To make Butane Hash Oil, dried and cured cannabis buds should undergo extraction using Butane as a solvent. Although it is one of the easiest concentrates to make at home, keep in mind that BHO can be unhealthy due to solvent leftovers in the final product. It is also one of the most dangerous concentrates to make because of Butane’s flammability. Remember to stay safe and practice safety precautions while performing the process. Here’s a guide on how to make Butane Hash Oil!
1. 10-ounce can of Butane per ounce of Marijuana
2. Extraction tube
3. Container for extracted liquid
4. Container for evaporating the solvent (must be bigger than the first container)
5. Razor blade scraper
6. Concentrate container
The Vape Tool extracting tube is the most productive filter tube in the market. Made out of high-quality, laboratory-grade German Schott Glass, it is compatible with strong solvents.
The Vape Tool Cap Filter features polypropylene screw-on caps for easy filling and emptying.
Fill the extraction tube with the dried and cured buds that you prefer. Make sure that the buds you’re using are fully dry. Stuff it to the point that no air pockets are forming within the space. Pack it down, and repeat the process until the tube is full and air-free. If you’re going to produce BHO but with lesser materials, use a smaller tube instead.
Fasten the extraction tube with a mesh or coffee filter. With a hose clamp, ensure that the filter does not move during the entirety of extraction to prevent plant material from mixing in the extracted liquid.
Hold the extraction tube over a Pyrex dish and place the Butane nozzle over the tube’s hole. Allow the Butane to flow into the tube, then wait for up to a minute until the liquid begins to drip into the Pyrex dish. Use as much Butane needed, but check the color of the extraction too. As soon as the Butane runs clear, then all the cannabinoids and terpenes have been extracted from the buds already.
Removing the solvent from the mixture is the most important step of creating BHO. Butane is a harmful substance that can impose health risks to humans. To evaporate the solvent from the solution, place the Pyrex dish in a larger Pyrex dish. Pour hot water on the outer dish and wait for the solvent to evaporate within 15-20 minutes. Replace the hot water as needed to keep the dish hot. For your safety, do this step in a well-ventilated area.
Purging is an extra step needed in BHO production. It is the complete removal of the solvent used. Using a purging system is the best way to do it. However, for those on a budget, using an electronic heating pad is also a great way to purge the remaining solvent in the concentrate. During the purge, the mixture will bubble. You’ll know it’s done when it stops bubbling. If the BHO still looks hazy or cloudy in appearance, continue to purge it more because it is a sign that there is trapped Butane in the air bubbles.
Scrape the remaining concentrate from the Pyrex dish after evaporating and purging the remaining solvent. Store the concentrate in an air-tight silicone container to prolong shelf life and preserve the cannabinoid and terpenes extracted. Place the container in a cool, dry place.
Butane Hash Oil (BHO) is a cannabis concentrate with a waxy or honey-like consistency made by extracting dried and cured cannabis buds using Butane. It is not the best-tasting or the safest concentrate to use due to its solvents, but it is the easiest to produce. That is probably the reason why this type of cannabis concentrate is popular with stoners.
Concerns over the production of BHO have risen over the years. Due to the nature of the solvent used, authorities considered it a dangerous process to conduct. Butane is a highly flammable solvent that easily combusts. There have been documented cases of Butane-started fires and injuries. Aside from that, unevaporated solvents in the concentrates impose health risks to users.
Despite being one of the easiest concentrates to make, authorities consider BHO illegal. In California, it is illegal to make, sell, and have a stash of BHO. Authorities consider it a felony to produce the concentrate because of its hazardous nature.
Butane is a colorless, odorless, and gaseous hydrocarbon. There are two types of Butane you can choose from in the making of BHO: N-Butane and Isobutane.
N-Butane is the regular kind of Butane. Meaning it’s as pure as it can be. Meanwhile, Isobutane is the isomer form of Butane. It has the same molecular formula as butane, but it differs in the arrangement of atoms in space. Most people prefer using N-Butane due to its purity. Isobutane may be cheaper, but it is more hazardous and toxic than N-Butane. Reading through community threads, a percentage of people use a 50-50 mix of both for balanced and efficient production.
Other types of Butane often come mixed with Propane. Always keep an eye out for the Butane you buy. Better yet, check the quality of the Butane purchased before using. Spray Butane on a mirror, wait for 10 minutes and check if there is a poor-smelling residue left over.
The higher quality of marijuana, the higher quality of your BHO will be. The best pick is to use the fresh buds recently dried for extraction. Grade A oil can be accomplished via one extraction, and Grade B Oil can be accomplished on a second extraction after grinding up the buds. If you still don’t know which strain to pick, we wrote about the cannabis strains with the highest potential yield.
Storing BHO uses the same logic as storing other concentrates. For short-term storage, use containers made out of silicone material. Ensure that the container is air-tight and place it in a cool, dry place. Environmental factors such as light, heat, air, and moisture can render concentrates weaker or useless. Never store your concentrate in a refrigerator. The cold air may help lower down high temperatures, but it will only promote moisture production within the container. Excess moisture can alter the consistency, potency, and flavor of the concentrate.
While cannabis is traditionally smoked in joints or bongs, these methods are not suitable for BHO consumption. Its consistency changes from thick to runny upon exposure to air. Using a dab rig is a better option since it vaporizes the concentrate to the touch.
Keep in mind that the effects of concentrates may vary from person to person. Factors such as size, weight, dosage, and strength of the drug may change how the concentrate reacts to the body. On average, these are the usual effects of BHO on people who have consumed the drug in the past.
Using BHO in low to moderate dosages produces a feeling of relaxation and euphoria, spontaneous laughter and excitement, increased sociability, increased appetite. However, on the other hand, it may cause a dry mouth, which is easily resolved by drinking lots of water to alleviate dehydration. Added to that, BHO may also induce pain relief, which is an effect of CBD from the concentrate.
To other people, BHO consumption results in confusion and paranoia, anxiety and panic, reduced attention rate, decreased reaction times, and detachment in reality. Using BHO during a time where you want to be productive may inhibit users from working at their usual pace. Since BHO is an unhealthy concentrate due to its extraction method using Butane, it may have negative effects through continued use. Long-term effects include tolerance to the effects of cannabis, weed dependence, and reduced cognitive functioning.
