Have you heard about a powerful plant medicine called FECO, also known as full-extract cannabis oil? Did you know it is easy enough to make at home? Yes, even for beginners! Here, you will find step-by-step instructions for making your own at home, followed by all of my favorite ways to use this powerful cannabis plant as a potent tincture, topical, or edible final product.
Table of Contents
- Article Features
- Why You Will Love This Guide
- What is Full-Extract Cannabis Oil?
- FECO vs. RSO
- What You’ll Need
- Step #1 – Decarboxylate
- Step #2 – Make a Tincture
- Step #3 – Evaporate
- Step #4 – Prep for Storage
- Step #5 – Dose & Consume
- Full-Extract Cannabis Oil (FECO) Recipe
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Guides You Will Love
Article Features
- A powerful plant medicine that can be made at home
- Two ingredients needed: cannabis flower & alcohol
- Want to make it easy? Skip the work and have my premium cannabis products shipped directly to your door – now shipping across the United States!
Why You Will Love This Guide
For many people in my Well With Cannabis Community, FECO is the holy grail in the world of cannabis extractions.
Full extract cannabis oil, also known as FECO, RSO oil, or Phoenix tears, is a cannabis extract made by soaking the cannabis in a solvent like alcohol.
The alcohol is then evaporated, leaving behind the concentrated plant oils that contain important cannabinoids like THC and CBD.
This method is one of the best ways to extract a full spectrum of cannabinoids, which may have therapeutic effects when consumed.
This is also one of the few concentrates that is easy to make at home; it is versatile and can be used in so many different ways, from edibles and topicals to tinctures and capsules.
Are you excited and ready to get started?
My best advice is to read this entire guide first before getting started.
Then follow my step-by-step instructions for making FECO at home with helpful tips for how to do it safely so you end up with nothing but the purest plant medicine in the end.
What is Full-Extract Cannabis Oil?
Before jumping in, let’s break down a few important things about full-spectrum oil before starting.
If you’re already familiar with cannabis oil, you know that regular cannabis oil is an oil infusion made by soaking the cannabis plant in oil.
The fat in the oil helps attract the cannabinoids we want, like THC or CBD.
This process is different.
When we are making FECO, we use alcohol as a tool to remove the cannabinoids from the plant material.
We then remove the alcohol, leaving behind the cannabinoids in a concentrated full-spectrum extract.
Alcohol is very efficient at extracting not only the major cannabinoids but also minor cannabinoids, terpenes, and other chemical compounds.
These constituents come together to produce a full-spectrum, whole-plant extract, which contributes to what is known as the entourage effect.
When we consume FECO, this is a powerful concentrated cannabis extract that interacts with our endocannabinoid system.
The resulting oil can be extremely potent, making FECO an excellent choice to be used for medical purposes.
Members of my Well With Cannabis Community report using cannabis for chronic pain, managing symptoms through cancer treatments, and managing certain medical conditions.
Once your FECO is prepared, it truly is one of the most versatile cannabis products that can be used in so many different different ways, from tinctures, topicals, and edibles.
Helpful Tip
If you’re new to cannabis and unfamiliar with the terms and abbreviations used in this article, check out this free printable cannabis terms & abbreviations guide.
FECO vs. RSO
One important thing to note is that many people confuse FECO with RSO – also known as Rick Simpson Oil.
RSO is FECO.
Both FECO and RSO have the same final characteristics and appear very dark, thick, sticky, and tar-like consistency upon successful completion.
Both utilize alcohol as the solvent for extraction.
- The main difference between FECO and RSO is the type of alcohol used for the extraction process.
FECO utilizes food-grade grain alcohol, which is considered a safer solvent than isopropyl alcohol or naptha used in the RSO method.
- Isopropyl alcohol, rubbing alcohol, like the kind you would find in your medicine cabinet, IS NOT SAFE TO INGEST.
In this guide, we are making full-extract cannabis oil with a tincture made with food-grade grain alcohol, which is safe for human consumption.
If you are having problems finding high-proof, food-grade grain alcohol, check out this guide to help you access safe products.
Quick FECO Instructions
In a hurry? Do you just need a quick overview of the process?
- Decarboxylate your cannabis in an oven or Instant Pot
- Prepare a cannabis alcohol tincture like the Green Dragon or Golden Dragon
- Evaporate the alcohol using our safe evaporation methods
- Store your medicine in a glass syringe or other container
- Consume your medicine as an edible, topical, sublingual, or in a capsule
Find detailed instructions for each step below.
What You’ll Need
- Cannabis: Choose THC, CBD, or CBG flowers. You can purchase them from my online shop. You can use many plant material types here, including flowers, trim, sugar leaves, and kief. The amount to use is up to you, but understand that many factors will affect the final potency. It is recommended to weigh your starting material now in grams if you want to calculate the final dose.
- Alcohol: Do not use rubbing alcohol. You need high-proof grain alcohol. You want at least 150 proof, but ideally 190 or 200 proof. Lower-proof alcohols, like vodka, are not as powerful. Be sure to check out my guide for how to order high-proof grain alcohol.
Note: The recipe card below has a complete list of ingredients with amounts and printable instructions.
Step #1 – Decarboxylate
Before jumping in and pouring alcohol over your cannabis flower, you must ensure you don’t forget this crucial step – decarboxylation.
Without decarboxylation, you may not experience the full range of effects from activated cannabinoids like THC or CBD.
When we decarb, we heat the cannabis flower at a low temperature over a specific period of time to allow for complete decarboxylation without destroying the other beneficial compounds, such as terpenes or flavonoids.
Decarboxylation can be done with the traditional oven or in the Instant Pot.
Time Note
The time and temperature should be adjusted depending on whether you are working with THC flower, CBD flower, or even CBG flower.
Use this guide to decarb at the right temp for the type of flower you have:
Decarb Times
- THCA → Δ9-THC – bake at 240°F/116°C for 40 minutes
- CBDA → CBD – bake at 240°F/116°C for 90 minutes
- CBGA → CBG – bake at 220°F/105°C for 60 minutes
- Δ9-THC → CBN – bake at 240°F/116°C for 180 minutes
Step #2 – Make a Tincture
The second step is to prepare an alcohol-based cannabis tincture. Using alcohol is a very common way to make herbal tinctures at home.
