Foamy Water?

[Aqua Lab Tech]

When making Ice Water Hash Separations you notice ¨foamy¨ water as you process your trim over time.

What is this ¨soap¨ like foam build up?

Natural Plant Wax?
Plant Proteins?



Aqua Lab Tech

[Green Supreme]

Off the top of my head I will point out that many growers use a wetting agent to foliar spray. Most of the wetting agents contain some sort of dish soap. Ok now that I have that out its time to think about it more closely. Just my .02. Peace GS

[Aqua Lab Tech]

Yes Good point Green Supreme,

Wetting Agents are diffently not good to use on your plants when making Ice Water Hash Separations.

Other sources could be NEEM.

Aqua Lab Tech

[Bubbleman]

Interesting answer green, I have never really put to much thought into the foamy water. However i know for a while a good rumour started that if your had foamy water you were gonna get full melt. Kind of a funny rumour when you think of it.

good thread start aqua.


Bubble man

[YukonBikerGuy]

I use Neem oil and water with a drop of dish soap as a surfactant (but not in the last 3 weeks or so), and dont seem to notice any detrimental effects on my bud or hash. I also get foamy water when processing plants that have remained untreated, and plants that have been treated then rinsed a few times with pure water spray in the last few weeks. This makes me think that it may be a natural substance in cannabis that causes this foaming. In the Yukon, we have a berry with similar properties, its called the soapberry. If you try to wash them with water, the water will foam as much as a healthy dose of dishsoap. A local treat is made from these berries (its called indian ice cream), by mixing 1 cup berries with 3 cups white sugar, and beating it very stiff. The berries make it foam up to a sort of slightly bittersweet mousse. So there are natural foaming agents in some plants, and I believe cannabis is one. I may be wrong. I certainly have no idea what the substance might be. Just my 2 cents.

[EasyBakeIndica]

Even without foliar application, I've still seen this foam form.

Something is mixing with the water to increase surface tension. It's nothing oily. Maybe the chlorophylls?

[GlandularFever]

HI all
1st post - been on the bubble for the last 2 months! Definitely say tho its all about the starting material. Had a few runs with some crap bud n trim, some ok bud n trim , and some great bud n trim. Im so addicted to playing with a bit of 45 micron bubble in me fingers all night, makin pyramids, snakes, dice worms with many heads. Ahh hours of fun. I calls it me putty!

RE foamy stuff - on my last run the water level was a bit too high, i was using 5 or 6 bags - 1 gallon btw. No 190 bag, no 160 bag i think! I had a small gap betweeen the 220 and 120 bag. when mixing (drill with wooden spoon attached - i find it ends less green than with a kitchen mixer thingy) the foam was literally overflowin past the lip of the 120 bag - i had to lift the 220 bag slightly so as not to lose any foam. Upon closer inspection of the foam - i could see trich heads stuck in the foam. Lil creamy blobs floating in the foam. I got a glass of water - and ever so slightly poured on top of foam to bring back into the bag!

I also noticed that upon settling the mixture, the foam tended to disappear! However - some of the foam remained - and when collecting the bubble at the end - i usually find that some always settles on top of the hash - and leaves the indented bubble marks!

For me - or in my opinion - foam is good - and i associate it with strong bubblehash!

My 2p

[trichomefarmer]

to control foam a little spray bottle with cold water helps a lot.

[plantbuilder]

The development of foam occurs due to changes in the water surface tension and the physical introduction of air.

Foam is produced as air, introduced in the turbulence of stream riffles, below waterfalls, or as waves break upon the shore, bubbles to the water surface.

Naturally produced organic surfactants are released from algae and plants when they die and begin to decompose but also in lesser amount when living. These organic surfactants are part of a large variety of plant material that when dissolved in water is referred to as dissolved organic carbon (DOC).
http://www.arrialaska.org/foam-in-streams.html

The tip from TF is indispensible. I use a shower head to run my bags out.
If you mix more gently you should see less foam.

Very impressed by this forum.
Great job!

peace
plantbuilder

[cannalingus]

Would it be stupid to assume tat cannabis plants exude fats and oils that are similar to soaps, or that this is the emulsion of non water solubles like terpenoids (oils) that in turn causes this when agitated?

[Cannawinner]

Its definitely not from solutions that are sprayed onto the leave. I my last grow I did not spray anything, and still got foam when making bubble hash.

I would agree with Cannalingus, makes perfect sense.

Would it be stupid to assume tat cannabis plants exude fats and oils that are similar to soaps, or that this is the emulsion of non water solubles like terpenoids (oils) that in turn causes this when agitated?

[Razz]

i never use a wetting agent, soaps or neem, but i am adiment about creating a mean froth when i make a batch. and it's always foamy. maybe it could be due to the hardness or softness of the water in the area you are in. i've also noticed that when i scoop the bubble along with the foam and let it sit and dry naturally with out pressing it, the water extracts itself fron the tricome material with great ease, thus when it dries by the nexyt day it crumbles apart very easily. hope this grobble helps out.

[raphen]

A while back I decided to add an air stone into the left over water to use to feed the kids. As soon as the air stone went into the container, foam erupted like a volcano. I collected some of the foam to let dry. After dried the material looked black and flaky with a bit of "pepper" in it. The material looked like possible food grade extract, however it was never experimented with.
During a recent field trip to the local supply store I learned that the foam caused by air/air stone in a reservoir meant material was being broken down and this is beneficial when feeding plants. This must be the dissolved organic compounds (DOC) plantbuilder posted about. Since the bags are for the purpose of separating extract from plant material why would you want plant material -aka DOC - back in the extract? So it seems that the foam is bad because it adds more plant material into the final product.
Well further testing has made me believe that the foam may be beneficial. When the air stone is added foam starts to form, but look closely at the foam. Why is it sparkly? I think that the sparkles are resin glands bonding to the foam. My hypothesis is that the foam captures the glands, separating them apart. When the foam is set aside and processed through the bags the final product will be a lighter, fluffier high grade product. Further research will be done and I will try to post some results.
p.s. the kids love the left over water! recycle, reduce reuse!

[mcbitsko]

Would it be stupid to assume tat cannabis plants exude fats and oils that are similar to soaps, or that this is the emulsion of non water solubles like terpenoids (oils) that in turn causes this when agitated?
it wouldnt be stupid.
but you have to understand.
fat and terpines are not water soluble. chlorophyl is.
so whipping up the product in water shouldnt leach out those i don't think.