Bud Washing
- Thread starter Hiker
- Start date
I've run test buds under the aerated sink faucet to "wash" them, but I believe a little soak gets more of the bad stuff off.
I also think the impact of running water is likely to remove more trichs. I examined some produce I washed under running water and it looked like there were quite a few with broken trichs - not a controlled comparison, but it gave me pause.
I also think the impact of running water is likely to remove more trichs. I examined some produce I washed under running water and it looked like there were quite a few with broken trichs - not a controlled comparison, but it gave me pause.
ColoradoKid
New Member
I know that when they grow outside in nature they get rained on and perhaps it knocks some trics off, but the smoke is still killer. 
Hi Doc
First off GREAT work on your side Bud Washing is one of the best things i have learned about growing weed!!!
Ok so i have done the washing with the buckets but i have changed it a bit i only use 2, one with peroxide and one with soda and lemon. I follow the first 2 the same way you do it but then after that i run the bud under a hot water tap for about 30 sec and then switch the water to cold and run it again for 30 sec then hang to dry....seems to work wonders but comes out SMOOTH as ever!!
Then as for the second point, i have been "washing" half of my plant for the last 4 weeks with a hose with one of those misting fittings, I do this twice a week before any foliar feed of sprays of any sort. this seems to work well cuzz the unwashed side looks REAL dirty where as the "washed side looks fresh and glittery. This i found to be a good practise as it gives you time to inspect the whole plant over as you rinse those buds!!
After i have harvested and cured i will give a comparison on the two sides and how they smoked.
Thanks again to Doc for this wonderful washing technique!!
Best and Blessed to all!!!
I know that when they grow outside in nature they get rained on and perhaps it knocks some trics off, but the smoke is still killer.
Outdoor bud---grown right with cooperative weather---is better than the best indoor bud....IMO! It could be the rain that is partially responsible for that.
A1cronick
New Member
i used to get killer out doors about 8-10 years ago had some seeds not many but this shit put me on my ass had such a nice taste smell and color the strain was called Arizona and it was from down south warmer area still to this day i have not had any bud like that and it was only $125 a oz and it was better than 90% of the bud i ever smoked for $250 oz indoor grow area can never be as good as a area outdoors with good climate and lots of sun never ever ever the sun produces all the spectrum's of light that we will never be able to replicate 100%
Skybound
Well-Known Member
For concerns about trichome loss due to either a 4 bucket setup, or rinsing in running water, would it be a good practice to incorporate the use of those bubble hash making bags to catch any lost trics? I would think it might help first to identify if trics are being lost in the swirl or rinse process and also allow the user to collect the fallen trics to either be sprinkled back on or pressed later. What do you guys think?
LOL, this occurred to me, too.
Ahem, then I realized that it wouldn't be just trichs.
I definitely can 2nd that!
Skybound
Well-Known Member
LOL, this occurred to me, too.
Ahem, then I realized that it wouldn't be just trichs.
True dat! But it would put at least one baby to bed regarding the issue of trics being lost during the wash process, of course hash bags would be needed for each stage to identify how much is possibly lost during each stage.
If washing buds caused a noticeable decrease in tricomes, dont you think those that do wash their buds would notice a decrease? Dont you think they would warn you not to do it? Bud washing, i just read, has been done by some for many years. Plus, you have experts here on 420 mag, with years and years of experience and expertise, that instruct how to grow and care for your plants, all out of the goodness of their heart- for FREE, to better your grows and health, that are now washing their herbs with stellar results.
I think this 'Case of The Missing Tricome' is a badly written short story. Those commenting on something they are fearful to try for loss of a few snowflakes from their alpine glistening beauties wont know until they at least try it.
I think this 'Case of The Missing Tricome' is a badly written short story. Those commenting on something they are fearful to try for loss of a few snowflakes from their alpine glistening beauties wont know until they at least try it.
Oooops..
Wait....nobody move....nobody sneeze!!!! I think I dropped a trichome!! LOL
Still washing my meds 6 months later, every plant, every harvest.
You are losing very minimal trichomes in the water.
When making bubblehash you beat the living snot (atleast I do nowadays) out of your trim and nuggage.. for cleaning the nugs aren't we just dunking and swishing while submerged under the water? I don't come close to using the same aggression used for making hash when cleaning buds at all. & don't run the water you used for the cleaning through bubblebags that will just be a mess as stated in prior comments.
Don't be afraid to lose a couple beautiful trich heads
You are losing very minimal trichomes in the water.
When making bubblehash you beat the living snot (atleast I do nowadays) out of your trim and nuggage.. for cleaning the nugs aren't we just dunking and swishing while submerged under the water? I don't come close to using the same aggression used for making hash when cleaning buds at all. & don't run the water you used for the cleaning through bubblebags that will just be a mess as stated in prior comments.
Don't be afraid to lose a couple beautiful trich heads
Wow! As usual great info found here on 420 Mag and amazing input from people. After reading this entire thread I will be doing a bud wash tonight on 95% (was onlty going to do on 50% at first) of my first harvest. Going to leave one branch of unwashed bud to satisfy the curiosity of a first time grower, harvester, and smoker of his own stuff.
Good Stuff!
Good Stuff!
Still washing my meds 6 months later, every plant, every harvest.
You are losing very minimal trichomes in the water.
