Bubble hash is a modern form of hashish, the ancient tradition of separating trichome heads from the cannabis plant. The resulting concentrate was (and is still) used for spiritual, creative, community, or leisure purposes.
Bubble hash, sometimes called “ice water hash,” is a solventless concentrate created with ice water and mesh bags. In this method, the trichomes are separated from the cannabis flower gently. This minimizes damage and degradation to the cannabinoids and terpenes inside. Bubble hash has roughly 50 to 70 percent THC and contains high levels of terpenes, which give the concentrate strong aromas and flavors.
How to Wash Bubble Hash by Hand
Washing bubble hash by hand is accessible to home extractors with simple equipment and a bit of patience.
- Prepare your starting material. Increase the cannabis plant’s surface area by removing stalks and brown leaves. Freeze the cannabis at the time of harvest if you grow your own, to ensure optimal trichome extraction. Make sure your plant is not too dry, or it will crumble, leading to higher levels of contamination and a “green” taste. The more non-trichome plant matter in your hash, the lower grade the end product will be.
- Prepare your area. Make sure all equipment and the surrounding area are clean to avoid non-plant contaminants. Gather your equipment (usually buckets, ice-cold water, hash filtration bags, and a paddle of some kind). Have your bubble bags stacked inside each other with the finest at the bottom.
- Place your ice water into the bucket, add your starting plant material, and stir gently for five to 15 minutes. Change the stirring direction regularly to ensure the cannabis gets agitated thoroughly. Agitation in cold water is what separates the trichomes. The colder the better. Be careful not to be too rough, or the trichomes will deteriorate, and more plant matter will end up in the final product. This again lowers the final grade of the hash.
- Carefully pour your mixed water into your bubble bags. Make sure not to dump the full weight of the bucket directly onto the mesh part of the bags.
- Each bag will hold different plant material in different amounts. Discard what you don't want, and gently scrape up the hash with a spoon or butter knife.
How to Wash Bubble Hash With Commercial Equipment
Commercial bubble hash extraction requires specialized hash washing equipment. Always follow the guidelines for your specific machines. The steps outlined below are for informational purposes only.
- Prepare your equipment, ensuring all parts are clean and sanitized.
- Prepare your starting material. It preferably needs to be fresh frozen, placed in a wash bag with the appropriate micron size, and not exceed the weight of material suitable for the size of your machine.
- Place the bag inside the washer. Ensure you add the appropriate amount of ice around the bag (depending on how your machine works).
- Fill the machine with the correct amount of cold RO (reverse osmosis) water. Using RO water results in a cleaner end product, free from the contaminants that come in general tap water. RO water also reduces the amount of fouling on your equipment, increasing longevity and reducing the need for chemical cleaning.
- Allow the material to soak for 20 minutes to hydrate, then start the wash cycle.
- Your washing machine will have multiple agitation, drain, and subsequent wash cycles. Ensure all cycles are completed. Also, ensure the temperature remains below 35 °F–38 °F to avoid your material from becoming “greasy.”
- Collect the hash from the wash bags with a spatula or similar collection device.
- Immediately transfer your collected hash to your freeze dryer for optimal drying.
- Thoroughly rinse your micron bags straight away with ice-cold water to remove any remaining residue. Make sure to properly clean the bubble hash bags so that they're ready for the next use.
How to Dry Bubble Hash
Drying bubble hash correctly is just as important as how you make it. Correct drying ensures that your care and effort in the wash process translate into a quality final product.
- After scraping the wet hash out of your bubble bags with a spoon, spread them out in a thin layer on a non-porous surface such as glass or stainless steel. This allows for even drying and prevents the surface from soaking up plant oils.
- Cover the plate or drying surface to keep any contaminants off while drying. A fine mesh screen is perfect for this, as it keeps contaminants out while allowing for airflow and moisture evaporation.
- Move your drying surface to a cool, dark, and well-ventilated location.
- Avoid using heat to dry the hash, as this will degrade the terpenes and cannabinoids.
- Drying takes 24-48 hours. Your hash should dry completely before storing it to avoid mold growth.
- If using commercial equipment, a freeze dryer will dry your hash perfectly in 24 hours without contamination, mold, or degradation.
How to Store Bubble Hash
After successfully making and drying your bubble hash, the storage method is the final key to ending up with a superior product.
- Before storing your hash, gently scrape it from the surface it was dried on onto parchment paper. Many hash makers then pass the dried hash through a sieve onto parchment paper below to separate the trichome heads and break up any clusters. Then they wrap it in parchment paper and place it in a glass jar. The lid should be left off for a few days for further drying. Don’t dry it out too much. 35 percent average relative humidity is ideal.