You can follow the long-soak, Green Dragon, or Golden Dragon freezer methods. This can also be used to make CBDA, THCA, or root tinctures.
Either option works. I ran lab tests to compare the efficacy of each method, and the results are posted here.
According to the results, the Green Dragon method produces a more potent tincture. However, this method produces a stronger-tasting tincture with more residual plant matter like chlorophyll.
Some people believe chlorophyll is an important part of a full-spectrum extract, while others don’t appreciate the taste.
Your Next Steps
Once your tincture is made, you have many choices on what you want to do with your tincture.
You can stop the process here, not evaporate, and enjoy an alcohol tincture to be used in cocktails like sangria.
You can also pour the tincture over sugar to make cannabis sugar or use it in some of your favorite recipes, like gummies made with tincture.
You can also move on to step three, where we evaporate off 95% of the alcohol to make our cannabis oil.
Step #3 – Evaporate
Remember when I said at the beginning of this guide that we were going to use alcohol as a tool?
By now, the tool has served its purpose, extracted the medicine we want, and now it’s time to get rid of the alcohol.
By evaporating the alcohol, we are getting rid of the dreaded burn, concentrating the volume, and creating a high-potency, full-spectrum oil that contains all of the medicinal benefits of cannabis.
But before getting started, there are a few safety concerns to keep in mind before evaporating the alcohol from your tincture.
- We are using high-proof alcohol, which is EXTREMELY FLAMMABLE.
That is why we want to be careful about how we evaporate the alcohol.
If you introduce high temperatures to an open flame while trying to evaporate the alcohol, you risk starting a fire or, even worse, having an explosion.
- I never recommend evaporating the alcohol over an open flame or gas-burning stove. This is dangerous and unnecessary.
Thankfully, I have safe evaporation solutions outlined here and have shared the two most popular methods below.
Evaporation At Room Temperature
You can allow the alcohol to evaporate just by allowing the tincture to sit at room temperature uncovered.
It is the safest option but can take a very long time.
Below is a picture of a shot glass I filled with 1 ounce of tincture. It took around 3-4 days for the alcohol to evaporate completely.
The black oil you see left behind in the glass is the FECO. If you use this method, use glass whenever possible.
I recommend adding a coffee filter or other breathable material to the top of the jar to prevent contaminants from getting in.
If you prefer this method of evaporation, you can also use it to make easy tincture-infused gummies.
Evaporate Alcohol With Heat
To help speed up the process, we want to introduce heat to help evaporate the alcohol faster – but without an open flame.
My favorite safe and easy solution is to create a water bath with this mini-warming crockpot.
This is a perfect solution because the mini-crockpot does not heat above 160° F, meaning it won’t destroy any cannabinoids.
You want to ensure you do not have the lid on the jar during this process, as this will prevent any of the alcohol from evaporating.
I recommend doing this in a room with good ventilation, keep the windows open, or use a fan to keep the airflow moving.
The evaporating alcohol has a strong odor that may be unpleasant in a small, confined space.
If you don’t have or want to use a mini-crockpot, I have many more ideas in my guide for safely evaporating alcohol from tinctures.
What You’re Looking For
The evaporation process is how you get from a liquid tincture to your final FECO oil end product.
When you have successfully evaporated all of the alcohol, you will be left with a small amount of very dark, thick, sticky, molasses-like oil.
This is your FECO, full-extract cannabis oil. Only a very small amount of this oil will be left at the end.
Many people think they may have done something wrong the first time, but this is normal.
Remember, we are concentrating only on the things we want – plant medicine compounds – and getting rid of what we don’t – plant matter.
At the end, when you have evaporated all of the alcohol, you will be left with a small amount of concentrated cannabis oil.
- Note that the alcohol will leave the container through evaporation, and your volume will drop significantly.
Don’t worry; this is normal. The good stuff is what is left behind.
A rough guesstimate expects to use 1 cup of tincture and collect only approximately 3 milliliters of FECO.
Step #4 – Prep for Storage
From here, there are many ways you can collect the FECO and store it for long-term use.
Properly made and stored FECO should last at least six months, often longer if kept refrigerated.
One of the most simple ways to store it is to keep it in an airtight glass vessel of your choice.
However, FECO can be sticky and hard to work with, which is why I recommend using these reusable glass locking syringes to collect the small amount left behind.
Not only are they a great way to store your medicine without making a mess, but they contain mL labeling, which helps make dosing easier.
Keep in mind collecting FECO may be difficult due to its sticky nature. Be sure to collect the oil while it is still warm.
If it is too thick to draw into the syringe, add a few drops of either more alcohol or carrier oil of choice, like MCT oil, to thin it out, as outlined below.
Mix with a Carrier Oil
Many people prefer to mix in a carrier oil because of the sticky, molasses-like texture of FECO products.
This step will help to dilute the FECO and make a more viscous, tincture-like oil.
One of the most popular carrier oils to mix FECO with is MCT oil, a form of coconut oil that is liquid at room temperature.
Other options include olive oil, coconut oil, or butter.
If you want your final product to be more like an oil-based tincture, I recommend mixing 1mL of FECO with 29mL of oil for a 30mL infusion.
Note: You may need to heat them together slightly to get them to combine.
If you do have to heat them together, do NOT heat them in the microwave.
Combine the oil and FECO in a double boiler or use one of the gentle methods suggested here.
Put into Capsules
Another way to consume FECO is to put it into capsules that can then be swallowed or used as a rectal or vaginal suppository.
Check out my guide to making and filling cannabis capsules to make FECO capsules that can be swallowed.
Step #5 – Dose & Consume
At the end of this process, depending on how much cannabis you started with, you may only have a tiny bit of FECO, so small it needs to be measured in milliliters.
This is normal, but you must keep in mind that all of the same mg of THC are now concentrated into one very small amount.
Typically, you will hear people say to take a rice-grain-sized dose.
This is because even just a little bit of FECO, the size of a grain of rice, can be very high in THC.
These higher concentrations mean you only need a very low dose to get the desired effect.
- The most important thing when working with FECO is to follow the golden rule: start low and go slow.
