What Is Bubble Hash? [Full Guide and How to Make]

There are many different forms of cannabis concentrate available on the market. What they all have in common is an extremely high THC content. These are not products for novices, nor should you consider overindulging.

Bubble hash, also known as water hash, has become popular in recent times. It is relatively easy to make and is thought to be cleaner and purer than concentrates made with solvents. Apart from trichomes, you need ice water and a few other supplies. Find out more about how to make bubble hash in this in-depth guide.

What Is Bubble Hash?

Bubble hash is a high-quality form of hash that consists of numerous trichome heads. You create it by using ice water and a sieve to separate the trichomes from the plant. This form of cannabis concentrate gets the name because it bubbles when you expose it to heat. Also, you use bubble bags to make the hash at home.

When you submerge cannabis in ice-cold water and agitate it, the trichomes break off and are easy to collect.

When you submerge the cannabis in ice-cold water and agitate it, the trichomes break off and are easy to collect. Bubble hash’s color can vary from dark brown to light blonde. There are several reasons why people create bubble hash:

It is highly potent and provides an intoxicating high that feels stronger than kief or dry-ice hash.
As there are no flammable ingredients or chemicals involved, it is relatively safe to make at home.
Bubble hash is a fantastic way to use trim.

Now, let’s learn more about how to make it.

How to Make Bubble Hash?

The primary goal of making bubble hash is to ensure that the trichomes are removed without being damaged. Trichomes are glands that grow on the flowers, leaves, and stems of the marijuana plant, although they are most prevalent in the flowers.

Trichomes consist of a minuscule stalk and a round head. They are laden with cannabinoids such as THC and CBD, as well as flavonoids and terpenes.

With bubble hash, you are removing these delicate glands in their entirety. There are different forms of bubble hash and a variety of colors too. For example, this substance can be wet and dank or dry and sandy. It can be maroon, marigold, or even brown.

If you use plants that haven’t been cured or dried, you’ll end up with a wet and unstable product that resembles live resin. If you use older marijuana, you’ll probably end up with a brown or even grey dried mass.

The art of creating traditional hash has been popular for centuries. However, bubble hash has only hit the Western mainstream in the last 30 years or so. You can make it using cannabis flowers, fine-mesh micron bags, and ice water. The bags and ice water are utilized to extract the cannabinoids from plant materials.

If you’re serious about making premium-grade bubble hash, we recommend investing in an eight-bag bubble bag kit. These kits contain eight different size bags ranging from 25 microns to 220 microns. In most cases, the 73-micron and 90-micron bags are the best options. However, it is handy to have a full spectrum of sizes.

10 Steps to Make Bubble Hash

Place the ice water into a bucket with the marijuana starting materials. Make sure you submerge the flowers to freeze the trichomes.
Agitate the flowers with a wooden dowel or stick to ensure the trichomes break off from the plant. Professional companies use a freezing ice washer for five minutes per cycle and use reverse osmosis (RO) water.
Use caution when trying to separate the trichomes. Their heads are extremely delicate, and it is easy to damage them.
Once the trichomes have been removed, it’s time to use the bubble bags to separate them. Use a second bucket and place the bags in the bucket in ascending order of microns. For example, place the 25-micron bag on top, followed by the 45-micron bag, all the way to the 220-micron bag.
After securing the bags over the side of the second bucket, slowly pour the water and marijuana mixture onto them.
Take the first bag from the bucket and flush it with ice water for a second time to get any remaining trichomes. Shake each bag in turn, allow each one to drain, and set them aside.
Every bag will have its own quality of hash. The finest mesh bags, these should be the ones at the bottom, contain the best product.
Take the different hash grades and spread them on separate drying sheets. We recommend using non-stick surfaces.
When the hash is dry, roll it into a ball or press it onto a sheet.
At this point, you can break off small pieces and either roll them into joints or place them on the tops of bowls. If you elect to roll a joint, add heat to the outside. If you don’t do this, the hashish will burn slower than the flowers and papers. This means it will fall off the joint before you use it!

Tips for Making Bubble Hash

Bubble hash is somewhat rare; however, its presence is expanding. Nevertheless, you’ll probably want to make it yourself instead of trying to hunt bubble hash down; it may also be costly. Here are a few tips to help you get it right.

A Cold Process = An Outstanding Result

There is no way you can make bubble hash without extremely cold water. After all, it is the icy water that separates the cannabinoids from your marijuana. It freezes and snaps the trichome stalks and heads. Trichomes aren’t water-soluble. As a result, they get mixed in the ice water mix contained in the bubble hash washer.

Make sure you make bubble hash in a cold room using as much purified ice as you can get your hands on. If you use a bubble hash washer, make sure it is properly insulated.

Use Purified Water

The quality of water varies depending on where you live. Unless your town’s water supply has been in the news lately, it is hard to determine its suitability. Purified water usually doesn’t contain chlorine and fluoride. If you use tap water instead, your bubble hash could have a nasty chemical taste. Invest in a reverse osmosis (RO) filter for the best results.

Use Top-Shelf Genetics

Low-grade weed means low-grade bubble hash. We recommend using a marijuana strain rich in terpenes and resin. It is also important to use fresh flower, or else your hash will be brown and stale looking.

Invest in a Freeze Dryer

Although this device costs a small fortune, it is an essential investment for commercial bubble hash makers. A freeze dryer can reduce drying and processing time from days to hours. Without a dryer, it can take up to a week to fully dry the hash, which can compromise the quality. A freeze dryer gets the job done in 24 hours or less and provides you with a higher quality product.

