Learning how to make cannabis shatter at home is actually pretty easy when you have the right supplies. While I have read a lot of other articles on how to make cannabis concentrates at home I found that using the Peak Supply Co Alchemy Shatter Kit and Alcohol makes the process extremely easy and smooth not to mention we’ve made this great video that will show you how to make wax, extracted with Alcohol, from the comfort of your home.
How do you extract Cannabinoids with Alcohol?
While there are many ways to extract Cannabinoids from Cannabis most require some moderate to serious scientific extraction equipment or are fairly dangerous and should not be tried at home. There are a couple low-tech options like using bubble bags to make hash and ice wax or heat and pressure to make rosin. Alcohol extraction on the other hand is simple, quick and with the right precautions, is very safe. So how does Alcohol Extraction work? Well to sum it up, Alcohol is a solvent, which means it can dissolve other substances, and in this case, we are talking about cannabinoids. The process is fairly straight forward: mix alcohol with your cannabis, drain it, evaporate the alcohol and boom, you are left with a potent cannabis concentrate that can be used for anything from making vape cartridges to edibles, or you can smoke it as is.
NOTE: Not all alcohols are appropriate for Extraction. Rubbing Alcohol should never be used and it is very important that you have a high percentage Alcohol. You can use as low as 75% but I would recommend using 90% or more for the best extraction experience.
What can you do with the Cannabis shatter made at home?
Learning how to make shatter from home opens up a world of possibilities. You can infuse the shatter in a tincture, edibles, or put it in a vape cartridge for a discrete travel-ready way to enjoy your wax. You can even re-infuse terpenes into it and dab it as is. I found using real cannabis terpenes turns your shatter up a few notches and could even rival the shatter I’ve purchased from dispensaries. While real Cannabis terpenes are extremely rare and a little pricy it produces a far superior product and can also be purchased from Peak Supply Co, you just have to email them because they do not offer it on their website. While infusing your shatter into a tincture and edibles is easy, there are easier ways to accomplish something similar. In my experience, the main benefit of using shatter in an edible is you have more control over the potency and the resulting product tastes less “weedy” because there will be less plant matter than say, a cannabutter. My personal favorite way to use my homemade shatter is making it into a vape cartridge and for that reason, we will be focusing on the main uses for the Peak Supply Co Alchemy Shatter kit.
What materials are needed to make BHO Shatter?
Before we get straight into it, you need to keep a few things in mind in order to make your own high quality BHO shatter; the following list of accessories and objects are absolutely necessary for success. You’ll also need to use a high quality product regarding your flowers or trimmings; they should be fresh, rather than dry, for the best possible results.
- Resin Extraction method (roller)
- Refined Clipper or Colibri Butane Gas (Clipper is less impure)
- Cooking paper or silicone tray/mat
- Dull blades
- Glass tray
- Heating plaque
- Vacuum pump
- Desiccator or something similar (pot with methacrylate lid, for example)
- Silicone containers for the resulting extract
- Fresh buds/trimmings
- Balcony, terrace, or an open-air area to work in
Step 1 – The right weed for BHO
The first thing you need to do is pick the weed that you’ll be making your BHO Shatter from; the best type of weed is weed that has been recently harvested and not yet dried. Fill up your Roller Extractor tube, cutting up bits of your weed with scissors as you go – fill it up slowly and press it down as you go to make sure there are no empty pockets. Once it’s full, stick it in the freezer for 24h alongside your gas. In order to work out how much gas you need, we’ll provide you with this guide for the Roller Extractor models:
- M Roller Extractor: 1 butane can
- L Roller Extractor: 1 ½ butane cans
- XL Roller Extractor: 2 butane cans
Step 2 – How to Deposit BHO Gas
Once everything is frozen – after a good 24h period – you’ll need to begin setting up a spot outdoors with plenty of open air and ventilation. Place your glass tray on the heating plaque and heat it to 60°C. Once it’s hot, take your roller tube and gas from the freezer – place the roller vertically on the tray and empty out your gas. As the gas begins to lower through the tube, it brings the cannabinoids with it – you’ll begin to see it flow out the bottom of the tray while the gas is evaporating. You’ll need to wait until there is no liquid left in the tray, just a thin golden layer – after this, you can go back to work inside as there is no danger.
Tips: In order to get rid of the most gas possible from the extract, you can let the mixture sit on the heating tray for 15-20 minutes at around 40°C. In order to avoid any water getting into your extract, we recommend using a clean towel in order to hold the roller extractor; when frozen and then exposed to hot temperatures, it may end up sweating water from the melting moisture, which could fall into your tray and ruin your extract, making it turn out much softer than expected.
Step 3 – Removing the Extract
Once you’re sure that there are no visible traces of gas, it’s time to remove the extract from the bottom of the tray using a blunt blade as if it were a lawnmower – start on one corner of the tray and scrape it across the other side in one swoop, remove the extract from the blade and continue. Make sure to place your extract on a silicone tray or in a silicone container, as it’s the only material that it won’t stick to. Do this until there is absolutely nothing left in the tray.
Step 4 – Molding your BHO
Now that you have all of your extract on your silicone tray (or oven paper), gather it all up in one lump. The best way to do this is place the tray in the fridge for a few moments – then, you can use the paper or tray itself, bending it and sticking both sides of the extract together until you eventually have one big lump – try not to use your hands for this. If the extract is incredibly sticky, place it in the freezer and keep repeating this until it’s done.
Step 5 – How to Purge BHO
Once you’ve put it all together, you need to flatten it as much as possible; bend the tray/paper in half and use your hands to flatten it until it’s more or less as thin as a coin. This makes it much easier to remove the gas that’s still trapped inside. Once this is done, you’ll need to place it in the desiccator, on top of its silicone mat/tray. Place the desiccator on the heating plaque at 40° and connect your vacuum pump. After a few seconds you’ll see your extract plump up like a balloon – don’t worry, simply wait for it to go down again.
Step 6 – Refining your Shatter
After everything is stable (around 1-2 hours) you’ll need to open the desiccator very slowly so that air doesn’t rush in too fast; if this happens, the extract may end up literally shattering in the desiccator. Once you’ve safely opened it up, turn the heating plaque on, remove your extract and ball it up again; if it goes soft and is easy to mold, you can chill it again like before. By doing this, you’re breaking the tension between the gas and the resin, which helps to purge the impurities left by the butane. After a while working your way through it, place it back in the desiccator; you need to do this until you’re sure there’s no more gas in the extract, a process which can last up to 3 days.
BHO Shatter Final Result
The resulting extract should be a thick, hard paste. In order to get that crystalized texture that looks so beautiful – like the one in the photo – you’ll need to put it in the fridge for a few hours until it looks like this. Then, you can break it into pieces and keep it in silicone containers to keep It as fresh as possible. Keep in mind that when heated or left in room temperature, it goes back to being soft. Light up your BHO rig and off you go!
Great article. Thank you so very much. I’m a disable vet from the Army. Brain tumor and now a seizure disorder. I truly appreciate this.