How To Make Dabs: Homemade & Easy Cannabis Concentrates

If you’re a cannabis connoisseur who loves the potent effects of concentrates, this article is for you. 

Did you know there’s a way to make your own dabs at home?

It’s true. 

With a little instruction and a few things you likely have on hand, you can make your own powerfully potent dabs at home. . 

We’ve personally used the methods we’ll share with you here. And guess what? They work. Below we’ll discuss the in and outs of creating concentrates with just a few essentials.

New to dabs? Well this article’s for you too. Making dabs is easy for all skill levels. Keep reading to find out how.

Types Of THC Dabs

There’s many different forms of cannabis concentrates. Here are the most popular types of wax dabs:

Badder

Badder has a soft consistency similar to cake batter. It can be pale yellow to dark gold in appearance.

Bubble Hash

Bubble hash is a form of hashish made using an ice water extraction method. Bubble hash has a grainy consistency resembling sand. 

Butane Hash Oil (BHO)

Butane Hash Oil is a highly potent type of extract created with solvents such as propane. It has a gooey, liquid consistency, and is best suited for experienced dabbers

Crumble

Crumble have a soft, pliable consistency with a crumbly honeycomb texture, hence the name. This type of wax is typically gold or yellow in color.

Rosin

Rosin is a type of concentrate made from using a flat iron, parchment paper, heat and pressure. We’ll give you a step-by-step guide of how to make your own rosin in this article.

Shatter

Shatter has a translucent glass-like appearance. It’s one of the most potent forms of concentrate.

How to Make Dabs At Home

Follow these helpful hints when making dabs at home. The trick to making any type of concentrate at home is the right amount of pressure and heat. If you already have a rosin press, you can simply skip the following steps.

Homemade Dabs Without Solvents

When following these steps use two grams of cannabis flower. Those with a rosin press will need about six grams.

In short, making homemade dabs requires a flat iron, a razor blade, high grade oven mitts and non-stick parchment paper (or food grade baking paper).

What You Need

• Flat iron or hair straightener
• Razor blade
• Parchment or baking paper 
• Weed
• Kitchen scale (optional)

How To Make The Concentrate

This method shows how to make rosin. It does not require the use of solvents such as butane or propane.

Step 1: Set the flat iron or hair straightener to 230 to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.

Step 2: Cut the non-stick parchment paper into small sheets.

Step 3 (optional): Using a scale, weigh and portion two grams of flower.

Step 4: Divide your two grams of flower into four buds and flatten them with your hand.

Step 5: Take your non-stick parchment paper and fold it in half. Place a nug in the middle of the paper.

Step 6: Using the iron or hair straightener, press on the bud for a few seconds. Repeat this process once more for the same nug to extract as much rosin as possible.

Step 7: Repeat step 5 for all remaining nugs.

Step 8: Using a razor blade, collect all the rosin (wax-like substance) from the pieces of non-stick paper. Voila, you’ve made rosin dabs ready for dabbing.

Step 9 (optional but resourceful): You can use the leftover nugs to make cannabis oil or weed edibles.

How To Dab Kief

You may also use kief to create your own cannabis concentrate at home. It’s just another easy way to make rosin, or solventless dabs. It simply requires loose trichomes (also known as kief), instead of cannabis flower.

The process is simple and requires a few ingredients. It’s similar to the process described above: just use kief in place of the cannabis plant matter, along with a couple of iterations I’ll outline below.

Related Read: How To Dab Marijuana

What You Need

• A generous amount of kief
• Boiling water
• Mason jar
• Oven mitt
• Non stick parchment paper
• Scissors
• Tape
• Dab tool or razor blade

How To Make The Kief Hash

Once you have gathered all the essentials, follow these easy instructions to make homemade dabs.

Step 1: Cut the parchment into a square or rectangle shape.

Step 2: Deposit kief onto the bakery paper.

Step 3: Fold the parchment paper so it lays flat. If necessary tape the paper closed to maintain the folds.

Step 4: Cut away any extra paper, there should be one layer of parchment and no overlapping areas.

Step 5: You need a separate piece of parchment to act as a place setting to shield any surfaces. To create such protection, use another piece of parchment and put your folded square of kief on it.

Step 6: Using oven mitts, grab the Mason jar and fill it with boiling water. Fasten the lid completely.

Step 7: Immediately roll the heated Mason jar across the folded kief square or rectangle. Apply pressure when you roll the jar across the paper. Repeat for approximately 10-15 minutes.

Step 8: Place your freshly pressed hash paper into the freezer for at least an hour. The longer you freeze it, the easier it will be to handle.

