AVD edibles

“Already vaped bud,” or AVB for short, is the brown, crispy flower that’s left over after vaping cannabis. Although much of the THC in cannabis will be vaporized, the flower isn’t turned to ash (unlike smoking) and retains some of its cannabinoid content. That means it can be used twice, if you know how.

Now, not all AVB is created equal. If you have that vaporizer blasting at a high temperature, it’s unlikely that your AVB will have much left to give. That said, if you hit the sweet spot, and vape with convection heating at around 315-440°F, you’ll be surprised by how much potency can still be gleaned from your leftover flower. Luckily, this is around the temperature you should be vaping at anyway to avoid combustion.

That said, the potency of your AVB will vary depending on not just the temperature it was vaped at, but also the potency of your cannabis flower, and also the method you end up choosing to use your AVB for.  As always, when using your final product, remember to start low and go slow until you figure out the potency. After that, there’s nothing left to do but enjoy!

Below, discover 10 creative ways to recycle your AVB, rather than tossing it in the compost.

What Is ABV? Already Vaped Bud

Already Vaped Bud, otherwise known as AVB, is the term used to refer to weed that has already been thoroughly vaped with the use of a vaporizer. Exhibiting an extremely dry and almost crisp texture, AVB is usually darker in color compared to fresh cannabis flower. It also gives off a slight yet distinct smell very much different from the rich aroma of fresh buds.

A common mistake many people make is throwing away their AVB, thinking it doesn’t have any use. After all, all the psychoactive ingredients have already been used, right? Little do they know, AVB can still be quite potent when used effectively. This is especially true when you use it to make edibles.

A very important detail about AVB is that it will only work if your vaporizer maintains consistent heat in the 315-440°F (157-227°C) range—preferably with the use of a convection style heating system. Beyond 451°F (233°C), combustion begins to occur.

Inadvertent combustion is the easiest way to burn your dry herbs and turn them into an ash-like substance. To make sure you end up with usable AVB, you want to ensure your flower vaporizer device maintains temperatures between 315-440°F (157-227°C).

How Does AVB Work?

The reason cannabis needs to be smoked, vaporized or included as a part of an edibles recipe lies in a process called decarboxylation, or decarbing for short. Decarbing cannabis activates its different cannabinoids, such as THC and CBD, making them available for absorption by the body. This is why juicing or eating fresh and raw cannabis will have no psychoactive effect at all.

In order to decarboxylate cannabis, it needs to be exposed to heat, hence why we traditionally smoke or vape the plant material. Because AVB has already been vaped and exposed to heat, it has already been fully decarboxylated and the bud can be ingested as-is, inducing its full effects.

There is a very good reason not to ingest AVB straight though: it tastes bad.  Really bad. Even mixing AVB into your food, while helping to mask the awful taste, can still make an entire dish unpalatable. Since most people like to enjoy their meal rather than taint it with the ghastly flavor of AVB, the preferred way to enjoy AVB is to properly incorporate it into an oil or butter.

Making Canna-Butter or Canna-Oil

The process of making cannabis infused oil or butter with AVB is quite similar to that of working with fresh non-vaporized bud. Remember, the primary difference is the AVB has already been decarboxylated, so you can skip that step. Simply place your AVB in a pot or slow cooker with butter/oil for a few hours over low heat.

Make sure you’re occasionally stirring every now and then to avoid burning any of the plant material (using a crock-pot really helps maintain consistent low temperature to avoid burning). Let the mixture cool for a bit before straining. We’ve written another article with full step-by-step instructions and photos on how to make edibles from scratch.

Store the cannabutter or oil in a cool, dark place and incorporate it in any of your favorite recipes that call for oil or butter. It can be as simple as spreading the infused oil on toast, using it in a brownie recipe, or as a garnish for your favorite savory dishes. The possibilities are endless when working with cannabutter.

