How to Make Bubble Hash? A Step by Step Guide

Bubble hash is a popular, potent, solventless cannabis concentrate which delivers a rich intoxicating smell and a blissfully indulgent effect.

It is a real treat for most cannabis lovers and connoisseur.

Looking to turn your cannabis into a bounty of bubble hash but don’t know how?

Whether you have a load of trim or buds at your disposal, you can use a safe, time-tested method to make it at home with supplies you can find in most kitchens.

Also, it’s easy to make once you have the supplies you need and a little bit of practice.

In this guide, we’ll explore the process of making premium bubble hash from cannabis flower and offer some pro tips for making it.

Now you can enjoy hash without worrying about dangerous solvents, contaminants, or creating a big smelly operation.

What is bubble hash?

Sometimes referred to as water hash, ice hash, ice-o-lator, or full-melt hash, bubble hash got its name from the tiny bubbles that form when it’s heated.

Bubble hash is the result of separating trichomes from cannabis plant material using only ice, water, and filter bags (aka “bubble bags”) with no solvents.

Trichomes are the sticky, crystalline-looking resin glands of a cannabis plant that produce cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids.

The final product is the live resin, which takes the form of a soft, pliable hashish that ranges in color from blonde to brown depending on the quality and cannabis strain used.

Bubble hash can be very potent, with THC levels that can sometimes be tested at over 50%. However, its potency depends on the quality of the starting material and specific micron bag used.

As the cold temperatures used during extraction preserve most of the terpenes, bubble hash is one of the most aromatic and flavorful extracts you can make.

The techniques used to make ice hash were first popularized by seed expert and industry pioneer Skunkman (aka Sadhu Sam or David Watson) in the 1980s.

10 Things you need to make Bubble Hash

Here’s what you need to make bubble hash at home:

1. Dry cured or frozen cannabis (bud or trimmings)

You can achieve any grade of hash with either live or dried cannabis, but it tends to be easier to get the most premium quality ice water hashes with live, fresh frozen material.

Trim is the leftover material that accumulates after a harvest consisting of flower clippings, leaves and stems. It contains fewer trichomes, and will yield the lowest quality results.

2. Water

The water carries trichomes through the mesh, like sand being carried away by a river.

THC/CBD is non-polar, so it does not dissolve in water.

3. Several bags of ice

The ice keeps the water and material very cold so the glands remain brittle and snap off with agitation.

It also causes friction and shearing forces that better separate the trichomes from the buds.

2. Bubble hash bags (filters)

It's important to have quality bubble hash bags for washing. One key bubble hash bag quality to look for is the filtration mesh quality.

Bubble bags separate the different sizes of trichome heads and surplus plant material, leaving you with pure trichomes at the end of the process.

The Bubble bags contain mesh nets with specific size gaps in the net that typically range between 25-220, including 220, 190, 160, 120, 90, 73, 45 and 25 microns.

The different microns of each bag are ultimately what filter or sieve the hash into different grades.

3. one clean bucket

You want one bucket for every size of filter bag you use.

If you're using 4-gallon wash bags, use 4-gallon buckets.

4. Big stirring spoon or electric hand mixer

You can use anything from a big stirring spoon, to an electric hand drill with a paint mixer attached or something else.

7. Pressing screen (for drying)

Pressing screens are made from Mesh, these screens are reusable and washable.

They are used after the extraction and filtration process to efficiently dry your botanical products and bubble hash crystals.

Firmly press down on your product with a rolling pin moving gently in different directions over the screen. Unfold your cloth, then unfold the screen.

8. Non-stick drying sheets

Necessary for lining drying surfaces, wax paper or parchment paper ensures non-stick drying and easy transfer of the hash once dry.

9. A small spoon (optional)

It is used to better scoop the wet hash out of the Bubble bag.

10. sprayer (optional)

You can use a sprayer to wash hash bags.

How to make bubble hash? A step by step guide

Bubble hash is made using ice water extraction, a process that involves agitating cannabis and ice water to dislodge the trichomes for collection.

Step 1: Line the bucket

The first step is to line the bucket with your micron filters or bubble bags.

Start with your smallest micron filter and line with the rest of the bags in ascending size order, so your largest micron-sized bag is on top.

For example, bubble bags start off with 25-micron bags and work up to the 220-micron bag.

It's a good idea to pre wash your bags to flush out any loose fibers.

Step 2: Fill the bucket

Fill the bucket with a layer of ice, then flower, and follow this pattern to the top of the bucket. It's usually recommended to fill your bucket with as much ice as possible.

The colder your mixture, the more likely trichome heads are to freeze and break off. It's also best practice to make sure the top layer is ice and not flower.

Once all layers of ice and flower are in the bucket, fill it with water, preferably just high enough that you can still stir without spilling over.

Step 3: Stir the bucket

Allow the water to sit and chill, then gently stir your mix for about 15 to 30 minutes. The time and force used to agitate while vary depending on your starting material.

Once the ice starts to melt, you can also gently increase your stirring speed. Add ice periodically to keep the water cold. The ideal ice-to-water ratio throughout your stir is about 1:1.

After stirring, let the mixture settle for a few minutes. Longer for larger containers. This extra time allows the resin glands to settle sequentially through each hash-bag according to their size.

Step 4: Strain and repeat

Once your stir time is completed, lift the top bag with the plant material and strain the liquid into the bucket until only ice and flower are left in the first bag.

As you repeat the strain through successive bags, observe the traits of what's left on the screen. Depending on your needs, various micron filters offer different melt levels.

Bubble bags between 73 and 90 microns are assumed to produce the finest resin.

