Microwave Myths Busted!

I have seen alot of talk recently, and it has come to my attention that some people are concerned about microwaving their bud. It seems to be a fear over radiation affecting the bud somehow; I can say, with absolute certainty that microwaves are harmless when used as directed. Now I will tell you why.

I will be starting from the basics, for those who havent taken classes that cover this stuff. (or for those who took them, but were to high to learn anything bongsmilie)

Method of action: A microwave works using a process called dielectric heating. Polar molecules (mainly molecules with asymmetry) have an uneven charge distribution, or in layman's terms, a positive and negative end. Water is the main polar molecule in foods, while there are others, water causes the vast majority of heating.

Now imagine a compass, It only works because the earth gives off a stable magnetic field. That field pushes/pulls the compass into position. Dielectric heating works in a similar way. The water molecules are the compass needle and the microwaves act like the north and south poles. Only there is one key difference. The microwaves are just that, waves. They go up, down, back up, back down. The effect is as if the earths poles switched back and forth, back and forth. The compass would spin. This is what happens to the water molecules, they spin. And as they spin they bump against each other, and the resulting friction generates heat. The thing about microwaves is that as soon as you stop the microwave, heating stops instantly. No residual radiation, no trapped microwaves to escape when you eat your food. That cant happen. So enjoy your microwave, love it, use it.

The water molecules can get very hot, but they do not break apart as claimed by some unreliable websites. They do not form free radicals, and in fact, microwaves cannot generate free radicals. Microwaves are whats known as Non-Ionizing Radiation. This seperates them from things like x-rays, gamma-rays, and light. Microwaves dont carry enough energy to cleave the bonds that hold molecules together.

The heating indirectly caused by microwaves does change the structures of proteins in the food, but guess what! thats the definition of cooking. By destroying certain proteins, many types of harmful organisms are inhibited from growing. This same process occurs in all cooking, but microwaves actually generate fewer carcinogens and toxins than other types of cooking. Cooking in an oven causes browning of foods. While this adds flavor, it also can create certain unhealthy compounds. Microwaves dont cause browning. Because microwaves dont brown food, food that has been cooked in a microwave may taste bland. This has caused some people to blame malevolent chemicals for the problem. But really, microwaves are one of the healthiest ways to cook food!

The same applies to bud! In the grand scheme of things, if you are gonna be cooking your pot or smoking it, microwaves dont even compare.

I hope you guys enjoy this!
 

*BUDS

Well-Known Member
How hot does it get? Its all about temps, THC breaks down after 83. Keep that in mind next time you impatiently zap your dope.
 
It shouldn't get too hot as long as you alternate between heating and cooling. As long as it doesn't ever get too hot, it shouldn't cause any problems. However, if you have an old or really cheap microwave it may heat the bud unevenly. Some small spots may overheat, causing your bud to lose potency. But then again, maybe not.
 
My point in posting this thread was not to advocate wasting your bud in the microwave. It was to say that microwaves are perfectly safe.
 

Dankster4Life

Well-Known Member
Who uses a nuker???

Some one that snipped a few popcorn samples....i don't think any one here actually does their dry and cure in the nuker.I grow to smoke.
 

mattman

Well-Known Member
Microwaves dont carry enough energy to cleave the bonds that hold molecules together
How do you explain melting plastic and what not that will generate smoke if nuked long enoug? This would surely be breaking bonds between molecules.
 

smokermore

Well-Known Member
Great post but missing some crucial information!

Your never suppose to microwave on full power. Change it to power setting 4 or 3. if you cant figure out how to change power settings, your better off just using defrost.

After u figure out how to change power settings, you have to place the bud in the microwave properly.

Get a DRY paper towel, put in at the bottom of any microwavable bowl( i used tupperware) place your buds on the dry paper towel. Then get a moist paper towel and cover the top of the bowl. Microwave for about 30 second to a minute, repeat about 5 times, or until buds are dry.

Make sure to keep the top papertowel moist and the bottom one dry
 

bowlfullofbliss

Well-Known Member
Geez, get some patience people. Slow dry, manicure, and jar cure 30 days. Why so itchy to smoke shitty weed that tastes like hay, that isn't going to be ready for 5 or 6 more weeks once harvested. We did that shit in high school learning how to grow.
 
