soy Lecithin are usually not recognized or reported.
I discovered mine after I woke up in the hospital because I had stopped breathing after using a NEW brand of Asthma Inhaler. The ONLY difference in Ingredients was the additional Soy Lecithin.

Any strain suggestions for a happy busy, energetic, anxst reducing, polish the sharp edges off of nerve pain & chronic hives without feeling drugged, apathetic, paranoid or sleepy? I don't need pain-free so much as I need a way to enjoy being awake in my own skin. Even a suggested mix for a coconut batch… as Glycerites are too sweet for my sour tooth tastebuds. I have no problems with a little pinch o dis and a little smidge o dat 🙂 & here in Washington State I at least have access to a variety.
Thanx bunches, Hugs & blessings

Thank you! Nugs and hugs!

Edit: I initially missed your request for a strain recommendation. You might want to try Sour Diesel, Jack Herer, Chocolope, and/or White Widow (very carefully on that last one, it’s usually pretty strong).

Hello all, I have been using my MBM a lot! But my goal was always to make the strongest oil possible because of my extremely high tolerances. I was on 4 loritab 10mg a day and 2 oxicontin 30mg. Plus some stuff like ultram 50mg 3 times a day. That’s how I ended up trying medical marijuana. Now no more oxi and 2 loritab a day..
My way of making the strongest most accurate method is using medical marijuana oil or hash oil. It goes from 40 to 60 a gram. I try not to spend to much money on my med so I only use 5 grams per 2 cups coconut oil. Plus sunflower lecithin. 2 hour 160. I put it in #00 capsules. Get 500 something capsules. And I take about three or four in the morning then eat about 15 minutes to an hour later and I’m feeling good until late afternoon around 6.
This has been by far the easiest , quickest, and most potent way I could make it.
Now I use mine for medical use so please be careful how much you put in. I would say double that amount for recreational use.

Thanks for sharing your recipe with us! I must point out that even hash oil generally should be decarbed before ingesting, so you might try carefully decarbing in an oven (with that amount, you could even watch for the bubbles of CO2 to stop) and see if that makes it stronger for you. Nugs and hugs!

Thanks for all the knowledge love the site… so after reading all the comments Im confused rather I should decarb or not. My MBM is the one with the 220 temp setting. If you where making caps tomorrow with 1/2 oz to 2 cups of oil would you decarb in the oven or run the whole process in the MBM? I just want to get this right and not blow my half O. Thanks agian

Thanks Charlie!

It’s always safer to decarb “correctly” in an oven…250F for 30 minutes…and then you know it’s really done. Also remember, 1/2 ounce will give you a pretty low dose, good for some patients like us, but not most recreational users.

i think im going to start here…
i liked your math in the original canna caps article, it said you where shooting for .1 per dose because thats about a bowl and gets you right. I use a pax2 and i can load .1 in there and be functionally baked… and then when reading your MB write up you used 1/2 O for 2 cups and the caps ended up a tad stronger that the old way. So if all that still holds true, I think ill be ok. If i have to take more than 1 at a time that would be better than needed to take half (which would be impossible)…..

So ill plan on decarbing in the oven, after that would you in the MB at 220 for a hr then at 160. Or would you just go at 160 after the oven?

Also did you ever have any success with decarbing in a turkey bag im hoping to dampen the smell some?

Again thanks for the site the knowledge you are share is great and for the response.

It sounds like we might have similar tolerance, so if you’re using the proverbial “good shit”, you should be fine with 1/2 ounce 🙂

If you have a 190F setting on your MBM, I’d use that for oil, otherwise 220 is fine.

Decarbing in a turkey bag definitely helps, but it’s not foolproof. Some people have suggested using two at once, and that should work even better.

Hope that all helps. Nugs and hugs!

Yes sir. Only the dankiest nugs… This right now I have 1/4 fortune cookie and 1/4 OG kush.

One last question…. I actually have both 190 and 220. I have the MB2e. So what setting would you use and for how long?

Thanks again

Just pick one and go for 2 hours. For years I’ve been using my Little Dipper and it varies between those temperatures and works no matter what.

Hey how are you
Here México it can not Get everclear, can I use vodka instead?
Im trying to Get the MBO (maple textura) But Its just evaporating on the pan right now
Please guide me
Thanks so much

Hi!

