Bubble Hash
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Bubble hash, renowned for its bubbling effect while being smoked, is a distinctive variety produced using ice water. Creating bubble hash involves immersing cannabis flower in bags of ice water, aptly called “bubble bags,” and subjecting it to agitation.
This agitation causes the flower’s resin glands to freeze and subsequently detach.
These resin glands, which house crucial compounds such as THC and CBD, undergo filtration through a succession of screens while the plant matter is separated, forming a bubble hash.
What is Bubble Hash?
Bubble hash is a distinctive form crafted using a specialized ice-water process. Like traditional hash, it consists of densely concentrated cannabis resin glands known as trichomes.
The color of bubble hash can vary, ranging from a light blonde hue to a dark brown shade. The name “bubble hash” originates from its captivating tendency to bubble when exposed to the flame of a lighter.
The pinnacle of bubble hash quality is often called “full melt.” This ultra-refined variant possesses the remarkable ability to largely vaporize when smoked or dabbed, leaving behind minimal residue.
Another way to evaluate bubble hash is through a rating system that ranges from one to six stars, with six-star hash being the most refined and highly coveted.
The production of these superior-quality hashes involves using exceptionally fine mesh sieves, effectively preventing plant material from passing through and allowing only the small trichome heads to be included.
How to Make Bubble Hash?
The process of creating bubble hash typically involves the utilization of ice water along with a set of bags or screens. To begin making bubble hash, cannabis flower is combined with ice water inside specialized “bubble bags.”
These bags consist of sieves that separate the plant material from the potent resin glands. The trichome heads, which freeze from the ice water, break off the marijuana when mixed and agitated, eventually making their way through the sieves.
To attain a more refined end product, finer mesh sieves are employed to separate the plant material from the hash further. That is achieved by layering bubble bags of varying sizes inside a bucket, with the finest micron screen at the bottom.
The term “micron” refers to the number of units permitted to pass through the screen, so a smaller micron value ensures that less plant material will pass through.
After adequate agitation of the cannabis, the topmost bag containing the cannabis and ice is lifted and removed.
The material collected in the second screen is carefully scraped off and set aside. It typically exhibits a darker color due to the more significant amount of plant material that passes through the initial bag with a larger micron size.
The second bag is then inverted and submerged into the water of the bag beneath it, allowing the trichomes to continue their journey through the successive bags.
This collection and filtration process is repeated until the trichomes have been filtered through each bag. Finally, the hash is dried by pressing it under a micron screen or cotton muslin cloth.
The Distinction between Bubble Hash and Kief
Kief refers to the dried resin glands that form a powdery coating on the surface of cannabis buds. It appears as a brown crystalline powder that easily breaks off when using a grinder. It serves as the uncompressed precursor to hash.
While both bubble hash and traditional hash are derived from these resin glands, they are prepared differently. Bubble hash undergoes a process involving ice water, agitation, and a progression of bags and screens.
On the other hand, the traditional hash is typically made through manual or mechanical separation and compression techniques.