Without a dryer, it can take up to a week to fully dry the hash, which can compromise the quality.

Assuming you can’t afford a freeze dryer, use desiccant-like cardboard lined with parchment paper. This is an effective method of wicking moisture from the hash. Don’t rely on porcelain, plastic, or metal because none of these materials wick moisture from inside the product. You also need to cure and dry the hash to prevent it from buttering out within a couple of months.

Take Note of the Aesthetics & Smell

Your bubble hash should transform from a golden yellow hue to a slightly darker color, with the merest hint of transparency in warm temperatures. It should also become sticky. We recommend storing your hash in an airtight container in the freezer.

It’s not a good sign if your hash is black, brown, or green. Also, the hash should have the same scent as the marijuana strain you began with. This is a sign that the hash has retained its trichomes and aroma. If there is a lack of smell, it means you have a lower grade bubble hash and must consider new methods of making it.

How to Use Bubble Hash

There are several ways to use bubble hash. Again, please remember that it is highly potent, and a little goes a very long way!

Edibles

All you need to make cannabis edibles using bubble hash is a carrier oil. The most commonly used include olive oil, coconut oil, canola oil, or almond oil. While cannabutter remains a popular ingredient in edibles, a growing number of users are eschewing it in favor of oil.

The decarboxylation process occurs when you bake your edibles. Therefore, the THCA in the hash becomes THC. Always exercise caution when consuming edibles, especially when they contain bubble hash. It can take two hours for the high to become apparent. Also, there is a suggestion that edibles are more potent than other forms of cannabis consumption.

Joints & Blunts

Plenty of people like to go old-school with their bubble hash and smoke it with a blunt or joint. In this case, sprinkle some on the rest of the cannabis to give your joint an extra kick. The malleability of bubble hash means it is easy to manipulate its shape and add to a blunt.

Bongs & Pipes

It is a similar story when adding bubble hash to joints and blunts. Take a little piece and add it to the bowl. You should find that the level of intoxication you feel goes up a notch. If you have bottom-shelf cannabis, sprinkling some bubble hash on it can give you the experience you crave.

Dabbing & Vaping

The versatility of bubble hash is evidenced in the fact you can use it in a dab rig or vaporizer. If you have a rig, heat the nail until it is scorching. Flatten the bubble hash and add it to the nail. It should vaporize rapidly, which also makes it ideal for vape pens.

Other Methods

There is very little that you CAN’T do with bubble hash! You can use it when making Thai sticks or moon rocks. Indeed, you can add it to practically any form of cannabis to provide it with extra THC.

Rating Bubble Hash

Please don’t take it as gospel that the bubble hash you have in your hands is top-grade. The genetics of the strain used and the success of your extraction method are just two of the factors that determine bubble hash quality. Experts in the field of bubble hash have applied a 6-star rating system to help you separate the wheat from the chaff.

1–2 Stars

This is the lowest quality bubble hash. It is dry and filled with contaminants. It normally consists of less than 50% true trichomes stalks and heads. While you shouldn’t bother trying to smoke it, 1–2-star bubble hash is ideal for edibles. Despite being low-grade, it still adds potency to a regular joint and is easily affordable for most marijuana users.

3–4 Stars

Although there is less debris than in the lower grade hash, 3–4-star bubble hash half melts due to the presence of detritus such as leaf material. It is an excellent addition to a bowl and can also be used for dabbing. However, most users prefer to press it into rosin.

5–6 Stars

This bubble hash is the cream of the crop because it contains nothing but trichome heads and stalks. There are no contaminants, and zero residue is left when it is dabbed or vaporized. Typically, this grade of hash is drawn solely from 73 and 90-micron bags. If you make bubble hash at home, it is unlikely that you’ll achieve 5+ star status unless you are well-versed in the process.

Bubble Hash Potency

While the potency of bubble hash isn’t at the high level of other cannabis concentrates, it still packs a punch. In general, you can expect to get anywhere from 30% to 60% THC.

Solvent-based concentrates have more THC but aren’t necessarily as pure as bubble hash. Also, bubble hash possesses an extremely high level of terpenes. There is evidence that suggests terpenes play a major role in how cannabis affects people.

There is evidence that suggests terpenes play a major role in how cannabis affects people.

Also, it is untrue to suggest that all bubble hash is created equally. If you see it available for less than $15 a gram, it is probably 1-2 star hash. This is because the manufacturer used mediocre plant material and large screens. Mid-shelf (3-4 star) bubble hash costs no more than $40 a gram.

Meanwhile, the high-end version (5-6 star) can cost up to $100 a gram! This bubble hash is created with top-shelf cannabis and the finest screens. It typically has around 60% THC.

Final Thoughts on Bubble Hash

It is widely believed that bubble hash is safer to consume than concentrates that use chemical solvents to extract the cannabinoids. However, experts in the field dismiss this notion. According to Serge Christov of Honest Marijuana Co., extraction with a solvent such as butane is just as safe as ice water extraction because the solvent is evaporated, leaving behind a pure product.

It is also a fact that ice water extraction is an arduous, time-consuming, and expensive process if you don’t purchase certain equipment.

Despite this, bubble hash is still a popular product. Overall, bubble hash is clean because you use ice water to freeze and then extract trichomes from the marijuana plant. You then separate it from unwanted plant materials through the use of mesh ‘bubble’ bags.

If you decide to make bubble hash, you are rewarded with a high-THC product that should only be used in small amounts. If you treat it as regular cannabis, there is a high possibility of suffering from side effects such as hallucinations and paranoia, so use bubble hash responsibly!

Concentrates/High THC