Ready to learn how to make marijuana shatter and wax? Here’s a breakdown between the two as well as an intro into BHO concentrates, how to use them, and how to make shatter from the comfort of your own home.
What is shatter?
Shatter is a cannabis concentrate named after the hard glass-like consistency it takes on that breaks apart into shards like glass. It’s a gold-to-amber colored concentrate that is made in a solvent-based butane-hash-oil extraction process. Similar to wax, CO2 oils, resins, and other solvent-based concentrates, shatter is usually dabbed, though because it melts easily, it can be consumed in several different ways. Shatter typically checks in between 80-90% THC.
How is shatter made?
Shatter is made in a solvent-based extraction process using butane, ethanol, or CO2. Most shatters are made using butane, which is why they’re sometimes called BHO. In a BHO hydrocarbon extraction method, cannabis is forced into a tube and solvents are passed through to strip plant materials away from cannabinoids and terpenes.
The oil collected at the end of this process is known as butane hash oil. After it’s collected, it’s then purged of residual solvents and winterized to remove excess fats and lipids. Unlike other concentrates, shatter is purged and then laid flat to finish evaporating. As it cools, it hardens and takes on a rigid, glass-like texture.
While you can make shatter at home, it’s best left to the professionals with high-tech lab equipment. Making BHO concentrates can be dangerous since butane fumes are flammable and often result in accidental explosions in home environments. Professional shatter is made in a closed-loop extraction system that contains these fumes. They’re also lab tested and free of impurities, so trust us, you’re saving time, hassle and money by spending the $20 for a gram of shatter instead of making it yourself.
How to make shatter: a step by step guide
Ready to learn how to make dabs? Use this step-by-step guide to make your own shatter at home. You can also learn how to make cannabis wax by following the optional steps at the end of the process. You can learn how to make THC wax and shatter using the same process outlined below.
To make roughly 3.5g of shatter, you will need:
- 1 oz of weed, pre-ground and laid out to dry for about 2 hours
- Glass extraction tube
- 12-oz Butane canister, plus extra
- Coffee filters
- Double boiler and an electric stove
- Borosillicate glass dish for collection (Pyrex)
- Parchment paper
- Razor blades
- 3 cfm one-stage vac pump
Step one: Fill your extraction tube with weed
Honey oil extractors can be purchased at most headshops or on Amazon. Fill it up with weed, packing it lightly but not tightly. You want butane to be able to saturate all of the bud, but you don’t want air pockets.
Step 2: Soak your weed with butane
Make sure you do this outside away from any possible fire starters. Start by securing a coffee filter at the top of the tube. Slowly spray butane through it into the tube until the canister is empty and a thick green or brown oil drips from the bottom of the tube into your glass collection container.
Step 3: Allow the butane to evaporate
Once your extraction tube isn’t secreting any more oils, you can take your collection container and tube and begin the process of evaporation. DO NOT start this process with a gas range, you must use an electric range to prevent an explosion. Fill your double boiler and place the glass container in the top portion of the boiler. Allow the liquid ample time to evaporate, removing the butane and leaving behind shatter. You’ll know it’s ready when the shatter stops bubbling.
Step 4: Purge excess butane
By now, you have thick, amber colored shatter. However, there are still trace amounts of butane in there that need to be purged. Lay your oil in a glass dish inside the chamber of a 3 cfm one-stage vacuum pump. Excess air and butane will be sucked out through the pump, leaving behind a cleaner, purified shatter.
Step 5 (Optional): Aerate your shatter
By whipping and folding oxygen into your BHO, you can create wax. If your end goal is to make wax, don’t skip this step. This mechanical process changes the consistency of your shatter, leaving you with something softer and more malleable for dabbing.
Step 6: Scrape and store
After purging, you can use a razor blade to scrape the concentrate from the container and lay it on a sheet of parchment paper to cool. As the concentrate cools, it hardens into shatter. If you aerated it before cooling, you’ll have wax. All you have to do is lay it flat on the parchment paper, and it’s ready to enjoy after it’s fully cooled to room temperature. Simply smoke and enjoy.
4 ways to smoke shatter
Now that you know how to make shatter wax at home, you’re probably wondering what all you can do with your final product. There are many different ways to use shatter to enhance your smoking experience, which we’ve broken down below.
- Dab it — Dabbing shatter is easy. All you have to do is heat your dab rig up using a torch or an e-nail and let it go to about 350-450°F. From there, apply the concentrate to the banger using a dab tool, and use a carb cap to trap the vapor. Inhale from the dab rig and enjoy.
- Use it as a bowl topper — if you don’t have a full dabbing setup, you’ll have to know how to dab without a rig. One of the best thing about shatter wax is that it crumbles into little pieces and has a rigid texture that is easy to work with. You can add shatter to your favorite flower products to help make the flower burn longer and feel more potent. Just take a few shards of your shatter and mix it in with the flower in your bowl, bong, or pipe. For best results, distribute it as evenly as you can for a smoother, longer-lasting burn.
- Use it in joints or blunts — Like bowl topping, you can also use shatter in pre-rolls. Simply break the shatter up and mix it into the flower you’ll use to roll your joints. Alternatively, you can twist stretchy shatter around a pre-roll or melt the shatter at a low temperature until it’s viscous and dip your pre-rolls inside.
- Add it to a dab pen or vaporizer — If you have a dual-use vaporizer or a dab pen, you can add your weed shatter into the chamber, set your temperature, and inhale. It’s a quick and easy way to take dabs without all of the extra equipment involved with dabbing.
