Welcome to "The rough guide to hash and hash making". The object of this document is to provide easy answers to common questions which have been posted on this forum. It's by no means definitive but should provide answers or a link to the information you are looking for.

I plan to update this document from time to time and welcome constructive criticism or personal experiences which you might have to add. Feel free to PM me. If you have any other questions remember to use the search facility at the top of the forum. Chances are it has been asked before. If not then ask because someone will know.



Hash or "hashish" is the generic name for the prepared form of glandular trichomes collected from the cannabis plant. It can take on many forms, colours, tastes and smells but is all made from the same thing. The difference in names is primarily linked to how the resin glands were collected from the plant and prepared into the finished product. The process of hash making can be divided into two parts: resin collection and resin preparation. There are four commonly used methods to collect resin glands from plants. These are :



Hand rubbing is probably the oldest method of collection and preparation. Wet plants are gently rubbed until resin glands are excreted onto the hands and fingers. This is continued until an amount can be worked into a lump by using the hands and fingers to heat and manipulate the glands collected. The end product is a dark piece of high quality hash known as "charas". The term "charas", often used to describe South Asian hash which has been produced through hand rubbing, actually means cannabis.

Hand rubbing is considered a "low tech" method of gland collection / gland preparation because in order to do it you need nothing more than a ripe, wet plant and two hands. It is also a delicate operation which, at best will yield low results of medium to high quality hash. Usually hand rubbed charas has a short shelf life because of the moisture left within the final product during the rubbing process. There are however more effective methods of gland collection available these days and so I'm not going to go into much detail.



Sieving is a technique which allows for a higher control over resin gland separation and grading than hand rubbing. Most hash making cultures through out the world have employed this method in order to make hash for export or local use as it allows a high amount of glands to be collected from plants in a short time. It is also far less labour intensive than hand rubbing.
Plants are first dried and then threshed or rubbed lightly against mesh or cloth screens of varying sizes. Trichomes and plant debris fall off the plant and through the screens onto collection surfaces. The raw resin powder is collected by grade and pressed using mechanical or hand methods. Mechanical pressing is most convenient if the sieved powder is of lower quality or contains a lot of plant debris because it is more difficult to press using conventional methods. Heat is needed as well as high pressure to compact the resin into blocks or slabs. Commercial hash for export, sieved and pressed hash such as Afghani, Moroccan and Lebanese were often given these names simply because that was the country of origin.

There are a few additional methods of sieving available to the home grower. The Space case crystal catcher is a grinder / catcher which uses a mesh screen to separate trichomes from plant material. There's a large thread here with more information. Another thread worth looking at is the Trich Tumbler.

I use a "bubblebox" which is basicly a box with several screens which divide fallen trichomes by grade. The trichomes are scrapped together into resin powder which is then ready to be pressed into hash or smoked as is. Few shots below showing collected trichomes ..



The bubblebox is not designed to be used as a serious tool for getting the most trichomes out of your bud. It just collects the stuff that falls off between the jars and smoking



Probably the most well known form of ice collection is by using Bubblebags. I cannot stress enough how good cold water and ice are at removing trichomes from plant material. Using the bags is simple and a high quality product is always collected. Instructions on using Bubblebags and techniques relating to using them can be found here in the bubblebags forum. If bubblebags are too expensive then check out Ice Hash for Free.

Note that the only issue with using water and ice as a method of collection is that it removes the natural taste and flavouring from the resulting hash. This is because the terpenes which create these smells and tastes are water soluble and hence are lost.



BHO (Butane Honey Oil - Hash oil) can be created using butane or alcohol extraction and there are several methods available to anyone looking to make it. Most people will have heard of butane extraction using a HoneyBee extractor or a home made chemistry set up. The fundamentals of the extraction process are detailed in a post here by Sun Tzu

Another solvent which can be used for extraction and cleaning is IPA fluid (Iso-propyle-alcohol). Resin glands readily dissolve in this substance and can be stored in liquid form under the correct conditions for years. If exposed to air the IPA will evaporate and leave a sticky goo much like regular hash oil.



Hand pressing hash is in my opinion a labour of love as opposed to a task which needs to be completed. I find it a satisfying pass time and the end result never fails to please. I know the resulting hash is of the highest quality as well as being unadulterated by contaminating products.

To begin the process of pressing you will need a large plate or clean hard surface to work over. Ideally light in colour. There's going to be a fair amount of resin powder being scattered about the area as you work and you want to be able to collect it with little contamination from hair, dust, leaf etc. It's a good idea to roll a few smokes before getting to work because your fingers are going to be very sticky for a little while. It is also a good idea to scrub your hands clean before handling any resin powder because if you have any dirt / dead skin on your hands it's going to be pressed into your hash.

