Capsules

shredder4

Well-Known Member
That's right capsules for medibles, and this includes weed, hash, rosin, rso, shatter, budder and whatever. They all can go in capsules, and they all should. I use gel caps and store them in the freezer although a refrigerator works fine as well. They can survive at room temps for a while but I don't recommend it. Veg caps don't hold up as well as gel caps, if you use them try to use them up fast.

BTW Shout out to @BadKittySmiles who taught us all this ten years ago. I've been making these that long.

So why capsules? Because they're discreet, convenient, have no taste, are easy to dose with, and they work well. Plus weed capsules have pretty much the same effects as smoking or vaping the same buds.

I use size 0 gel caps for concentrates and size 00 gel caps for weed. 00 size is what many supplements come in, and 0 caps are smaller. 00 caps hold .91ml and size 0 hold .68ml.

Since I said they're easy to dose with, here's how I do it. Lets throw out some random numbers. You have 12 grams of buds at 16% thc. (And while were at it don't use most dispensary numbers or breeder numbers for estimates. I generally use the lowest estimates I find and find those numbers show less surprises.) OK back to business, 16% means 160mg per gram, (16% of 1000mg) so 160 times 12 grams is 1920mg. Please note the 12 grams is after you decarb the buds, you can lose a few grams while decarbing, even if you pre dry the buds first.

So you have 1920mg to work with, but you want each cap to be 30mg. 1920mg divided by 30mg is 64, so you can make 64 doses at 30mg each. Still following me? It gets easier after a while.

64 doses using size 00 gel caps (.91ml) is 64 times .91ml and is 58.24ml. So you need to carefully measure your ingredients.

Your ingredients are decarbed buds ground post decarb into flower, dust, powder. The finer the grind the easier it will be to fill capsules with.
So into a graduated beaker (measuring cup works fine) find 58ml. Pour the weed powder into the beaker, followed by a dollop of liquid lecithin. (You can use powdered lecithin, but I recommend mixing the powdered lecithin in coconut oil first then adding that).

Now here's an important thing, be very careful not to add more total of everything than 58ml. So I like to pour a tiny amount of warmed coconut oil in on top the lecithin and weed powder and let that wet the powdered weed and I stir a little to help wet it. The weed absorbs the oil and volume will go down a little. Once it's mixed well I add warmed coconut oil to 58ml as marked on the beaker. If you get this part wrong, and it's easy to do, your numbers will no longer work.

Now it's a slurry and the beaker is filled to 58ml with a warmed up mix. I use a coffee warmer for heat. Coconut oil gets thinner and easier to work with when it's warm. At less than 76F it becomes a solid. Then to fill capsules I use a plastic pipette, and cut the tip back to make the opening bigger to allow sucking up the slurry easier than through a narrow opening. I stir every other cap or so to keep the mix consistent, as you go up in strength the mix gets thick and after 50mg or so, it gets too thick to work with. I fill caps by hand, fill one cap it and place it in a container sitting in ice cubes, today I used snow, lol. The cold underneath the container helps solidify the oil quicker than without. Don't get the capsules wet with water, they will melt, so keep them dry.

There you have it, if you measured correctly and consistently filled each cap to the same amount you should have 64 gel caps filled with weed at 30mg each. If you have more or less caps just divide the total thc number by the number of caps. You won't have lost any potency since your actually eating the weed itself, depending on your decarb ( I use a nova fx) you should have a fair amount of terpenes in each cap, but if desired you can add terpenes. When I do it's at one drop terpene per 10-12 capsules. I use sativa caps for sativa and likewise for indica. Some like blue dream has blue dream terpenes. I do thinking adding them is worth it.

It's basically the same with concentrates, decarb well, mix with oil and lecithin and put in caps. I use smaller caps for concentrates because you don't need the volume and can put more caps in the same size bottle. I bought pill bottles of amazon that I label. BTW everything but the weed can be bought on amazon, if you want one stop shopping, but they're not too hard to find elsewhere.
 
