How to Make Hash - Plain & Simple.

Hash, which is also very commonly referred to as hashish, is a preparation method of cannabis, involving compressing stalked resin glands, also called trichomes, from the buds of the female cannabis plant.

Typically, it contains the same active ingredients as with consuming leaves of the cannabis plants normally – often referred to as marijuana, but is considered stronger.

Hash is a medium to dark brown substance similar to paste with varying degrees of hardness. Depending on the sort, the color may vary toward black or yellow, and sometimes a bit green or red.

Although it can be smoked in a joint, hash is most commonly consumed with a so-called bong, or pipe. In either way of consumption, the hash usually has to be made softer by heating it up (most commonly with a lighter) and then crumbled into little pieces which are then put into the joint or the bong.

Raw Ingredients: What They Are, Where They Come From.

Being a product of cannabis, hash is universally made from different plants of cannabis. The process of making hash includes extracting and the preserving the psychoactive resins (resin glands) from the cannabis plant. Those resins are found particularly on tiny glands named trichomes, which, when put under a magnifying glass, look pretty similar to mushrooms – a head placed on top of a stalk. In terms of appearance, those trichomes are what gives cannabis buds their typical “frosty“ or white-like appearance.

The trichomes are typically heavily concentrated in the flowering buds of mature female cannabis plants, although smaller amounts may be found in the leaves and trim of both male and female plants. However, the leaves and trim are usually not very pleasant to smoke, and are therefore discarded, although they may contain up to 10% of a plant’s total resin source.

Preparation Methods

There are many different ways to produce hash, many of them the result of knowledge passed down from generations to generations, and some the results of new experiences and looking for ways to produce better hash. Here, a short overview of every preparation method will be provided. Before preparation starts, it should be made sure that good raw materials are used, so time should be used to inspect the plant. Frost on the leaves is usually not considered evidence enough for a high concentration of THC, so a magnifying glass should be helpful here in inspecting and looking for those mushroom-like glands. If trichomes are not present, the leaf should generally be discarded. In addition, the raw material should be not altered in any way before applying a given method, as it may damage the trichomes and increase contaminates in the mixture. Generally, the raw material should be dry.

Flat Screening

Flat screening removes trichomes by rubbing the material over a silk screen. In itself, it is considered a simple process, but the quality of the end product largely depends on the skill and patience of the maker. Due to the fact that the trichome heads have a consistent size, applying a screen of an appropriate will have the heads pass through, while „filtering“ out other plant matter.

For this method, a flat screen is needed, such as the ones which can be purchased from printing supply shops, though it is also possible to make one on your own. In addition, a piece of glass or a mirror is needed to later collect the trichomes and something thin for pushing such as a credit card.

The raw material should be dry, but not too dry so as to have other matters pass through the screen. The screen should be placed on the top of the glass used, on which the plant (skuff) is then placed. Using the card, the plant is gently pushed back and forth across the screen, causing it to rub against it. Typically, minimal pressure should be applied using this method. While typically not producing the purest hash available, this method is the simplest way to produce hash at home.

Drum Machine

Drum machines are usually cylindrical and electrically powered. Similar to the former method, inside the drum is a screen which the plant is tumbled against. Generally, the principle here is very similar to that of flat screening, except that the drum machine tumbles the skuff instead of rubbing. It can be considered as a form of a “clothes dryer“ for cannabis, as it operates in a matter similar to a clothes dryer, only instead of drying the clothes, it knocks out the trichomes from the plant.

Drum machines can be bought (for example in Coffee shops in Holland), or it is possible to build ones privately. The method of operation is to lightly fill the drum with dry material, and turn the machine on low, letting it run for up to an hour. This process can be repeated with the same raw material for a few times, but typically only the first few rounds produce non-contaminated material.

Blender

While the former two methods used different types of ways to apply screening to the material in order to separate it from the rest, the method of Blender utilizes the fact that the trichomes are heavier than water, while other plant material is not.

This method applies water, ice and agitation to get out the trichomes. Ice-water renders the trichomes brittle, causing the resin glands to become solid and thus easy to cut off. The glands themselves are heavier than water, making them sink to the bottom when separated, while the rest of the material floats.

To apply this method, a blender is needed, as well as ice cubes and paper coffee filters. The blender is filled around to its half with material, which is then covered with cold watered and added a tray of ice cubes. The material is blended for around a minute, until the mixture becomes green and frothy. The mixture is then poured through the coffee filters into any kind of glass jar. Once the jar is full, it should be put in the fridge for at least half an hour. After that, a white or yellowish colored substance should settle on the bottom of jar – these are the trichomes.

Carefully, around two-thirds of the green water should be poured out, leaving the trichomes inside. Those dried resin glands are then ready to be pressed into hash.

Bubble Hash

Using a combination of several different methods, Bubble hash has become a very popular way to make hash, and it called this way because the hash it produces is so pure that it bubbles when heated. Generally, the Bubble Hash method uses the best of the two worlds of blending with ice water, and filtering using a screen. In this method, ice-water is first used to extract the trichomes, which are later also strained through filters for increased purity.

Then are two main commercials products using ice-water filtration. One of them are the so-called Bubble Bags, while the other is the Ice-o-lator. They both operate on the same principle that uses cold water and filtering bags in order to isolate trichomes. It is also possible to make a home-made kit. In essence, this method consists of applying the Blender method as laid out previously, while afterwards putting the substance through the Bubble Bags, which serve to filter the substance further.

Pressing

These four techniques leave the maker a product that resembles sand, once dried. This material is actually a collection of trichome heads, which are in Holland often referred to as “pollen“ – different from the English use of the word. The final step to making hash is turning this powder into a solid mass.

To this end, it is possible to apply a simple method of rubbing small quantities of the material between the hands in order to create a ball of resin – the traditional method used to make hash. Another way is to press the powder into a bar or a similar shape. The powder should first be completely dry. For pressing, a bag should be filled with dry trichomes, sealed and wrapped in some layers of wet newspaper. The whole bundle should be placed in a frying pan on very low setting. This serves to melt down the trichomes.

Once melted, the newspapers should be removed from the frying pan, and transferred to a rolling surface. Using a rolling pin, the material should be pressed and rolled from the center out. Afterwards, the newspaper should be unwrapped and allowed to cool in the freezer for an hour, after which the hash can be considered done.