// Definition
The process of using ethanol to dissolve and permanently remove lipids, waxes, and fats from a cannabis extract. The extract is dissolved in ethanol and chilled, causing lipids to precipitate out of solution. Once filtered, the lipids cannot redissolve into the extract. Winterization produces a cleaner, more refined product and is fundamentally different from dewaxing, which only partially removes waxes.
// From the Episode
Winterization was defined precisely in Episode 8 to distinguish it from dewaxing — a critical distinction that the panel felt was being confused in the industry. The key difference is permanence: winterization uses ethanol to dissolve the extract completely, and when lipids precipitate out at cold temperatures and are filtered away, they cannot redissolve. Dewaxing, by contrast, uses temperature and filtration alone, which only partially removes waxes and can allow them to re-enter the solution as temperature changes. The panel also shared a lesser-known technique: re-extracting the lipid cake left over from winterization with additional alcohol washes can recover significant terpene content that would otherwise be discarded with the lipids.
// Source
Ep. 008 Hash Church Episode VIII →