Make Hash (hand rolling to supercritical fluid extraction to Isomerization)

  Hash is essentially, a collection of trichomes that come from through the plant. By hand or mechanical means, the trichomes are knocked off the plant, and pressed together into a ball or a cake. Depending on the quality, you will either obtain a pure trichome mix, or one mixed with plant tissue or other contaminants. Hash made of pure trichomes can be pressed together with hand pressure, though hash with containments may require heat and pressure to be made into a ball or a cake.   First we will review different methods of hash production in various countries of the world, and than go into more detailed methods of making hash and honey oil.  Royal Afghani (AKA Afghani (Afghanistan) Hash) 

 Generally made of cannabis Indica, Royal Afghani is hand pressed, with the addition of a small quantity of tea or water. It is worked until it is highly elastic and has a strong aromatic smell. Rolled into a ball, to limit air contact. Prior to shipping it pressed in to 100g slabs, and signed with a stem by the producing family. Turkish Hash is sometimes called Red Afghani to tap into the fine Afghani market.

 Charas (India)  

 Generally made of cannabis Indica, Charas is produced by rubbing the female buds between the hands, and thus collecting sticky resin. It is than rolled into a ball, and than either made into hash plugs for smoking in water pipes or pressed into 100g slabs. Sometimes, dried plants are thrashed over screens, to collect a golden resin powder, and than compressed into 100g slabs.

 Kashmiri (Kashmir/India) 

 Generally made of cannabis Indica, Kashmiri is hand pressed, with the addition of a small quantity of natural oils. It is worked until it is highly elastic and has a strong aromatic smell. Rolled into a ball, to limit air contact. Prior to shipping it pressed in to 100g slabs, and signed with a stem by the producing family.

 Lebanese (Lebanon) 

 Generally made of cannabis Indica, Lebanon has mechanized farming for its Hash production. Plants are left in the field until they are almost completely dry, and that removed for further mechanical drying. The buds are than carefully rubbed over a fine silk-cloth, using a very fine mesh a high quality hash can be made. The resulting powder is than collected and stored in 35kg plastic bags. Once winter rolls around, pressing begins. Hash-powder is filled in linen or cotton bags and pressed under great pressure, into 100g, 200g (most usual) and 1000g (1kg) slabs.

  Manali (India/Himalaya Region) 

 Generally made of cannabis Indica, Manali is produced by rubbing the female buds between the hands, and thus collecting sticky resin. It is than rolled into a ball, and than pressed into 100g slabs. Unfortunately, the quality of Manali hash is very low, and pieces of stem and seeds can be found in the hash.

 Pakistani (Pakistan)  

 Generally made of cannabis Indica, Pakistani is hand pressed, with the addition of a small quantity of tea or water. It is worked until it is highly elastic and has a strong aromatic smell. Rolled into a ball, to limit air contact. Prior to shipping it pressed in to 100g slabs, and signed with a stem by the producing family.

  Turkish (Turkey) 

 Generally made of cannabis Indica, Turkish Hash is made by drying out buds, and passing it through a fine mesh, to collect the resin powder. It is than pressed into slabs, which are typically 100g.

  Holland (Netherlands) 

 Generally made of cannabis sativa, Holland Hash is made in the two typical methods. One method is drying out buds, and passing it through a fine mesh, to collect the resin powder. Than pressing it into slabs, which are typically 100g. As well, as hand pressing, with the addition of a small quantity of water. Rolled into a ball, and than pressed into typically 100g slabs. Though a third method, sometimes used, is simply crushing a female head, with a heavy mass, which forms a large lump of powder. A forth method, rarely seen, but sometimes used in Holland Hash, is made by gathering crystals from grinder waste, and compressing it under a mass. This produces a block of crystals, which maybe sold as hash.

  Nepalese (Nepal) 

 Generally made of cannabis Indica, Nepalese is produced by rubbing the female buds between the hands, and thus collecting sticky resin. It is than rolled into a ball, and than pressed into 100g slabs. Often considered to be the best hash, sometimes Royal Afghani is sold under the name of Nepalese to tap into the fine Nepalese market.