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LeastExpectedGrower

Well-Known Member
No questions? No comments?
Yes. ;)

Ms. Least Expected Grower opined that she really likes the chocolate I've given her, but would love to just take a 'pill' and get the same effect. So I'm looking at doing capsules, but won't be using decarb in the capsules but would rather like to use infused coconut oil, etc.

I have a bunch of 1ml syringes, so I think the measuring to fill capsules will be easy enough, and I can math with the best of 'em. Coconut oil is great because it remains solid at our regular room temps. But I'd like to consider using MCT oil but it's not solid at room temps...thoughts on whether that would work with standard capsules or will they just be a soupy mess and leak all over the place?
 

shredder4

Well-Known Member
Yes. ;)

Ms. Least Expected Grower opined that she really likes the chocolate I've given her, but would love to just take a 'pill' and get the same effect. So I'm looking at doing capsules, but won't be using decarb in the capsules but would rather like to use infused coconut oil, etc.

I have a bunch of 1ml syringes, so I think the measuring to fill capsules will be easy enough, and I can math with the best of 'em. Coconut oil is great because it remains solid at our regular room temps. But I'd like to consider using MCT oil but it's not solid at room temps...thoughts on whether that would work with standard capsules or will they just be a soupy mess and leak all over the place?
The beauty of using the herb itself, is you don't lose anything since your eating the the herb. In capsules you dont taste anything, so no worries there. One last point is weed capsules (with weed) are more like vaping or smoking than other edibles in effects. I think terpenes in the herb have something to do with it. I have a dozen varieties, although a couple are hash/rosin caps.

I started by straining like you would making butter then switched. Maybe try some each way?

I have heard of people using mct oil, (and olive oil) in capsules but I haven't tried that myself.

I know gel caps are more durable than veggie caps, and water will melt both.

To fill capsules I like plastic pipettes. I cut back the tips to facilitate the fairly thick slurry. A syring might work if the mix was thin.
 

LeastExpectedGrower

Well-Known Member
The beauty of using the herb itself, is you don't lose anything since your eating the the herb. In capsules you dont taste anything, so no worries there. One last point is weed capsules (with weed) are more like vaping or smoking than other edibles in effects. I think terpenes in the herb have something to do with it. I have a dozen varieties, although a couple are hash/rosin caps.

I started by straining like you would making butter then switched. Maybe try some each way?

I have heard of people using mct oil, (and olive oil) in capsules but I haven't tried that myself.

I know gel caps are more durable than veggie caps, and water will melt both.

To fill capsules I like plastic pipettes. I cut back the tips to facilitate the fairly thick slurry. A syring might work if the mix was thin.
Thanks. I think I'll play around a bit. I'll get some caps and try a few things. Knowing my conspirator, she'll be super sensitive about burping up weed-flavor, etc.
 

CaptainCAVEMAN

Well-Known Member
That's right capsules for medibles, and this includes weed, hash, rosin, rso, shatter, budder and whatever. They all can go in capsules, and they all should. I use gel caps and store them in the freezer although a refrigerator works fine as well. They can survive at room temps for a while but I don't recommend it. Veg caps don't hold up as well as gel caps, if you use them try to use them up fast.

BTW Shout out to @BadKittySmiles who taught us all this ten years ago. I've been making these that long.

So why capsules? Because they're discreet, convenient, have no taste, are easy to dose with, and they work well. Plus weed capsules have pretty much the same effects as smoking or vaping the same buds.

I use size 0 gel caps for concentrates and size 00 gel caps for weed. 00 size is what many supplements come in, and 0 caps are smaller. 00 caps hold .91ml and size 0 hold .68ml.