How do you explain melting plastic and what not that will generate smoke if nuked long enoug? This would surely be breaking bonds between molecules.
When I say that microwaves cant cleave chemical bonds, I mean that. But the heat eventually accumulates to the point that the plastic melts or burns. Its a different effect; x-rays can damage molecules instantly by slamming into them with tons of energy. Thats why x-ray exposure is dangerous, if x-rays hit dna is can lead to cancer. In reality, X-rays are the radiation equivalent to a punch to the face, microwaves are a nice warm bath. (For food!, direct microwave exposure is still dangerous.) My original point was that microwaves dont create free radicals.

Great post but missing some crucial information!

Your never suppose to microwave on full power. Change it to power setting 4 or 3. if you cant figure out how to change power settings, your better off just using defrost.

After u figure out how to change power settings, you have to place the bud in the microwave properly.

Get a DRY paper towel, put in at the bottom of any microwavable bowl( i used tupperware) place your buds on the dry paper towel. Then get a moist paper towel and cover the top of the bowl. Microwave for about 30 second to a minute, repeat about 5 times, or until buds are dry.

Make sure to keep the top papertowel moist and the bottom one dry
Those would be missed points, but this is not a how-to. I know how to nuke bud. That is, however, very good advice the wet paper towel promotes even heating which is VERY important.

Geez, get some patience people. Slow dry, manicure, and jar cure 30 days. Why so itchy to smoke shitty weed that tastes like hay, that isn't going to be ready for 5 or 6 more weeks once harvested. We did that shit in high school learning how to grow.
THIS
 

drenots

Member
Can we have your step by step drying technique? It be good to hear from someone who's done this before.
 
To be perfectly honest, I don't recommend nuking your bud. It leaves a poor product even when done right. But if you are dead set on nuking your bud...

The following instructions are for informational purposes only. If following these is illegal in your locality DONT DO IT. I take no responsibility for the actions of others.

1: Get your sacrificial bud, two paper towels, a bowl or tray big enough for the bud, some water. Take the bowl/tray and lay a dry paper towel on it. Lay your bud on top of that.

2: Moisten a paper towel so that it is damp, but not dripping. Place this towel on top of your bud.

3: Set microwave for a low-medium setting. 3 or 4 out of ten would do nicely.

4: Microwave your bud for 3 seconds at a time, taking a couple seconds between each cook to let it cool. This is vital! do this for about a minute including the breaks. this should be dry enough, if not, nuke it a little more.

Beware though, nuking bud sucks pretty bad. its not gonna come out great even if you do it well.
 

smokermore

Well-Known Member
i copy and pasted another post i found on here from FCSoldier

the thread if interested
https://www.rollitup.org/newbie-central/1352-fast-way-dry.html


don't use the microwave on full power...thc breaks down at over 150 degrees(around there anyway) most say to use at most 50% power, I used 30% doesn't take too long.
These are the directions I followed...

"Put a 1/4 piece of paper towel and put it in the bottom of a microwave safe tupperware container. Next put all your cut-up weed pieces. Now fold the other 2 paper towels and quickly dip them in water, making sure they are evenly wet. Now squeeze out most of the water, then unfold the towels and place on top of the container. Now place the lid on top and press down all corners except for one, so the steam can escape.
Now we can set the container in the microwave. Set the power to around 40%, set for 1 minute and let it go. Take it out when the minute is up and let it sit for around 20 seconds. If the bottom paper towel is "wet", change it right away. If the 2 "top" paper towels are wet, get them wet again and pet the lid back on.
Microwave for another minute, and then you must repeat this process for around 4 minutes, or until its dry enough to smoke."

I have heard others say to use the defrost setting on your microwave(haven't tried it)
 

cannabutt

Well-Known Member
micro chips in the oven variety work well in microwaves.. a lil bit rubbery, though nothing a splash of salt and vinegar wont fix and what not

having said that

I put buds in my compost heap to dry

:leak:
 
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