This FECO cannabis oil first attempt documents Fordee’s honest beginner experiment with making Full Extract Cannabis Oil at home. Starting with a green dragon tincture, the goal was to reduce the alcohol using a coffee cup warmer until only the concentrated cannabis extract remains. The result: a potent, rice-grain-dosed cannabis oil — not perfect, but a solid first learning experience with plenty of practical takeaways.
What Is FECO Cannabis Oil?
FECO stands for Full Extract Cannabis Oil. It’s made by extracting cannabinoids from cannabis using a high-proof alcohol solvent (typically food-grade ethanol or grain alcohol like Everclear), then evaporating nearly all of the alcohol to leave behind a thick, highly concentrated cannabis oil. The end result is a dark, potent extract that can be taken sublingually (under the tongue), added to capsules, mixed into food, or applied topically.
Unlike RSO (Rick Simpson Oil, which uses naphtha or isopropyl alcohol), FECO cannabis oil typically uses food-safe ethanol, making it safer and more suitable for oral consumption. It’s one of the most potent forms of cannabis extract you can make at home.
FECO Cannabis Oil First Attempt: What You Need
- Green dragon tincture — ~60 mL cannabis tincture made with 195-proof grain alcohol (see Herbistry420’s green dragon tincture tutorial)
- Coffee cup mug warmer — a low-heat electric warmer with multiple settings
- 60 mL shot glass or small heat-safe glass
- Coffee filter — to cover the glass and prevent bubbling splatter (highly recommended after Fordee’s messy first attempt)
- Silicone dabbing tool or scraper — for scraping concentrate off the glass sides
- MCT oil — as a carrier oil for the finished extract
- Dropper bottle — for storage and dosing
- Parchment paper — for collecting any scraped material
Best 4-Step Method: How to Make FECO From Green Dragon Tincture
Here is the best 4-step method for how to make FECO from green dragon tincture using a mug warmer at home:
Step 1: Pour Tincture Into Glass
Shake your green dragon tincture bottle well (store it with a wine stopper to remove air and keep it fresh). Pour approximately 60 mL of tincture into a heat-safe shot glass or small container. Place the glass on your coffee cup mug warmer set to the highest heat setting — the different settings are only a few degrees apart, so maximum heat speeds up evaporation without being dangerous.
Step 2: Cover and Evaporate (8+ Hours)
This is the FECO oil mug warmer evaporation method in action: place a coffee filter loosely over the top of the glass. This critical step — which Fordee skipped on his first attempt — prevents the tincture from bubbling and splattering onto the surface of the warmer as the alcohol evaporates. Open a window or ensure good ventilation, since you’re evaporating alcohol. Let it run for approximately 8–10 hours.
At the 8-hour mark, the liquid should have reduced dramatically. It will still smell strongly of cannabis. Check if any alcohol remains by smell — if you can still detect alcohol, let it continue a bit longer. Fordee’s batch still had some residual alcohol after 8 hours and 10 minutes, which technically makes it “almost FECO” rather than fully extracted. That’s fine for a first batch.
Step 3: Scrape and Collect
Use your silicone scraper to collect the dark, sticky concentrate from the sides and bottom of the glass. Scrape everything onto parchment paper first if needed. Any material that clings to the glass still contains potent cannabinoids — don’t waste it. If the concentrate is too thick to collect cleanly, proceed to Step 4.
Step 4: Add MCT Oil Carrier
Making a full extract cannabis oil MCT oil carrier mixture is the final step. Add 20 drops of MCT oil to the glass with the remaining concentrate. The MCT oil helps dissolve and mix with the sticky cannabis extract, making it easier to transfer into a dropper bottle and easier to dose under the tongue. Use a pipette to collect the mixture and fill your storage bottle.
FECO Cannabis Oil Dosage: The Rice Grain Rule
When it comes to FECO cannabis oil dosage rice grain is the standard starting point. A rice-grain-sized amount — roughly 0.1–0.2 mL — is considered a beginner dose for potent FECO. This is important because FECO is extremely concentrated. Starting from 60 mL of green dragon tincture (where 2–4 mL of tincture was a normal dose), the finished FECO could represent 12–30 doses compressed into a fraction of the volume.
Always start low with FECO. Fordee notes he had no CBD on hand to counteract an accidental overdose, so he kept his first dose to a rice grain. The taste is described as “not amazing, not the worst” — earthy and cannabis-forward, but manageable.
Lessons From This First Attempt
- Cover the glass: Without a coffee filter over the top, the tincture bubbles and pops during evaporation, leaving dark residue on the warmer surface. Always cover loosely.
- Patience pays off: 8 hours is a long time, but trying to rush the process by using higher heat risks degrading the cannabinoids or creating a fire hazard with alcohol fumes.
- Scrape everything: The sides of the glass will have significant concentrate clinging to them. A silicone tool is better than anything metal for this job.
- Small batches are smart first attempts: 60 mL of tincture produced a very small amount of finished FECO — about 1/10 of a 30 mL dropper bottle. Perfect for experimenting without wasting large quantities of flower.
- MCT oil makes it usable: Without a carrier oil, the FECO is too sticky and viscous to dose accurately. Even 20 drops of MCT oil makes a significant difference in consistency.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between FECO and RSO?
FECO (Full Extract Cannabis Oil) and RSO (Rick Simpson Oil) are very similar in concept — both are highly concentrated cannabis extracts made by solvent extraction and evaporation. The main difference is the solvent: FECO typically uses food-grade ethanol (grain alcohol), while traditional RSO uses naphtha or isopropyl alcohol. Food-grade ethanol makes FECO safer for oral consumption.
Can I make FECO without a mug warmer?
Yes. A rice cooker on the “warm” setting is a popular alternative. Some people use a double boiler setup over a stove on very low heat. The key is maintaining a gentle, consistent low temperature — you want the alcohol to evaporate slowly without boiling or reaching ignition temperature. Always ensure good ventilation when evaporating alcohol.
How do I know when FECO is fully extracted?
The alcohol smell should be almost completely gone. The remaining material should be dark, thick, and sticky — with no visible liquid. If you’re unsure, let it continue on low heat for another hour. Fully extracted FECO will have a deeply concentrated cannabis smell and a tar-like or oil-like consistency.
How do you dose FECO cannabis oil?
Start with a rice-grain amount (about 0.1 mL) taken sublingually (under the tongue) and wait at least 90 minutes before assessing the effect. FECO is extremely potent and edible effects take time to kick in. Increase the dose very gradually across multiple sessions until you find your personal effective dose.
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