Since I said they're easy to dose with, here's how I do it. Lets throw out some random numbers. You have 12 grams of buds at 16% thc. (And while were at it don't use most dispensary numbers or breeder numbers for estimates. I generally use the lowest estimates I find and find those numbers show less surprises.) OK back to business, 16% means 160mg per gram, (16% of 1000mg) so 160 times 12 grams is 1920mg. Please note the 12 grams is after you decarb the buds, you can lose a few grams while decarbing, even if you pre dry the buds first.

So you have 1920mg to work with, but you want each cap to be 30mg. 1920mg divided by 30mg is 64, so you can make 64 doses at 30mg each. Still following me? It gets easier after a while.

64 doses using size 00 gel caps (.91ml) is 64 times .91ml and is 58.24ml. So you need to carefully measure your ingredients.

Your ingredients are decarbed buds ground post decarb into flower, dust, powder. The finer the grind the easier it will be to fill capsules with.
So into a graduated beaker (measuring cup works fine) find 58ml. Pour the weed powder into the beaker, followed by a dollop of liquid lecithin. (You can use powdered lecithin, but I recommend mixing the powdered lecithin in coconut oil first then adding that).

Now here's an important thing, be very careful not to add more total of everything than 58ml. So I like to pour a tiny amount of warmed coconut oil in on top the lecithin and weed powder and let that wet the powdered weed and I stir a little to help wet it. The weed absorbs the oil and volume will go down a little. Once it's mixed well I add warmed coconut oil to 58ml as marked on the beaker. If you get this part wrong, and it's easy to do, your numbers will no longer work.

Now it's a slurry and the beaker is filled to 58ml with a warmed up mix. I use a coffee warmer for heat. Coconut oil gets thinner and easier to work with when it's warm. At less than 76F it becomes a solid. Then to fill capsules I use a plastic pipette, and cut the tip back to make the opening bigger to allow sucking up the slurry easier than through a narrow opening. I stir every other cap or so to keep the mix consistent, as you go up in strength the mix gets thick and after 50mg or so, it gets too thick to work with. I fill caps by hand, fill one cap it and place it in a container sitting in ice cubes, today I used snow, lol. The cold underneath the container helps solidify the oil quicker than without. Don't get the capsules wet with water, they will melt, so keep them dry.

There you have it, if you measured correctly and consistently filled each cap to the same amount you should have 64 gel caps filled with weed at 30mg each. If you have more or less caps just divide the total thc number by the number of caps. You won't have lost any potency since your actually eating the weed itself, depending on your decarb ( I use a nova fx) you should have a fair amount of terpenes in each cap, but if desired you can add terpenes. When I do it's at one drop terpene per 10-12 capsules. I use sativa caps for sativa and likewise for indica. Some like blue dream has blue dream terpenes. I do thinking adding them is worth it.

It's basically the same with concentrates, decarb well, mix with oil and lecithin and put in caps. I use smaller caps for concentrates because you don't need the volume and can put more caps in the same size bottle. I bought pill bottles of amazon that I label. BTW everything but the weed can be bought on amazon, if you want one stop shopping, but they're not too hard to find elsewhere.
Nice write up, thanks for sharing. I'm about to do this but the numbers won't work because I don't know the thc%.

I suppose I'll just have to test drive each batch! :D
 

shredder4

Well-Known Member
Nice write up, thanks for sharing. I'm about to do this but the numbers won't work because I don't know the thc%.

I suppose I'll just have to test drive each batch! :D
Most of us just use an estimate. I go a little under the average listed for that variety on the weed sites. I guess that helps if you know the variety. If not then you could compare with a known variety. Average weed would generally be roughly 15%. And weigh after decarbing because the buds do lose weight.

One consideration would be to make small batches. Then adjust if needed if you build up a tolerance, or if its too weak or strong. Sometimes I just fill a couple capsules to try before capping a whole batch.
 

LeastExpectedGrower

Well-Known Member
Most of us just use an estimate. I go a little under the average listed for that variety on the weed sites. I guess that helps if you know the variety. If not then you could compare with a known variety. Average weed would generally be roughly 15%. And weigh after decarbing because the buds do lose weight.

