Shatter 101 - What it is and how it’s made

What is Shatter Weed? - Shatter, AKA shatter weed, is a concentrate that is made by extracting the THC and CBD from dry plant material and then condensing it. Shatter is most famous for its semi-translucent yellow color, hard easy to shatter consistency and its powerful mind-altering effects when ingested. Shatter will usually contain a minimum of 20% THC content and can easily go as high as 90% if the right strain of plant is used.

How to Make Smoke Shatter

Shatter tends to be a more difficult concentrate for many to work with. It’s hard and difficult to break apart and measure. While shatter can be smoked several different ways, there are also devices made exclusively for harder concentrates that can help make experimenting a bit easier.

Method One - In A Joint

Joints are one of the most widely used ways of ingesting cannabis and a great starting point for beginners. When adding shatter to a joint, you want to begin by lining a rolling paper with weed. Shatter may appear hard, but that goes away instantly once heated. You cannot roll a joint consisting of pure shatter because it wouldn’t stay burning. If you try, you will end up with a soggy paper and a lot of wasted product that will be difficult to reuse. You want a dried herb to shatter ratio of a maximum 2:1. Less, in this case, is almost always better.

Method Two - Adding to A Bowl

Much like when adding to a joint, you will want to start with a base of ground died but in your bowl. This certainly isn’t the most recommended method since putting shatter through pipes or bongs will clog them quickly especially if you add too much. Without a thick layer of bud, your shatter will run down the stem and won’t get to be burned. When using bowls to smoke shatter, you will want a ratio closer to 1-part concentrate and four parts dried bud.

Method Three - Using Am Oil Rig

This is the ultimate way to thoroughly enjoy smoking shatter. You can purchase an oil rig for shatter for anywhere from $20- $1000. While that price range may sound a little intimidating, they all function on the same basic principles. The more expensive ones will do some of the extra work for you by coming equipped with a heat element. When using an oil rig, a flame or heat element is used to heat a nail to around 600 F. The nail is then pressed onto the concentrate which is placed in a bowl to contain it. It will instantly burn and can be inhaled using a mouthpiece. This is considered the most efficient and most powerful method of smoking shatter. Usually offering an incredibly condensed hit that can be a little bit harsh. This method is not recommended for new users because the effects are intense and have the potential to be overwhelming especially for new users of concentrates.

How to Make Shatter Wax

Ingredients and Tools Needed:

• 1 ounce of dried marijuana
• 2 cans of butane
• 1 extraction tube
• 1 filter (coffee filter, cheesecloth or mine mesh screen will work)
• 1 stovetop
• 1 glass or stainless-steel bowl
• Parchment paper or concentrate container
• 1 frying pan
• Water

Instructions
Step 1 - Grind one ounce of dried bud and pack it into your extraction tube. For those who don’t have one or have no idea what one is, you can also use a container. Preferably made of something other than plastic that you can comfortably drill a hole into that will fit the tip from the butane cans. The other end needs to be cut off or already open so almost anything tube-shaped can work for this process.

Step 2 - Cover the large open end of your tube with cheesecloth or a coffee filter. They can be attached to the tube using an elastic.

Step 3 - Hold the tube open side down over a clean glass or stainless-steel bowl and press the tip of the butane tube while holding the can upside down until you hear it releasing the fluid. Hold it there until the can is completely empty.

Step 4 - Open your second can and repeat step three. Once finished remove the butane can and hold the tube over the bowl until you no longer see drips of liquid.

Step 5 - Now it’s time to evaporate the solvent. To do this, you will need to fill a frying pan approximately halfway with water, leaving enough room to set the bowl on top of it without overflowing.

Step 6 - Turn the burner to low heat. Eventually, you will see the mixture begin to bubble. This is where the solvents will start to evaporate. You may need to continue to add water through this process. Without water, your product will burn and could combust.

Step 7 - Once mixture no longer bubbles than you know it’s done. At this point, you can collect the concentrate and place in containers for storage.

Precautions

It is important to note that butane is extremely flammable and will give off fumes that can be dangerous for everyone. Be sure to complete this process in a well-ventilated room. If you don’t have one, consider moving outside and using a camping stove. While shatter can be a fun way to ingest cannabis, it is incredibly dangerous to make, and all safety precautions possible should be taken to ensure the safest experience.