Badder vs. Budder
- What batter and budder are
- How to make high-quality batter and budder
- How budder and badder are used
- How budder and badder should be stored
Let’s break down the key differences.
Cannabis Concentrates 101
Cannabis concentrates (including budder and badder) are the result of isolating and compressing the resin from the resinous glands or "trichomes" of the cannabis flower. Since they consist of just concentrated cannabinoids and terpenes, marijuana concentrates are very high in THC (50-80%+) and produce an intense sensation when vaped, dabbed, or otherwise consumed.
Concentrates can further be divided among pure concentrates vs. extracts. A concentrate is any cannabis byproduct where the resin is separated from the plant and compressed. A cannabis extract is a type of concentrate that’s created by means of either solvent dissolution or mechanical separation with heat and pressure. Badder and budder both fall into the cannabis extracts category.
The Fascinating History of Cannabis Budder
The first time someone hears the word "budder," they will understandably be surprised and perhaps confused. Why not just call it “butter?” The answer lies in the origins of this popular concentrate.
In the mid-1990s, a Canadian concentrate maker approached the owner of the Da Kine Smoke and Beverage shop with samples of a butter-like concentrate he had crafted, called Butter Hoots. After police shut down Da Kine, demand for Butter Hoots grew and copycat concentrate crafters began to produce and sell their own butter-like concentrates.
To protect his invention, the inventor went to place a trademark on the word "butter." However, the Canadian Trademark Office denied his application. He eventually agreed to trademark the word "budder" instead—even though he didn't like the altered spelling—and ultimately became known as the BudderKing.
Differences Between Badder vs. Budder
The main difference between badder and budder is that budder has a slightly firmer texture while badder has a looser, oilier texture like cake batter. The subtle distinctions between budder and badder are best understood in the wider context of concentrates as a whole.
Coloring
The color of concentrates ranges from greenish-brown to buttery gold, depending on how much the material is refined. Hashish, one of the oldest and best-known cannabis concentrates, has a greenish-brown coloring due to the chlorophyll and lipids still present in the resin. In contrast, wax-like concentrates like badder and budder are a bright-blond color when made from high-quality cannabis.
Texture
Concentrates can be produced with a range of textures depending on how they’re extracted and processed. On one end of the spectrum, you have shatter with a brittle, smooth texture that can be easily snapped (or stretched and snapped). On the other end of the spectrum, you have sugar wax, which has a consistency like wet sugar.
Consistency
Budder and batter fall roughly in the middle of the texture spectrum as wax-like concentrates that are easy to scoop up and use with a dab rig. Budder, as the name suggests, has a creamy soft texture and smooth consistency, similar to dairy butter. Badder can range in texture from a sticky sauce to a soft wax-like consistency. It is often described as having a frosting-like consistency.
Flavor & Strength
While budder and batter have a slightly different appearance, texture, and consistency, their flavors and potency are generally similar. When it comes to the strength and overall experience with a concentrate, the most influential factor is the strain used—as well as its quality—rather than the texture.
How Budder and Badder Are Made
There are two common extraction processes that can be used to create the different textures of budder vs badder. The first uses solvents and the second uses heat and pressure. While the most common methods use solvents to extract the active compounds, solventless extracts are rising in popularity.
Solvent-Based Extraction
The solvent-based extraction process involves soaking the cannabis buds in a solvent to pull out the cannabinoids and terpenes. Common solvents include:
- Liquid petroleum gasses like propane or butane
- Supercritical (pressurized) carbon dioxide
- Ethanol
- Isopropyl alcohol
After the compounds have been extracted from the plant, the solvent is removed in a vacuum oven and the mixture is winterized to remove any remaining solvent, plus any waxes, fats, and lipids that would make the concentrate cloudy. To make either batter or budder, the oil is whipped before the concentrate is placed in the vacuum oven for purification.
Because petroleum-based solvents are highly flammable, only licensed professionals with closed-loop machinery should attempt solvent-based extractions. Carbon dioxide extractions are considered the safest solvent method because any excess CO2 will simply evaporate off the concentrate at the end.
Solventless Extraction
Solventless extraction is becoming popular as an alternative to solvent-based procedures because it offers a clean concentrate without the health and safety concerns presented by butane, propane, and other chemical solvents. A rosin press is also significantly more affordable than a closed-loop system and is subject to fewer regulations and compliance requirements.