I’m a newbie to this, so please bear with me. Got a CBD-only strain (17% CBD, no THC) called Avidekel for my dad who’s suffering from a fatal pulmonary condition called Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis. I believe in this plant and that it can help him, but he can’t stand the psychoactive effects of THC, hence the choice of this CBD strain. He can’t smoke or vape for obvious reasons, so I’ve tried making crockpot butter. For whatever reason, it’s not potent at all. I’ve read that one should NOT decarboxylate CBD.

But, I’m thinking of getting this machine, but would like some tips or instructions on how to make tincture for a CBD-only strain. Maybe, that information would be helpful to others here as well. Appreciate it highly, in advance!

Cheers,
Kay

Well…a close friend of my publisher also has this terrible condition, so I looked into it for him. First of all, there’s little or no evidence that cannabis can help IPF, but if it can, THC would almost certainly have to be part of the picture. It’s very likely that both THC and CBD are necessary, and that they will help with the symptoms, but as far as anything resembling an actual cure…try to get him on a transplant list.

Secondly, how did you determine that your CBD butter was not “potent” when CBD has no psychoactive effects?

Third, if you don’t decarboxylate CBD, it remains as inactive CBD-A (much like with THC-A does with respect to THC). While the acidic forms of the plant do have certain benefits, far less research has been done with these than on the familiar CBD and THC molecules.

TL,DR: if you don’t decarboxylate your CBD strain, you won’t get any actual CBD into your edibles.

Also, as far as I’ve been able to determine, CBD decarbs exactly the same as THC, with 250F/30 minutes in the oven recommended.

Best of luck, nugs and hugs!

Old Hippie;
I took the time to read the entire contents of this Great Review and it’s quite enlightening. I love it!
I just received the MBM2e and neither the online manual or the manual that comes in the box, makes any mention of the new 220 degree button on the MBM2e. The MBM2e literature does briefly mention it’s decarbing ability… so it would seem that your method of decarbing at the high temperature in the MBM2e (the first hour) lends itself well to the 220 degree button on the new MBM2e. Perhaps dropping the older MBM models 250 degree temperature button to 220 degrees helps to ensure a more efficient decarbing? Maybe Magical Butter is refining their product based on you amazing R&D!? Thank you for your dedication! GOD Bless!

I do have to get back to them, thanks for reminding me. The most efficient decarb is still the old-fashioned way of doing it “dry” in the oven, because then you can see (and feel!) if the bud is brown and crispy or not! Nugs and hugs!

Should oven decarbed bud always feel “dry” and krispy? Even if cooked at 220 for 90 min? Monitered with Oven thermometer and laser temp gun. Pyrex casserole dish. Dry bud to start.

I think my problem was having too deep a layer of material in my pyrex dish. Oven cooking bags provided a more Crisp result for me but the overall surface area is greater in the bag method. Pyrex dish method at 220 degrees X90 mins was my non-crisp batch.

On a separate note…
The Glycerine Tinture method in the new MBM2e instruction manual does not include the use of Lecithin in the glycerin tincture. I have read how other successful users DO use it in the machine. Is the recipe missing a ” binder” and thus not fully infused?

Ah, yes. That’s why I spread it out on a pie pan.

On a separate note…I think I’ve mentioned it in comments and articles at least a dozen times now, but soy lecithin has been linked in studies to heart problems (valve defects? I forget the exact thing), so we recommend against using it, although it does increase efficiency and bioavailability. Glycerin is actually a pretty poor thing to infuse cannabinoids into directly, and people who prefer it and are serious generally make an alcohol tincture first and then mix it with the glycerin and then heat it to evaporate the alcohol. And we don’t recommend doing that either because it can cause fires and suchlike.

Thanks for the info! After a disappointing Glycerin run with the MBM (not the MBM’s fault), I made the Everclear Tinture and the Coconut Oil. Tinture is amazing medicine! I put a dropper under my tongue and it felt like it was eating through my skull. Ha? I’m not a drinker. Mixing it with a little pop works great for me. My Coconut oil batch is awaiting capsules to be tested. The Canna Caps info is great and I hope it will be my new medicine!
I also appreciate the info regarding Titration. Very important indeed.

Thanks Old Hippie, you are a blessing to many!