Converting AVB into cannabis oil or butter is a very popular and effective method that can be enjoyed with a wide variety of meals. Infusing AVB into butter might not be as quick as sprinkling AVB directly onto your food, but the flavor difference is worth the extra effort. It also takes a lot less time to accomplish compared to the water curing method, which we’ll address next.

Water Curing

The main benefit to water curing your AVB is that it eliminates the nasty, musty odor and flavor that most people find off-putting. While water curing AVB takes more time to make compared to cannabutter, it’s a relatively simple process. All you need is a cheesecloth to wrap around your AVB.

While this method works with any amount, it’s recommended to save up at least an ounce of AVB to make the entire process worthwhile. After you’ve made what is essentially a giant teabag out of your cheesecloth and AVB, soak the whole thing into a bowl of water. Make sure the entire satchel of AVB is fully immersed.

Once the AVB is soaked, check back at least every few hours or so for signs of the water turning murky. Toss out the discolored water and replace with fresh water as needed. After the AVB has been soaking for at least 4-7 days (we don’t recommend any longer than this, as this might lead to the formation of mold), drain all the water from the bowl.

Open up the cheesecloth and evenly spread the soaked AVB on a baking pan or tray and place it in an oven set to 200ºF degrees. Give the tray a good mix or toss every 30 minutes to ensure everything is drying out evenly. After around the 2-hour mark, your ounce of water cured AVB should now be completely dry and ready for consumption, sans the awful taste.

If you don’t have an oven, a dehydrator is a good option as well, although the drying process will definitely take a lot longer than 2 hours. Expect at least 12 hours to pass for a dehydrator to fully dry out your soaked AVB.

From here, the water cured AVB can be sprinkled on food directly, or infused into oil/butter—with far less noticeable bitter herb taste than its non-water cured counterparts.

Edibles

First in line is likely the most obvious use—edibles. Baking or cooking with your AVB is a great choice because it helps to mask the flavor while also making use of those leftover cannabinoids.

AVB can be utilized just the same as ground flower for anything from brownies to herbed salmon, except unlike flower, because it is already decarboxylated, it is ready to use! Simply toss it into the mixture to enjoy, but use it gradually in your recipes, starting with a lower dose at first, as it will be impossible to be sure of the potency. Better to make a less potent batch and have an excuse to eat two brownies than to make one that’s too strong and only be able to nibble a corner.

Water Curing

If you fancy the idea of using AVB for edibles but just can’t get past the taste no matter what flavors you add, water curing might be the trick to help you salvage your bud. The process is pretty easy, but a bit time consuming.

You’ll first need to save your AVB until you’ve accumulated a half ounce or more to make the process worth your time. Next you’ll need patience, because the process itself will take about 4-7 days.

Here’s how to do it:

• First take a cheesecloth and use it to bundle up your AVB like one big teabag. Tie it off with a string.
• Place the bundle in a bowl of water, letting it soak thoroughly.
• Check back in a couple hours and toss the discolored water, adding fresh water in its place.
• You’ll want to do this for about four days, up to a week but no longer, changing the water as frequently as possible.

Once the time has come, drain the water, wring out the teabag, and then spread the water-soaked AVB evenly onto a baking sheet. Set the oven to 200 degrees and let it chill for two hours, tossing the AVB about every 30 minutes to ensure it dries evenly.

Voila! You now have a batch of AVB without the awful taste. Use it in edibles or turn it into butter to use for everything from baking to breakfast.

Sprinkle on Food

If you love the idea of ingesting your AVB but can’t be bothered to cook, (no judgement here, fellow take-out aficionados), fear not, because AVB can be easily added to any snack. Since it has already been decarboxylated in the vaping process, there’s no need for any extra steps before eating.

That said, for this method, water curing is strongly recommended for flavor purposes, but if you’re really the queen of lazy culture, consider pairing it with Nutella, peanut butter, bbq sauce, hot sauce, or other strong flavors to help mask the taste. This is not the most glamorous use of AVB, but hey, there are those who still drink Bud Light—and it ain’t for the taste.