Badder, batter, and budder are terms used to describe the texture of certain cannabis concentrates.
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What's the difference between badder, batter, and budder?
In short, not much. Badder, batter, and budder are terms used to describe the appearance, texture, and consistency of a similar set of cannabis concentrates. While some processors have been able to make these textures out of solventless rosin, most badders, batters, and budders are made with the use of solvents.
Budder tends to retain a smooth consistency like butter or cake frosting, while badder can sometimes have a looser consistency closer to sauce. Others look more like crumble with a bumpier texture. Budder and batter concentrates can be made using trim, cured nugs, or a freshly harvested plant (live resin). The appearance of these types of concentrates can range from greenish-brown to buttery gold. Badders, batters, and budders produced from high-quality cannabis tend to be bright blond and have strong but smooth flavors.
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Bottom line: all three of these cannabis concentrates undergo nearly identical extraction processes that typically result in a soft texture.
How is budder made?
First, a warning: only experienced, licensed professionals should manufacture badder, batter, budder, and other solvent-based cannabis concentrates as these processes can be extremely dangerous.
Badder and budder are typically considered extracts because they are primarily made using liquid petroleum gases (LPG) such as butane and propane. As with other textures, the process involves a closed-loop system. The only difference is the post-extraction technique.
The consistency of the concentrate changes from shatter to budder when the extracts are whipped on a hot plate at roughly 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) before being placed into a vacuum oven. The exact temperatures and amount of agitation required differ from strain to strain, but most budder is purged with a little heat and pressure for 24 to 72 hours.
Bottom line: Solvents can be flammable and handling them can cause skin irritations and explosions. As such, only licensed professionals should manufacture cannabis concentrates. The rest of us can purchase them safely at legal, licensed dispensaries.
How to store budder
Without proper storage, budder will start to darken and harden over time. To ensure a long and stable shelf life, store your badder and budder concentrates in an airtight, opaque container in a dark, cool environment. Moisture, oxygen, light, and warm temperatures all speed up the degradation process and could alter the consumption experience. These same factors can also affect the aroma, color, and potency of your budder.
Bottom line: Store your budder in a cool, dark place in an airtight container.
How to consume badder, batter, and budder
Dabbing is the most common way to consume these concentrates. Using a dabber or dab tool with a flat tip — as opposed to dabber with a scoop-style tip — allows consumers to pick up the budder and keep it tacked on the tool. When the flat-tip dab tool makes contact with a heated nail, the badder or budder vaporizes almost instantly.
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From there, you can place a cap over the nail to inhale the concentrate vapor. Badder and budder are most often used with handheld dabbers and vape pens. You can also sprinkle small amounts on a bowl or in a blunt to add more potency to your smoking experience.
If you're most interested in terpenes, use a vaporizer or vape pen with temperature-control abilities. Popular terpenes vaporize from 122 Fahrenheit (50 Celsius, ocimene) to 388 Fahrenheit (198 Celsius, linalool) and many points in between so being able to dial in the experience is important to some. Otherwise, 350 to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (175 to 205 Celsius) is considered a good range to volatilize most of the tasty terpenes without scorching them.
Bottom line: you can dab budder and badder with a dab rig, vaporizer, or vape pen, or add small amounts to smokable cannabis flower.
A brief history of budder
Budder emerged on the scene in the mid-1990s after a Canadian concentrate maker eventually known as BudderKing created it. In 2003, the man who would be BudderKing approached the founder of Vancouver's Da Kine Smoke and Beverage Shop, Don Briere, with the extract, and began distributing samples of budder from Da Kine called Butter Hoots.
The pair distributed Butter Hoots until police raided the shop in 2004. After police shut down Da Kine, the demand for the extract grew. As consumers clamored for Butter Hoots, extract artists began whipping and selling their own branded wholesale batches of the butter-like concentrate.
With all the copycats, BudderKing decided it was time to patent the name. However, the Canadian Trademark office denied his request to trademark the word “butter” so a family member suggested calling the product “budder.” BudderKing initially did not want to replace the traditional spelling of the word but eventually gave in. The name and product took off, spreading the BudderKing name from dispensary to dispensary.
Frequently asked questions
Is budder stronger than shatter?
Budder and shatter describe cannabis concentrate textures, not potencies. So while it's certainly possible for one batch of budder to be higher in THC concentration than a batch of shatter, that's not the rule across the board. Cannabis concentrates come in a range of potencies and cannabinoid profiles, so check the package's label or certificate of analysis for more details.
How do you use budder rosin?
Budder rosin is simply rosin that has been whipped to the consistency of budder. You can consume budder rosin the same way you would budder: dab it or add it to a bowl of cannabis flower.
What's the difference between wax and budder?
Wax and budder are similar in that they both involve a whipping process that incorporates air into the final product. Wax and budder concentrates are also malleable and easy to manipulate with a dab tool, which is why they're so popular. The difference lies in how long wax and budder are whipped. Whip the extract enough and you'll get a drier, crumblier wax; cut the whipping short and you'll get a creamier, budder consistency.