Tools Needed

[Lostbeachbum]

Hey everyone,

I leaving for Jamaica soon and I'm trying to get as many necessary tools here in the US before I leave. I stay in a remote region and it's pain trying to source things sometimes. So far I have:

5-Gallon 4 bag+1 kit
2- pressing screens
Rubber spatulas in various sizes
4- 12x 12 pieces of silk

Buckets, bowls, wooden spoons and mixer can be found easily in JA. Is there anything else that would be worth picking up while I'm still here? Anything needed for drying, curing and pressing? I'm completely new to this form of making hash so any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks

[Bubbleman]

Sounds like you got a good list there.. one more thing i always like to bring is plenty of tight stainless steel meshed pipe screens. And i noticed you don't have a Bubble now On the list.. those are pretty sweet to have. Even if you just bring a small 5 gallon one.

Hope to see some pics of your journey

Peace
Bubble man

[Lostbeachbum]

Thanks for the tips Bubble Man. I did grab a few packs of screens, and a fresh glass piece already. I was going to buy a Bubble Now, and still might if I can get someone to fly down and bring it with them. However, I bring ALOT of stuff with me to sell and give away down there. I already have my backpack, a laptop bag, and 2 huge suitcases full of stuff. I'll buy one eventually and bring it with me to keep.

Do you have any links to the best drying/curing method? After all the videos and tutorials, I'm confident in the extraction method, but kinda lost after I put it on the screen and fold the towel. I'd really like to make the most of my first few runs since I'll only be there for 6 weeks this time. Thanks!

[YukonBikerGuy]

I never press wet hash, ever, even gently. Not even a folded over towel on it.

I put a stack of paper towel under the 'pressing screen' and put the wet hash patties on top for a few minutes straight out of the bag. Most of the water wicks thru to the paper towel, leaving the hash at just the right consistency to chop up or 'shave apart' on cardboard for drying. Chop it up as finley as you are able, and let it dry like that on the cardboard for 3-10 days depending on humidity and temperature. Once it is completeley dry, you may press it if you wish, or not. Many people find the hash 'sand' easier to use and to deal out hits of, and there are way less ruptured trich heads in unpressed hash. The only real reason to press hash is for ease of transport, or smuggling, in my opinion.

I keep telling Bubbleman it should be renamed a 'wicking screen' or some other name, just to keep people from unintentionally pressing wet hash, trying to get the water out.

Hope this helps some, enjoy your trip, and your hash. :)

YBG

[Lostbeachbum]

Thanks alot YGB. I've been reading up on the drying technique and will definitely be using your advice. I just bought a massive $80 grinder to get even better results. Here is my basic plan:

Once I get there, I'm going to secure a few pounds of fresh trimming and another LB of herb. Once I go through the trimmings and pick out all foreign objects I'm going to freeze them. I'm also going to grind a few ounces of herb, and freeze that as well.

I keep reading conflicting reports on how long to agitate the herb/ice/water mixture. Some people say 3-4 minutes then let rest for 30 for the highest quality. Others say as long as 2, 15 min runs with 30 min rests in between for the largest yield. Because of the amount of trimming and herb available, I would really like to produce the finest quality possible. Any suggestions on this stage?

I will stick with the no pressing method to preserve the trichromes and will allow if to dry on the "pressing" screen with towels underneath before I place it on cardboard in between two silk scarves (to prevent dust,dog hair, sand, etc). Do you fold the screen over the hash at all or just allow it to be absorbed from underneath? About how long do you allow it to dry on the screens before transferring it to cardboard? When you say chopping, I assume you mean chopping the hash like a pile of coke and spreading the surface area as wide as possible to allow as much of the hash to be hit by air.

Thanks again for any more advice, I'm counting down the days, 5 more left!

[YukonBikerGuy]

Ok, lets see here.....

IMO, close trim (just the sugary stuff, no sun leaves) is the best starting material for making hash overall. The largest percentage of the trichomes are recovered, because of all the flat trich covered surfaces, as opposed to whole bud, where a portion is trapped inside the nooks and crannies of the cannabis flowers. Trim collected and frozen fresh, makes the stickiest meltiest hash for me. I prefer to have it hard frozen in a deep freezer for at least 2 weeks myself, but overnight will do if I'm in a hurry. When I do run bud, fresh or dry, I do not break it up much, and never grind it.

Particulate is the enemy of melt. Its mostly plant particles, and the more the material is ground before you start, and the longer & harder you mix the mash, the more of that finely particulated material will end up in your final product. This does increase overall yield, but decreases purity and dilutes taste. Its a simple equation in each case... more ground up (particulated) = lesser quality + more yield , longer mixing = lesser quality + more yield, more violent mixing = lesser quality + yep, more yield. Of course, this means that the inverse of each is true as well. If you keep the starting material as whole as possible, stir it with a gentle but effective method, for a shorter amount of time, you will get better hash than if you don't.

I dont rest the mash, I rinse it, because I'm not mixing in the 220µ work bag in a bucket, I use the Bubblenow. When I drain it into the bagged up 5 gallon bucket, there is plenty of room for pouring another gallon of ice cold water over the zippered 220µ mesh mixing bag, and the foamy ice in the machine down into the bags, no waiting.

Allow me to repeat the first sentence of my last post above: "I never press wet hash, ever, even gently. Not even a folded over towel on it."... I meant towel and pressing screen, sorry I wasn't more clear. You can see my process in my Full Plant Hash Tales thread with the 'wicking screen' method, I just posted a new batch there. I Think the patties sat there for 5 or so minutes, the patties chop up easier if the hash is still coldish. You can also see how the wet patties get choped up on cardboard there as well. If you can chop it as fine as Peruvian Marching Powder, all the power to you, I do the best I can. :)

I just put it on top of cardboard, and leave it somewhere that is not dusty, or exposed to pet hair to dry, uncovered, not wrapped in silk or any thing else, with the hash exposed to the air. Some find putting it on a shelf inside of an unused cupboard or closet works, I know 1 fellow who used to dry his hash in the oven, as he never ever used it. Once the hash is dry, if you find it is sticking to the cardboard, placing the whole thing into a freezing environment for a short time before scraping off the hash can make it come off a bit easier. Thats for the sticky stuff... dryer hashes will come off no prob at room temp.

I hope this helps some, and good luck with the hash making.

YBG

[777]

enjoy the island SELASSIE I 777 Jah bless