Hey Old Hippie

I was wondering if you did the Glycerin Tincture again. And if anyone has had a good experience with the tinctures using Glycerin. I live in a small space in Colorado with a gas stove and gas heating, so alcohol is out of the question unless I put the machine outside but have no way of reducing it without using my gas stove. Is there any other ways or methods of reducing the alcohol outside? Also what do you do with the tinctures when you’re done? Do you store them in the refridgerator or in a cupboard? Any Info would be great.

You should probably read the whole tincture article, even though it’s mostly about alcohol tincture and not glycerin. You can actually just leave alcohol tincture outside (in a covered opaque container, but with air circulation through the cap or sides) and it should evaporate in a few days. Just make sure it won’t tip over in the wind. If you’re in more of a hurry, you could always buy an inexpensive electric hot plate or even a coffee warmer (often found for $1 in thrift stores), but they should still be used outside.

I’ve never stored any tincture in the fridge, BTW! I keep some in a bottle near my coffee fixings, and I drop some in there about once every 6 weeks just for something different. When I first started using MMJ, I was trying everything so I was using it in coffee 2 or 3 times a day for awhile though. Glycerin is harder to make as strong as alcohol tincture, but it acts as a sweetener and is much more palatable, especially sublingually. But alcohol tincture is fine with coffee if you like the cannabis taste.

Just got my new MBM 2 today , and before reading your article put , or doctors instructions for that matter , I fired the lightly decarbed mix of 10 gs midnight , 5 gs rockstar , followed by 5 bubba kush into two cups coconut oil , then the heaping tablespoon lecithin , I only ran at 160 for an hour , capped and done , how will I find this type of mixture for morning use ? First doctors appointment in AM tomorrow , don’t want to be hanging off chair ?.. Cheers old hippie ,would love to share a nug some day !

I used to much marijuana in my tincture and then kept adding vg after vg must have put like 30fl to 66g of product. After so many tries it never got to the point where I could just drain it. Was so chopped up it turned out to look like black mud. So as of now I had no idea what to do… I have rinsed and rinsed with water over the filter to get everything through but leave the leftovers at the top of the strainer. Now I have found nothing on the Internet telling me this could possibly work but I have huge bows filled with black water…. just started pouring it into a rice cooker and slowing evaporating the water away. Will post results… I do however feel this might turn out bad and reason is I didn’t see any method of people washing the cheesecloth with water and then boiling off to make sure u get everything. Oh well if it works then there is a new trick to try. Fingers crossed…. If anyone has any good or bad news for me on this matter, please blast away.

Oh and my next step was to maybe try and just make cannabutter with it…. Hoping maybe it would suck the thc up and leave the water and vg behind to seperate?

2nd worst it absorbed the vg which now probably is tasteless and can be eaten as well so won’t make it unsafe. Any feedback on this would be greatly appreciated with bad or good news. Hehehe

Thanks

OK, let’s see if we can save this. By “the filter”, I hope you mean the bubble bag you can get from Magical Butter, because a paper filter or cheesecloth will not work well. Do not use water!!! Set up the bubble bag over a funnel large enough to hold it, and put the funnel over a container that will hold the funnel in a stable manner and has enough capacity to hold all your stuff. Now heat up your glop to around 120F, pour it into the filter, and leave it until it drains, which will be probably 12 to 16 hours.

Can I use a pg/vg mix (50/50, 30/70….) Or does it need to be 100% vg and then add the pg at the end? If at the end, can it be ran through the machine again once combined? And does it dilute the THC?

You can use a mix, but you should really read the article specifically about e-juice first, because the amount of PG is really up to your own taste. You could run it through the machine again, but I can’t see how it would help. And yes, diluting the mixture always makes it weaker, which is why I recommend making VG tincture, especially, as strong as you dare. 🙂

Hi Everyone.
I have a question what is accomplished by freezing the oil and herb mix and then cooking it again. Why the freezing?

I have the MB2e and want to make alcohol based tincture but want a greater CBD ratio per lesser THC so if I cook it longer will it give me a stronger dose??

Sure! While everything is still liquid, use warm water and a bit of soap, go over it with a sponge and flush it “backwards” (i.e. spray water from the outside of the filter too). Make sure to get the little nooks and crannies where it’s sewn.

