Wash and Spray and Squish, Oh My!

Are you an experienced head?  Have you smoked it all from Mexican Brick to some crazy frosted purple thing at the dispo? If you are looking for the next step, consider processing your own hashish which can be a rewarding and fulfilling process. In this blog post, we will explore three of the most common methods to make high-quality hashish at home that will impress even the most discerning connoisseurs.

How to Make Bubble Hash with Ice Water

One of the most popular methods for making hashish is using ice water to create bubble hash. This process involves agitating cannabis trim or flower in ice-cold water to separate the trichomes from the plant material. The result is a potent and flavorful concentrate that can be enjoyed in a variety of ways.   Most of the time you see this done at home with cheapo washing machines and a variety of screen bags in a bucket.    Once you have the screened out trichome heads, you need to dry them.  If you are going all in on this, a freeze dryer is the way to go.  If dropping a couple grand on a freeze dryer isn't happening you can still make a solid product with a microplaner.   The final product, known as bubble hash, ice water hash, or full melt, is an incredible product on its own, or can be further processed into rosin, which we discuss below. 

Creating Flower or Hash Rosin with a Rosin Press

Full melt hashish is an amazing product, but if you want the ultimate in dabbable concentrates, pressing your bubble hash into hash rosin is something to check out.   This process involves using heat and pressure to extract the resins from the plant matter.  Whether you start with flower or hash, a rosin press applies heat and pressure to extract the valuable cannabinoids and terpenes from the plant material while leaving behind waste products. The end product is a clean and pure concentrate that captures the essence of the original cannabis strain and is one of the most expensive products currently on the market.   

The startup costs are primarily just a rosin press, which can cost from $500-2000 depending on size and manufacturer and the product you want to press.   Rosin yeilds can vary greatly depending on the strain, moisture content of the flower (if pressing flower,) micron size of the bags used, etc.  Rosin is a great craft product, but is not the most consistent or highest yielding of the extraction methods reviewed here.

Using Butane to Make BHO

For those looking to make a potent and versatile cannabis concentrate, butane hash oil (BHO) is a popular choice.  Some of the most popular products on the market today, such as live resin, diamonds, and sauces are frequently made using BHO.   By using butane as a solvent, you can extract a high concentration of cannabinoids from the plant material while pulling only small amounts of the waxes, lipids and other plant matter. The resulting extract can be further processed into various forms such as shatter, wax, or budder through the application of heat and agitation during and after purging of the solvent.

It is important to note that BHO is incredibly dangerous to make, even more so at home.  You are dealing with flammable solvents and then evaporating them off.  It requires a vacuum chamber and heat to effectively purge the solvents, if this is not done you will be smoking butane, which is clearly less than ideal.  If the product is well prepared it will have no detectable solvent left in it and the BHO has one of the highest THC concentrations you can make in a home-made extract. 

The cost of making BHO can vary widely.   Historically BHO was made with a very simple setup consisting of a blast tube and cans of butane.  This is a very good way to blow up your house and wind up with an extract full of solvents.  Modern labs used closed loop systems to recapture all the solvents and nothing gets vented into the air.  The product is also purged of all solvents using a vacuum oven.  

We strongly urge you to do a solventless extraction at home and pass on BHO.  Whichever method you choose to make hashish, remember that quality and attention to detail are key. By following proper techniques and using high-quality starting material, you can create hashish that is not only potent but also full of flavor and aroma.

So why wait? Dive into the world of hashish making and unleash your creativity and passion for cannabis concentrates. Your journey to crafting top-notch hashish starts now!