What's new
  • Please note members who been with us for more than 10 years have been upgraded to "Veteran" status and will receive exclusive benefits. If you wish to find out more about this or support IcMag and get same benefits, check this thread here.
  • Important notice: ICMag's T.O.U. has been updated. Please review it here. For your convenience, it is also available in the main forum menu, under 'Quick Links"!

Decarboxylation using a microwave oven

Ringodoggie

Well-known member
Premium user
Anyone ever consider using a Sous vide machine ?

I went through a Sous Vide phase. LOL

It is, BY FAR, the best way to decarb and infuse. Why? Because it maintains the (almost) entire terpene profile.

The edibles I made with souse vide were WAY stronger than any other method I use. Why? Again, I believe it's because of the full entourage effect from maintaining the original terp profile.

Tip: Use ping pong balls for your lid.










.
 

brown_thumb

Active member
Anyone ever consider using a Sous vide machine ?

I considered using a sous vide machine but I'm thinking simmering water is just as good. Water temperature can't exceed 212F/100C at sea level. Once the water reaches its boiling point, the temperature is stable.
 

Ringodoggie

Well-known member
Premium user
You could absolutely do it with simmering water. The souse vide machine just makes it easier.




.
 

GMT

The Tri Guy
Veteran
One warning, I blew a microwave up trying to fast dry buds in it. Wanted to knock a few days off drying time, so put a stack of buds in there on the lowest setting for a couple of minutes. Wasn't going for dry, just to give it a head start on drying. After about a minute there was quite a large red flash and a large red arc of something in the back. No more microwave.
Could have been a coincidence it went at that point, but I haven't done it since.
 

lovis

New member
You can observe that all sorts of electronic rays are causing the structures of water including objects to getting less complex the more they are confronted with rays of these kind, as you can read in the book " the world of the trop " this should be enough proof that the microwave method is probably less beneficial for decarboxylation than the usage of a common oven.
 

Naturally Wired

Active member
I also tried to "fast dry" some nugs in the microwave ,and i did it REALLY slow , with 100 W
then after few minutes i put the buds on another plate , because of the condenswater .
But ..only in case of emergency:biggrin:
 

SuperMac

Member
microwaves work but you have to be careful...

microwaves work but you have to be careful...

One warning, I blew a microwave up trying to fast dry buds in it. Wanted to knock a few days off drying time, so put a stack of buds in there on the lowest setting for a couple of minutes. Wasn't going for dry, just to give it a head start on drying. After about a minute there was quite a large red flash and a large red arc of something in the back. No more microwave.
Could have been a coincidence it went at that point, but I haven't done it since.

Exactly GMT, the microwave works but you've got to be careful and REMOVE ALL THE STEMS.

Its a few weeks before full harvest so I'm taking the lower buds and branches that don't get any light and drying them in the microwave. It only takes a couple of minutes and you've got to stay in front of the microwave and monitor the drying. The danger is that THE STEMS CONDUCT ELECTRICITY so you've got to make sure to remove as much stem material as possible and just leave flower material. Microwave drying doesn't affects potency but there's no cure so like others have said the weed is green and tastes like chlorophyll.

Another option is to dry in the oven at low temps but it takes longer. Again not talking about your primary drying/curing method but the oven or microwave can work in a pinch.
 

dddaver

Active member
Veteran
I read a long time ago 20 minutes at 200F. I've only made firecrackers though. Then smoked anyway so not sure it worked.

Seems simple enough for this simpleton. :biggrin: I like that KISS principle. Because it works.
 

Mr. Greengenes

Re-incarnated Senior Member
ICMag Donor
Veteran
Anyone ever consider using a Sous vide machine ?

Sous vide FTW! Couple years ago they were all restaurant grade and the cheapest was like four bills, but we got ours recently for about $60. It doesn't have a water circulation system, but does hold the water at the exact temp you choose and a timer. We've been decarbing at 118f for two days and it comes out very potent and smelling wonderful.

Not only that, but if you try sous vide veggies, eggs or a pork chop you'll wonder why you didn't get one before.
 

brown_thumb

Active member
Sous vide FTW! Couple years ago they were all restaurant grade and the cheapest was like four bills, but we got ours recently for about $60. It doesn't have a water circulation system, but does hold the water at the exact temp you choose and a timer. We've been decarbing at 118f for two days and it comes out very potent and smelling wonderful.

Not only that, but if you try sous vide veggies, eggs or a pork chop you'll wonder why you didn't get one before.

Do you find that the low temperature and long time make better meds? Other experiences? Is 118F really enough??
 

LungCooking

Active member
One warning, I blew a microwave up trying to fast dry buds in it. Wanted to knock a few days off drying time, so put a stack of buds in there on the lowest setting for a couple of minutes. Wasn't going for dry, just to give it a head start on drying. After about a minute there was quite a large red flash and a large red arc of something in the back. No more microwave.
Could have been a coincidence it went at that point, but I haven't done it since.


LOOOL, Ed Rosenthal recommends Microwave over Oven to avoid destroying the Thc, funny!!!
I have always fast dried buds that way, only cause Ed recommended in his book...
My microwave is smiling at me while i type this.. :laughing:
 

Mr. Greengenes

Re-incarnated Senior Member
ICMag Donor
Veteran
Do you find that the low temperature and long time make better meds? Other experiences? Is 118F really enough??

Not sure if the low temp long time is better in the sense of being more potent, but for sure you can smell a lot more terpenes.

Before the sus vide, we were decarbing in a sealed mason jar in the oven at the lowest setting, which was about 250f on ours. We usually left it in 2-3 hours.

The 118f was just someones suggestion I read somewhere on the internet, probably here. Thought it sounded nice, so we tried it.
 

Ringodoggie

Well-known member
Premium user
Sounds like a long time. In the oven, I always did 240F for 40 minutes. In water (sousvide) I always did 2 hours to decarb and 4 more to infuse.
 

Frosty Nuggets

Well-known member
ICMag Donor
I've got a Nova decarboxyllator, haven't used it yet but you just fill it with weed and press a button about 2 hours later it is done, you can then add butter or oil and put it through a second time to infuse.
 

Mr. Greengenes

Re-incarnated Senior Member
ICMag Donor
Veteran
In water (sousvide) I always did 2 hours to decarb and 4 more to infuse.

Maybe we should try shorter sous vide time. The 118f seems to work fine, but perhaps the two days is a bit excessive?
 

flylowgethigh

Non-growing Lurker
ICMag Donor
Microwave the cat? I dunno

Microwave the cat? I dunno

Heck, I stopped warming my frozen butter in the microwave due to ya'll, in order to avoid getting a green glow. I heat the stuff in the oven now while it warms up to cookie baking temp. Does IR from the oven heaters also kill off the goodness? Do I need IR blocking tin foil on the cup (or the hollow head?)

The oven might also hurt a cat if you decarb it there. Dry/decarb the cat with a towel IMO.

PS... Something I am doing MUST be working cause...

I have heard the “microwaves make your food radioactive” thing before...from an old country guy who also believed that cat should be kept away from babies ‘cause it would suck the life out of ‘em.

If you want to test it out, get a Geiger counter. The microwave part, I mean, not the cats killing babies thing.

The biggest issue I’d have with microwaving to decarb is that it depends entirely on the remaining moisture in your vegetables....
 

Latest posts

Latest posts

Top