First Timer - Dry Sift Method

[Hashslag]

Good morning and happy friday to you all

 

Here's the situation.

 

I'm going to be receiving a fair bit of trim from my friendly neighbourhood ganjaman in the next five weeks or so.

This is for the sole purpose of trying out some hash-making.

I love the look of the bubble / water method, but for this first instance I am pretty much sold on dry sift, for the simplicity more than anything, and also that I'll be pretty much doing it at home in my shed/office, whilst keeping it schtum from the wife and kids. Don't judge me. That, and I don't really want to have the worry of how and where I'm going to dry the resin after collection etc etc.

 

My biggest question, I suppose, is that when I get the trim, it'll likely not have been dried/cured or anything like that. Probably just chopped and bagged. What do I need to do to the trim before I begin the sift? Does it need to be dried or frozen? Do I need to let the trim have a curing period before sifting? Or can the curing just be done after the pressing/hash forming stage?

 

Another thing is that I'll probably only have one screen for this run - and I certainly can't afford to buy a screen sifting set of frames right now. Has anyone had moderate to good success with just one screen?

 

Hopefully some of you clever bastards can help  

 

[BilgePump]

From what little dry sifting I've done over the years I've found both drying and then freezing trim works the best.

 

Gets absolutely everywhere though and for that reason I'm a bubble hasher 

 

[Graywolf]

I would suggest drying on screens, freezing and using 150 mesh if you are trying to use one screen.  Note screen size chart in attached:

 

https://graywolfslair.com/index.php/15-diy-equipment/15-21-how-to-make-diy-dry-sieving-frames

 

[Hashslag]

@BilgePump @Graywolf thanks chaps - my plan is to pick up an inexpensive screen print frame, just a moderately small one (Hobby Craft have one, between A4 and A3 with what looks to be a pretty fine screen, for £15) so I thought I'd try that one, see how it goes. I can pick up a plastic tray that would more or less fit the screen for collecting too. That's my plan. Eventually, I'd like to try a series of increasingly finer screens to really get some super clean resin but as it's my first attempt, I'm going to likely keep it as simple as can be.

[Hashslag]

Alright - here's another question because now I'm thinking about everything all at once.

 

If I changed my mind and decided on bubble bag method, I reckon I'd have to do it in my bath so I could use the shower attachment to rinse through the bags. I can order a 5 bag set or whatever, that's fine - but bucket-wise, what do people recommend? I've seen Frenchy use a series of buckets with the bases cut off for stacking etc for example, but most people just overlay bags on top of each other over a bucket.

 

And then is the problem of properly drying the resin colelcted - obviously I don't have freeze-dryers or a dedicated drying room... any tried and tested methods?

[BilgePump]

Young's home brew fermentation buckets for the win 

 

You can cut the bases off these to stack Frenchy style and 5 gal bubble bags fit perfectly even if yer stacking bags on bags.

 

[inceywinceyspider]

I used to use bubble bags with fresh frozen trim, needs a lot of ice fresh resin as its sticky but it's a quick turnaround.

[Hashslag]

Just now, BilgePump said:

Young's home brew fermentation buckets for the win 

 

You can cut the bases off these to stack Frenchy style and 5 gal bubble bags fit perfectly even if yer stacking bags on bags.

 

I already have a home brew bucket as it goes, up in the loft somewhere - one thing less to buy if I decide to bubble instead...

[inceywinceyspider]

If you do dry sift you'll have to dry it without it smelling somehow.

If you do bubble you need to freeze it but the terpenes can get into the food in the freezer so you need a way round that.

If you crush it or over handle it the trichomes will squish and reduce yeild.

 

[Shumroom]

@Hashslag Do you have any idea how much it will smell,

Sorry I mean stink during the drying process?

Not trying to be funny. 

 

This is why us growers dry our plant matter in tents or sealed rooms,

with carbon filters scrubbing the volatile organic compounds from the air. 

 

Probably best to freeze fresh and make bubble hash  

 

You can dry the hash on top of cupboards or similar. 

 

It's much easier to dry a bit of hash than a tonne of trim. 

 

Atb 

 

 

[Hashslag]

Just now, Shumroom said:

@Hashslag Do you have any idea how much it will smell,

Sorry I mean stink during the drying process?

Not trying to be funny. 

 

This is why us growers dry our plant matter in tents or sealed rooms,

with carbon filters scrubbing the volatile organic compounds from the air. 

 

Probably best to freeze fresh and make bubble hash  

 

You can dry the hash on top of cupboards or similar. 

 

It's much easier to dry a bit of hash than a tonne of trim. 

 

Atb 

 

 

Haha! Yeah I did imagine there might be a slight whiff 

 

You have a very valid point there though - of course if the trim turns up and it's pretty dry already (you never know your luck) then that leaves me both options still I guess, but assuming it will still be fresh - bubble it will have to be.

[Shumroom]

 

 

 

Atb 

 

 

[Revive]

In your situation mate id go for the bubble.. even if it turns up dry running it through your screen for dry sift will still create 1 hell of a pong.. if its decent then its going to be very hard to mask.. 

A frozen bubble run will deffo be your least stinkiest option.. its not like your gonna have shit loads to dry either unless its a big run.. i mean even a few oz is easy enough to dry in secret

hope it goes well for you dude.. 

Edited May 13, 2022 by Revive

[AnonyMice]

Everything to acid I could hide from the misses... weed never! (Don’t judge me  those days are gone)  I’d have a basin, kettle & soap, + deodorant so you can try and mask the smell. Thing about when your surrounded with it, you wont smell it, but everyone else will. A good number lock too.

 

[Graywolf]

23 hours ago, Hashslag said:

Alright - here's another question because now I'm thinking about everything all at once.

 

If I changed my mind and decided on bubble bag method, I reckon I'd have to do it in my bath so I could use the shower attachment to rinse through the bags. I can order a 5 bag set or whatever, that's fine - but bucket-wise, what do people recommend? I've seen Frenchy use a series of buckets with the bases cut off for stacking etc for example, but most people just overlay bags on top of each other over a bucket.

 

And then is the problem of properly drying the resin colelcted - obviously I don't have freeze-dryers or a dedicated drying room... any tried and tested methods?

I have done it both ways but prefer to use stacked buckets with the bottoms cut out.

 

Typically a 150/110/70 micron bag stack.

 

For scalping I installed a 150 mesh stainless screen in the bottom of a bucket and shortened it by cutting the top ring off and pushing the bottom back through it far enough to pop rivet it in place.  If someone will remind me of how to post pictures on this forum, I share a dirty peeecture with you.