The Rough Guide To Hash And Hash Making

[Kafka]

Introduction

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.

What is hash and how do I make it ?

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 - trichomes.

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

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.

Chemical Extraction

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.

More information can be found in the Hash and Oil Forum.

Water and Ice Collection

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 as shown by the collection of trichomes in this 73μ bag.

Instructions on using Bubblebags and techniques relating can be found here in the bubblebags forum. If bubblebags are too expensive then check out Ice Hash for Free.

The fine quality grades produced by bubblebags are the 25 micron, 45, micron and 73 micron. Shown below is a collection of trichomes from a 73μ bubblebag which has been allowed to dry.

Note that the only issue with using water and ice as a method of collection is that it removes the natural taste and flavouring of the plant from the resulting hash. This is because the terpenes which create these smells and tastes are water soluble and hence are lost - leaving an earthy, musty odour when the resulting resin is pressed.

Dry Sieving

Dry 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, silk or cloth screens of varying sizes. Trichomes and plant debris fall off and through the screens onto collection surfaces. The raw resin powder is collected by grade and pressed using mechanical or hand methods.

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. Differences in hash texture, colour, smell and taste are accountable to each country of origin with some producing darker slabs of pressed hash while others producing sandy coloured through to redish.

There are a few methods of sieving available to the home grower. The easiest way to collect trichomes from plant material is to use a trichome tumbler.

Tumblers can be home made or purchased via the internet under different brand names - Top Zeef, Pollinator, Agricultural Pollen Extractor etc. A basic electric tumbler is shown below :

Different brands of tumblers come with different sized screens ranging from 150 micron up to 220 micron but the effect is the same as trichomes are not usually larger than 160 microns. After a 20 minute tumble you'll have a nice collection of material :

Once you have processed all the trim via the tumbler scrape up the produced mess of trichomes, pistils and plant debris. This will need to be dry sieved using micron sized screens in order to seperate the trichomes from pistils and larger debris.

To seperate the trichomes from the debris i use a Bubblebox which is basicly a box with several screens which divide fallen trichomes by grade. The trichomes are collected; ready to be pressed into hash. Shot below shows collected trichomes which have been re-sieved. There's still a little plant material / pistils to be seen. The majority will be removed by re-sieving.

The Bubblebox is not designed to be used as a serious tool for getting the most trichomes out of your trim. It just collects the stuff that falls off between the jars and smoking. It also doubles up as a sifting screen after a tumble run collection. Sieve screens ranging from 25 micron to 160 micron can be purchased or made for this job and 120 micron is an ample size.

No matter the method of sieving collection - the result should be the same. A collection of loose trichomes.

Why Press Resin?

Pressing raw resin removes additional moisture and prepares the piece into a single mass within which all the individual trichomes heads have been broken up and completely mixed. This improves the flavour of the smoke and will alter the high. More so if left to cure under correct conditions.

Prior to pressing raw resin - powder or collected lumps; it is essential that it be as moisture free as possible and have been allowed to dry for at least a few days prior. As long as the raw resin has been stored under the correct conditions prior to pressing it will remain fresh for years. A good example of this is the Afghani hash manufacturers who would store raw resin in an underground cellar for anything up to 15 years prior to pressing.

Leaving raw and pressed resin for a length of time improves the flavour, mellows the smoke and reduces coughing. Excessive storage - even below freezing will eventually lead to a loss of flavour and potencey.

Edited October 9, 2013 by Kafka
spelling and the usual

[Kafka]

Hand Pressing

To begin the process of pressing you will need a large plate or clean surface to work over. Ideally light in colour. There's going to be a fair amount of resin 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 because if you have any dirt / dead skin on your hands it's going to be pressed into your final product.

Prior to pressing the resin should be broken down into smaller, more managable chunks. This 45μ water collected resin has been dried and lightly broken up.

25 / 45 / 73 /120μ Stage 1: Break the larger pieces of into smaller chunks and rub it though your fingers until it's loose and fluffy.

Next take a small amount between your thumb and fore-fingers. Grasp it firmly, apply pressure and rub. 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.

Stage 1

25 / 45 / 73 /120μ 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.

Stage 2

25 / 45 / 73 /120μ 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.

Stage 3

25 / 45 / 73 /120μ 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.

Stage 4

25 / 45 / 73 /120μ 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.

Stage 5

25 / 45 / 73 /120μ Stage 6: By now you will be able to work the piece into a snake. It'll be dark in colour and easy to manipulate. More resin should be coming off your fingers and sticking to the piece. The piece should feel quite consistent in texture.

Stage 6

25 / 45 / 73 / 120μ Stage 7: The piece should now be a single mass from which you can remove a bit and roll back in with ease. Ball the piece or press it into the desired shape

Stage 7

Once you have a small piece properly pressed, place it to one side and start a new. Pressing lots of smaller pieces is quicker and easier than doing a large amount at one time. Once you have several pressed pieces they should each mix with the other into one larger ball. Below is the result of multiple smaller pieces which have been individually pressed, then balled.

When torn open you can see the unified colour and texture of the piece.

The piece is ready for storage. 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.

Edited December 15, 2011 by Kafka

[Kafka]

Mechanical Pressing

Resin collected from dry sieving methods is a little more difficult to press than ice / water collected resin. Sieved powder usually contains a higher percentage of plant material which reduces the malleability and purity of the final pressed piece.

It is possible to press dry sifted trichomes by hand if the batch is of decent quality with little contaminent. Physical tools or a mechanical pressing is the preffered option. Pressing via physical pressure will give you a brick, puc or slab which will bend and snap but won't be subjected to being pressed back into shape.

Using a mechanical press can save time and make things very easy if you have larger quantities of sift. Several commercial options are available and there's instructions on making a Home Built Hash Press which uses a press frame and former plates.
The difference in final product when mechanical pressing has been used is quite apparent:

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.

Edited October 20, 2013 by Kafka
Spelling and the usual

[Kafka]

A note about hash consistency

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 malleable 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

Edited May 2, 2011 by Kafka