You don’t want to accidentally take a higher dose than your body can handle and end up feeling unwell.
Even just a single syringe of RSO or FECO can contain upward of 900mg of THC, so be careful.
The most common side effects of overconsumption include fatigue, anxiety, and hallucinations.
While I don’t want to scare you, I want you to be aware that there are different concentrations for different types of products, and this is one of the most potent.
If you wrote down how much cannabis you started with in grams at the beginning of the process, you can use the edibles dosage calculator to calculate the potency of your final product.
Determine The Dose
Want to get a more accurate guesstimate of the potency of your cannabis infusions and extractions? Try my popular edibles dosage calculator. Not sure what your perfect dose is? Learn more here.
How to Use FECO
Okay, now, finally, the fun stuff.
Once your FECO is prepared, it can be used in many different ways and application methods.
From sublingual tinctures to homemade topicals and, yes, even edibles.
It can be as simple as adding a drop to your favorite lotion to make a potent topical or adding a drop to your favorite food recipes like brownies.
- Again, it is not recommended to use FECO for inhalation or vaping.
If you are new to using a concentrate like FECO in recipes and edibles, check out my guide to making edibles with cannabis concentrates.
Full-Extract Cannabis Oil (FECO)
Ingredients
- 14 grams cannabis *your desired amount
- 8 ounces high-proof grain alcohol
Instructions
- If you haven't already, weight and decarboxylate your cannabis according to its dominant cannabinoid. Click here for a decarboxylation tutorial, if you need it.
- Next, make an alcohol-based tincture. You can choose between the Green Dragon or Golden Dragon tincture methods.
- For the Green Dragon method, place the decarbed cannabis at the bottom of a pint-sized mason jar. You do not need to grind the cannabis.
- BEFORE you pour the alcohol over the cannabis, know that you only need to add enough alcohol to cover the plant matter completely. Cover the cannabis in alcohol, add the lid to the mason jar, screw the cap tightly and shake gently.
- Place the mason jar in a cool, dark location like a cupboard or closet and leave to sit for 24-hours to 30-days, as desired.
- After your desired soak time, remove the lid and strain the tincture through a coffee filter or cheesecloth into a clean mason jar, separating the plant matter from the alcohol.
- Place the strained tincture mason jar in the bottom of the mini-crockpot. Carefully pour water into the crockpot, BUT around the jar, creating a water bath. Turn the mini-crock pot on warm and allow the water to heat up.
- Make sure you do not have the lid on the jar, as this will halt the evaporation process. Additionally, I recommend doing this in a room with good ventilation to keep the windows open and airflow moving.
- The time it takes to evaporate all of the alcohol will depend on the starting volume of your tincture. More tincture will take longer, and less will be shorter. For example, 1 cup of tincture will take approximately 4-5 hours to evaporate down into FECO, where a ½ cup of tincture will take approximatley 2-3 hours or less.
- The alcohol will evaporate during the cooking process, reducing the volume of the tincture significantly. This is normal. You will be left with a small amount of a thick, black, sticky substance. This black oil is your FECO medicine.
- If this black oil gets too sticky or hard to work with, add a few drops of alcohol or carrier oil to the jar and mix well to create a more viscous oil.
- Store your FECO in a glass syringe, capsule, or another airtight glass container. Store in a cool, dark place like a medicine cabinet. Be sure to dose appropriatley, as FECO can be very potent.
Notes
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, it is very easy to make different types of FECO by changing the type of cannabis you start with. To make full-spectrum CBD oil, you must start with a high CBD flower. A high CBD concentration must be present to extract CBD. Then, follow the exact same process outlined here. Once made, you can make a variety of CBD products.
No. Using FECO for inhalation or vaping is not recommended.
Yes, FECO itself is an oil, but it can also be mixed with a variety of carrier oils to make many types of cannabis oils.
We cannot and do not say that here because no clinical evidence supports this statement. While there is plenty of anecdotal evidence from those who claim that FECO can kill cancer cells or cure cancer patients, we are simply sharing the process of how to make this recipe at home.
Each strain has its unique own mg of THC, terpene profiles, and more, meaning that different strains will produce different effects. Each strain has its own potential benefits, meaning it’s worth experimenting with different types to find an end product that is right for you.
Yes, but using the right machine for the right steps is important. You do not need to use an infusion machine like the LEVO, Adrent, or MBM to make a tincture. You can, however, use a machine like the Source Turbo to help with the extraction process and reclaim the alcohol. This is a great next step if you want to take your FECO-making seriously.
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Thank you your the best 😊for good information
I want to make r s o oil ?
Thank you so much for your kind words, James 😊! The post you’re on, “How to Make FECO,” contains the directions you’re looking for to help you make RSO oil. If you have any additional questions, feel free to reach out!
Hi Emily, I love your website and have used your gummie recipe several times and really love the way they turned out. But I do have a quick question about decarbing. So here’s my question I recently received a Source Turbo from ExtractCraft, and watched a few of their videos on YouTube, and their videos show them breaking up the buds in to small pieces and doing a golden dragon tincture, but I noticed in all of their videos they never say do decarb. Your buds. So I’m a little confused about using the Turbo. I was under the assumption that you always decarb before you make your tincture? TIA
Hey Sam! Thank you so much for your kind words about my website and gummy recipe—I’m so happy to hear you’ve enjoyed them! 😊 Regarding your question, it depends on the experience you’re after. If you want the activated benefits of THC, you will need to decarb your buds first. Decarbing ensures that the THCA in the plant material is converted into THC, which is what creates the psychoactive effects. If the Source Turbo videos you watched don’t mention this step, it’s likely because they might be focusing on different outcomes or assuming a separate process for activation.
I use a pre-made mix for Gummies. I make FECO with 14g of flower to mix into the gummy mix. It doesn’t really “dissolve” into the mix, instead is just spreads out within the mix.
When I refrigerate the mix, you can see the small oil drops in the gummy mix.
Is there a way to get it to dissolve better? I hope I’m making sense.
