Vaporizing not just provide you with rich chemical compounds and cannabinoids, that can be beneficial to your health, but also decarboxylating the flower, which can be reused in many ways.

From creating your own tincture or capsules, you can make a cannabutter, or you can just cook straight away with the already vaped bud (AVB).

In this article, we will explain the “must-knows” about ABV and also give you a step-by-step recipe to create Cannabutter.

But what is exactly ABV/AVB?

ABV or AVB (already been vaped, already vaped bud) is the leftover cannabis, that your vaporizer produces. The vaporizer heats the substance to the point where active compounds are vaporized and that vapor can be inhaled. Once you are done vaping, the light brown slightly toasted leftover still holds valuable cannabinoids.

How is that possible? You have probably heard before that different cannabinoids and terpenes evaporate at a different temperature, so depending on your substance and your vaping temp, the leftover AVB still holds rich compounds.

Note: If you are not a fan of vaporizing, but still want to create delicious meals or your cannabis tincture, you don’t need to worry. Cannabis and hemp buds can be used the same way, like ABV after decarboxylation, that you can perform simply in the oven. 

Saving ABV/AVB

The quality of your ABV greatly depends on the quality of the original substance. Another factor is the vaporizing temperature. Lightly vaped cannabis holds much more active compounds than, the super toasty leftover.

Color is a great indicator. Light, roasted greenish with a little brown is probably the best ABV you can save. The darker it gets the less compound it holds, so it doesn’t worth saving it.

Once you are done vaping, collect your ABV in an air-tight jar that you can keep in a cold, dark, dry place. Moist is the enemy of AVB as it can easily get moldy.

How to use ABV/AVB?

Really, only your creativity can determine what you will do with AVB. From grinding it into a powder-like substance, to water curing and cooking with it, the possibilities are endless.

Let’s see just a couple of simple ways you can start using it.

Water-cured AVB/ABV

If you mind the potent burnt grass or popcorn-like flavor we suggest water curing ABV. This is a fairly easy process. Basically, we soak ABV in water anywhere between a couple of hours, to a couple of days. Then we drain the substance and dry it well before we store it in a glass jar. The water helps to remove the potent smell, that could overpower your food.

You will need a couple of things:

  • Cheesecloth
  • Bowl
  • Ones-safe glass pan
  1. Cut the cloth into napkin size squares. Fill it with ABV and tie it well into a little ball. Add an extra layer of cloth to ensure, the herb won’t get out.
  2. Dip it in a bowl and let it soak for a couple of hours. Squeeze the balls and change the water. Soak the balls again and repeat this step until the soaking water doesn’t get too discolored anymore.
  3. Remove the cloth balls and drain them.
  4. Empty the balls into the heat-resistant glass pan.
  5. Set the oven to 150-170ºF and start to dry the ABV in it. Stir it every 20 minutes until it is completely dry. (Be careful to don’t burn it. Some people recommend leaving the oven door open slightly to make sure it’s not cooking, just drying.
  6. When the ABV is completely dry put it in an airtight glass jar and keep it away from heat and sunlight.
Cannabutter

Cannabutter

 

Making Cannabutter

Cannabutter is cannabis-infused butter, that is kind of a genius way to use your ABV. Butter can work as a spread, but mostly we use it for cooking. This way you can make every meal cannabis infused in seconds without worrying about the harsh taste.

Making cannabutter is super easy. You just need to watch out for some basic rules. Use real, unsalted butter, butter-like substances, like margarin want work. To properly infuse the butter you need to simmer it for an extended period, without ever letting the butter reach boiling point.

Let’s see what you will need:

  • 1 cup butter
  • 1 cup water
  • 7-10 grams of ABV/AVB
  • Cheesecloth
  • Saucepan
  1. Add the butter and the water into a saucepan, and put it on the stove, on low heat. We use water to regulate the temperature and to avoid burning the butter. By the end of the process, most of the water will evaporate, and the rest can be operated after the butter is chilled.
  2. Add the ABV into the melted mixture.
  3. Maintain the heat around 160ºF and let the mixture simmer for 2-3 hours. Keep an eye on it and stir it often.
  4. When you are done remove the ABV by pouring the mixture through a cone or funnel lined with the cloth. Let it drain without squeezing the ABV, so the particles won’t get through the cheesecloth.
  5. When the butter is cooled down out it in the fridge. After a couple of hours, the leftover water will separate from the butter. Just scoop away the butter and pour out the water.

Your butter is ready and you can use it to create awesome dishes.

ABV

ABV

Dosage of ABV/AVB

As we mentioned before ABV potency depends on the original substance and the way it was vaporized. Also, we are all different, so our bodies react in a different way to cannabinoids. Something that is might nothing for you can be a nice kick for a more sensitive person. Not even mention that edibles have a different bioavailability, they take longer to absorb and carry their effect longer. Always be careful when you are trying anything new the first time. Take it slow, start with a small amount, wait a couple of hours before your next round to see how it affects you.

Some people say ABV infused dishes to give them a great, mellow but long-lasting head high, others feel more relaxed and report that ABV edibles give them a strong body high. But as we said we are all different and everything depends on the original flower as well.

Anyway, hopefully, this little article is useful and we were able to give you some ideas on how to recycle your vaped cannabis. Have fun!