  Moroccan (Morocco)

  Generally made of cannabis Indica, Moroccan hash is produced by allowing the plant to dry completely, so that the resin glands form a “raisin” which is called “pollen”. It should be noted that this is not actually pollen, as it is simply the dried glands, but that is what they call it. The leaves are stripped off the stem. Than the buds are stripped and stored in a container. The Buds are than removed from the container and than crushed by hand over a mesh which is roughly 0.5mm in size. Once finish grinding all the bud through the mesh, the resin powder is collected and wrapped in a cotton sheet, and pressed together between several bricks or logs. The resulting hash is generally a sheet and relatively hard. Moroccan hash is typically exported to European countries, such as Spain, France, Germany, and others.

     How to Make Hash 

  Hash Production is not overly difficult. In fact, depending on the quantity of bud that you have, it may be the best bargain for your buck. Though, if you do not have a lot of bud, hash production can decrease the amount you have to smoke.

 Benefits of Hash Production:  

   Cleaner: Only cannabinoids should be in high quality hash, making a cleaner smoke.

   Easier to conceal: By only having cannabinoids and not all the plant matter, hash is much easier to store undetected than bud.

   Recycle: Instead of a grower throwing away trim and male plants, hash can be made from it.

   Shelf-life: Hash is more resistant to molds and decomposition due to oxygen

 

 

Methods of Hash Production:

   Hand Rolling

   Screens

   Blender

   Bubble Hash

   Butane

   Hash Oil

   Jelly Hash

 Hand Rolling 

  Hand rolling is probably the best option for the longevity of the plant, in other words, it does not harm the plant, other that removing the resin from its buds. Unfortunately it is the most labour intensive way, though the quality is often exceptional.

 Instructions 

              I.      Thoroughly clean hands to remove any containments

           II.      Place hands over a female flower which is heavily coated in resin

         III.      Bring hands together, so flower is between and lightly touching

        IV.      Spread fingers out wide, and gently move hands in opposite directions

           V.      Continue rubbing until the resin becomes a black mass upon the palms and fingers

        VI.      Than press the resin into little balls, until it starts to peel away from the skin

      VII.      Combine the small clumps, and keep in palm, continue rubbing hands together to produce little balls

   VIII.      When finished, hands should be clean again, and you should have a ball of hash

        IX.      It is a good idea to place quickly into an airtight container or in plastic wrap.

 Notes:

   Some suggest waiting until the plant is dry, prior to rubbing the plant, though some claim it does not matter, as long as resin exists on the plant.

   Resin is very sticky substance, plan your day accordingly, otherwise you will loose resin to items you touch with your hands

   This method requires patience, and diligence to make a quality product

   It is arguable that the longer this process takes, the faster decomposition will occur, due to air exposure.

 Screens 

 Screens generally require that the plant be dried and killed. The usual method of drying is sunlight or additional heat sources to evaporate all moisture.

 Flat Screening   Flat Screening is the process of rubbing hemp across the surface of a screen. The Screen can be made of silk, steel or even plastic. The frame can be made of out of any material, such as wood or plastic (preferably hemp based wood/plastic). In addition, the screen can be rigged to produce a back and forth motion or simple vibration to encourage the glands to drop through the screen on to a smooth surface or bowl, so they can be collected.   Drum Machine      A drum machine is a very simple device, and can very easily be produced at home. It can help to remove the trichomes from bud with little to no effort, once the device is constructed.    
Materials:   Rotisserie motor (or similar)      Note: 10-15 RPM, plus good torque to handle out-of-balance mass when loaded   Metal bracket to hang the motor.   2 sheets of flat hemp wood   1 threaded rod   1 tubing for shaft   Drill   Mesh Instructions:    It is important to note, with this type of machine, the method to produce, as well as the materials to produce it, can be greatly different. It is quite reasonable to build this exact same product with an electric drill, and an animal running wheel.                I.      First cut two circles out of your flat hemp wood           II.      Drill Hole in the centre of both boards         III.      Space the two round circles a set distance away, and attach 4 support beams.         IV.      Attach mesh between the two circles, over the support beams. Use beeswax to seal.            V.      Place threaded rod into the centre hole and wrap with tubing for shaft        VI.      Build stand, and place threaded rod hooked into one side.       VII.      Attach Rotisserie motor Bracket, to opposite side   VIII.      Attach Rotisserie motor.         IX.      Test it out with some skunk.   As the machine rotates, it should knock trichomes off the regular plant material and they should make their way down towards the base of the machine. If a towel or a tray is stretched across the bottom of the device, it should collect all the trichomes which fall out. You can leave the machine running for an hour or more, gently tumbling all the trichomes out.    Notes:   SCW made his own Drum Roller: http://www.cannabis.com/ezine/accessorize/1.shtml   Pictures of his Machine:  Hash Shaker 

  There are several commercial products, which works by shaking your leaf material in a container and than freezing it for 30 minutes, and than collecting the hash powder from the bottom of the container. These products are listed under different names, from the Hash Shaker, Hash Maker, to Max Powder, even the Polm Maker.

