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How to Turn Shatter Into Crumble

A marijuana leaf sits on top of a some cannabis concentrate known as shatter.

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Back in the day, the world of cannabis concentrates was not much wider than the famous Moroccan hashish. But much has changed and there is now a wide variety of cannabis concentrates, made from different cannabinoids and varying consistencies, textures, and effects.

Let's say you have a batch of potent CBD shatter on your hands, but the texture you're looking for from your cannabis concentrate is that of a CBD crumble. In this post, we will teach you how to transform that batch of CBD shatter into a cookie-like CBD crumble with a few things you probably have lying around the house.

What is CBD Shatter?

Shatter is a type of CBD isolate that is exceptionally pure. By CBD isolate, we mean that shatter only contains CBD wholly isolated from other natural components of the cannabis plant such as terpenes, flavonoids, and other cannabinoids.

CBD Shatter is similar in principle to other types of cannabis concentrates, such as CBD Wax or CBD live resin. The main difference between shatter and other concentrates is the texture and appearance; it looks like an amber-colored glass and resembles a candy texture.

CBD shatter consistency can also vary according to temperature as it looks like coarse honey when hot and more like a piece of glass when cooled, resulting in a hard but brittle final texture.

CBD shatter can achieve exceptional potency, as it contains up to 80% pure CBD. To achieve this, manufacturers extract cannabinoids from the hemp plant. At this stage, it's nearly impossible to separate just CBD from the rest of the cannabinoids and other natural compounds in the plant.

Therefore, when the natural compounds separate from the plant matter, the extract contains a series of different terpenes and cannabinoids. At this point, our concentrate is known as live resin. If we compare CBD shatter vs live resin, you find that they are both different forms of BHO.

The main difference is that to make CBD shatter, CBD live resin must repeatedly go through various filtering processes until the CBD is completely separated. After fully isolating the CBD, manufacturers leave the concentrate to “set” for a long time, away from sunlight and under controlled and stable temperature and humidity conditions. At this stage, Shatter develops the distinctive appearance and consistency that sets it apart from other extracts.

Does CBD Shatter Get You High?

CBD shatter, if it's well done and of high quality will not get you high. When we talk about cannabis concentrates, most people immediately think of them as highly psychoactive substances that generate a high as no other cannabis product does.

Nonetheless, whether or not a cannabis extract makes you high depends primarily on the percentage and type of cannabinoids the concentrate contains. When you consume any THC-rich cannabis concentrate, you will feel a high after smoking or dabbing the concentrate.

On the other hand, when the concentrate is rich in CBD, the sensation you will feel will be completely different. As a starting point, you should know that CBD is not intoxicating and does not generate psychoactive effects like THC does and that people commonly associate with the use of cannabis.

When you consume CBD Shatter or some other type of CBD extract or CBD-rich cannabis concentrate, you will most likely experience a really comforting feeling of relaxation and calm. It is essential to highlight that, to avoid getting any type of high or psychoactive effect from the CBD Shatter you consume, you must ensure that it is entirely pure CBD isolate and not a broad or full spectrum.

In other words, ensure that your CBD Shatter does not contain any other traces of THC or other cannabinoids to ensure that you will not experience a high from consuming your CBD Shatter. This is important if you do not want to experience a high because some concentrates, such as live resin, live resin sauce, and full-spectrum cannabis oils, contain all the terpenes and cannabinoids of the cannabis plant. This means they usually have traces or considerable amounts of THC within their composition.

CBD Shatter vs Wax

Because both Shatter and Wax come from the BHO extraction method, their potency is quite similar, scaling to 60 up to 80% CBD or THC, depending on which strain of cannabis it is made from. Terpenes and cannabinoids can also evaporate, depending on the extraction methods used and the desired end goal.

The main difference between Shatter and Wax is in the consistency of each extract; shatter is dry and brittle, and can easily be broken down and smoked in a pipe, blunt, or joint. Wax, on the other hand, has a wetter consistency and can be more difficult to smoke in a joint.

