The art of sifting resin – A brief
What part of the plant is used to make hash?
You can use all gland-bearing regions of the cannabis plant, such as the leaf, trim, and buds, or any combination of these, to make ice water hash. It is more popular to use the trim from flowers freshly harvested as the material would usually be wasted. However, with the gaining popularity of ice water hash around the world many extraction artists distinguish themselves by producing ice water hash that is on par with solvent based extracts and this can only be achieved by using the same material – full, fresh frozen plant material. However, ice water hash, and in fact all hashish , can be made from either fresh or dried material.
The role of temperature
When making ice water hash it is important to keep the plant material and the environment you are extracting in very cold. Heat is the enemy when extracting the resin glands from the cannabis plant. Low-temperature water is essential to make the trichomes brittle enough to snap off during the agitation process. The low temperatures also limit the volatile terpenes from vaping off the material, allowing for a truer representation of the original material used to extract. 4°C is optimum and should be a temperature that is actively maintained throughout the extraction process.
At 4°C, RO water is at its thickest consistency allowing for the most active agitation of the resin glands. Below 4°C, the water starts to become buoyant as it prepares to freeze. This lowers the viscosity of the water and lowers the overall agitation capability of the water. Temperatures higher than 4°C can lead to a decreased ability to separate resin from its herbal source. This is because the resin starts to become pliable rather than brittle which leads to a morphing of the heads rather than a clean break. Once the heads have morphed, they can no longer be separated effectively based on their size.
Avoiding mold and sugaring
Properly drying your ice water hash is crucial to prevent mold and “sugaring.” Sugaring, also known as nucleation, occurs when water remains trapped in the hash, creating a grainy texture and potentially harsh smoke. Important to remember is that humidity is a factor to consider when making ice water hashish. To avoid the nucleation of resin make sure the resin is completely dry before storing and avoid humid storage conditions.
Avoiding humidity
You can best avoid humidity by:
- Freezing the mass of resin collected,
- Microplaning or grating the resin onto a wicking surface to quickly remove remaining water.
To accelerate the wicking process, spread the finely grated material over a large surface area that is capable of wicking the moisture out of the resin. This could be a piece of cardboard or a large wicking screen placed on top of a desiccant.
Leave the resin to dry for 18-36 hours depending on the humidity present in the drying environment. The material at this point is very fine and sand like and can easily be blown away for bumped and lost. Dedicate a space to the drying process that is out of direct light, wind, and daily activity to ensure you retain all the collected resin.
Other factors to consider when sifting resin
It’s crucial to treat the cannabis delicately to preserve all of the glands and keep them on the vegetation. Take the utmost care when preparing your flowers and material. Remove the stems and large fan leaves and avoid damaging the material through excessive trimming or grinding as this will remove the resin glands before the extraction process has began and will contribute to lower yields and potentially high contamination levels in your final product. Coarsely chopped cannabis is most convenient. It is important to remove and twigs and stems before beginning the extraction process because they can tear the mesh screens of the filtration bags.
Whether using a pre-made bag system or materials from your kitchen, the basic principles of making ice water hash are the same. Essentially, technique, patience, and proficiency contribute slightly, but the calibre of the plant material and the quality and size of the micron filter mesh in your filtration bags primarily determine the quality of your hash.
To find out more on the creation of fine hash follow our blog posts: https://www.fullmeltfiltration.com/blr9
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