One consideration would be to make small batches. Then adjust if needed if you build up a tolerance, or if its too weak or strong. Sometimes I just fill a couple capsules to try before capping a whole batch.
Looking at numbers, for me to get 8ish mg per capsule (size 0), it looks like I'll be trying to cram about 20g into a cup of oil. I always aim in that 7-10mg range for most of our edibles so that you can choose your own adventure...1, 2, 3 or more depending on if you're not looking to really feel much or if you want to take a ride.
 

shredder4

Well-Known Member
Looking at numbers, for me to get 8ish mg per capsule (size 0), it looks like I'll be trying to cram about 20g into a cup of oil. I always aim in that 7-10mg range for most of our edibles so that you can choose your own adventure...1, 2, 3 or more depending on if you're not looking to really feel much or if you want to take a ride.
It takes me approximately 15mg to feel any effects, our edibles range from 18-50mg with most around 35mg.

Have you read bad kitty's thread and see how much she used, lol.

Most of our weed capsules start as roughly a half ounce of buds and we make in the neighborhood of 60+ capsules from that.

BTW thanks for reviving this thread. I really think it a valuable and important way to make and dose edibles. Hopefully more people will see how easy this is and how well it works.
 
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waterproof808

Well-Known Member
Yes. ;)

Ms. Least Expected Grower opined that she really likes the chocolate I've given her, but would love to just take a 'pill' and get the same effect. So I'm looking at doing capsules, but won't be using decarb in the capsules but would rather like to use infused coconut oil, etc.

I have a bunch of 1ml syringes, so I think the measuring to fill capsules will be easy enough, and I can math with the best of 'em. Coconut oil is great because it remains solid at our regular room temps. But I'd like to consider using MCT oil but it's not solid at room temps...thoughts on whether that would work with standard capsules or will they just be a soupy mess and leak all over the place?
I use a combo of coconut and MCT oil in regular 00 caps and they dont leak if you store them in the fridge. It helps alot to get one of those cap fillers, like the Cap'M Quik, that will hold around 50 caps upright so you can fill them all at once and cap them easily.
 

shredder4

Well-Known Member
Anyone tried bad kitty's hash caps? Her thread is the one that got me started. However I tried her recipe of 5 grams of good bubble hash for 15 capsules and regretted it, lol.

 

waterproof808

Well-Known Member
Anyone tried bad kitty's hash caps? Her thread is the one that got me started. However I tried her recipe of 5 grams of good bubble hash for 15 capsules and regretted it, lol.

Last time I made them with one drop of rso per cap and filled the rest of the way with infused coconut/mct oil and they were extremely potent. My friends wife ate one and couldnt go to work the next day.
 

shredder4

Well-Known Member
I'm making sleep capsules from sift hash decarbed twice, decarbed once rosin, cbd isolate, lecithin, coconut oil, and melatonin at 1.5mg per capsule. I bought bulk melatonin powder off amazon. It's my second batch with these exact ingredients. We were pleased with the first batch of 190 so I replicated it. Approx 35mg thc, 10mg cbd, 1.5mg melatonin per dose.

My freezer capsule stash
20220824_115602.jpg
Filling capsules
20220824_115505.jpg
 
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LeastExpectedGrower

Well-Known Member
My capsules and extra pipettes arrive today, so hopefully I get a chance in the next week. In the meantime, I'd handed off some chocolate to a friend & he loved it, so I offered to make more for him and a bit stronger that what I make for us.
 

shredder4

Well-Known Member
My capsules and extra pipettes arrive today, so hopefully I get a chance in the next week. In the meantime, I'd handed off some chocolate to a friend & he loved it, so I offered to make more for him and a bit stronger that what I make for us.
Have you made loaded sugar yet? That's very popular around here. I make it at 2ml feco per cup of sugar disolved ( I used brown sugar)20220507_135843.jpg20220507_112404.jpg20220507_161153.jpg in 1/2-3/4 cup of 190 alcohol. Then just evaporate off the alcohol. I use it in coffee and lemonade.
 