 Materials:

   PVC Tubing with threaded end caps

   Silk screen

   Beeswax

 Instructions:

              I.      Place 1 layer or multiple layers of screening within tube, close to bottom

           II.      Seal screen within tube with beeswax

         III.      Place bud in container

        IV.      Shake container for a few moments

           V.      Place in freezer for 30minutes

        VI.      Unscrew bottom end cap

      VII.      Collect hash and press together

    Blender Method    The blender method works on the principles that the glands will sink in water, while the vegetable material will float.  Materials:    Blender   Ice cubes   2 2liter Pop Bottles   2 ft length of tubing   Funnel   Silk screen   Coffee Filter   Cannabis   Refrigerator Instructions:               I.      Fill Blender half-way with trim           II.      Add water and ice cubes         III.      Blend for about 50 seconds, until you have green frothy “smoothie”        IV.      Pour the mixture through the funnel, through the silk screen, into the 2liter pop bottles           V.      Squeeze as much liquid as you can out of the screen        VI.      Place bottle in a refrigerator to keep them cold      VII.      After 30 minutes the liquid should change to a blonde colour   VIII.      Using the tubing, siphon out the extraneous green liquid out of the bottles        IX.      Repeat all the steps, with the liquid, instead of the trim, to extract the most trichomes           X.      Pour the remaining liquid through the funnel, and coffee filter         XI.      Collect the glands and let moisture evaporate for a few minutes      XII.      Work your hash into a little ball, and allow further evaporation Tips:    Do not rush the process   Use very cold water   Use paper towels to absorb water from coffee filter stage   Bubble Hash 

  To some the idea that smoking hash with great purity, will form bubbles as the resin is heated, thus we have Bubble Hash. Bubble Hash is considered by some to be the best hash that one can possibly make due to its purity. Unfortunately, there are no studies to support these claims, nor have these processes been tested to determine if in fact, hash is actually being produced. Though, some people swear it is the best method for production of hash, and so here we go.

   Bubble Bag Method 

 The bubble bag method is extremely easy to use and process into hash. The only problem associated with this system, is the high cost.  Expect to pay around 500 us dollars per kit, though if you are clever, you can figure out how to make your own.

 Bag Kit

   the work bag (blue 220micron screen)

   filter bag (yellow 73micron screen)

   all screen bag (Tan 73 micron screen)

   second filter bag (red 25 micron screen)

   Pressing Screen

 <see: http://www.overgrow.com/edge/showthread/t-16632.html> Equipment Materials:   Bubble Bag Kit   two five gallon buckets(new)   small hand mixer   a wooden and metal spoon   bottle of wine   Hemp Towels Instructions:

                                I.      Place work bag in 5 gallon bucket and place 10-200grams in bag

                             II.      Add 48-72 ice cubes, more is better (may need to add more during process).

                           III.      Fill bucket 2/3 with cold water

                          IV.      Using hand mixer, mix for 15mins

    Note: additional mixing will increase yields, but not quality

                             V.      Let mixture settle for at least 30mins

Note: If you have an upright freezer, you can keep mixture cold during this          time

                          VI.      Pull work bag out of bucket, squeeze every last drop of water out of bag.

                                          VI.The water should be a golden brown colour

                        VII.      A small amount of oil-based substance may appear, it is unknown, and usually siphoned off.

                     VIII.      Pour golden brown water through the filter bag (yellow).

                          IX.      Quickly pick the bag up from out of the bucket, to allow for it to drain quickly through. Help encourage all the water flow through the screen.

                             X.      The slimy mess of hash should be collected with the metal spoon and placed in the all screen bag.

                          XI.      Clean out any contaminants with this bag.

                        XII.      Place cleaned product in pressing screen, and fold the edges of the screen over the hash. Than using the wine bottle roll the water out of the hash. Use a towel to monitor the moisture levels of the hash. Keep rolling until you have dry hash.