Solventless Budder
To make budder with a manual rosin press (best for small batches) or a pneumatic rosin press (best for large batches), start with fresh, high-terpene flowers that are thoroughly dried and cured, and press them at a temperature of 180-200°F. At this low temperature, flower rosin should turn into budder automatically.
Once you achieve the desired consistency, cure the rosin for one hour with the lid slightly, and then for an additional 24 hours with the lid fully closed. The strains that are most likely to turn into budder are those that are high in THC-A.
Solventless Batter
Solventless batter generally refers to solventless budder that has been whipped (agitated). To make it, you would follow the same procedure described for budder above, pressing at a temperature of 180-200°F. But after pressing (and before curing), you’ll want to whip the fresh flower rosin with a constant zig-zag motion to further separate the compounds.
Rosin budder (L) and Rosin badder (R)
How Budder and Badder Are Used
Budder and badder are both popular with dabbers because they are so easy to handle and use with a dab rig. They can also be used in vape pens or added to a bowl or joint.
Vaporize with a Dab Rig
Dabbing with a dab rig is the original and perhaps the most effective way to vaporize cannabis concentrates. It takes a little more setting up (and cleaning up) than smoking but produces a cleaner and more efficient high.
With traditional dab rigs, the user takes a small amount of concentrate with a dabber and smears it onto the heated nail that’s capped with a dome. The concentrate vaporizes almost instantly and passes through the percolator and filtration chamber to the reservoir, ready to be inhaled through the mouthpiece.
E-nails and e-rigs are also available for people who prefer to heat the nail with a battery rather than a blowtorch. E-rigs are a little like vape pens except that they have a nail and a long mouthpiece as opposed to a cartridge.
Vaporize with a Vape Pen
Vape pens have become popular for their portability, and most don’t need to be cleaned like a dab rig does. Usually, the user purchases a pre-filled or refillable vape oil cartridge. This cartridge can then be attached to a battery pack for use.
To dab badder and budder with a vape pen, users sometimes apply the concentrate directly to the coils, where it’s absorbed by the wicks and vaporized. This isn't as ideal as an e-rig or pre-filled cartridge, though, as the coils will need to be cleaned after each use. Users would do better to use a solventless cartridge with oil prepared specifically for vapes.
Add to a Bowl or Joint
Budder and badder can also be sprinkled onto a bowl or added to a joint. To add waxy concentrates to a joint, the user (or pre-roll manufacturer) can either mix it with the flower or smear a line of concentrate directly onto the rolling paper before the flower is placed in the joint. It's important not to use too much or the joint might burn unevenly.
Smoking concentrates has become popular because it creates a more intense experience than smoking cannabis flower. Whether one prefers budder or badder, adding concentrate to a joint is good for users who are testing the waters with higher levels of cannabinoids, as the amount of THC in an extract is typically three times higher than the amount of THC in flower—sometimes more.
Add to Infused Edibles
It is possible to consume badder in cannabis edibles. However, it's important to remember that this is a concentrate rather than cannabis-infused butter, so one should only use a tiny amount. Before using badder or budder to cook, users should heat it at a low temperature for 20-25 minutes to activate the cannabinoids before combining it with the rest of the ingredients.
The advantage of cooking with commercial concentrates is that it's easier to calculate the THC content of the edibles according to how much is stated on the label of the concentrate at the time of purchase. If you’re producing concentrates commercially, it's important—and usually required by law—to provide accurate, lab-certified information about the THC content of your products.
How to Store Cannabis Concentrate
After curing is complete, budder, batter, and other cannabis concentrates have a fairly stable shelf life. However, they can be damaged by exposure to moisture, heat, and light. Budder, for example, will darken and go hard if exposed to the elements.
To slow down the degradation process, proper storage is essential. As a rule, concentrates should be stored in a light-proof container (tinted glass) in the fridge or freezer (for long term storage).
Create Top-Quality Solventless Concentrates
After reading through this guide, you should have a better idea of the difference between budder vs badder, how each is made, and how these products are typically used. While concentrates have traditionally been made using solvents, solventless technology is rapidly advancing to the point where it’s now possible to create the most popular textures and consistencies with just a bit of pressure and heat.
To create winning badder and budder with a rosin press, you can experiment with different strains, temperatures, pressure levels, and methods of whipping and curing the rosin. In the end, you should have a pure, clean, potent product that any cannabis lover will be thrilled to use.