Why and How to Decarb Rosin

How to Decarb Rosin for Edibles and Vapes

What Does “Decarbing” Mean?

Decarbing is short for decarboxylation which is the process of adding heat to your extract or flower to “activate” certain cannabinoids. Acidic cannabinoids like THCA are considered inactive and will not produce a high when ingested. It is only once THCA converts (decarbs) into Delta-9 THC that it will produce a high. When smoking marijuana flower, the decarbing process occurs right when you spark that bowl or joint. Decarbing extracts like rosin is a pretty simple process that only requires time and heat.

Do You Have to Decarb Rosin?

You may have heard that rosin fully decarbs during the rosin pressing process, but this is unfortunately not true. While the rosin press plates may reach temperatures necessary for decarboxylation, there is not nearly enough time to finish the process when on the press. Therefore, to use rosin for edibles, you must decarb the rosin so that all of the THCA is fully converted into Delta-9 THC to get users high when consuming edibles.

Decarbing can also help you achieve a good consistency of your rosin if you are going to make vapes. Rosin fresh off the press will have a high viscosity and therefore will not flow very easily or quickly. This can be problematic if you are attempting to make vapes with your rosin. Decarbing your rosin using Jar Tech will lower the viscosity of your rosin so that you can successfully make rosin vape carts.

It is NOT necessary to decarb rosin if you are dabbing it. The decarbing process will take place once the rosin hits your hot banger, similar to how flower decarbs when lit. 

How to Decarb Rosin (Jar Tech)

Decarbing rosin is as simple as putting it in a jar, sealing it, putting it in the oven at 220℉ – 250℉ and waiting about 30 minutes until the rosin stops bubbling.  This technique has been referred to by many as Jar Tech.

As you begin the process, first the rosin will melt. Then you will see bubbles beginning to form in the rosin. Now, the rosin will begin to expand and you will see more bubbles. These bubbles are CO₂ being released. Next, the rosin will begin to darken as the bubble rate increases. Finally, the rosin will take on a more clear appearance as the bubbling slows and eventually stops all together.

What is the Best Temperature to Decarb Rosin

Different cannabinoids decarboxylate at different temperatures. For example, THCA can decarb at around 200℉, but you may miss out on other cannabinoids at a lower temperature like that. This is why it is generally believed that the best temperature to decarb at is about 220℉ – 250℉ for about 30 minutes in the oven. 

How to Decarb Rosin for Edibles

To begin, first preheat your oven to 220℉. It is important to note that many ovens are a bit inaccurate so it may be worth investing in a thermometer to accurately gauge and adjust your temperature. 

While the oven is heating up, place your rosin into a glass jar and seal it with the lid. Be sure not to fill your jar up too much. When decarbing, the rosin will bubble, so you must leave room for that expansion. 

When the oven has reached your target temperature, place the sealed jar into the oven. The process should take about 30 minutes, but it could be a bit shorter or longer. You will know when the rosin has fully decarbed when it stops bubbling.

After you have decarb your rosin, it is important to let it cool and come to room temperature before opening the jar lid. If you open a hot jar, you risk losing some valuable terpenes that you just worked so hard to retain. The jar can be used immediately or stored in a refrigerator.

How to Decarb Rosin for Vapes

When decarbing rosin for vapes, the goal is not to fully decarb the rosin like you want to when decarbing rosin for edibles. Instead, the goal is a more usable consistency. The process of decarbing rosin for vapes is exactly the same as decarbing rosin for edibles (see above for a step-by-step guide). The stopping point is just a bit different. Instead of waiting for the bubbles to fully stop, you can stop the decarb process and remove the jar from the oven when the rosin becomes more clear and the bubbling slows down. This is a partial decarb, but the consistency is exactly where you need it to be to make vapes.

After you have decarb your rosin, it is important to let it cool and come to room temperature before opening the jar lid. If you open a hot jar, you risk losing some valuable terpenes that you just worked so hard to retain. The jar can be used immediately or stored in a refrigerator.

How to Decarb Rosin Chips for Edibles

How to decarb rosin chips for edibles: first preheat your oven to 220℉. Now find a glass bowl or baking dish and break up your rosin chips inside. Cover up your broken up rosin chips inside the baking dish with the amount of oil you would like to use.

Once the oven has preheated, cover the baking dish and place it inside the oven for about 30 minutes. After the decarb process, let your oil cool to room temperature before straining out the broken up rosin chips. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. 

How to Use Decarbed Rosin For Edibles

Decarbed rosin can be infused into butter, oil, or another fat and then used to make edibles. This is as simple as lightly heating up a mixture of butter/oil and your decarbed rosin and mixing them until it homogenizes. 

Unlike making butter with cannabis flower, making butter with rosin does not require you to filter our plant matter as there is already none to filter out!

Dosing is an important consideration when making rosin edibles. Rosin has a much, much, much higher potency than flower, so a little bit of rosin will go a very long way. For example, 1 gram of rosin may be 65% THC which means it has 650 mg of THC. A good starting dose for edibles is about 5 mg of THC, so with 1 gram of rosin, you can make 130 single dose edibles (650/5=130). If you are only making one tray of brownies (12 brownies), consider using just 1/8th of a gram of rosin. This will result in around 5-8 mg of THC per brownie.