Nevertheless, you can easily smoke wax in a dab pipe, providing the user with a fuller effect due to the terpenes it contains. Shatter does not necessarily need a dab platform to consume it; you can smoke it directly in a joint or regular pipe bowl on top of your typical cannabis flowers.

Another benefit is that Shatter can be handled directly with your hands and tends to last longer due to its consistency. Despite this, the final texture of the shatter is significantly more challenging to achieve. Further, it has the disadvantage that being a CBD isolate, it does not contain terpenes, which means that it lacks marked flavors or aromas.

When we talk about CBD wax, we refer to a BHO extract similar to shatter with fewer terpenes. Therefore, it generates more complete effects and provides the therapeutic benefits that terpenes deliver on their own.

In addition, the consistency of the wax is much easier to achieve since you do not have to be so careful in the process of making the wax to achieve an ideal texture. The slight drawback of wax over shatter is that it can be more difficult to smoke in a joint.

In fact, you will most likely need a vaporizer or dab rig to get the most out of your CBD wax without wasting it. To handle wax, you will also need the right tools, and compared to shatter, wax wears off significantly faster.

In conclusion, we can say that it is not that one extract is better or worse than another. Instead, it comes down to each user's personal preferences and what are the desired effects each user expects to experience from consuming their concentrate of choice.

CBD Crumble vs Shatter

Although both are cannabis extracts, CBD crumble and shatter have marked differences, even starting from the raw material used for their preparation. While to make CBD shatter, the starting point is CBD isolate, to make CBD crumble, the starting point is the full-spectrum CBD distillate, or something many people call live resin.

From this point, the differences between these two types of cannabis extracts become greater. CBD shatter is CBD isolate sometimes combined with natural terpenes from cannabis to give more flavor and smell when smoked or dabbed. This is so because CBD's purest state does not have as marked a taste or smell as other concentrates.

On the other hand, the CBD crumble is a concentrate more similar to Wax since it starts from a full-spectrum distillate that preserves all the organic and bioactive components of the cannabis plant.

The appearance and manufacturing methods of both concentrates are also entirely different. While CBD shatter starts from a CBD isolate, usually from a BHO extraction method passed through heating, cooling, and storage processes, it looks like a piece of amber glass that breaks easily.

CBD crumble uses all the vegetable matter of the cannabis plant to extract its natural components through a supercritical CO2 extraction method. This allows for a dry extraction resulting in a crumbly, opaque texture that looks like crumbs.

Both shatter and crumble can reach up to 85% CBD content and are excellent for providing calm, relaxation, and pain relief without experiencing any psychoactive effects.

The difference is that if you like to get straight to the point regarding the effects you want to achieve and don't care too much about the flavors or smells of your concentrate, then shatter may be the one for you.

But, if you are looking for a more complete experience and synergistic effects between all the natural compounds of cannabis, the CBD crumble may be a better option.

How to Turn Shatter Into Crumble

Many different cannabis concentrate options are available on the market today, with different consistencies, smells, flavors, and ways to consume them. Nevertheless, this does not prevent each user from having some type of concentrate as a favorite over others.

When it comes to shatter, it seems to be everywhere, and these days you can usually get it for lower prices than other concentrates. Now let's say your budget is a bit tight, or maybe you got a good deal, and now you have a batch of shatter in your stash. If you lean more towards crumble consistency, you should know that you can quickly transform your batch of CBD shatter into CBD crumble by following some really simple steps.

All you need is your CBD shatter batch, a heat-proof container, a heat source, a dab tool of your choice, and the desire to experiment a bit. To transform your CBD shatter into CBD crumble, you must do the following:

Break Shatter into Smaller Pieces and Place in Heat Proof Container

This step largely depends on the type of heatproof container you get. Ideally, you should use a heat-resistant silicone container where concentrates are usually stored.

Since shatter usually comes in flakes, these can be larger than the container you have available. If this is the case, just break the shatter into smaller pieces and place them inside the container you plan to use for this process.

