Terp Sauce: The Tastiest Cannabis Concentrate?
You may have heard the term terp sauce, diamonds and sauce, or just plain sauce.
After trying some terp sauce from my local dispensary, I’ve become hooked on the flavor and potent buzz from this near-perfect cannabis concentrate.
Read on and find out why terp sauce is now all the rage in both my mind and others.
What Is Terp Sauce?
If you want a cannabis concentrate with a high concentration of terpenes, terp sauce is the way to go. This cannabis extract has a lot of appeal over flower due to its purity, quality, and, more specifically, potency.
Terpenes are the aromatic or fragrant components of the cannabis plant that gives the cannabis flower its different aromas, like pine, citrus, or an earthy scent. Terp sauce contains a lot of these terpenes.
Terp sauce has a runny and syrupy consistency and is often combined with solid THCA or CBD cannabis isolate. It can also be combined with a potent distillate and used in vape cartridges.
There are generally two different names which you can find terp sauce called. The first is the technical name “high terpene full-spectrum extracts,” or otherwise known as HTFSEs. Or they can be found under the terms of “diamonds and sauce” or just plain old “sauce” on online dispensaries.
Terpenes are valuable to cannabis concentrate users as they are thought to yield an entourage effect, which makes the compounds in cannabis even better at providing you the buzz or effect you desire. It is one of the main reasons terp sauce has become more popular over the past few years.
Also, terpene sauce usually contains approximately 30% of the cannabinoids THC or CBD, while the rest of the runny sauce will be approx 70% terpenes. The low cannabinoid consistency is why chunks of THCA are added to enhance the potency of terp sauce.
Cannabis users enjoy terp sauce because it is very flavourful. But, remember that it’s an extremely potent concentrate and as a result, you only need a small amount of this product.
It is also easily smokable in your glass rig, tabletop vaporizer, nectar collector, or hand-held vape cartridge pens. Cannabis users come up with a host of new ideas, so keep an eye out for new ways to indulge in cannabis concentrates.
The fact that terp sauce has become popular is largely due to the importance of terpenes and how they interact and influence the effects of cannabis. This modification means that not only do you get a purer taste, but you also can increase the THC effects with cannabis terpenes.
How Is Terp Sauce Made?
Very few cannabis concentrates are dubbed extracts. An extract is when solvents are used to dissolve the desired substance into a solution. Terp sauce uses a solvent, and that is the reason is why it called an extract.
It all begins with the initial product. The cannabis strain used must contain a high terpene profile and a large amount of THC. This will ensure a better end-product.
Terp Sauce creators will often use fresh flower first to make live resin, which uses a flash-freezing method then uses butane extraction, which will prevent the loss of terpenes from the starting product.
This live resin extraction process was developed during 2012-2013 in the US, in particular Colorado. By live resin’s flash-freezing process, you will get the best terpene profiles to create exceptional terp sauce.
After the plant matter goes through a flash-freeze, they keep it frozen until the extraction process begins to lock in the flavor profile. To freeze it, the plant is dipped in liquid nitrogen or dry ice, which helps to better preserve the active compounds.
This plant material then goes through the closed-loop extraction process, using solvents like butane, propane, or a mixture of the two. These hydrocarbons help extract the good stuff from the cannabis plant.
The flower is sprayed with a pressurized solvent to separate the cannabinoids and trichomes from the plant matter.
You are left with approximately 95% cannabis oil, which needs to be purged with heat to release most of the solvent used. They then perform a light purge at relatively low temperatures to remove any butane that still remains.
The extract is then poured into a glass jar, stored at a temperature slightly above room temperature, and left in a dry and dark place for 2 to 3 weeks.
At this point, the material will be very syrupy, but as the weeks go by, you will notice that the terpenes will rise and form a layer of goo at the top. While at the same time, crystalline THCA will start to form and sink to the bottom.
Afterward, the terpenes are skimmed off the tops, and the crystals, also called diamonds, will be collected from the bottom. They then begin purging the terpenes for 60 hours in the same light, no-vac, low-temperature method, while the crystals are purged for 72 hours.
Once the solvent is removed, they reintroduce the crystals into the terps and are then packed in UV-proof containers ready for use.
Note: As you can see, sauce and live resin are not the same, both are favored for flavor, but live resin is less processed. Both sauce and live resin are great cannabis concentrates either way!
How To Make Terp Sauce At Home
Equipment you will need to make terp sauce at home, otherwise known as diamond mining:
- Quality cannabis buds high in THCA, cannabinoid content, and terpenes
- N-Butane gas
- Butane Hash Oil extractor tube
- Mesh screen or fine filter between 27-35 microns
- Heavy-Duty Gloves
- Pyrex container
- Vacuum Chamber or Pump
- A properly ventilated and safe place
- Heating Pad
- Mason jars
UV-proof containers
- First, grind up your chosen weed strain to better release the terpenes, THC, and other cannabinoids. This will result in the best starting material for making terp sauce.
- Prepare your BHO extractor and put the filter or mesh screen in. You can also use a rosin press if you want for this.
- Pack the extractor with your best weed with the least amount of air in.
- Close the extractor, ensuring it is tight and well-sealed.
- On a flat surface, place your pyrex container. And put on your gloves
- Point the exit port of the BHO extractor tube over the pyrex dish.