Thank you for reaching out, John! You’re definitely making sense, and I’m so happy you’re experimenting with making gummies. 😊 It sounds like the oil isn’t emulsifying fully with the gummy mix. I’d recommend trying a small amount of lecithin (like sunflower lecithin), which can help the FECO bind more effectively into the mix. It’s a great way to promote a smoother, more even consistency. Another option would be to thin out the FECO with a tiny bit of alcohol to make it more viscous. The small amount of alcohol should burn off during the cooking process, leaving you with a smoother consistency for your gummies. I hope this helps, and feel free to reach out if you have more questions!
Hi, and thank you for your informational space!
My questions are,
1.If I’m unsure of the strain, how long should I decarb on average?
2.If it’s not a CBD strain, will heating it longer create CBD? (Looking for the best formulation for FECO in topicals for pain.)
3.Can the alcohol that’s drained off be reused for the next batch of FECO or should I drink/toss it?
Hi Barb. If you’re unsure of the strain, a general rule is to decarb at 240°F (115°C) for 40 minutes. Heating longer won’t create CBD if it’s not already present in the strain. Yes, the alcohol can be reused for your next batch — just make sure it’s clean! Hope this helps!
Hi, and thank you for your informational space!
My question is, If I’m unsure of the strain, how long should I decarb and if it’s not a CBD strain, will heating it longer create CBD? Looking for the best formulation for FECO in topicals for pain.
Hi Barb! If you’re unsure of the strain, a general guideline for decarbing is 240°F for 40 minutes. Heating longer won’t convert THC to CBD, as they are different compounds. For FECO in pain topicals, focus on a high-quality strain and proper decarbing for the best results!
Was evaporating the alcohol and I think it turned it feco before it tipped over in the crock pot but there’s water inside. What should I do? Is it too long gone or can it be fixed?
If there’s water mixed in, you can try gently heating it to evaporate the water off, but be careful not to overheat. It might still be salvageable, so give it a try!
Ahoy Hoy,
Thank you for the walkthrough, just wanted to share my process that I expanded off your guide. I leave the plant matter in during the evaporation stage, not sure if it makes much of a difference but being left with a more potent raffinate doesn’t seem like a bad thing.
After the evaporation stage, instead of using coconut oil or MCT, I dilute with 2 cups of food grade glycerine, strain, then store in the fridge, end result gives about 15mg/ml and I’ve found while glcerine is not an effective extract, it’s a very effective solution. Glycerine can be used in drinks or food and only make it slightly sweeter in flavor while still delivering a very nice result.
I use trim instead of flower and have saved the raffinate, came back here for recipes to use those leftovers since I was apprehensive about seeds and stems and how they can be utilized beyond a tea ball and most of your recipes are focused on oil extractions. Could ground raffinate from alcohol extractions be used topically?
Thanks for sharing your process, JP! Leaving the plant matter in during evaporation is an interesting approach — it’s all about finding what works best for you. Food-grade glycerine is such a versatile option and is great for adding to drinks or food. As for your question, yes, ground raffinate from alcohol extractions can be used in topical applications — just infuse it into a carrier oil or salve base. Hope that helps! 🌿
HELP!!
Approximately how many mg of THC per ml of FECO, and how to calculate 4ml FECO to a batch of 45 5ml gummies? 😭
I’m so happy you reached out with your question, Lenon! 😊 To figure out the THC content per milliliter of your FECO, you’ll need to know its potency—this is usually measured in milligrams of THC per gram or milliliter and should be listed on the product or lab test. Once you have that, you can calculate the total THC content in your batch by multiplying the potency of your FECO by the 4ml you’re using. Afterward, divide that total THC amount by the number of gummies (45) to get the THC content per gummy. If you need more guidance, feel free to reach out again!
I have my decarbed flower sitting in everclear now for about a week. I have to go out of town for about a couple weeks and I don’t have time to evaporate off the alcohol until I get back. Can I just strain it and leave it in a jar in the fridge and then evaporate the alcohol off when I get back home?
Yes Bob, you can strain it and store it in the fridge until you’re back. Just make sure the jar is sealed tightly, and you’ll be good to evaporate the alcohol later!
What did I do wrong ? I made the golden dragon and it has almost evaporated into nothing from 2 oz of herb and 1 liter of ever clear . Seems like a lot of waste for so little product . Can make more edibles with butter and oils than with FECO. From your picture on here you got more product from 1 oz of tincture than I did from the amounts mentioned above .
Hi Chris. The return ratio for FECO (Full Extract Cannabis Oil) varies based on factors like herb quality, potency, extraction method, and solvent amount. Typically, you can expect 1-3 grams of FECO per ounce of cannabis, though this is just an estimate.
FECO focuses on extracting concentrated cannabinoids and terpenes, so the yield is smaller than butter or oil infusions. However, its potency is much higher—a small amount packs more strength than larger quantities of other infused products. While the yield may seem low, the concentrated potency means you’ll need less to achieve the desired effects. If higher yield and lower potency are your goals, butter or oil might be better, but for a powerful, concentrated product, FECO is an excellent choice.
First of all, I would like to commend you for putting together this outstanding website! It is the best I’ve ever run across.
I have made many small runs of FECO over the past few years using Sativa dominant autoflowers that I grow indoors. I can no longer smoke due to lung issues, so FECO and strong gummies are now my choices. I do this to get high. Pure and simple. I am not interested in CBD at this point, being more focused on producing a predictable, long lasting, and uplifting experience.
Using many of your suggestions, I have modified my technique. I generally start with about 10 gm of weed decarbed in an Ardent Nova. I transfer the decarbed weed to a medium size canning jar and add just enough freezer-stored Everclear to cover it. I store the jar in the freezer, and shake it vigoursly several times a day for two days. I then strain the mixture through cheese cloth and then a coffee filter into a “Nordic Ware Universal 8 Cup Double Boiler Fits 2 to 4 Quart Sauce Pans.” The double boiler set up is placed on a heated magnetic stir pad (no flame!!). After evaporating the alcohol, I’m usually left with about 1 ml of FECO. I then add about 12 ml coconut oil and 3 ml sunflower lecithin. I heat/stir the mixture at about 125F for 20 minutes, draw it into a syringe, and then put the warm mixture into a small canning jar. From there, it goes into the refrigerator where it solidifies and is stored. I test a known quantity of the mixture (say 1/2 of a “0” capsule) to determine how strong I want my future dosage to be. I can then adjust the amount if needed when packing the capsules with the solidified mixture. [Please forgive the length of this. Hopefully it will help someone]
Now to my question! Recently I have begun trying heatless alcohol evaporation. I follow the same basic procedure using the same equipment as outlined above, but use a small fan directed at the double boiler to enhance evaporation. After a couple of days, I’m left with a layer of cloudy “ditch water” over another layer of tan scum. Beneath all of that is the chocolate colored FECO. I test everything for the presence of alcohol by seeing if a small drop on the end of a paper clip will spark (outdoors, of course). It never does. So what is it that I’m seeing in these layers? It certainly doesn’t resemble your image. If it’s water (which I suspect), should I wait until it’s completely evaporated? Or, can I just draw it off with a syringe without risking the loss of any cannabanoids? This is what I’ve been doing, but the presence and cause of this cloudy liquid is concerning. Any thoughts?
