How to Smoke Bubble Hash

How to Smoke Bubble Hash

Bubble hash has become one of the most popular options on the market for consumers looking for pure terpenes in concentrated cannabis or those concerned about the health effects of residual solvents such as butane in their concentrates.

Also called water hash or ice water hash, bubble hash enjoys high purity in terms of terpene content and the cognitive experience of vaping it. Since bubble hash was introduced to the cannabis community, its fans have been singing its praises of the euphoric, uplifting effects, which are so clear they sometimes border on the surreal.

Anecdotal evidence from some dispensaries shows that the demand for bubble hash/bubble rosin is growing. This is thought to be because it doesn't include any of the solvents used in some extraction methods, so it is deemed safer. It's also popular amount the older hippies and people that remember hash from the '60s and '70s.  One of the main drawbacks to making bubble hash and hash, in general, is that it's a time-consuming way and the process doesn't yield as much as more modern extraction methods. That said, it can be a cheap, easy way to make cannabis extracts at home.  

How to use bubble hash

There are many ways to use bubbling hash. Its purity and strength make it a versatile concentrate, which can be used alone in water pipes and vaporizers or added to a bowl or joint of dry herb to increase its potency. It can also be sprinkled on fresh food or cooked in with oil.

Here are some of the more popular bubble hashing consumption methods:

Smoking

A little bit of bubble hash can go a long way. You can press it down into the screen of your one-hitter or use it in a dedicated hash pipe. Be sure to pass the flame on and off the hash rather than focusing on it directly. Once it's cherried, you can enjoy all the terpene flavor of hash without the taste of lighter fuel.

Dabbing/Vaporize

Like most concentrates, you can use Bubble hash in a dab rig or vaporizer.

Be sure to use completely melt it so as to avoid leaving any residue. If you are dabbing, then heat the banger like usual. If using a vape, then spread it over the atomizer so it can heat up and vaporize evenly. 

Bowl Topping

One of the best things about bubble hash is that it can be added to any weed you use, regardless of quality.

Sprinkling a small amount of bubble hash granules over the cannabis in your weed pipe or bong is a great way to kick your cannabis experience into high gear. Once your bowl has been cherried, the bubble hash will evaporate without having to add any more flame. Then inhale and enjoy. 

Bubble Joints and Bubble Blunts

When you roll up a blunt or joint for you and your friends, sprinkle some bubble hash over the weed before closing the paper. 

(It is recommended to use roach or filters, which can make the air circulate more easily and make the herb burn hotter). After rolling, light the blunt or joint as usual. The sprinkling of bubble hash will give it an extra kick of flavor and potency. 

Why is it called Bubble Hash?

Bubble Hash gets its name from its extraction method, which involves filtering trichomes through micron screens called bubble bags. Some also claim that the name actually comes from the tendency of hashes to bubble when consumed until they evaporate into nothing.

How is a bubble hash made?

Bubble hash is extracted by stirring plant matter in ice water, usually after the plant material has been frozen. 

This method removes resinous trichomes (tiny mushroom-like structures rich in cannabinoids and terpenes) from the plant material. The density of these trichomes is greater than the surrounding water, and so they sink to the bottom of the ice water.

After being filtered through a micron sieve, the concentrate is like coarse brown sugar granules.

These sticky, tan-to-brown colored particles are then dried (by air or freeze-drying), sieved, and collected. Sometimes you will see the bubble hash pressed into a ball, also known as the temple ball.

Because no chemical solvent is used, bubble hash is called solvent-free concentrate. The average THC content of solvent-free concentrate is 30-70% (while that of solvent-based concentrate is 70-90%). They are rich in terpene and flavor, giving people a mellow whole plant experience.

Bubble hash quality

The quality of bubble hash depends on the plant material used and the micron width of the bubble bag sieve for filtering trichomes. This has given rise to a star quality rating system from 1 to 6. 

Generally speaking, the lower-level bubble hash comes from processed pruned flowers or the second washes. The hash from such is usually darker in color, lower in purity, and harder to burn. This is because there are additional additives in the auxiliary materials. Although some companies do make high-quality bubble hash by filtering out trichomes, these products are few.

The higher-level bubble hashes are made from freshly frozen flowers and are lighter in color and easier to burn due to the purer plant material used in the processing. This concentrate is lighter in color than the trimmed and processed hash and melts more easily without leaving a residue, which is why it is also called a full melt bubble hash.

The micron screen used to treat trichomes also has a great influence on the quality of bubble hash. A wider screen will allow more compounds to pass along with trichomes, resulting in darker products and lower purity.

Smaller screens will only allow the trichomes to pass through. This creates a purer product, which will leave no residue once consumed. Only with this micron width can the processor create a complete bubble hash. 

Is Bubble hash the same as kief?

They are similar but not identical. Kief usually refers to trichomes collected by grinding and rolling the herb. It is essentially a form of "dry sieve" hashing, as it passes through a micron sieve and is collected only by agitation. Bubble Hash also collects trichomes, but usually with water and ice. Both products are harvested trichomes, although kief is usually of lower quality.

Does the bubble hash contain solvents?

Bubble Hash is considered to be a solvent-free concentrate as it uses only water, and no chemicals were used in its creation. If you want to get incredibly technical, water is a solvent and is considered a "universal solvent," but for the purposes of talking about concentrates, it is considered solvent-free.

Conclusion

Bubble Hash, a popular solvent-free concentrate, has been a staple of modern marijuana for decades. It is praised for its smoothness, purity, taste, and effect, providing a different experience from other concentrates.