Place in 150-170° Oven for 40-50 Minutes

After placing the pieces of shatter in the heatproof container, place the container with the shatter in the oven at a temperature between 150 to 170 degrees.

It is crucial not to go beyond this indicated temperature since the concentrate can start to dry out very quickly, and the CBD and the few terpenes it contains can degrade, causing the concentrate to lose quality.

From time to time (after 20 minutes), check the container to see the contents. You will see how it melts and takes on a consistency like honey. After 40 to 50 minutes, or once all the shatter is melted and there are no solid pieces left, it's time to move on to the next step.

Once Completely Melted, Take Out and Whip for 5-6 Minutes

After all the shatter melts, grab a dab tool and start whipping the concentrate like it's cake mix. At this point, the concentrate should have a loose, almost liquid, sauce-like consistency. As you whisk the concentrate, you should see the concentrate begin to change color to a lighter shade.

Place Back in the Oven for About 40-50 Minutes

After 5-6 minutes of churning your concentrate, reseal the heat-proof container containing the concentrate and place it back in the hot oven. The idea is to wait again for 40 to 50 minutes at a temperature between 150-170 degrees.

You will see the concentrate beginning to melt again, but this time the texture of it may be a little different. You can check the material from time to time to make sure it is melting as it should.

Take Out and Whip Again, Notice The Taffy-Like Texture

After waiting 40-50 minutes, take the container out of the oven, grab your dab tool, and start whipping up the concentrate again. This should be the last shake you give the concentrate.

At this point, the concentrate should be a more opaque color and a thicker, harder-to-mix consistency. The concentrate should take on a taffy-like texture that is harder to whip up as a liquid mix but easier to handle by hand. You should even be able to pick it up and stretch it with your fingers.

Lower Heat a Little Bit and Place in The Oven Again

After this final whip, you're almost finished. You just need to lower the temperature of the oven a little and put the container with the concentrate back in the oven, this time for less time.

You can reduce the temperature of the oven to around 120 degrees for approximately 20 to 30 minutes to obtain an ideal final texture for a CBD crumble. At this point, you don't need to whip anymore.

Take Out and Let Cool

Remove the container from the oven, and without beating, leave the concentrate to cool, and that's it. You will have in your hands a CBD shatter transformed into a crumble. Even though your concentrate will have the texture and consistency of a crumble at the end, in principle, it will still be CBD shatter.

This means that you will most likely not significantly improve the taste and smell of the concentrate since they do not start from the same point or primary material. In other words, you can bring your CBD shatter into a crumble texture without any issues.

But, when consuming this concentrate, you will still experience the effects of shatter since, in principle, your concentrate is still CBD isolate shatter despite the change in consistency.

Final Thoughts

Bottom line, we could say that it's not about one cannabis concentrate being better than the other as such. In fact, it is about what each user is looking for and the effects they expect from the concentrate.

If you want solid and fast-acting effects, go for the CBD shatter. But if you're looking to experience fuller effects from a broader spectrum and more robust flavors and smells, a crumble rich in terpenes and other cannabinoids may be a better option.

Suppose you don't have CBD shatter or CBD crumble, but still want to experience the effects of CBD, we have a CBG distillate vape cartridge that contains up to 25% CBD, plus a therapeutic Delta- 8, CBN, and CBC, which will be fast-acting and most likely surprise you with their effects.

If you lean more towards CBD crumble and what you are looking for is to try a delicious terpene profile, perhaps you could try one of our rich CBD flowers from Sour Elektra or Sour Hawaiian Haze. These Sativa CBD flowers deliver all the benefits of CBD along with a delicious flavor and smell without leaving you glued to the sofa.

If you are looking for something more relaxing for the end of the day, maybe the ideal thing for you is some delicious buds from our Zombie Kush; a strain that will leave you crumbling like a zombie on your way to bed with its 25% CBD along with mouthwatering aromas of pine and sweet berries.

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