thanks
Thank you for the detailed insight into your process, Allen! It’s great to see how you’re customizing techniques to meet your needs so you’re getting the most out of your product.
Regarding your question about the cloudy layers during heatless evaporation, it’s likely that the cloudiness is due to water content, as alcohol can absorb moisture from the air, especially during a slow evaporation process. The tan scum might be residual plant material or impurities that were not completely filtered out. Drawing off the cloudy layer with a syringe, as you’re currently doing, is a practical approach, and it shouldn’t result in any significant loss of cannabinoids if done carefully.
To minimize this occurrence, you might consider ensuring that the alcohol you use is as pure as possible and keeping the evaporation area as dry as possible. If the cloudy layer is concerning, you can always test a small amount to ensure no quality is lost.
Thanks again for your comment, and I hope this information helps! Keep experimenting and sharing your experiences.
I live in a country where ever clear is not available. Can get ethanol but very expensive. I’ve seen others using IPA (incl Rick Simpson himself). I can get 100% IPA ok but a tad hesitant using it.
I guess it should be fine so long as the IPA is “completely” evaporated. Your feedback appreciated.
Hi Ron. While Everclear is ideal, you only need the highest proof alcohol you can get. The higher the proof, the more effective extraction, but with a lower proof, you can soak a bit longer and still get decent results! If you’re hesitant about using IPA, it’s best to stick with food-grade ethanol if possible. While IPA can technically work if fully evaporated, it’s not recommended for safety and health reasons.
Will temperature affect the potency when using cannabutter? Ie: I’ve already processed and have my butter, now I want to make muffins and the recipe calls the bake the muffins on 350F, will that 350 affect the potency if the final result?
This is a great question! I like to think of it like this:
It’s kind of like when you roast a chicken. You put it in the oven at 350° for 1-2 hours, but the chicken itself only ever needs to get to the internal temp of 165° until it’s done. When baking, the item itself should not get to 350° because it would burn up. You don’t want or need to get up to 350°, you just want the item cooked through or to 165.
THC starts to degrade at 292°F and with boiling, the temperature won’t get that high. Plus, you would need more time than what we are working with in this recipe to start degradation.
I hope this helps ☺️
If I make FECO and add it to MCT oil, is it stronger than infusing the same amount of weed with the same amount of MCT oil? I’m trying figure out the benefits of making FECO over just making canna oil for sublingual use. Thanks!
Great question, Ashley! Using FECO with MCT oil will likely be stronger than infusing MCT oil directly with the same amount of cannanbis. Alcohol extraction is able to pull out much more than what an oil infusion can do, so if you’re looking for most effective method for sublingual use, I recommend making FECO and adding to MCT oil after. Hope this helps!
Hi. Thank you for all your insightful information. I like to take ground decarbed canabiss and add to melted chocolate to make chocolate bars. Can I add the feco directly to the melted chocolate?
Yes Michelle! You can definitely add FECO (Full Extract Cannabis Oil) directly to melted chocolate to make your chocolate bars. Just make sure to stir it thoroughly to ensure the FECO is evenly distributed throughout the chocolate. This method is a great way to create potent and evenly dosed edibles. Enjoy your crafting!
Hello Emily & Team! I am looking to make a CBD + CBG FECO as well as THC + CBD/CBG FECOs using the Green Dragon method. Would you recommend preparing each flower individually (then combine with MTC oil)…or prepare individually, then mix with MTC oil? Time and amount of work involved is not a factor…just want the best quality result. Thank you!
Hi Bill. I love the idea of multicannabinoid FECO! Decarb is the most important step here. Each cannabinoid has its own amount of time to decarb so you will want to decarb separately. You can find the times here: Easy Beginner’s Guide to Cannabis Decarboxylation.
Once decarbed, you can combine the cannabinoid ratio you desire, make the alcohol tincture, then evaporate to FECO. No need to make separately unless you want individual FECO for each cannabinoid. Happy tincture-making!
Hello Emily! Your info here is the most detailed I’ve found online; it is much appreciated! 🤓 I do have a couple of questions if you don’t mind.
Is there a specific temp I should be aiming for with the crock pot? I have an old mini crock pot with no setting dial, it only reaches 140° F. I have other crock pots that can heat to hotter temps. I would like to keep to the 4 hr time if possible so that’s why I ask.
I want to dilute the FECO with MCT oil so I can store it in a tincture bottle and dose by the drops. I’m not sure how much of the carrier oil to add to it so it’ll be thin enough to use from a tincture bottle, do you have any guesses about this? I will have 3-4g feco when it’s done. I don’t want to overly dilute it. I was thinking maybe 2 or 3 ounces mct but I’m not sure. I guess I could always reheat it and add more but I don’t want to cook off more of the medicine by doing this if at all possible..
Ok last question – do I need to store it in the fridge or will be fine at room temp? I ask bc if it’s the fridge then I’ll probably need to add more carrier oil. Sorry to be so long winded lol.
Much thanks! 💓
Hi Calixess! I’m happy to help clarify things for you! For your mini crock pot, reaching 140° F should be perfectly fine. It’s slightly lower than the ideal 160°F, but it should still work well without destroying any cannabinoids.