Hey OH. Thanks for still answering questions on here. Internally debating if I should make a VG tincture in my MB2. I like the appeal of being able to mix it with PG and add it to a pen, but I’m worried the lack of lecithin decreases my chances of THC absorption. Thinking of using 2 oz bud to 2 cups VG out of fear that it won’t be strong enough. It’s a big investment and I don’t know if that’s overkill. Some people seem to have trouble straining it as well. You briefly mentioned in an earlier comment that that you can let it drain over the course of a few hours. How would you go about doing it? You also mentioned you’ve had problems overcooking VG. I’ve seen people say you should run it for 8 hours to better absorb thc, so I was wondering what happens when you overcook it? Does it lose potency or effect flavor or something. Thanks for your time!

First off, I’m not sure how many of these questions and answers you’ve read, but adding lecithin is (a) optional and (b) possibly dangerous for your health. And yes, VG tincture tends to be weaker, so most recreational users prefer to use “too much” weed rather than too little, although it’s probably more cost-effective to use concentrates if you have to buy retail.

As for how to drain and filter it, check the comment I made above dated April 14, 2016 at 2252.

What happens when you let it go over 4 or 6 hours is that the THC often deteriorates to CBN, which tends to put you to sleep. So that might be good if you want to use it for insomnia, but not otherwise. Nugs and hugs!

Hello I have had my machine for a few months and love it. I was wondering if there is any benefit to or use of the plant material left over after the oil, butter or alcohol is infused? I was wondering if it would be beneficial in tea or something? Thank you for your time.

Well, not tea exactly, because cannabinoids cannot dissolve in water, but some people use the material as a kind of poultice. We’ve found that saving the dregs from 5 or 6 runs of oil is enough to make one more full-strength run of oil. Nugs and hugs!

9 ounces and NOT ONE GOOD BATCH. HUGE FUNKY DISAPPOINTMENT. Been at this lifestyle for 40 years and have used, made and invented many devices in this genre. The Magic Butter Machine is the most overrated machine I’ve EVER used. Not only that, but electrically generated heat and heat from the element combined to cause materials failure around the top of the unit resulting in cracks at to of handle and around switch/button area. Basically got so bad I had to toss it on fear of the Magic Butter machine catching on fire.

While I obviously can’t comment on the specifics of your individual machine, I’m kind of surprised that you kept trying so many times in the face of such obvious failure without contacting the factory for help.

You may well have had the proverbial “machine that was built on Friday afternoon”, because your experience is clearly quite different from the vast majority of other people.

I hate conflict, tediousness of dealing with returns, and I was flush with green, so the process didn’t hurt financially as much as it was disappointing. Learned some old techniques a few decades ago from a book I bought from HT magazine, that produces the best Middle Eastern style pressed product. It seems to be the standard for quality results, but not great for infused oils and butter, etc. Thanks for comment. At times, I wonder if the web is real or part of the Matrix. lol

Oh, okay. Sorry it didn’t work out for you, some people seem to prefer handmade. But you can get pretty much the same results as the MBM using a mini-crockpot and an stick immersion blender.

I don’t know about the rest of the web, but me and Felicity are real at least!

Oh, and Dave’s not here, man.

Yeah, man I know. Dave left in ’76 after blazin’ a bunch mexican dirt, twisted up with four sheets of 1.75’s, spit glued together to make a super fatty; Some say I’ve been on a trip ever since. If they only fruckin knew about the shrooms, the expanse and mostly wasted time of my journey’s. bitter sweet

Ah we didn’t call em fattys then. See memory either fades, or it is the green, or I choose not to hang on o non relevant info. (Yeah OK shits deep here too.) I believe my friend called that one a blimp. Blimps were pretty popular in the day, especially with a Goodyear proving ground nearby.

Hola OH just got my machine and want to make a vg base for ecig. I plan on going 1oz to 2cups vg. I really want to squeeze every drop if thc out because i am going to an event that is pretty strict on mmj. So figured flavored ecig would be way to go. My idea is to do 4 hours @160F then 4@130 to help stabilize the thc before turning into cbn. Its pretty strong herb very citrusy with strong heady high and a mild body. Thoughts or tips? Ps thank you for all you do here man been reading your articles for a month of prep before i dive into this batch

I don’t know about “stabilizing the THC”, but check out the comments on the VG e-juice article. You’d ideally want to use alcohol to extract the THC first, because that’s more efficient, and since you’re not eating it you could use isopropyl. Then “reduce” that by evaporating most of the alcohol, put that in the MBM with the VG, and it should be a lot stronger than just going straight to VG. Nugs and hugs!

