How Much of Your Harvest Do You Make of Use (and other questions)

[ExNavyInSTL]

I just bought an STX420 infuser (almost identical to the Magic Butter machine) and have grand plans of making infused MCT oil and alcohol-infused tinctures. Thus, becoming gummies and other edibles, as well as under-the-tongue drops.

This leads me to a few "making-the-most-of" questions:

(1) After bud, sugar-leaf shake, and kief, should I be saving/grinding anything else?

I guess what I am asking is, should we treat our whole plant the way a butcher does a cow? Cutaway the good stuff, then make hot dogs, head cheese, and gelatin with the rest?

(2) Not having a tester for THC%, do you just guess in the middle of the range given for percent expectations? For instance, if the cultivar I am harvesting says 17 - 22%, do you go with 19 or 20% for use with a dosing calculator?

In the beginning, I plan to make dispensary-level gummies at about 10% each. That way we can half for 5 or 15, or double for 20.

(3) How do you calculate kief percentage? I know it is more concentrated, but is there a rule of thumb to know? One site said it could be as high as 40 or 50%.

(4) What is your trusted calculator for breaking down the percentages for infused products? As an example, the Emily Kyle calculator has a check box to include theoretical loss due to carboxylation.

(5) What do you make in the kitchen (or other room) that might seem out of the ordinary with your stash?

Any other advice is appreciated when it comes to all the possibilities for this wonderful plant.

Edited to Add: I also plan to make electronic vape oil too.

 

[Orion]

I'm a pretty big fan of the alcohol extraction. I use everclear, some use isopropyl.
I'll freeze whatever plant material I'm going to use. It is put into a jar with the ever clear and shaken for a bit. The longer you shake the more you get but it will be less pure.
You then strain through coffee filters and I'll pour the solution into a baking dish lined with parchment paper. You could then put into low temp oven with the door cracked so fumes don't build up, but I like to let it evaporate at room temperature. I'll cover it with a towel and set it somewhere out of the way. It might take a few days this way but I think it is a better product when done like this. The finished product can be smoked in an oil burner or with a vaporizer for concentrates. You can also smear it on rolling papers for joints.

 

[mdabber]

You really can't tell there are machines that are not entirely accurate but are under 400 bucks. @Mañ'O'Green uses rosin you could make oil with ethanol too then it's closer to knowing the mg because oil is around 700mg a gram where your bud could be 15 30 if you press a fifteen percent bud less oil comes out then a thirty percent one. So oil is an easier way to dose but no where near exact you want that you need lab tests. Or to crystalize pure thca that is pure 99 percent but that requires chemistry. Because with bud there is no way to know

 

[mdabber]

What I'd recommend is an arizer solo vape .1 better flavor more efficient get more effect from less bud. @Fermented_Fruitz @Suki813

 

[Mañ'O'Green]

Asside from the obvious uses I make Salves from the fresh fan leaves espesially from the high CBD plants.

 

[mdabber]

You can recycle the plant material as fertilizer thru fermentation

 

[CannabisMingus]

I have nothing substantive to add but want to commend @ExNavyInSTL for an excellent question.

 

[Bob's Auto's]

I put all my trim in plastic bags inside the freezer until I have enough for making bubble hash with it.
The hash can be used as is or you can press it into rosin and go from there
I like to dissolve the hash into chocolate and then make a chocolate cake or brownies from it. Something about the chemistry that makes that very specific taste...

 

[CannabisMingus]

I like to dissolve the hash into chocolate and then make a chocolate cake or brownies from it.

ooooo- hadn't thought about doing that. Yum

 

[ExNavyInSTL]

This is the infusion machine I bought.