                     XIII.      Using the second filter bag (red), pour the golden brown water through it.

                     XIV.      Hang bag over bucket for about 15 minutes, to drain.

                       XV.      Once bag is done draining, you will find additional slab of hash, otherwise thrown away.

                     XVI.      Dry out your second batch of hash

                  XVII.      You can now either combine the two batches, or keep them separate. You can hand roll them, use a freezer or a hot plate to dry them out.

 Notes:   Further Instructions: http://www.bubblebag.com/instructions/   Bubble hash Video by Pot TV:  http://pot.tv/asx/pottvshowse603.wmx    Other Commercial Product called ice-o-later  Butane Method   A Supercritical fluid is a way to hold a solvent, such as butane (C4H10), at a pressure and temperature higher than it critical point. Supercritical fluid extraction is an extraction technique that uses the unique properties of a supercritical fluid to selectively extract and fractionalize valuable non- polar components.   Butane has a critical temperature of 152’C and Critical Pressure of 38.96 bar and can be used in Supercritical fluid extraction relatively easily, to produce oil, out of cannabis leaves and flower. In fact, those who have utilized this process have found superb oil from their primary batches and exceptional oil in their secondary batches, utilizing low end weed. Unfortunately, tests have shown that using this process you may get a 20:1 ratio of weed used to oil produced (in grams).  It is very important that if you are very safety conscious when attempting to utilize supercritical fluids in any way.  Butane is highly flammable at room temperature and highly explosive while in a supercritical state. People have died using this method, but others have stayed safe. If you are not familiar with working with chemicals, it would probably be better for you to look at purchasing the only commercial product for Butane Supercritical fluid extraction, the Canadian-made “Honey Bee Extractor” (http://www.buzznn.com/). If you are familiar with chemicals, please watch the Honey Bee Extractor Video, for some tips on safety and building techniques at:  http://www.buzznn.com/video/hbxvid100k.wmv Materials:   Pyrex bowl   Bud Buster (AKA Coffee Grinder)   Drill   PVC Tube with screw in end caps(both ends)   An outside work environment   1-2 butane aerosol cans   Safety gear(such as goggles, gloves, etc)   High proof Alcohol    Paper Towel or Coffee Filter Instructions:              I.      In one of the PVC end caps, drill a single small hole in the center. This hole should be correctly sized to snugly receive the little outlet nozzle of a butane aerosol can.            II.      In the other end cap, drill a group of 5 or 6 small holes clustered in the center (similar to a pepper shaker).          III.      After putting a piece of paper towel or coffee filter inside it for filtration, put the end cap with several holes on one end of the pipe. Push it on there real tight. This is the bottom.         IV.      Fill the pipe up (do not pack down) with bud that has been pulverized into a coarse and very dry powder.            V.      Place the top end cap on the pipe. Push it on as securely as you can by hand.         VI.      Find a location outdoors with a decent breeze. You want the butane fumes to be quickly carried away. a.       Mount the pipe (single hole-side up) over a Pyrex bowl or a lab beaker that can hold 300mL+. A lab stand and clamp are ideal for the mounting, but a regular shop clamp or anything that can hold it sturdily is fine. (Avoid metal to reduce the chance of sparks.) Position the bottom end of the pipe immediately over (1-2") the receiving vessel to eliminate splatter loss.       VII.      Turn the butane gas can upside down and dispense the gas into the pipe via the single top hole. A whole 8-oz can takes about 10-12 seconds to evacuate. Be brave, swift, and careful. A spark at this moment would spell disaster since you have basically created an incendiary explosive device that is leaking.    VIII.      When you've exhausted the can into the pipe, back off to a nice distance.        IX.      The butane will move down the pipe, extracting the cannabinoids as it goes. 30-45 seconds after dispensing, will begin to drain from the pipe.           X.      In 5 to 8 minutes, the pipe will finish draining. Once the stream of smoke from the top decreases to a few drops per second, you can lightly tap the bottom or blow into the hole to push the last of the butane out.        XI.       Outside with a nice breeze, place the bowl with the mix of butane and oil extract on a warm surface with about 250ml of warm water. This will help the butane evaporate.      XII.      After 20mins or so, you should be left with an amber or yellowish oil of high purity.   XIII.      Add about 250ml of high-proof alcohol into the dish, and let the alcohol evaporate for a day or two. It is possible to transfer the oil into smaller containers at this point, but if any butane is present it can spell disaster.   XIV.      Scrape the container or bowl, to remove all the oil. Notes:    Equations used in Supercritical fluid extractionSolubility Parameter



d: solubility parameter
u: internal energy