[Updated] Homemade Dab Guide: How to make Shatter?

Every cannabis connoisseur who has experienced the potency of dabs can vouch for the dank experience that entails smoking them. If you're a weed lover, chances are you have heard about the sticky world of concentrates that bring only the choicest part of the buds. Of course, the result is a more potent product that sends you straight onto the high'er path like nothing else. 

If your brain is buzzing for some DIY project with the green herbs, you have come to the right place. In this article, we will be walking through the process of making shatter, a cannabis concentrate with a brittle, glass-like texture. Novice tokers, shatter may also be mentioned as dab, wax, or even hash oil. 

Make sure you follow the step-by-step guide of how to make shatter, ensuring that you take the precautions mentioned cause' let's face it, nobody likes to blow the roof of their house. 

Before we move with the process of how to make shatter, let's take a look at the extraction method for Cannabis Concentrates.

Concentrate Extraction Methods

Extracting Cannabis and turning them into sticky concentrate is nothing less than an art that involves the intricacies of Science. There are two major ways in which the extraction process is carried on - Solvent-based and Solventless. As the name evidently portrays, one of them entails the use of Solvent while the other does not. 

Solvent-based Extraction Methods are carried on with butane, carbon dioxide (CO2), propane, and ethanol which work to dissolve the cannabinoids and terpenes from the plant matter. On the other hand, solventless Extraction methods negate the use of harsh solvent but instead uses multiple other techniques to extricate the green bud's trichome resin. Some of these methods may involve the use of heat and pressure, resulting in sticky, flavoursome, potent concentrates such as bubble hash, kief, etc. 

Each type of extraction method has some pros and cons, and in this article, we will be discussing a solvent-based method of making shatter and another one where you just need kief. It is also important to note that propane and butane are the two types of solvent that are generally employed to do the job as they can extract the goodness of the plant swiftly and produce a high-quality batch. 

| Also Read: A Beginner's Guide to Cannabis Concentrates and their Consumption |

How to make Shatter - The step-by-step Guide

A word of caution before we proceed with the process - The BHO (Butane Hash Oil) method is a hazardous process, and you need to be extremely careful while handling the solvent, especially if you're carrying this out indoors. 

What will you need?

• One ounce of Weed (Preferred Strain)
• Butane Canister
• Cylindrical Extraction Tube
• Coffee Filters
• Pyrex (Glass) Dish
• Parchment Paper
• Double Boiler
• Razor Blades

Step 1: Grind your Weed

The first step is to turn that ounce of weed into shredded herbs, ensuring that it is dry but not too fresh. The idea is to pack the weed and butane together, and the estimate is that with a 12-ounce canister of butane, you would get 3.5 grams of yield. Of course, this also depends on the yield. 

| Also Read: The 15 Best Weed Grinders to Shred Your Herbs Perfectly |

Step 2: Extraction Tube Time!

The second step on how to make shatter involves the use of the cylindrical extraction tube. You can get one from our head shop or simply make one yourself.

Transfer the shredded herbs into the extractor, ensuring that you pack it accurately without leaving any air pocket as we want the solvent to saturate the weed. 

The extractors have a small hole at one end from wherein you stuff the Marijuana, and on another hand, we have a cap with several holes and an internal filter. Don't worry, if you don't have the internal filter, you can always use a coffee filter. 

This is where the main part comes in - You need to carefully and gently blast the butane through the top part until you consume the designated amount. Keep the Pyrex Container ready, and once you witness the dripping, allow the oil to collect in the container. It might take some time, but make sure you allow the amber-golden colour liquid to collect entirely. 

Since we are handling butane in this step, here's advice. While you're making Marijuana wax, make sure you take the butane outdoors, away from vehicles, buildings, or any other source of ignition, and in a place with ventilation. Butane is extremely explosive, and even an obscure light could lead to an explosion, and we don't want that!

Step 3: The Evaporation Bit

You might be thinking that the worst is behind you as all the butane has been used up, but that's not true. The amber-coloured oil that is collected in the Pyrex Container has bits of butane, which makes it extremely dangerous and unhealthy to be smoked up. 

Use an electric stove and a double boiler to evaporate the last remaining bit of Solvent from your precious cannabis concentrate. Using a gas stove is not recommended for the same reason - we don't want any fires. Place the container in the double boiler, and let the content boil, ensuring there is only true shatter left in the end. Once the shatter stops bubbling, that's your indication to switch off the stove. 

