// Definition
A partial wax removal process that uses cold temperatures and filtration to crash waxes out of a cannabis extract. Unlike winterization, dewaxing does not permanently remove all lipids — waxes can potentially redissolve as the extract warms. Often confused with winterization in industry terminology, but the two processes are fundamentally different in their completeness and mechanism.
// From the Episode
Dewaxing was discussed in Episode 8 specifically to clarify its distinction from winterization. The panel was frustrated by industry confusion between the two terms. Dewaxing relies on dropping the temperature of an extract to cause waxes to solidify and then filtering them out. The problem is that this is a physical separation based on temperature — as conditions change, removed waxes can potentially return to solution. Winterization, by contrast, uses ethanol as a chemical solvent that dissolves everything and then permanently separates lipids through precipitation and filtration. The practical implication is that dewaxed extracts may not be as clean as winterized ones, despite sometimes being marketed interchangeably.
// Source
Ep. 008 Hash Church Episode VIII →