Hi Old Hippie!

Love the article, long time avid reader, first time commenter. I stumble upon your website while perusing through MB recipes, ever since it’s alway been my definitive go-to guide.

Question 1: Soy lechitin was not longer recommended for usage in glycerin tincture but does that mean sunflower lecithin is also off-limits? Does this apply to e cig juice as well? * separate q’s

Question 2: I have been having issues finding the right kind of capsule to store the glycerin tincture. You suggested anything gelatin like but the one I purchased from capsule connection (100% gelatin) appear to melt as well. I was wondering if I was able to salvage these capsule by moderately freezing it so the liquid in the capsule doesn’t completely melt. ( The link to the capsules you posted from Amazon is no longer available and I was wondering if you had another reference. — under canna cap article.)

Your name reminded me of baseball…high and outside! 🙂

1. I personally think sunflower lecithin liquid to be safer than soy lecithin, but I’m keeping away from both due to the fact that I already have cardiac issues! Lecithin helps different liquids mix better and also aids bioavailability in oils you are ingesting. So it could help e-cig juice in terms of mixing potentially…and it should be safe there since you’re not ingesting it, but as you can already tell, I’m not a doctor!
2. I “Now” get my Now brand gelatin capsules from PureFormulas.com which is even cheaper than Amazon! And yes, keeping it refrigerated (freezing not necessary) will keep it solid so they won’t melt.

Nugs and hugs!

Started using the MBM2 this summer and have been quite pleased 14g of “The Cheese” into 500g coconut oil w/ 2Tblsp Lecithin. I dose the canna butter into those plastic jello shot cups, 1/2Tblsp (7g) oil per cup. The wife medicates with half a serving (1/4Tblsp) and parties with a full serving. I just stick to full servings and do just fine. if need be, I’ll stop by the vaporizer if I need to touch up my buzz.

In it’s straight form I use finished product just as I would regular butter. With some experience, dialing in the dosage and repeatability of effect has been great. Within batch variability is nonexistent, batch to batch variability has only led to minor adjustments, and that really happens when forced to use a new strain. Read adjustments as nothing more than recalibrating expectations.

Now for my big LPT for dispensing. I use a 50cc syringe and draw the warm oil out of the MBM2, being careful not to disturb the fines that settle to the bottom of the batch. From there I just use a good lab balance to measure out the doses, refridgerate and enjoy. This yield nice small self contained potions that are easily divided because of the round shape to the butter pat.

I’ve used the fines for pesto with fantastic results. Although I did save them from the last batch and plan to combined them with the fines from my next batch. ~28g reclaim to the 2cup oil, MBM2 minimum liquid level, and I’m very curious to see how this turns out. The pesto batches I’ve made are REALLY fun so we shall see.

I’m not going to argue the validity of any of the studies mentioned. I have neither the background nor the desire to. But I would like to put them into perspective. Choline appears to be the bad guy in the studies. According to http://nutritiondata.self.com, one large egg contains about 116-125mg choline, 3oz of sirloin steak (trimmed) contains about 100mg, one slice of bacon roughly 10mg of choline.

Now the bottle of liquid soy lecithin states that my two table spoons of lecithin contains 900mg of choline. At 7g/serving (1/2tsp) my 500g batch of cannabutter yields 71 theoretical servings. I don’t reclaim all 71 servings, but all of the “lost” oil and dregs contain the lecithin uniformly. Simple math, 900mg/71servings=12.6mg/serving. a little more choline than present in one slice of bacon.

I think you can see where I’m headed with this. Both articles presented address supplemental lecithin, the one study even has a picture of a bottle of lecithin labeled “1,200mg”. That’s a third again as much lecithin in my entire batch, which lasts me no less than 2.5 months!. Without reading the methodologies, I still highly doubt that they are supplimenting study participants at 1 tablet every 3 months and trying to make any claims.

TLDR; If you need/want to reduce lecithin in your diet there is lots of lower hanging fruit, than the amount found in the MBM recipe for cannabutter, in the foods you eat every day.

PSA; If you are taking 1,200mg/day of any suppliment then at a minimum you are paying for really expensive pee at a minimum. Or if studies like these are correct, possibly putting your health at risk.

