Storage of Shatter-Wax-Oil etc

[Tudo]

It's probably been asked more than once, please humor this old (er ) man whose memory is slipping. But I noticed some shatter that was purchased at a well known dispensary in san jose turned from shatter to wax in the course of 60 days, I'm wondering how long will these items stay good and what's the best way to store them in your opinion?

In your opinion is it possible to store a 1 to a multi-year supply without any real reduction in quality of any of these concentrates? I've noticed the gel caps from Tetra Labs ( pure gold oil ) has gotten a little darker after a few months.

 

[Infinitesimal]

I learned from reading R.C. Clarkes book HASHISH that... because similar to pressed hashish where the gland membrane is ruptured and no longer intact thereby leading to an accelerated oxidation and degradation of the cannabinoids... when making oil the membrane is also stripped/dissolved and lacks that protection against oxidation and degradation that resin powders (dry sifted resin glands), which maintain that glandular membrane, offer.

so, like hand rubbed and pressed hashish, oils should be consumed as soon as possible from the date they were made... if storing is a must... it would probably be ideal to store it in a similar fashion to buds... dark, air tight, cold and moisture free. but still over time it will degrade faster than dry sift or maybe un pressed Ice water extractions (Matt Rize's Ice Wax)

simply put, no, you cannot store oils for extended lengths of time... without oxidation and the THC degrading into CBN

Peace,
Infi

 

[VirginHarvester]

simply put, no, you cannot store oils for extended lengths of time... without oxidation and the THC degrading into CBN

Peace,
Infi

What about refrigeration?

 

[Infinitesimal]

VH,

degradation of the resins is immediate...

of course storing your oils at warm temps is going to degrade them faster than cold temps, so yea it's probably best to keep them refrigerated... but they will still degrade even in the fridge... if you have a 2-3 month supply of oil then you really have no other choice... so I would say yeah put it in the fridge, or make smaller batches more often

 

[midwestHIGHS]

I disagree, with proper storage, oil with cannabinoids in their carboxylic acid form will very little if at all decarboxylate into activated cannabinoids and start to degrade with in a matter of months. THC-A > THC> CBN. My rock hard absolute doesn't change at all could be kept for a long time, but I usually vap it all till its gone.

When I decarboxylate my oil for oral use, I get my temps up to 250F for roughly 20-30 minutes as I watch the co2 and h2o bubbles form and release, this doesn't seem to happen when rock hard oil is stored. Unless it were a fully decarboxylated oil kept open in less than ideal storing conditions, it will most likely not degrade into CBN that quickly.

Rock hard oil "shatter" will store the best, like absolute amber made from fresh material.

 

[Skip]

IMO, the best way to process and store resin for long term is to use dry sift methods like the Pollinator or dry ice (look for my story on this in the next issue of ICMag - IC4). As Infinitesimal said, it's better to not disturb the trichs and keep them intact.

I would say refrigeration is a plus, keeping it cold and dark.

I've found that bubble hash and oils do change over long periods. They're still effective, but they lose some potency and flavor over time. Some bubble hash that isn't dried enough can get nasty.

 

[Infinitesimal]

I disagree, with proper storage, oil with cannabinoids in their carboxylic acid form will very little if at all decarboxylate into activated cannabinoids and start to degrade with in a matter of months. THC-A > THC> CBN. My rock hard absolute doesn't change at all could be kept for a long time, but I usually vap it all till its gone.

When I decarboxylate my oil for oral use, I get my temps up to 250F for roughly 20-30 minutes as I watch the co2 and h2o bubbles form and release, this doesn't seem to happen when rock hard oil is stored. Unless it were a fully decarboxylated oil kept open in less than ideal storing conditions, it will most likely not degrade into CBN that quickly.

Rock hard oil "shatter" will store the best, like absolute amber made from fresh material.

Read Hashish by RC Clarke

I didn't mention decarbing... but yeah when properly stored and at colder temps yes less THCa will decarboxylate into THC then subsequently CBN than when improperly stored... but... that also means that a larger percentage of your THCa will degrade directly into CBNa over time, without the glandular membrane protecting the resins they degrade quicker... there is no way around it... and is why traditionally in places of hashish production... they store it as dry sift resin powder for a year or two to cure... and then press it into hashish before it goes to market, because if they had pressed it then stored it...it would be nearly no good after not to long.

this is all proven (in HASHISH) with testing done on various samples taken at various stages of maturity and on pressed and unpressed resins... the data doesn't lie

 

[Tudo]

If refrigerating there is an issue of condensation. Remove from fridge and wait a while before use? Won't this condensation still harm the product?

 

[midwestHIGHS]

I'm speaking in terms of oil as thats what the op had mentioned, not mechanically extracted resins. I havent found any info relating to THCA degrading into CBNA can you possibly provide a link to this information.