Step 5: collect the bubble hash

To collect the remaining concentrate, turn each bag inside out after draining.

Use a spray bottle and a spoon to remove your bubble hash and clump the wet piles on your drying screens.

Firmly press down on your product with a rolling pin moving gently in different directions over the screen to press the water out.

Step 6: Dry your bubble hash

The final step is to press all excess moisture out of your hash. Drying is arguably the most important factor in ensuring the quality of your final product.

There are different ways to dry your bubble hash. The most cost-effective way is to air dry it.

Gently press the excess moisture out of your ice hash and then use a knife or credit card to break it down into small pieces that make it easier for the hash to dry out.

Spread the small pieces of ice hash over a piece of parchment paper and place in a cool and dry environment.

Once it’s dry, transfer it to the freezer. It’s best not to leave it drying at room temperature for days as this risks growing mold.

Some hash makers choose to place the hash in the freezer and once frozen, use a microplane zester, to break the hash into smaller pieces to ensure the quick removal of all moisture.

Freeze dryers are expensive, but they can remove moisture quickly in as little as 24 hours—and with better terpene retention and color preservation.

7 Useful Tips for making bubble hash like a Pro

Before you begin making your next batch of bubble hash, make sure you incorporate these seven pro tips into your process.

1. Keep things as cold as possible.

When making bubble hash, it’s best if the entire process is cold, as this better frees up the trichomes for extraction.

Cold temperatures are a necessity for producing high quality bubble hash with the ice water extraction method.

2. Consider your water source

Tap water can work in a pinch, but what you really want to use is ultra-purified water.

If you do make bubble hash with tap water, you might end up with a mild but discernible chlorine taste in your product.

Purified water takes out chlorine, fluoride and other chemicals that can be found in tap water. It can make your bubble hash taste purer and better.

3. Start with quality weed

The input material will have a direct correlation with the output hash. You won’t get the best hash with poor-quality buds or trim.

Bubble hash works best with whole-flower buds that contain a high concentration of trichomes.

A dry and low-THC strain will produce a lower-quality yield compared to using high-quality flowers.

4. Freeze Fresh Cannabis First

Once in tiny pieces, freeze them for at least 48 hours or a couple days.

Studies have shown that freezing freshly harvested “live” cannabis preserves these precious terpenes and THC much better than drying and curing harvested flower.

The frozen also help to make the trichomes brittle and easier to separate.

5. Stack your bubble hash bags in the right order

Bubble wash bags are the most fundamental piece of equipment in making bubble hash.

Smaller micron-sized bags only allow smaller particles to pass through the bag, while larger microns allow larger particles to pass through.

When making bubble hash, the right order to stack your bubble bags is from smallest to largest. If you reverse the order by accident, you’re going to get batch contamination.

6. Be Gentle When Agitating

It is important to be gentle while agitating your mixture, especially at the beginning.

Ripe trichomes fall off the stalk with very little effort – just exposure to water is sometimes enough to remove a trichome head.

Stirring with too much force will break off plant material, which can then contaminate the trichomes.

7. Use a Freeze Dryer

While the air-drying method might be cheap, it’s also not good enough. Moisture commonly gets left behind, creating a breeding ground for mold and fungi.

Freeze dryers are a game changer, with which, You can decrease dry time and processing from days to hours, while preserving the peak trichome and terpene profile of the hash.

The Different grades of Bubble hash

Not all bubble hash is created equal, and its quality is typically rated by three different grades on a star system of 1–6 stars, with 6 being the best.

1-2 Star: No Melt

This is the lowest grade of bubble hash. It is dry, has a high proportion of plant matter, and consists of less than 50% trichomes.

This is not ideal for smoking or dabbing on its own, but you can make edibles out of it, or add it to a bowl or joint for smoking to boost its potency.

3-4 Star: Half Melt

Half-melt hash could be comparable to mid-grade cannabis. You can still add it to a bowl, or even dab it.

It’s not as pure and potent as full melt hash and will leave small traces of extract after it’s been heated up.

Similarly to fullmelt, halfmelt can also be heated and pressed into rosin.

5-6 Star: Full Melt

This is top-grade bubble hash. It contains essentially nothing but trichome heads and stalks, and therefore will melt and bubble gorgeously when heat is applied.

After it’s heated, full melt hash dissolves completely, leaving no trace of material, which is why it’s referred to as “full melt”. It can be effectively dabbed, or vaped on its own.

This type of bubble hash is created only when a suitably fine filter is used to catch just the trichomes.

How to use Bubble hash?

Bubble hash is a fairly versatile concentrate.You can either eat, smoke or vape (dab) it.

Some users may prefer a sprinkle of Bubble hash over their bowl (part of a pipe or bong) or joint for an extra potency boost, while others may prefer to dab with Bubble hash for the full effect.

Dabbing method: Bubble hash are consumed in a dab rig, e-rig, nectar collector, or dab pen.

You can make edibles with the bubble hash. Just infuse a food or beverage with bubble hash.

Bubble hash can also be used to create other concentrates and is commonly used in a rosin press to create high-quality rosin.

As you can see, There are several different ways to use ice hash, though some are generally preferred over others. Different methods of use may also suit different needs.

Conclusion

As a solventless concentrate, bubble hash is considered one of the purest and most potent cannabis products available.

Here, we have introduced everything you need to know about making bubble hash, including the essential equipment, step-by-step guide, the pro tips for making bubble hash, and more.

If you’re into this idea, we definitely recommend you make bubble hash at home.

It is a fun process that also does not emit an odour during the manufacturing process, which is ideal for many home growers.

And while it does take a little practice to perfect, most hash aficionados agree the process is well worth it.