I’m VERY confused about time and temp to make oil. The manual that comes with the MBM says 160 degrees for one hour. The Magical Butter website says 160 for two hours. Yesterday, I read in a forum that someone wrote the company and asked. They were told an hour at 160 degrees and then four hours at 130 degrees. So…What’s the correct answer? Using 28 grams of product, I made two cups of oil at 160 degrees for one hour and have washed it once. I saved the used product, so, technically, I guess I I could melt the oil down again, put the product back in the oil and put everything back in the MBM, but, since there are conflicting reports on time and temp, I’d like to get a definitive ruling. I have the MB2e.

P.S. I’m decarboxylating with Ardent’s Nova unit, so this question does not pertain to decarbing using the MBM.

If I remember correctly, Garyn at Magical Butter is kind of an evangelist for low temperatures because he’s into non-decarbed THCA, so perhaps that’s influencing some of this. But we’ve always had good results at 180 to 220F for two hours after decarbing, and thousands of people have used our instructions with good results. I frankly don’t know how well 160 for an hour will work.

P.S. Always save the dregs!

I found this information on a Colorado website https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/sites/default/files/MED%20Equivalency_Final%2008102015.pdf

The butter “yield” rate differs from other solvents because
it is a different production process. The butter yield
results can be interpreted as the weight of cannabis
butter produced per weight of plant input. For example,
100 grams of cannabis in a production batch would yield
on average 502 grams of cannabis butter at a mean THC
of 2.57 percent or 25 mg of THC per gram of butter.

502g of butter is 1lb or 2 cups. with 100g of pot. So 50 g would yield 12.5 mg/g and 25mg = 6.25 mg/g 12.5g = 3.125 mg/g
There is some really good information regarding edibles and concentrates based on commercial application. I just made my 1st 2 cups of coconut oil using 14g of bud at 15-20% thc. Using this calculation I should have @ 47mg in one Tbsp of oil I am slowly dosing and find 1/2 a tbs is tolerable so with some nice effects. I have ordered a THC kit and will test the oil to compare all these formulas I see for calculating dosage.

On another note: i wish i had seen the post above before making my batch I only ran the machine at 160 for one hour. So I guess I will let you know how that measures out when i test it. I hate to think that I wasted $180 of weed.

So far I’ve made 4 batches with the MBM, and the results have been pleasing. Friends that partake have been impressed, my wife tried a some and she decided we should go sit in the ER parking lot, which was not fun. I’m finding that my tolerance is getting pretty high. I usually take 1/2 tablespoon. So far I’ve used 2 lbs of coconut oil to 2 oz of trim decarbed with 4 tsp of lecithin.

What can I do to increase the potency? Are the results that much stronger using flower instead of trim? Obviously the price of making it would go up quite a bit to do 2 oz of flower as opposed to trim. Or can I increase the ratio of trim to oil to increase the potency? Thanks in advance.

Sounds like you’re having fun, even if your wife isn’t (have her read my edible overdosing article). Flower, of course, is the strongest part of the plant and it has the full potency “on the label”. So when I buy 23% bud in a dispensary, that’s 23% guaranteed. Trim generally ranges from 1/2 to 2/3 of that, depending on whether you’re getting sugar leaves. Just plain fan leaves are probably more like 1/4 to 1/3 of the bud potency.

There are many ways of playing with potency, although using the MBM you’re limited to using 2 cups of oil minimum, otherwise you could reduce the amount of oil to get a higher ratio. And obviously, the more weed you stuff in there, the more potent it will be! Coconut oil can dissolve quite a bit of THC, and it’s fair to say that if you can fit the weed in the MBM, it won’t be wasted (although you may be :-). Past using stronger weed or actual flower, you can always throw some decarbed wax or hash oil in: every gram of that is equivalent to about 1/8 ounce of good bud.

Just remember, once your tolerance starts going up, it’s a never-ending expensive spiral until you take a tolerance break. Nugs and hugs!

Thanks for the reply and all the info. What is the max amount of material? If I were to double the trim would the results essentially be twice as potent?

The maximum amount of material is whatever fits and works in the machine. If it’s all decarbed, you could try putting in 25% more than usual and stop the machine once it’s done with its first grinding/blending cycle. Open it up and make sure it’s been properly ground/mixed and there’s no leaks or spillage or any weird noises or smells. Repeat adding and checking as necessary. Always follow the manufacturer directions though.

