How long press hash

When it comes to making solventless hash though, the trichomes that the plant contains are going to make or break your process. As you can see in the diagram below, the types of trichomes found on cannabis can take on multiple shapes and sizes.

Image D shows a capitate-stalked trichome, which is the ideal size and shape to look for if you are looking for genetics to process solventlessly. For more on selecting strains for ice water hash processing, check out this article.

Image source. Seek out genetics that are already known to be successful solventless strains. Consider starting your experimentation with a few reliable strains and keep them in rotation. Once you master the extraction process of the first few, experiment with new cultivars. It is important to note that not all strains have the right genetic makeup for solventless processing.

Be sure to follow top strain producers, reviewers, and other news outlets as well for more flower suggestions. This is part of the learning curve and is quite common.

This can happen when understanding the capabilities of your rosin press, as well as simply with certain strains behaving differently. Extremely precise variable control makes all the difference, and is something you will learn as you press more.

Once pressing is mastered, hash rosin provides producers with the most flexibility, resulting in a number of textures such as shatter, badder, sauce, diamonds, and more. From here, producers can create dabbable concentrates, vape cartridges, edibles, tinctures, topicals, and other popular products. Keep in mind that producing concentrates and various textures requires an understanding of rosin press post processing techniques.

It is also key to know the importance of post-press cooling and further post-press processing such as cold curing, oven curing, and low heat terpene separations. Many textures are formed based on the initial temperatures used, as well as post processing techniques, such as "jar tech" which is where terpenes naturally separate from rosin in a glass jar using a variety of temperature manipulation and air exposure methods.

Photo: Lizzy Fritz. The concept of using the hot water bottle method is similar to pressing by hand. However, more heat is applied to thoroughly melt the waxy cuticle of each trichome head. This method works with medium- to high-quality resin that is bone dry. Place a pile of resin on the surface of either organic cellophane or parchment paper.

Fold the paper in half. Bring water to a boil. Fill a wine bottle with the hot water. Allow the bottle to cool for 5 minutes. Place the hot wine bottle on the paper-covered resin and allow it to sit for 30 seconds. Look through the bottle to the darkening stain of the warming resin. If the color is changing quickly, you have the sign that the resin will press very quickly. If the resin barely begins to change after 30 seconds, you will have to work the resin considerably more.

Using a series of passes, roll the wine bottle over the resin using minimal pressure. Allow the heat to melt the material without forcing, using the pressure of your hand.

Flip the paper over and do the same process in the other side. By now, the resin should no longer be a mound, but flatter and more of a patty: If not completely so. With a swift flip of the wrist, open the paper. The resin should be sticky and have a nice sheen. Fold the resin in half and then again and begin to press once more.

Repeat this process one more time before taking the warm resin into the palm of your hand. Roll it with firm pressure; compressing the resin together and pushing out any excess air. Resin that has lumps, lines and wrinkles need to be more thoroughly worked.

With very high-quality resin, the result will be a completely melted, shiny mass of resin ready for storage. A machine press by The Dank Duchess. Making hash is a cinch with a mechanical press. Bookbinding presses, called nipping presses, can be used. Plans are available on the web for building a press using a hydraulic jack.

Hand-pumped hydraulic presses are a less expensive way to get a tight press. Another cost-effective method uses a vice grip, although it takes some adaptation. For small amounts, a pollen press can be used in conjunction with a handheld kief collecting grinder. Kief is added to this small metal tube. The tension pin is placed in, and the pollen press is screwed shut.

The next day, the kief has been pressed into a neat hash block. Many companies have similar presses now, including one made of stainless steel with a low-torque T-handle. Once the hashish is pressed, it can be kept for months or possibly years with little deterioration to its potency and flavor, with proper storage.

A frost-free freezer is the best place for storing hash. You can extract a lot of kief with each run of the Kief Thief, but what to do with all that kief can pose a dilemma. Kief is a great extract, but it can be difficult to store and handle in large quantities. Enter hash. Hash is a concentrate that is basically compressed and heated kief.

This alters the chemical makeup and physical consistency to produce a slightly different extract from plain kief. Hash is easier to handle in larger quantities and will typically burn slower than kief.

Many people use hash the same way they would kief such as using it to top bowls and blunts or to smoke on its own. Hash has been around for thousands of years. The first type of hash came from those who labored in cannabis fields. It can even turn hash that just won't melt into a dabbable product. While Salazar didn't invent the process, he did play a huge role in creating the hype that has spurred many solventless enthusiasts to begin experimenting on their own.

A hair straightener with 2-inch plates and customizable temperature controls work best, but the process will still work with a straightener that has low, medium, and high settings. It may just take a little more trial and error. Temperature plays a big role in determining the quality and overall yield of your rosin-making efforts. And the ideal temperature is heavily dependent on the chemical makeup of the cannabis used.

If your flower, dry sift, or hash is terpene-rich , a lower temperature is needed. This is because the terpenes squeezed out of the trichome glands during the initial press act as a natural solvent to facilitate the process. In strains with fewer terpenes to play that role, you'll need more pressure and heat to coax out the cannabinoids. Nugs can be pressed directly in parchment paper but kief or hash should be placed in a rosin screen or mesh bag first.

While typically used by more experienced rosin makers, these screens and bags filter out plant particulates that can make their way into your finished product. The smaller the screen size, the more particulates it will hold back, but it will also restrict the flow of your rosin and possibly reduce your overall yield. Choosing the correct screen size is a delicate balance.

Finer mesh screens microns are ideal for any form of dry sift or hash. Larger mesh screens microns can be used for either lightly ground nugs or trim. We recommend using heat resistant gloves to avoid burning your fingertips. Some hair straighteners come with a pair or they can easily be found online or at a beauty supply store. When using the hair straightener, you will need to apply pressure by squeezing the tip of the flat iron with your hands.

Do this at your own risk and with caution.