Meds The Maillard Reaction and Vaping

[fluffhead]

I read a while back that the reason that flower changes colour when vaped is the Maillard Reaction. First of all, I want to check if this is true (being that I read it on the internet) and there are some other questions I have about it. I am hoping someone smart like @herbivore21 will be able to help answer some questions about the Maillard Reaction and vaping.

Wikipedia defines the Maillard Reaction as "The Maillard reaction (/maɪˈjɑːr/ my-yar; French pronunciation: [majaʁ]) is a chemical reaction between amino acids and reducing sugars that gives browned food its distinctive flavor."

Here are some questions/thoughts I had about this and I wanted to discuss/learn from others about how it impacts vaping:

1. Is the MR actually what causes the browning in our flowers?
2. It seems that conduction vapes cause the MR more strongly than convection or radiation, is this correct?
3. Are there any byproducts of the MR that can impact us either in terms of effects or health?
4. Is there any causation between the sleepy effects of high temps and the MR or is it just correlation?
5. Does the MR contribute or cause the bad taste at high temps or at the end of a bowl?

I am happy to hear others' thoughts on this or if I am way out to lunch. A very wise theme song once taught me "If you hear it from your brother, you better clear it with your mother." Since my own mother wouldn't know anything on the topic, I figured I would check out @momofthegoons place next.

 

[momofthegoons]

@fluffhead as you know, my first reaction to you bringing this up was, 'Did I miss something on the news?'

I'll be interested in watching the convo on this.

 

[t-dub]

I have always associated the MR with cooking. It occurs on proteins, like when you sear a steak, or when you caramelize sugars like doing onions, carrots, or tomato paste, or even when baking items with a flaky crust. I always felt that vaping was more akin to baking like in a cake. For the MR to happen we need enough sugars and/or protein to make it happen. Not sure we do here. I could be wrong but I think the change from green to brown involves the breakdown and oxidation of chlorophyll and the plant material, however we are baking our cannabis when we vape it so it could very well be the MR happening in principal.

 

[Drexciya]

I alwys thougt that the Maillard reaction only occurred on high temps but I looked it up and I am clearly wrong. So I'd say yes there is definitely a Maillard reaction taking place but that might not be the sole cause of the browning.

 

[fluffhead]

Thank you both for your responses, the chlorophyll issue I hadn't considered as much in creating the thread. I wonder if I limited the thread in my naming. I guess what matters more to me is the practical impact of the browning more than the why. The following questions still stand regardless of the cause of the browning.

1. Are there any byproducts of the browning that can impact us either in terms of effects or health?
2. Is there any causation between the sleepy effects of high temps and the browning or is it just correlation?
3. Does the browning contribute or cause the bad taste at high temps or at the end of a bowl or do they just happen at the same time?
4. Does the increased browning on conduction-based vapes, does that impact the vape signature?

 

[OldOyler]

Thank you both for your responses, the chlorophyll issue I hadn't considered as much in creating the thread. I wonder if I limited the thread in my naming. I guess what matters more to me is the practical impact of the browning more than the why. The following questions still stand regardless of the cause of the browning.

1. Are there any byproducts of the browning that can impact us either in terms of effects or health?
2. Is there any causation between the sleepy effects of high temps and the browning or is it just correlation?
3. Does the browning contribute or cause the bad taste at high temps or at the end of a bowl or do they just happen at the same time?
4. Does the increased browning on conduction-based vapes, does that impact the vape signature?

Peace!

Here's imo:

1. Don't know.
2. I suggest the high temps are causing a greater rate of thc-to-cbn conversion than occurs at lower temps, and that is what is causing the sleepy effects. But just as likely is the simple fact that the material is sitting in a convection oven at the same time - hot oven whether vaping or not. Again, cbn's *tend* to be the culprit with sleepiness. This is also found when cooking oil to decarb (for instance Skunk Pharm method). When all bubbles stop, that means thc-to-cbn conversion is beginning to win the race over thca/thcv-to-thc conversion. If I want a sleepier decarbed oral medicine, I keep cooking up to another 30 minutes.
3. I suggest (only suggest) both. Brown = heat was here. The same effect happens with a combustion bowl. If one were to watch, the material begins to brown over 1/2 the bowl by mid-session if lighting it from one side of the bowl to another while smoking it. Stonier at the end and more bite (so related to number 2 above in a way). But you will always get an increase in thc-to-cbn conversion to the point of outpacing thca-to-thc conversion. This is more apt to happen with a greater amount of initial available thc, like in material that is already hot in an oven. It is also seen in heavy indicas for the same reason. So much thc is available to be converted that the cbn count rises right along with the increased thc availability. With that increase comes an increase in non-cannabinoid materials - they are what *contains* the cannabinoids.
4. I think so. For instance I like the Solo, and straight through. 12 minutes or whatever it is. I like 3 for most of it, then bump to 4. No higher or I get more "draggy" than I like, and that's with fairly run-of-the-mill hybrid strains. Coffee ground brown when I am done with very little taste. But if I try to sit it down and split the session, it's not as tasty - I assume from sitting a little longer in the hot glass/oven.

All that of course with my usual "imo, and wait for herbivore21 to chime in" as well.

Peace!