For weed enthusiasts, there’s nothing better than walking into a dispensary and seeing all kinds of weed products on the shelves, just waiting to be bought. And not only its legality has changed, but its potency as well! Weed nowadays is much more potent than it was in the past, dank weed having the highest THC content that can go well over 20-25%, which is pretty high.
However, even the most potent cannabis bud can’t compare to a cannabis concentrate. These products can sweep even the most experienced users off their feet. With THC levels that can go up to 90%, concentrates are the purest and most high-quality cannabis products you can find on the market today.
Depending on their texture and the way they’re produced, there are all kinds of concentrates: shatter, budder, sugar, wax, rosin, live resin, and others. All are great, but today we want to talk about crumble wax as one of the most versatile concentrates because it can be used in more ways than one.
What Type of Cannabis Products Are Cannabis Concentrates?
Cannabis concentrates are products that contain solely the active ingredients present in the marijuana plant, mainly the cannabinoids THC and/or CBD and terpenes. The plant material is processed in such a way that only the cannabinoids and terpenes are extracted from the trichomes, while the unnecessary starches, chlorophyll, oils, and other compounds are stripped away. This results in a very potent cannabis extract with high THC and CBD levels.
The extraction can be done via mechanical or physical processing – resulting in products such as kief, rosin, and dry sift. The other method is by using a solvent to extract the active ingredients, and the resulting products are budder, shatter, wax, live resin, cannabis oil, and THC crumble, among others.
What Type of Concentrate Is Crumble Wax?
Crumble wax, wax crumble, honeycomb wax, or just crumble is one of the driest among the cannabis extracts because it has a very malleable but crumbly texture when handled. Its texture is unique because unlike other types of concentrates, crumble is processed at a lower temperature for a prolonged period of time, allowing for all the moisture to evaporate. This process also preserves a lot of terpenes, which makes crumble very fragrant.
Crumble may be a bit harder to handle than other concentrates because of its texture, so you’ll definitely need a spoon-shaped dabber tool to measure it. However, it’s also a lot more versatile than other concentrates and can be used with a variety of consumption methods.
How Can You Use Crumble Wax?
Apart from dabbing, you can also try vaping crumble. If your vaporizer supports vaping concentrates, crumble can be a great addition to your routine, and much less bulky than a dab rig.
You can also try “seasoning” some dry herbs before you smoke a joint or even when you load a bong. Its dry texture is what allows crumble to blend well with dry cannabis buds.
Finally, you can also infuse some edible oils with crumble, like coconut oil. Heat the oil at a low temperature and add some crumble. You can later use the oil to make edibles or to spice up your morning coffee. Be careful how much you add, though, because crumble is a concentrate after all, and it’s very potent.
Can I Make My Own Crumble Wax?
Many weed connoisseurs, especially the DIYers among them, are interested in making their own cannabis products, including crumble wax.
While it’s not entirely impossible to make your own crumble wax (more on that below), you should know that due to the use of highly flammable solvents like butane, making your own dab can be very dangerous and probably illegal, depending on your state’s laws.
When the extraction process is done in a manufacturing facility, there is high safety and quality control, and not to mention professional equipment. The concentrate gets thoroughly lab-tested to ensure there isn’t any residual solvent in the final product.
Improper handling of highly flammable substances can also lead to property damage and injury, so we don’t recommend trying it at home.
That being said, we do include a DIY method below purely for informational purposes.
You’ll need:
- Fresh or dry cannabis flowers (you can also include some trim)
- Pyrex tray
- Roller extractor (Xtractor)
- Pot of hot water
- A can of refined gas (Colibri or Clipper)
- A dabber tool
- Infrared thermometer
- Large silicone mat
- A desiccator
- A vacuum pump
- Blades for scraping
Step 1
First, fill the roller extractor with cannabis flowers and pack it as tightly as you can. To check if air can still get through, blow through it. Freeze the roller extractor together with the butane you want to use. Leave it in the freezer for 24 hours;
Step 2
Next, place the Pyrex tray under the roller extractor and gas the extractor. It’s strongly recommended that you’re in an area with plenty of ventilation, ideally outside, so you can avoid inhaling the gas. Move away and wait for the gas to fully evaporate until you see a paste;
Step 3
Put the pot of water on the stove – don’t use a gas hob with an open flame under any circumstances because it’s too dangerous. Set it to low heat and wait for the water to heat up. Once it’s hot enough, place the Pyrex tray over the pot so that the steam from the water goes directly to the tray;
Step 4
Use the infrared thermometer to check on the water and make sure it doesn’t go over 104 degrees Fahrenheit because it can combust the terpenes. When the temperature is close to 104 degrees, remove the tray, wipe the water, and put it back. This is for safety reasons, to make sure any leftover gas can fully evaporate;
Step 5
Next, you should use your dabber tool whenever you notice any bubbles appearing in the paste, which should be thickening and drying. Then, when the paste has become a little drier, start scraping the bottom of the tray in every direction possible using the dabber tool.
During this step, make sure you still maintain the temperature under 104 degrees. This step can take a long time, a few hours on average. The paste will gradually go from gloopy to having a more crumbly, cookie-like texture with an opaque color. When it has reached this point, scrape it all off and place it on the silicone mat;
Step 6
Then, put the concentrate in the desiccator for the purging process and connect it with the vacuum pump. Leave it for about 15 minutes before you check on it, or use a timer. Taking a picture before you put it in the desiccator for comparison is a good idea.
Don’t open the desiccator or interrupt the vacuum to check on it, and don’t remove the concentrate until it has dried completely. You will know if it’s fully dry by the way it looks, but don’t remove it to check;
Step 7
Finally, when it’s completely dry after the vacuum purge, remove the pressure of the vacuum to let the air in, and remove the final product. Make sure you get every little piece of it out because it’s valuable and potent. Store it in a glass or silicone container rather than parchment paper.
Bottom Line – Doable, But Not Recommended
Weed crumble is one of the most versatile cannabis concentrates out there because it can be used not only for dabbing but also with other methods of consumption. It’s also one of the most fragrant concentrates, so it’s great for those who put taste first.
Still, making crumble wax is a process best left to professionals because of the numerous hazards connected to working with a highly flammable substance. While making your own THC crumble is doable, you should be aware of the many dangers it carries. Should you attempt to do it, please be very careful and make sure it’s legal to do so in your state/country.