- Always store the bubble hash in a glass jar, as it will not permeate through glass. This keeps the aroma and flavor in. Store your glass jars in a dry, dark, and cold environment to avoid terpene and cannabinoid degradation. A freezer is perfect.
- If storing large amounts, vacuum seal and store in the freezer.
- When removing from the freezer, let the jar warm up to room temperature before opening, to avoid condensation and moisture from falling on the finished product.
Learn about storage factors in our article How to Store Bubble Hash for Optimal Quality.
Bubble Hash Post-Processing
Bubble hash can be sold as a final product or processed further to make other concentrates. Customers can buy bubble hash as it is and process it further themselves if they wish.
If bubble hash is made using fresh-frozen or “live” starting material and has a grade of five or six stars, it can then be used as the starting material for live rosin. Live rosin is the gold standard and most lucrative of the solventless cannabis concentrates.
The Bubble Hash Quality Grading System
Bubble hash is graded on a six-point scale. One is the lowest quality and six is the highest quality. A large part of the end product's quality comes down to the starting material used. The other part is the care with which the hash is processed. Using commercial washing and drying equipment will get you consistent, high-quality results every time (presuming the starting material is top-notch).
One - two stars: This is known as “food-grade” hash. It has a substantial amount of plant matter mixed in, but is good for making edibles or sprinkling over a bowl or joint.
Three - four stars: This is known as a “half-melt” bubble hash. It contains tiny bits of plant material other than trichomes. It can be added to flower or used to make rosin. The “half-melt” name comes from its ability to be melted into rosin, leaving behind some residue from the impurities.
Five - six stars: This is known as “full-melt” bubble hash, as it leaves little to no residue behind when heated. This is the highest quality bubble hash, and is most commonly used with a dab rig or to make rosin.
How Bubble Hash Is Used
Once your bubble hash is ready, it can be smoked, vaped, dabbed, baked into edibles, or processed further to become rosin. As seen on the grading scale, different grades of hash lend themselves to different use cases for commercial extractors.
Depending on the grade of your hash, you can alter the way you market it. You could also make use of any lower-quality hash or trichomes and plant material from the less-refined bubble bags to make edibles or topicals, rather than disposing of them. This widens your product range, positions your business as being more sustainable, and brings in further sales income from the same volume of starting material.
The Evolution of Bubble Hash Making Techniques
There were historically two main ways of making hash, depending on where people lived. The first was to rub the plant between your hands. The trichomes would separate from the leaves and stick to your hands. This sticky residue would then be scraped off your hands and molded into solid balls called “hashish balls.” The plants were alternatively beaten against a wall and the residue scraped off the wall.
The second method was to rub the plants over silk screens, separating the trichomes that way and collecting them from underneath the screen.
These methods remained relatively unchanged until the 1980s, when Nevil Schoenmakers, the “King of Cannabis,” popularized the ice water extraction technique. Mila Jansen then developed the bag filtration system. Commercial hash washing equipment, including our trichome separation system, now makes high-quality bubble hash production easy to scale.
FAQ
What is bubble hash?
Bubble hash is hash made by separating trichome heads from cannabis plant material in ice water.
Can you dab bubble hash?
Yes, you can dab bubble hash. The five and six-star grades are best for dabbing.
How do you make bubble hash with filter bags?
After agitating the plant matter in ice water, gently pour the water through the filter bags with the bags stacked in order of smallest at the bottom and largest at the top. The trichomes in the mid-size range are generally used for premium bubble hash.
How do you make bubble hash without micron bags?
If you don't have micron bags and you're not using a hash washing machine, you can use what you have around the house, including kitchen strainers, sieves, and coffee filters. Order these from largest to smallest.
How do you clean bubble bags?
Spray the bubble bags with cold water immediately after use, starting from the top and working down to the screen. Next, turn the bag inside out and spray the mesh again from the other side. Lastly, spread the bag over something that keeps it taut and spray it again.
How potent is bubble hash?
Bubble hash can exceed 60 percent THC. This is higher than dry sift (20 to 60 percent), but not as high as solvent concentrates (up to 99 percent).
How Will You Wash?
If you're a beginner, the bucket and bubble bag method is a simple and cost-effective starting point for making delicious bubble hash. If you're ready to move on to larger-scale methods and increased quality and consistency, it's time to look at commercial hash washing equipment, such as hash washing machines and freeze dryers.
Bubble hash produced using either method is one of the most popular forms of solventless concentrate, with several immediate uses and additional options for post-processing. Prioritize quality when choosing your starting material and equipment, and happy washing!