LeastExpectedGrower

Well-Known Member
Have you made loaded sugar yet? That's very popular around here. I make it at 2ml feco per cup of sugar disolved ( I used brown sugar)View attachment 5186653View attachment 5186654View attachment 5186655 in 1/2-3/4 cup of 190 alcohol. Then just evaporate off the alcohol. I use it in coffee and lemonade.

That looks good, and no I haven't tried it. It wasn't even on the radar as something to do. Thanks!

I did get a new scale so I could better measure my end FECO amounts... My old 'fine' scale only weighed up to 100g and I needed something that I could weigh the jars I reduce in that could handle 4/8/16oz jars to get a better idea of my dosing.
 

shredder4

Well-Known Member
That looks good, and no I haven't tried it. It wasn't even on the radar as something to do. Thanks!

I did get a new scale so I could better measure my end FECO amounts... My old 'fine' scale only weighed up to 100g and I needed something that I could weigh the jars I reduce in that could handle 4/8/16oz jars to get a better idea of my dosing.
I store feco in one and three ml syringes. Weight of the oil is approximately .91mg for the 1ml syringe. But yes good scales are a big help.
 

LeastExpectedGrower

Well-Known Member
I store feco in one and three ml syringes. Weight of the oil is approximately .91mg for the 1ml syringe. But yes good scales are a big help.
My smaller scale (the one that only weighs up to 100g is great for finer weighing and all, and I have a bigger scale that I use for kitchen things, but needed something in between. This will allow me to measure in the jar get accurate weights and then calculate strength much more easily.
 

LeastExpectedGrower

Well-Known Member
IMG_4215.jpg

Trying a few things out to compare. just processed a batch of capsules using this method with flower (Tangerine Dream) that's been decarbed then ground down and mixed with coconut oil & a bit of lecithin. If it comes out as planned it should be ~8 to 10 mg per capsule.

Also running a coconut infusion with 8g of Northern Lights right now. That batch won't have any solids involved, and should be just a little shy of the batch with flower in it.

In the next few days I'll also do another batch with Durban poison. Looking forward to seeing the different results, one as an infusion, two with flower, and also the comparison between the Durban vs. the Northern Lights vs. Tangerine dream to see if there is a noticable difference between infusion vs. full spectrum and if I can tell a difference between one that's more of a pure sativa and one that leans indica.
 

shredder4

Well-Known Member
View attachment 5195332

Trying a few things out to compare. just processed a batch of capsules using this method with flower (Tangerine Dream) that's been decarbed then ground down and mixed with coconut oil & a bit of lecithin. If it comes out as planned it should be ~8 to 10 mg per capsule.

Also running a coconut infusion with 8g of Northern Lights right now. That batch won't have any solids involved, and should be just a little shy of the batch with flower in it.

In the next few days I'll also do another batch with Durban poison. Looking forward to seeing the different results, one as an infusion, two with flower, and also the comparison between the Durban vs. the Northern Lights vs. Tangerine dream to see if there is a noticable difference between infusion vs. full spectrum and if I can tell a difference between one that's more of a pure sativa and one that leans indica.
When I first started making weed capsules I used a mix of varieties, and forms. It took using specific strains to notice varietal differences.

Now, and for me, I find the most varietal differences with herb, then rosin, hash, feco, and rso in that order. I have never used distillate but I think it would be the most generic. I believe the terpenes in each may explain those differences.

That led me to using store bought food grade terpenes. This experiment is on going without many conclusions yet. Other than possibly food grade sativa terpenes may work better than indica but that may be the actual quality and amounts of the terpenes.

I think terpenes on buds are superior but food grade terpenes can make differences.
 
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