The History of Ice Water Hash

*By Eric Vlosky, PurePressure*

Nothing can beat the taste of a toke off a bowl topped with ice water hash,
or a low temp dab of some true six star full melt. Making this solventless
concentrate in the most exceptional way possible involves equipment and
knowledge of the process.
[image: Ed_Rosenthal_Pure_Pressure_The-History-of-Ice-Water-Hash.jpg]

Full Melt Bubble Hash

Image by PurePressure
*Ice Water Hash: Origin Story*

As with so many things related to cannabis, ice water hash washing has its
roots in Amsterdam. As the legend goes, a man named Sadu Sam determined
that the resinous trichomes on the cannabis plant are packed with oil-based
compounds. Trichomes are the "mitochondria" of the cannabis plant—the part
full of precious cannabinoids. The trichomes' oil results in the compounds
sinking in water. Meanwhile, the rest of the plant floats to the top. This
is the basis of hash washing, or "Sadu Sam's Secret."

With the "secret" she learned from Sadu Sam, Mila Jansen [The Hash Queen]
of "The Pollinator" perfected the first method of extracting trichomes.
Pollinator eventually invented the Ice-o-lator bags and as well as the
Bubbleator. Ice-o-lator bags came about when Mila married the two
techniques of extracting trichomes and dry sieving. She designed a bag made
from nylon with a sieve attached to the bottom. Her bag filtered out the
trichomes that sank to the bottom while the unusable plant material flower
rose to the top. Thus, modern-day hash washing was born. From there,
Bubbleman perfected Mila's bubble hash technique by adding more bags to the
process as well as placing openings of various sizes on the filter screen.
Bubbleman's bubble hash bags eventually became the basis of ice water hash
products we all know and love today.

The origin story of ice water hash is a thing of legend and a relic of a
bygone cannabis consuming era. But we can't forget our past. It's essential
to know the roots of the process to understand where we are headed.
[image: Mila-the-Hashqueen-and-Ed-Rosenthal.jpg]

Mila The Hash Queen

Hanging out with Ed Rosenthal



*The Ice Water Hash Making Process*

With an awareness for the players that made it possible, it's time to get
into the production.

Creating premium ice water hash can be a complicated process. To make it
less overwhelming, break it into five relatively easy-to-follow steps:



1. Start the ice water hash making process by choosing fresh frozen
plant material from a solventless bubble hash-friendly cultivar. Place your
fresh frozen cannabis in a hashing washing machine. Let it soak for 20 to
30 minutes so the brittle trichomes can separate from the rest of the plant.

2. Stir your ice water hash mixture for 15-20 Minutes, ideally in a
figure 8 pattern to separate the trichomes from the rest of the plant
matter.

3. Remove any foam and debris from the skim port of your hash washing
machine. Now, watch the magic happen as the cannabinoid-rich trichomes
detach from the rest of the plant.

4. Pour the liquid into a hash washing bag to filter the trichomes from
the rest of the solution.

5. Remove the wet material placed on a tray before freeze-drying. After
the bubble hash is freeze-dried, you can sell it just like that or press it
into premium hash rosin.

Keep in mind that this is a brief overview. For more information, check out articles
on our blog to go in-depth on many of these steps. Now that you've got the
process familiarize yourself with the tricks of the trade.


*5 Expert Hash Washing Tips *


*Tip #1 Using fresh frozen cannabis for your hash washing is crucial*

Live resin is referred to as such because connoisseurs know it's an end
product resulting from fresh frozen material. There's a reason why
consumers "in the know" choose live resin concentrates more often than any
other product. Using fresh frozen flower preserves the terpenes, flavor,
and aroma of your end product.

