How to make hash by hand, with ice or dry

How to make hashish? There are several techniques to extract glandular trichomes from cannabis inflorescences. There are two possibilities. One is to do it with organic solvents, the most popular is butane. But in this article, we will focus on the extraction of hashish without solvents.

Artisanal cannabis extraction has evolved from ancient times into the Hindukush mountains of Afghanistan or the fields of Morocco to these days.

How to make hash with your hands

In marijuana producing countries, hashish was (and is) obtained by simply scraping the utensils for harvesting. Fundamentally scrubbing the resin from the hands. The hash of this primitive technique is known as “charas” when it is extracted from a freshly cut plant.

The way is simple: just gently rub the buds until the resin comes off. Few trichomes come out at first. But over time the resin will accumulate in your hands.

This method is as stale as it is inefficient due to the large amount of wasted material. Since the 1970s and 1980s, various forms of extraction have answered the question of how to make better hashish.

Drive Sift: dry sieving of trichomes

One of the first efficient ways to separate trichomes from the flower was dry sieving. There are hundreds of possibilities to do it. The method consists of sifting chopped buds into successive meshes of different sizes. The choice of micrometer depends on the type of trichome and its size. These screening meshes are generally 160 microns. The more friction is made in successive sieves of less microns, the more purity there will be in the extraction.

Choose good meshes and don’t press the material too much against them. The pressure is generally done with a rigid plastic card. The material should fall on a non-stick surface. Choose a day without humidity to do it. You should freeze the plant material for at least an hour.

This technique takes a long time. So be patient. There are many technologies for sifting in stores. From small boxes or grinders to screen-sized racks.

The Drive Sift is very practical. It can be vaped, added to the blunt, used in bongs, or dabbed. It is easy to transport and stores for months without losing aroma, flavor or power.

Bubble hash: hashish on ice

Lovers of ice trichome extraction also use meshes, usually silk, to move and stir plant matter. It all starts with taking the buds out of the cold. A few well-trimmed buds, without leaves.

The extraction with ice or Bubble Hash immerses the buds in ice cold water. Friction causes the trichomes to detach from the plant matter and accumulate in a mesh that will not loosen up.

Water, ice, and buds stir slowly but steadily in three meshes (usually) one inside the other. First, the smallest of about 70 microns where the hashish will be on the ice. The second one, 160 microns, goes over it and finally, the largest one, 220 microns, is placed.

The container you are going to use depends on the amount of matter to be processed. Ideally, fill half of the bucket with water and almost fill its volume with ice. You have to measure the temperature. When it drops to four degrees Celsius, you add the frozen green matter. Stir gently for about 15 minutes and the last hash will remain. You can continue to process the material from the other two bags to squeeze 100% from all the material.

Dump the water. Drain the meshes. Once the hash is dry, sift it in a metal strainer, collect and save. The product should be stored in a dark, low humid place. If you have not cured the buds or the manicure you have used, do it now. Welcome to the world of solvent-free hashing.