Re: Roseman's Hash Making
I am often asked, why use those bags for ice/water extraction?
Bags are for everything. Trim, fan leaves, anything you want. Fan leaves have less of what you are after, but they still work. Trim leaves can really get covered in trichomes, so you net more. But you might be surprised with what you can harvest from the big ole fan leaves.
Generally, this method is used instead of a keif box. Keif box is a way to harvesting trichomes based on gravity and mesh size. Ice extraction is simply another, more effecient way of doing that but is based on the idea trichomes sink in water, where the rest of the plant floats. This also results in a more pure concentration when done correctly.
Keif box takes frozen skuff (skuff is both trim and fan leaves. Basically anything except buds). You shake the frozen skuff on a fine mesh screen. The trichomes are tiny, so they will break off due to being frozen and brittle. They will drop through the mesh and start forming a soft sand like stuff below the screen. There will still be trichomes left on the skuff, so after rubbing for keif you can roll it up for low grade joints, or turn it into cannabis butter.
You then collect the "sand like powder" called trichomes. Either press this and make hash, or keep it in powder form for keif. Try both and see what you like.
Water extraction is the same idea, but based on the fact trichomes are heavier then water. The rest of the plant is not. So, frozen trim goes in the mesh bags. You stir and agitate the water/skuff mix to break the frozen trichomes off and have them start sinking through different screens until it no longer fits through the screens little openings. Generally you will have multiple bags, with different size mesh. Mesh refers to the size of the little holes in the screen. The first bag will keep most plant matter inside of it, but the screen mesh being larges enough for any trichomes to drop through. Depending on how many bags, the quality and purity increases the more bags you have. The last bag or two, being on the bottom, nets you the most pure trichome harvest. You can harvest full melt hash here. It'll look like hash, but once it starts to burn, it melts into a more hash oil type substance. Super potent. But after you are done with water extraction, there isn't much left but plant matter. You will have harvested all the trichomes. (this is why I wouldn't suggest keif box then water extraction. You are harvesting the same thing, but making it twice the work. I use my keif box for extras. Stuff that didn't go in the wash, oil, or butter. Or when I am rolling a doob. I use it to collect any falling trichs. )
The bags have become super popular and becoming more and more affordable. Be careful buying cheap ones off ebay. The quality is not up to par, they use crap material, with horrible stitching. They just don't last. Bubblebags and Sprung bags are the two best from what I have seen, with many more completely capable brands available. These two are simply the ones I have first hand experience with.
That said, there is another water extraction method that does not require bags. It is not as effecient, but can still work wonders and produce some killer hash. I personally tried it and quickly moved onto the bags method I described earlier. But we all gotta start somewhere! It'll get ya wanting more!
If your going to try it this way first, here is how I did it:
The blender method uses the principle that the resin glands are heavier than water, while other plant material is not.
The blender method uses water, ice and agitation to dislodge the trichomes. Ice-water makes the trichomes brittle, causing the resin glands to solidify and become easy to snap off. The glands are heavier than water so they sink to the bottom when separated, while the plant material floats.
To make hash this way you'll need a blender, ice cubes, a reusable metal coffee filter or silk screening, a large glass jar and paper coffee filters.
Fill the blender about half-way with skuff, then cover with cold water and add a tray of ice cubes. Blend for 45 seconds to a minute, the mixture will become green and frothy, like a smoothie. Pour this mix through the metal coffee filter into your glass jar. Be patient and let it drain through. Run more water through the filter to make sure you haven't missed any trichomes.
metal coffee filter: fantes.com
Once your jar is full, put it in the fridge to settle for a minimum of 30 minutes. You can always go longer! You should be able to see a white or blonde coloured substance settling on the bottom of your container, those are the trichomes. Carefully, so you do not disturb the trichomes, pour off or siphon off about two-thirds of the green water.
If you have more skuff to process, do it now and filter into the container you just drained. Return to the fridge, allow to settle and siphon again. When you have processed all your skuff, add a few ice cubes to the container and let settle one last time.
If you want to increase the purity of your product you can carefully put this settled mixture back into the blender for a final mix and separation. This may or may not be necessary depending on your preference.
Pour the final mix of water and trichomes through a paper coffee filter. The water will pass through the paper but the glands will not. Drain well and allow to dry. You now have dried resin glands ready to be pressed into hash. This is very, very slow, and is why I suggest carefully removing the top two thirds of the green water. Take a paper filter, put it in something that will hold it.
Let the water pass through. The "muddy" looking keif will stay behind.
Be sure to break this up into powder. When wet, it wants to stick together. It will not get a proper dry, or cure, all clumped together. You want it to look like normal dry keif. Transfer this wet keif to a new dry paper coffee filter. I usually use a couple, in layers. No filtering, just using it for transport. Once the wet keif in all on the new dry filter, put the filter on cardboard. The cardboard, along with gravity, will actually pull and draw any remaining moisture out of the keif. Normally takes 24-48 hours to dry, but of course that is relative. In a dryer, warmer climate it my dry in 12 hours. In a damp, wet area, may take a week. Just keep an eye on it. Keep it in the dark. Light can degrade the product.
After it is fully dry and ready, you can press it. Many different ways to do this. By hand, or using tools. It is endless.
The best thing I have found, is this: MetalClay Supply
A stainless steel clay extruder. Much like the piecemaker pollen press, but for a fraction of the price. The same company also makes an all aluminum clay extruder. Found these to work great, but they can break when trying to really tighten them down. They are even cheaper though, normally going somewhere around $20 I think. Google pollen press and you can spend days looking through them all!
Some of my hash from last batch:
The ball is some jelly hash I made. Its a 3:1 mix of bubble hash and BHO.
Thanks again. Just one or 2 more q's from me, please? After I rolled it, it looks pretty firm and holds together nicely, but its kinda soft, like hard clay. I understand I need to press it but, why did I heat the keif? Was that to bond it or cure it or ? and does the heat degrade the trichs.... sometimes I just ask to many questions. thx again..HGH