Varying grades of resin glands have varying properties and looks. Each of the "cakes" shown below has been extracted using Bubblebags and lightly pressed flat to allow drying. The fine quality grades are the 25 micron, 45, micron and 73 micron. Abbreviated to Au and shown accordingly from left to right in the pictures below.

25 / 45 Au Stage 1: Starting off with dried grade 25 / 45 Au resin powder. Take a small amount between your thumb and fore-fingers. Grasp it firmly and apply pressure. You can do this using your second hand as a cup held under the pressing hand. You'll catch any fallen powder and be able to add it into the rest as you work it.




25 / 45 Au Stage 2: Work your thumb into your other two fingers and you'll feel the powder begin to 'lump' together slightly. The resin glands will are beginning to heat and burst through the friction generated. The colour will begin to darken. You will feel the resin warming and sticking to your fingers.




25 / 45 Au Stage 3: Continue to work the piece between your fingers for a little while and you'll feel that the 'lumps' will begin to increase in size. It will 'flake' into pieces if you attempt to roll it out.




25 / 45 Au Stage 4: After about 10 minutes or so the resin powder will have bonded into a single mass. It will still be quite 'flaky' and soft but should be a single piece of semi-pressed hash.




25 / 45 Au Stage 5: At this point the hash should feel as if it can be rolled out between the thumb and forefinger. It should be a single lump. Continue to work it and you'll find your fingers will start to transfer the resin from them to the piece being worked, rather than coming off the hash onto your fingers.




25 / 45 Au Stage 6: By now you will be able to work the piece of hash into snake. It'll be dark brown in colour and easy to manipulate. More resin should be coming off your fingers and sticking to the hash. The hash should feel quite consistent in texture.




25 / 45 Au Stage 7: The hash should now be a single mass from which you can remove a piece and roll it back in with ease. Ball the hash or press it into the desired shape




The piece is ready to be smoked but in order to allow the taste to come through it is preferred that the piece be allowed to cure for as long as possible. Curing instructions can be found in the Harvesting and Curing Guide.

73 Au Stage 1: Starting off with dried grade 73 Au resin powder. Take a small amount between your thumb and forefingers. Grasp it firmly and apply pressure. You can do this using your second hand as a cup held under the pressing hand. You'll catch any fallen powder and be able to add it into the rest as you work it. Allow the powder to warm for a few minutes by being in contact with your skin.




73 Au Stage 2: With the resin on your left hand and using your thumb and forefingers on the right; begin to rub the powder. You'll find it begins to clot into small hard balls.




73 Au Stage 3: Continue to rub the hash until it lumps into a single, small ball. Continue to roll the balled hash into the powder.




73 Au Stage 4: Once you have a single small ball rolled out you can add a little more powder.




73 Au Stage 5: Roll the ball into the newly added power and it'll begin to stick and mix.




73 Au Stage 6: After 10 mins or so you should once again have a single ball of hash. Continue to add as much powder as you have.




73 Au Stage 7: A finished ball of 73 Au hash. Notice that the resulting piece of hash is solid as opposed to being malleable.




The piece is ready to be smoked but in order to allow the taste to come through it is preferred that the piece be allowed to cure for as long as possible. Curing instructions can be found in the Harvesting and Curing Guide.



If the resin powder is difficult to work with or the resin powder is of lower quality and won't hand press with ease; other methods of pressing are available for small pieces of hash.

TBC ..

The lower, finer grades (25 Au and 45 Au) are usually easily hand pressed into malleable balls which are black / dark in colour.The 73 Au however produces a blonde / lighter tone of hash than the 25 Au or the 45 Au. The 73 Au is also a little more difficult to manipulate and results in a 'harder' hash than the 25 and 45 Au grades.

Consistency will vary depending on the strain being used and the maturity of the trichomes however. The following pics show hash resulting from bubble bag extraction from trim of the 'Original Cheese' which was harvested at about 55 days. The picture on the left shows the black 45 Au and the harder 73 Au on the right. The picture on the right is 45 Au pulled apart. I found the 73 Au to be a little difficult to work with and press. Resulting hash is brittle when pressed out flat.




In contrast, the following hash is again from the same strain. However it was harvested 13 days later ... The only difference is that the 73 Au is far more maleable this time round and can be easily re-shaped.



Below are the 45 Au and 73 Au grades from Sensi's 'Hash Plant'. The lower 45 Au is actually quite hard and difficult to work with. On the other hand the 73 Au is very malleable and workable.



- Kafka