Skip the hassle and try this easy cannabis infusion method to make cannabutter with your weed using an Instant Pot or Crock Pot slow cooker. This guide is a variation of our traditional cannabutter infusion guide.
Making cannabutter can be time consuming and the traditional method (using the stove top) requires your attention to maintain the right temperature and moisture level whilst infusing. Making cannabutter with an Instant Pot or Crock Pot slow cooker is an easier way to infuse your butter with THC, letting the appliance do most of the work. As long as your cooker can maintain the proper temperature, this alternative to our traditional cannabutter guide should yield the same quality cannabutter with little effort.
As with the other infusion guides, you will want to decarboxylate your cannabis (weed) first to convert the inactive THCA into active THC. Do this prior to continuing with this guide! Once you've made your cannabutter, check out our edible recipes to see what yummy creations you can make! This guide calls for 2 sticks of butter (typical for a batch of cookies) and 7 grams of cannabis, however, feel free to scale those numbers however you please in order to reach the quantity of butter and potency required.
Note: The higher the saturated fat content of the butter, the better! We recommend unsalted butter as it is more common in baking recipes (though we personally prefer salted). Approximately 60% of the activated THC will infuse into your butter.
How long should you cook cannabutter in a Crockpot?
It takes time to infuse THC and other cannabinoids from weed into butter, and while most of the infusion happens within the first 30 minutes, we cook the butter longer to maximally extract THC from the weed. At some point, though, longer cooking time doesn’t significantly improve potency. This rate of infusion will be impacted by the exact temperature you set your Crock-Pot or Instant Pot to, however, it's important to not exceed ~220°F as you don't want to lose any THC or other cannabinoids to heat degradation.
To reach maximum infusion levels, cook your cannabutter for approximately 2-3 hours while maintaining a temperature of 160-200°F. Some guides and enthusiasts recommend lower temperatures and/or longer cooking times; while not detrimental to your butter's potency, we've found that this is not necessary.
How To
Getting Started
Decarb time: 50 min (if not done)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 3 hours
Cooling time: 1-3 hours
Potency: While this recipe calls for 7 grams (1/4 oz.) of cannabis for 2 sticks of butter, you may increase the amount of weed used in the butter to further increase its potency. The additional THC will infuse into the butter. To help estimate your butter potency, check out our potency estimator.
More butter: Similarly, you may increase the amount of butter used in this recipe to make more. If you leave the cannabis amount at 7 grams, the resulting butter will have half the potency.
To begin making your cannabutter, you will need the following materials:
- 2 sticks (1/2 lb.) of unsalted butter
- 7 grams (1/4 oz.) of decarbed cannabis (flower, trim, or shake)
- 1 Crockpot or Instant pot
- 1 whisk
- 1 large glass bowl
- 1 cheese cloth
- 2 1/2 cups water
- 1 airtight container (e.g. jar)
- 1 thermometer (optional)
Looking to cut down the smell?
If you find the process of making cannabutter in a Crockpot too aromatic you can use mason jars to cut down on the smell. Check out the jar + instant pot method below.
1. Prepare Butter
Combine the 2 sticks of butter and 2 ½ cups of water in the Crockpot on the lowest setting. After the butter has melted, add the decarbed weed and gently stir with a whisk. Cover the Crockpot with its lid.
Looking to cut down on the smell? Follow this guide to use mason jars to contain the aroma of the cannabutter making process.
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Why the water?
Adding water to your cannabutter while cooking will help to absorb some of the chlorophyll that would otherwise remain in the butter. Similarly, during the separation process, plant matter that may have been missed during straining will fall out into the water and not be caught in the butter. In addition, this will somewhat clarify the butter, which is the removal of water and milk solids from butter, leaving a more purely butterfat-rich butter. Clarified butter has a higher smoke point.
2. Simmer
Let the butter, water, cannabis combination simmer for 3 hours, stirring occasionally. Make sure to leave your Crockpot on low which is roughly 160-200 degrees F. If you have a thermometer available, check the temperature of your butter to ensure it does not exceed 220 degrees F as this will start to degrade cannabinoids and other important herbal contents of the cannabutter.
You should see very small bubbles forming during its simmer. If your butter begins to develop a rolling boil, double check your heat level and reduce it if you are able.
3. Strain
Once the proper amount of simmer time has passed, you may now strain your cannabutter into the large glass bowl with the cheese cloth pulled taught over the bowl. Strain and squeeze all butter out of your infused weed, leaving the plant material in the cloth and the liquid in the bowl.
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No cheese cloth?
Instead of cheese cloth, you may try one of these alternatives:- - Coffee filters carefully layered
- - Clean linen (e.g. pillow case)
- - Unbleached muslin cloth
- - A mesh strains (with coffee filters lining it)
- - Thick paper towels (last resort)
4. Cool
Leave your strained cannabutter in the large glass bowl on a counter for about 1 hour to cool prior to refrigeration.
In the Fridge
Place the butter in your refrigerator and wait for about 2-3 hours or overnight.
In the Freezer
For quicker use, place the relatively cool bowl of cannabutter and water in the freezer for roughly 30 minutes or more. This will solidify and separate your butter from the water quickly for same-day use.
5. Remove Butter
Once cool, you will be able to very carefully drain the liquid from the bowl, avoiding splashing or mixing it with the solid butter. Remove the solid butter from the bowl and place it in an airtight container, preferrably a glass jar. Keep refrigerated until use.
6. Store
In the Fridge
In an airtight container, your cannabutter will stay good for up to 8 weeks in the refrigerator.
In the Freezer
If you wish to keep your cannabutter for a longer period of time, it should stay good for about 6 months in the freezer. Be sure to wrap your butter to be airtight (e.g. with plastic wrap) to prevent freezer burn from forming by reducing the butter's air exposure.
Using the Glass Jar Method
1. Prepare the Water Bath and the Butter
Fill the Crockpot or Instant pot halfway full with water. Turn the heat up and let the water temperature rise to 185 degrees F without exceeding 200 degrees F. When it has reached the appropriate temperature turn the setting to low.
Put 2 sticks of butter and half of the decarbed weed into each mason jar. Tighten the lids to fingertip tight (snug but not so tight the air can’t escape). Optionally, to help prevent the jars from shifting during simmer time, you can push a dish towel to the bottom of the crockpot using a wooden spoon.
2. Simmer
Carefully place the mason jars into the water bath. Cover the Crockpot with its lid and let simmer for 3 hours. Maintain appropriate temperature the entire simmer time.
3. Strain
Once the proper amount of simmer time has passed, you may now strain your cannabutter into an airtight jar by putting cheese cloth in the funnel and pour the butter mixture into the funnel. Strain and squeeze all butter out of your infused weed, leaving the plant material in the cloth. Let sit on the counter untopped for at least an hour to cool before storing.
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No cheese cloth?
Instead of cheese cloth, you may try one of these alternatives:- - Coffee filters carefully layered
- - Clean linen (e.g. pillow case)
- - Unbleached muslin cloth
- - A mesh strains (with coffee filters lining it)
- - Thick paper towels (last resort)
4. Store
In the Fridge
In an airtight container, your cannabutter will stay good for up to 8 weeks in the refrigerator.
In the Freezer
If you wish to keep your cannabutter for a longer period of time, it should stay good for about 6 months in the freezer. Be sure to wrap your butter to be airtight (e.g. with plastic wrap) to prevent freezer burn from forming by reducing the butter's air exposure.