In addition to producing the highest quality product, fresh frozen cannabis
requires the least barrier to entry to making premium, chemical-free
solventless extracts. Using fresh frozen cannabis saves time, space,
company resources, and more. For every pound of fresh frozen cannabis
material you utilize after harvest, you would only get about a quarter of
that yield if you went through the long, drawn-out drying and curing
process. Fresh frozen cannabis requires no space or investment in equipment
to dry and cure, and you will get much more end product with fresh freezing
your bubble hash than if you used dried flower.
[image: Ed_Rosenthal_Pure_Pressure_Fresh_Frozen_Cannabis.jpg]

Fresh Frozen Cannabis

is the best raw material!
*Tip #2 Use RO Water*

Using fresh frozen cannabis is as essential to the process as using reverse
osmosis, better known as RO water. Using RO water is vital to creating
top-tier concentrates. When you use a RO system, it filters out impurities
and other undesired materials that could end up in your final product. Hash
washing with water that isn't filtered results in low-quality extracts.
More so, the contaminants could be harmful to the consumer's health.

As such, you must change your filters and membranes in your RO system
regularly. Changes may be required weekly, monthly or quarterly, depending
on your ice water hash processing facility's output.
[image: Ed_Rosenthal_Pure_Pressure_ROWate_for_Water_Hashr.jpg]

RO Water

is vital for a clean process!
*Tip #3 Use Industry-Specific Equipment*

Don't use plastic buckets and trash cans for your ice water hash making
process. Far too many high volume processing facilities use plastic
containers that shouldn't serve as vessels for ice water hash making. Using
plastic trash cans could result in microplastics ending up in your bubble
hash. Smoking anything with microplastics is not only disgusting, but it's
also potentially dangerous. It is certainly not something a top-shelf
bubble hash maker, or anyone for that matter, should ever sell.

Instead, find a sanitary, FDA food contact approved hash washing vessel,
like stainless steel. We recommend purchasing a dedicated piece of
equipment, like a washing vessel. A quality vessel should be welded
securely and made from durable material that won't result in nasty residual
contaminants.

Bruteless stainless steel ice water hash washing vessels are all FDA
food-grade compliant. Made by hand in Colorado, you won't find another hash
washing machine that produces volume and quality like the 30-gallon
Bruteless system. Not only will your production produce top yields, but it
can also wash up to 5,000 grams per washing cycle.
[image: Ed_Rosenthal_Pure_Pressure_Cannabis_Industry_Specific.jpg]

The right tools

make all the difference!
*Tip #4 Use Freeze Dryers *

Invest in a high-quality freeze dryer to dry your ice water hash. With a
freeze dryer, you maximize your chances of ridding your product of mold,
microbials and other harmful contaminants while your product dries.

It saves time too. Air drying your bubble hash is a long and drawn-out
process that could take up to a week, or even more in some cases. With a
freeze dryer, that amount of time is reduced to 24 hours or less. Not only
is the cut down in time beneficial to production creation. The now
available time allows for additional bubble hash production cycles. Or you
can use the time to focus on other efforts that improve the company.

As is the case with using the fresh frozen method, freeze-drying your hash
retains the best flavors and preserves terpene profiles. It also enhances
your final hash product's light color, an excellent selling point for shelf
appeal. Lightly colored concentrates command a higher premium than lower
quality concentrates do.
[image: Ed_Rosenthal_Pure_Pressure_Freeze_Dry_Cannabis.jpg]

Freeze Dryers

save you time and make a better product!
*Tip #5 Chilled to Perfection*

Keep your bubble hash making facility on the cool side. One of the main
reasons a cold environment is preferred is that the warmer the environment,
the higher the chance of terpene volatilization. Volitation is what occurs
when terpenes evaporate or disperse into vapor. On the other hand, a cooler
space lessens the likelihood that the terpenes in your SKUs will be
volatilized.

Besides preserving terpenes, keeping your facility cool helps the trichomes
of your fresh frozen cannabis flower become more brittle. Trichomes that
are more brittle detach easier in your ice water hash mixing vessel. Those
additional trichomes should lead to higher potencies as well as enhanced
flavors and aromas in your SKUs.
[image: Ed_Rosenthal_Pure_Pressure_Water_Hash_Keep_it_Cold.jpg]

keep it cool

for more flavor and aroma!


*Premium Bubble Hash Requires Premium Equipment *

You can have the best ice water hash information at your hands, but it
won't mean a thing if your bubble hash making equipment is subpar. Less
than stellar equipment results in suboptimal concentrates. Avoid ruining
your time, sweat equity, and flower. Invest in industry-leading equipment
made for ice water hashing.

https://gopurepressure.com/