- Insert the butane can’s nozzle into the extractor, firmly pressing down. If you hear a hiss, you will know you are doing it right.
- As it fills, the liquid butane will start dripping golden-colored fluid into the dish.
- Keep holding the BHO extractor firmly, wearing heavy-duty gloves. Keep injecting the butane at a steady flow.
- The temperature will drop quickly and will actually freeze the BHO extractor. Your extractor or the gloves will become very cold, so don’t cheap out when buying them.
- As the butane gas becomes liquid and fills the BHO extractor causing depressurization, the pressure will start building up, forcing the liquid butane out and into your pyrex container. The liquid should look golden and will begin to bubble.
- The next step is purging, which is done to remove the high-terpene and THC oils. This is usually done with a hand-held vacuum pump to off-gas the remaining solvent.
- As butane’s evaporation point is only 33.8 degrees Fahrenheit. You can leave the dish out, and the butane will evaporate on its own.
- On the other hand, if you want to do this quickly, use a vacuum chamber. Then, you can suck all the air and butane out of it.
- An alternate method is to use a container of hot water and place the Pyrex with the oil inside (don’t let water splash in). This will increase the evaporation rate.
- Once the bubbling stops, then this part of the process is finished.
- The next thing is to pour the extract into a mason jar while still viscous and set into a cool, dry, and dark environment.
- Within 2-3 weeks, you will see that the terpenes and crystals as separated.
- Scoop the terpenes off the top and set them to purge for 60 hours over a heating pad or low-heat stove.
- With the crystals, you also purge for 72 hours over low heat.
- If it is still murky, there is still butane in it that needs to be purged out.
- Once all the solvent has been removed, put the THCA Crystals and terp sauce back together, and put them in UV-proof containers to preserve the terpenes and cannabinoids.
Now you will have your terp sauce ready to dab!
How To Smoke Terp Sauce
Terp sauce extracts can be consumed in a few different methods, but it is typically done by dabbing.
However, using a hand-held or tabletop vaporizer is also popular. Or you can use a nectar collector, which is quickly becoming both handy and efficient to take a dab.
Dabbing
Dabbing terp sauce has quickly become a favorite method of consuming cannabis concentrates and produces a delicious experience. You just need a dag glass or silicone dab rig, which can be purchased at most smoke shops.
Rigs look similar to a water pipe or bong, but you use what you call a banger instead of a bowl. These bangers are made of either glass, quartz, ceramic, or titanium.
You heat the banger with a torch. Some people prefer a larger butane torch you use for a small camp grill, while others prefer hand torches. It’s up to you.
Another alternative is an e-nail which gives you the best chance of a smooth hit because you can set the temperature. Perfect for a low temp dab of live resin or sauce to enjoy the terps!
Once you reach the desired temperature (typically between 500 – 700 degrees Fahrenheit), you place a small dab of terp sauce in the banger or on the e-nail and then inhale.
You should play around with the rig, so you figure out how big of a terp sauce dab you need and the optimum temperature to activate the flavorful cannabinoids and terpenes resulting from the extraction methods of these cannabis extracts.
When dabbing, start off small and gradually increase the dab size until you feel a good hit. Also, play around with the temperature until you get a smooth draw. When scooping up your dab tool, try to get some THCA crystals and a bit of the sauce simultaneously.
Vaporizing
Whether using a tabletop vaporizer or vape pen and cartridge, it is an excellent way to consume terp sauce.
Start with just a bit of terp sauce at a time, and be wary of overheating it. Set the temperature control features at a medium setting and if you are not getting much vapor, increase the setting in small increments and monitor the process.
Vape pens are also a discrete way to use your terp sauce on the go. To use it, just follow the instructions for your device. Start with small dabs of terp sauce and when drawing on it, take long slow hauls.
You can also of buying vape cartridges that have terpene sauce mixed in with distillate. These full-spectrum extracts are excellent, and you don’t need to fuss so much.
Nectar Collectors
An up-and-coming way of using terp sauce is the nectar collector.
It’s a thin tube made of glass or metal and silicone. You heat one end of the tube with a torch and then, sucking on the opposite end (so you don’t burn your lips), lightly touch it to a piece of terp sauce and inhale.
This method is often used with other cannabis concentrates like live resin, budder, or wax. However, I prefer using a nectar collector because it is a cheap method that doesn’t require you to buy a lot of gear.
You can also better judge your hit if you use a glass tube, and it’s easiest on the lungs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Terp Sauce The Same As Distillate?
On the concentrate spectrum, distillate is different in that it is odorless and tasteless. It is often infused into pre-filled vape cartridges, and then the flavors and terpenes are added.
Distillate can contain up to 90% THC, but when it comes to terpenes, taste, THC, and other cannabis concentrates, it lacks the cannabis strain’s original scent and effects.
While distillate is clear and viscous, it doesn’t have the terpene extracts, terpene content, or THCA that is the end product of terp sauce. However, terp sauce is now often added to distillate products.
What Is Terp Sauce Made From?
Terp sauce is created from marijuana or otherwise known as cannabis. It is the result of collecting and then processing the terpenes and cannabinoids.
The terpenes are then separated from cannabinoids into a gooey-like aromatic substance. This substance is then integrated either with THCA crystals or in distillate cartridges and other concentrates.
You need to try terp sauce out for yourself. Let your tastebuds and cannabinoid receptors be the judge. You won’t be disappointed.