Step 4: Scrape and Store!

Getting on to the last step on how to make shatter, it is time to store your cannabis concentrates. If you have a scraping tool, use it to get the potent concentrate from the container into the parchment paper to cool. You can also use a razor to scrape and shatter if it is stubbornly stuck in the container. 

Now that you have your THC wax, it is time to get ripped! 

| Also Read: Smoking Dabs: What is Dabbing & How to do it |

How to make shatter without any Solvent?

Let's be honest, making shatter with butane solvent is a dangerous procedure. The highly flammable and explosive nature of the solvent discourages people from making their own, dope batch of sticky concentrate, but it doesn't have to be this way!

If you're looking for the solvent-free way of making shatter and still have dab-worthy concentrates, here's your guide. In this recipe, we use Kief, the highly potent and powdery substance that usually collects on the floor of your grinder, and slight pressure and heat for a potent dab. 

What do you need?

• Kief - You can find the different collection methods here.
• Parchment/Wax Paper
• Hair Straightener
• A piece of cloth or Oven Mittens

Step 1: Kief Time

Making Shatter with Kief is considerably easier than making it with butane. The first step involves pouring the kief onto the parchment paper, ensuring that it is not all over the place but constrained in a neat square shape. 

Step 2: Fold the Parchment

You have the kief onto the parchment paper but we need to wrap it up nicely for the heat and pressure to work. The idea is to fold the parchment paper in neat, tight squares around the kief. The aim here is to cover every bit of the kief, but nothing excess should be hanging around. Once done, use another sheet and fold it over the square. 

Step 3: It's Time for Heat and Pressure

Set your straightener to the lowest setting and allow it to heat for a minute or more. Once done, keep the folded parchment paper between the two hot rods and press down hard. 

As one of your hand clamps down the straightener, use the other one to press down on top, making the iron sandwiched between the surface and your hand. Make sure you check the outside temperature of the iron and wear oven mitts if necessary. 

Step 4: The Final Reveal

It's time for the Final Reveal!

Unfold the parchment paper after taking it out from the straightener. You will notice that your powdery kief has turned into a honey-coloured sticky wax and escaped the inside square of the parchment paper. That is fresh shatter and is ready to be dab-bed.

If you have more Kief left in the parchment paper, repeat the last two steps until you have consumed it all. 

| Also Read: Hashish 101 - What is Hash And How is it Used? |

How to Consume Shatter?

There are multiple ways in which you can consume your sticky concentrates. The most obvious way is to use a dab rig, that is specifically designed for the same. A dab rig involves the use of a heated nail, where you place the wax, a water-filled rig, and a mouthpiece to inhale the smoke from. You can also make use of a carb cap for flavourful low-temp dabs.

Remember that the high from the dab rig is very hard-hitting, so keep yourself prepared. 

| Also Read: 10 Best Electric Dab Rigs of 2021 - The Ultimate List |

You can also vape your shatter with the help of a vape pen and vaporizers. They are also pretty practical and discreet to be used. For a more enhanced and advanced approach, top off your bowl or line your joint with shatter and smoke. Make sure you're not exposing it directly to the flame to avoid burning it.

In the end, you can also use shatter to cook any edible or meal but infusing it into the butter or oil. However, keep in mind that exposing your concentrates to high temperatures might lose out on some of the terpenes. 

FAQs

Can you make shatter without butane?

Yes, there are different methods to make shatter without butane. You can make one with kief as discussed above. Some people also like to make shatter with alcohol. 

Does alcohol dissolve shatter?

Yes, Shatter dissolves easily in alcohol. If your shatter doesn’t dissolve, there is something fishy there and it would be best to have your doubts cleared.

Does shatter make you high?

Shatter is a more concentrated version of the green herb, containing almost 60% THC rather than the 20% found in most strains. They are very quick to get you high, and the effects are more intense. 

Is shatter stronger than wax?

Shatter has a stronger effect than wax, however, wax seems to take away the prize when it comes to aroma. Shatter is a more processed version than wax, and therefore, has a stronger high. 

Coming to the end of our dab guide on how to make Shatter, it is a good DIY project for a cannabis connoisseur who wants to save a few bucks in the long run. However, make sure you follow all the precautionary measures and start small with the consumption to enjoy the high effects without succumbing to the anxiety. 

Watch this space for more such articles. Till then, keep toking with Olivastu!