What do I look for when buying.

(I apologize if this has been posted before, I am terrible with computers)
I currently do not have the ability to grow though it will be in my near future. In that I am unfamiliar with weed in general. I smoke a lot and know what good bud looks like. Though in my extensive hashing career I have discovered that although using bud is important for making melty hash, choosing higher quality bud doesn't always make a higher quality hash. This has lead to disappointing results as I spent good money for stuff that barely melts.
My methodology is as closely replicated to the videos I have watched of bubble man. (Minus the bubble now). Because of this I only use medium grade bud when making hash.
As i said i don't grow which means buying 2 oz to wash through the bags, this is a lot of money and I would like it to go well tomorrow.

Is there something for me to look for as I shop today?

Can I simply magnify to look for trichs, (which i have never done before, though have seen all the photo's and know what to look for).

What kind of cure should the bud have? I read the YBG's experiment post on using fresh to make higher quality. Is this to say that I should be buying bud that still has moister in it?

I also read that less dense bud is good as it usually has better surface area and will float.

If any one could answer some of my questions or provide better advise to someone that is experience in making hash but inexperienced when it comes to bud, that would be much appreitated.

If you are not growing, dont waste money buying wet herb. In my experience fresh close frosty trim is the very best chance for melty hash, but thats really only available to those who produce thier own cannabis. Same goes for fresh bud.

If you look at your herb under 20X-30X magnification regularly, you can start to get an idea about how many trichs cover a given area under examination, but this is really more a measure of volume than quality. It will also give you an idea if the buds have been roughly handled or even skuffed for dry sift previous to you purchasing it.

Bud that hits you hard, should make potent hash as well, but it is still no garauntee that the hash will be melty, even if potent.

Bud with more surface area will have more of the available trichs harvested than whole dense buds. But the same is true for dense nuggets that have been gently dissasembled by hand to pea sized bits, again though this has more to do with yield than melt.

In my opinion, the main factors in making melty hash are strain, and technique. If you are buying your herb, you probably have little or no control over strain at all, or whether all the buds in the bag you have came from a cloned crop, or a geneticly diverse seed crop, or if they were harvested early, or let go extra long, etc.

As always, what hash is on the plant is what is there.... all you can do is the best extraction you can, and see what you have in the end. Good luck on your quest for the melty-melt.

YBG

Thanks a lot YBG! I was hoping you would answer me.
I will post pics next week of my results.

I live she'd their are a couple of dispenserys that sell their trim.what would be a good price on trim at thee kinda places?

So, what I took away from the advice above was that if you don't grow
buying is a total gamble. Due to the fact you don't know the strain.
I figured the best thing to do in my situation is to get a variety of different plants.
I had bought three different oz and put 2 oz (in equal parts) in the freezer and kept the rest to smoke.
Man do I regret not putting the rest in!

I did three washes.
120 and down in both the first and second wash bubbled!
As well as 73 and 90 of the third wash.
I am also happy to report my first Full Melt.
I found it in the first wash of the 25 bag. (Never had anything good in the 25 before...?)

It is important to note, that I have been making hash for three years with one "mystery strain" and have never had half as much success.

I Would certainly recommend doing this to any one else in my situation.

Obviously further testing is needed and will post more results in the coming months.
(As well as some pics of this batch, tomorrow though)

First Wash
http://i1107.photobucket.com/albums/...E/ce723bbc.jpg
Second Wash
http://i1107.photobucket.com/albums/...E/fe63a25e.jpg
All Dried
http://i1107.photobucket.com/albums/...E/0a89e204.jpg
The Melt
http://i1107.photobucket.com/albums/...E/0a47c343.jpg
http://i1107.photobucket.com/albums/...E/70cb070c.jpg
http://i1107.photobucket.com/albums/...E/05cb5514.jpg
Still A Little ash
http://i1107.photobucket.com/albums/...E/5eae57ce.jpg
Sorry about the pour picture quality.

Looks like some real nice hash, good job. Thanks for sharing.

YBG