If I were to double the trim would the results essentially be twice as potent?

Well yeah! It’s just basic math and common sense.

Cool… makes sense. Excellent work on the math article….

So there’s plenty of room to expieriment and come up for sure. I’ll keep you posted. I started with 1 tsp. and have gone up to 1 1/2 tsp. since I got it around Thanksgiving. It’s been a great investment. Just a rough estimate but I think I’ll be able to get 6 months out of around $400 of material. I also think it’s been a good choice health wise. Coconut oil is supposed to be a great cancer fighter and I have a lot of family history of cancer.. I visited my dr recently for a skin ailment and my blood pressure was about 10 points lower on top and bottom. I still smoke a little on top of the oil, but have cut back significantly, maybe an oz lasted about 3 months or so, I would say all in all the MBM has been about the best $100 or so I’ve ever spent in my life.

Thanks again Old Hippie for sharing all your expertise.

Great news! I know coconut oil in small quantities is said to be good for you, but I never heard of it fighting cancer. A bit of cannabis every day shouldn’t hurt though! Glad to hear your health is improving too and that it’s all working so well. Nugs and hugs!

Old Hippie
Thanks for the comment above. I’ll be getting some trim from a grower and I’m going to test it for THC content before I try to make anything out of it. The Colorado website says that trim used to make butter etc has only about 3 percent less thc than the flower. I don’t know the composition of the trim but it may contain some shake. Anyways with some free trim it’s worth the experiment.

As far as making a stronger batch using the MBM, you can make a regular batch to not overload the machine. then you can make a second batch using fresh herb and the oil that is already infused.

So far I’ve made a 16oz of coconut oil that reduced to 12 oz with a strength of 151mg/oz of oil. I used 14g of flower for this recipe I then made an alcohol tincture using 30g of flower. 16oz of everclear reduced to 12oz of tincture with a strength of @ 14mg/ml or 7mg per dropper. I mixed the 1oz of tincture with 1oz of glycerine an heated it in a hot water bath to mix it. I assume that I am getting @ 3 mg per dropper with the mixture and the taste is 100% better than straight alcohol. I can always reduce the alcohol out of the tincture to make it stronger.

You may be getting better trim than usual! You’ve hit on the problem with trying to talk in general about cannabis…it’s not like it’s all made in one big factory and perfectly uniform. That’s why it’s more important to pay attention to what you’re doing than just assume all the time!

I love your idea about adding fresh bud to an already made batch too! And yes…almost anything tastes better than Everclear LOL.

Are you getting those strength measurements with a tCheck or something similar? Nugs and hugs and thanks for the followup!

I used Test 4 to check the thc levels. The tincture tested off the charts so while these quick tests are good to give a ballpark measurement, you can’t use it to really dose your edibles. I ordered a lab kit from cannalytics and hope that will provide better results.

I developed a spreadsheet to determine the amounts so far, factoring in decarb and fluid density of oil and alcohol. The two calculations provide a range within 1.5 ng/ml. I hope to test my products and compare them against the spreadsheets to see how accurate they are. I’ll be happy to share the spreadsheets once I finalize and clean it up.

Cool info, thanks! I was not previously aware of that company so I’ll be keeping an eye on them. And I’m working up some spreadsheets myself so hopefully this will all be useful to more people. Nugs and hugs!

I juste stumble searched into a cool find. It’s called tCheck located at this website:
https://tcheck.me/

It tests your oils, butters, tinctures, etc. for THC strength. Yes, it costs $299. But hey, I want to know how potent my tinctures are, so I’m in! Not affiliated with them, just thought you and or your groovy readers might enjoy the info! Cheers, OH!

i’ve been using the MB machine for a few months now and this thing is THE BEST at making oil, tincture,butter etc. You can use bud or trim and you will get great results. About 50-60g of trim will make about 24 ounces of glycerine/alcohol tincture with about 10 mg/ml or 5mg per squirt. 20 g will make 2 cups of coconut oil at about 150 mg per oz. I have alcohol tinctures for making gummies or jello shots, can add it too most any drink. Glycerine/alcohol tinctures are great sublingual with a nice feel. Made fudge with the oil at 25mg a piece. All great stuff.

My wife and I are going to have a little fun and do a short YouTube video. Making a case for tincture. I’m a 64 year old mmj patient who really needed to quit smoking flower. Your article convinced me to buy an MB2e and the results are amazing. Nirvana’s Aurora Indica. Would it be ok to mention your article?