When it comes to diluting your FECO with MCT oil, you want to ensure it’s thin enough for easy dosing from a tincture bottle. A general guideline is to mix 1mL of FECO with 29mL of MCT oil for a 30mL infusion. Given that you’ll have 3-4 grams of FECO, starting with approximately 3 ounces of MCT oil sounds like a good plan. This ratio makes it easy to adjust if needed without overly diluting the potency. If you find it too thick, you can always add more MCT oil gradually.
Regarding storage, properly made and stored FECO can last at least six months, often longer if kept refrigerated. While storing it at room temperature is possible, refrigeration helps maintain its potency and freshness for a longer period. If you choose to store it at room temperature, ensure it’s in a cool, dark place away from direct sunlight.
Feel free to reach out if you have any more questions. Good luck with your infusion, and happy crafting!
I had a question about dosing FECO, will the amount you evaporate correspond to the dosage on the calculator, for example if your tincture has 30mg of thc per teaspoon, if you were to evaporate a teaspoon would the FECO you get from that teaspoon have 30mg of thc?
Hi Andrew. Yes, if your tincture contains 30mg of THC per teaspoon, and you evaporate a teaspoon of it to create FECO, the resulting FECO should retain the 30mg of THC. ☺️
This doesn’t say anywhere if you need to decarb cannabis for the tincture. Please advise do we use decarbed cannabis? Wanting to try to make my tincture so basically is this same as feco but just not evaporated as much or am I totally overlooking something. I totally newbie and excited to try making my own things. What do recommend adding to feco and tinctures after evaporated?
Hello KP! You will find recommendations for decarbing in Step 1. When making tinctures, decarbing the cannabis is generally recommended for optimal potency. It’s like FECO but with less evaporation. As a newbie, it’s great to experiment! After evaporation, FECO can be added to just about anything you desire. Enjoy your DIY journey! 🌿
Where can i get the empty syringes to draw up the FECO?
Hi Dennis. We recommend these syringes on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3SslxS5. Thank you for reaching out!
Hi, I followed Green dragon, but slow cooker was higher than needed, so it went down to a few droppers full, which is fine. It seemed pretty dark but “blended” at the time, but the next day I see black stuff in the liquid and clinging to sides of the barbotte and in the dropper. I assume this is FECO from the looks of it, but now I wonder how to “dissolve” it back into the tincture! Seems risky to dose with a dropper that has FECO bits in it. Thanks for any ideas!
Hi Louis! To dissolve the FECO back into the tincture, you can try gently reheating the mixture and stirring well. This should help incorporate the FECO particles back into the liquid. Just make sure to strain it properly afterwards and you should be good to go. Hope this helps!
Hi, I was wondering if you could recycle the solvent? It’s costs me about $125 gallon for 200 proof ethanol and just boiling it off seems wasteful and bad for global warming. Can I just use a small still to recycle the solvent/200 proof food grade ethanol.
Hi George. Absolutely! We have many members in our Well With Cannabis Community that recycle their solvent in various ways. We haven’t personally experimented, but it is possible!
Hi Emily!
Do you have a cookbook? Of love to add all of your recipes to my collection!
Hi Wes. Here is the link to Emily’s Cannabis Drinks Made Simple Cookbook.
What sets Cannabis Drinks Made Simple apart from other marijuana and cannabis cookbooks:
Cannabis 101 — Learn how to use cannabis to achieve the therapeutic results you desire, and get tips for cannabis shopping and storage.
Budtender basics — Stock your bar and pantry, learn to decarb at home, and make easy extractions and infusions using THC- or CBD-dominant strains that will serve as the bases for your drinks.
50 flavorful drink recipes — Mix up a Filthy Cannabis Martini, a Watermelon Basil Slushie, a Green Tea Matcha Latte, and more. Each recipe includes the THC content (never more than 10 mg per drink), and suggestions for flavor variations.
Quick question, when using heat to evaporate the alcohol why do you decarb first? Isn’t that reduction time & temp enough?
Hi Tom. This is a fantastic question! Understanding the importance of decarboxylation prior to extraction can truly make a difference in the potency of your cannabis. It’s all about maximizing those beneficial effects for the best personal experience.
During the extraction process, the temperature and time typically involved in evaporation aren’t often sufficient to fully activate the cannabinoids in your cannabis. When cannabis is soaked in another material, the temperature of the plant material doesn’t always reach the ideal heat needed for a complete decarboxylation. As a result, the effects might not be as potent or consistent as they could be if you’d decarbed beforehand.
By decarbing your cannabis before extraction, you’re ensuring that you’re getting the most out of your product.
I have a question. I want to make THC chocolate. Is there a recipe for THC tincture to be added to the chocolate?
Hi Santanman. An alcohol based-tincture like the Green Dragon or Golden Dragon, contains alcohol which contains water. If this comes in contact with your chocolate, it may cause it to seize up. If you want to infuse with tincture, you must evaporate off all of the alcohol first. You can always try an easy MCT Oil infusion that many people like to use as a tincture. It is much simpler process than if you were to use alcohol-based tinctures. I hope this helps! Best of luck!
Hi there,
Thanks so much for your article.
I’m wondering if there’s a difference between FECO process then diluting/adding MCT carrier oil, versus just mixing the tinctured ethanol extract directly with MCT oil first then slow boiling the entire thing?
Thanks
Davy
Hi Davy. We have not experimented with this process, but it may be worth trying a small batch to see how it goes. If you try it, be sure to let us know!
Can I keep it in a dropper bottle instead of syringes? and what other oils is good to thin it?
Hi Toast Kenny. A dropper bottle will be fine, although it may be hard to get it all out if you are not mixing it with carrier oil. Some of the most common carrier oils are MCT, coconut, and olive. Hemp seed oil, avocado oil, sunflower seed oil, safflower seed oil, and vegetable oil are also excellent choices.
first time making feco via the golden dragon method. I evaporated the alcohol to about 90-95% before using it to make gummies. I started with 22 grams of good quality bud, decarbed for 40 minutes in the instant pot, and made them into 30 gummies. with the loss from decarbing I estimated about .66 of a gm per gummie. (which should be strong even for me!) I’m a daily smoker with a high tolerance, and I took the gummy on an empty stomach, but with some almonds to introduce some fat to help with absorption, for whatever reason they seem really weak. any tips? am I missing something?! TIA!