Step 9: Take out your hash square from the freezer. You should find a piece of rosin, ready to enjoy. Using a dab tool or razor blade, remove the rosin from the paper.

Step 10: The cannabis wax is ready to be spread on your favorite joint, to top of your bowl or used in a dab vape pen. You can also use leftover kief to make cannabis oil or edibles.

Dabbing Without A Dab Rig

No dab rig? Not a problem. It’s possible (and easy) to dab without a rig. There are alternative ways to dab such as hot kniving, using a bong or pipe, or rolling concentrate in a joint. We’ll discuss a few of them below.

Using A Bowl

This is the simplest method to dab without a rig.

First, you’ll need to gather a few essential supplies:

• Pipe or bong
• Lighter
• Mesh smoke screen for bowl piece (optional)

It’s optional, but you might first place the mesh screen in your bowl piece if desired (or if you’re using kief).

Load the bowl piece with some cannabis flower. 

Place your favorite cannabis concentrate on top of the bowl. Load some more flower on top for maximum stoniness. 

Smoke as normal.

Dabs In A Vape

A convenient way to dab is by using vape pens.

Open the vape pen, so the coil chamber is exposed. Gather a small piece of your favorite cannabis concentrate and place it directly onto the coil.

Securely attach the vertical chamber of your dab vape pen. Set the temperature to 350-500 degrees Fahrenheit, depending on the thickness of the extract.

Press the heat button and puff away like normal. 

Using dabs in a vape is an easy way to get stoned on the go.

Adding Dabs To A Joint Or Blunt

A Twax blunt or joint is a pre roll that’s infused with cannabis concentrate. And they’re really easy to make at home. 

To create your own, grab a piece of your favorite rolling paper or blunt wrap.

Hold your paper as if you’re going to load it with cannabis flower.

Heat the tip of a dab stick or knife with a lighter to make the cannabis extract more pliable.

Evenly spread the concentrate onto the inside of the paper. It’s best to go sparingly when applying cannabis extracts. If the paper or blunt wrap is too wet it will not burn evenly.

Sprinkle ground cannabis flower or nugs onto the paper or wrap and roll it up as normal.

Spark up your blunt or joint, and savor an intense buzz!

Homemade Dabs: Benefits & Risks

Should you make your own dabs at home? In the end, it’s up to you. Homemade dabs have their own pros and cons. To help determine if making homemade dabs is right for you, consider the following risks and benefits of DIY dabs.

PROS (+)

• Making your own dabs is a fun and creative DIY project perfect for cannabis consumers. 
• Making dabs at home is an excellent option for individuals who live in areas where cannabis concentrates can’t be easily purchased. 
• Making dabs at home can help you save money at the dispensary, as concentrates tend to be more expensive than flower.

CONS (-)

• There is a bit of a learning curve in perfecting homemade dabs. If you don’t do it right, you risk wasting weed. 
• Some concentrates (like BHO) can be dangerous to make at home. We don’t recommend making dabs at home using solvents like butane or propane. 
• Your homemade dabs won’t likely be as high of quality as concentrates that have been professionally extracted.

Wrapping Up: Making Homemade DIY Dabs

Honestly, it’s pretty easy to make dabs at home.

Whether using cannabis flower or kief, homemade dabs are totally doable. The process is short and simple, making it perfect for all types of cannabis connoisseurs.

Remember to be careful and cautious when using heat.

No matter your skill level, making homemade dabs and cannabis extracts is a fulfilling and enjoyable endeavor for novice and experienced dabbers alike.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is The Easiest Way To Do Dabs?

The easiest way to do dabs is to add it to a bowl. 

You can top off a bowl with a bit of extract or use a smoke screen and place concentrate directly on to the screen. All you need is a lighter to heat it up. 

While this is the simplest method to dab, it’s perhaps the most inefficient or wasteful.

How Is Dab Batter Made?

Dab batter (or budder) is made with liquid petroleum gasses using butane, propane or alcohol extraction methods in a process that involves a closed-loop system. 

To achieve that batter-like texture, the concentrate is whisked on a hot plate at 100 degrees Fahrenheit. It is then placed in a vacuum oven and purged with pressure and heat for up to three days.

Does Temperature Matter When It Comes to Dabbing?

Yes, temperature matters when it comes to dabbing! 

If you heat concentrate too high you risk burning it and losing precious terpenes and flavor. Heat concentrate too low and you risk wasting it. 

The ideal dabbing temperature starts at 350 degrees Fahrenheit and can go up to 500-600 degrees Fahrenheit for dense concentrates.