When making bubblehash you beat the living snot (atleast I do nowadays) out of your trim and nuggage.. for cleaning the nugs aren't we just dunking and swishing while submerged under the water? I don't come close to using the same aggression used for making hash when cleaning buds at all. & don't run the water you used for the cleaning through bubblebags that will just be a mess as stated in prior comments.
Don't be afraid to lose a couple beautiful trich heads
You also use ice water to make it. If people are making their water icy cold to wash or rinse...they're doing it wrong and will lose trics.
Skybound
Well-Known Member
I did not mean to imply that I was afraid of doing a wash as I already washed my first harvest save for a small branch (post #165), I was just trying to see if anyone else thought it might be logical to use the hash bags in conjunction with the wash for visual confirmation first and foremost.
On another note, I believe I did make at least one, but likely more mistakes in my first wash. I used the 29% H2O2 found in the hydro store and looked online to see what conversion ratio I would need to dial it way down from that 29% and I settled on about 300-400ml per 5 gallons. Well after the wash and trim, I noticed at my entire harvest dried very quickly and didn't last that long in jars either. I believe this was due to being overly exposed to a high concentration of H2O2 solution. Next time I will use a bottle of the 3% stuff found in local pharmacies for a milder mix.
On another note, I believe I did make at least one, but likely more mistakes in my first wash. I used the 29% H2O2 found in the hydro store and looked online to see what conversion ratio I would need to dial it way down from that 29% and I settled on about 300-400ml per 5 gallons. Well after the wash and trim, I noticed at my entire harvest dried very quickly and didn't last that long in jars either. I believe this was due to being overly exposed to a high concentration of H2O2 solution. Next time I will use a bottle of the 3% stuff found in local pharmacies for a milder mix.
And I was being pretty flip, too.
It's just that image of a pile of trichs enmeshed in god knows what kinda goop.To me, that image also illustrates the tradeoff. In order to get rid of the goop, I lose some trichs. Another way to ease the mind is to remember all the trichs we're willing to lose trimming. I don' examine things all that carefully with every snip. I bet I waste a bunch of perfectly good trichs.
I don't think the loss is insignificant. I think if we could, as you say, capture them and weigh them, we'd find it was more than 1%, for instance. But they come with goop.
Hello everyone. Thought I would share my first wash results with all and give back a little to a great thread my findings.
A quick trip to Walmart to pick up some materials. Everything cost under $9 These are 3 gallon dish buckets.
Here are shots of a bud before the wash. I wanted to get a good idea on whether a noticeable amount of trichomes would be lost during the wash.
Same pic zoomed in a little close to see the frostiness.
Really zoomed in.
I followed Doc Buds method except for I don't have RO water. Just used water from the sink. The 1st bucket is 3 parts water with 1 part h2o2 (3%). Second bucket is hot water ( but not too hot where your hand can't stay in it), 2/3 cup lemon juice, and 6 oz backing soda. Third bucket is just plain water. After I finished the washing I dumped the 3rd bucket and refilled with water and gave the buds one more rinse.
I agitated and swirled the buds by the stem a good bit. I wasn't vigorous but washed them pretty well. Here is the exact same bud and zooms of the same area after hanging for a couple hours in a box with a light fan blowing on them
Sorry for the last shot not being as clear as the pre-wash (turn off fan dummy...
) but you can see that all the trichs are in place. So I think the trichome lost was minimal if any at all and will continue to do bud washes for future harvests. Can't wait to smoke the finished product.
A quick trip to Walmart to pick up some materials. Everything cost under $9
These are 3 gallon dish buckets.
Here are shots of a bud before the wash. I wanted to get a good idea on whether a noticeable amount of trichomes would be lost during the wash.
Same pic zoomed in a little close to see the frostiness.
Really zoomed in.
I followed Doc Buds method except for I don't have RO water. Just used water from the sink. The 1st bucket is 3 parts water with 1 part h2o2 (3%). Second bucket is hot water ( but not too hot where your hand can't stay in it), 2/3 cup lemon juice, and 6 oz backing soda. Third bucket is just plain water. After I finished the washing I dumped the 3rd bucket and refilled with water and gave the buds one more rinse.
I agitated and swirled the buds by the stem a good bit. I wasn't vigorous but washed them pretty well. Here is the exact same bud and zooms of the same area after hanging for a couple hours in a box with a light fan blowing on them
Sorry for the last shot not being as clear as the pre-wash (turn off fan dummy...
) but you can see that all the trichs are in place. So I think the trichome lost was minimal if any at all and will continue to do bud washes for future harvests. Can't wait to smoke the finished product.ok got it. Looks like Doc started with 0.75% H2O2. I would think that going anything over 1.5% is useless, 3% is way too strong.
H2O2 is a strong oxidizer. You dont want your resin oxidized, right? So my first reaction to this is 'what? why h202 unless you wanted to sterilize it'. I understand that H2O2 dries 'clean' so it would be a preferred sterilizer. Water would wash and 'float' things alone without the oxidizing agent, no?
I completely dont understand the reason behind the lemon and baking soda step. Is the idea to give it a 'reaction wash'?
Ok well i will give this a try in the next few days and see what happens.
H2O2 is a strong oxidizer. You dont want your resin oxidized, right? So my first reaction to this is 'what? why h202 unless you wanted to sterilize it'. I understand that H2O2 dries 'clean' so it would be a preferred sterilizer. Water would wash and 'float' things alone without the oxidizing agent, no?
I completely dont understand the reason behind the lemon and baking soda step. Is the idea to give it a 'reaction wash'?
Ok well i will give this a try in the next few days and see what happens.