Hi Betsy. There are a few factors that can play a role here.
1. What proof and how much alcohol did you use for extraction?
2. What temperature did you decarb at?
3. Did you get a sleepy effect at all?
Let me know and we can troubleshoot this together!
Good morning ,
What an informative web site you have. Very well done ?
I’m looking into making your thca tincture and was wondering what strain of flower buds you use or have to offer. I’m not looking to decarbonize them either.
Enjoy the day
Annie
Hi Annie. Our shop doesn’t currently offer THCA products. THCA can be found in any raw THC-dominant cannabis flower that hasn’t been decarboxylated or degraded over time. It is the process of decarboxylation that converts THCA to THC. Unfortunately, we are all restricted on what we have access to so I recommend checking in with your cannabis supplier or local dispensary. I hope this helps!
Hello there. I am making box brownies and I am wondering how much FECO do I need to use? I am making them for an everyday smoker.
Hi Reese. It ultimately all comes down to how strong you want your brownies. You can start with 1ml and then adjust your serving size appropriately. FECO is incredibly strong, so we always suggest starting with a small serving and then base your serving size around your desired effect. I hope this helps!
Any suggestions making FECO in a Levo II?
Hi Tracy. For safety reasons, Levo doesn’t recommend using alcohol in any of their devices. Here are some tips on How to Evaporate Alcohol From Tinctures. I hope this helps!
Hi!
I am new to the Feco life ?. I-have a very newbie question. I use the Golden Dragon tincture and strain with many ( like 1.5 square yards all folded up as small as i can for the amount of flower used)layers of cheesecloth. During evaporation i have a line of what looks like keif sediment. My question is, do i need to keep straining, or is that a good thing for potency? What happens if i should strain and for whatever reason i don’t ?
Thanks for any advice.
Hi Cindy. Is the kief sediment dark, sticky and tarlike? If so, that’s FECO ☺️ If you feel it and it’s in fact kief, then you probably won’t want that in your final product. It really depends on your plans for the FECO. Kief is gritty and doesn’t mix well in some recipes. I hope this helps!
Hello-
I came across two small jars of grain alcohol in which I had started to make a cannabis infusion–about 5 years ago.
Do you know if this is still good to proceed with? I am thinking the alcohol would be a preservative.
Your thoughts?
Hi Susan. What an interesting find! Cannabis loses roughly 50% of its potency after five years, so I’m sure there will be some sort of effectiveness remaining. The THC has most likely converted to CBN which will make for a sleepier experience. It’s definitely worth sampling a small amount to know for sure! I hope this helps!
Hello and your website was passed along as a referral and glad it was!! We hope to fill vape carts with our extract. Should there be any change to the recipe and/or do we need to add anything to the extract(other than terps) before we load it into the empty cartridges? Thank you for your help and any response!
Hi Mark! Vaping (or smoking) FECO isn’t recommended. The residual solvents are flammable, which could pose a risk.
Hi, the only factual info regarding naphtha is the camp lantern with the “white “ mantle. It stays white because the gas burns clean, safe in a camp tent etc. When it’s gone, it’s just that, gone. It is a very good solvent, and I have , for years now, used 2 , three minutes wash time for a batch of chopped plant. When evaporated by a rice cooker, the remaining oil can be put in my oven to give some warm time to make any final evaporation complete. Thanks for putting this info out there.
Thanks for sharing your experience, Donald!
Thank you for your informative site. I’ve made this before, long slow extraction and quick version too.
Question: my mom doesn’t want the high from the THC… If I added the high THC extract to Epson salts and she used it in her bath/foot bath… Will the THC absorb into her bloodstream/get her high?
Hi Nico! THC is not easily absorbed through the skin, so using it in a bath or foot soak is unlikely to cause a high. However, it may still provide localized relief. You can test with a small amount first.
Hi Emily!
I’m using the “Mike Show” method (adapted from Rick Simpson’s) by washing the buds with grain alcohol (as you also recommended). I grind the buds in a mixer before washing them: shaking them with alcohol in a mason jar for 3 minutes, as Mike suggests. They suggest 2 washes for medicinal properties (like for cancer, in my husband’s case). After that, we then cook it in a rice cooker.
My questions:
1- Do you think that not doing the decarboxylation process of the buds that you suggest BEFORE the alcohol evaporation would not have the same medicinal results, or the cooking process to evaporate the alcohol would do that decarboxylation?
2- Do you think that grinding the buds and “washing” them, like sharing them with alcohol in a jar for some minutes, would be as effective as leaving them soaking in alcohol for days?
Anyway, I just want your opinion on the others’ processes considering the efficacy of the FECO and its medicinal properties. I really want to do it right and preserve the cannabinoids and terpenes – a matter of death or life, literally.
Thank you!!
Hi Viviam. These are great questions!
1. Without lab testing it is really hard to say what the correct decarboxylation process is, but I also want to say that Emily’s recipes don’t call for cooking the alcohol. I guess it would depend on the temperature and length of time the tincture is cooking to determine if it is being decarbed enough. Without heat, the THC won’t activate so decarbing prior to making Emily’s tinctures is essential.
2. Emily has lab results comparing the strength of both her Green Dragon and Golden Dragon tinctures. Soaking longer did make for a stronger tincture, but only so much. Here is the link for further details: https://emilykylenutrition.com/golden-dragon-vs-green-dragon-tincture/
Hope this information is helpful!
Is there any THC left in plant matter after making golden dragon
Hello Jerry. If done correctly, there should be very few cannabinoids left. However, that doesn’t mean nothing is left; so some people do save the leftover plant material to use in other recipes. Personal preference!
I have made Green Dragon many times and now I want to turn it into FECO because I need something stronger for long-lasting pain relief.
I have a few questions:
1) Once FECO is made, how long does it last?
2) What’s the best way to store it?
3) I was thinking of mixing it with coconut oil and putting it into capsules. How long will the capsules last and how should they be stored? I’ll use the ones you recommend, so they won’t dissolve or anything, even if kept for awhile?
Thanks so much and thank you for this wonderful site and all the information you have to offer. I have learned so much from your articles and instructions.
P.S. I forgot one question. What about adding lecithin to the FECO and coconut oil before putting into caps? I keep reading that it helps keep things homogenous and also helps the body to process the FECO. How much lecithin would I use? Thanks!