Why did you say that the magical butter machine goes to 250°? Also, in my experience 220°F is just below what is needed for a proper decarb.

Why did you say that the magical butter machine goes to 250°?

Because it does. At least, the one I tested, which is an MBM2 model, goes to 250F. I believe they’ve changed the temperature choices since then.

Also, in my experience 220°F is just below what is needed for a proper decarb.

I have always recommended decarbing externally to all these “mixing appliances” like the MBM and LEVO, in fact, so does MBM now. I generally recommend 250°F for 30 minutes, but you can certainly decarb at lower temperatures or even room temperature, if you have lots of time (several years are generally necessary). It’s a chemical process that can be accelerated by heat, but it’s not rocket science.

Thanks so much for sharing this information! You are very generous.

I do have a question, preceded by some background info.

I’ve had my MBM for about a year now, and up until recently have made only butter. I’ve had excellent results with that process. Recently a friend brought over his vape pen, and I had a chance to see why someone would want to go thru that trouble to vape. It’s freaking easy! I bought a few cartridges and a pen, and realized quickly that I don’t want to be buying tons of those cartridges. So I started looking online for information on how to make my own juice. That’s when I found your article, and learned that I already have a tool that can get me there, and could bypass the worst step of reducing alcohol afterwards by going directly to the glycerin and bypassing the alcohol. I also understand that glycerin is not as efficient at extraction as solvents, but is cleaner and safer.

I’ve made a few batches of glycerin tincture that I converted into vape juice. It’s getting better, but it’s not as strong as I’d like to make it. I’m currently using 28 grams decarboxylated herb to 2 cups of glycerin, running the MBM at 130 degrees for 8 hours based on the MBM instructions. It’s very tasty, and a nice feeling, but takes a lot to get there. Taking in cap form is also very smooth.

In your article, you state that your ran your 28 grams thru 2 cups of glycerin for 4 hours at 160 degrees, and had good results. So, what constitutes “good results” ? 😉

Do you have any suggestions for the glycerin method, other than use more herb? Higher temp? Second pass?

Also, if you have the inclination, explain how time/heat affect the results.

Thank you for sharing your wisdom.

–jm

I am going to chime in here… I have been using the MB for years and couldn’t be happier. I do smaller “production” runs for a selects few folks so I was originally looking for efficiency; I got so much more. The consistency of results is great.

The thing that I feel is key… your starting material. Quality in quality out. I decarb 20-35g’s of quality flower at 220-230F for 40-45 mins (break the material up to a consistent size. MBs immersion blender will do the heavy chopping work. add that to 900ml of melted refined coconut oil, hit the 160F temp and then the 1 hour oil button. You can choose a longer cycle time, but I feel that there are diminishing returns with coconut oil. Longer times and higher temps produce a taste that I don’t like; and they don’t seem to add to the potency. Coconut oil is extremely efficient at stripping the THC from the material. One thing that I did notice with the higher temp is a more pronounced sedative effect.

I shoot for 10-11 ml of oil per treat and they are powerful even for heavy users

I’ve had my MBM machine for 3-4 years and have had good results size 00 capsules . I’ve got 28 Grams of good indica bud
and want to use that to make more coconut-cannabis caps. I know CBN is the more sedative than THC & CBD. I’m thinking
of running my already decarbed bud in the MBM at 220 degrees for 8 hours. Is this a good idea ? I want to make the capsules
as sedative as possible. Am also exposing the buds to sunlight and air before decarbing Severe insomnia and dont want any more of Big pharma’s drugs.

I am very curious as to the differences between mb2 and mb2e

From all i have read here,it is JUST a temperature setting difference and nothing else in the machine has changed?

Is there any official word(Or even educated guesses) as to why this change?

Is there some advantage? better output results? Etc

i ask because i find a difference in the price as i go to buy one,i can save a few bucks with the MB2 vs MB2e

But i don’t mind paying a bit more is somehow an improved product, usually, a change in a quality product should be some advantage/improvement

If the only change,is the ability to decarb in the machine,i would not fuss a matter, as the oven is fine for me, and i can spend the funds on good bud instead

TIA for advice

PS

Is there any use for the leftovers after you squeeze all the oil out?

i mean is there any potency left in the leftovers?

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