I very much understand that the waxy cuticle of the trichome head helps protect the resins within, and why drysift would store better than bubble, because to properly dry ice water hash one will rupture some trichome heads trying to get it into a fine consistency to dry evenly. Also when making oil the the waxy cuticule is extracted and mixed with the resins within, I understand why one would believe this to cause it to degrade fast, but this doesn't seem to be the case with hard brittle oil.

My point was I watch the co2 and h2o bubbles form and release during decarboxylation to tell me when most of the thca has converted into thc if this were the case during storage I would assume the same reaction would take place, but in proper conditions it does not. Hard brittle absolute amber stays the same with no bubbles forming or changes in texture/color in proper storing conditions for over a few months.

 

[Hash Zeppelin]

IMO, the best way to process and store resin for long term is to use dry sift methods like the Pollinator or dry ice (look for my story on this in the next issue of ICMag - IC4). As Infinitesimal said, it's better to not disturb the trichs and keep them intact.

I would say refrigeration is a plus, keeping it cold and dark.

I've found that bubble hash and oils do change over long periods. They're still effective, but they lose some potency and flavor over time. Some bubble hash that isn't dried enough can get nasty.

I agree with skip. it breaks down the tricombs the least. when you store it in a jar at 76 degrees for 6 months, turning and burping the jar at least once a week, it becomes this doughy brown sugary consistency and you can press it in your palm. This is because the outer membrane and plant matter is going through the chemical half-life process and breaking down, leaving the essential cannabis oils behind. The CBN's increase as well

 

[GET MO]

I always find pieces of hash from a couple years back and smoke um. They get me higher then the fresh hash it seems like. These aren't stored properly either, they will be sitting in a drawer or in a pile of old shake. Just my experience.

 

[ak-51]

If I were going to store any kind of marijuana product long term it would be in a vacuum sealed jar in the refrigerator or freezer.

I think the only way you're going to get much better than that is by doing a nitrogen purge or some other commercial-grade solution.

 

[captain planet]

Hmmm I wonder what the best humidity level would be for the inside of a ball jar or c vault almost filled with dry sift? Boveda has already decided it's (62?) for flower, would dry sift be same/more/less*
I'm scratching my head, I don't wanna sound like a fool, but trichs have a water content? Or no . do the (natural) waxes lose moisture? Or no. I know they are not water soluble, but do they themselves have an accepted moisture content?

 

[DreamsofTesla]

Would I be better off vacuum sealing my trim and storing it in the freezer, then making batches of Matt Rize style ice wax as I use them up?

Also, what about edibles? What if I use the ice wax to make lollipops or candycanes?

Thanks for the knowledge.

 

[ak-51]

I think any type of extract is going to handle long term storage better than any type of raw product.

 

[Hash Zeppelin]

oh by the way if it is shatter, it is not fully purged. there is a lot of butane in there still. shatter looks cool but is not purged right.

 

[truecannabliss]

huh?

huh?

oh by the way if it is shatter, it is not fully purged. there is a lot of butane in there still. shatter looks cool but is not purged right.

Hey bro i would speak with Grey Wolf to get the facts, im no expert but i cant believe what your saying with regards to the shatter being a direct and definitive sign that butane is still present....im sure it is often the case but not always.

Peace

 

[huligun]

In my experience with extracts...

Yes, the trichome heads get ruptured. But the resin is a body that is compressed. The exterior of the block is exposed to oxygen and UV radiation. But the interior of the block is protected from it. Kind of like the way that silver oxidizes... The outer surface of the silver does oxidize, but that oxidization protects it. In my belief Hash and oil can stay in a freezer for a long time, years, without substantial degradation. Buds on the other hand, their trichomes are exposed and can degrade faster. I never leave a quantity of bud out or in light because of this. I am not fond of Clear Jars because of the UV degradation. If in a clear jar I like to put it in a place that is dark. I just take out what I need. Weed degradation is pretty fast.

 

[VirginHarvester]

Thanks for the thread.

Quick question- Anyone know if Co2 oil is pretty stable or can turn bad or rancid? And if so, how would I know?

I have a gram of GDP Co2 oil that I've kept more or less at room temp for quite a few months. I opened it recently and noticed a bubbly or foam-like "head" at the top. It did not look like mold, just some froth(if you will) at the top. I tried it, had solid GDP effects and I didn't get sick or notice a bad flavor.

 

[Tudo]

The Tetra Labs gold turn darker and eventually amber although the amber I have seen happen in an open cap. The darker color is happening in new caps in the containers. They are defnitely darker. I do not know if the quality/potency is changed at all.

Perhaps a rep from Tetra Labs if reading will comment?

I'll post images but I may not have gotten closeups good enough to show how golden honey they were and now. Not sure if I have it saved somewhere but will look.

Anyone else have this, er, change ( not sure if it's an issue yet, again would someone from Tetra Labs please comment? ) with not just Tetra but other light colored oils?