Hey Jeff, it sounds like FECO is the way to go for you!
1. It should last quite a long time, several months if stored properly.
2. An airtight glass container or a syringe. Then in the refrigerator or other cook park place.
3. Here is my full guide to filling capsules!
4. It definite won’t hurt to add the lecithin. Just a small amount is good, but it will depend on your total volume of FECO+coconut oil. Maybe 1/4-1/2 teaspoon?
Thanks for your kind words, I’m glad you are enjoying the site!
Can someone please tell me or show me the best way to get the FECO INTO THE SYRINGE
Hey Dana! If you find your FECO too thick to draw into the syringe, you may want to add a few drops of oil to help thin it out. This will make it more liquid and fluid and easier to get into the syringe. If you can’t suck it up, you can also use a small spoon to pour it into the other end of the syringe before putting the plunger in. I hope this helps!
I also see you are already a member of my private Well With Cannabis Community, feel free to share this comment there as well to see if you get more responses from the other members ?
Hi, I was wondering how long can you keep the FECO (sealed in an airtight method or glass syringes) and have it stay good/potent? Do you know what it’s “shelf life” is? Thanks.
Hello Heather. I do not know the exact shelf-life, but if you store it well, it could likely last up to a year or more. Keeping it in the freezer is just fine if you’re planning for long-term storage 🙂
Hi,
First off, thank you for your guide. I managed to extract quite a lot of thc/cbd from my AVB (Already vaped buds) which is great cause if not it would have been wasted.
Secondly, I come from a country where cannabis is illegal, and while ive switched to homegrown buds, I do have some leftover “brick” weed. I was wondering, if I used the extraction on this “brick” weed, are the pesticides that are almost definitely in the bud soluble in ethyl alcohol?
Thanks in advance.
Keep up the great work!
Hey Sean! I am so glad you were able to see success using the AVB ? You are most welcome. Unfortunatley, I do think that the alcohol has the possibility to bring any unwanted materials with it, but I am not 100% sure.
This is the best article I’ve read on tincture and feco and especially what to do with the feco. Thank you!
Thank you so much, I am so glad you’ve found it helpful, Debbie ?
Hi could I combine one of these methods with an infusion device like the Magical Butter Machine (I have the ella Bella).
Hey JD. You don’t need a machine to help you with the tincture-making process; it really would just add an extra step and more clean up 🙂
Hi Emily,
Thank you for your detailed explanation on making FECO.
Is there a way to determine if a finished product is FECO or RSO.
If you did not make it yourself and there is no labelling on the container would you be able to determine what the finished product is that you have?
While visiting overseas, i came across ‘FECO’ and now i am not sure what exactly it is…..
I am learning so much from you and i am enjoying it thoroughly. I have bought the courses you have to offer….Thank you!
Regards
Jessie
Hey Jessie, you are so welcome. Unfortunately, the only way to go to the source and ask them directly. I don’t know another way to determine what was used to make it 🙁
And thank you so much for the kind words, I am so glad you’re enjoying my online courses 😀
I’ve been making this for a few months and am really excited to try these tips I didn’t know before, thanks for the timely post!
You are so welcome, Erica!
What mg of thc ends up in 1ml of the FECO? Or how would I figure it out based on what I used? Or just a general estimate works. I’m curious if I use 1 cup chocolate and 1 ml FECO and I make 10 chocolate squares, how much thc per square?
Hey Jennifer! That will depend on the % THC of your starting material and how much you used. If you know that, you can input the values into the edible dosage calculator. This will help answer those questions 🙂
Hey Emily, thanks for your recipe. I’ve used it as the base for my first FECO batch.
I’d like to ask you something. I’ve read many times that decarb would be unnecessary due to the molecules already decarbing in the reduction process of the tincture.
What’s your take on that?
Hey Axel, thanks so much for your kind words. I’ve heard that too and it makes sense, but I don’t have lab tests to know for sure, so I like to just play it safe and decarb upfront 🙂 Let us know if you try it the other way!
Thank you so much for this information. I am extremely excited to see if it turns out alright. If I can achieve this I will forever be making my own thc medicine…..thanks a mill
I hope it turns out well for you, Lacie! Keep me posted on how it goes.
Greetings Emily!
Thank you for the well-crafted and detailed information you have provided here. This should truly make the process available and simple for many folks.
I have some experience making what you refer to as full-extract cannabis oil. I’ve had good success evaporating the alcohol using a magnetic stirring hotplate, and using avocado oil as a carrier. But, I do find the strong grassy taste of the finished product a little off-putting.
Adding a few drops of edible peppermint essential oil has helped a little. I’m wondering if you have used any such flavorings and if so, which ones have been most successful. I considered sweet orange, but I wanted to ask your opinion before trying that with my next batch.
Thank you again for your generous guidance!
Hey Bruce! Thanks so much for your kind words 🙂 I totally understand, the taste can definitely be overwhelming, I’m glad the peppermint essential oil helps a little. I think any food-safe essential oil would be worth trying to see if you can make the medicine more enjoyable!
Avoiding “foul” taste. Considering using 50/50 mix of 190 proof and Vegetable Glycerin for extraction. According to MBM instructions Veg Glycerin is an acceptable product.
Feedback appreciated. Pat Monk.RN.
Hey Patrick! I’ve always avoided using vegetable glycerine for extraction. Ardent cannabis did a study and found that it only helps to infuse around 10% of the cannabinoids, making it a not efficient option. I think it would be better to make the FECO with the alcohol as is, and then mix that final product with VG for better taste and palatability 🙂
Hi Emily! Really great content here. I may have missed it, but what is the best way to clean the glass syringe?
Hey Michelle, thanks so much for the kind words ? The easiest way to clean the syringe is with a little bit of alcohol! Use grain alcohol if you’re trying to still use the product, or isopropyl if your just cleaning and not consuming and further.
Hi! I’ve been reading up on how to make the tincture and remove the alcohol from it. Once you do that and you have FECO, can you still use that to make canna sugar for non alcoholic drinks?
Nicole, I would suggest following this recipe for cannabis sugar to make drinks, it will work better than the FECO 🙂